The following question stood in the name of Dr Lim Wee Kiak –
1 To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in China, how many Singaporeans have officially registered themselves with the Ministry; (b) to date, how many Singaporeans who returned to Singapore have been infected with the virus; and (c) how many registered Singaporeans are still in China and how many are infected.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Question No 1, Sir.
\tThe Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, since the outbreak of the COVID-19, we have seen more than 2,000 new eRegistrants for mainland China in our system. Whilst we do not track the movements of Singaporeans overseas, it is reasonable for us to assume that a number of them would have since visited Mainland China and left, or returned to Singapore, at least for the time being.
Based on our current records, there are still more than 1,900 Singaporeans in mainland China who are eRegistered with us. We believe that the actual number of Singaporeans there is much higher. Therefore, this is as good a time as any for me to remind all Singaporeans overseas to please eRegister with MFA. In particular, given the on-going COVID-19 outbreak in China and in many other countries, we urge Singaporeans to eRegister with us. It enables us to stay in touch with them, to contact them and to provide for any emergency or urgent messages, as well as for them to stay in contact with us. I should also add, as the Minister in charge of the Smart Nation initiative that we have now made it even easier than every before to eRegister using SingPass Mobile.
Our Embassy in Beijing and our Consulates-General in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xiamen maintain close contact with the Singapore community in mainland China. Any Singaporean there who is in need of consular assistance can approach my colleagues in those Missions at any time. To date, we are aware of one Singaporean who was infected with the virus and hospitalised in Hubei. Our Embassy in Beijing has been in touch with him to offer consular assistance and I am very pleased to inform the House that he has since been discharged from hospital in China.
I am also pleased that on the two flights on 30 January and 9 February this year, with the assistance of the Chinese government, the Singapore Government was able to facilitate the safe return home of 266 fellow Singaporeans and their family members from Hubei. It helped that many of them were eRegistered, which made it much easier for us to contact them and to make the arrangements to bring them home. Upon their return to Singapore, they were placed on quarantine in Government Quarantine Facilities. Amongst the 266, seven of them had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. I am glad to report that all have since been discharged from hospital.
We will have to continue to keep watch on the viral outbreak in China and indeed, in many other places of the world as the situation unfolds. In the meantime, life must go on, even as we take additional precautions and make the necessary adjustments. I would like to commend the consular officers of MFA who have been working extra hard to look out for overseas Singaporeans. We will not leave any Singaporean behind. I am confident that we will get through this crisis as one united people.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, I join the Minister in thanking the Embassy Staff in China for all the hard work that they have done, as well as the sacrifices that they have made. May I ask the Minister, of the registered Singaporeans still in China, has MFA or the Embassy reached out to them to ask the reason why they are not coming back? Is it a matter of concern, or are we just assuming that if they do not want to come back, they do not want to come back and so, let them decide on their own?
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: I thank the Member for the supplementary question. There are multiple reasons that they have offered. Some of them, clearly, are working and living there, and their livelihoods depend on their presence in China. Others have got family members there and although there was opportunity for them to return, because they felt an obligation to look after their extended families, they stayed on. There were others – perhaps not so much now but in the earlier phase of the crisis – who were worried even about travelling, making the journey to Wuhan, and therefore, decided that they would stay in place. I think every family will have its own unique reasons. The key point is this: we will remain in touch; we will do our best to help. It would also help if they eRegistered with us because that gives us an immediate, direct line to them; and similarly, for them to us.
Mr Speaker: Order, end of Question Time.
[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
The Chairman: Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, contained in Paper Cmd 25 of 2020.
As there are no amendments, I propose to take the Heads of Expenditure en bloc. I will first take Heads Q, S, T, V, X and Z of the Supplementary Main Estimates.
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sums stated for the Heads of Expenditure as shown on page 5 of Paper Cmd 25 of 2020 stand part of the Supplementary Main Estimates\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
I will now take the Supplementary Development Estimates. In respect of the Supplementary Development Estimates, they are Heads C, K and Q.
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sums stated for Heads C, K and Q as shown on page 7 of Paper Cmd 25 of 2020 stand part of the Supplementary Development Estimates\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sum of $375,889,300 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 contained in Paper Cmd 25 of 2020\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sum of $96,788,900 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020\", put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolutions to be reported. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
The Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has come to certain resolutions.
[(proc text) First Resolution reported, (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the sum of $375,889,300 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, contained in Paper Cmd 25 of 2020\". (proc text)]
[(proc text) Second Resolution reported, (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the sum of $96,788,900 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, contained in Paper Cmd 25 of 2020\". (proc text)]
Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Speaker, I beg to move, \"That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions.”
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolutions accordingly agreed to. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021","subTitle":"Committee of Supply – Paper Cmd 24 of 2020","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Order read for consideration on Committee of Supply [2nd Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
The Home Team plays an important role in keeping Singapore safe from terror threats. Last year, two Singaporeans were charged with terrorism financing, transmitting money to fund terrorist causes overseas. Our TransCom officers conduct high-visibility patrols at bus interchanges and MRT stations. In 2018 alone, they made 723 arrests, with most offenders possessing dangerous weapons and drugs.
Not just called upon in day-to-day operations to keep Singaporeans safe, the Home Team also does an excellent job during times of heightened security risks such as hosting of key international meetings. In 2018, we hosted the Trump-Kim summit and the 33rd ASEAN Summit. In 2019, we hosted the signing of the Singapore Convention on Mediation which required large scale operations to protect the many dignitaries from different countries and to maintain law and order during the large scale event.
The changing global landscape of crime and crime-related activities have an impact on Singapore. Through the Internet, crime is no longer confined to the physical territorial boundaries of a country and much harm can be done by a person even without stepping onto our shores. The Home Team has proven itself as a formidable force – having to deal with the global threat of terrorism and its implications on Singapore; increasing recreational drug use in the region and the world; and having to deal with the ensuring of law and order for multiple high-key international events hosted in Singapore. There is also the threat of foreign interference in our domestic politics. There is also the threat which fake news can pose on on-going security operations conducted by the Home Team. In fact, when fake news is bandied around on WhatsApp, during very important security operations by the Home Team, it does impact the operational ability of that exercise and that operation.
This list of threats stands to get longer as the world becomes smaller. Consequently, the threats become closer.
The Home Team can remain effective and operational notwithstanding these pressures. For example, our Home Team can leverage on science and technology, intelligence gathering, cooperation with other enforcement agencies, predicting future threats early and recruiting dedicated officers. Would the Minister elaborate on how the Home Team is leveraging on each of these aspects to ensure it continues to safeguard Singapore from new and emerging threats in addition to its important everyday functions of maintaining law and order?
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you, Mr Chairman. My next cut, the SPF 200 Exhibition \"Frontier Town to Safest City\" captured the essence of SPF's remarkable journey from a 12-man team to a formidable and effective force of 15,000 today. As Minister Shanmugam said at the launch of the exhibition, over the years, the Singapore Police Force has had to deal with the relevant threats of the times – opium, gambling, secret societies, prostitution, conflicts and unrest between different groups. The security landscape has changed in those 200 years, but the Police Force’s values and mission remain the same – integrity in maintaining law and order. It is only right that in the course of this year’s COS debate that we use the opportunity to thank the dedicated officers of our Singapore Police Force for their professionalism and readiness to protect law and order in Singapore.
It is only right that in the course of this year's COS debate that we use the opportunity to thank the dedicated officers of our Singapore Police Force for their professionalism and readiness to protect law and order in Singapore. Looking ahead, in today’s fast-changing security landscape, would the Minister share how the Home Team would transform to ensure that it continues its relevance, operational-readiness and efficiency?
Next cut. Recently, we have seen a proliferation of large-scale chaos and riots in other countries. These have caused immense damage and disruption to essential services in those societies. In fact, Maplecroft, a company that specialises in global risk data and country risk analysis, estimated that nearly 40% of the world’s 195 countries will see civil unrest during 2020. How can our Home Team guard Singapore and its essential services against such dangerous security risks?
Next cut. Over and above its everyday duties to keep law and order in Singapore, the Home Team has stepped up to the plate to ensure many quarantine centres are manned and protected and contact tracing carried out effectively. My question is: would the Minister provide an update on the deployment of our Home Team officers towards the national fight against COVID-19 and whether we can build a precedent or a standard operating procedure (SOP) arising from current operational experiences that officers can refer to in a future outbreak?
Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, the Police was some sort of a mystic, so there is a mysterious part to the Police Force. When I was growing up in a Teochew kampung, my parents always say \"mata liak\" or Police will catch you, if you are not doing the right things. So, you have some fear but that transformed later on in school. When we went for a road safety campaign and we saw the policemen teaching us how to obey the safety rules, traffic rules and they were extremely friendly. So, it changed my perception that the engagement between the public and the Police was friendly, and you can have a lot of confidence and trust in them.
In the latest Gallup poll, 94% of the residents or Singaporeans felt very safe to walk around the neighbourhood at night, and we were ranked first in the whole Global Order Index. We were also ranked first in Order and Security in the world. So, that is no mean feat because as I became a Member of Parliament, and I dealt with Sengkang NPC, every single one of the policemen, when they engage the public, that friendliness and confidence is there and you can tell that the public trusts them, so much so that even the smallest of things they would send a complaint or report to the policeman. That makes them really, really \"see eh boh eng\", very busy.
As we made progress, I realised it is more and more difficult to maintain that public trust for our policemen, especially when there is social media. The social media, with its fake news or real news or even pictures. A picture, although it speaks a thousand words, but then again, if it is the wrong caption, then it would actually affect the trust and confidence in the policemen.
So, in this day and age, with the world changing really fast, and with social media and information overload, how is the SPF or how is the Ministry going to maintain that public trust and confidence in our Police Force? Moving forward, what are the measures and also plans that they will Implement and execute in order to uphold that trust? Because with that trust, then our enforcement officers can do their work and we can still continue to be ranked number one in the Global Order Index.
Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines): Sir, the hardworking men and women of the Home Team have played a critical role in keeping our country and our people safe. With new challenges emerging, their work gets tougher. I am heartened that the Home Team has transformed its operations throughout the years.
With the celebration of Singapore Police Force's 200th Anniversary this year, can the Minister share how does our Home Team remain relevant to meet our evolving security needs?
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, the recent Hong Kong protests had shown how quickly mass gatherings can degenerate into chaos, resulting in injuries and even deaths, and damage to properties. Such incidents not only destabilise communities, they also cause social rifts and hurt the economy.
I understand that recently, the Police had to be called in to help manage the crowds in at least one of the supermarkets after the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) was raised to Orange. While this is a very different situation from Hong Kong, it shows that unexpected events can lead to people gathering and the Home Team must always be on the ready to ensure order.
Would the Ministry share what lessons we have learnt from the Hong Kong protests and how would the Home Team prevent similar incidents from happening in Singapore?
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, transnational families form a significant proportion of our population today. Between 2009 and 2015, around 15,000 citizen children were born to non-resident foreign mothers. In 2018, one in four citizen marriages involved a non-resident.
Such families often live with tremendous uncertainty because the foreign spouse must continuously apply for the right to stay in Singapore. ICA does not publicly disclose the exact criteria for granting or renewing a visit pass. Foreign spouses are placed in a vulnerable position within their marriage because of this uncertainty. Community organisations who work with abuse survivors or migrants have seen many cases of the citizen spouse threatening to cancel their pass as a way to abuse their foreign wives.
Transnational families, particularly lower income ones, also have limited housing options. Citizens can purchase HDB flats but they are treated as singles for housing grants and foreign spouses cannot be co-owners.
In cases of divorce or widowhood, the foreign spouse faces even more uncertainty. The Government has said it will help facilitate a renewable LTVP, as long as they have custody over young Singaporean children. This is very welcome but not a guarantee. The foreign spouse also has no right to occupy or inherit an HDB flat, causing great anxiety over housing. Can the Government allow citizens married to LTVP+ holders to qualify as a family for the Public Rental Scheme?
Can the Government provide greater support and protection to these vulnerable families by granting the LTVP+ to all foreign spouses of citizens? Can the Government consider creating a clear, timed pathway for these foreign spouses to obtain Permanent Residence status?
Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you, Chairman. Leveraging on science and technology will aid our Home Team officers in ensuring we have the capability to deter, fend off and overcome new threats. Technology has the benefit of allowing officers to perform critical roles with greater time and focus. Would the Minister please provide us an update on how the Science and Technology Agency (HTX) will enhance our Home Team’s fight against new and emerging threats?
The Chairman: Ms Jessica Tan. Both cuts, thank you.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Mr Chairman, with the formation of the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) with responsibility in research and procurement areas of border security and protection of critical infrastructures, what are the areas of focus in its technology roadmap? How will the work of HTX help in operational effectiveness of the Home Team?
HTX has ambitious goals. Having the right talent and skills is critical for the success of the HTC. Could the Minister share more on HTX’s talent strategy? Has HTX been successful in attracting the right talent it requires for the scale and scope of its ambitious mandate? Could the Minister also share the profile of the HTX team?
One of HTX's people strategy is to enable integration across the Home Team to bring together capabilities, knowledge and resources from different Home Team Departments. How has HTX brought together the capabilities across the different Home Team Departments? Does HTX have the right talents who are able to translate security operational requirements into technology solutions and what are some of these solutions?
As HTX is a new organisation, what are the early challenges it is facing? What are the risks involved in the use of technology in the Home Team's operations and how is the Home Team addressing these risks?
Its work in security technologies and research as well as the prevention, response and recovery from cyber attacks requires inter-agency coordination and industry partnerships. How is the Home Team developing HTX's inter-agency cooperation and industry collaborations?
My next cut. In keeping Singapore safe and secure, the Home Team has to tackle an increasing complex security environment and at most times the problem to be solved is not always defined or predictable.
Operationally, officers have to deal with vast information, complex and fast evolving situations and manage risks. In such an environment, could the Minister share the Home Team’s approach to skills and capability building of its officers? How does the Home Team track the effectiveness of these capability development programmes? With the pace of change, how does the Home Team’s capability development programmes enable continual learning?
Technology continues to play an increasing role in homeland security and the environment that officers have to deal with range from the physical to cyber. How does the Home Team ensure that its officers are adequately prepared and equipped to adapt and leverage new technologies and solutions to effectively deploy them in their operations?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): The Home Team must now operate within the confines of many unknowns and some of these crimes and threats cut across continents and boundaries, both physically and virtually.
In the same vein, the workforce profile in Singapore is changing rapidly and with an extremely tight labour market, an ageing workforce and imminent negative employment growth in a few years’ time, against this backdrop, how will the Home Team leverage technology to mitigate emerging threats and manpower constraints?
As the Home Team increases leverage of technology in its operations, how does the Home Team ensure its officers are adequately prepared and equipped to adapt to the rapid transformation?
In addition, I applaud the SPF's deployment of the PolCam. Can I ask for an update on PolCam deployment and effectiveness? At the same time, can I ask SPF for more PolCams to be deployed in congregation points across Boon Lay to better prevent and detect crimes?
Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): In a 2019 global survey, it was found that Singaporean gamers spend more time playing electronic games than other Asian counterparts. Loot boxes, a consumable virtual item used to redeem a randomised selection of further virtual items, is increasingly seen in some quarters as a form of gambling. A study by academics at the University of York indicated that micro-transactions are rising as well. In many games, these are to purchase loot boxes. From a separate study by academics in York, there is some evidence linking loot boxes to problem gambling.
Based on a Parliamentary Question I asked in January last year, MHA is studying the matter. Belgium has banned loot boxes purchased using real money. The UK National Health Service has also called for the industry to ban loot boxes. Its Mental Health Director Claire Murdoch warned that these were in danger of \"setting kids up for addiction\".
Singapore ought to consider implementing, at the very least, regulations to limit access to micro-transaction-driven loot boxes by youth, so as to prevent habituation to addictive gambling-like behaviour among young gamers.
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Law enforcement has evolved over the years. It used to be physical patrolling. But now that crimes are more sophisticated and complex, it requires more mental dexterity and experience. At the same time, manpower constraints have gotten more severe with declining birth rates. We need a larger better-equipped and skilled Home Team to deal with the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Therefore, it is timely we extend the retirement and re-employment age of our police officers. I have had the privilege of serving with them for 13 years. I still meet many of them even now. They have adapted well to the changing enforcement landscape and equipped themselves with new skills. They have also kept themselves healthier. Some of the senior ones have gone into mentorship roles. Indeed, they are really craftsmen. They polish their craft and master it over time. Then, they guide younger officers to do even better.
Can we extend the retirement age of our officers from 55 years old to 62 years old, and re-employment age to 65 years old? Optional early retirement could still be offered at age 55, if they prefer. Officers should also be offered an Employment Assistance Package if they are found unsuitable for re-employment. Establishing a second career can be difficult and we should help our officers to tide over a difficult period upon retirement after they invested most of their lives in the Police Force.
I understand the operational difficulties of a significant jump in retirement age. Thus, we should do this in phases. Extending the retirement and re-employment age will not only allow the Home Team to retain talent to meet growing security challenges but also buttress our longer term crime-fighting strategies.
We must also ensure that we continue to invest in technology to help our officers combat crimes more effectively. Can the Minister share how we have been using technology to mitigate against emerging threats and manpower challenges?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Chairman, in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I watched Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin's efforts to engage the Malay/Muslim community to spread the anti-drug message through the Dadah Itu Haram campaign. This campaign brings a deeper understanding about the efforts by the Government and the community in the fight against drugs. I also see this campaign as a good opportunity to create awareness about the challenges faced by ex-addicts. This can encourage efforts to help addicts recover, turn over a new leaf and give back to society. It seems that many people are now aware of this campaign and understand the important messages that it wants to send.
May I ask, apart from the increasing awareness, what are the other positive outcomes arising from this wonderful endeavour? Will other plans be implemented to build on the current efforts?
(In English): Chairman, in English. I have seen the efforts to reach out to the Malay/Muslim community through the Dadah Itu Haram campaign. There is clearly great value in taking a targeted approach and doing a community-specific engagement. By understanding the values within the community, the messages in the outreach efforts can be made more nuanced and would therefore have more impact to the people within the community.
However, has the Ministry carried out an assessment on the effectiveness of the community-specific public engagement approach in raising awareness and curbing drug abuse? Has such targeted approach resulted in better outcomes, especially in relation to reducing the numbers of addicts within the specific community or curbing the negative effects of drugs in the community? If such efforts have been showing results, are there upcoming plans to increase community-specific public education programmes?
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Education and Minister for Social and Family Development (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Mr Chairman, I thank the Ministry for the various outreach efforts on drug abuse and community involvements to protect our people from drug abuse and rehabilitate the offenders and help their families.
Among these efforts are those targeted at the Malay/Muslim community. Can MHA provide an update on the on-going efforts to engage the Malay/Muslim community with regards to drug abuse and whether there are other programmes or initiatives in the pipeline?
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, I believe the issue of drug abuse among our youths in Singapore is an important matter for our Government to address. The potential damage and detrimental effects that drug abusers cause themselves, their families and the wider Singaporean Community can be significant.
This has been the cornerstone of our drug abuse policy in Singapore and I believe that the majority of Singaporeans strongly support the Government’s tough stance against drug abuse over the years. The recent statistics for 2019 released by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), however, suggests that we continue to have a worrying trend in Singapore. This is especially so when it is about new and young drug abusers.
The total number of new drug abusers arrested in 2019 increased by 8% from 2018. Of the 1,469 new drug abusers who were arrested in 2019, about 61% were below 30 years old. Drug abusers in the 20 to 29 years old age group continue to form the largest group of abusers in 2019.
One of the reasons for this worrying trend could because our youths are being influenced by misinformation, especially in relation, to what some deem as \"less harmful soft drugs\". Because of this, some of our youths may then adopt a more liberal attitude towards the use of drugs.
Sir, this is a trend that we must arrest. I invite the Minister to share with this House further details of the Ministry's plans on changing the drug narrative that influences our youths and to reduce the number of youths involved in the consumption of drugs.
Mr Mohamed Irshad (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, this cut concerns the topic of drug abuse among our youths. Over the last two years, this House has continually affirmed our nation's zero-tolerance effort approach toward drugs. Together, this House has passed legislation making it an offence to knowingly or recklessly leave the drugs or drug utensils within easy access of a child.
Despite these efforts Mr Chairman, legislation alone will not solve our drug problem. Sir, it is not difficult to see the persistent glamorisation and normalisation of drug use through online media. Our young people would not even flinch from to use a hashtag like \"#420\". Indeed, last year, the highest number of new drug users were those aged under 35. In this context, I raise three questions about the Ministry's preventive drug education efforts.
First, MHA informed the house earlier this month that CNB has been developing social media content and messages highlighting \"strong deterrence\" and \"evidence-based narratives\" on Singapore's drug policies. Can MHA update this House on the progress of this programme. Second, outside the use of social media campaigns, are there current programmes launched by CNB to discourage youth consumption of drugs effective in deglamorising the consumption of drug use? What evidence do we have of its effectiveness? Lastly, what efforts are being under-taken by CNB to work with high-risk communities, like the LGBTQIA Community, to discourage drug use.
Mr Christopher de Souza: In order to keep up the fight against drugs, we should deter both its supply and demand. Drug trafficking harms many individuals.
Where possible, the CNB should regularly broadcast data of how many drug abusers would be fed with the quantum of drugs found on a suspected drug trafficker. This will enable the many, who are following the global drug debate to have a clear and accurate understanding as to the immense destruction that drug trafficking causes to human beings, families and children. This will also provide the rationale behind why we, in Parliament, take strong positions against drug trafficking in and through Singapore and the consumption of drugs on our shores.
Mr Christopher de Souza: My next cut, also on drugs. A number of countries have legalised the consumption of cannabis. An increasing number of cannabis abusers worldwide is concerning.
What are plans to keep Singapore free from the scourge of cannabis abuse, especially given the mental and physical ill-effects of cannabis use and its dangerous characteristic as a gateway to harder and more deadly drugs?
Mr Christopher de Souza: Next cut on drugs. Syndicates and criminal outfits are concocting new psychoactive substances at a fast pace. This is a continuing threat. The substances are finding their way into markets around the region. CNB is staffed with dedicated and professional officers – it should be ahead of the game by detecting New Psychoactive Substances (NPSes) early. Also, the regime under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) should be quick enough to classify newly concocted NPSes as illegal, thereby adding an extra legal deterrent effect.
Mr Christopher de Souza: My last cut on drugs, Sir. The Singapore Prisons Service plays an important role in helping criminals have a second chance in society through supporting the inmate's rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Aided by the amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2019, the Prisons Service has been able to further differentiate offenders risks of reoffending, reduce lower risk offenders from being negatively influenced by more recalcitrant offenders and better support drug offenders in a way that is calibrated to their situation.
Would the Minister provide an update, on how and whether this better calibration has reduced the inmates' risks of re-offending.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Sir, let me start off by acknowledging the good work that MHA, Singapore Prison Service (SPS), SCORE and the partners of The Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders (CARE) Network have done to rehabilitate offenders and reintegrate them back into the society.
It is important to remind ourselves of the policy underpinning MHA's efforts on this front. Senior Minister Teo Chee Hian in a written reply issued in 2012 to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) stated as follows: \"Effective rehabilitation and successful reintegration of offenders back into society contribute to a safer Singapore\". This is however, not an easy objective to achieve.
Minister for Home Affairs, Mr K Shanmugam, acknowledged this in a speech he made on 28 June 2019 to the partners of the CARE Network. He observed that whilst the recividism rate over two years went down by half in the last 20 years, nearly one in two ex-offenders returned to prison five years after their release.
In the recent past, there have been several structural changes implemented by this House to allow for better rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. I will name two. The widening of community sentencing options for offenders and the revamp of the Reformative Training regime.
I also note that SPF has also implemented other measures such as increasing access to counsellors, providing better opportunities for education and skills training and imposing Mandatory Aftercare Scheme for ex-offenders assessed to have a higher risk of re-offending. It has also leveraged on technology to foster closer relations between inmates and their family members as part of the rehabilitation process; for example, by allowing inmates to correspond with their family members through the e-letters system.
It is timely, therefore, to review how these important changes have contributed to the mission of lowering the recidivism rates amongst offenders, and identify what further steps can be taken, not just by MHA but rest of society, to achieve the objective of making Singapore safer. I would be grateful for an update, please.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: Mr Chairman, the SCDF responded to 191,468 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls in 2019 – an average of 520 calls a day. The SCDF is an integral part of our frontline response team whenever Singaporeans encounter emergency medical situations in their everyday lives. Their jobs to put it mildly, is to respond quickly anywhere in Singapore and try to save the lives of Singaporeans in trouble.
In fact, we can all see the tremendous work they do, day to day, as we continue to battle the COVID-19 virus outbreak in Singapore. I must, take time, to put on record our heart-felt appreciation to them and our medical healthcare team for their dedication and sacrifice in this on-going battle.
Sir, we can see that the number of EMS calls have increased, year on year, since 1998. The 2019 figures showed a 2.1% increase from 2018. As each year passed, the SCDF EMS team has to deal with progressively larger volumes of medical emergency situations every day. We must, therefore, address this and support them in their work.
However, a statistic that I found to be worrying in the Fire, Emergency Medical Services and Enforcement Statistics 2019 is that non-emergency and false alarm calls constitutes 9.2% of EMS calls. That means, almost 1 in every 10 calls is a non-emergency or a false alarm. Based on the statistics, the SCDF EMS team has to deal with almost 52 such calls every day. As we can imagine, such calls require the SCDF team to deploy resources which could otherwise have been dispatched to genuine life-threatening emergency cases.
Sir, I understand that the SCDF is working hard to raise awareness between emergency and non-emergency calls through public education in a bid to bring down the numbers of such calls. This is part of their continuing efforts and constitutes a key strategy in bringing down the numbers of such calls.
I therefore invite the Minister to share with this House, the long term plans and strategies on how the Home Team intends to ensure that the genuine emergency cases are attended to promptly and efficiently, especially in light of the resource constraints that the SCDF faces.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Sir, in April last year, the Ministry increased composition sums for a wide range of traffic offences in response to an uptrend in road traffic incidents generally. For example, the fines for illegal u-turns, while attracting zero demerit points, were raised from $70 to $100 while heavy vehicle drivers saw the composition sum for the same offence increased from $100 to $150. In fact, there was an increase in the composition fines for all offences that attracted fines up to 12 demerit points. For offences that attracted at least 12 demerit points which could manifest, for example, in a failure to conform to a red light signal, the composition fine has been doubled from $200 to $400 while heavy vehicle drivers have seen a jump in the same offence from $230 to $500 in so far as the fine amount is concerned.
Sir, I agree that road safety is something we cannot compromise upon and the need for deterrence is obvious. However, many of the residents I see who are on the receiving end of these new fines admit to their offences and are usually contrite. In most cases, there is no question of actual harm caused – because that would attract more severe penalties anyway.
Those most heavily affected by the higher fines are taxi and private-hire car drivers, motorcycle couriers and the low-income who may not have the ability to pay up such a large sum of money at one go.
In the appropriate case, I would like to request the Ministry to consider the option of offering an automatic instalment plan for comparatively minor offences that do not attract a custodial sentence on the condition that the offender undertake not to commit a similar offence, failing which no instalment plan would be offered as of right. This approach seeks to retain the deterrence and policy objective of higher fines.
Some jurisdictions around the world even offer to halve a fine provided it is paid forthwith. Such a proposal can be modified for better policy outcomes, for example, with a requirement for some retraining or refresher defensive driving courses. For first-time offenders only, I hope the Ministry can consider such alternatives that achieve the objective of increased road safety awareness and deterrence on the one hand and reasonable consideration for the financial consequences on frequent – usually low-income – road users on the other.
Mr Yee Chia Hsing (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, I would like to bring up the issue of spam SMSes from illegal moneylenders and sports betting syndicates. I am sure I am not alone in this House to have received such SMSes. Back in September last year, I filed a Parliamentary Question to ask about the measures the agencies have taken to tackle this issue. I applaud the multi-agency effort between IMDA and SPF to counter spam SMSes.
However, these syndicates are finding other ways to bypass our measures. Some have used overseas numbers to send WhatsApp messages containing local numbers to contact. There are also spam SMSes which are able to be sent out with their numbers masked, which made it more difficult to report or block such numbers.
The official advice is for anyone receiving such spam SMSes to report to the SPF, either by a dedicated hotline or the i-Witness platform. I have looked at the platform online and I find it to be rather tedious and this may discourage reporting.
Sir, I would like to suggest a more user-friendly method for reporting. Members of the public who receive such spam SMSes should be able to report simply by submitting a screenshot of the spam SMS directly to a designated number operated by IMDA and SPF. With more people reporting, I hope we would be in a better position to close down these syndicates.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: Mr Chairman, 2019 saw an increasing trend in the number of people falling prey to scams. This is concerning.
The methods used by scammers range from e-commerce, loan, credit-for-sex, social media impersonation, Internet love scams, to investment scams. Scammers have even exploited the COVID-19 situation and impersonated as Government agents conducting contact tracing. The most recent scam is the fake email impersonation of President Halimah’s invitation for a dinner event with her, the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet.
While the elderly may be the target, a recent report indicates that six out of 10 persons that fall prey to scams in Singapore are persons aged 20-40 years of age. With high online usage in Singapore, it is not a surprise that online scams are increasing.
What is the Home Team's strategy to protect Singaporeans and to mitigate the prevalence of these scams?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: The overall crime rate increased slightly last year mainly because of an increase in scams. This seems to be the trend for the past few years. Victims were cheated of at least $6.8 million in about 1,700 reported cases of loan scams between January and November last year. This is more than three times the reported amount for the whole of 2018, where there were about 990 cases and victims were cheated of a total of about $2 million.
The number of people scammed by impersonators on social media also jumped by more than nine times in the past three years, with most victims being in their 20s to 40s. The number rose from 2017's 71 to 672 cases in the first 11 months of last year. The amount cheated increased nearly 43 times, from at least $168,000 to about $7.2 million over the same period of time. These figures are alarming.
The Home Team has put in a lot of effort over the years to educate the public, including having anti-scam programmes for the elderly and \"Scamalert\". However, psychologically vulnerable people regardless of age and background continue to fall prey to scams and scammers are evolving to become more sophisticated. What is the Home Team’s strategy to mitigate the prevalence of scams?
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza. Take your cuts together.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, the number of online and telephone scams is of concern. Besides online \"love\" scams and online shopping scams, concerns have been raised regarding the solicitation of donations through false representations. Such perpetrators tug on and exploit people’s altruistic intentions and they to rob them. In such situations, instead of leaving the victim to pursue civil recourse in the Courts, would it not be better to charge the perpetrator – assuming he can be identified – in Court under section 420 of the Penal Code, that is, for cheating? This would show that the state is taking the scams seriously. My next cut.
In February 2020, two persons were sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment for, amongst others, labour trafficking under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act. Will the Minister share what can be done to tighten detection of potential human trafficking cases across the different types of trafficking, for example, labour and sex trafficking. How is Singapore working with enforcement agencies overseas to track and punish cross- border illicit trafficking syndicates? Next cut.
Harassment at the hands of runners belonging to unlicensed moneylending syndicates is mentally and physically draining. The number of harassment cases related to unlicensed moneylending increased by 15% from 2018 to 2019. The majority of these cases were via electronic means but nonetheless harrowing. What are the plans of the Home Team to deter and reduce the incidences of such harassment? Last cut.
Crises can impact societies quickly. The impact can leave negative ill-effects or positive and lasting consequences of unity and common mission. During this COVID-19 crisis, how does the Home Team plan to garner community and public support in crisis preparedness and coordination such that Singapore society becomes stronger in the aftermath of a crisis?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: Since we launched the SG Secure movement, can MHA share the progress of its outreach efforts, in particular, in the community as well as at workplaces? I urge MHA to work with the community and businesses to recruit SG Secure Ambassadors at every HDB block and at every workplace. These ambassadors can help spread the SG Secure message and be equipped with first aid, AED and CPR skills. This is so that in the event of a terrorist attack and, especially the day after, these ambassadors can also help to handle the community or workplace response, as well as to ensure that the community is able to deal with emerging threats to safety and security.
In fact, although SG Secure aims to prepare for major contingencies, it has been helpful and useful for grassroots volunteers, community partners and stakeholders, including residents, to prepare for major incidents, just like the fire incident in Boon Lay which happened last year which confronted myself and my community.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry (Dr Tan Wu Meng): Mr Chairman, the Home Team has continued to do well in keeping Singapore as a safe and secure home. As Mr Teo Ser Luck mentioned earlier, if we look at the international rankings, Singapore has been doing well and it is something we see not just in the rankings but also in the lived experience of our communities. Sometimes, on late-night walkabouts in Clementi town, which I help look after, I meet residents from different backgrounds and walks of life out and about at night on jalan-jalan, comfortable that even at night, it is alright to go out and walk around.
But this effort to keep Singapore safe is never-ending. As the world changes, criminals have found new ways to reach into our communities and heartlands to reach into the lives and minds of our people.
Today, I will speak on three challenges that the Home Team can hopefully continue to address even more in-depth and to a greater extent than before – terrorism, scams and drugs.
On terrorism, Mr Chairman, Singapore has not experienced a terror attack in the past few years. But we must never take this for granted. Terrorism is a continuing threat to Singapore, as ISIS continues to attract many followers with their violent ideology. In January this year, a Singaporean man was charged with terrorist financing. Last month, in February, a 17-year-old Singaporean Secondary school student was detained for supporting ISIS.
But it would be difficult, if not impossible, for MHA to fight terrorism alone. Potential threats may go undetected if the general population is not aware, not alert and not on the look-out. So, it is critical to engage our community and build awareness. Our entire nation and society are the frontlines against terrorism and, our defence, likewise, must be whole-of-society, whole-of-community, whole-of-nation. So, can the Minister share with us how will MHA be engaging the community at large to ensure that Singapore is well-prepared against the terrorism threat?
Secondly, Mr Chairman, on scams, in particular, e-scams. Social media has created new ways for people to keep in touch, whether from halfway around the world or from halfway across our island. But it has also become a new channel for crime.
Based on a report by Consumers International, the widespread use of social media has brought new opportunities for criminals to connect with consumers and commit fraud; and scammers devising new and more innovative ways to trick people out of their money or harvest their personal data.
Scams have the potential to cause great harm to consumers and the financial losses can be potentially life-changing. When a scammer succeeds, people can lose an entire lifetime's worth of savings. And with electronic cash transfers, the misappropriated money can be in a different country within minutes of the scam, even before the victim has informed the authorities. This is a global problem and many of us know of fellow Singaporeans who have been affected, too.
In 2019, Police statistics show that the total number of reported crimes increased by 6.3%, primarily due to a significant increase in scam cases. The total number of scam cases went up by 53% to 9,500 cases in 2019, up from 6,100 cases in 2018. A total of $168 million was lost to scammers last year in 2019. So, it is a worrying situation because, with each scam incident, someone has been deceived and lost his/her savings or harmed.
I understand that MHA has been working hard to address this issue. In 2019, the Police set up the Anti-Scam Centre focusing on disrupting scammers’ operations and mitigating the monetary losses of victims by collaborating with financial institutions, telecommunication companies and digital platform owners. But I am sure more can be done.
Furthermore, while the Police can work with institutions to deal with the situation, we must always remember that education is key, all the more so today because when scammers can reach out to people or our loved ones through mobile phones and instant messages, the additional safeguard of an informed and vigilant individual becomes more important than ever.
So, the community needs to be made more aware of scams, to avoid falling prey to scammers and prevent loved ones from being tricked and misled as well. So, can the Minister share with us, how is MHA going to engage the community to help counter the increased threat of scams in our society?
Mr Chairman, on Drug Abuse. Sir, as a Member of Parliament looking after a Constituency, as someone who has practised as a doctor, I have seen first-hand the damage that drugs can cause to families and to patients, to adults and the young. Drug addiction extracts huge costs from the society. The costs of crime. The costs of lives poisoned and destroyed. The costs that sometimes cannot be measured in dollars and cents alone.
An NTU study commissioned by MHA in 2016, looked at the quantitative aspects. They assessed that the total cost of drug crime was as high as S$1.23 billion in 2015, even though our drug abuse rates are much lower than in other countries. But again, the cost is not just about dollars and cents. It is a human cost, a cost in our people's lives.
I understand that there was a local study on inter-generational offending. It is found that one in five inmates who are drug-abusing parents had children who had also committed crimes. The researches assessed that this was due to the exposure to similar risk factors and adverse childhood experiences.
Sir, this is a human cost. It is a cost that can affect and can devastate a family across more than one generation. It tells us that when drugs poison a family, it can poison not just the current generation, but affect the prospects of the next. The poison of drugs can contribute to avoidable, adverse outcomes. The poison of drugs can harm families. The poison of drugs can exacerbate inequality in a society.
In Singapore, the proportion of new abusers in the past year remained high at 41%. And today, there is social media and mass media spreading misinformation that normalises drug use. And much of this content increasingly targeted at vulnerable youths, targeted at our next generation, targeted at our future.
Other than tough drug laws and strict enforcement, can the Minister also tell us how MHA will engage the community to guard against the harms of drug abuse?
The Chairman: Minister Shanmugam.
The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Thank you, Sir. I thank the hon Members for their contributions and as usual, I will start by reviewing the year 2019, what has been done. Our primary mission is to keep Singapore safe and secure, a safe and secure home. If you look at international rankings, as well as more importantly, how our own people feel about their safety and security within Singapore, we do well. Looking at international rankings, the 2019 Gallup Global Law and Order Report, we are again, ranked first and that is the sixth year running that Singapore has been ranked number one.
Our drug situation, something that I have spoken about quite frequently, Members have raised the point a number of times as well. It remains under control in Singapore. I think it is not something that you would ever say you won the fight. But the global situation, unfortunately, is getting worse with different regimes, a greater acceptance, a change in the legal position as well, where people are moving towards legalising in more and more countries, because they have lost the fight. Whereas in Singapore, almost uniquely, we have managed to hold our own within the country.
If you look at fire safety, we again ranked first in the 2019 World Fires Statistics – it is the second year running. Moving on to our legislative calendar last year, I will touch on a couple of major aspects where we made legislative changes. First, we focused quite a bit on vulnerable victims and how we can protect them. So, the Penal Code was amended to cover more groups of vulnerable people, give them more protection, and enhanced the deterrence.
To give one example, for offences committed against intimate partners or those in close relationships, we doubled the maximum penalties for rape, hurt, wrongful confinement. POHA – Protection from Harassment Act – was also amended. It allows victims of serious abuse who are in intimate relationships to get Protection Orders. In the past, only married women could get such Protection Orders under the Women's Charter and others had to rely on normal rules on criminal law assault. But we have given greater protection for those who are deemed to be in intimate partner relationships.
Where people harass others whom they are in an intimate relationship with, the offender harasses someone who is in an intimate relationship, and there are repeated breaches of Protection Orders, punishments have been doubled. And if the perpetrator continues the harassment in breach of the Protection Orders, now, arrest is also possible. And the processes have been simplified so that victims can seek Protection Orders quickly.
I have previously more than once commended the good work done by PAVE and organisations like PAVE. They provide legal and other counselling services to such victims, victims of Family Violence, who could be victims of intimate partner violence or who could be victims in a marriage situation, or in a marital situation. These organisations identify such individuals. Often, the individuals – I think Members of Parliament would have come across them – feel unable to leave the relationship. They find it very difficult. So, they need a lot of help, they need a lot of counselling. A number of NGOs are involved in it including, as I said, PAVE, to really take the steps that are needed to turn their lives around.
In fact, PAVE's advocacy played a crucial role in informing and shaping the POHA amendments. They invited me to their Centre and shared with me what their clients go through. This was in August 2018. The stories were distressing. I listened to them. As I said, this was August 2018, and I told them we will do something. That really formed the basis of the amendments which we put through last year. So, it is a very good example of how civil society and Government can work together, to make real change on the ground.
The second key area that we worked on last year was in dealing with preventing clashes from religious differences. These could be inter-religious as well as intra-religious. Our peace, our progress, our prosperity are all based on the social harmony that we have managed to foster in Singapore. And Members will know, worldwide, countries are struggling with identity politics and the fractured relationships between communities, and within communities in their respective countries.
Our approach over the years, surveys, soundings, and I think Members' own interactions with the residents show that people overwhelmingly support the approach we have taken to emphasise on harmony, and to come down quite hard on people who try and use religion as a basis to create public and social discord.
So, people overwhelmingly support our stand against divisive rhetoric, against using religion for political ends. And we have had the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) now for 29 years, as of last year. I think the success of our policies is shown by the fact that we have never had to actually formally invoke the MRHA even once in those years.
When it was first introduced, there was some disquiet. Several people said different things. I must count as one of those who was uncomfortable with the legislation. But we amended the MRHA last year in October and it will enable us to take effective, decisive action against the threats to religious harmony. And in a way, this framework actually has enhanced religious freedom within Singapore, because people of all religions – whatever your religious persuasion – feel confident, comfortable to go out there and practise their faiths. And if you agnostic, it is also the same. So, no one needs to feel uncomfortable in Singapore, because they know that there is a very protective framework that protects the freedom of religion.
And that confidence is based on the fact that the authorities both have the power to take effective action and will take effective and swift action to threats against religious harmony.
Among the amendments, we looked at our religious organisations. We do not want them to become channels or conduits for foreigners to channel their own agenda into Singapore or impose their values. We also put in various provisions to reduce conflicts, as I said not just between religions, but also within religion, intra-religion. And also we do not want religion to be used as a basis for attacking other groups who may not be of a religious persuasion.
For example, say the LGBT community. During engagements with the LGBT groups, many of them have told us they felt targeted as a community. Meanwhile, religious groups also felt that they were targeted by LGBT groups. And our approach is, we put in something – whether religious groups target non-religious groups, or whether non-religious groups intend to target religious groups, both will be proscribed. People can go about their own lives. They should deal with their lives as they wish, but not use social or religious causes to attack each other.
That comes from the position that every Singaporean has his/her place in Singapore. They must feel safe and we will take actions against anyone who threaten anyone else's physical safety. We should all be free to express our individual views but in a responsible manner. So, when we amended the MRHA, we explicitly stated that in the Explanatory Statement and used the LGBTQ community as an example of what would be covered by these provisions.
That was a brief survey on our international rankings, our approach and the legislative changes. Let me now turn to the Home Team itself. I earlier spoke about how our people, Singaporeans, feel about the Home Team. Mr Teo Ser Luck spoke about the importance of maintaining public trust and effectiveness in the Home Team. That, to me, is fundamental, it is crucial.We can safely say year after year, I think the high level of confidence and trust that Singaporeans have in the Home Team is very clear.
Surveys show that. I have referred to the surveys several times in this House – last year's surveys, public perception surveys – 91% of respondents agreed that the Home Team is fulfilling its mission of keeping Singapore safe and secure.
Ninety percent trusts Home Team officers to do their duties objectively and with integrity. In an SCDF survey, 99% were confident in SCDF's ability to cope with emergencies. In an SPF survey, 90% trust the SPF as an organisation and they all agree that the Police Force is well-respected in the community.
And this trust is reflected in people's lived reality.
If you look at the Global Law and Order Index by Gallup, which I referred to earlier, 94% of residents in Singapore feel safe walking home alone in their neighbourhoods at night, including women. That is more than any other place in the world. And if you were to look at the global average, that is 69%. Parents are confident of letting their young children take public transport home alone, or anywhere alone.
We talk about freedoms. These freedoms are priceless – the freedom to be yourself, the freedom to let your children be children, the freedom to know that they can grow up safe and secure. These freedoms are priceless and they have come about because of our practical approach, our tough legal framework where we come down hard on offenders, and the fact that within that framework, a broad level of freedom for people to carry on with their lives, exists.
Our people also trust the Home Team to manage incidents effectively. In our surveys, 89% of respondents are confident in the Home Team's ability to manage national crises.
Talking about national crises, of course, we are dealing with COVID-19 now. Mr Christopher de Souza asked how have the Home Team officers been deployed in the national fight against the virus.
Members would have seen from newspaper reports that Home Team officers, together with others from the agencies involved, have been working round the clock in dealing with COVID-19. Many of the officers are at the frontlines. If you look at the border control and health screening measures: at the checkpoints with hundreds of thousands of people coming in every day. Officers are also securing Government Quarantine Facilities and checking on persons under quarantine; supporting, quite crucially, MOH's contact-tracing operations: CID has lent its expertise, a team of officers. Their work has been reported fairly extensively and they have done quite exceptional work. The kind of contact-tracing that has been done is very detailed. I do not think you see a parallel anywhere else in the world.
Home Team officers have also helped to conduct swabbing operations among suspect cases, which puts them on the frontline. They test for the virus. And for the second plane-load of Singaporeans that the Government flew back from Wuhan and also, of course, our officers helped convey suspect cases to hospital. That is the frontline.
Non-frontline officers obviously are heavily involved. MHA is part of the multi-Ministry taskforce involved in the whole-of-Government response to the crisis. The Ministry also chairs the inter-agency Homefront Crisis Executive Group (HCEG) which supports the Ministerial taskforce to get the actions executed on the ground and ensure the smooth, coordinated, effective running of the crisis response operations. All of that, of course, comes on top of the officers' day-to-day responsibilities, which have to carry on.
I have to say, I think I join many Singaporeans, and I am sure I join Members of Parliament, in saying that we are very proud of the way all our public officers have responded, including, if I may say Home Team officers. Thank you. [Applause.]
Members will know that the Home Team, the Police Force and the rest of the Home Team, is actually very lean, like much of the Public Service. If you look at the ratio of Police officers to population: London is 0.34%; Hong Kong, 0.39%; New York City, 0.42%. Whereas we are 0.23%, including full-time National Servicemen. So, much leaner compared to any of these cities, but our outcomes are much better compared with any of them.
And I think it comes from a combination of many years of a proper law and order framework, which went against international opinions sometimes. Secondly, the fact that our people have cooperated with that framework and have been strongly supportive. The fact that if you have committed a crime in Singapore, you are going to be prosecuted regardless of who you are. And if you are guilty or likely to be found guilty, and cases do not stretch for years and years and years, and punishment is therefore reasonably certain.
These factors and the whole attitude that is supportive of our law and order framework, amongst a vast majority of our population, has meant that people who want to break the laws are a very small minority. That has allowed our taxpayer funds to be put to other uses and not the heavy policing that you see in many other countries. Yet, we still give the outcomes that people want in terms of safety and security, and how they feel about the country.
Mr Christopher de Souza and Miss Cheng Li Hui asked how the Home Team can remain effective and operational in a changing environment. That requires continued heavy investment into the capabilities of the officers. We work with our partners to encourage our officers to engage in continuous learning and up-skilling, just like the rest of society, from recruitment to retirement.
Mr Desmond Choo asked if retirement age for our Police officers will be raised. We will be increasing the retirement age gradually, not just Police officers, but officers under the Home Affairs Uniformed Services Scheme, from 55 years old currently to 58, by 2030. That will allow us to tap on the experience of our more mature officers. It will enhance career transition efforts and it will help them secure a meaningful second career after retiring from the Home Team.
Let me touch a little bit on this. This year is a very important year for SPF. It is the SPF 200, as many Members would know. I am told that it was the first, if not, the second organisation that was set up in Singapore. If you go back to colonial times, understandably the British may have set up the Customs first before they set up the Police Force. Subject to that, in the 200 years, I think we have seen the Home Team grow from strength to strength. Miss Cheng Li Hui and Mr Christopher de Souza remarked about SPF's 200 years.
If you go back to the early 19th century, we were a booming town but a booming immigrant town with more than its fair share of social ills – lawlessness, rampant piracy, clandestine activities between secret societies, riots between the different Chinese dialect groups. And there was really an urgent need for law and order. Major-General William Farquhar formed the first Police Force, with just 12 officers. They had to gear up quickly. By 1846, the first set of rules and regulations was established and they spelt out the duties, the way Police officers conduct themselves. They demarcated patrol sectors.
We moved to a century later, in the 1900s, the Criminal Procedure Code and Criminal Registry Department were set up, and a fingerprint system was also set up and new Police buildings were constructed.
Fast forward to after the Second World War, the \"999\" hotline was established and the Radio Division was established. Then, after the Maria Hertogh riots, the Riot Squad was set up.
After 1965, Independence, the Police have taken on an even greater role in the safety and security of our society. The Police National Service was introduced in 1967 and the first Neighbourhood Police Post in 1983. That really transformed the image of the Police officer, not just as a person enforcing the law but also as a member of the community, out there in the community, helping people and responding to incidents.
Then, we had September 11 incidents in New York and changed the operating landscape yet again – a new normal. We had to build counter-terrorism capabilities and put in place safety measures. I would say that, after the 2015 attacks in Paris, yet again, we had to step up considerably to look at the fact that a variety of soft targets could be attacked by terrorists.
So, I think Members will agree with me, today, if we look at the SPF, it is a highly capable, professional Police Force and highly regarded. And I think our SPF officers deserve our recognition and appreciation for their professionalism, their readiness and sacrifice over the years. Thank you. [Applause.]
This year, to better handle incidents in our coastal waters, PCG will be enhancing its capabilities. We will be getting new Fifth Generation PT class patrol boats. They will replace the Third Generation boats. And we will also get additional boats and that would be a significant upgrade to PCG's abilities to handle such incidents.
I am confident that the Police Force, as a whole, will continue to uphold the tradition of excellence so that Singaporeans will continue to enjoy the very high levels of safety, security, law and order.
Safety and security is not just the responsibility of law enforcers. I want to move away from the usual COS speech to say something a little bit more, philosophical, maybe even reflective. And this comes from some of the points made by Members of Parliament, including Mr Christopher de Souza, who questioned about the street protests that have taken place around the world. What are the lessons for us? Where do we go from here? Can it happen here?
I think it comes back to this point. You can have the best Police Force in the world but you cannot deal with riots unless there are other things that are taken care of as well. We have had riots across the world – Chile, in Europe, in Hong Kong, of course, and other places. Street protests have escalated to violence. They have disrupted the lives of ordinary citizens, and destroyed public and private infrastructure. We have had in Lebanon, where several months of protests have caused a lot of damage. Santiago, I mentioned, demonstrators were enraged by hikes in public transport fares. They looted stores, and set fires to vehicles and properties. Then, we saw Hong Kong, seven months of protest. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked what can we learn from these protests.
I will take this opportunity to discuss Hong Kong and the others and what are the lessons for us.
We have seen hundreds of thousands of people on the streets in Hong Kong. Some of them have engaged in extremely violent, disruptive behaviour, with the whole purpose of crippling the government and inflicting severe damage to the economy and to the reputation of the city, and obviously caused very severe challenges for the Hong Kong Police Force.
Before this latest period of unrest, the Hong Kong Police Force was considered one of the finest in Asia. The Singapore Police Force and the Hong Kong Police Force, they were probably two very highly regarded Forces in Asia – disciplined, professional, well respected by local residents.
But since the protests started, the police have been caught between the need to uphold public order and protestors who resorted to increasingly violent tactics just to attack the police and instigate them. That, I would say, has severely damaged the relationship between the police and the public – not helped by the one-sided portrayal of the situation in the media. In particular, the international media often focused on criticising only the police force. The demonstrators were always called pro-democracy protestors; as for the police, there was always reference to their brutality, and their alleged brutal response. The first time a police officer fired a live round, the media depicted it as an example of police brutality, and the picture went round the world. But all the events leading up to that point were ignored.
Protestors, as I said, were often portrayed in a positive light. That the police were being attacked, their lives were frequently in danger, their families were being exposed – all that was ignored. The protestors were not just violent towards the Police. Hong Kong residents who went to try and clean up were set upon by the protestors. In one instance, a man was hit over the head with a drain cover by masked assailants while clearing the roadblocks.
Today, just before the COVID-19 situation, the Hong Kong police force were seriously stretched. They faced persistent criticism both domestically and internationally. Even when they were off-duty, they have had to fend off protestors targeting their family and loved ones. Morale was obviously affected.
So, what are the lessons for us? I think one key lesson is the actions of disaffected few, should not be allowed to threaten the rights of the majority to live in a stable, peaceful society. And, really, there has to be a zero-tolerance approach to illegal demonstrations and protests. We already have the Public Order Act. We take a zero-tolerance approach. So, it is an offence to organise or participate in a public assembly in Singapore without a Police permit. Where Singaporeans want to protest or demonstrate about issues that concern them, there is the Speakers’ Corner and no permit is needed.
Now, here is the balance.
Some countries that have traditionally said, \"The freedom to protest is part of the freedom of expression and should not be clamped down\". But, you know, when it comes to the crunch, they take different steps. For example, in 2009, Copenhagen hosted a UN climate conference.
Chairman, with your permission, may I display a slide on the LCD screen.
The Chairman: Yes, please. [A slide was shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: They anticipated widespread protests. And this is Denmark. So, the Danish law enforcement constructed a holding facility. What you see is a holding facility. We do not do this in Singapore. They set up 36 steel cages that could hold more than 350 persons. Anyone who protested would find themselves in there.
In London, climate activists calling themselves the Extinction Rebellion mounted non-violent protests for two weeks last year. They conducted marches, blockaded roads and disrupted train services. More than 1,800 were arrested. In one protest, an activist climbed onto the roof of a train during the morning rush hour. Commuters were suitably frustrated. They dragged him off the roof and assaulted him. We do not recommend that in Singapore. But the Metropolitan Police then banned the Extinction Rebellion protests across London.
We have been criticised for disallowing protests outside of Speaker’s Corner, even if it was with just one person. But where do we draw the line? One, two, three, 30, 50, 100, 200, 5,000? How many protesters are acceptable? How do we tell what will be a peaceful protest and what will escalate into violence? Part of the issue in Hong Kong is that protests are allowed, the police are only allowed to intervene when it turns violent. So, by the time you have 50,000 people on the streets and some people go in there, let us say 500, mixed up who are deliberately intent on creating violence, how do the police handle this? This sets up the police for failure and sets up the police to be the fall guys.
It is far better to say, protests in specific places allowed; otherwise, no protests in other places, because you want to strike a balance between competing interests. Sometimes, people want to protest, say, take iconic places – Orchard Road or Tanglin or places like that – where there is a lot of commercial activity, primarily because of the disturbance it would cause to everyone else and, therefore, their cause would get noticed.
So, on the one side is the desire of the protestors to get themselves noticed, on the other side is the disamenity to the rest of the community. Why should protests be favoured and why should the rest of the community say just accept it? Why not we put a place, if you want to protest, you go to a specified place and you protest. And anywhere else, you do not put my Police Force in an impossible position, where they will have to let as many thousand people as they want to congregate, and then deal with violence, as it inevitably, in many places, does result in.
So, that is the first lesson. I think our approach, the approach we took was a correct one of being strict about where you can protest. Otherwise, the best Police Force in the world would still not be able to handle it.
The second is it cannot be seen purely as a law and order issue. If you seek to deal with protests and your approach to protests is simply to have tough laws and enforce them, it is not going to work. Because underlying it is, what is your social order, what is the level of inequality, what is the social justice, how do people feel in your society? Is it a fair society? Do people want to support the system? Do they, by and large, believe that they benefit from the system? If a large majority of your people feel that it is a fair system, they have opportunities, that the Government and the system are set up to help the largest majority possible, then people will have faith in the system and the people who want to break the laws will be a minority. Then, your Police can handle it.
But if a significant section of your population believes that the system is fundamentally unfair, the social economic system and the benefits are fundamentally unfair and that it is set up to benefit a few, at the expense of the majority, at the expense of the many, then no amount of strict policing and strict laws are going to keep people off the streets.
What do they have? Why should they support? Why should they support a system that is fundamentally unfair?
So, I think the first, I think, order of point of importance for any government and for us as a lesson is, really, the socio-economic, political structure. It must deliver good governance. It must deliver to the majority. Then, your police force can go and deal with those who break the law and the rest of the population will say, \"Yes, we support it; these people ought not to be breaking the law.\" So, law and order, yes, but it is not possible without good governance.
None of these concepts are new. All these different approaches have been tried. Those who are familiar with Chinese history will understand legalism, going back to the Qin dynasty, during the Warring States period. That was the preferred way of bringing order to a chaotic, fractious society. The emperor’s rule was based on strict laws, harsh enforcement and collective punishments. But such a system cannot carry on for long. People often misunderstand and think that our approach is based on very strict punishments. Now, it is first and foremost based on making sure that the majority progresses, and that the system is fair. Strict punishments can only be built on such a system. The Qin emperor's rule, as people will note, collapsed, because the approach actually worsened people's social and economic lives.
We move forward to the Han Dynasty. China’s emperors tried to follow Confucianism, which depended solely or primarily on the leaders setting the example and inspiring people to be like them, family and social harmony, a responsible government with the moral duty to promote harmony.
Confucianism appealed to people because they enjoyed internal peace and stability, and under it, the country experienced remarkable progress. But it had limitations as well because in every society, a large majority of people can be inspired to be good, to be noble, to do the right thing, following the example of leaders, assuming you have leaders who can inspire that kind of confidence. But you will always have a group that will want to challenge your laws, that will want to break them and that will want to destabilise.
You will need to deal with them through a system of laws which can be enforced. What framework, how strict, what you allow, what you do not allow must be for each society to decide.
So, you have to build the society on a basis of fairness, upholding moral responsibility on the part of the leadership, proper governance, an approach of upright virtuous governance which inspires people and bring that across to the people as a whole and then deal with the law breakers in a way that makes it clear to everybody that the laws would be applied, fairly, evenly – and law-breaking will be dealt with.
If there is good governance and people benefit, you can always deal with a small number who want to disrupt.
With that background, let me deal with the specific question that Mr Singh asked. I think we can apply these principles, broad as they are, to the specific question. We amended the Road Traffic Act last year to increase deterrence against irresponsible driving. I think all of us agree, including Mr Singh, that there can be very significant social costs through irresponsible driving. Yes, in specific cases there may be no incidents, no loss of life. But imagine when there is loss of life. You lose your three-year-old child or you lose your grandmother or grandfather through somebody else's irresponsible driving. And, unfortunately, over the last few years, we have seen an increase or enough incidents of people driving when they should not be driving, when they were under suspension, or driving when they are under the influence of alcohol. People have died as a result of those actions. And we want to send, I wanted to send a very strong signal that penalties are going to be enhanced because we cannot accept people being irresponsible on the roads.
And I made a speech saying that we are going to now deal with this. It arose from an incident where a young man who was under suspension drove and hit someone and killed him, if my memory serves me right, a lorry driver. In that case, the young man was from a higher socio-economic group. The lorry driver was from the lower socio-economic group. And I said, I think we got to re-look at this. We therefore, enhanced the penalties in the Road Traffic Act.
So, to the specific question whether a discount on fines can be given for first-time offenders, we currently give a discount for demerit points to eligible drivers. If they have accumulated up to one third of the maximum points, if they go for the Safe Driving Course, then, their accumulated points would be taken out.
Giving a discount on fines for first-time offenders, we might as well have not increased the fines in the first place. We could have said, first-time offenders, no increase but it may cut against the very policy that we are seeking to put in.
I think I understand where Mr Singh is coming from. And my own approach would be that where people cannot afford to pay the fines, then, we should consider flexibility, we should also consider then in giving them some other support to help them pay the fines. But the fines are there. In a way, we should see, and this is where Members of Parliament come in, we should see whether we can help them when they come and see us through the community to help the lower income drivers, to help them pay the fines. That, Traffic Police would take a sympathetic approach. But I think the framework should be kept intact.
Chairman, our operating landscape will continue to change. Society will change and progress, and there will be new uncertainties and crises that will emerge – those are the only certainties. I have outlined some of the approaches we take to try and deal with that and to be future-ready, as it were. My fellow Ministers and office-holders will answer the other questions.
The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Chairman, I will focus on the Home Team's increasing use of science and technology.
MHA established the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, or HTX, in December 2019.
Mr Christopher de Souza, Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Patrick Tay asked how the Home Team will tap the expertise within HTX to mitigate emerging threats and manpower constraints.
HTX will house 14 Centres of Expertise to develop deep tech capabilities to support a range of Home Team operations. I will talk about three Centres of Expertise today.
First, robotics, automation and unmanned systems. Over the past few months, HTX has developed customised solutions to augment our Police and Civil Defence operations. These solutions allow us to optimise our scarce manpower, and increase operational capacity and agility.
For example, HTX worked with the Police to develop the Multi-Purpose All Terrain Autonomous Robot 3.0 or M.A.T.A.R 3.0. M.A.T.A.R 3.0 is a fully autonomous patrol robot. Compared with its previous models, M.A.T.A.R 3.0 has added features such as a tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for aerial surveillance and enhanced cameras for long-range surveillance. You can imagine how useful such a device is in terms of sense-making as well as redeploying resources appropriately.
Another application of robotics is to save lives in disaster rescue efforts. Urban search and rescue missions are extremely dangerous, particularly at sites where no terrain information is available, such as collapsed buildings or post-disaster sites. Therefore, HTX is studying the use of robots designed to mimic animals in their functions. One such robot is ROVER-X, which can move and manoeuvre like a dog.
By customising ROVER-X with navigational capabilities, thermal cameras and sensors, we can deploy it in hazardous terrains that are unsafe for humans, and reduce the time required to find and rescue victims.
Later this year, HTX will be testing additional use cases for ROVER-X, such as monitoring hazardous materials, inspecting chemical plants, and supporting the security of key installations.
The use of automation and unmanned systems can also alleviate resource-intensive operations, like the on-going fight against COVID-19.
With the support of HTX, the Police are progressively deploying CCTVs equipped with video analytics and motion sensors at some Government Quarantine Facilities, to enhance the security of the premises.
Our second Centre of Expertise targets chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats, or CBRNE for short.
CBRNE threats can pose significant risks to public safety. Over the last 10 years, MHA has set up a network of CBRNE detection laboratories and a Bio-Surveillance Programme along our borders. These are our first line of defence against CBRNE threats.
The labs enable frontline units to detect and intercept dangerous materials at our checkpoints, and support investigations and intelligence gathering by the Home Team Departments. On average, the labs conduct about 125,000 screenings for dangerous materials every year.
There are plans to expand the detection labs to more checkpoints. By 2023, we will build a new lab at Changi Airfreight Centre and more CBRNE facilities at the future Tuas Mega Port and Changi Airport Terminal 5 are in the pipeline.
The Bio-Surveillance Programme, which was set up to detect bio-terrorism threats at our checkpoints, is also able to detect other agents such as influenza and health-concerning pathogens. Using a state-of-the-art system, which integrates laboratory functions on a small chip, our scientists can quickly adapt the system to detect new biological agents.
This capability was demonstrated in the on-going COVID-19 outbreak. HTX stepped up by designing a kit to rapidly screen and detect the virus immediately after its genome sequence was made public in mid-January. MHA has deployed this kit as part of our Bio-Surveillance Programme at our land, sea and air checkpoints.
The third Centre of Expertise focuses on digital forensics. While technology has its benefits, it also provides tools for criminals to commit crimes.
This year, HTX and Police will implement the DIGital Evidence Search Tool, or DIGEST for short, to automate the forensic processing of voluminous digital data. DIGEST will relieve the workload of Police Investigation Officers, so that they can focus on other aspects of investigative work. It will also be extended to other Home Team Departments, such as the Central Narcotics Bureau.
The fast-growing eco-system for the Internet Of Things means that everyday devices, such as smart watches, home appliances and vehicles, can contain important evidence to support investigations. HTX is developing capabilities to harness data from Internet Of Things devices to support investigations.
The above examples illustrate how HTX works closely with the Home Team to develop solutions to protect our safety and security. Moving forward, HTX will play a master-planning role to identify and develop cross-cutting capabilities across the Home Team. This will facilitate greater co-operation and synergy, so that we adopt a unified One Home Team approach in keeping Singapore safe and secure.
The Home Team Departments are also constantly refining their operations to tap on technology to deliver better services. For example, ICA has been digitalising its services to achieve its customer-service vision of \"No Fuss, No Visit, No Waiting\", and this will be for Singapore residents and travellers.
ICA has already embarked on several initiatives in line with this service vision.
For example, Singaporeans can look forward to a more hassle-free and efficient immigration clearance experience. Through the use of cutting-edge biometrics technology, ICA will soon allow Singaporeans to verify their identities and breeze through immigration checkpoints without the need to produce their passports or provide their thumbprints. I know, of course, during this period, no one is thinking of travelling very much. So, the idea of breezing through customs and border control is not so exciting. But the time will come when our airport will be very busy and so will the other checkpoints. This is something that we can deploy to effectively manage the voluminous flow of passengers in and out of Singapore.
In 2019, ICA conducted a six-month trial of this contactless clearance concept at the Tuas Checkpoint for about 22,000 Singaporeans. The results of the trial were successful and ICA has since extended the trial to Changi Airport Terminal 4.
I agree with Mr Patrick Tay and Ms Jessica Tan that it is important that the Home Team prepare and equip our officers to adapt to technological transformations.
A key priority is to grow our talent pool of engineers and scientists. We have ambitious plans to grow HTX from 1,300 officers today to around 2,000 officers.
Given the wide spectrum of capabilities the Home Team requires, HTX will recruit talent across practically all disciplines of science and engineering. We will need scientists trained in life and physical sciences for the development of crime forensics and CBRNE detection capabilities. We will need electrical, mechanical and software engineers who can work in blended teams to realise operational systems such as advanced video sensors and robotics. Last but not least, we will need computer scientists and engineers to tackle the challenges posed by data and digital technologies. They will be deployed in various roles, from cybersecurity to developing algorithms, to augment the Home Team's frontline response.
We have already seen strong interest in HTX as a career. In 2019 alone, about 170 officers joined HTX. They were a good mix of fresh graduates and mid-career professionals. This year, we will ramp up recruitment even more.
As we build deep science and technology capabilities within HTX, we will concurrently build up a cadre of uniformed officers who are grounded in operational experience and proficient in technology.
To nurture such officers, we are progressively introducing an \"Ops-Tech Career Track\" for Home Affairs Uniformed Services officers across the Home Team Departments. There will be structured pathways to enhance these officers’ operational experience and exposure to technology. These officers can also embark on further studies to develop technical knowledge.
As a start, over 200 such Ops-Tech posts, with redesigned job scopes, will be identified within key Police and Civil Defence departments and frontline units.
Together, the HTX and Ops-Tech officers will work together with the larger Home Team workforce to innovate and deliver solutions to support the Home Team’s mission.
The Chairman: Mr Amrin Amin.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Amrin Amin): Mr Chairman, I will speak on two areas: combating drug abuse and strengthening the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.
The international drug situation is grim. One in 18 adults in the world used drugs at least once in a year, according to the 2019 World Drug Report. New psychoactive substances, or NPS, is a rising threat. NPS mimics the psychoactive effects of traditional drugs. In 2009, 126 NPS were detected worldwide. Within 10 years, the number has increased sevenfold to 892.
We are seeing a global movement towards more liberal attitudes on drugs. More countries are legalising drug abuse or are considering to do so.
The media fuels this legalisation wave. They gloss over documented harms of cannabis like mental disorders.
Pro-legalisation camps also conveniently ignore the social costs – lives lost, families destroyed, increased crimes.
Singapore is not immune to a worsening global drug situation.
First, attitudes of young Singaporeans towards drugs are changing. Three in five new drug abusers arrested last year were below 30. An MHA survey found that youths in Singapore have more liberal views on drugs, particularly, cannabis. One in five held the view that cannabis abuse should be legal in Singapore.
Second, the rising threat of NPS. A decade ago, NPS was hardly known in Singapore. Now, NPS is the third most commonly abused drug. Four-hundred and fourteen or 11.7% of drug abusers took NPS in 2019.
More than ever, we need strict laws to stay ahead of drug trends, robust enforcement and effective preventive drug education.
This is a multi-year effort. I am happy to announce that this year, we will enhance two areas: first, review our laws to robustly deal with the rising threat of NPS, and second, sharpen preventive drug education with a focus on correcting misinformation about drugs and addressing changing attitudes towards cannabis.
On NPS, we have been proactively listing NPS to the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) since 2010. But as Mr Christopher de Souza pointed out, the difficulty is rogue chemists are able to swiftly produce new NPS variants by changing their chemical structures. This poses a challenge for drug enforcement agencies the world over. MHA is reviewing our laws to stay ahead of drug trends. Details will be announced in due course.
Effective preventive drug education must achieve two important aims. First, our people must know the facts about drugs. And second, the effort must garner community support. Strict laws and robust enforcement require the people's backing. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Mr Mohamed Irshad asked how we help our youths stand firm against drug abuse. Mr Christopher de Souza asked about our strategies against cannabis.
Our preventive drug education starts from pre-school. In schools, we teach the facts about drugs through story-telling and activities. A cartoon activity book for pre-schoolers will be ready in April, an Anti-drug Ambassador Activity (AAA) booklet has been used by over 48,000 Primary school students in 2019 and 60 Secondary schools have been offered an after-school anti-drug engagement programme.
Information on harms of drugs must be easily understood and put in layman terms. For instance, as suggested by Mr Christopher de Souza, we state in our press releases how many abusers have their drug addictions fed from drugs found on a trafficker.
To counter growing misinformation about cannabis, we are making facts about cannabis accessible. We have a one-stop repository for cannabis-related information on CNB's website. Infographics on the harms of cannabis and the social costs of legalising cannabis are on social media platforms, and an anti-cannabis information booklet for educators will be ready this year.
Mr Chairman, to win community support, a one-way exchange of information will not be enough. At the heart of what we do is to speak with our people frankly, give them the facts, hear them out, and involve them to co-create and deliver. We have frank conversations. The National Council Against Drug Abuse, or NCADA, will launch \"HIGH\", an interactive film by Royston Tan, in March. Viewers get to make choices and learn the consequences of their choices in this film. At our preview screenings, we invited youths to no-holds barred conversations on drugs, revealing its ugly, gritty realities.
We co-created projects with youths from all institutes of higher learning. One-hundred and sixty youths are our Anti-Drug Abuse Advocates and they have organised four roadshows and campaigns raising awareness amongst their peers. Republic Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic students created two anti-drug games to teach about the harms of drugs. ITE students have produced anti-drug videos and Temasek Polytechnic students had a social media campaign on how drugs affect our loved ones.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam, Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and Mr Mohamed Irshad asked about community anti-drug engagement efforts. We have been working with various groups – youths, LGBTQ+, ethnic communities, parent groups and others.
Last September, Indian youths and 13 Indian community groups organised the Bothaiporulai Ethirtu Nirpom, or BEN, campaign. BEN is a short form, a Tamil phrase – \"We Stand United Against Drugs\". Indian celebrity, Anand K, helped as an anti-drug ambassador. We gave out envelopes and snack packets with anti-drug messages at the Deepavali bazaar.
We worked with various LGBTQ groups on anti-drug campaigns, discussion forums, research and outreach activities in support of a drug-free lifestyle. Mr Chairman, I will now speak in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our efforts to free the community from the evil grip of drugs have become more important. The global situation is getting increasingly challenging. More countries now have a more open attitude towards drugs. Worryingly, they are unable to manage the drug problem within their own societies.
It is different in Singapore. I remember attending an international drug rehabilitation conference in Argentina last October. Singapore received thunderous applause from international drug rehabilitation experts when I shared that the number of Malay drug addicts in Singapore went down by almost half – from around 3,200 in 1993 to 1,800 last year.
The number of drug offenders has jumped in many countries. They feel defeated and some had to liberalise their laws against drugs because it has become unmanageable. The Malay community in Singapore stands out – we multiply the Government's effort, we do not give up and we do not shirk away from difficult tasks.
But we must stay cautious. Our society is exposed to influences from abroad and in the cyber world. Myths about drugs like cannabis are widespread. The myth is cannabis is not harmful This is totally wrong. Studies after studies have proven so. Surveys by MHA have shown that Singapore youths have a more open attitude towards drugs, especially cannabis. One in five youths think that cannabis should be allowed in Singapore. Three in five new drug offenders arrested are under 30 years old.
This is worrying. New types of drugs like New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are the third most popular drug in Singapore, and among new drug offenders, NPS is the second most popular drug. We must not stand still or get complacent. The strategies to combat the drug menace will be strengthened. The three strategies are – tighter laws, stronger enforcement and a more effective drug prevention education.
I am pleased to announce that this year, MHA will focus more efforts on two things.
First, reviewing legislation to stop the threat of NPS that is becoming increasingly widespread, and second, countering the myths and misinformation about drugs and manage the increasingly open attitude towards cannabis because it is harmful.
This is the Government's pledge – we will continue to work with Malay organisations, families and our young people to protect our community and our families, and prevent us from being enslaved by drugs. For those in need, we will help them to recover and continue their journey towards excellence.
The M³ movement led by MUIS, MENDAKI and MESRA has focused its attention towards offenders and their families. MUIS has launched the FITRAH programme in November 2018. Over 320 volunteers supportg FITRAH. MENDAKI organised the Family Excellence Circle programme to assist care-givers, offenders and couples. MESRA will customise several courses from the SHIOK series to meet the needs of the families of ex-offenders, especially for the young.
Malay organisations are also ready to assist – AMP, PERGAS, JAMIYAH, PPIS, Club Heal and the Harun Ghani Education Fund. The \"Dadah Itu Haram\" campaign continues to receive solid support from motorcycle enthusiasts, fishing hobbyists, asatizahs as well as dikir barat and theatre activists. Forty-two mosques as well as 200 shops and organisations also have come forward to help.
Currently, over 75 barber shops support the campaign by becoming informal anti-drug advisors. These barbers are learning more about the harmful nature of cannabis and share with their clients about the harms in order to counter the myths surrounding cannabis.
We will look at the effectiveness of these efforts through surveys that are taking place currently. This year, we will focus on family and youth programmes.
(In English): Mr Chairman, I will now speak about the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. Mr Christopher de Souza asked how the Amendments to the MDA in 2019 has affected inmates' risks of re-offending.
The full suite of MDA changes took effect last August, so it is still early to make any conclusions on their impact. We will continue to monitor.
Mr Murali Pillai asked how we can reduce re-offending. Prisons will strengthen support for offenders in three ways. First, family support. Family plays a critical part. Prisons has started the Family Interventions and Reintegration Support Team, or FIRST trial, and family case managers work with community partners to support inmates' families. Over 100 inmates have benefited from this trial and results are encouraging. Prisons will be enhancing collaborations with social service agencies.
Second, a network of positive peers to support ex-offenders stay crime-free. Prisons will expand its Throughcare Volunteer Framework to encourage more volunteers and support inmates pre- and post-release.
Third, the offenders. Inmates will be empowered to take charge of their rehabilitation through the Prisons' Digitisation of Inmate Rehabilitation and Corrections Tool, or DIRECT. Inmates use shared tablets to learn and keep in touch with their loved ones via electronic letters.
Gainful employment is another critical part. Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) prepares offenders for employment through employer engagement, skills training and employment assistance. More than 5,600 employers from various industries offer jobs to ex-offenders. Almost 6,000 offenders went for an average of four training courses each last year. Over 2,600 offenders received employment assistance, with 96% securing jobs before prison release.
SCORE will further support inmates to get industry-relevant skills. SCORE will partner Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association (SPETA) and MediaCorp to set up precision engineering and media skills training academies this year.
Mr Chairman, colleagues, the choices we make today affect tomorrow. We will keep Singapore safe and secure together.
The Chairman: Ms Sun Xueling.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): Mr Chairman, I have 12 cuts to cover. I seek your indulgence, if I eat slightly into clarification time.
The Chairman: Okay.
Ms Sun Xueling: Thank you. Mr Chairman, I will focus on MHA's efforts to tackle tech-enabled crimes and also our partnerships with the community for crisis-preparedness. I will also address the questions raised by Members.
Technology has changed the way in which criminals operate. Social media platforms offer criminals a new means of targeting victims. Foreign syndicates use the internet and spoofing technology to obscure their identity and conduct illegal activities. Our enforcement capabilities must keep pace with technological developments.
Scams are an area of concern. Last year, we saw a significant rise in Police reports of scams. Most are online scams. Ms Jessica Tan, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Dr Tan Wu Meng asked what more can be done.
Police have been enhancing their capabilities to disrupt such activities. For instance, the Anti-Scam Centre was set up in 2019 to mitigate the losses of victims.
We will do more. Given the different domains that online scams can impact, we will be setting up an Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams (IMCS) comprising of MHA, MCI, MTI and other members to execute a comprehensive strategy to combat scams. This will include (a) deterring potential perpetrators; (b)\tlimiting the ability of perpetrators to conduct operations in Singapore; (c)\tmitigating the losses incurred by victims; and (d)\tensuring that the public is vigilant and wary of scams. The Committee will coordinate approaches and efforts across the Government and pool resources.
But even as the Government steps up efforts to combat scams, we cannot do it alone. Businesses have a role to play too, especially those such as e-commerce platforms and banks, which can also be exploited by scammers, causing monetary losses to customers. We will work closely with such businesses to put in place upstream measures to limit the ability of criminals to do harm.
That said, the best defence against scams continues to be a discerning public. Criminals are looking to exploit people's feelings for loved ones or other personal motivations. We urge the public to be sceptical of incredulous promises, to utilise escrow accounts provided by the platforms for transaction where possible, and to check with the authorities when approached by dubious people purporting to be Government officials. Police will continue to work with the National Crime Prevention Council to engage the community and spread this message. Mr Chairman, I would now like to make a few remarks in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Scammers are constantly devising new ways to ensnare their victims. With the increase in online transactions, online scams have also increased. This is worrying. The Government will be setting up an inter-Ministry committee to discuss how to tackle scams. Businesses also have to take responsibility and establish secure platforms for transactions, to effectively protect consumer rights.
For the public, the best defence against scams is to stay vigilant and discerning. We urge the public to do transactions only on trustworthy platforms and utilise escrow accounts. If you have any doubts, please check with the relevant authorities. Let us be vigilant so that the scammers do not stand a chance
(In English): Mr Christopher de Souza asked about the actions taken against those who pose as charities to solicit donations. Any person found guilty of falsely representing a registered charity to solicit money is liable to a fine of up to $10,000, three years imprisonment, or both. Depending on the facts of the case, the person may also be liable for offences in the Penal Code or the House to House and Street Collections Act.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked what we will do to tackle the unlicensed money lending (UML) situation. The Police will work with stakeholders such as banks to take action against suspected UML runners. The fourth anti-UML campaign was also launched in January 2020.
Mr Yee Chia Hsing suggested that messages from UMLs and sports betting syndicates should be made more easily reportable. We thank the Member for his feedback. We will continue to explore ways for such spam messages to be reported more conveniently.
Mr Leon Perera raised a question on regulating gambling, specifically loot boxes. MHA takes into consideration whether the player can convert any in-game assets into real-world ones through the platform. If so, we may block the game from being accessed from Singapore. The game operator may also be liable under the Remote Gambling Act.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked about the Home Team’s efforts to combat human trafficking. Our officers undergo regular training on how to recognise the tell-tale signs and respond sensitively to victims of human trafficking. Our agencies exchange information on human trafficking syndicates with our foreign counterparts.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked whether LTVP+ can be granted to all foreign spouses of citizens. Our policy for transnational couples is generally to facilitate the formation of stable families here. A foreign spouse can be granted a LTVP if the sponsor is able to support the family. An LTVP+ may be granted later if the marriage proves stable. On the matter of rental housing, the couple can apply for a rental flat if they have a citizen or PR child. For those with other household structures, HDB will consider their request on a case-by-case basis.
Mr Patrick Tay, Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Christopher de Souza asked about the Home Team's plans to partner the community to deal with threats to our safety and security. We are fortunate that Singapore has not experienced a terror attack in the past few decades, but we must not be complacent. Terrorism causes loss of lives, injuries and damage to properties. But of more concern – it can tear societies apart.
We launched the SGSecure programme in 2016 to sensitise, train and mobilise our community to play a part in preventing and responding to a terrorist attack. We will continue to roll out customised programmes for different domains, such as schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods and community groups.
To enhance the community's first response for cardiac arrest victims, we launched the Save-A-Life initiative in 2015. More than 5,200 AEDs have been installed in Singapore since then. Over half a million people have been trained in CPR-AED skills, of which 75,000 have registered with the myResponder app to assist victims of cardiac arrest prior to the arrival of SCDF.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked how SCDF will continue to provide efficient and effective Emergency Medical Services. The EMS Tiered Response Framework was launched in 2017, which allow us to prioritise life-threatening emergencies, to receive faster and enhanced services.
Still, one out of 10 calls received are false alarms or non-emergencies. Since April 2019, cases assessed by SCDF as non-emergencies will not be conveyed to the hospitals. This ensures that SCDF resources are only used for emergency cases. SCDF will continue to raise public awareness on when 995 should be called.
To conclude, the Home Team will develop stronger capabilities to deal with new challenges, but more importantly, we need to work in partnership with the community. Together, let us build a safer and more secure home.
The Chairman: Clarifications, please? Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you, Mr Chairman, I have two clarifications.
First is on illegal scams. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her answer. In these sorts of situations where a person is victimised and been made to part with money, in fact, there are two legal recourses. The first is the civil recourse in the courts for misrepresentation or fraudulent misrepresentation, and the second is criminal prosecution under section 420 of the Penal Code, which is cheating.
Given the number of scams that Members of the House have seen, life savings being parted, my clarification is, really, of those two options, would the Attorney-General's Chambers and the Police, in appropriate circumstances, prefer the criminal prosecution route under the Penal Code? This is much more convenient for the victim who has already lost a lot of money and does not require the victim to go and take out a separate civil suit. That is the first clarification.
The second clarification is on human trafficking. It was unfortunate to see the first case of labour trafficking in Singapore, but it is also good to see that there was a prosecution for labour trafficking. I understand the statistics to be that most of the human trafficking prosecutions are sex trafficking. What can we do to prioritise more prosecutions and investigations under labour trafficking?
Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his questions.
On the first question he had, as I mentioned in my answer, depending on the facts of the case, the person may be liable for offences in the Penal Code, Cheating, section 420, which the Member referred to, and also potentially under the House to House and Street Collections Act.
At the end of the day, the AGC has to make that decision depending on the facts of the case. That said, MHA and MinLaw are studying the current landscape for dealing with such cases including civil claims, private prosecutions and upstream measures, to see if the current processes can be further streamlined or improved. We will share more details in due course.
On your second question on human trafficking, the SPF conducts regular enforcement operations to detect and deter illegal vice activities, and MOM takes enforcement actions against errant employers and employment agencies who may be involved in potential labour trafficking. So, both SPF and MOM work jointly together to make sure that they are enforcing, taking precautions against both sex trafficking as well as labour trafficking.
SPF and MOM have a standard operating procedure with the ICA for the referral of potential human trafficking cases detected at the borders to aid SPF's and MOM's follow-up investigations, and they use different methods. The officers are actually trained to look out for either both sex trafficking or labour trafficking offences.
Mr Pritam Singh: Mr Chairman, I have two clarifications for Minister Shanmugam. These pertain to the cut that I filed on traffic summons.
The first clarification I have is on instalment payment plans by Traffic Police. I am not aware that Traffic Police offers instalment plans for fines. So I just want the Minister to confirm that because it has not been my experience when I write in to the authorities, that residents have the option of paying those summons by way of instalments. I have had that experience with ICA and LTA but not Traffic Police.
The second question I have pertains to the Minister's point about the suggestion I had on potentially halving the fine. It is not just halving the fine for the sake of it. In other jurisdictions, they halve a fine for different policy purposes, mainly to make sure people pay their fines. But there are other policy objectives that can be considered, for example, in the case of beating a red light, which is a very serious offence; I concede that point. What you can potentially have is, halving of a fine, but also making sure that that offender goes to the Traffic Police. If it has to be a programme where he sees what the potential impact can be of these offences, people dying, there also could be some possible policy benefits insofar as greater awareness of road safety, as an example.
Mr K Shanmugam: On the first question on instalments, I should have been clearer. We allow some flexibility in deserving cases. But I think we do not want a situation where everyone comes and asks for the flexibility. So, there has got to be a rubric or framework. We are approaching it in the same way, in the sense that we both recognise, and everybody recognises, there are some people who need help, and the question is how best to help them. So, one is flexibility that is offered by Traffic Police. The second which can cover a larger group would be for the Members of Parliament to help, for them to approach their Members and for them to help, through utilising community resources for those who deserve or need the help.
So, that I have done it, many Members of Parliament have done it, I am sure the Member would have done it. But also for Traffic Police, you write in. If the situation is such that the person needs some flexibility, that can be given.
On the second point on halving the fine, if I understood the point rightly, it is to achieve the policy objective of persuading them or encouraging them not to commit the offence. Again. I think we are on the same ground here, in that we ought to try and look for ways in which we encourage people not to re-offend. So, the objective of the fine, the primary objective of the fine or penalty, should not be to punish but to try and have people incorporate that into the way they drive, so that they do not even offend in the first place, or if they do often, they do not re-offend.
So, I will ask the Traffic Police to study these specific suggestions. When they looked at other jurisdictions, a variety of things – we even considered the possibility of people with different income levels paying different amounts; that is tried in some countries too. But we decided it did not quite work. So, we have not shelved it completely. We have KIV-ed it to relook. But for a variety of reasons, it did not seem to work very well, but we will certainly look at the suggestions that Mr Singh has made.
Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank the hon Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Amrin Amin for his response to my cut speech on Rehabilitating and Reintegrating Ex-offenders.
I welcome the pilot project that he announced about involving family in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders. I wonder in relation to the aftercare scheme for these ex-offenders, particularly these ex-offenders who were involved in gang activities leading to offences being committed, or committing offences as a result of negative peer influence, whether after they have been released, the circle they keep can be monitored, so that they would be prevented from rejoining the gangs or re-linking up with friends who caused the offences in the first place.
Mr Amrin Amin: Certainly, the Member's concerns are correct, it is something that we are doing. We are also working closely with MSF to see how we can better support ex-offenders, in particular, preventing youths from joining gangs or rejoining gangs. So, there are various programmes and we are happy to invite Mr Murali to join us and we will see how we can share more about our work.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: Thank you. Mr Chairman. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun for that reply. Just two clarifications for her.
The first is, is there a pathway for LTVP holders to obtain permanent residency if they are in a stable marriage with a Singapore Citizen spouse? That is because there is considerable uncertainty without such a pathway, there might even be cases where a Singapore Citizen child might grow up without knowing whether one of their parents has the right to remain in Singapore.
The second clarification is: would she be able to elaborate on the housing situation, maybe at the MND's Committee of Supply, for such families or, otherwise, put more information out because, again, there are a lot of uncertainties out there for such families about what are their rights for housing and how can they achieve stable housing?
Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his clarification. We recognise the importance of keeping Singapore Citizen families, especially those with Singapore Citizen children, intact as far as possible. Each PR application is evaluated holistically on a set of criteria which includes factors such as the individual's economic contributions, qualifications, age and family profile to assess the applicant's ability to contribute as well as integrate well into society.
I had mentioned the LTVP+ in my response. It was introduced in 2012 to provide more support to foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens whose marriages have been stabled over time. It also has quite a lot of benefits. It provides greater certainty of stay, additional benefits such as inpatient healthcare subsidies that already are at a level, that is similar to that of Permanent Residents (PRs). Whether or not, the foreign spouse qualifies yet for PR, I think the fact of the matter is that when you have the LTVP+, you are assured of a significant length of stay in Singapore. He or she can also continue to remain in Singapore and also seek permanent residency when the time comes.
On the Member's question on rental housing, I had shared in my reply that when there is a Singapore Citizen child, or a PR child involved, then the Singapore Citizen and the non-resident spouse can apply for rental housing. If there are other family structures, then HDB will look at it on a case-by-case basis. If the Member would like further discussion on it, depending on how much time we have at MND's Committee of Supply, I will try to take it up at that juncture as well.
The Chairman: Mr de Souza, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Christopher de Souza: I would like to thank the Ministers and the office holders for their comprehensive replies. We all know Home Team is a master at multi-tasking, having to deal with COVID-19 now, new and emerging threats and over and above that, keeping law and order in Singapore. So, on behalf of my fellow Parliamentarians, we put on record our thanks and appreciation to all the arms and bodies that report to MHA. With that Mr Chairman, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $6,184,681,500 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $814,275,900 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head J (Ministry of Defence)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Head J, Ministry of Defence, Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
The last year has seen global tensions rise on multiple fronts. The rivalry between China and the US is playing out on many fronts, including the South China Sea, in the context of a trade war and even over the 5G network and the next generation of technologies. The tensions between Russia and the West are also continuing, with President Putin recently declaring he is ready for another Cuban missile crisis if the US wants one. These great power rivalries have always had repercussions for the rest of the world. While Singapore tries to maintain friendships with as many people as possible, this may not always be easy.
Around the region, there is considerable uncertainty. Just up North, in Malaysia, the last two weeks have seen a tussle for the premiership, which has resulted in a change of Prime Minister and change of government. While Prime Minister Muhyiddin was sworn in yesterday, there seems to be further unrest on the streets and the new Prime Minister may well face a challenge, such as a vote of no confidence in the next Parliament sitting. Typically, when there is unrest in our neighbouring countries, governments may feel under pressure to become more nationalistic and this may adversely affect relationships with other countries.
At the same time, unconventional threats are growing. Threats to cybersecurity and fake news threaten to subvert our systems from the inside. A classic example was during the early days of COVID-19 when panic was being triggered by messages that misstated the implications of DORSCON Orange and suggested people stockpile to avoid shortages; ironically, it was messages like these that triggered the panic which resulted in the temporary shortages.
In the Middle East, tensions between the US and Iran are escalating and the disputes between Saudi Arabia and Iran as well as Saudi Arabia and Qatar continues. ISIS remains a threat and continues to hold territory and both carry out and inspire attacks in other countries.
SAF has been the backbone of our national defence. It clearly faces a wide range of threats and contingencies it needs to prepare for. While Singapore does not look for trouble, trouble may well come to us and we have to be ready. However, while our threats are growing and evolving, SAF faces two key constraints – falling manpower arising from a fall in our birth rates and less available spaces for training as land gets put to other uses.
The only way forward for SAF is to evolve, to invest in technology so that we can do more with less resources. There have been some exciting announcements of big ticket acquisitions in recent times. The Minister has announced the Air Force is going to acquire F-35 fighter jets to eventually replace its F-16s. In relation to the Navy, plans were announced to replace Republic of Singapore Navy's current submarines with four Invincible-class submarines. In relation to manpower, plans have been announced to develop a hybrid force, so that more and more unmanned technologies will be able to replace men in the fighting force.
These are certainly exciting headlines. I will be grateful if the Minister for Defence could provide us more generally, with details on MINDEF's plans to ensure the Next-Generation SAF continues to be effective and capable of safeguarding Singapore's national security. I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Nee Soon): Chairman, Sir, last year, I had the opportunity to visit SAF's training camp in Brunei. It was heartening to see the dedication of our servicemen who had to man our overseas detachment and to facilitate the training of our visiting SAF soldiers.
Over the years, going on overseas training has become a part of what it means to be a member of the SAF, whether it is a regular, NSF or NSMan. We train overseas because we need to overcome our space constraints, to give our people better and more realistic training opportunities in diverse environments.
MINDEF and the SAF have worked hard with our partners to provide the SAF access to overseas training facilities. MINDEF recently announced the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding between US and Singapore to establish a RSAF Fighter Training Detachment in Guam (FTD-Guam). Could the Minister for Defence please provide more information on RSAF's Guam Detachment and how it will improve on RSAF's training?
My next cut. At last year's Committee of Supply debate, MINDEF announced the intention to purchase the F-35, a fifth generation multirole aircraft, which can provide air-to-air, air-to-ground and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The F-35's stealth capabilities can help us maintain air dominance and overcome sophisticated air-defence. At the same time, the F-35s can fuse sensors and information from different sources, thereby networking our 4th Generation aircrafts and SAF assets altogether.
MINDEF recently announced that Singapore has received the US's approval for the sale of F-35s to Singapore. Could the MINDEF please provide an update on Singapore's acquisition of the F-35s, including how the F-35s will improve the capabilities of the SAF?
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, for more than 200 years, sea trade has been vital to Singapore's economy. This remains the case today. Singapore is one of the busiest transshipment hubs in the world and it is important for us to maintain our sea lines of communication.
Last year, we had two Malaysian vessels in Singapore waters, which appeared to be a provocative act. However, the Malaysian government did not escalate matters and the Malaysian Navy never got involved in this dispute. This is likely because the Singapore Navy is strong and it was clear it would have been able to defend Singapore if necessary.
More recently, in December 2019, there was a report of increasing incidents of sea robbery taking place in the Malacca Straits and the number of such incidents has been higher since 2018. Threats like these may reduce confidence people using our sea lanes. What are MINDEF and the SAF doing to secure our waters?
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, East Asia is again becoming a site for more intense power contestation, particularly in the South China Sea. Worryingly, some of this competition is taking on more militarised characteristics region-wide. Such developments have the unfortunate consequence of prompting other regional actors to adopt more militarised stances. They include arms acquisitions and more muscular positions over disputes.These developments challenge stability and freedom of access, even if they do not directly involve Singapore.
Could the Minister for Defence update the House on the Government's strategy for navigating this increasingly complicated security landscape? Deterrence alone cannot fully address these concerns, and defence spending needs to be within prudent limits. In particular, what role should be played by the SAF on a routine basis and during contingencies and how is the SAF working towards these objectives?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Singapore's approach to defence is shaped by both the unique circumstances surrounding our country's independence and the enduring geostrategic limitations we face. Given our strategic circumstances, a strong defence is necessary to ensure that we enjoy peace and stability and that our sovereignty and territorial integrity are protected.
In order to defend our sovereignty and promote our national interests, Singapore has worked closely with our international partners to build a stable regional architecture. Despite the challenges involved in navigating an increasingly complex security environment, Singapore has continued to forge strong relations with our key partners such as the US and China. How is MINDEF working with our key defence partners to enhance cooperation and address common security challenges?
Singapore is a good friend of both the US and China. The US is our major security and economic partner. Our troops train extensively with US forces. We also cooperate closely on counter-terrorism. The size and scale of US investments in Singapore far out-strip any other country's.
With China, Singapore has established an \"All-Round Cooperative Partnership Progressing with the Times\". We have extensive economic cooperation with China. China is also our largest export market.
Both these countries are important to us. But we must be clear-eyed about our own national interests and understand the Government's considerations when we adopt principled positions on bilateral, regional or international issues. How do we continue to engage the US and China in our security collaborations?
In October 2019, MINDEF chaired the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM). The ADMM adopted the ASEAN Guidelines for Air Military Encounters (GAME). It is perhaps the first such set of multilateral guidelines in the world. How do we continue to build upon this?
The Chairman: Mr Charles Chong. Both your cuts, please.
Mr Charles Chong (Punggol East): Mr Chairman, at last year's Committee of Supply Debate, the Minister spoke about MINDEF's successful chairmanship of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM Plus in 2018. MINDEF has worked hard to ensure that should the need arise, our Armed Forces will be able to defend Singapore against both conventional and unconventional threats.
However, the better way to deal with these threats is to do what we can to ensure that they do not arise in the first place. To that end, as ironic as it may appear, the SAF will be truly successful if we never actually need to call on our servicemen and servicewomen to defend Singapore in a time of conflict. Could the Minister provide an update on what MINDEF is doing to ensure that the region remains stable and peaceful?
Moving to my next cut. Singapore signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with Australia in June 2015. Australia is a close and valued defence partner and the signing of the CSP was a clear demonstration of the relationship. We enjoy with our Australian friends. While we have had an excellent defence relationship with Australia for many years, the CSP provides a framework for the further deepening of defence engagements between our two countries.
We have already been having our troops trained in Australia for many years. Many of our troops have trained in the Shoalwater Bay training area. Last year's Exercise Wallaby, held from September to November involved some 3,000 SAF personnel in an area almost four times the size of Singapore. This year, I believe, will mark the 30th year that we have been able to use the Shoalwater Bay training area. I know that we are very appreciative of the support provided by the Australian government and the Australian defence force.
However, with the recent bush fires in the east coast of Australia, could the Minister let us know if the Shoalwater Bay training area has been affected and whether this has had an impact on the SAF's ability to fully utilise the area as a training ground? In particular, I imagine that the dry conditions and the threat of fires could have had an impact on our use of ordinance and ammunition which would have been a significant reason for using the Shoalwater Bay training area in the first place, and for us committing to spend on developing military facilities there.
Coming back to the CSP, this also provides for even greater access to training areas in Australia for our troops. And I would like to ask the Minister if he can provide an update on the enhancements to training facilities, including both in the Shoalwater Bay training area as the new Townsville field training area and how the CSP can improve the SAF's training effectiveness.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Unconventional security threats, such as terrorism, pose increasingly greater risks to our nation. The on-going turmoil in the Middle East provides opportunities for terrorist groups to step up attacks, not just there, but also close to home. Former fighters, who have acquired skills from their experiences in Iraq and Syria, are returning to Southeast Asia. Singapore is not insulated from the influences of returning foreign fighters.
Given the threats from terrorism abroad, would the Ministry share with the House an update on its efforts to counter terrorism? What measures have been implemented to limit their ability to propagate their radical messages and minimise their influence on our communities? In addition, how does the Ministry identify, prevent and monitor potential fighters entering Singapore? For Singaporeans and foreign residents and workers here who may be radicalised, do we have adequate surveillance measures and resources to spot, monitor and contain them?
CBRNE materials − chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives – are utilised by terrorists to attack people and infrastructure. How does MINDEF restrict access to such materials in order to minimise potential injuries, deaths and damage?
In recent attacks overseas, we have also observed the use of common tools, such as knives, and even vehicles, by terrorists to launch attacks on innocent bystanders. Do we have in place an early alert-and-response system to detect behavioural anomalies which will trigger alerts and calls for urgent assistance?
The Chairman: Mr Chong Kee Hiong. Take your both cuts together.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Chairman, at last year's National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee spoke about how climate change is one of the gravest challenges we are facing. I quote, \"Both the SAF and climate change defences are existential for Singapore. These are life and death matters.\"
The greatest threat is from rising sea levels, which will erode the shorelines of our small island unless mitigating action is taken. Areas at risk and which require priority protection include our military installations, the airport, central business district, and the industrial estates of Jurong and Tuas. Our defence and economy are at stake.
Global warming has also resulted in the weather becoming more extreme. Singapore has become hotter with prolonged dry spells even as we experience bursts of heavier rainfall. Even gusts of wind have become stronger. One concern is about mitigating the impact of these dry periods on our reservoirs. We also need to consider collaborative measures with Malaysia to protect the reservoirs there which supply us with water. We have to plan for ways to protect people and minimise the potential damage to our facilities from flooding and toppling trees, during heavy downpours and storms.
In short, a well-coordinated national effort is needed to respond to economic, social and military defence challenges related to climate change. Would the Minister elaborate on what are some of the measures taken by MINDEF and SAF to address these concerns?
Chairman, my second cut. Singapore is a low-lying island nation that is vulnerable to rising sea levels as a result of climate change. The Government has committed $5 billion to the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund to fend off the encroaching sea and pledged to top up this fund whenever our budget permits in the future.
Mitigating actions being considered include major engineering works, such as empoldering and reclamation of offshore islands and coastal adaptation initiatives, such as planting mangroves. While Singapore has had experience with the traditional land reclamation method, empoldering is new to us. It involves building a dyke around the area to be reclaimed and draining water from within it. The reclaimed low-lying land, known as a polder, will be below sea level, kept dry by the sea wall.
Empoldering is being used to add 810 hectares of military training space to the north-western tip of Pulau Tekong. This project was slated to be completed in 2022. May I ask the Ministry for an update on the progress of this construction? What lessons are we gaining from this building experience for the future use of this technique in other reclamation areas? How does this technique compare with the traditional land reclamation method in terms of construction and maintenance costs, as well as benefits and risks?
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, the SAF performs an important role in deterring potential aggressors and protecting Singapore. As a small country, we are at a natural disadvantage when it comes to our defence, while at the same time, defence is existential. We have traditionally compensated for our small size by spending more on defence and investing in the best and latest technologies, while at the same time, building good defence relations with a wide range of countries, including all our neighbours as well as some of the middle and great powers, including the US.
However, in recent years, defence spending has been rising all around the region and in many other parts of the world. As larger countries also invest and strengthen their forces, our technological edge may diminish and I expect there will be pressure on us to spend more to keep up with them. What is MINDEF's and the SAF's plan? Do they envision a long-term increase in our defence budget to keep up with these rising demands?
Mr Douglas Foo (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, we are a small city-state with an open economy and we are therefore vulnerable to external factors. As the Minister for Defence Dr Ng has reiterated over the past years, Singapore cannot fail in its frontline defence to protect our sovereignty. Through the past efforts of our predecessors, our SAF is now one of the more modernised armed forces in the region with superior equipment and stronger fighting power.
MINDEF previously announced its plans to building a modernised tri-service SAF which include acquiring F-35S Joint Strike Fighter jets to replace the current F-16 fighter jets, acquiring new Invincible-class submarines and multi-role combat vessels as well as new next-generation Armoured Fighting Vehicles for our defence forces. While such expenditure is necessary for modernisation, we have seen budget spending on defence rise steadily from S$14.8 billion in 2018 to S$15.47 billion in 2019. While there is a slight drop in this year's Budget to S$15.1 billion, it is still the highest expenditure among all the Ministries.
The importance of maintaining a strong SAF and the need to be accountable to taxpayers requires a balance. In light of the current economic slowdown where we are seeing enterprises struggle to stay in business, the debate on whether we should be spending so much of our taxpayers' money on Singapore's defence or if the money is more well spent aiding our local enterprises will no doubt resurface in the minds of many.
Can the Minister share how sustainable it is to spend to modernise and can the Minister explain what is MINDEF doing to ensure that every dollar of the defence budget is spent wisely and prudently?
Ms Sylvia Lim: Chairman, MINDEF previously informed Parliament how it attempts to maximise Singapore's defence dollars, through the purchase of only items it needs, retrofitting existing assets and so on. Could the Minister for Defence elaborate also on its acquisition decisions – how MINDEF assesses the reasonableness of the prices quoted by vendors and ensures that it receives fair value for money on its purchases? At stake in these decisions is hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. More importantly, they involve the lives and safety of our men and women in uniform and, ultimately, Singapore's security.
A key issue is that unlike other products and services involved in Government procurement, defence articles may not be freely market-tested due to the confidentiality of specifications or dependence on specialist contractors. Systems sold at a certain price point may be subject to expensive after-sales maintenance and upgrade packages with proprietary and protected information. After all, contemporary defence platforms can be highly tailored and involve the integration of multiple systems overseen by large numbers of vendors and sub-contractors.
An example is the US F-35 programme. As of January, Singapore's purchase of up to 12 aircraft for an estimated US$2.75 billion is undergoing the US Congressional approval process. However, the programme has been dogged by cost overruns and questions about reliability. There were also issues regarding the leak of confidential data that required costly redesigns and retrofits from various vendors and subcontractors. This is just one well-known example about a single programme.
My question is broader. Can MINDEF elaborate on how it injects rigour into its procurement decisions to ensure value for money?
Mr Charles Chong: Mr Chairman, all of us have either served in the SAF or have a child, parent, relative or close friend who have been in the SAF. The SAF is an intrinsic part of Singapore and is part of our identity as Singaporeans. Part of why the SAF has been successful has been the trust which exists between Singaporeans and the SAF. The SAF enjoys broad support among citizens and we all understand why we need to have mandatory National Service, even if it comes at a cost to personal pursuits in academia, sports and other areas.
However, when parents send out their sons of to enlist in the SAF or when children bid goodbye to a parent who is going for in-camp training, there is an expectation, a very legitimate expectation, if I may say, that the SAF has done everything possible to ensure that they return home safely. Unfortunately, as is well-known to Members, there have been several training incidents over the last few years, some of which have led to deaths of our servicemen.
Just before last year's Committee of Supply debate, the SAF announced the setting up of an Inspector-General's Office (IGO) to scrutinise safety practises at all levels across all services in units of the SAF. Could the Minister provide an update on the work of the IGO, including how many instances of unsafe practises the IGO has identified in the past year and what real steps have been taken to address this? Has training safety in the SAF improved since the IGO was set up, and have additional safety measures been introduced?
Finally, could the Minister provide details on the number of calls which have been made to the Army, Navy and Air Force safety hotlines, and whether this has increased since we have enhanced our emphasis on training safety and whether concrete action has been taken following the making of these reports?
Mr Arasu Duraisamy (Nominated Member): Chairman, the Committee of Inquiry into the training accidents had found that training-related accidents happened due to lapses by the servicemen involved. These findings demonstrate that training safety cannot just be a matter of safety guidelines and regulations, but must be part of the SAF's organisational culture and practised by every soldier at every level. Can the Minister share, how is the SAF instilling safety consciousness and personal responsibility for one's safety amongst National Servicemen on the ground?
Mr Charles Chong: Mr Chairman, even as we aim for zero training fatalities, it inherent in the nature of the SAF that accidents will probably happen and the challenge for us then is to ensure that when they do happen, that our service personnel have the very best medical care which we can provide for them.
The SAF Medical Corp has been around for over 50 years now and has developed into a professionally run and managed medical service for our servicemen and women. It is, however, important that the medical capabilities of the SAF are continually updated and upgraded to ensure that medical support for our troops is up-to-date, both in terms of practice and procedure as well as in equipment and technology. Now, could the Minister provide some insights as to how the SAF is improving its capabilities to respond to medical emergencies and what steps are being taken by the SAF to ensure that the SAF Medical Corp continues to provide the medical support which our servicemen and servicewomen require?
The Chairman: Mr Chong Kee Hiong, take your three cuts together.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: Chairman, the profile of Singapore’s population has evolved over time. Our demography is made up of people from increasingly varied backgrounds.
Today, we have a larger proportion of children born to inter-racial and transnational marriages. We also have many Singaporeans who have been born and lived overseas for a number of years, Permanent Residents and new citizens from many different nationalities. This means that our NS resource has become increasingly diverse.
I would like to ask the Minister, on an annual basis for our recent cohorts, what is the average proportion of young Singaporeans who have to return from overseas to serve, the proportion of new citizens and the ratio of those who hold foreign passports?
National Service is particularly a challenge for young men who have spent extended periods of time overseas. Are there specific orientation programmes to help them adjust to the cultural differences? How is MINDEF and SAF helping National Servicemen from such diverse backgrounds understand the need for National Service and adjust to NS? Most importantly, how does SAF build a sense of unity and solidarity among these cohorts?
Chairman, my second cut. Our servicemen make much sacrifice towards NS. In order to train and remain fit and ready for their duties, they have to make sacrifices in the areas of their personal and work life. It is important that MINDEF and SAF does its best to help ease the burdens on our servicemen as much as possible.
Would the Ministry consider tapping on technology and closer collaboration with employers and even other Government agencies, to enable systematic collation of feedback and harness suggestions on areas of key concern such as childcare and eldercare? The purpose of this suggestion is to enable 360-degree support for our servicemen so that they can better focus on their military duties when in camps, knowing that the other areas of their lives are well supported and taken care of.
While much emphasis is placed on the two years as an NSF, it is also important to keep in mind that the entire NS experience also includes the time that the men of Singapore spend as pre-enlistees and Operationally-Ready National Servicemen. Their experience will also influence and have an impact on the next generation of our young who are watching and getting ready to serve the nation.
How is MINDEF and SAF working to enhance the NS experience for our National Servicemen at different stages of their NS journey? How can the Ministry tap upon their interests, aptitudes and experiences over the years to serve our nation better?
Chairman, my third cut. All young male Singaporeans have to commit two years in the prime of their lives for service to our nation. It is important that we recognise their commitments and contributions, and do our utmost to support them as they prepare for further studies or entry to the workforce as they near their Operationally Ready Date (ORD).
MINDEF took some steps in this direction at last year's COS with the introduction of a suite of SkillsFuture@NS initiatives to support our NSF's life-long learning journey. Would the Ministry provide an update of what MINDEF is doing to help our NSFs refresh or acquire new skills as part of their post-ORD transition?
I am curious about what support measures MINDEF offer in terms of time allocation and financial support for these NSF to commit to these courses. Is there any way that MINDEF can assist to coordinate areas of synergy so that the courses are both relevant to the NSF's role in SAF and their areas of interest?
In addition, will the effectiveness of these programmes be monitored and reviewed? Does the Ministry also take into account feedback and suggestions from the NSFs, education institutions and employers about the usefulness of these initiatives and how improvements can be incorporated over time?
Ms Joan Pereira: Chairman, many Singaporeans go online for all their needs. Our digital connectivity provides opportunities for MINDEF to reach out and engage both the military and civilian forces in joint initiatives. What plans does the Ministry have to further exploit technology to enhance cooperation between both stakeholders for our security? Would the Minister also share how we are leveraging on technology to enhance our soldiers' NS experience and well-being?
Technological advances have changed defence strategies and training methods around the world. Would the Ministry share how these technological developments have impacted SAF? Are we adequately prepared to handle increasingly sophisticated and complex equipment? What are the main challenges in securing access to such technologies? How are we progressing in our proprietary defence research and development?
Mr Arasu Duraisamy: Sir, in a small country with limited manpower, our National Servicemen play a crucial role in ensuring we have a credible and robust defence force. Every male Singaporean has to commit two years of his youth to serve the country. We must provide a seamless and convenient means for young male Singaporeans to prepare for enlistment. At the COS debate last year, MINDEF announced that it would be unveiling the NS Hub in 2023, a single facility that centralises pre-enlistment processes. Could the Minister please provide an update on the status of the NS Hub?
Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, in 2017, we celebrated 50 years of National Service in Singapore. Amidst rising threats of terrorism, cyber-attacks and other challenges, we will need to evolve our approach towards NS. To this end, the NS experience must be constantly shaped and re-shaped to address the pressures, demands and desires of our future economy and future generations.
Everyone, meaning all Singaporeans, our institutions and community has a role to play in ensuring we have a robust NS system. Thus, our families, employers, schools and community groups are key pillars of support so that our Servicemen can focus on their training.
Many of us have seen and participated in the regular Singapore Armed Forces community engagement projects. The Army, the Navy and the Air Force have open house carnivals to engage the public as well as school partnership programmes to engage the students. Besides that, National Education and Total Defence Day are also part of the school’s curriculum.
I would like to ask if there are other plans to engage the community such as new citizens and grassroots, to help them understand and appreciate the importance of NS? How about new employers, including those who are newly posted to run operations located here in Singapore? This will ensure that our reservists will similarly be well supported and their role well understood.
Mr Douglas Foo: Mr Chairman, National Service is now seen as a rite of passage in every Singaporean man’s life, but the journey does not stop after the NSF’s ORD. Instead, he becomes an Operationally Ready National Serviceman, to begin his 10-year ORNS training cycle. As a Singaporean son, I myself have been through the whole cycle and can testify that it is indeed a unique experience for all. In fact, I am still serving now. My son Donavan has just joined me on this journey of ORNS. I have three more boys who will be joining on this journey soon.
However, serving two years of National Service means pushing back one’s plan for education or career. The people living in Singapore, regardless of whether they are citizens or foreigners working here are indirectly benefiting from the sacrifices of our Singaporean Sons, and we hope that all will recognise and appreciate the sacrifices made by them that allow for the enjoyment of peace and sovereignty in our nation.
As President of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), I am pleased to share that the SMF is an active partner of MINDEF and fully supports National Service. The SMF has been supporting the SAF Re-dedication Ceremony each year, since its involvement in 2013. Through this annual event, we encourage employers to show their support for National Service and the NSmen working in their organisations as well as to remind them of the important role National Service plays in protecting the nation.
Our National Servicemen sacrifice their time and energies to protect Singapore. Besides our young men who set aside two years to serve full-time, our NSmen have to spend two to three weeks away from their families when they return to do their annual In-Camp Training. It is important that we continue to show our appreciation to our Servicemen for their commitment and contribution to defence. How does MINDEF continue to ensure that recognition of our National Servicemen remains both updated and adequate?
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, the SAF responded quickly to the COVID-19 situation in Singapore, mobilising our Servicemen to pack masks for distribution to many households. As they contribute to Singapore’s fight against the virus, our Servicemen’s health must be protected as well.
Training for SAF often involves close contact, requires high physical exertion, which may lead to transmission of droplets. There may also be many soldiers training within a small space.
I know that we cannot compromise our country’s security and safety, by stopping the training exercises and reducing the operational readiness of our forces. At the same time, I am sure that we can modify some of our training procedures and processes to make sure that our men stay strong, safe and healthy. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, what are some of the precautionary measures that MINDEF has put in place to protect our Servicemen?
Ms Joan Pereira: Chairman, over the last few years, we have observed the trend of misinformation and falsehoods being propagated via social media networks and applications escalating. In some countries, the proliferation of \"fake news\" has even influenced the outcome of elections. Here in Singapore, amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, we have seen several pieces of \"fake news\" being circulated, some of which had caused needless panic and fear among certain segments of Singaporeans.
How is MINDEF supporting whole-of-Government efforts to prepare Singaporeans to combat the spread of online falsehoods and misinformation? Does the Ministry have an assessment framework to determine when the spread of such online misinformation is threatening our security and at which point will the countermeasures be activated?
Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Chairman, over the past year, we have witnessed an increase in the number of cybersecurity breaches. As a response to these incidents, many countries are stepping up efforts to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities. At a Committee of Supply debate last year, the Minister for Defence announced that a Defence Cybersecurity Centre would be set up. Could I ask the Minister to provide an update on MINDEF's efforts in strengthening our cybersecurity capabilities to deter and act against potential threats?
Mr Seah Kian Peng: Data security is core to Singapore’s strong defence and our continued economic success. As malicious threats emerge from various sources, including attempts at data exfiltration, it is essential to strengthen our capabilities and defences against these. Two instances last year have been instructive and both involved data leak of SAF personnel from vendors contracted to the SAF through malicious malware and ransomware.
Clearly, we see that there are unfriendly elements watching to see what weaknesses our systems may contain so that they can exploit them. Digital defence is the new addition to our Total Defence. Each and every citizen has a part to play in defending our nation and our way of life – including being vigilant online.
Today, there are enemies unseen – scams, fake news, and cyberattacks. Given continual reports of security breaches worldwide, what is MINDEF doing to protect our security systems and ensure that our data and information are not compromised?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: Many of our businesses and companies rely on secure and reliable networks to trade, transact and communicate. They also store vast amount of personal and commercial data in Singapore.
As the digital sector expands, it is important that business networks and systems are well protected. We have seen the devastating impact of cyber attacks on individual businesses. More importantly, such attacks also could hurt Singapore's reputation as a trusted hub.
Given the pervasiveness of digital threats, MINDEF and MCI introduced Digital Defence as a pillar of Total Defence in 2019. How is MINDEF working with our partners to equip businesses to deal with threats from the digital domain?
Mr Seah Kian Peng: In times of increased stress on society, psychological defence is particularly salient in ensuring Singaporeans remain united in the face of external threats. We have seen how panic and fear can quickly disrupt our way of life.
In my main Budget speech, I spoke about the great, the wise and the good, as well as those who mock them. These are taken from the poem by Yeats, \"Come let us mock at the Great\". He urged us to mock at these mockers, people who would not lift a hand to help others out of a great storm.
In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, it is easy to stand back, stay safe and mock others who are doing the work, taking the risks and deciding on the new rules which would keep our communities going. How important is our state of mind, our psychological defence? What can Singaporeans do to help overcome this crisis?
Dr Teo Ho Pin: Mr Chairman, Sir, when Total Defence was first introduced in 1984, it was recognised that threats will not simply affect our military but potentially Singaporeans, combatants and non-combatants alike. Thus, we must continue to build resilience in our people and community.
In order for Singapore to prevail over a threat, it is important that we fortify the resilience of the entire community. This concept has become more salient today, in the face of threats such as terrorism, cyber attacks, and especially so in face of the recent COVID-19 outbreak.
Sir, I wish to ask the Minister for an update on MINDEF's efforts to engage the community and to equip them with the relevant psychological states, knowledge and skills to deal with a myriad of threats that Singapore may encounter.
Ms Joan Pereira: Over the years, in addition to the core pillar of Military Defence, Singapore has built up the five non-military pillars of Civil, Economic, Social, Digital and Psychological Defences to fortify the comprehensive security structure of Total Defence. All Singaporeans, individually and collectively, have important roles to play in our security, contributing our different expertise and abilities to build a strong and resilient nation.
Total Defence had enabled us to overcome past challenges such as SARS, terrorism and economic downturns. It is important that we continue to educate the next generation of Singaporeans to stay united and work together to overcome new threats. How is MINDEF or SAF educating our young about Total Defence?
Dr Teo Ho Pin: Mr Chairman, the success of Total Defence is contingent upon active participation and contribution by all parts of society, including the Government, businesses, communities and individuals. Unfortunately, the Total Defence initiatives you see today are for the most part initiated by the Government. We should aim to have more civic participation in Total Defence.
Civic participation manifested in the form of an app called North West 911, developed by volunteers from the North West Community Development Council (CDC). This app can help Singaporeans to better cope and respond to 14 crisis scenarios and administer basis first aid, among other functions. We are in the process of encouraging more people to download this app so that they can have a crisis guide and a resource directory, all from the convenience of one's pocket.
Sir, I wish to call on the Minister to support the North West 911 initiative and urge all Singaporeans, especially members of the uniformed services, to download the app and be operationally ready to respond effectively to any future emergencies. Sir, I wish to ask the Minister for an update on the Government-led and community-led efforts to strengthen Total Defence and their effectiveness.
The Chairman: Mr Seah Kian Peng, you can take your two cuts together.
Mr Seah Kian Peng: Mr Chairman, it has been 36 years since Total Defence was launched. Like many Singaporeans, we are all pleased to learn that MINDEF has recently launched the new Total Defence logo competition to create a new logo that represents all six pillar, including a prize money of $5,000.
There were 10 designs that have been shortlisted and I would like to ask the Minister how did Singaporeans respond to the call for the design of the new logo? Could the Minister also explain the significance of the new logo? Make no mistake, I think it is a nice design but I think it is useful and important for all to also know what goes behind the logo.
My second cut. Singapore adopts a whole-of-society approach to national security. Total Defence was conceptualised in 1984 as a comprehensive model for the defence of Singapore. From 1984 to last year, we have always had five pillars. In 2019, we added Digital Defence as cyber threats were as grave as physical ones.
Today, in 2020, I am asking this House to consider one more – Climate Defence. Some may say we are moving too fast in adding one more. I would argue that we have moved too slow. Climate change is an existential threat to Singapore and one we need to recognise. Not only are more of us talking about it now, we are all seeing and feeling the effects of climate change.
In my cut at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), I had argued that we needed a whole-of-Government approach to climate change, given its complex nature, and which straddles many Ministries.
With changes in global trends and threats, the securitisation of technology and climate has become an existential threat to our nation. The Young People's Action Party (YPAP) and environmentalists have already proposed that we adopt Climate Defence as the seventh pillar of Total Defence. I support this call.
This declaration is not just a matter of policy efficiency. It is a matter of raising the political importance of this issue so that it will no longer be put on the back-burner. Neither will environmental concerns be considered the poor cousin of economic growth in bureaucratic decision-making.
In this Budget, we have made room for long-term planning, including for environmental issues. This is the right approach. In line with this approach, would MINDEF consider adopting Climate Defence as a pillar of Total Defence?
The Chairman: Minister Ng.
The Minister for Defence (Dr Ng Eng Hen): Mr Chairman, first, let me thank Members for their continued support to build a strong defence for Singapore – not only for previous Budgets, which Members have given assent but I hope for this Budget as well – and for many of the Members, for their personal commitment.
Many of the Members have done their National Service (NS) and for many here, their children are doing National Service. As Mr Douglas Foo recounted, his sons. As he was speaking, I wished he had more sons and daughters to produce the next generation of NS men.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, in his round-up speech, reminded us of what Mr Lee Kuan Yew said our obligation was. Our greatest obligation is to the future, and sitting there, listening to Members speak, I think it is virtuous. There were well-informed views about how difficult our external environment is – how fluid, how fast-changing, how it impacts us, how as a small country we have very little wherewithal in which to control our external events and even less to effect changes that come upon us – whether it is climate change, whether it is terrorism, whether it is factious politics in neighbouring countries.
But equally, there was strong consensus and pre-occupation about how to build a strong national defence. There were good questions asked and rightly so about prudence, administration, about how we spend our defence dollars, how we make sure that our processes give us the maximum value and that we ensure that where we put our money is, is well chosen and sustainable for our defence budget.
There are many issues and what our colleagues and I will aim to do is try to answer to the best of our abilities. First, I think, and foremost, to give a better understanding of how MINDEF and SAF approach these questions which Members have raised. Let me start with how we think about our defence for Singapore.
There is a familiar dictum in military annals – that a cardinal mistake which has led to failures has been to prepare for the next battle based on the last war. Analysts cite this specifically for the Vietnam War, where tactics that gave the US victory in Europe during World War II proved ineffective and could not overcome the guerrilla insurgency employed by the Viet Cong. Many of you would have seen the series on Netflix – a gripping documentary that underscores this cardinal mistake.
Singapore, as a small nation with little reserves, if caught off guard, should heed this dictum. Mr Vikram Nair put it rightly when he says that, \"We have to be ready.\" But, ready for what?
We do not have the resources to plan for all eventualities. Instead, as Members intimated, Singapore must be keenly aware of the changing circumstances around us and how they impact us. Our region, indeed, the world, is at an inflexion point, which many Members pointed out, and it is for this new environment that Singapore must prepare itself.
Internally, new military capabilities have been built and are operated by a new generation of SAF soldiers, and operated capably, I must say. And it is because of the steadfast commitment by successive Governments and the overwhelming support from Members of this House, across party lines – Members of Parliament, Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, Nominated Members of Parliament – that we have collectively succeeded in building a strong SAF that is recognised today as a modern and professional military force, capable of defending our national interest. Mr Douglas Foo alluded to that and Mr Charles Chong rightly put it. The very success of the SAF is that we are not tested, and indeed, that is what is said in our mission statement in the financial Budget Book – \"Deterrence\".
Even so, to respond to a new environment of security challenges, the SAF must again restructure decisively to meet new challenges, to remain relevant, responsive and effective for our national defence. I think Miss Sylvia Lim talked about it – how the changing landscape will throw forth new threats and the SAF must be ready. I will go into the details of the restructuring required later.
But first, the new environment. Members have talked about it. Mr Charles Chong, Mr Desmond Choo, Ms Sylvia Lim, Mr Vikram Nair. I agree completely with Members that along with the rest of the world, Singapore has entered a different phase in geopolitics. It is messier, less predictable and therefore, with more unseen events. The post-World War II era of 70 years, championed and spearheaded by a hyper-dominant US together with its Western liberal allies is no longer the only and main narrative. A new chapter has begun with elements of the old but also new principal actors. China is a rising global power but regional powers too are gaining strength, including Japan, India and Australia.
And it is not just Asia that is fast-changing. In Europe, the trans-Atlantic alliance is evolving. When the UK government decided to allow Huawei a limited role for its 5G network, the UK dailies concluded that the US-UK relationship had become \"less special\". This year's Munich Security Conference theme was meant to be provocative to prompt soul-searching, but nonetheless carried more than a modicum of insecurities – the theme was \"Westlessness\".
At its plenary, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sharply criticised the US' \"America First\" policy and that \"Great Again\" was at the expense of neighbours and partners. The US wants the EU to liberalise its trade policies to buy more American goods and spend more to defend themselves. In response, some EU leaders do indeed want to reduce their dependence on the US. Just last year, French President Emmanuel Macron put it starkly, \"American decisions over the last several years... have led us to rethink fundamental diplomatic and military strategy and on occasion elements of solidarity which we thought were forever inalienable\". Europe is far away from Singapore, but the changes there will invariably impact our part of the world.
In the Middle East, the biggest game changer is a US that is now a net exporter of energy for the first time in nearly 70 years, and less dependent on crude oil and natural gas from the Middle East than ever before in its history. For the first time too, Russia has direct access to the Mediterranean Sea, and this is a warm water port in Syria, and where it can begin to build and exert military presence there. China, Japan and other Asian countries on the other hand, are still dependent on oil from the Middle East, through the Strait of Hormuz. This is why President Trump remarked wryly, but not inaccurately, that the US was still \"protecting the shipping lanes for other countries for zero compensation\". The US' reaction to the next Middle East crisis will be shaped by these new calculations.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) as the action arm of foreign and state policy has made it clear that our region – the Indo Pacific – is now their \"priority theatre\". Why? Pointedly, because of China, which they characterise as a \"strategic competitor\" and \"rival power\". The US DoD is putting that policy in practice, and moving more ships, planes, other equipment and troops to its bases in Japan and Korea, on top of the 78,000 troops already stationed there. For Australia, a record number of US Marines deployed there last year, and the US has plans to build additional military infrastructure in Australia once Congress gives its approval. With President Trump’s support for a bigger defence budget, such efforts will get a boost.
What would China do? For China, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) expansion in blue water capability, air projection, missile and space programmes have gained momentum. Its Navy is now the world’s largest naval force, at least in numbers of ships. Last year, China’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, the Shandong, was commissioned. The US’ recent statements and moves are likely to accelerate, not slow down, the pace of PLA modernisation.
European powers too, some in heeding the US’ call and others independently, want to position themselves in Asia. My counterpart, French Minister Florence Parly has said that France, “is not going anywhere, because [it is] part of the region”. True to these words, France sent its warships through the South China Sea and in 2018, its Air Force conducted its largest-ever deployment in Southeast Asia since 2004, from Australia to India, to mark France’s presence in the region. The UK too has actively positioned itself in Asia. In 2018 alone, the British Royal Navy deployed three ships to the region. Last year, the Royal Navy increased its joint military exercises with the US Navy in the South China Sea.
Asian countries too have beefed up their militaries. Military spending in Asia has grown more than 50% in the last decade, with both China and India in the list of top five global spenders. ASEAN member states have doubled their spending on defence over the last 15 years.
Willy-nilly, these events, conflated, have resulted in the Asia arena becoming more militarised and contested, as Members of this House have noticed. The South China Sea dispute adds grist to the mill but the motivations go much deeper, that of time-old dominance in an evolving world order.
For Singapore, a small city state, 700 sq km, five-odd million people, we watch these developments ever so closely, carefully trying to preserve space for ourselves, to maintain our sovereignty and pursue our own interest, something which Member Desmond Choo talked about. We have no desire to take sides or be caught in the crossfire. We stand for our national interest. And so far, we have maintained independence and space for ourselves. But as contestation increases in this region, it will be increasingly difficult to do so.
So, I appreciate Members' questions, \"What will you do? What will the Singapore Government do to maintain this wonderful brand of diplomacy?\"
Despite the challenges, Singapore was able to forge even stronger defence relations with the US, China and key partners. With the US, as Members observed, we renewed a key document – the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding for the US’ use of facilities in Singapore. And this document had underpinned defence relations between both sides for the last 30 years. The renewal, signed between Prime Minister Lee and President Trump, allows the US forces’ continued access to our air and naval bases for another 15 years.
With China, we enhanced the 2008 Agreement on Defence Exchanges and Security Cooperation. This year will be the first time the SAF is planning to conduct two bilateral exercises with the PLA in the same year. At our recent Airshow, for the first time, the Ba Yi aerobatics team performed as did the US’ F-22 and F-35B.
With India, our militaries held bilateral exercises across all three Services under the ambit of our Bilateral Agreements and we continue to welcome India’s engagement of the region. With Australia, as Mr Charles Chong said, our 30th year of our training in Shoalwater Bay this year, our strategic partner, we are building our joint training facilities and it is on schedule. I will give some details later. And we were very glad that we could contribute two Chinooks and RSAF personnel to assist the Australian Defence Force during the recent bushfires.
Against the changing geopolitics, we have to watch it, we have to respond nimbly to it if we can, and we have to prepare for it. Even so, we would need to respond to clear and present security threats – namely three, and Members have talked about them: terrorism, cyber threats and maritime threats.
Against terrorism, which Ms Joan Pereira highlighted, we are not immune to the returned fighters. In fact, not only not immune, but quite vulnerable. Because there are choice targets in this region. Against them, we have stepped up efforts and formalised intelligence sharing through the ASEAN \"Our Eyes\" initiative. The SAF will assist in this effort and work closely with other like-minded countries.
The SAF is restructuring its own military intelligence outfits, so that counter-terrorism intelligence to detect, forewarn – what Ms Pereira warned about. We need an outfit that tells us, at least alerts us, that there are plots being undertaken. And also responding to these plots are now part and parcel of the core mission to protect Singapore. It will be a key deliverable and accountability for SAF intelligence units even as they work together with other Singapore agencies dealing with this space.
Some Members asked about cyber – Ms Joan Pereira, Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mr Seah Kian Peng. To guide the restructuring efforts required to meet security challenges, the SAF and MINDEF have convened two high level committees. One of the committees is against cyber threats, headed by Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) and CDF to spearhead this effort. In the SAF’s history, this is as important as raising another service, just like Army, Navy and Air Force, namely to build an integrated cyber command and force to defend our digital borders, especially against foreign cyber actors, both state and non-state who seek to undermine our stability and/or pose a threat to national security. Dr Teo Ho Pin asked for updates from last year when we talked about building up a cyber force.
We have thought about it, gone deeper. And basically, the challenge is to build, just like Army, Navy and Air Force, an integrated cyber command and cyber force that can operate, defend and protect our interests in the cyber domain.
None here, I suspect, will question the need for such a cyber force. But in many aspects, the cyber domain is more difficult to plan and execute than in air, land and sea, and may require different types of units and force configuration. The simplest question: who is the enemy? For air, land and sea, you have a limited number who are potential aggressors. But in cyber, it could be potentially many more.
So, the committee intends to be bold in examining ways that we can address this challenge but also as important, is to recruit soldiers of the right aptitude, their training and deployments. Because what you recruit for air, land and sea, may be different from what you need in the cyber arena.
Nevertheless, for command integrity and accountability, after the restructuring, CDF will continue to be in charge of mission outcomes – never mind the challenges; there has to be a command structure, there has to be a Commander who is in charge, who is looking at the problem, making decisions, raising training, sustaining forces to be able to meet these challenges. And the Chief C4I will be the pinnacle position that holds accountability and reports directly to the CDF, similar to the other services.
The SAF cyber command will have to provide threat assessments and early warning in cyber attacks, and also respond accordingly. The universe of cyber threats and activists is large and the cyber command will have to prioritise its efforts and focus on key threats so as to not dissipate resources. This restructuring effort will take some years to accomplish.
Let me turn to maritime security, which a number of Members has brought up, including Mr Vikram Nair. The SAF and indeed the whole-of-Government had made changes to better tackle maritime threats, which have expanded in recent years. The recent spike in sea robbery incidents in the Singapore Strait is but one example, as well as intrusions into Singapore Territorial Waters.
RSN’s Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) will be acquiring new purpose built platforms that can enhance our capabilities to deal with such threats. For a start, four refurbished patrol vessels will be dedicated and deployed for greater persistence to protect our territorial waters. But all of us know that maritime threats are transnational in nature and cannot be solved without co-operation and collaboration of our neighbours. We have reached out to our counterparts in Malaysia and Indonesia to propose that the Malacca Straits Patrol initiative, which has worked so well through coordinated patrols to reduce piracy in the Malacca Strait, be extended to other areas in our surrounding waters. Discussions are on-going.
These significant restructuring efforts against terrorism, cyber and maritime threats reflect the rapidly evolving spectrum of threats that today’s Singapore faces. But whatever the threats, for each SAF unit, effective training makes the decisive difference. In an uncertain landscape, we must raise, train and sustain units within the SAF to deal with both conventional and unconventional threats. I think this was a point that Mr Henry Kwek was alluding to.
With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I display some slides on the screens.
The Chairman: Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]
Dr Ng Eng Hen: So, let me deal with conventional operations. For conventional operations, the SAF aims to have the best training facilities globally. So, we talked about conventional; we talked about unconventional. For conventional training, our simple goal is that we want to have the best training facilities in the world. It is a high mark but we are confident we will achieve this.
Some Members have asked about developments in Shoalwater Bay, Mr Charles Chong, in particular. And let me give some updates under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia, which will be a key node for best of class training facilities. It will provide the SAF with modern instrumented training ranges such as the Combined Arms Air-Land Ranges and the Urban Operations Live Firing facilities in an area approximately 10 times the size of Singapore.
Significant progress has been made, with completion of an ammunition storage building last year. The Combined Arms Air-Land Ranges is now being developed for the Army and Air Force to train together with tanks, infantry vehicles, drones, artillery and other combined arms platforms. This will be complemented by the Urban Operations Live Firing facilities for air and combined arms live-firing in a realistic environment. And these facilities will be equipped with advanced targetry and instrumentation. In essence, when completed, we can conduct complex training on a much larger scale, that only few militaries are able to, elsewhere. We expect construction at Shoalwater Bay to be completed by 2024 and Greenvale – that is another site – to be completed by 2028. When these facilities are completed, the SAF will be able to conduct integrated training across all three Services, involving up to 14,000 personnel annually and over a span of up to 18 weeks. This is a significant asset for our defence capabilities.
Mr Charles Chong asked what will be the effect of climate change on these plans. The short answer is probably nobody knows and we have to watch it very carefully. There were the incidents of the bush fires this year. And it not only will affect us but also more impactfully, the Australian Defence Force (ADF). For the Shoalwater training area, there was some halt in some activities not because there were bush fires there but because of the fear that it may accentuate it. So, we are watching it very carefully, and if we have to make adjustments, we will have to.
For the Navy, our ships have ample opportunities to train overseas. During Exercise Pacific Griffin, the US and our ships successfully fired the full suite of missiles, destroyed surface and air targets and hunted submarines. We also conducted the inaugural trilateral maritime exercise in the Andaman Sea with India and Thailand. This year, the RSN will take on a key leadership role in the world's largest multilateral maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), alongside established navies in the Pacific Ocean. The RSN does well in these overseas deployments that validate its systems and benchmark competencies.
The Navy is also making good progress to strengthen our conventional capabilities. The last three of the fleet of eight Littoral Mission Vessels entered into service last month. In Germany, our new Invincible-class submarine has commenced trials in the water and her pioneer crew is undergoing work-up training.
What about the Air Force, as Mr Henry Kwek asked. For the Air Force, the skies have opened up. In December last year, I signed an MOU with US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper to establish a fighter training detachment in Guam. The RSAF plans to deploy our F-15s, F-16s and supporting assets, such as the Gulfstream 550 – Airborne Early Warning to Guam for training. The airspace around Guam, together with training facilities, will allow the RSAF to conduct larger scale, more complex and realistic air-to-air and air-to-ground training. At the same time, this detachment in Guam, alongside other deployments in Australia, India and Thailand will allow quick re-deployment back to Singapore when required. So, it is a significant asset. You can train nearer; we can bring you back if we need you.
Some have asked for an update on our acquisitions of the F-35s. We have decided on the F-35B variant of the aircraft, which can take off from a shorter runway and land vertically, and it is an important feature in land scarce Singapore. I do not know whether it can land in one of your HDB carparks but we will consider this scenario. The F-35B performed in the recent Singapore Airshow and its ability to swivel 360 degrees was simply, as some people said, \"Awesome\". We did not buy the F-35B or we did not order F-35Bs just because it can do that. As Mr Kwek rightly pointed out, it has a full suite of sensors and fighting capabilities. We have obtained the US government and Congress' assent. MINDEF is in the final stages of acquiring our four F-35s, with an option to purchase eight more. And when delivered, which we hope will be around 2026, the F-35Bs will be deployed in US for training and in-depth evaluation.
Ms Svlvia Lim raised good questions about the question marks over the F-35 and we watch it very closely. We said we will buy four, evaluate it fully before deciding to commit on a further eight. And our timelines are, if you like, useful to us. We are in no hurry – the F-15s and F-16s are adequate for our air defence and air capabilities. And we will evaluate them fully, including all the questions that were attributed to the F-35s, including cost and maintenance before we decide fully on a full fleet of the F-35s.
I have talked about conventional and traditional operations. Let me move on to non-traditional operations, for which we must prepare not only the SAF, but indeed, I think, our entire population, for a more uncertain and expanded array of threats – we call these \"grey zone\" threats, as opposed to black and white.
Low-level terrorist attacks are a good example of \"grey zone\" threats that can turn deep black when the whole country is destabilised. What happened to Ukraine in the early stages is a salutary lesson on \"grey zone\" threats – incipient, then it cascades, extrapolates and blows up. And when you try to mount the defence, you are finished.
So, the SAF has compiled the range of such \"grey zone\" threats – of course, you will pardon me if I do not give you a list of \"grey zone\" threats – and the options available to respond for each. Each, by themselves, if limited, do not threaten our sovereignty but nevertheless can lead to instability or, cumulatively, whittle away our ability to defend national interests.
Another example of a non-traditional threat occurred, as some Members pointed here, when COVID-19 hit Singapore, that tested our Total Defence. At a very short notice, the Army packed 5.2 million masks, delivered them to 89 Community Centres and Clubs to distribute to 1.37 million households within two days. The SAF also helped MOH with contacting personnel as well as manning thermal imagery machines at the airport. And these efforts by the SAF were to enhance our psychological, social and economic resilience. My colleague, Senior Minister of State Maliki will speak more on Total Defence.
There is another threat for which the SAF may not be primarily responsible, but must join in the efforts for Singapore's security and safety. Mr Chong Kee Hiong alluded to it. Mr Seah Sian Peng talked about it. And yes, I agree with Mr Seah that we must adopt climate defence.
The Government has laid out key directions – Senior Minister Teo's Inter-ministerial Committee of Climate Change has done very deep second, even third order work in terms of how we can step wise deal with this issue. And I appreciate the efforts because it focuses our attention. It also gives, to the extent available, quantitative or if not, semi-quantitative projections of what each does. And I think that is the right approach.
The SAF is also making significant change as part of the whole-of-Government (WOG) plan.
Against the effects of rising sea levels, MINDEF and SAF is working with relevant agencies closely on coastal adaptation. Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about the progress in Singapore's first polder development at Pulau Tekong that is led by HDB. As he described it, the polder comprises a dike which protects the reclaimed land from the sea and a network of drains and pumps to keep the land dry. The tracts of land created, which are below sea level, will be used for Army training.
It is early days yet so I do not have anything concrete to report. But obviously, this is an important project which we are learning from as we create new land for countering rising sea levels. And if this succeeds, that model and that template can be used for other areas in Singapore. So, it is an important project. And MINDEF and SAF understand this.
MINDEF and the SAF are on track to meet our national targets to reduce energy and water consumption. Some Members have raised the NS Hub. It will be completed in 2023. Mr Duriasamy talked about it. It was designed to maximise natural ventilation and daylight. I would have thought all SAF buildings were designed for natural ventilation and daylight nowadays. But take this as what is meant, it is to maximise natural ventilation and to reduce solar heat gain. So, that is a plus now – solar heat gain and energy demand. We have set an aim for the NS Hub to be the top 10% of energy-efficient buildings in Singapore. I expect that aim to be achieved.
The SAF is also taking discrete steps to reduce carbon emissions, even changing modes of operation without loss of any effectiveness. First, we intend to replace our 400 administrative vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions. To hybrid models first, reducing emissions by up to two-thirds per vehicle and later when our island's infrastructure is built, with electric vehicles.
We also established a waste management system under a joint collaboration with NEA and DSTA that turns recycled food waste into energy. Here, a caveat, we have cut down waste. I noted that I have replied to a particular question on it. It is not much waste but that is a first important thing to do. But where there is waste, we turn it into recycled energy. Currently, food waste collected from eight cookhouses is processed by microbes and enzymes at recycling plants to generate biogas. And we are looking to expand this to 10 more cookhouses. If successful, this will be expanded to all cookhouses.
MINDEF has commissioned net zero energy buildings at Kranji and Seletar Camps, and by the end of this financial year, the buildings in 12 of our camps will be equipped with solar panels. In March, we will deliver, which we already are, we will deliver the first net positive energy aircraft hangar at Changi Air Base, which can generate more electricity than that consumed due to certain features that were incorporated into the design of the hangar. When fully realised, these efforts combined will reduce 11,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions by the end of this financial year and support our national efforts to combat climate change.
These measures extend to our training areas overseas as well. We have mentioned Shoalwater Bay training facilities. We are working with the Australian Department of Defence to incorporate environmentally sustainable design measures, such as solar-powered lighting and using building materials that have a higher proportion of recycled content. We are taking proactive efforts to mitigate flood and fire risks, through the use of flood modelling, and the construction of fire breaks and the use of non-combustible fire-rated materials. And this is in answer to Mr Charles Chong's question.
Adapting to use \"green\" technologies could also reap operational advantages. The Navy is exploring the use of hybrid propulsion systems in designing its incoming vessels. Such technologies enable our new ships to not only reduce carbon emissions, but become more energy efficient.
In the grand global scheme of changes necessary to mitigate climate change, one could say that our total reduction of CO2 emissions that I just talked about might be considered insignificant, and I would agree. But all agencies and countries must start on this road to recovery.
Let me focus on the NSmen who make up the bulk of our SAF. Senior Minister of State Heng will touch on some initiatives to recognise their contributions, but I mentioned earlier a second high level committee.
This committee has been formed to look at two areas – the In-Camp Training (ICT) and the deployment of manpower, chaired by Deputy Secretary (Administration) and the Chief of Army. This committee must address the reduction in manpower and changes necessary to fulfil the aims of the SAF, as well as to meet the needs of a new generation of NS men, which many of you eloquently spoke for. The number of ICTs for each NSman will remain the same. Let me say that again – the number of ICTs for each NSman will remain the same. But we want to improve the outcome and efficiency of each ICT.
For manpower, while we have already restructured the SAF to match the reduction in overall manpower, we do need to better match skills and aptitude of National Servicemen to their vocations, as well as to make training more focused on their operational roles. We will announce these specific changes in due course.
Last year, I informed the House about the Inspector-General’s Office (IGO) which was stood up to strengthen safety and Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How will share and reply to some of the questions that Members have raised.
Mr Chairman, as I have indicated previously, we can continue to maintain and grow the SAF with a defence spending that avoids sharp ups and downs but which at least keeps pace with inflation, about 3% to 4% nominal increase each year. A number of Members have asked – Mr Vikram Nair, Mr Douglas Foo and Ms Sylvia Lim – whether we are able to meet our challenges with the defence spending and I would say our assessment for now is yes. The commitment holds, with a projected increase for this year's Budget over last year's of 3.2%.
A number of questions have been asked, how do we make sure that not only are we prudent, but that our processes give us the maximum returns for each defence dollar – Mr Douglas Foo, Ms Sylvia Lim.
When we procure platforms or services, a thorough study is made on life-cycle costs. Ms Lim is quite right, I can sell you something with the low price but really dock off your dollars with high maintenance cost. We are a little better at the game. We put everything as life-cycle costs, so that I know the exact cost of a platform over its life-time; a thorough study is made.
Even though we have sensitive needs for the majority of projects, it is really by open tenders to ensure competitive building. So, if you take all our contracts that the SAF and MINDEF put out, majority are still by competitive bidding and open tenders. That is how we ensure we can get fair value. But even for classified needs, we ensure that a few companies pass security requirements. We pre-qualify them, in other words, we ensure that we have more than one company that satisfies our security requirements so that they can bid competitively. That is the second prong.
But in specific circumstances, which Ms Lim asked about, where requirements can only be fulfilled by a single vendor, DSTA does its own stringent costing and we will compare the bid price versus our internal costing, if it is too far from our evaluation, whether too high or too low, we re-evaluate it. Too high because this is not fair value. But too low, we are worried that you cannot deliver the product that I want.
These processes have strengthened our procurement and indeed if you ask the industry and the industry is well-informed, DSTA is widely acknowledged as a \"tough customer\" and \"reference buyer\"; people have said that to me. Because when DSTA signs off on this, it tells to the whole universe of procurers that this product is value-for-money. That is why sometimes they go the extra mile – the suppliers and the vendors make the extra efforts to try to sell things to us – because DSTA does a thorough evaluation not only in terms of ability, but value for money.
The other significant aspect to stretch the defence dollar is through design from inception. So, for example, the Army's Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) that were commissioned last year were chosen not only for their new capabilities but because they were maintenance-friendly by design. We saved up to 40% in maintenance costs as compared to other armoured vehicles. And there are many such examples where cost has been saved through maintenance or reduction in crew.
Mr Chairman, let me conclude. Let me thank the Members of this House for their strong and continued support both as Members of Parliament and in their individual capacity outside this House. It is the collective resolve and commitment of all Singaporeans, including Members of Parliament here, to build a strong SAF that protects our home and provides us assurance and space in this unpredictable world. [Applause.]
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Mr Heng Chee How): Mr Chairman, Minister for Defence just spoke about how our geopolitical environment is becoming increasingly complex. The SAF must evolve with these challenges in order to be able to mount a strong national defence. Our greatest asset remains our people, with National Service or NS, as the cornerstone of our defence. MINDEF and the SAF must therefore continue to invest in capable national servicemen, enrich their NS experience and strengthen Singaporean's support for NS.
The SAF is are committed to training our national servicemen effectively and safely. Families entrust their sons to us. We must and we will uphold the trust in us.
Mr Charles Chong asked about improvements to training safety. Last February, the SAF Inspector-General's Office, or IGO, was formed to scrutinise and enforce the safety measures in SAF units. IGO inspectors go to each unit to assess the robustness of their safety systems as well as their practices. They interview servicemen at every level – from commanders, to safety appointment holders, to soldiers – in order to understand how safety measures are practised on the ground and whether the soldiers themselves feel confident and comfortable to provide feedback on safety. The IGO has already audited 70% of all formations and their sub-units across the SAF and they will complete this first round of audits by September this year.
Safety audits aside, there must also be concrete, consistent action at all levels and at all times. The Army has introduced 100% inspections of all high-risk activities and field training. Existing equipment are regularly reviewed, while new equipment are designed with inbuilt safety features. For instance, the newly commissioned Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle comes with emergency stop features, as well as audio and visual alerts to prompt the crew about surrounding hazards.
As Mr Arasu Duraisamy pointed out, we want every soldier to consciously keep safe while they train. It is not a compromise, it is both at the same time. To achieve this, unit commanders conduct before- and after-action reviews and risk assessments with the units as part of their daily work. The 6th Army Maintenance Base is an example. During morning roll calls, their commanders and soldiers discuss openly about possible lapses or near-misses; for example, if you use the wrong tools or soldiers not wearing their helmets and so on. Using a simple Think-Check-Do approach, the soldiers systematically plan their steps, check their equipment and pre-empt risks before each maintenance task. Over time, every soldier will internalise these safety practices.
We are also harnessing technology. Last year, I spoke about SafeGuardian, which is a one-stop mobile app for on-the-go access to safety checklists, instant sharing of hazards among servicemen and notification amongst them of danger zones. By placing safety information within the easy and instant reach of our servicemen, we foster a culture of safety – \"By All, For All\". The app was trialed in our Naval Bases and feedback has been positive. We will be progressively rolling this out throughout the SAF.
I have spoken so far about preventive measures to keep our soldiers safe as they train. Mr Charles Chong asked how the SAF is improving its response to medical emergencies when accidents happen. SAF Medics undergo an 11-week training on life-saving skills. To enhance their competencies, the SAF has partnered the SCDF, under an initiative known as Project Serve, to create a six-month attachment within the SCDF's national emergency ambulances. In other words, the SAF medics go with the SCDF paramedics in the ambulances attending to real cases. By doing so, they put their knowledge into practice under real-life, time-pressured situations.
Recently, we also piloted the attachment of our medics to the NUH Emergency Medicine Department. Such hands-on trainings are extremely valuable to our medics – they have emerged from such trainings, more confident and competent in casualty management. Discussions are currently underway with both the SCDF and the other hospitals to extend and expand such programmes.
Through these various initiatives, we will build a capable fighting force that will always train effectively and safely.
Moving from safety to health, Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the precautionary measures that the SAF has put in place to protect our servicemen in light of the COVID-19 threat. MINDEF and SAF take reference from the Government's advisories, guidelines and requirements. We gave pre-enlistees who have travelled to China and are due for enlistment a mandatory Leave of Absence (LOA) and deferred In-Camp Training for NSmen who have travelled to China.
Last week, we extended these measures to pre-enlistees and NSmen who have travelled to Daegu City or to Cheongdo County in South Korea, in line with MOH's revised advisory. In other words, we keep a very very close eye on the situation and we adjust accordingly.
All SAF Medical Centres have a Pandemic Readiness Response Plan and we hold sufficient supplies of Personal Protective Equipment and we also have medical personnel ready to manage suspected cases in line with MOH's requirements. With the change to DORSCON Orange, the SAF has also stepped up preventive measures within camps, requiring our personnel to take their temperature twice daily, conducting more frequent disinfection of workplaces as well as staggering meal times. We will continue to do our utmost to protect our servicemen.
Let me now talk about enhancing the NS experience. While our robust training and safety measures and medical support give our soldiers the confidence to train well and to train hard, the enduring strength of the SAF ultimately rests on the commitment on the part of our soldiers. This is why we constantly look for ways to improve the NS experience for every serviceman, at every stage of his NS journey. This point was raised by Mr Chong Kee Hiong.
For pre-enlistees, we are preparing them better for NS, both physically and mentally. As Mr Chong Kee Hiong pointed out, our pre-enlistees come from diverse backgrounds. For the vast majority, obviously are still citizens born and bred in Singapore and who, as Members have pointed out, most likely have family members who had undergone NS. Yet there are also new citizens and PRs who may not have family or friends who have undergone NS before. In other words, they may know less compared to Singaporeans who were born and bred here.
To better equip this group, we partnered ACCORD to appoint dedicated NS Coordinators in Foreign System Schools and Privately Funded Institutions in order to assist with their questions and clarifications about NS. We are also facilitating mutual learning and exchange among NS coordinators. In one such exchange, which was hosted by United World College (South East Asia) last year; I was there and the discussions were very enriching, frank and open. Everybody found it very useful. There will be another round upcoming and I look forward to attending it as well.
We are also aware that many pre-enlistees want to be more physically prepared before they enter NS. Hence, MINDEF is collaborating with SAFRA to make gym facilities more accessible through the Pre-Enlistees Exercise Programme for National Service, or PREP4NS. Under PREP4NS, pre-enlistees can sign up for a one-year complimentary membership to six SAFRA gyms conveniently located in different parts of Singapore. This trial is on-going, we have so far about 6,000 pre-enlistees signed up for the membership since its launch last November. We are also looking at increasing more venues and for this, we are now working with SportSG in order to see how best to give membership access its 24 gyms. More details on this will be provided later when we are clearer.
Let me move on now to our full-time National Servicemen, or NSFs. NSFs devote two full years to serving the nation. It is therefore incumbent upon us as stewards of their time and talents to make sure that we support their aspirations.
So, take, for instance, the Vocational Interest initiative. This was started in 2016 and under this initiative, NSFs may indicate their interest in 33 NS vocations. What MINDEF, SAF does is, we do our best to match them as far as possible to the vocation of their choice, subject to, obviously, our operational requirements. This has been well-received amongst the NSFs. We are encouraged to see that more than 60% indicate interest in demanding vocations such as in Infantry, Guards, Armour and strong interest by our NSFs to also become commanders.
To help our NSFs acquire new skills as they transit to studies or work after their Operationally Ready Date (ORD), MINDEF introduced the \"SkillsFuture@NS\" initiative last year where NSFs can use their E-PREP credits, which is $350 worth of E-PREP credits, and they may access training and choose from a pool of about 3,000 courses. These courses range from SkillsFuture Series courses, to those offered by Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) that will aid the NSFs in their admission or to gain them credit exemptions. Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked for an update on this.
So, for this year, we will be introducing further enhancements. First, NSFs can look forward to full subsidy of the E-PREP courses as opposed to currently allowing the E-PREP credits to fund up to 90%. You can fund it all.
Second, we will raise the number of E-PREP courses that are available, expand the pool of E-PREP courses. I am excited to share that two new institutions are coming on-board to offer E-PREP courses, namely, NUS and ITE, bringing the number of E-PREP partners to nine. For our existing E-PREP partners, we have also worked closely with them to expand their course offerings. With these additions, NSFs across the SAF and the Home Team will be able to enjoy a pool of some 4,000 courses, up 1,000 from last year, from 1 April this year. Out of these, close to 100 will be credit-bearing as they undertake further studies. This compares with 26, the year before.
In order to recognise the contributions of our NS personnel, we have also increased the monthly NS allowance quantums from their current levels, which varies according to your rank, vocation, deployment. They will go up by between an additional $70 to an additional $120. So, depending on what is your current rank, level, vocation and your deployment; it will go up by between $70 and $120. This will be applicable to NSFs and NSmen in both the SAF and the Home Team, covering all ranks and vocations from 1 March 2020. Mr Douglas Foo brought this up, I thank him for that.
As we continue to place our national servicemen at the heart of what we do, we also constantly ask ourselves – how can we serve ever more efficiently and effectively? This is why we are applying digital technologies to various facets of NS, from administration and training to healthcare. Ms Joan Pereira asked about this, so allow me to share some information.
For our servicemen, their NS journey begins at the Central Manpower Base, or CMPB. Over the years, we have enhanced the experience at CMPB for pre-enlistees. Infrared scanners were introduced in 2015 to measure body dimensions quickly and accurately. A real-time queue management system and facial recognition technology are also on trial for a more seamless experience.
Come June this year, we will complement these on-site enhancements with improved e-services to provide our pre-enlistees an even more hassle-free experience of completing most transactions online. For instance, pre-enlistees will be able to complete their bond and exit permit application in one single online application and transaction instead of the separate applications and transactions that they currently have to do. Pre-enlistees will also be able to monitor the progress of their applications online.
As for the new NS Hub to be completed in 2023, which Mr Arasu asked about, that will integrate smart technologies, such as biometric identification and other initiatives on trial at CMPB today. These, we expect, will cut waiting time by about a third.
Another initiative is \"Virtual Care\". Under Virtual Care, medical officers in the SAF use technologies such as digital stethoscopes and video conferencing tools to diagnose effectively and prescribe medicine for common ailments remotely. Last year, this service was piloted at two SAF medical centres. It has proven to be convenient, it actually also allows the diagnosis to be done faster because you do not have to wait for the doctor and the patient to physically meet as applied to common ailments. So, this has made medical services more accessible, more convenient and has reduced wait times.
I have just spoken about MINDEF and the SAF's efforts to provide the best possible experience for every national serviceman. As Mr Ang Hin Kee highlighted, our families, businesses, schools and community groups are also key pillars of support. Through ACCORD, we will continue to appreciate and rally strong societal support for NS. My deepest appreciation to ACCORD members especially, for contributing their ideas and for so proactively putting their initiatives into action within their respective communities.
The business community, for example, has stepped up to show appreciation for our soldiers. Earlier, Mr Douglas Foo has also elaborated on what the SMF as a business federation has done.
Under the \"We Support NS\" campaign, over 540 merchants, businesses and hawkers last year offered a wide selection of discounts to past and present national servicemen. Amongst them is Mr Anthony Low, hawker-owner and Chairman of Boon Lay Hawker’s Association. So, what Mr Low did was he rallied more than 60 hawker stalls within his Association's membership to provide privileges to national servicemen, after seeing how his son had toughened up through NS.
In so many different ways and individual ways, we can make a difference. So, every effort and every gesture counts and it is appreciated. To thank the businesses for their support, we held the inaugural \"We Support NS\" Appreciation Function last year and we thanked more than 200 merchants who came to meet us. We hope that the momentum can be kept up.
Likewise, ACCORD has engaged the communities – different communities – in multiple ways to continue fostering wide and deep support for NS. So, this journey never ends, and in the context of what was discussed, the need for Total Defence in all its dimensions is something that we have to keep doing and press on.
Mr Chairman, through continued whole-of-society commitment to our defence, we will demonstrate our will and resolve to protect Singapore's freedom and sovereignty, come what may.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman): Mr Chairman, the strength of a nation depends largely on the readiness of her people to resist and respond to the threats, and there are various manifestations. These demands and all-round defence and a deterrent strategy best provided by Total Defence, with its six pillars and emphasis on everyone playing their part.
Total Defence has rallied Singaporeans together in responding to challenges that have threatened our independence and well-being. Despite these challenges, be it threats from terrorism, economic downturns and SARS, we overcame them all. The outbreak of COVID-19 is the latest test of our collective strength as a nation. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked how Singaporeans can play a part to overcome this crisis.
In the past month, we have seen how fear of the virus had led to panic buying of household essentials, hoarding and profiteering from the sale of masks and shunning of our healthcare workers. Yet at the same time, we came across countless heartwarming examples of how Singaporeans have displayed quiet strength and resolve to fight this crisis together – residents leaving hand sanitisers and spare masks in common areas for others, and University students bringing food for their classmates who were on leave of absence.
Religious leaders have also come together to provide religious guidance during this period. The Islamic Religious Council for Singapore, for example, has said in an advisory to Muslims that Islam excuses those who are unwell from attending congregational prayers, including Friday prayers. Muslims are also advised to set aside the practice of salam or shaking hands to ensure that they do not transmit the virus. Some temples and churches are scaling back or cancelling regular services and urging followers to watch their services online instead. I really appreciate the guidance provided by the religious leaders to rally the community together in the current situation.
The Government is mindful that Singaporeans and businesses are facing pressures as Singapore is affected by economic downturn, slow-down and uncertainties from this COVID-19 outbreak. In Budget 2020, the Government has announced measures to help businesses directly affected by the outbreak. We must build resilience in our economy.
It is heartening to know that the businesses are exemplifying economic defence by implementing business continuity plans, sending workers for retraining and following calls to disinfect working areas regularly. Companies like Singapore Airlines, Singtel and SMRT, are finding ways to avoid retrenching their workers by cutting capital spending, operating costs and wages for managerial staff. Hopefully, these measures will provide workers with greater job assurance and help them cope and emerge stronger from the difficult period. Some like CapitaLand and Changi Airport have also offered rental relief to help retailers cope with the COVID-19 crisis.
As businesses do their part, fellow Singaporeans should also show solidarity – take the necessary precautions and carry on with our own life; eat and shop as you normally do and support these businesses. Please do not panic when you see shops disinfecting their premises or medical workers in Personal Protection Equipment or PPE providing assistance – these practices are routine precautionary procedures at a time like this.
As we fight the virus, concurrently, we are also fighting an even greater threat – the spread of fake news. According to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Study, fake news can travel six times faster than true stories.
In the past month, false information on the closure of schools and the closure of an MRT station due to the spread of COVID-19 was propagated.
When you receive messages or unsubstantiated information over WhatsApp or other online platforms, do not forward or circulate them. Always check the information against official sources like the Government websites or the official news releases. If you are unsure, do not spread the information. Such discipline will go a long way in our fight against fake news.
All in all, Singaporean can and will overcome this COVID-19 situation if Singaporeans are psychologically resilient and support the Government and businesses to deal with this outbreak. We should not be easily rattled and instead show confidence as a people. As my soldiers often say in Hokkien \"ai zai\" or be steady. Mr Chairman, may I say a few words in Malay, please?
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Religious leaders in Singapore have come together to provide religious guidance and to prepare measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For instance, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) had advised Muslims in Singapore that, in Islam, those who are unwell are excused from attending congregational prayers, including Friday prayers. Muslims were also advised to set aside the practice of \"salam\" to avoid the transmission of the virus. Some temples and churches in Singapore are scaling back or suspending mass and regular services, and urging followers to watch their services online instead. I really appreciate the guidance provided by the religious leaders to rally the community together in this current situation.
As we try to prevent the transmission of this virus, there is an even greater threat that we must fight, that is, the spread of fake news. According to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study, fake news can travel six times faster than true stories. In the past month, false information on the closure of schools and an MRT station due to the spread of COVID-19 was propagated. It is important to remember that, whenever you receive messages or unsubstantiated information over WhatsApp or other social media platforms, please do not forward or circulate them.
Please ensure that you check the information you receive against official sources, like the government websites and official news releases. If you are unsure, do not spread the information. We have to be disciplined in the fight against fake news. All in all, Singapore can and will overcome this COVID-19 situation if Singaporeans are ready, psychologically resilient and support the efforts by the government and businesses to deal with this outbreak. We should not be easily rattled and instead, be confident as a people. As my soldiers often say \"Relax, Don't Be Stressed Out!\"
(In English): Mr Chairman, the spread of falsehoods during this COVID-19 crisis is just one example of how fake news can damage our society, erode communal trust and social cohesion. Ms Joan Pereira asked how MINDEF is supporting the whole-of-Government efforts to prepare Singaporeans to combat the spread of online falsehoods and fake news.
As part of a broader effort to raise information literacy and increase Singaporeans’ understanding of digital threats, MINDEF, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), National Library Board (NLB) and Cyber Security Agency of Singapore had worked together to add a Digital Defence component to the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace programme. The enhancement to the programme will equip participants with the skills to detect and deal with fake news and digital threats. At the same time, MINDEF/SAF has partnered NLB to enrich our existing BMT curriculum with content on cyberattacks and information threats. Now, BMT recruits will have to complete an e-module on Digital Security in the SAF and visit the Digital Defence exhibition at the Singapore Discovery Centre. Students who joined the 2019 N.E.mation! competition had the chance to visit the SAF Cyber Defence School, which equips the MINDEF/SAF's cyber workforce with skillsets and knowledge for deployment in cyber defence entities, to learn about the SAF's cyber capabilities and contributions to keep Singapore's network systems and infrastructure safe and secure. They also visited The Straits Times’ newly revamped newsroom to learn how ST detects and deals with fake news.
Online falsehoods can also affect the reputation and credibility of businesses and even cause serious financial losses. A case in point is Tesla. Last January, Tesla's shares and consumers' confidence in their products were affected when fake videos claiming that Tesla's cars were unsafe were circulated online. Mr Henry Kwek asked about the initiatives targeted at business owners to equip them to deal with digital threats. One of the many efforts to achieve this is a collaboration between MINDEF, SSG, the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and NLB to introduce a Digital Defence component into the SUSS SME Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Nurturing programme to teach small- and medium-sized enterprise business owners how to use the S.U.R.E. (Source, Understand, Research and Evaluate) framework to better assess the reliability of information. We conducted one session last year and the feedback on this has been very positive so far.
While we do our utmost to defend Singapore against digital threats, we have to acknowledge that it is impossible to prevent all cyber and data incidents, especially by determined and capable adversaries. Dr Teo Ho Pin and Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about MINDEF's efforts to strengthen cyber security against potential threats and attacks on our security systems. MINDEF/SAF is doubling down on efforts to raise the cybersecurity standards and readiness within the entire defence sector, including our vendors and among MINDEF-related organisations like SAFRA and NSRCC. We will limit the amount of data they hold and ensure implementation of technical and procedural measures to protect the data during transmission and storage. In addition, I am happy to announce that the first batch of Specialists from the Cyber NSF scheme has been deployed into our cyber defence operations across MINDEF/SAF. The Defence Cyber Security Centre (DCSC) which was announced in 2019, has also reached 24/7 operating capability to monitor, detect and respond to threats. The DCSC will coordinate operations across the defence sector and integrate cyber threat intelligence capabilities.
While we step up efforts in digital defence, the multi-faceted threats of today mean that to keep Singapore strong, we need the collective effort of all aspects of society – Government, businesses, communities and individuals like you and me, across every Total Defence pillar.
Dr Teo Ho Pin asked about MINDEF's efforts to engage the community to strengthen resilience against potential threats. MINDEF is working with PA to introduce the Total Defence Achiever Badge programme this year for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), which currently includes 2,000 active volunteers. To achieve the highest tier of this programme, CERT volunteers will have to attend lessons to learn how to identify fake news, community mediation and psychological first aid, among other training components. In this way, CERT volunteers will be better equipped with the knowledge and skills to respond to the evolving nature of emergencies, thereby putting Total Defence into action.
Dr Teo also asked for an update about the Government-led and community-led efforts to strengthen Total Defence. I am happy to share with the House that the community has, in various ways, taken ownership of Total Defence. One example is the collaboration between four NTU students, Coding Lab and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to develop a Total Defence board game within the Tiny Thinkers Starter Kit, which were given to pre-schoolers and parents of low-income families, with the aim of exposing young children to Total Defence.
As noted by Ms Joan Pereira, in many countries, education on the importance of resilience and emergency preparedness starts at a young age. In Singapore, to anchor Total Defence for our next generation, MINDEF collaborated with MediaCorp artiste Edmund Chen and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to create \"My Little Red Dot – Making Our Home A Better Place\" book. Through this book, young children can learn about Total Defence in an interactive manner and parents are encouraged to share values, such as unity and resilience, with their children.
Mr Chairman, key to Total Defence is a strong SAF – our military defence pillar. For a small country like Singapore, the only way to have a credible military of sufficient size is to have a conscript force, where every able-bodied male Singaporean defends Singapore, thereby contributing to military defence. Earlier, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How had talked about this extensively. I believe that strong family and societal support for our National Servicemen will motivate them to give of their best when performing their duties. To recognise and strengthen family support for all our servicemen, I am happy to announce that MINDEF and MHA will launch the SAFRA Family Scheme and HomeTeamNS Family Scheme this year. Under these schemes, Operationally Ready National Servicemen can sign up for a family package for himself and his dependants, regardless of the size of his family. This allows significant cost savings because servicemen no longer need to pay individual membership fees for each dependant. We hope that this will encourage more families to visit SAFRA and HomeTeamNS clubhouses, enjoy the facilities and spend more quality time together. SAFRA and HomeTeamNS will announce more details on this in mid-2020.
Last month, we launched the new Total Defence logo – the winning design, by Ms Samantha Teng, an Allied Educator. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the significance of the new logo and how Singaporeans responded to the call for the design of this new logo. In Ms Teng’s design, the arrows pointing upwards represent Singapore’s continuous journey to stay resilient against current and future threats. When we launched the logo competition, we wanted to create a new logo that represents all six pillars and, more importantly, to hear from Singaporeans what Total Defence meant to them. We were heartened to receive more than 600 designs by participants from all walks of life – from students, teachers, professional designers and retirees.
Global trends and threats are evolving and, as Mr Seah Kian Peng noted, one of the issues our youths and many young people around the world are increasingly concerned with is climate change. Given that Total Defence has kept Singapore strong for more than 35 years, it is timely for us, as a nation, to revitalise this all-round defence and deterrence strategy to address these threats confronting Singapore now and in the future. We will continue partnering fellow Singaporeans to seek ideas on how to strengthen our Total Defence because this should be a whole-of-nation effort. As part of the SG Together movement, MINDEF will conduct a series of engagement sessions in the second half of 2020, to hear from Singaporeans on how all of us can do better to put Total Defence into action and how Total Defence can be strengthened for our future. This will also allow younger Singaporeans to reflect on what Total Defence is to them and operationalise this as we respond to future threats and challenges.
In conclusion, Mr Chairman, although the COVID-19 outbreak has not ended, I believe that the collective effort from the Government, communities and individuals will see us through this crisis. We must continue to encourage the community spirit shown during this period and support those at the frontline. It is with this collective strength that we are able to stay resilient and united as one people. We must make Total Defence in every Singaporean's DNA. With a strong Total Defence, we have every reason to have confidence and a sense of hope for Singapore's future.
The Chairman: Clarifications? Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim: Thank you, Chairman. Two clarifications for the Minister for Defence regarding our purchase of the F-35s. Earlier, the Minister mentioned that US Congressional approval has been obtained for the purchases. Do I understand that this is the in-principle approval that is needed and that the formal terms of the sale and purchase are still being negotiated and finalised? That is the first clarification.
The second clarification concerns his acknowledgement that there had been some technical issues with the plane and he mentioned that, to ensure that our defence dollars are well-spent, the timelines that are available to us will be useful. Could he elaborate a bit more about this aspect?
Dr Ng Eng Hen: First, on the process which is specific to the US requirements, the US DoD has to support, which they have. The administration has to support, which they did when we submitted our letter of request. On the Congressional side, it is not so much approval, but they can raise objections, which they have not.
So, basically, those processes have been done and the Member is quite right, we are at a stage where we are doing the terms of the sale and purchase agreement which will include aspects beyond the purchase of the F-35s for us – where we would like to base them when we are training together with the DoD and so on and so forth. I have said that we are in the final stages and we are. If all things proceed as we planned, then we will acquire it in 2026, we think.
For the second part of Ms Sylvia Lim's question, by the time we acquire it in 2026 or beyond – we have evaluated the first four F-35Bs that we have acquired and then made a decision – I think, in production, you would probably have, for F-35s and F35Bs, across the world a few thousand platforms used by many, many militaries.
That is a good position. In other words, there are many vested interests for many countries who plan their air defence systems based on that acquisition.
With new platforms, not only with the F-35s but also F-16s and F-15s, you will always have design issues, operational issues. So, the assessments, of course, will be done technically as well as with our pilots. Basically, for us, in the Ministry, we have to ask questions and satisfy ourselves that there is a rigorous technical assessment. But if you speak to the pilots and the technical side of the house, they are quite confident that the main problems have been ironed out and that the platform will reach a steady state in which it is operational.
There are some issues related to maintenance and parts and so on, but that is logistics. What I meant was that it is good that we are in no hurry and we have to allow the systems to mature. I think most of the issues that were raised initially when the F-35 procurement was in its infancy would have been ironed out.
Mr Vikram Nair: I think the Minister mentioned there were three imminent threats: terrorism, cyber security and maritime threats, of which the most difficult to plan and deal with would be cyber. But the current plan is for the cyber security to be dealt with under the SAF and reporting to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). Would the Minister also consider having a force outside the SAF to deal with this, particularly, so that it can tap talent which may not want to be in the military, such as the white hats or people with talent in this area?
Dr Ng Eng Hen: That is a good question, Mr Chairman. The cyber arena is enormous and there is a whole-of-Government approach where there is a committee which Senior Minister Teo chairs, looking at the overall picture, not only for cyber but business continuity under various aspects, logistics, so on and so forth. So, that is the whole umbrella. There are various agencies dealing, for example, with cyber threats. The SAF is one component of it. So, let us situate what the SAF does.
And, of course, we have the Cyber Security Agency, which is primarily responsible for protecting our networks and they were very involved when there was a – some Members here talked about data ex-filtration, rightly so – they were the ones. There are other Government agencies.
For the SAF, it would be similar to identifying threats as we do in the kinetic world, in the real world – air, land and sea. In other words, if there are state and non-state actors who are using the cyber realm to first infiltrate, then to decimate, to diminish our will, as a precursor, for example, to a kinetic move, as we talked about, a hybrid. A few years ago, I mentioned to this House this concept of hybrid warfare, which was surfaced by some military experts. We see it as the SAF's responsibility to identify these external threats.
For example, if there is a terrorist plot, first, to capture our population. Not necessarily jihadists. It could be any religion. To capture acolytes for their movements, as a long-term plan or even a medium term plan. We ought to be able to identify that. And together with that, information warfare, then to gather arms or to have plots or to commit sabotage. So, I think there has to be a central role for the SAF, which is similar to what we have defined as our role in protecting Singapore's sovereignty and stability. So, that will be the context.
Now, having defined our missions, then, who do you need? There are pros and cons, for example, even within the SAF and MINDEF context. We have talked about this. Is this better uniformed or non-uniformed? The comfort for any Minister or indeed, anybody who oversees the security for MINDEF and SAF is that the SAF is the quickest to mobilise. All of us know that. When you push a button, you know that the SAF can move. Whereas other units, there is a little bit more discussion, I think. But we also want it to be effective and efficacious, as well as efficient.
So, I think that we have settled that it should be the CDF to see C4I. As to how you raise them and what type of people you need, you are quite right, and that is why this committee will look at the recruitment processes. We take that for some, it would be similar to what we raised, for example, technicians in the technical force, but not quite similar; and there will also be certain, I suppose, they sit on the right side of the curve, they are very brilliant, but you do not know whether they can sit nicely in uniform and whether they can adapt to it. I think you know what we are talking about. So, there are these considerations which, over time, I think, we will be able to address.
Mr Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair, would you like to withdraw the amendment?
Mr Vikram Nair: I thank Minister Ng, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How and Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki bin Osman for your comprehensive review of our defence. It has been quite an interesting development in our SAF with all the threats evolving, and I think we would also wish to thank our men and women in uniform who serve and protect us. Thank you all, and I seek leave to withdraw my cut.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $14,561,155,500 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $889,200,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
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Last week, I spoke during the main debate on the threat of COVID-19 and at that time, it had just about started emerging in other countries. Singapore has had a relatively well-managed situation, with the majority of our cases making recovery and no fatalities to date – though of course, this may still happen as we still have a few people in intensive care.
Worldwide though, COVID-19 is now spreading like wildfire. Just today, CNA reported that the global COVID-19 death toll now exceeds 3,000, with 88,0000 people infected worldwide across 60 countries. South Korea has now become the biggest nest of infection outside China, with more than 4,000 cases in total. In Japan, the prefecture of Hokkaido has declared a state of emergency following an identification of at least 63 cases and two deaths. The US, which only recently reported its first cases, has now also had its first death from COVID-19 in Washington state, and there are fears that there may be a larger number of undetected cases, who may in turn unwittingly spread the disease.
Closer to home, our ASEAN neighbours are also dealing with the COVID-19 threat. Thailand has reported its first death and there are 42 cases recorded. This is the second death in ASEAN. There was an earlier one in the Philippines. Malaysia has a small number of cases and Indonesia has not detected any yet. However, part of the reason for this small number in some of these countries may have been because they are unable to do the large-scale testing that Singapore has engaged in. I was corrected – Indonesia has two cases.
While there are many things that divide us, dealing with the COVID-19 threat may be one way for all of us to come together. Singapore's way of dealing with COVID-19 has won praise from the World Health Organization. And Bloomberg has recently described Singapore's response as the litmus test for dealing with COVID-19. This may be an opportunity for us to render help and expertise to other countries when dealing with this threat. Of course, only upon their request.
Could the Minister share whether Singapore is working with ASEAN and the international community to deal with the COVID-19 threat?
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, the current COVID-19 outbreak is a global concern that has widespread public health and economic implications. As an open economy and international trade hub, Singapore is experiencing a significant impact from the outbreak. We also have many Singaporeans living and working overseas who have been affected.
How has MFA been mobilised to support Singapore's inter-agency efforts to combat COVID-19? Would the Ministry share with us how it had managed during the various evacuation efforts and the challenges it faced? What lessons have we learnt from this experience?
Does MFA see a need to increase our ground presence in more territories overseas so as to provide better support for Singaporeans living and working there? Does MFA foresee that it would have to initiate similar evacuation exercises in other countries should the outbreak worsen and spread to more countries?
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Education and Minister for Social and Family Development (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Mr Chairman, several bilateral issues with Malaysia took a turn in end-2018, such as on the maritime and airspace fronts. While a number of these issues appear to have made progress, other issues still require discussions from both sides. This includes key connectivity projects such as the Singapore-Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System Link and the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail. These are projects that will benefit both our peoples and that I hope will proceed on track expeditiously. It is also notable that our Health Ministries have quickly set up a Joint Working Group to collaborate on tackling the COVID-19 situation across our borders.
The political situation in Malaysia has evolved rapidly in recent days. Yesterday, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia. As Malaysia's closest neighbour, we have a long-term vested interest in Malaysia’s stability and prosperity, as any developments there will inevitably impact Singapore in many ways.
I would like to seek an update on the developments in Malaysia, the progress of key bilateral issues and how Singapore can step up our relations with Malaysia in the longer term.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Sir, like all Members of this House, I had to file my Committee of Supply cuts before the onset of the political imbroglio that unfolded in Malaysia over the course of the last week. I filed this cut amongst other reasons, in view of the comments made over the course of the last year both in Singapore and Malaysia about pollution and water security issues surrounding the abstraction of raw water in Johor, an issue that affects not just Singapore but Malaysia too.
On pollution, since 2017, there have been seven incidents affecting the Johor River which shut down the PUB's Johor waterworks, disrupting the supply of raw water to Singapore. That arose because of illegal discharges within the water catchment area from industries such as chicken farms and palm oil mills in particular and pollution in general.
Separately, Singaporeans and Malaysians would also recall the shutting down of schools in Malaysia arising from pollution in Sungei Kim Kim in Johor last year. Questions have also been raised in this Parliament about the safety of water supply and air quality, questions which would be far more immediate and pressing for our friends in Malaysia and specifically, Johor.
Separately, the issue of the price of water sold to Singapore has also come to the fore strongly over the course of the year with the matter discussed on Malaysian talk shows and unsurprisingly, in the Malaysian parliament too.
Sir, this matter of the price of raw water is a genie that is not going back into its bottle anytime soon. This is especially so since various Malaysian states already charge more for raw water to their own fellow Malaysians. For example, in September last year, Water Watch Penang raised concerns about the neighbouring state of Perak offering to sell its treated water to Penang at 70 sen per 1,000 litres. The matter is coming to head because Penang draws water from Sungei Muda, a river shared with the state of Kedah and it is estimated that the river can only cater to Penang's demand until 2025. In Johor, senior Malaysian leaders also shared last year that by the second half of this year, Johor's water reserve threshold will drop down to zero, and alluded that Malaysia would have to look after the interests of Malaysians first. More broadly, the Malaysian National Water Services Commission has proposed that Malaysian states should look to increase water tariffs by 10% to 20%.
Sir, these developments, and the matter of greater water insecurity in Malaysia is likely to bring the headline figure we purchase raw water from Johor for 3 sen for every 1,000 gallons – in the political spotlight, more so than ever before. The fact that Singapore has in turn locked the low price of treated water sold to around 11 sen per 1,000 litres and supplied more water to Malaysia than required under the existing water agreement – is likely remain a footnote.
Singapore has a lot of experience in water collection, treatment, supply and separately, waste management, including the discharge of effluents. The rising water security issues in Malaysia provides an opportunity to consider how both Singapore and Malaysia can look to reduce the prospect of our water agreement as a potential source of strain in our relationship. For Singapore, water from Malaysia is cheaper to treat than desalinated water. Is there scope for greater cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia in this regard?
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, Indonesia is the most populous country in ASEAN and the largest economy. Ever since the formation of ASEAN, we have had strong relations with Indonesia at all levels, from government-to-government, between the defence forces and at the people-to-people level.
In October last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned at a press conference at the Istana that Singapore’s relations with Indonesia are in \"good shape\" and there is an \"excellent relationship of trust and cooperation\" built with President Joko Widodo, which has meant that both sides have prospered during the latter’s term in office. This was said during Mr Widodo’s two-day visit to Singapore for the Singapore-Indonesia Leader’s Retreat.
At the people-to-people level, I also agree that relations are good and strong and over the last two decades of my working life, I have dealt with many Indonesia clients and cases and with many investments by Singapore companies in Indonesia as well as Indonesians making investments in Singapore.
However, there were a number of outstanding bilateral issues that have made the news over the last year. This has included differences between us in the administration of the regional air space, particularly the Riau Islands Flight Information Region (FIR) as well as military training. What is Singapore’s approach to some of these outstanding bilateral issues with Indonesia, such as the management of airspace and military training?
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Indonesia is a key player in our region and important partner for Singapore. We are certainly one of the largest foreign investor in the country. Can the Minister update us on the overall state of bilateral relations with Indonesia, and how Singapore is engaging the second Jokowi Administration as well as the regions beyond Jakarta?
Prime Minister Joko Widodo has said that he is ready for more cooperation with Singapore, including in human development, tourism and industry. By the end of Mr Jokowi’s second term in 2024, Indonesia is targeted to have a growth of 6%. But it is not just about the numbers. Singapore needs to see beyond economic ties and see how we can forge a common future with our neighbours in the region. What can we do, and how we can better prepare ourselves for this deeper engagement?
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Chairman, Brunei and Singapore are the two smallest nations by geographical size in the ASEAN region. Due to many similarities, we have built up a special relationship over the years.
Since our early days of nation building, positive interactions between the two countries at every level, up to the highest echelons of leadership, have paved the way for many areas of cooperation. Every year, we continue to have a steady stream of high-level visits to and from Brunei. These help to maintain the deep personal and institutional ties between the two nations. The Currency Interchangeability Agreement and our strong defence cooperation underpin the robust ties between Singapore and Brunei.
As one of Brunei's largest trading partners, there is room for further collaboration between our private sector and Brunei. This is particularly so as Brunei is in the process of diversifying its economy. During President Halimah’s visit in May 2018, she mentioned that possible areas of cooperation included eco-tourism, aquaculture and financial technology. The President also witnessed the signing of two pacts to strengthen financial co-operation between our two countries. Could the Ministry share an update on the progress in these areas of interest?
Against the background of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and various regional and global challenges, what areas of cooperation are we exploring to strengthen our special relationship and bring mutual benefits to our people?
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministers for Culture, Community and Youth and Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Mr Chairman, Singapore and the US established official diplomatic ties in 1966. Since then, we have enjoyed deep and long-standing relations. More importantly, the relationship has been based on substantive cooperation across many areas, particularly in the economic and defence/security sectors.
Our economic links are robust. In 2019, the US was Singapore’s third largest trading partner in goods and top trading partner in services. The US is Singapore’s largest source of foreign direct investment. Conversely, Singapore is the US' fourth-largest Asian investor after Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.
There were several high-level exchanges in 2019. Prime Minister just met President Donald Trump in September last year. It is their fourth meeting since Mr Trump took office three years ago.
Twenty-nineteen also marked a key milestone in our defence relationship. A Protocol of Amendment signed between Prime Minister and President Trump extended the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding, which covers US access to Singapore military facilities, for another 15 years.
Given our mature and multi-faceted links with the US, how has MFA sought to deepen cooperation between Singapore and the US?
The US today has been quite different since three years ago, with a current President who is very different from his predecessors. Its role in the global landscape is also changing with very different dynamics. I hope MFA could enlighten the House on how Singapore has been responding, and the way forward.
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, Singapore has had long-standing relationships with both the US and China. These are now the two largest economies in the world and the two biggest powers. The US has been a good friend since our independence, playing a key role in our defence relations and bringing security to the region, along with investment and trade.
In relation to China, Singapore started investing heavily in China long before China reintegrated into the world economy, and places like Suzhou Industrial Park are a testament to the long-standing and deep ties and cooperation between our countries.
While our relations with both great powers are good, US-China relations have been difficult in recent times. There has been rivalry on multiple fronts, including over the South China Sea, the trade war that has started with the imposition of tariffs against each other and even the challenge over the 5G network, with Huawei being blocked from the US.
Singapore has traditionally sought to maintain good relations with the US and China. How can Singapore balance relations with the two major powers against this backdrop of intensifying rivalry?
Mr Charles Chong (Punggol East): Mr Chairman, being part of a multi-national organisation such as ASEAN certainly makes sense for Singapore in 1967 when as a small nation we could leverage on being part of a larger grouping to make our voice heard and our concerns known on the world stage. Cooperation and collaboration with our closest neighbours was also something that was and continues to be beneficial for Singapore.
Indeed, the US State Department's assessment of ASEAN is that ASEAN commands far greater influence on the Asia Pacific trade, political and security issues than its members could achieve individually and all of the ASEAN member nations, this was particularly true of Singapore in the 1960s and 1970s. However, given that things have moved on since then and given the differing rates of economic and social development within the group, I would like to ask the Minister to what extent to which ASEAN continues to be strategically important to Singapore, in particular, could the Minister elaborate as to some key initiatives which keep ASEAN relevant to today's world and to Singapore as a Member? It is also well known that ASEAN operates on the basis of decision-making by consensus. While this has its benefits in that the bloc will be agreed by any decision it makes, this can also come at a cost on the progress on matters which may be considered by some to be more controversial. Now, would the Minister clarify if this policy is something that can or will be looked into to make ASEAN more nimble, more able to adapt and to address matters of concern more expeditiously.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Nee Soon): Chairman, can MFA provide an update on key ASEAN's progress and developments in the past year, including updates on issues such as upholding ASEAN centrality; developing the Code of Conduct for South China Sea; and fostering the ASEAN common market?
Amidst the climate of major power rivalry and weakening multi-lateralism, ASEAN continues to be an effective driver for multi-lateralism which has underpinned the prosperity and peace in our region.
And for Singapore and our trading partners, ASEAN is an important source of economic potential. How can Singapore best tap onto the opportunities afforded by ASEAN?
Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Mr Chairman, over the last 50 years, ASEAN has provided an excellent platform for its member countries to cooperate to achieve political stability and economic growth in the region. Many dialogues and exchanges have resulted in strong and friendly bilateral and multi-lateral relations among its member countries. At the same time, free trade agreements have facilitated economic cooperation and growth in various countries. These efforts have benefited and improve the quality of life for people in ASEAN member countries through the benefits yielded through economic interdependence.
Sir, in 2015 the ASEAN Economic Committee (AEC) was established to further boost economic cooperation among ASEAN member countries to serve its growing population of 630 million people. By 2030, 60% of the population will be middle-class and thus ASEAN will be the fourth largest single market in the world after United States, China and the European Union.
Sir, there is a need to expedite and increase business interactions among companies in the ASEAN region. As a financial and business hub, Singapore can consider hosting more ASEAN trade exhibitions and conferences. These can be CEO networking sessions, business development opportunities, sharing and skills training for future growth industries. These business interaction opportunities can be expanded to the Asia-Pacific region.
Sir, I wish to ask Minister to provide updates on first, Singapore's efforts in engaging ASEAN and its member countries on economic cooperation; second, the status of the Regional Comprehensive partnership (RCEP).
The Chairman: Order. I propose to take a break now.
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.05 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.45 pm until 4.05 pm.
Sitting resumed at 4.05 pm
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair]
[(proc text) Debate in Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair]
Head N (cont) –
The Chairman: Miss Cheryl Chan.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (Fengshan): Chairman, Sir, the pace of change had taken speed like no other in the past decade and even more so, in recent years. This is not only a result of globalisation but also technological disruptions, adaptability to changes and dynamics in geopolitical situations. The world today is interconnected in many ways. The recent COVID-19 has shown just how one key aspect, the disruption of supply chain, can have global impact on trade.
Despite the intense connectivity between countries on many fronts, there are signs of bifurcation and turbulence constantly seen globally. Amidst growing uncertainties in our region, it is important that we keep our engagement with key regional and strategic partners outside our immediate neighbourhood and forge closer links with countries that share similar strategic perspective as us and will offer economic and other opportunities for cooperation.
As Singapore continues to be heavily dependent on trade and partnerships, we need to renew our efforts in maintaining relationships and explore new areas of cooperation with different countries. For instance, Singapore shares close people-to-people ties and multifaceted cooperation with Japan and the Republic of Korea. With Australia, we also share similar views on the importance of an open rules-based and inclusive multilateral system. Further, there are opportunities for cooperation with India, which is also a growing market in Asia with tremendous economic potential and promising democratic dividends.
In this regard, I would like to ask how MFA intends to strengthen our engagement with such key partners in the region to ensure that Singapore remains a relevant stakeholder.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Two years ago, I was at the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and listened to horrific stories of women being raped and how they watched their babies get stabbed to death. I held the hand of a little girl who was shot and she showed me her bullet wound. A young man showed me a video of the dead bodies of his entire family of seven. He watched them get slaughtered.
Two years later, all these are still fresh in my mind. What I have heard has scarred me for life and made me question my faith in humanity. But more than anything, it has scarred the Rohingyas for life and they desperately need help. This is not a political issue and we are not interfering with domestic affairs. This is a humanitarian disaster and we can and should provide help to over a million refugees.
As Deputy Prime Minister Heng said, \"As the world builds walls, Singapore must go against the tide and build bridges\". The Rohingyas need this bridge now. They need a way out of the huge wall built around them.
I understand there is a need for an independent assessment of the situation in Rakhine state by the Rohingyas themselves before they will consider any repatriation. I hope ASEAN can help facilitate this and Singapore can ensure it is discussed at ASEAN meetings. I am also willing to volunteer to help with any on-site assessments.
Sir, we need to remember that, \"There is no us or them. Only us. One human family connected in ways we sometimes forget\".
Dr Chia Shi-Lu (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, Malaysia and Singapore are close neighbours bound by geographical, historical, cultural and family ties. We have always been highly interdependent and our Government agencies, business entities and people have maintained their close connections through economic cycles and changes in both regional and global politics. There is substantial trade and co-investments between our two countries. For example, an estimated 250,000 commuters cross the border at the Causeway daily, and in addition, we have more movement via the Tuas Second Link and also by air.
I would like to ask MFA for an assessment of our bilateral relations with Malaysia, particularly in the light of its recent political changes with the swearing in of its eighth Prime Minister just yesterday. Would the Ministry provide an update on areas of cooperation and the progress of projects we are pursuing together? What are some of the challenges that we face? What efforts are we making to expand and deepen our engagement with Malaysia, such as building ties with the various Malaysian states?
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, with the global pivot to Asia, it is more important than ever for Singapore to deepen her relationship with ASEAN countries beyond the immediate neighbours. While ASEAN nations share core values, we are quite different in terms of our political backgrounds, population profiles, cultures and geography. Nevertheless, we are highly interlinked in many areas, including trade, economic and military cooperation. We also work together to overcome common environmental and security challenges.
The Government has announced the Asia-Ready Exposure programme and set the \"70-70\" target to increase our youths' exposure to ASEAN. I am confident they will be well-prepared to carry on our work to promote inter-governmental and private sector cooperation within ASEAN.
Would the Ministry share an update on recent work and future plans to deepen our relationship with ASEAN countries?
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Chairman, as we all know, the world is becoming even more interconnected through information and communications technology (ICT) especially when 5G technology is embraced and the use Internet of Things (IoT) devices becomes de rigour.
Many hon Members of Parliament have cautioned against the corresponding risk of catastrophe occurring in the event the computer systems, particularly those that control critical information infrastructure, such as power, water and transportation networks, are hijacked by states, terrorist groups or criminal organisations.
We have already seen examples of such situations occurring. The effects of such sabotage may be felt globally too given that a significant part of the global economy is driven by digital services. There is, therefore, a clear need for the international community to come together to take steps to protect this space against such threats.
Senior Minister Teo recognised this need at the Singapore International Cyber Week 2019 conference on 1 October 2019. He said as follows, \"Difficult as it is, we need more dialogue and cooperation among governments and the private sector to help us to find better solutions to build a shared future, deal with sophisticated cyber threats and strengthen trust and confidence in the digital systems that we have come to depend on.\"
I am very heartened to note that Singapore is doing its part to promote cooperation and increase preparedness within the international community and our region. This again was highlighted in Senior Minister Teo's speech. For example, Singapore is a member of the United Nations Group of Government Experts (UNGGE) which was set up in 2004 aimed at forging a common set of norms and rules of cyberspace amongst UN members. Not only that, Singapore helped to organise cybersecurity exercises, such as the ASEAN Computer Emergency Response Team Incident Drill involving ASEAN countries and its Dialogue Partners. Last year, we saw the set-up of the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence.
May I ask for an assessment of the state of cooperation within the international and regional community at this point? How better prepared are we in safeguarding Singapore's cybersecurity arising from the same?
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Amrin Amin): Increasingly, we are seeing the impact of climate change everywhere, through sea level rise, warmer temperatures and more frequent natural disasters. The 2018 Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on the effects of global warming of 1.5°C concluded that at the current warming rates, this 1.5°C threshold will be breached between 2030 and 2052, and that the current ambition level of countries' climate pledges is insufficient and only consistent with a 3°C warming pathway.
Despite the urgent need for the international community to work together and ratchet efforts to reduce emissions, many countries have yet to fully implement the obligations or table sufficiently ambitious climate pleasures as called for under the Paris Agreement. Some have chosen to withdraw from the Agreement entirely.
In view of this, I would like to ask MFA how Singapore is fulfilling its commitments under the Paris Agreement. What role can Singapore play internationally to shore up regional and global support for the Paris Agreement.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, Singapore is a member of the global coalition to defeat ISIS. There have been a number of successful operations in recent years against ISIS and its leadership. Notwithstanding, terrorism unfortunately continues to happen in various forms and places around the world. Counter-terrorism is a cross-border and crossed jurisdiction effort. It requires a strong intelligent sharing network amongst countries, particularly cooperation arrangements between frontline law enforcement and security agencies and like-minded countries forging strong alliance to fight the threat, often via multilateral and bilateral platforms.
Can I ask the Minister to share on MFA's role and efforts in helping to secure Singapore from the threat of terrorism?
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, in spite of political turmoil in some parts of Middle East, Singapore has continued to maintain multilateral ties with the region. There are some Singapore companies in the Middle East as well and we have always warmly welcomed visitors from the region for the purpose of medical tourism, travel and so forth. But early this year, rising tensions in the Middle East had resulted in MFA issuing a travel advisory to citizens not to remain in or travel to Iraq and Iran. Could MFA provide an update on the status of developments in the Middle East, as well as our key engagements with the countries in the region? What other partnerships can we develop with the Middle East countries as they diversify beyond oil as an economic driver?
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs and National Development (Ms Sun Xueling): Chairman, China has been Singapore's largest trading partner since 2013 and Singapore is China's largest foreign investor. The government-to-government projects between the two countries offer opportunities for mutual learning and mutual benefit.
The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (CSIP) celebrated its 25th anniversary recently and is moving beyond its brick-and-mortar industrial park beginnings. With developments in professional services, intellectual property management and financial services, the CSIP has the potential to bring its successful model to third party countries. This is also aided by the listing of China-Singapore SIP Development Group, which would provide a platform for fund-raising, allowing it to finance further growth beyond Suzhou and China, and into ASEAN under the Belt and Road initiative.
The Tianjin Eco-city also now features 8,200 registered companies and over 100,000 people living and working in its 30 sq km area. The next step for the Tianjin Eco-city is to further invest into being a smart city and be a showcase for sustainable development. Its model can then be replicated in the neighbouring areas and bring much benefit to local development.
The China-Singapore Chongqing Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity offers Singapore an opportunity to plug into China's Belt and Road initiative while also bringing benefits to the western region of China.
However, recent developments arising from COVID-19 have thrown supply chains worldwide into disarray. Anecdotally, firms in Singapore which have partners and parts of the supply chain based in China have experienced work stoppage and difficulty in moving products in and out of China.
How is Singapore working with China to manage the impact arising from the COVID-19 outbreak so as to minimise disruptions to trade and commerce? Are there specific areas for cooperation, given the existing government-to-government projects? Technology and medical advancements can contribute towards the diagnostics, tracing and treatment of COVID-19. Are there areas in science and technology where Singapore and China can collaborate to collectively address the threats fro COVID-19?
At the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, Singapore and China have inked nine agreements. This ranged from customs twinning to a smart city project in Shenzhen to a youth internship programme. Will the outbreak of COVID-19 derail these plans?
This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore. There are new opportunities for both countries to seek together and also, new challenges that need to be addressed. What are our plans to commemorate the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between Singapore and China? Also, can the Ministry share about new areas of bilateral cooperation?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): As a highly connected small city state, Singapore is vulnerable to regional and international upheavals. And as a small state, multilateral institutions and platforms that underpin a rules-based international order are critical to ensuring a level playing field for all countries.
The world is going through a complex transition. The strategic balance is shifting. More countries are keen to enhance their international roles. And they are competing fiercely for influence. At the same time, the global consensus on the benefits of globalisation has eroded and support for multilateralism has declined. In many countries, nationalist, isolationist, and protectionist sentiments have intensified. These sentiments have reshaped their domestic politics and given rise to inward-looking and nativist policies.
The result, ultimately, is a more polarised world. In such an uncertain global climate, how much importance should our foreign policy place on multilateralism?
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Twenty-twenty marks the 30th anniversary of Singapore-China's formal diplomatic relations. Our two countries have come a long way, achieving many important milestones, whilst enduring moments that tested the strength and depth of our relations.
Over the decades, our economies developed our unique capabilities and character. We invest in each other significantly and enterprises from Singapore and China are also venturing out together. At the people-to-people level, interactions are frequent, ties are warm; we encourage our youths to learn more about each other’s culture through exchanges and internships.
Looking ahead, we expect global headwinds and uncertainties. Internally, Singapore is also preparing for our political leadership transition over the next few years. As such, what is the plan for Singapore’s younger leaders to build on our current strong relations, to deepen their relations with Chinese leaders? How might our bilateral relations evolve and what can we expect in the nature of our future collaborations? How would these affect Singapore's place in the world?
Ms Joan Pereira: Digital technology has transformed our communication modes in unprecedented ways. Today, digital platforms have become the new \"mainstream\" – many individuals are shifting to social media channels and closed-messaging apps to get real-time news and communicate with others. This development has traversed geographical language, ethnic, cultural and income boundaries.
Government agencies can harness the power of digital platforms to raise public awareness and understanding of their policies and gather feedback. The immediate and borderless nature of digital platforms also present an opportunity for MFA to reach out to Singaporeans at home and abroad in a timely manner, especially in the event of major incidents and for foreign policy decisions that have impact on Singaporeans.
As digital platforms continue to evolve, Government agencies need to introduce new ways to share content in order to better engage and connect with Singaporeans. Good communication and productive interaction will help build confidence and trust. For foreign policy, this is particularly the case. Singaporeans need to have a better understanding of the macro picture, the objectives of our foreign policies, and even the constraints we face. These are important with the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation online.
What are MFA’s efforts to engage Singaporeans on the fundamentals of Singapore’s foreign policy? How has MFA's outreach efforts developed?
Mr Terence Ho Wee San (Nominated Member): Chairman, cultural diplomacy. In today's uncertain geopolitical landscape, soft power is key for small countries like Singapore; cultural diplomacy offers a human way for countries to see eye to eye and build meaningful, strategic and sustained cultural partnerships with other nations.
For instance: Singapore and Australia have agreed to strengthen cultural cooperation by building on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Arts and Culture that both countries signed in June 2015. We have established an Australia-Singapore Arts Group to increase collaboration between our artists, arts groups and cultural institutions. MFA and MCCY jointly established a fund of up to S$5 million over a period of five years to support Singapore artists, arts groups and performers to profile their works in Australia. As this MOU is going to expire soon, are there any plans to further it?
This year also marks Singapore and China’s 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Both countries signed nine agreements, which covered areas like customs clearance, intellectual property management, education, innovation and communications, as well as smart city development and exchange views on 'excellent' state of relations, back in October last year. Despite the current evolving COVID-19 outbreak, are there any plans in the second half of 2020, to consolidate a list of arts and culture events to mark the 30 years of relationship?
On this note, I would like to highlight that our arts and culture groups have been flying our flag overseas proud and high. Through cultural diplomacy, Singapore can project global influence and enhance relations with our foreign partners. Therefore, I urge the government to explore further – and perhaps turn the signing of MOU with our foreign partners into concrete and solid action plans, an instrumental role in expanding Singapore's cultural soft power to increase our presence and space.
Cultural diplomacy can help to broaden and deepen our bilateral relations with other countries at the people-to-people level. I will like to suggest that the government could consider deploying MFA resources in taking charge of the arts and culture in mission, such as a Culture Attaché or in other words, a culture diplomat. It makes for deeper and more direct relationships with our friends in the region. This helps to strengthen our networks with our foreign partners, strengthen Singapore’s position as a valuable collaborative partner. We are a small country and must allocate our resources well – yet also have an effective network of overseas missions. We seek to bring the voice of Singapore Arts to the world.
The Chairman: Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Chairman, Members of this House, I will start with a quiz. Which two Ministries are asking for less money this year, than last year?
Twenty-nineteen was a busy and eventful year for MFA. This year will be no different. I wish to address three key aspects of our foreign policy today. These are: first, looking after Singaporeans overseas; second, managing relations with our immediate neighbours; and, third, engaging major powers, specifically the US and China.
MFA's mission is to uphold Singapore’s independence and sovereignty; and advance the interests of Singaporeans, at home and especially, overseas.
Today, more Singaporeans than ever before are living, working and travelling overseas. This means more Singaporeans will occasionally run into trouble overseas – be it personal crises, epidemics, natural disasters or political unrest.
I have personally met Singaporeans who have lost loved ones in tragic overseas incidents or been released from detention overseas, and most recently, Singaporeans returning from Wuhan, the epicentre of COVID-19. All these Singaporeans have shared with me, that when the chips are down and when they are in a moment of great distress, what is most comforting is to hear that familiar Singapore-accented voice. The human touch made all the difference. These Singaporeans are so grateful to the Foreign Service officers who go beyond the call of duty to reach out to fellow Singaporeans at the point in need. They know we will leave no Singaporean behind. This is a 24/7 commitment – and I do want to express our deepest appreciation to all our consular officers all over the world, who are doing this.
It is telling that this year's MFA debates began with questions from Mr Vikram Nair and Ms Joan Pereira on COVID-19. New cases are occurring daily across the globe. Singaporeans, understandably, are concerned about their well-being and their loved ones. As Prime Minister Lee highlighted in his televised address on 8 February 2020, this is also the time for Singaporeans to pull together in solidarity.
While the focus is on containing and overcoming the crisis at home, we must do our best to take care of Singaporeans abroad affected by the travel restrictions or indeed, are at risk of exposure to the virus themselves.
Members will know that we launched two flights in late-January and early-February this year to Wuhan to bring our people home. There were a total of 266 Singaporeans and their family members from Hubei Province in China who returned. This was a major, delicate whole-of-Government operation. MFA worked closely with MOH, MOT, MHA, several other agencies and with the airline Scoot to arrange the flight repatriations and quarantine measures for our returning Singaporeans – for their safety and for the larger population.
Whilst many people were trying to leave Wuhan, it is noteworthy that our pilots, flight crew, nurses and MFA consular officers volunteered to fly into the epicentre of the epidemic. They accepted personal risk. They went beyond the call of duty to bring fellow Singaporeans home.
These officers themselves had to be quarantined for 14 days, separated from their family members. Their service, their personal sacrifice should be recognised and commended. I believe this was a display of the Singapore spirit at its best, tested and proven in a time of crisis. [Applause.]
Diplomacy was also crucial. Our Embassy in Beijing had to coordinate closely with the Chinese government at the centre and with the Hubei provincial government to arrange these repatriation missions.
I will be very frank. Our decision around that same time to impose travel restrictions on travellers from mainland China was not an easy one. Our paramount consideration was to protect public health in Singapore. After all, we are a densely populated city-state and we are an international transportation hub. We did not want to import nor export infection. These stringent measures were necessary to prevent the virus from spreading here. These measures, I should add, were not directed at any specific country, nationality or race, but we recognised that this could impact our bilateral relations with China.
We therefore gave China a \"heads-up\" before making the public announcement and we made a special effort to explain why we had to do this. When I spoke to a senior Chinese leader recently, he conveyed China's understanding of the actions that we had taken due to the unique circumstances faced by Singapore. I think his exact words to me was, \"我们可以理解你们的特殊情况\".
He expressed his gratitude for our efforts to support China during this crisis. We sent testing equipment and test kits which were developed in Singapore to Wuhan. We also sent personal protective equipment and other medical supplies that were needed because of the sheer scale of the challenges that they were facing in Wuhan. The Singapore Red Cross has raised more than $6 million for the affected communities across China, and we have been working together with the international community to address this emerging global epidemic – and some people would say, pandemic.
Two weeks ago, I was in Vientiane for a Special Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) and a Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers Meeting. We reaffirmed the importance of openness, decisiveness and cooperation to collectively address the crisis.
When I stood here a year ago, I said peace and stability for our immediate neighbourhood are absolutely essential. Well, recent events just in the last one week have underlined this imperative. As our closest neighbours, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei will always be of special importance to us.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked about our relationship with Malaysia. Members will know that our ties with Malaysia are deeply rooted in history, the people-to-people ties and business links. More than 300,000 people cross our land links daily for business, work and other reasons. The causeway is one of the busiest cross-border road-links in the world. Both countries, Malaysia and Singapore, are each other's second-largest trading partner and also important investment partners for each other. More personally, many of us seated in this Chamber will have family members or relatives who are Malaysian or who live in Malaysia. We therefore have long-standing and broad-ranging relations with Malaysia.
Over the years, we have worked with successive Malaysian governments for the mutual benefit of both countries. Members would be aware, of course, of the on-going major political developments just across the Causeway last week. We congratulate Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on being appointed Malaysia's eighth Perdana Menteri. In fact, Prime Minister Lee telephoned him yesterday to convey his congratulations personally.
We look forward to Prime Minister Muhyiddin forming his new cabinet soon. He has not announced it yet but we know many of the personalities who are potential cabinet members and we know them from our prolonged engagement over decades and we wish them sincerely all the very best. We hope we will continue to have a constructive, mutually beneficial relationship with Malaysia and we look forward to resuming the discussions on the on-going issues and projects, which Members are all aware of.
We have always sought a win-win approach in the many areas where we have common interests, such as the Singapore-Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS) and the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail (HSR). These are mutually beneficial projects for both countries. But after the Pakatan Harapan government took office in May 2018, Members will recall that these projects were delayed. When that happened, Singapore could have enforced our legal rights and we could have sought full compensation from Malaysia. But in the spirit of constructive bilateral cooperation, at Malaysia's request, we agreed to temporarily suspend both projects through formal agreements and we gave Malaysia time – time to review their position and to propose amendments to what both sides had in fact agreed to contractually before.
However, these major infrastructural projects cannot be suspended indefinitely. At some point, we do need to decide whether to proceed or not.
We look forward to hearing from Malaysia on these two projects in particular in the coming months.
At the same time, we have continued to have a constructive discussion on the maritime boundary delimitation. Members will recall the problems that we had last year. We have been able also to advance other areas of cooperation, including Iskandar Malaysia, more recently, setting up a Joint Working Group between our Ministries of Health on COVID-19.
Mr Pritam Singh has asked for an update on the bilateral issues in particular, on the 1962 Water Agreement (62WA).
Singapore's position, a long-standing position which successive Foreign Ministers have reiterated is that Malaysia has lost the right to review the price of water under the 62WA, and we had told Malaysia this, as early as 2002, when Singapore last negotiated with Malaysia on water as part of a package deal. Malaysia cannot unilaterally revise the price of water. Our legal position remains unchanged.
Then-Prime Minister Mahathir had raised with Prime Minister Lee on several occasions his desire to revise the price of raw water sold to Singapore. Malaysia subsequently made proposals on a new price for raw water. In the spirit of bilateral cooperation, but without prejudice to our position that Malaysia has lost the right of review, we have been willing to listen to and to discuss Malaysia's proposals on the basis that there must be a balance of benefits for both sides.
I have in fact had some preliminary discussions over the past couple of months over two meetings with my then-Malaysian counterpart, Dato' Saifuddin Abdullah. I believe we met in December 2019 and January 2020.
We made it clear to Malaysia that any review of the price of raw water sold to Singapore will also mean a review of the price of treated water sold to Johor. Both sides must also discuss the yield and the quality of the water from the Johor River, so as to ensure that Singapore can continue to draw our entitlement of 250 million gallons per day of raw water under the 62WA for the remaining 41 years of the Water Agreement.
We have also been concerned for a very long time about the yield and quality of the water from the Johor River. Mr Pritam Singh in fact referred to the recurrent episodes of pollution.
The Malaysians have built two major water treatment plants which are drawing water from the Johor River upstream of Singapore's PUB Johor River Waterworks. The Malaysian water treatment plants' abstraction from the Johor River, in addition to Singapore's entitlement of 250 million gallons per day, has caused the total abstraction to exceed the Johor River's sustainable yield. In addition to that, there have been recurrent pollution incidents in the Johor River.
These developments have forced the PUB Johor River Waterworks to shut down temporarily on multiple occasions, and I say that with the benefit of experience from my time in MEWR.
Singapore has raised these concerns with successive Prime Ministers of Malaysia on many occasions. Prime Minister Lee previously raised them with Datuk Seri Najib Razak and also with Tun Mahathir Mohamad. In fact, the 1990 Water Agreement, which is a supplement to the 1962 Water Agreement, was the result of prolonged negotiations between Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Tun Mahathir. I believe those negotiations in fact began in 1982. Members may not be familiar with the additional fact, which is that Tan Sri Muhyiddin played a key role as the then-Menteri Besar of Johor. Emeritus Senior Minister Goh was just sharing with me just now that in fact the two of them had a final round of negotiations in what was then the NOL Penthouse.
This 1990 Water Agreement led to the construction of the Linggiu Reservoir that was completed in 1993 to ensure the sustainable abstraction of our entitlement of 250 million gallons per day of raw water from the Johor River. Had Malaysia exercised the right to review the price of water in 1987 as provided for by the 1962 Water Agreement, Singapore might then have made different investment decisions to develop the Johor River, including the Linggiu Dam.
In recent years, we have made further progress. Malaysia built a barrage along the Johor River at Kota Tinggi in order to keep seawater from intruding upstream and affecting the abstraction of water from the Johor River. Again, Members of the House may not realise how shallow Johor River is. The seawater from the Straits comes all the way up to Kota Tinggi. But anyway, this barrage helped. The barrage became fully operational in March 2017 but, let me be frank, much more needs to be done and to be done urgently.
Johor's own water needs are increasing as its economy and as its population grow. Already from time to time, Johor's own supplies have run short and the State has had to impose water rationing and buy additional treated water from PUB. In fact, during periods of drought, there have been occasions when they have bought more than four times their entitlement because they needed the additional water. Even in normal times, they buy more than three times their entitlement under the Water Agreement. PUB, out of good will, has continued to provide this additional treated water to Johor at the same price of 50 sen per thousand gallons.
This is out of goodwill and this again illustrates the interdependence and how these arrangements have actually been of mutual benefit to both sides.
The steps need to be taken and taken now to protect the Johor River from pollution and to enhance the yield of the river and to manage the total amount of water being drawn from the river. Singapore and Malaysia could otherwise end up in a very difficult situation down the road, especially in dry weather conditions. And if you believe, as I do, that climate change will make the situation worse.
If Johor is unable to fulfil its obligations to provide us with 250 million gallons of raw water, as stipulated by the Water Agreement, this will have grave consequences. It would undermine the sanctity of the 1962 Water agreement. It will severely damage our bilateral relationship. Members will recall that the 1962 Water Agreement is guaranteed by Malaysia as part of the Separation Agreement in 1965. And this is the sacred document on which we draw our Independence.
In order to head off such an eventuality, Singapore has been prepared to hold discussions with Malaysia on these matters related to the 1962 Water Agreement upfront without prejudice to our legal position. We are even willing to discuss the possibility of Singapore sharing the cost of pollution control measures and new schemes to increase the yield of the Johor River since this is important for both sides. We are, therefore, negotiating with Malaysia on these issues in good faith to explore a practical, durable and mutually beneficial solution for both sides. So, I think Mr Singh's comments just now are entirely consonant with the position that we are taking.
However, if despite our best efforts Singapore and Malaysia are unable to reach an amicable outcome on these issues through negotiations, then Singapore is prepared to resolve them through arbitration on terms mutually agreed to by both countries. This is like how we have successfully resolve other bilateral issues in the past. This is what Prime Minister Lee and Tun Mahathir agreed at the 9th Leaders' Retreat in April last year.
I have explained all this in some detail so that both Malaysians and Singaporeans will appreciate and we are taking a consistent, a constructive and a mutually beneficial approach to the development of water infrastructure in Johor. Both sides have benefited from these arrangements and need to continue cooperating effectively and urgently to meet the future challenges.
But, ultimately, water is but one issue out of many bilateral areas of cooperation and we must not let any single issue colour the overall positive and multi-faceted relationship we should look ahead to see how we can cooperate and resolve issues for mutual benefit and for the benefit of future generations. We, therefore, hope that when Prime Minister Muhyiddin's cabinet is formed, we will be able to pick up where we last left off and continue our discussions on the outstanding important matters, including water.
Let me turn to Indonesia. Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Seah Kian Peng, both asked asked about Singapore's relations with Indonesia. With Indonesia, our deep and multi-faceted relationship is rooted in the belief that cooperation is beneficial for both sides. We convene an annual Leaders' Retreat between our Prime Minister and the Indonesian President and these retreats involve many cabinet members on both sides. Singapore remains the largest investor in Indonesia with strong economic cooperation and our security agencies maintain close and regular contact. However, there are issues that arise from time to time.
As the two leaders announced at the Leaders' Retreat last year, Singapore and Indonesia have agreed on a framework which provides a sound and comprehensive basis for discussion on two sensitive issues – the management of our Flight Information Region and military training. This framework sets out the core principles and considerations concerning these two issues. On the basis of this framework, discussions on these two issues are proceeding separately but concurrently. No deadline has been set for the conclusion of these talks. We will address these issues in accordance with: first, international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, International Civil Aviation Authority Rules, ICAO rules and provisions; second, respect for Indonesia's sovereignty over its territory; third, respect for Singapore's long-standing rights to conduct military training in accordance with UNCLOS; fourth, the long-term needs of Changi Airport.
So, this will be a major round of work for our negotiators and we will update the House accordingly in the future.
For Brunei, Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about our bilateral relationship. Well, our long-standing special relationship is built on strong strategic trust at the Leaders’ level, and the pillars of strong defence cooperation and the Currency Interchangeability Agreement. You will remember that the Brunei dollar and a Singapore dollar are interchangeable. We are working together to explore new areas of cooperation, for example, agri-food cooperation and FinTech, while also continuing to deepen our ties between the younger generation of leaders on both sides. We continue to explore opportunities for younger Singapore leaders to engage the younger generation of Brunei leaders through platforms, such as the annual Young Leaders' programme.
Let me now turn to major power relations. If you look beyond our immediate neighbourhood, Singapore continues to be vulnerable to the vicissitudes of a rapidly-evolving and uncertain global environment in the throes of a digital revolution.
Mr Baey Yam Keng’s asked on the mature and multi-faceted links between Singapore and the US. Well, these links reflect the vital role that United States has played in this region for both security and economic development over many decades.
A rules-based global order with free trade and flow of investments has been a formula for peace and prosperity across the globe for more than seven decades since the end of the Second World War. Singapore, in particular, has been a clear beneficiary, like many other emerging economies in our region. Therefore, we continue to believe in upholding international law and a global rules-based system, even as we recognise that some of these rules will need to be updated to suit a rapidly evolving multi-polar world.
Although this is a presidential year in the United States, the US continues to maintain its ties with our region. Prime Minister Lee met President Donald Trump in New York last September and you will recall from the earlier discussion, signed a renewal of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation between our two countries. The US had intended to convene an ASEAN-US Special Summit in Las Vegas next week and Prime Minister had agreed to go. However, the meeting has now been postponed because of the COVID-19 situation.
We look forward to resuming the interactions at a high-level when the situation improves. The US has major equities in our region – and particularly in Singapore. It bears repeating that Singapore’s largest investor – let me put it the other way. The largest investor in Singapore is the United States of America. In 2018, the United States' investment stock in Singapore stood at S$289 billion, making us in fact the largest recipient of US FDI in Asia.
Let me turn to China. Since opening up 40 years ago, 改革开放 by Deng Xiaoping, China has undergone tremendous growth and transformation. In fact, it has been the biggest beneficiary of globalisation and free trade.
Our government-to-government (G-to-G) projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing are icons of success that reflect Singapore’s complementary role at various phases of China’s spectacular development and even though we are so small, Singapore has been China’s largest foreign investor since 2013. Minister of State Sam Tan will elaborate on our bilateral cooperation with China later.
Mr Vikram Nair has highlighted the need for us to maintain good relations with both the US and China.
Actually, the key variable is the relationship between the US and China and that determines how the rest of us will have to arrange our affairs. Members will be aware that both the US and China signed what they call a Phase One trade deal in January this year, but frankly, thornier issues between them have been left to phase two and we hope that both countries can continue to make progress on this front, but more fundamentally, a trade deal, even a comprehensive trade deal, between them will not resolve all the strategic contradictions between the US and China.
Going forward, both sides must make strategic choices. The US has to decide how to deal with China. It can work with China in the global order, get China to participate within a rules-based system and compete with China on a fair basis or the US can strive to remain the dominant power in all arenas, in all areas at all costs and seek to arrange international rules so as to limit China's power and influence.
On China’s part, as China seeks to increase its influence globally, China has to decide whether it wants to be a benign superpower, welcomed and respected by other countries, including the US and projecting soft power. If so, China must be willing to make adjustments to participate within the international rules-based system and give space to others, especially other small countries. There should be room for all countries, big and small, to have their interests represented fairly. Doing so will reflect China’s enlightened and inclusive view of its own long-term interests, and enhance China’s standing and influence in the world.
However, if China does not give sufficient attention to the interests and concerns of other countries and is not sufficiently restrained in wielding its growing strength, then it may get its way on the international stage in the short term, but in the long term, this will seed resentment and pushback. This is not in the interests of China or the rest of the world.
The strategic choices of the US and China will shape whether the two superpowers reach a mutual understanding and foster a stable global order where the rest of us will have peace and prosperity and fair opportunities. Or they could end up at odds with each other and leave other countries scrambling to avoid the fallout. This would be a big step backward for humanity, not only because every country will be less secure and less prosperous, but also because it will be a more troubled and less stable world, as mutual suspicions and anxieties build up. It will be much harder to deal with global issues like climate change and even public health emergencies, not least the on-going COVID-19 outbreak.
Southeast Asia has long been a theatre of major power competition. This is not new. While Singapore may find ourselves squeezed in the middle, we must avoid choosing sides. Instead, we must find ways to deepen and enhance our cooperation with both China and the US, including in new areas of mutual interest, and encourage all parties to act in accordance with international law.
As I have previously stressed, we want to be friends with both the US and China. We hope wisdom and restraint will prevail on both sides. We do not want to be caught in their crossfire or be seen as taking one side or the other. Both the US and China must know that although we want to have good relations with both, we do not do things at their behest. Ultimately, we act in a principled way and we will only do what is in the best long-term interests of Singapore citizens.
Fifty-five years ago, our founding Foreign Minister, Mr S Rajaratnam, declared to this House that the \"primary task of our foreign policy will always be to safeguard our Independence from external threats\".
The sweat and toil of our predecessors has ensured we retain this Independence today – a very precious thing that we cannot take for granted. It means we, today, have freedom of action in both domestic and internal and international policy. It means we are no one's proxy, no one's stalking horse. It means that we are able to exercise our sovereign rights in a rules-based world order governed by international law. And it means our distressed citizens overseas have a country, a city-state and a home to come back to.
We must thus continue to invest a fair share of our resources in diplomacy, so that we have the capacity to protect our sovereignty and most importantly, keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe.
I thank Members of the House for your support of this mission although as I said earlier, we are actually asking for a little bit less money this year. [Applause.]
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Maliki.
The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman): Mr Chairman, thank you. Minister Vivian spoke on Singapore's relations with our immediate neighbours and the major powers. I would like to elaborate on our efforts to foster closer relations in the region. These efforts will help Singapore make friends, gain support at international fora and enable our companies to pursue economic opportunities abroad. They also enable us to work closely with our partners to address non-traditional threats, in order to keep Singapore safe and secure.
Let me first start to address ASEAN and its strategic importance to Singapore, which Mr Charles Chong, Mr Henry Kwek and Dr Teo Ho Pin had addressed in their speeches.
ASEAN continues to be a cornerstone of Singapore's foreign policy. It allows us to foster regional peace and security, so that we can pursue our strategic, economic and socio-cultural priorities.
Despite its diversity and member states' different stages of development, ASEAN's continued stability makes it an attractive platform for major powers to engage our region. This amplifies ASEAN's collective voice on the international stage.
Mr Henry Kwek asked about the progress of the negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). We completed the first reading of the Single Draft Negotiating Text for the COC last year and have started on the second reading. Our key concern remains the right to freedom of navigation and overflight as enshrined by UNCLOS. ASEAN's security platforms like the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting have also facilitated an effective and sustainable security architecture in the region.
ASEAN also serves as a channel to coordinate collective responses to regional crises. For example, through ASEAN's humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts, we are able to alleviate the situation in the Rakhine State. To reply to Mr Louis Ng's query, Singapore has contributed over S$1 million in bilateral humanitarian aid to Bangladesh and Myanmar. Through ASEAN, we support efforts to create conducive conditions for repatriation. For instance, the ASEAN Secretariat's Ad Hoc Support Team is building infrastructure and providing equipment for reception and transit centres in the Rakhine State. We will be ready to support future comprehensive needs assessments once repatriation commences. In the meantime, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered provisional measures in the case brought by Gambia against Myanmar. As a strong proponent of international law, we hope that all parties will respect the ICJ's decision.
ASEAN convened a Special ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting back-to-back with a Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting two weeks ago in Laos to look into ASEAN's collective response to COVID-19 and discuss how we can strengthen cooperation with China to address the outbreak effectively. Preparations are also underway for a video conference meeting between ASEAN and the EU to exchange information and best practices on COVID-19.
ASEAN's success in maintaining peace and security has given investors confidence to put money in the region and in Singapore. In 2018, total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into ASEAN amounted to some US$155 billion. This is up from US$42 billion in 2005. Intra-ASEAN trade remains strong, and has benefited Singapore. In 2018, Singapore was the largest exporter and importer of the region, accounting for 28.8% and 26.8% of ASEAN exports and imports, respectively. We also accounted for the largest share, which is 47.1%, of total trade in services. This has allowed us to position ourselves as a regional trading hub. ASEAN has also increased efforts to promote tourism in the region, such as through the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan and the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum. Visitor arrivals to ASEAN have increased markedly, reaching 135 million in 2018, an estimated 264% increase from 2005, and Singapore is consistently among the top ASEAN countries with highest visitor arrivals.
Going forward, we should continue to tap on ASEAN's potential as a burgeoning consumer market. By 2030, ASEAN is expected to be the fourth largest economy in the world. We should, therefore, continue to promote regional integration and deepen intra-ASEAN trade. One important component towards this goal is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which we look forward to signing at the earliest opportunity. Singapore, as Country Coordinator of ASEAN-EU relations, is also leading efforts to advance an ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement and to restart the ASEAN-EU FTA negotiations.
Closer to home, it remains crucial that we continue to foster closer bilateral relations with our Southeast Asian neighbours. Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and Mr Seah Kian Peng asked for updates on relations with Malaysia and Indonesia. I would like to take these two questions together in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Relations with our neighbours are strong and continue to expand steadily. We share extensive interdependencies with our two neighbours. In this regard, it is in Singapore's interest that our neighbours succeed, as a successful Indonesia and Malaysia is good for Singapore and the region.
It is normal for issues to crop up from time to time with our closest neighbours. How we go about resolving our differences is key. It is only by maintaining good overall bilateral relations and cooperating in areas of common interest on a win-win basis, and with mutual respect, that we are able to develop comfort and trust to discuss more complicated issues in a constructive manner.
Because of this, we have kept up close personal ties, with exchanges in visits at the highest levels. In 2019 alone, there were over 50 Ministerial-level visits and exchanges between Malaysia and Singapore. These exchanges allowed us to discuss a wide range of issues, including connectivity projects like the Singapore-Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail (HSR). I hope that we will be able to continue making progress on these mutually beneficial projects.
We should also continue to work closely with Malaysia through several bilateral platforms on other issues such as maritime boundary delimitation, the environment, economic cooperation and public health. The key is to find ways to sustain our historically excellent ties for future generations. In this regard, I believe that there are many opportunities for greater engagement and exchanges among our younger generation. This will strengthen the excellent people-to-people ties we already share.
Mr Chia Shi-Lu asked what steps we were taking to expand our engagement, including building ties with various Malaysian states. Beyond our relations with the Federal government, we want to strengthen our relationship with the various states in Peninsula Malaysia and with Sabah and Sarawak. In 2019, Minister Balakrishnan visited Johor, Kedah, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Terengganu. Over the past year, we had also received a large number of high-level incoming visits from state leaders and officials who are keen to engage our agencies, and more so, our economic agencies. These visits provide opportunities to deepen cooperation and build closer economic ties.
Minister Vivian had also spoken about our multi-faceted relations with Indonesia. Allow me to elaborate. Our economic cooperation continues to grow from strength to strength through flagship collaborative projects, including the Kendal Industrial Park project in Central Java and Nongsa Digital Park project in Batam. We have been Indonesia's top foreign investor since 2014. Both countries are among each other's largest trading partners. The updated Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement, which was signed during President Halimah's State Visit to Indonesia in February, along with our Bilateral Investment Treaty, will further increase two-way trade and investments, once the agreements are ratified. Such projects and agreements facilitate the creation of jobs and business opportunities on both sides. There is still room for us to do so much more together. For example, discussions are ongoing on ways to expand cooperation in investments, human resource development, infrastructure, tourism and the digital economy.
Beyond our close links with the central government, we also have regular high-level visits to Indonesian provinces, and established closer ties with the local leaders. President Halimah had a fruitful visit to Yogyakarta during her State Visit in early February. I visited Riau and Jambi last month, where I met various leaders, including the Riau Governor Syamsuar and the Jambi City Mayor Syarif Fasha. We will continue to engage Indonesia's regions widely, to open up opportunities for our businesses while deepening and broadening our people-to-people ties.
(In English): Mr Chairman, Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked how we can deepen our relationship with ASEAN countries. Apart from Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore continues to closely engage and pursue collaborative relations with the wider Southeast Asian region. We have substantive and growing economic, defence and people-to-people ties with many of them. We are also exploring cooperation in many new areas. For instance, during President Halimah's State Visit to the Philippines in September last year, Singapore and the Philippines concluded eight MOUs that chart cooperation in emerging areas like data protection, data innovation and smart city infrastructure.
With Thailand, we have been exploring FinTech cooperation, like linking PayNow in Singapore with PromptPay in Thailand. This means people in Singapore and Thailand can send money to each other instantly using their mobile phone numbers.
We have strong economic links with Vietnam too. Our seven Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks are doing well. Both sides are also strengthening cooperation in finance, digital technology and innovation, smart cities and energy.
Our agencies like Infrastructure Asia are working across the region to support sustainable infrastructure development and share best practices in areas like smart cities, urban mobility and water supply and sanitation. We are confident that cooperation in these areas would promote economic growth, social development and long-term stability in our region.
I am glad Mr Gan also mentioned increasing our youth exposure in ASEAN. With 60% of ASEAN's population below the age of 35, I agree that focus should be placed on strengthening linkages amongst our youth. The Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund (SAYF) was set up in 2007 to promote greater interaction amongst ASEAN youth and an increased understanding of ASEAN culture. Singapore added S$5 million to the SAYF during our 2018 ASEAN Chairmanship to promote leadership development, community service and entrepreneurship amongst ASEAN youths.
Our engagement of regional partners also serves as an avenue of cooperation to tackle transboundary threats like cybersecurity, climate change and terrorism.
Cybersecurity is a growing concern, particularly for Singapore, which has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world. Mr Murali Pillai asked how we could work with the international community to safeguard Singapore's cybersecurity. MFA works with Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and international partners to exchange information and promote best practices through active participation in platforms like the United Nations Group of Government Experts on cybersecurity issues and the United Nations Open Ended Working Group on Cybersecurity. We also launched the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence in October 2019, which offers capacity building programmes for participants.
Climate change is also of serious concern. According to UN Environment, global temperatures could rise another 3.9 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, with catastrophic results. Although Singapore contributes only to 0.1% of global emissions, we will continue to actively address climate change as a responsible member of the global community. Mr Amrin Amin asked how we are fulfilling our Paris Agreement commitments. We will enhance our Nationally Determined Contribution and submit a long-term low emissions development strategy for 2050. As highlighted by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean earlier, achieving these goals require deep transformations in our industry, economy and society. We are heartened that there is a growing awareness of climate change among Singaporeans, especially our young. We look forward to working with the private sector and key stakeholders to achieve our climate goals.
The terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, New Zealand and the UK last year, as well as the recent attack in Germany, are grim reminders of what is a clear and present danger. In this regard, Mr Liang Eng Hwa raised a pertinent question on how Singapore secured itself from the threat of terrorism. It is important that we remain vigilant and continue to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation with our neighbours. Within Southeast Asia, there is robust defence and security cooperation through joint exercises, such as the Sulu-Sulawesi Straits Patrol and the Malacca Straits Patrol. We also make use of relevant platforms such as ASEAN's Our Eyes Initiative for defence officials to exchange strategic information on terrorism, radicalism and violent extremism.
Let me now move on to the situation in the Middle East. Though further away, our citizens visit the Middle East often, not only for work and education but to perform religious practices like umrah and the haj as well. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about the situation and our key engagements there. The Middle East is an important global supplier of fossil fuels with many key shipping routes passing through the region. Any instability in the region will affect Singapore. We have thus been closely monitoring developments, which remain volatile. The dispute between Qatar and its four neighbours, for instance, has persisted for over two years. Singapore has good relations with all the parties involved and we hope that a resolution can be reached soon.
Given our position as a major maritime and oil hub, our economic growth could also potentially be impacted if maritime routes are disrupted. The incidents involving Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in January were therefore of particular concern given the risk of miscalculations, which could further spiral into conflict and affect regional stability. We hope that all sides will take steps to de-escalate tensions. No one will gain from a military conflict in the Gulf.
With regard to the complex and longstanding conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, Singapore has taken a consistent and principled position. We support a negotiated two-state solution consistent with the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions and we welcome all efforts by the international community towards this end. The US recently released President Trump's vision for a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. However, this was rejected by the Palestinian side. We hope that both sides will return to direct negotiations towards a just and durable solution and refrain from any unilateral action.
While we watch the situation in the Middle East, we have not been deterred from expanding our political and economic space. We have kept up regular interactions with the Middle East at all levels. In February last year, we hosted an official visit by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and signed a joint declaration on comprehensive partnership. This represented a high-water mark in our relations with the United Arab Emirates, which remains our largest trading partner in the Middle East.
President Halimah Yacob also made a historic State Visit to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in November 2019. Looking ahead, Prime Minister Lee is scheduled to visit the region to attend the G20 Summit later this year. These political exchanges lay the groundwork for fostering stronger economic ties with the region. Our efforts are strengthened by the fact that Singapore is well-regarded in the Middle East as a development model. Our companies enjoy good brand recognition. They should continue to explore opportunities in the region.
On the temporary suspension of umrah visas by the Saudi Government as a precautionary measure in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, Singapore hopes that the suspension will be lifted in due course so that Singaporeans can proceed with their umrah in a safe and secure manner.
Mr Chairman, I conclude by reiterating that we should continue to deepen ties with our closest partners for peace and prosperity of Singapore and the region. We should intensify regional and international cooperation. By doing so, we will be better-equipped to secure Singapore's strategic interests in an increasingly uncertain global climate. Mr Chairman, I now turn the floor to my colleague, Minister of State, Sam Tan.
The Chairman: Minister of State, Sam Tan.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong): Thank you, Mr Chairman. I shall now elaborate on our relationship with China and our engagement of other key partners. Please allow me to do so in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China this year. Our links with China are longstanding, preceding the establishment of our diplomatic relations, with our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew visiting China in 1976 and then-Senior Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping visiting Singapore in 1978. This exchange of high-level visits by our leaders set a strong foundation for our bilateral relations.
Mr Chairman, to Member of Parliament Sun Xueling's question on the state of Singapore-China relations, we have made good progress in many areas. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat visited China last October in conjunction with the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), which he co-chaired with PRC Vice Premier Han Zheng. Singapore and China had then signed nine bilateral MOUs and agreements, ranging from trade, finance, culture, the environment, and a youth internship exchange programme. Recently, Vice Premier Han suggested to Deputy Prime Minister Heng to include cooperation in public health as a new agenda item under the JCBC framework. Singapore is supportive of this, and we look forward to hosting Vice Premier Han’s visit to Singapore for the JCBC later this year. In addition to the JCBC, Singapore will continue to work with China through other high-level platforms, such as the Singapore-China Forum on Leadership and the Singapore-China Social Governance Forum.
Mr Chairman, economic cooperation is a key plank of our bilateral relationship. Since 2013, China has been Singapore's largest trading partner, and Singapore has been China's largest foreign investor. Apart from our three Government-to-Government projects, we have eight Provincial Business Councils, which facilitate more effective engagement and cooperation with Chinese provinces and municipalities. This brings me to Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling's question on how Singapore’s younger leaders will deepen their relations with Chinese leaders over the next few years. Mr Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Heng, as well as the Ministers-in-charge of our Government-to-Government projects and Provincial Business Councils, meet their Chinese counterparts regularly to jointly review these projects. Many 4G Ministers have also attended high-level events in China and Singapore, through which they built up rapport with Chinese leaders. Our 4G leadership will continue to strengthen the friendship and trust between our countries.
To Member of Parliament Sun Xueling's question on the impact of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak on our existing cooperation, while China has borne the brunt of the recent outbreak of COVID-19, Singapore has also been seriously affected by this global health problem. International cooperation is crucial to effectively combatting COVID-19, a disease which respects no boundaries. During this crucial juncture, China took decisive measures to prevent further spread of the virus, and cooperated with the international community, which allowed Health Ministries of many countries, including Singapore, to swiftly develop diagnostic tests and come up with appropriate measures to manage the outbreak together. China's transparent and sincere actions deserve praise and affirmation.
Mr Chairman, it is in troubled times that one is tested, and a friend in need is a friend indeed. It is vital for us to continue supporting China through these difficult times of combating the virus. On our part, the Singapore Government contributed S$1 million as seed funding to catalyse the Singapore Red Cross' public appeal to raise funds to help our Chinese friends, and donated medical supplies and diagnostic test kits to China. The Singapore Red Cross’ fundraising drive has received support from our trade associations and chambers, companies and local community organisations, as well as members of the public, and has raised more than S$6 million to date. These proactive fundraising efforts by our people amply demonstrated Singapore's spirit of providing assistance in times of need.
Looking to the future, we will continue to explore and develop new areas of cooperation with China, and leverage new opportunities, for our mutual benefit. We will also build on high-level exchanges, institutionalised frameworks, and concrete cooperation to further broaden and deepen our good bilateral relations.
(In English): Mr Chairman, please allow me to continue in English. It is also critical for us to keep up our engagement of regional and strategic partners outside our immediate neighbourhood. Allow me to address Miss Cheryl Chan's question on how MFA intends to strengthen our engagement of key partners in the region and also to ensure that Singapore remains a relevant stakeholder.
Sir, we enjoy close and multi-faceted cooperation with Japan. We had several high-level visits in 2019, including President Halimah's attendance of the Enthronement Ceremony of Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Lee's attendance of the G20 Summit. We look forward to maintaining the positive momentum of our exchanges this year. We continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as infrastructure cooperation, smart cities and population issues.
With the Republic of Korea, Prime Minister’s visit last November, in conjunction with the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, resulted in a number good outcomes in smart cities, intellectual property, cybersecurity and the expansion of Singapore-ROK air services.
Our relationship with India presents continuing opportunities for Singaporeans and our businesses. We are the largest foreign investor in India and many of our local companies have expanded there. India has also one of the largest number of foreign companies in Singapore.With both countries making strides towards digitalisation, our cooperation is expanding to cover new frontiers such as innovation, digital economy and FinTech.
Australia is a like-minded partner for us. We are exploring new areas of cooperation to refresh our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Our defence ties with Australia are also longstanding. This year, we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Singapore Armed Forces' training at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland. To assist the Australian Defence Force’s efforts to combat the bushfires in Australia, we deployed two Chinooks to work alongside them for a month.
Singapore and the EU share strong ties and are important economic partners. A major milestone was the signing of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA), the EU-Singapore Investment Protection Agreement, as well as the EU-Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 2018, and the EUSFTA’s entry into force in November last year. We will continue to deepen our engagement with the EU leadership and also our ties with individual EU member states.
We will also continue to engage the UK post-Brexit. We have many existing bilateral arrangements that will remain in force and we are also working with the UK to ensure continuity by porting over the EUSFTA’s provisions through a Short Form Agreement.
In conclusion, Mr Chairman, I would like to underscore that Singapore’s continued success hinges on many factors, including maintaining a wide network of global partners and friends. We must continue to strengthen our ties with key partners while expanding our global outreach.
Mr Chairman, I shall now turn over the floor to my colleague, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Tan Wu Meng.
The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Tan Wu Meng, you have seven minutes. I take it that you want a little bit more time?
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Tan Wu Meng): Mr Chairman, Sir, I take your indulgence.
The Chairman: Yes, please go ahead.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: Mr Chairman, Minister of State Sam Tan spoke about how we should strengthen bilateral ties with key partners. I will share about Singapore's efforts to uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, while playing an active role in international fora. I will also share how we are engaging our fellow Singaporeans at home and abroad and helping fellow Singaporeans who need help overseas.
Mr Desmond Choo asked about multilateralism in the present global climate. Indeed, the deepening mood of nationalist, isolationist and protectionist sentiments in many countries is eroding support for globalisation and multilateralism. This matters for us because it can affect global norms on free trade and international law, both of which are integral to Singapore's survival as a small nation-state.
Indeed, Sir, trade is Singapore’s lifeline and crucial for our economy. It is needed to create opportunities for Singaporeans and Singapore businesses. By plugging into global value chains, specialising in areas where we have comparative advantage, our companies and workers can upskill, evolve and move up the value chain. So, we have consistently advocated for free and open trade, further regional economic integration and the rules-based multilateral trading system.
We also participate actively and constructively in multilateral fora, such as the WTO, APEC and G20, as convenor of the Global Governance Group. We promote engagement between the G20 and the wider UN membership. Singapore will continue to play our part to strengthen the foundations that underpin the global trading system. We firmly support the efforts to bring the WTO up-to-date so that it remains well-functioning, effective and relevant. We co-launched the WTO Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce to kick-start negotiations for rules governing e-commerce. We are also working with other WTO members to preserve the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism. This is crucial for us as it ensures global trade rules are enforced and any trade disagreements, if they happen, are resolved constructively.
Besides the WTO, Singapore continues to pursue bilateral and plurilateral economic agreements to safeguard our economic interests. For example, we signed an FTA with the Eurasian Economic Union last year and are negotiating FTAs with MERCOSUR and the Pacific Alliance. These will create more opportunities for trade and investment beyond Singapore's traditional markets.
Sir, Singapore also participates at multilateral platforms to protect and advance our interests. These platforms ensure that the development of international rules and norms reflects the concerns of all countries, big or small. Singapore has been a strong advocate for small states to play a bigger role at the UN and other multilateral fora. As Chair of the Forum of Small States, Singapore actively engages fellow small states to discuss common challenges and advance common interests.
We have also been contributing actively to the development of international rules. For example, we played a key role in shaping what is now known as the Singapore Convention on Mediation, which provides for cross-border enforcement of mediated settlement agreements. We also participate actively in a UN Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. And one of our own international law practitioners, Ms Rena Lee, is currently serving as President of this conference.
For the first time, Sir, Singapore is fielding a candidate to head a major United Nations body – the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). We are confident that our candidate, Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore Mr Daren Tang, has the right credentials to contribute positively to WIPO’s work. Daren also stands for Singapore’s longstanding commitment to a rules-based multilateral system, international cooperation and inclusive development. My colleagues and I wish him the very best at the upcoming elections over the next few days.
Sir, as a small island nation, we must keep growing our network of friends around the world to build goodwill for Singapore. We share our development journey with other countries through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). It was established in 1992 for Singapore to \"pay forward\" the assistance that we received from the international community in our early years of independence. Through SCP courses, we support other countries in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and managing global and regional challenges, such as infectious disease control, climate change and cybersecurity. We will work with our partners to incorporate COVID-19 content into our health-related SCP courses to help strengthen pandemic resilience in the region.
Mr Terence Ho asked about using the arts as soft power. Indeed, MFA works closely with MCCY to showcase our diverse arts and multicultural heritage overseas. MCCY has a cultural MOU with Australia, which has helped many of our performing arts groups presenting works at Australia's major arts festivals. Many of our overseas Missions also organise cultural events, such as film festivals and art exhibitions, to highlight a softer side of Singapore that people may not always associate us with.
Mr Chairman, Sir, foreign policy begins at home. And all of us have a collective stake as external developments can directly affect our future. We will, therefore, need the understanding of our fellow Singaporeans on our foreign policy decisions, especially when core national interests are at stake. Ms Joan Pereira asked about MFA's efforts to engage Singaporeans. Indeed, we are listening to young Singaporeans' views, ideas and concerns about the world while sharing about the policy challenges and trade-offs that we face as a small country. We have stepped up sharing sessions with young Singaporeans conducted by our retired experienced MFA ambassadors. And every Singaporean, by showing the world the best of us and what we stand for, can help grow our space in the world and help keep our little red dot shining.
Sir, MFA also engages Singaporeans through our consular work. Minister Vivian shared how MFA officers volunteered to fly into Wuhan to bring our fellow Singaporeans home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Colleagues in our Embassy in Beijing and our Consulates-General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen have worked day and night to help Singaporeans in China during this period. Our Embassy in Tokyo assisted five Singaporeans who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama.
Sir, I want to take the opportunity to specially thank and commend our MFA officers who very often serve far away from home and loved ones. Your service and dedication help keep Singapore independent and sovereign, and help safeguard the interests of Singapore and our fellow Singaporeans wherever our people may be around the world.
Besides COVID-19, our Overseas Missions also kept close watch on regional developments and provided consular assistance to Singaporeans. Last year, when protests in Hong Kong were at the peak, we deployed MFA consular officers at Hong Kong airport to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans wanting to return home. Our officers were also on the ground to assist the next-of-kin of two Singaporeans who, unfortunately, lost their lives while kayaking off Mersing, Malaysia, in August 2019. MFA will continue doing our best to assist Singaporeans who get into difficult situations overseas.
We also use technology to make consular services more convenient. Our fellow Singaporeans travelling abroad can look forward to a simplified e-Registration process with personal particulars pre-filled by MyInfo. We also accept e-Payments, including PayNow, at our consular service centre and we will continue transforming and digitalising consular and immigration-related services for the public.
Mr Chairman, in conclusion, our foreign policy begins at home. And MFA, with the support of our fellow Singaporeans, will continue to pursue a foreign policy that serves the interests of Singapore and our fellow Singaporeans amidst an increasingly uncertain global environment.
The Chairman: We have a bit of time for clarification. Yes, Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Sir, a clarification for Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki regarding the repatriation of the Rohingas. I understand the camps are ready and the reception area is ready as well. But I think there is an issue of trust here and that is why the Rohingas want to go back themselves to do an independent assessment. I am just wondering whether this can at least be discussed or put up as a topic in the agenda for the upcoming ASEAN Summit so that we can finally resolve this stalemate and move forward on this issue.
Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: I thank the Member for the question. I fully appreciate his concern for those refugees who are affected. I think the ASEAN Foreign Ministers continue to look at some of these issues and we really want to facilitate the repatriation of the refugees back to where they are. But as Members are well aware of, it is also their concern about their own security and we have to make sure that the security is made available and they feel secure enough to go back. We will continue to work with our ASEAN partners to ensure that the situation is conducive enough for them to return.
The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair: I thank the Minister for his speech earlier. I just want a little clarification or elaboration on what may happen with Malaysia because, typically, when an administration changes, notwithstanding they may have good relationships with us, they may have different priorities from the previous administration. Are there any projects that we think may slow down as a result of that and, if so, what could we do about that?
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The Cabinet in Malaysia has not been announced yet. I do not want to prejudge the issue. But I will just make two points that we know all the people on the political scene in Malaysia. In fact, we have taken extra effort to maintain those links and to build that reservoir of goodwill and trust. So, let us keep an open mind.
The second point I want to make is the importance of consistency and a principled foreign policy. So, I hope this is a moment where Singaporeans will appreciate it is good to be boring and consistent.
The Chairman: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Thank you, Sir. Just to follow up again. I really do appreciate all the work that ASEAN and MFA are doing by providing a lot of assurance to the Rohingyas. But I think it would help if we just allow some of them to go back, do their own assessments and then they can tell the rest of the 1.2 million refugees in Bangladesh now that it is safe to return. Otherwise, it is going to be a stalemate. It would be back and forth and it has been two years since we talked about repatriation and there is still not a single one that is willing to go back.
Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: I thank the Member again. I think the Member will appreciate that it is not up to ASEAN to allow them to go back. It is up to the Myanmar government to allow them to go back. And really, we want to encourage the stakeholders on the ground to understand such circumstances, especially also NGOs that are working on the ground.
What we do at the ASEAN level, I can assure you, is that at every Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the issue of the Rakhine state will always be discussed. And whatever the decision that is being made, we have to respect that it is a decision that the Myanmar government will have to take as and when they are ready to facilitate the process.
The Chairman: No one else wants to raise any clarification? In which case, Mr Vikram Nair, would you like to withdraw the amendment?
Mr Vikram Nair: I thank Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Senior Minister of State Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Minister of State Sam Tan and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Tan Wu Meng for giving us a comprehensive update on what our teams have been doing abroad. I think MFA is always a very good investment in money. It has I think one of the lowest budgets always and is even lower this year. So, a big thank-you to the team serving all across and carrying our flag. With that, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $450,109,100 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $11,500,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
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As a small and open economy, Singapore can only be a price-taker in the global marketplace realistically. Staying competitive is a given but that just puts you in the starting line. We need to develop both value-adding capabilities, which I will touch on later, and, equally important, our market connectivity capabilities, so that we can sell our products and services to the consumers of the world. Having both sets of capabilities and the intensity of them will determine how much of a livelihood we can make for ourselves.
In Singapore's context, staying open and connected to the world is key and our only pathway to continued economic growth and progress. Today, our international linkages and market connectivity enable us to transcend our limited domestic market and create for ourselves a bigger hinterland to operate in. We need to continually expand and upgrade our network of trade partnerships and investment agreements so that our companies can not only have a bigger economic space to do business in but are also able to ride on the growth and opportunities in the emerging markets.
Over the decades, we have done very well to strengthen our air, sea and land connectivity. In the new landscape, we need develop other new sets of connectivities, such as regulations, data, talent, finance and technology.
These efforts are primarily Government-driven but, importantly, we also need businesses to step up to seize these opportunities from the enhanced connectivity. It requires the companies to build up the required capabilities to internationalise both at the enterprise and the workforce levels. Capabilities, such as deep understanding of the target markets, ability to mobilise and deploy resources and talents across markets and jurisdictions, ability to obtain local funding and manage currency risks, among others.
Our economic agencies already provide both financial and non-financial support to help companies internationalise, such as in in-market landing pads, overseas centres and so on. Here, I would like to ask the Minister if the support has been adequate and has there been good traction.
Beyond the more familiar markets like China, India and the developed economies, do our economic agencies need to step up expertise and presence in newer and more frontier markets as we know that these markets tend to have less developed market data and more challenging regulatory and operating environment? How can the Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) play an enabling role to help businesses seeking to internationalise, especially in less familiar markets?
On diversification of international markets, the COVID-19 outbreak reminded us on the urgency to seek more and newer markets, especially in emerging economies and to minimise concentration risk on any single market.
China's GDP has increased fourfold since 2003 and its share of the global GDP has more than doubled from 9% to 19%. Singapore's trade with China has also increased almost four times since 2003. Even in the area of tourism, the Chinese tourists account for about 20% of Singapore's total international visitor arrivals. So, I would like to ask the Minister as to how we can manage our economic exposure to China, balancing the opportunities versus the risks.
Even without the COVID-19 outbreak, global supply chains are already showing signs of disruptions and are likely to be re-organised. How can we help our companies diversify their markets and adjust to the shift in supply chains to increase business resilience?
Next, and still related to diversifying our economy, I would like to seek an update from the Minister on the progress of building new economic clusters. In particular, how have we leveraged on the technological advancements to open up possibilities in new sectors? Beyond agri-tech and sustainability solutions, are there more new growth sectors that we are developing?
Continued rapid advancements in technology are likely to add to further disruptions and even lead to the demise of some sectors. We need to open up new industries and growth sectors to keep generating the positive deltas to our economy. Fostering new economic growth sectors can also help create new and more exciting jobs and it can help boost the overall productivity and innovations.
We know that investing into new growth sectors carry significant investment risks. It requires sectoral expertise and talents, it requires products that meet the addressable markets, the necessary eco-system players and, importantly, the entrepreneurial acumen and aspirations.
How can the Government facilitate the development of new growth sectors and its necessary eco-systems? What are the resources and support to be provided? In Budget 2020, the Finance Minister also mentioned about improving support for deep-tech startups. Can the Minister also share on how the Government plans to nurture and help promising startups?
Next, on enterprise development. There are more than 200,000 enterprises in Singapore and they come in every size, different stages of growth, uneven productivity capabilities and resource adsorptions and varying value-add to the economy. Given this diverse enterprise landscape, a one-size-fits-all approach may not meet the specific needs and achieve the desired outcomes. How could our economic agencies work with the relevant stakeholders to provide differentiated support for different types of companies?
A pro-enterprise environment is also a necessary condition for a vibrant and entrepreneurial eco-system. The Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP) was formed in 2000 as a platform for companies to provide feedback on regulations. Is there scope to adopt a light-touch approach in regulations so as to encourage more enterprises to innovate and venture?
Sir, In his Budget speech, the Finance Minister also spoke about the Next Bound of SkillsFuture, which includes enhancing the role of enterprises in developing their employees.
Having employers take ownership in developing their staff is the most ideal situation. The companies know best the skills needed for their businesses to grow and transform. The employers are in the best position to manage the resources, time and space to upgrade skills. They are also in the vantage position to plan out and execute job re-design, which can align the necessary training and re-skilling to the business need.
In that regard, can I ask how would the Government promote and support more of such involvement by companies to build their workforce capabilities?
I applaud the Government for introducing the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package. It is the most tangible move to-date by the Government to help mid-career Singaporeans. It is another manifestation of the Government's commitment that economic growth must, ultimately, translate to good jobs and good outcomes for all Singaporeans. I hope that the hiring incentive to employers who hire local jobseekers aged 40 and above, through re-skilling programmes, would appeal to employers and also change their mindsets.
Employers should leverage on this re-skilling programme to help enhance their workforce and yet also enjoy the wage support. So, I call on employers to discard any age biases that they may have in their HR policy and re-pivot to the new environment of higher retirement age.
Finally, let me speak about our response to the COVID-19 situation.
The first wave impact to our affected businesses, such as tourism, aviation and retail, has been very sharp and severe. The Stabilisation and Support Package has rightly focused on tackling two critical situations: firstly, the weaker cash flow position of businesses and, secondly, to focus on saving jobs.
The announced measures of Jobs Support Scheme, rental waivers, rebates, temporary bridging loans, among others, are relevant and practical relief measures to help businesses, especially in managing the tighter cash flow situations. However, I am concerned that if this COVID-19 situation is prolonged, we may lose capabilities and capacities in the tourism sectors as operators may downsize or shut their operations. I hope that the Government would monitor this closely and be ready to extend and step up the assistance further.
Given the severity of the outbreak in China, its economy is likely to take a major hit. If the situation persists, its production capacity would be curtailed and we could see serious disruption to the supply chain and this has wider and deeper implication and impact to the world's trade flows.
On the demand side, slower growth in China is also expected to dampen consumption and investments. Singapore, like many economies, is unlikely to be spared from the further knock-on effects. How can we draw lessons from the impact of COVID-19 to build economic and national resilience?
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Mr Teo Ser Luck, you have three cuts. You can take them together.
Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Our economic growth is getting more and more challenging. I think each year, as we forecast our economic growth, you will realise that we keep revising our forecast. From last year to this year, we are revising downwards on the forecast. It is challenging, no doubt, and, with COVID-19, it is getting more and more challenging to actually get a part of the pie because other cities and economies are also getting more competitive.
We are focusing on quite a few verticals and I know that we rely less on manufacturing now, which, in the past, was about 25% contribution to GDP. But right now, we are looking at it at 20% GDP. Although there is a lot of focus on precision engineering and some of the rest of the other sectors related to manufacturing, I think, for the long haul, it does not give as much stimulating growth to the economy as we need.
So, that is where we are investing in technology startups or we are investing in financial services and all. However, for some of this growth, we are competing very intensively with other economies as well and that will pose a challenge to our economic growth as a whole. I think on a year-to-year basis, growing at 1.5% to 2.5%, we are sort of plateauing, although we are in better shape to do better than other economies.
I would like to ask the Ministry whether there are immediate short-term to medium term strategies or any change to the current strategies that we have. With the 23 Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) that we have focused on, I do not think we can focus on all 23. But what are the key focuses that we can have in order to boost the economy forward, maybe the next three to five years of economic growth that can be greater than 3%? Because we have not seen anything before with 5% to 8% anymore. What are the other measures that we can put in?
With COVID-19, I was wondering whether the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) can play a part? FTAs, in good times, actually help the SMEs, who understood FTAs and can launch their products overseas and get the full benefits out of them – tax incentives and other measures in regulations, in actually getting exceptions. But in not so good times, let us say, for example, right now, how do FTAs play a part? We have more than 25 FTAs signed so far – bilateral and multilateral. Where do they play a part? How can we use them more effectively? What can the SMEs do?
I think one of the most practical methods for businesses in Singapore to actually overcome some of these challenges, for example, some of the crises that we faced today and some of the growth challenges, will actually be using some of the schemes that we have. One of the schemes that is also a beneficiary out of it is the Market Readiness Assistance (MRA). I am glad to know that the MRA will be enhanced.
The important thing about launching businesses overseas is, firstly, the regulations; secondly, the knowledge on the legal aspect, the framework; thirdly, it is finding a local partnership. Sometimes, it is not about funds, because MRA provides the funds. But it is the knowledge that is the most important. Where can we get this knowledge? Can MRA offer more than just funds, dollars and cents, but actually coming in with certain knowledge? Because we have Enterprise Singapore (ESG) officers all over internationally and they are very good officers. They can provide their facilitation of good help and networking. I think this is most valuable to the SMEs and businesses who want to venture overseas.
So, can I know from the Ministry what are the enhancements of the MRA, and are we able to move from funds to knowledge that can be imparted to facilitate the growth of SMEs overseas?
The Chairman: Mr Douglas Foo, you have two cuts, take both together, please.
Mr Douglas Foo (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, ASEAN is widely seen to be on track to be the 4th largest economy in the world by 2030. This is driven by the continued economic growth and development efforts of our neighbours. In a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, especially for the manufacturing sector, disruptive technologies are projected to have huge economic impact, potentially creating US$25 billion to $45 billion of annual output value in ASEAN by 2030.
ASEAN is an incredibly dynamic economic block with 10 economies at different stages of development. As the world embarks on a new decade with uncertainty as the opening number, this is a turning point for ASEAN to realise our ambition to be the next \"factory of the world\".
There is definitely opportunity to attract foreign interest in ASEAN in the current uncertain global trade climate. Additionally, our member states need to encourage our companies to reinvest in the region to further spur on growth.
In our recent dialogues with members in the Manufacturing community, in view of the current supply chain challenges arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, more businesses are seeking to explore longer term solutions for their businesses in ASEAN countries. This provides the impetus for Singapore businesses to take a closer look at the opportunities in ASEAN.
As we continue ground efforts like leading mission trips and business meetings, are there any additional outreach or publicity efforts that will be undertaken by the Ministry to continue to highlight to businesses the importance and promise of our ASEAN neighbours? Because at the end of the day, by 2030, when we look back, we want our enterprises to have actually rode the journey of ASEAN having rose to being the 4th largest economy in the world.
Mr Chairman, answering the call by the Government, Trade Association and Chambers (TACs) have stepped up to play a much larger role in outreach and capability building in the business community. Within TACs, there is also a higher level of collaboration to collectively address key business issues.
In July 2019, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) organised the inaugural Strategic Planning Session for TACs which was attended by over 70 leaders from more than 40 TACs. The TAC leaders had the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. During this session, the TACs deep-dived into pertinent issues such as internationalisation, innovation and digitalisation, as well as how TACs need to transform to stay relevant for the future.
On the manufacturing front, the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), the Singapore Industrial Automation Association (SIAA), and SGTECH have come together to form a Manufacturing Alliance in October 2019 to specialise in business model and process re-engineering, software and digitalisation as well as robotics and automation matters.
The Manufacturing Alliance works with an ecosystem of partners, such as government agencies, Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), Centres of Innovation (COIs), and so on, to scope problem statements and curate standardised, modular implementation packages that are easy for SMEs to adopt to make progress on their journey towards Industry 4.0.
As noted by Mr Ho Meng Kit, the CEO of SBF, with more complex challenges faced by our members, TACs need to change, adapt and innovate to better serve the community. As we continue to take on bigger roles, TACs are also beginning to face a number of operational challenges.
In the circumstances, how does the Ministry intend to encourage TACs to pool knowledge and resources together both locally and in overseas markets to help businesses seeking to internationalise? Does the Ministry have any plans to assist TACs to upgrade their capabilities and human talent and make this a possible career choice for the workforce?
Mr Charles Chong (Punggol East): Mr Chairman, there are many grants and schemes which are available to help companies. Now, these have been made available by the Government through various agencies to encourage a vibrant business community in Singapore. However, many companies, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises or SMEs, are often not aware of the grants available to them. Or if they know of these grants, the amount of red tape and the number of forms they need to fill in could also prove to be an impediment to applying for these schemes. Or there may be multiple overlapping and similar schemes, and it is hard for a business owner to decide which one to apply for. I am sure not many SMEs know of the existence of SME Centres, which have been specifically set up to help them.
While SME Centres will be able to help SMEs navigate the various grants and schemes which are available, they may not be visible enough for the SMEs, such that SMEs actually reach out to them to tap on their expertise.
My question to the Minister then is what we can do to make SME Centres more visible, such that we make it clear to SMEs that we have people ready and able to help them in their business journeys? More broadly, is the Minister satisfied that MTI is doing enough to ensure that SMEs are made aware of the grants, schemes and programmes available to them, and could more be done to ensure that SMEs do not lose out on these?
Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, Singapore has 23 implemented Free Trade Agreements or FTAs and may conclude other FTAs in future. Every FTA negotiation involves making a determination on how much improved market access to give foreign companies in exchange for market access for Singapore companies in that foreign country. Implemented well, FTAs can introduce a wider range of goods and services in Singapore at lower prices for the end consumer while also giving our local firms greater market access and a more level playing field abroad.
I would like to ask before an FTA is concluded, how does the Government obtain feedback from relevant local firms about what problems they face with market access within that country, as well as what enhanced competition from that country's firms might mean for themselves, their industry peers and the domestic economy?
Does the Government also review implemented FTAs to assess the net economic impact of the concessions given in respect of market access to foreign firms inter-corporate transferee rights and other concessions as well as whether market access for a Singapore firms has in fact materialised as envisaged under the FTA?
Lastly, is there a mechanism for local firms to easily give feedback on FTA related matters and can some feedback channel be indicated on the FDA section of MTI's website? What processes are used to assess the net economic impact of FTAs after they are enacted? Is feedback gathered from local firms as to the analysis of prices of goods and services before and after? Is that kind of analysis done, for example?
The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi, you have two cuts. Can you take both together?
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Chairman. The COVID-19 situation is an unpleasant but timely reminder of the importance of diversification. It is dangerous to develop a reliance on one market. China has been an excellent trading partner with a vast market, offering generous business opportunities for Singaporeans across a wide variety of sectors. But with China taking a significant hit, many local businesses are also reeling from the impact. So, it is crucial set their sights on broader horizons and work towards them, or risk sinking.
Fortunately, there is already the Market Readiness Assistance grant that was first introduced in 2013 to help businesses enter new markets, and also the newly announced Enterprise Grow Package. I am glad to note that those will be now enhanced with greater funding support and coverage.
However, for companies entering a new market, and especially for those who are new to internationalisation efforts, they would feel quite lost and may not even know what they can do with the funding. I would like to ask how can support be enhanced, so that they can have a good and strong head start?
Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) have been playing increasingly critical roles in driving transformation and growth. Being close to the ground, they have a firm grasp of their members’ needs and a greater understanding of the industry. They have in recent years helped their members to adopt new innovative solutions and technologies to transform their businesses. They have also worked closely with the Government to help members. It is evident that they will, and must continue, to take on integral positions in this next round of internationalisation.
What other roles can TACs play in pooling knowledge and resources, both locally and in-market, to help businesses seeking to internationalise?
Chairman, in the midst of this uncertain economy, our mature and mid-career workers, many in their 40s and 50s, are most vulnerable. With the recent economic challenges and rapid technological advancement, some of them are struggling to make their career transitions. I wish to acknowledge their efforts to make use of SkillsFuture and other excellent government initiatives to reskill themselves.
Nevertheless, the climb is an uphill one. For every successful story, another shares his failed attempts to secure a good job despite months of networking, attending courses, seeking career guidance and so on.
I hope the Minister will share with us further efforts to grow the economy and how this will translate to good jobs and outcomes for Singaporeans.
In recent years, aviation, F&B, retail and tourism were booming. They were among the major sectors offering PCP and other mid-career transition measures. Today, government support is needed to help these industries tide over difficult times. I have confidence that this is only temporary and they will bounce back in good time.
But for those who have made the transition or are in the midst of getting the relevant qualifications and training to enter these industries, I wonder if their employment prospects will be affected. Yet such global crises are impossible to predict. What else will be done to help workers remain employable and industry-relevant in the rapidly changing environment?
I am glad that the Deputy Prime Minister reinforced his resolution in the Budget to move away from reliance on foreign workforce. I would like to take this opportunity to revisit my proposal on the Capability Transfer Programme (CTP) which I brought up last year during my Adjournment Motion to TAFEP and MOM.
Second, there must also be greater effort and localisation efforts to support Singapore's competitiveness and workers' sustainability. May I suggest that the companies be encouraged to set localisation targets for their workforce? Localisation targets meaning proportion of workforce that is local or setting a target for overall local proportion. This can be targeted for a range of skills and may need to be company-specific or dependent. It could be, for example, incorporate elements of training for eventual local employment and with a specific localisation target, for example, in three to five years.
The existing CTP supports firms to bring in foreign specialists to transfer capabilities to the local workforce, and to send locals abroad for training. The Ministry should consider expanding CTP and providing more resources to support the transfer of capabilities from foreign employees, who are already employed in Singapore, to local workers, with the aim of localising jobs. The foreign specialists that they bring in should mentor Singaporeans to take over or share the role.
Funding support for CTP should be expanded to include salary and training support for local specialists, as well as Singaporean trainees on overseas attachments to acquire new capabilities. Can we also consider CTP to support transfer of capabilities from foreign employees already employed in Singapore to local workers, with the eventual aim of localising jobs, working in tandem with the localisation targets I had mentioned earlier?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Nee Soon): Chairman, in the face of significant economic and technology shifts, upskilling and re-skilling is paramount to good employment outcomes for Singaporeans. One can argue that success in both of these areas are some of the hardest public policy that few governments have succeeded in. There are several reasons and it is a complex issue.
Successful upskilling is usually done by successful companies. Because successful companies are the ones who have a clear vision for the future, and therefore the skills needed to reach that future.
They are also usually operating within a certain national culture, such as those found in Germany and Japan, where companies have a firm sense of responsibility to the long-term employment of the staff. This culture is usually supported by manpower policy at the national level.
Upskilling also requires complementary educational institutes and capability for both full-time and part-time upskilling.
If upskilling is difficult, re-skilling could be even more challenging. In fact, one would be stretched to think about more than a handful of countries that had systematically re-skilled people who are structurally unemployed.
Re-skilling workers to do different jobs is somewhat easier for larger companies, because while they are learning these new skills, they are usually working within the same company, within the culture. For example, as DBS banks digitise, many of its front-line workers got a place to be re-trained within other parts of the bank.
However, it is not always so easy to re-skill these people across the broader economy, because not many companies have the scale like DBS. Because in the interconnected world, international companies have the option of re-locating jobs outside Singapore, rather than re-skilling our workers. Because in this age of technology disruption, not all industries have a strong awareness of what is coming ahead and, therefore, workers, who are currently within or are trying to enter that industry, may not know what skills to re-skill on.
Despite these major challenges, it is very heartening that our Government is taking this issue by the horns for many years now, not just within MTI but whole-of-Government, and also to do it in a tripartite manner. Therefore, can MTI share how the Government can help workers remain employable and industry-relevant in this rapidly changing environment, especially mature and mid-career workers, many in their 40s and 50s? For example, how can we upskill more workers in industry-relevant competencies, such as in the area of Design.
The mindset of our workers is also pivotal. They must understand that in this day and age, careers are non-linear, and they must up-skill and re-skill themselves multiple times through their career.
Nevertheless, companies play the crucial role. Can MTI share how our Government encourage more firms to embrace a mindset shift, to see workforce transformation as a critical complement to enterprise transformation. Accordingly, how can the Government support and incentivise more firms, especially SMEs, to invest in training and redesigning jobs for worker? And how is the Government publicising such information in a systematic manner?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): COVID-19 outbreak has caused economic weaknesses and companies might be putting off the transformation work. Which are the industries that the Ministry expect to experience a longer recovery time? How is the Ministry helping these industries to continue the transformation?
According to some SME bosses, during a downturn it is also the best time to transform. COVID-19 will eventually come to pass. But the realities of a rapidly changing economy are unchanging. Transformation is critical for a longer term survival. How is the Ministry helping these companies to accelerate workforce transformation?
What are the benchmarks of transformation? Transformation would inevitably cause some of our workers to be left behind. This is especially acute amongst those in the 40s and 50s. How is the Ministry helping to keep them employable and industry-relevant?
Many companies are reluctant to train because the workers might be poached. This mindset is perhaps the great obstacle to manpower transformation. I would like to suggest the training innovation from Amazon. Amazon's career choice programme helps workers to gain skills in areas outside of Amazon's needs by providing resources and work flexibility. Amazon pays 95% of education fees and work flexibility for workers to pick up skills in industries that are in demand and well-paid, regardless of whether those skills are relevant to Amazon or not. Amazon possibly gains because it is seen as a progressive company. It can possibly only retain the promising ones. The industry and broader economy gain from the more skilled workers and workers gain by better skills, better jobs and wages.
We have many large companies in Singapore that have accumulated vast resources over time. If enough of them follows Amazon's example, it need not be a zero sum game of one company producing better skilled workers for others to poach. We can, in fact, grow the pie so that we can grow and benefit our workers collectively.
Mr Leon Perera: Sir, I note the Government's announcement that 60% to 70% of the jobs created domestically in Singapore from Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) are PMET jobs. Going forward, it is important to support and develop Singaporean leaders in the private sector. To the extent that there are impediments to this, these should be understood and addressed.
A number of programmes have been launched to nurture local PMET and leadership talent, such as the Youth Future Leaders' Programme by EDB and NTUC, the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative as well as the Enterprise Singapore-ASEAN Leadership programme.
I would like to ask for an update on the programmes used to support companies in Singapore, including MNCs to develop a pipeline of local talent in PMET and leadership roles. What has been the success associated with such programmes to-date?
Mr Teo Ser Luck: Mr Chairman, Sir, every year we put a lot of emphasis on encouraging start-ups, either catalysing more start-ups in different areas in terms of tech or tech transformation but also in creating the hardware, for example, the Launchpad and several other places where it is clean tech start-up area. That is very encouraging and it is good to know that this year we are putting additional $300 million into deep-tech and with some focus on a couple of key areas, including agri-tech.
The question I have is that I do see many other related Ministries or relevant Ministries also putting in some of the investments into start-ups and also into technology. The question I have is whether there is synergy between them. And when we put in additional funds into it, what are the key performance indicators or indicators of success for such funds? I do not think we can compare a public fund for investments of this like the private funds where their ROIs is in terms of the immediate returns or short-term returns. But what exactly would be the indicator of success for our funds?
Secondly, it is that for the deep-tech start-ups, these have very long gestation period because it is long gestation period, it is very hard to forecast how far it goes. The question is the success is dependent on the commercialisation aspect of these start-ups because you do not want to invest in start-ups where it is just another science project. If it is another science project, then you come out of the lab but there is no commercial value, there is no demand.
We have to put in some of these funds, for example, the $300 million additional funds put it into agri-tech, would the agri-tech in future provide a more comparative and affordable pricing for some of what it produces or these technology startups would be able to scale overseas, globally, have a commercial aspect to that. I would like the Ministry to be able to elaborate further on what indicators are there for such an assessment.
Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast): Mr Chairman, Singapore’s investment in economic transformation seems to be moving in the right direction.\tOverall productivity rose to 2.6% per year over the last three years, up from 2.2% in the preceding three-year period.
The Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) aimed at fostering innovation, boosting productivity and deepening skills of workers in the respective industries is central to our economic restructuring effort. Yet when I speak to business leaders, they continue to lament that potential synergies and capability development, which ITMs could provide, remain under-leveraged.\tPerformance in industry transformation has been uneven across sectors.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair]
So, I would like to ask the Minister what lessons have been gleaned from the implementation of ITMs thus far?\tHow can companies be better incentivised to band together and form alliances to develop industry-wide capabilities, build scale, go international and test sector-wide solutions?\tWhat progress has been made in the Government’s efforts to anchor key players in shared facilities and infrastructure to better support transformation and adoption of technology? And lastly, how can Government support the development of emerging sectors with good growth potential?
Sir, from the substantial Government investments made in the economic transformation journey that started four years ago, there must have be – there must be useful learnings from sectors that have gained good traction.
For example, what can we learn from manufacturers in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries who have widely been recognised as the forerunners in the adoption of Industry 4.0 initiatives? MAS’s success in developing the Fintech sector and in instituting the concept of \"regulatory sandbox\" to spur innovation of new technology is also something that other sectors can emulate, to support experimentation and trials of promising innovations, with all the necessary safeguards.
Sir, strong local capabilities and eco-systems for innovation is key to securing Singapore’s economic success and resilience.\tSMEs need a lot of handholding to engage in R&D.\tI would like to ask the Minister how SMEs can be supported in shortening their learning curve, embracing technnology and participating fully in R&D.
What impact has the 10 Centres of Innovation (COIs) had on industry development?\tWhat outcomes have there been so far, of COIs in assisting SMEs? And how can university research and other research agencies support industry development in more substantive ways?
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat spoke about the vibrant startup eco-system in his Budget Speech. There are now 3,800 technology startups in Singapore. As Singapore now also a globally recognised leader of intellectual-property protection and scientific research centre, we should fully deploy our strengths to focus on supporting startups in deep-tech with research-based IP at its core.
Deep-tech start-ups in emerging technology areas such as agri-food tech can grow to become globally competitive.\tHowever, these same startups also require larger investments, longer gestation periods, and not every investor has the stomach for the higher risks that come with this. So, I would like to ask the Government how are we going to support these startups.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan (East Coast): Sir, one of the key trends shaping Singapore's future is the rapid advancement of technology. Artificial intelligence, blockchain, 5G, robotics and so on are poised to shape future industries. The emergence of Industry 4.0 and Services 4.0, are fast becoming the new global landscape.
In fact, the on-going technology boom shows no sign of slowing. According to McKinsey Global Institute, up to 800 million global workers will lose their jobs to new technology by 2030. Earlier on, Deloitte and the University of Oxford predicted that 35% of the jobs in the UK in 2014 would go to robots in 30 years. Here in Singapore, many companies are trying to automate their operations without hiring more workers.
While Singapore is making all efforts to transform, we may still be too slow for competition. Against this backdrop, I would like to ask the Minister, how has MTI, been preparing our enterprises and workforce to adjust to the new economic landscape? In leading sectors such as AI and Blockchain where we are short of a critical mass of talents and companies to play in the global game, have MTI agencies made concerted efforts to bring in lead players and top talents to catalyse our local eco-system development?
Given that Chinese economy is now the second largest, and several of their IT and digital sectors are world-leading, has MTI been successful in attracting Chinese unicorns to be located in Singapore? How is MTI going to identify and attract would-be unicorns from China, India and ASEAN so that Singapore has a fair share of the future Asia unicorns, going forward?
The Chairman: Mr Leon Perera, you can take both your cuts.
Mr Leon Perera: Mr Chairman, Sir, the challenge of navigating Industry 4.0 is all about attracting investments in future-ready categories like AI, drones, IoT and so on. But that in turn can be unpacked into several distinct challenges that need to be met to attract that investment.
Firstly, creating a viable eco-system with financing and Government support.
Secondly, creating access to a critical mass of workers with the requisite skills and risk appetite and in this we have to balance foreigners with the Singaporean Core.
Thirdly, stimulating local demand for these products. While investments in Singapore would be to serve the region and the world, some local demand would help attract the attention of investors.
And fourthly, creating network effects where interactions among players and industry, academia, research centres, Government and top leaders can take place, thus catalysing new ideas.
To address the fourth challenge, why not catalyse the creation of networking platforms for distinct Industry 4.0 spaces like AI and IoT. One useful model could be the Product Executive Forum in Boston, an exclusive group for senior product leaders in that area. It brings together promising industry executives, academics and top leaders. It functions through breakfast seminars, round-tables and other events. Catalysing such a platform may be helpful. After all, in the Industry 4.0 race, it is not just about having the right people but also about those people interacting and cross-fertilising ideas and work streams.
Next cut on energy security. Mr Chairman, Sir, natural gas is the main way Singapore generates its electricity today. Indonesia accounts for 85% of imported natural gas in gaseous form with the remainder coming from Malaysia.
Pipeline natural gas has been supplemented by imports of liquified natural gas (LNG) for some years now from diverse source countries. However, Indonesia has announced that it is to stop natural gas exports to Singapore from Sumatra in 2023. It was not too clear if pipeline gas from Natunas would be similarly affected but the statement emanating from Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry on 8 February would seem to suggest so. If this takes place, it will place some pressure on our power-generation sources. Renewable energy sources, mainly solar power, as well as regional power grids, would take time to build up.
Would the Government share its mitigation measures in light of this? Can LNG imports, for example, plug any gap that emerges after 2023? We should also take this opportunity to improve the renewable portion of our power generation mix. I am heartened to hear about the decarbonisation measures spoken about by the Government in Parliament last week. My colleague, Mr Dennis Tan, outlined various perspectives and suggestions from the Workers' Party on environmental policy in his Budget speech last week.
In conclusion, I would like to ask if the Government is studying two other energy possibilities.
Firstly, there have been media reports about private sector plans to build a solar farm in Australia and export the power to Singapore via a subsea cable. Secondly, I noted Senior Minister Teo's statement on nuclear power at the PMO COS that the potential for nuclear power is still being studied. Russia and China are exploring floating nuclear power plants based on seaborne platforms, with Russia in the process of deploying one. It may or may not be a practical possibility for Singapore to derive power by such means in the foreseeable future. But is the Government studying the risks that such projects by other countries may pose to Singapore?
Ms Anthea Ong (Nominated Member): Chairman, climate challenge is an economic structural challenge for Singapore, noted Minister Chan Chun Sing, who further added that, I quote, \"If we cannot manage that, we cannot even attract the industries to create the jobs for the next generation.\"
IMF recently opined that price on carbon should rise to US$75 per tonne by 2030 in large emitting countries, placing constraints and pressures on fossil fuel-based industries, Yet, new energy technologies are currently available.
Would the Ministry consider (a) conducting and publishing stress test exercises specific to the petrochemical industry to understand growth risk under different scenarios of global carbon policy; (b) evaluating the potential for job creation, cost of living and environmental impact around carbon capture and storage, solar PV, nuclear, importing renewable energy, increasing industrial energy efficiency; and (c) developing a clear plan of economic transition to reduce our reliance on high carbon risk sectors, including actively involving our oil and gas industry before 2030.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (Fengshan): Chairman, let me begin by declaring that I am a senior executive with an industrial gas and engineering company.
The physical effects of climate change are increasingly visible on the environment, society and the global economy. Climate change is not a distant threat; it is happening now. Increasingly, people want to know if you are part of the problem or part of the solution.
To achieve the commitment in the 2015 Paris Accord of reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG), it will require changes in societal behaviours, Government regulations, industrial engagement and technology development.
There has been much discussion on emission reductions focused primarily on high carbon footprint industries, specifically the petrochemical and manufacturing industries. Before we focus on any individual, we must first put in perspective and recognise there are many parts in the entire value chain before the GHG emissions.
Take, for example, hydrogen gas. Energy is required to produce hydrogen. But hydrogen is an essential ingredient to produce low-sulfur fuels to meet even stricter environmental standards, thereby reducing the sulfur emissions into our environment. Hydrogen technology can also be used as a transformative energy carrier or as clean fuel for mobility and transportation.
It is important to understand whether the products being produced, the manufacturing processes used and the industry value chain on the whole actually have a larger benefit to the society in terms of carbon productivity, support sustainability and how they help to avoid more GHG emissions on a net basis. Further, we have to ask if the industries invest in new technologies that drive operational efficiency, thereby reducing GHG, adopt usage of renewable energy sources in their production that shape the energy transformation, re-use the waste streams or capture the carbon emitted for alternate usage. Whether the industries are working towards decarbonisation that contributes towards managing climate change is key.
Planning and facilitating transitions towards \"cleaner\" modes of operation and to cleaner industries would result in significant economic impact in terms of jobs, cost and overall operations. No industry is spared from the effects of climate change and all sectors have to play their part in mitigating the effects of climate change. As such, our ITMs, which are the roadmaps for growth and competitiveness for our industries, should include sustainability as an essential component of their workplan and transformation.
I would like to ask how can we prepare our economy for the ramifications of climate change and reduce our carbon emissions in a sustainable manner? Will MTI consider including sustainability as a fifth pillar of the ITMs?
Relatedly, will MTI consider creating a platform to facilitate exchange of best practices for emission reduction across all major sectors of Singapore's economy, given the success of tripartite collaborations like the Singapore Packaging Agreement? Through this, companies can harness the best knowledge, balance their obligations to all stakeholders to continue driving their financial performance while being a good steward of our environment.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, the Government has implemented many policies to boost productivity growth. Recent schemes include the Productivity Solutions Grant, Enterprise Development Grant and Automation Support Package. Budget 2020's Transformation and Growth strategies continue these efforts.
How effective are each of the recent productivity growth grant schemes, in terms of the marginal return to public spending and the impact on industry and jobs? To what extent can we attribute recent improvements in Total Factor Productivity growth to these policies?
MTI's Economist Service publishes excellent research on the effects of various industry policies. Could the Ministry develop a mandatory programme evaluation framework for all major productivity enhancement schemes? Each scheme should have a logic model that defines target outcomes prior to implementation. Evaluation results should be published at clear intervals, such as at the mid-term and shortly after the conclusion of the scheme. The most important schemes should have their evaluation results subjected to academic peer review to enhance credibility.
Technology-driven innovation can improve productivity, worker welfare and make jobs more desirable to Singaporeans. In a recent working paper, Prof Ivan Png from NUS studied a supermarket chain in Singapore that redesigned the cashier's job to focus only on scanning groceries. Payments were handled by automation. Switching to a scan-only job format improved worker welfare and boosted local recruitment. It also improved scanning-speed productivity by 9%. Prof Png's research highlights the importance of carefully scrutinising the effects of technology improvements.
We should not spend such significant sums on productivity transformation without an equally strong commitment to understanding whether such efforts are cost-effective and meaningful.
Mr Douglas Foo: Mr Chairman, in Singapore, SMEs account for an estimated two-thirds of all employment and contribute almost S$200 billion to the economy. SMEs form an integral part of our economy and are seen as the future drivers of Singapore's growth. With the number of SMEs constantly hovering at above 200,000 companies, there is, understandably, a wide range of companies all at very different stages of growth.
While there is a host of support for start-ups and small SMEs, understandably which are more vulnerable, it is timely that we look into investing and supporting SMEs which have managed to show a good track record and are ready to embark on the next stage of growth.
With the announcement of the Enterprise Leadership for Transformation Programme as part of the Enterprise Transform Package, I believe this is a good extension of our current SME support framework.
The Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) stands ready to assist to reach out to this community. I strongly believe that Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) can be a useful platform to reach out to these business leaders and engage them with new initiatives such as this.
With its aim as providing training to business leaders, the Enterprise Leadership for Transformation Programme is one for the long-term – to enable and develop capabilities. The Budget Statement talks about grooming 900 business leaders over the next three years. May I humbly please ask the Minister: how will these leaders be identified? Are more details available on the plans for the training and mentorship framework? How can TACs continue to help on this journey.?
The Chairman: Mr Teo Ser Luck, you can do both your cuts.
Mr Teo Ser Luck: Mr Chairman, MTI was very clear in strengthening the local enterprises and I believe they have a pyramid where most of the enterprises at the bottom were actually lower in revenue numbers – micro-enterprises and then small, medium and large. This is a very good pyramid to show. Although we have over 200,000 SMEs in Singapore, every one is in its different places and most of them are actually micro enterprises. And I understand that MTI's strategy is quite clear. Those who move the needles, there is a lot focus on them. And some of those who move the needles, they are actually large companies. And we have a Scale-up Programme within MTI or EIG to help these companies to be strengthened. So, for example, what Mr Douglas Foo has mentioned about training the leaders, as well as after training the leaders, they make a transformation within a company and strengthen the company.
But you might realise that a lot of the medium sized companies, even to the smaller sized companies, not micro enterprises yet, but smaller ones to the medium sized ones, they have a lot of potential. The Scale-up Programme today, if I am not wrong, actually comprises most of the very large companies or companies that have above $100 million revenue. But the medium enterprises and the small enterprises might have the innovation, technology, concepts and plans or very passionate and enthusiastic entrepreneurs or founders that run them that could potentially make them global. Would the Scale-up Programme include these enterprises as well, from the small to the medium size and have a larger wastage for them?
And I would like to speak more about the micro enterprises as well. If those who have potential, we can grow them. But you know that some of them at the heartlands who are micro enterprises may not have the chance at all. They are just looking for survival. But these micro enterprises at the heartlands, we call them \"heartland enterprises\", they have both a commercial and also a social impact on our lives. Having lived in an HDB estate for more than 25 years, there are a lot of the shops that I still visit today and that personalised approach keeps them going. Several of us continue to patronise those shops and they continue to be there.
I know that MND and MTI are trying to spruce up these heartland enterprises. One of the major things they do in the past few years was upgrading the hardware facilities, the surroundings, hopefully, to capture the foot traffic. But you know, it is not just the hardware that we should upgrade. Maybe, it is the software as well. It is about helping these heartland enterprises maybe about a centralised inventory planning, financial planning, product innovation. And some of these things actually matter – bringing them online and become more e-commerce focused. And this may help them to draw in more customers instead of looking at just the foot traffic because, if it is just the foot traffic, they compete directly with the heartland malls and their prices. So, they may not have a chance to position themselves.
Would the Ministry consider looking at the heartland enterprises and look at the software aspect to actually put in the funding to help them?
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, during this period of the COVID-19 outbreak, people are taking precautions and minimising contact by avoiding crowds where possible. This crisis provides an opportunity and the motivation for our smaller, especially the simpler and more traditional, businesses and enterprises to adopt digitalisation for their operations.
However, many of these business owners would need help and I would like to request that the Ministry provide the additional support to our heartland enterprises to digitise and go online. Can the Ministry provide the expertise and guide them towards any support grants so that they can serve more customers through this relatively new sales channel? For example, there are many more people now who prefer to have their meals and groceries delivered to them. I hope the Ministry will take this opportunity to help more of our heartland enterprises move towards digitalisation.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, I declare my interest in speaking on this topic as the President of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).
I have three points for MTI's consideration regarding consumer matters.
Recently, there were several complaints recently regarding retailers selling face masks at substantially higher prices. This action of retailers taking advantage of consumers and profiteering during the COVID-19 outbreak is simply unacceptable. May I ask the Minister how many retailers have been queried by the price controller? What action would be taken against such recalcitrant retailers? What else can MTI do to warn businesses that they should not profiteer and should not take advantage of consumers during uncertain times? CASE will be happy to continue working with MTI to educate and empower consumers to know more about their rights and to protect themselves from unscrupulous businesses.
Next, it was recently reported in the media that some consumers were cheated when they tried to buy face masks online via Carousell. Last year, I asked MAS to work with the Association of Banks of Singapore (ABS) and credit card issuing banks to raise awareness of charge-back schemes. And this will enable consumers to seek refund from their credit card banks if they encounter a dishonest online vendor. After all, banks that provide banking facilities for their merchants have a better knowledge and control over their commercial partners. May I ask what is the status of this request to MAS and ABS?
Finally, under the Consumer Protection Fair Trading Act, if a supplier engages in an unfair practice and refuses to sign a Voluntary Compliance Agreement not to continue its unfair practice, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) may apply for an Injunction against the recalcitrant supplier. Before applying for an Injunction, CCCS needs to conduct an investigation and take statements from consumers. The process is quite tedious and not all consumers will want to spend their personal time giving statements to CCCS and appearing in court as witnesses. Sometimes, if the consumer needs to be publicly identified as someone who was taken advantage of, the consumer may rather not be embarrassed.
I am of the view that consumers will be more forthcoming if they do not have to worry about having to go to Court all the time. Will the Government consider amending the CPFTA to allow CCCS to have wider options of imposing administrative financial penalties instead the current option of only seeking an injunction against egregious businesses? The Competition Act has a financial penalty framework; perhaps a similar framework can be introduced for the CPFTA. Will MTI consider?
The Chairman: Leader of the House.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply Reporting Progress","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?
The Chairman: I give my consent.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow.\" – [Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2020/2021, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.
Mr Deputy Speaker: So be it.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn till 10.00 am, tomorrow.\" – [Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien]. (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 6.48 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Conduct Study on Why Fathers are not Taking Their Paternity Leave","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Prime Minister (a) whether the Government has conducted a study into why fathers are not taking their paternity leave; (b) if so, what are the results of the study; and (c) if not, whether it will consider doing so.
Mrs Josephine Teo (for the Prime Minister): The Government has studied the barriers to fathers using their paternity leave, which can be taken within a year of the child's birth, through focus group discussions and interviews with fathers from a range of backgrounds.
Our research showed that most fathers are keen to use their paternity leave and play a bigger role in child-raising. Across different types of jobs and companies, the key factor affecting fathers' utilisation of paternity leave is workplace support. This includes whether supervisors are adequately assuring that using paternity leave will not affect fathers' career prospects and that colleagues are willing to cover fathers' duties in their absence. The influence of workplace norms on paternity leave take-up is similar to other East Asian societies, such as South Korea and Japan, where take-up rates of paternity leave are less than 10%.1
Even though workplace norms take time to change, we have seen encouraging progress. Our paternity leave take-up rate has risen from 25% in 20132 to 53% in recent cohorts. In the public sector, the majority of fathers (84%) take paternity leave. Even in Nordic countries where paternity leave has been implemented much earlier, the take-up rates are around 70% to 80%.3 More employers in Singapore are also adopting the Tripartite Standards on Flexible Work Arrangements and Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs, to support their employees in managing their work and family responsibilities.
A whole-of-society effort is needed for fathers to feel supported in taking time-off from work to spend time with their children. We will continue to work with employers and other community partners such as the Centre for Fathering to provide better support for parents and promote greater paternal involvement in child raising.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Source: Statistics from South Korean and Japanese newspapers and national statistics websites.","2 : Statutory Paternity Leave was introduced in 2013.","3 : Source: International Network on Leave Policies and Research (2019), OECD (2019)."],"footNoteQuestions":["1"],"questionNo":"1"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Factors Considered in Shortlisting and Selection of Design Proposal for Future NS Square","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the procurement process for the future NS Square (a) whether sustainability and energy use are factors considered in the shortlisting and selection of the design proposal; (b) if so, what are the specific measures of sustainability and energy use that the Ministry considered; and (c) if not, why are these two factors not considered in the process.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Like all new large public sector buildings, the future NS Square will be required to attain the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Green Mark Platinum rating. The assessment takes into consideration factors such as the building's energy and water efficiency, and its operations and maintenance practices, including the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly products.
In addition, shortlisted teams have the flexibility to propose other green features that can further enhance the sustainability and energy efficiency of the development. Agencies are evaluating the shortlisted design proposals for NS Square and will take into consideration the measures proposed to enhance sustainability and energy efficiency.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Reduce Active Dengue Clusters and Efforts to Protect Vulnerable Groups","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) how has the Ministry been dealing with the increasing number of reported dengue cases since mid-December 2019; (b) what is the current number of active dengue clusters; (c) what are the current plans and measures to reduce the number of active dengue clusters; (d) whether efforts have been stepped up to ensure Singaporeans are prepared for the dengue outbreak; and (e) whether there is a need to step up efforts to protect vulnerable groups such as young children and seniors.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: As of 22 February 2020, there were 110 active dengue clusters. Since the start of the year, a total of 2,894 dengue cases have been reported, with 386 cases reported in the week ending 22 February. The number of Dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3) cases has risen over the last three months. The monthly proportion of DENV-3 cases in January was approximately 46%, higher than the proportion of Dengue virus serotype 2 cases at 40%. We are watching very closely whether there is a potential for a serotype switch. Such a switch is historically associated with dengue outbreaks. Singapore has not had a dengue outbreak driven by DENV-3 in over two decades, hence our population’s immunity to DENV-3 is low. The National Environment Agency (NEA) is monitoring this closely.
NEA, together with Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force partners and Town Councils, has stepped up inspections to remove potential mosquito breeding habitats. Community volunteers and grassroots leaders have also been working hard to raise awareness on dengue prevention. Of the 346 clusters notified this year, nearly 70% have been closed, with the cooperation of our partners and the community.
NEA has made available information on dengue clusters and areas with high Aedes aegypti mosquito population on the NEA website and myENV app. These are useful indicators to encourage early intervention, heighten community awareness to the risk of dengue transmission, and facilitate targeted action by stakeholders and residents. From January 2020, NEA started distributing flyers to alert residents living in areas with high Aedes aegypti mosquito population. Dengue cluster alert banners have also been put up in cluster areas to update the residents and members of the public of the latest dengue situation within the precinct.
In view of the dengue outlook for 2020, NEA will bring forward the launch of the annual National Dengue Prevention Campaign to March, ahead of the traditional mid-year peak dengue season. Together with grassroots leaders and Dengue Prevention Volunteers, NEA will embark on intensive nationwide outreach efforts. NEA does outreach to elderly at neighbourhood elderly corners using customised, vernacular-language videos. NEA also works with preschools and schools to provide dengue prevention materials depicting the life cycle of the Aedes mosquito, which also serves as a teaching aid.
But NEA alone cannot prevent dengue transmission in Singapore. 60% of mosquito breeding habitats detected continue to be found in residential premises. In addition to doing the Mozzie Wipeout, residents, especially those living in dengue clusters or areas with high mosquito population, are advised to regularly spray insecticide inside their homes, targeting dark areas where adult mosquitoes are likely to be resting. Young and old, there is an urgent need for everyone to step up their efforts to eradicate mosquito breeding habitats together with community partners and NGOs. Everyone must do their part to protect themselves and their loved ones.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Requirement for Employers to Declare Reasons for Salary Reduction from Amount Stated in In-principle Approval Letter","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider requiring employers to declare the reasons for the salary reduction from the amount stated in the In-Principle Approval letter of a foreign worker when they notify the Ministry and the foreign worker of the reduction.
Mrs Josephine Teo: When there is a dispute involving salary reduction from the amount stated in the In-Principle Approval letter, the onus is on the employer to show that he obtained the work permit holder's (WPH) written agreement and notified the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) beforehand. If the employer fails to prove either of the two requirements, the original declared salary holds and the employer will be required to make good any salary shortfall, regardless of reason for the salary reduction. In addition, MOM will also impose a fine of up to $10,000 per worker on the employer.
The requirement for employers to obtain their workers' written agreement ensures that the WPH can refuse to give his consent. WPHs whose contracts are terminated by their employer for refusing to provide consent should seek help from MOM. MOM allows such WPHs to find a new employer and we work with the Migrant Workers’ Centre to facilitate the process.
The suggestion by the Member to make employers declare the reason for the salary reduction when notifying MOM is redundant. Even if the employer did so, he would still need to obtain the written agreement of the WPH. In addition, it could have potentially unintended consequences, such as causing the worker to believe that the mere fact of notifying MOM regularises the salary reduction, even if the worker did not give his consent.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Work Permit Holders Not Issued with Key Employment Terms from 2016 to 2019","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many work permit holders have not been issued with Key Employment Terms in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively; and (b) whether the Ministry will start collecting such data if it does not currently do so.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Under the Employment Act, employers are required to issue Key Employment Terms (KETs) in writing to all employees within 14 days from the start of employment. Employers who fail to issue KETs or issue an incomplete set of KETs may be subject to an administrative penalty of a fine up to $400 for each breach. Uncooperative employers will also be directed to rectify the breaches and failure to abide by the direction will be a criminal offence.
A 2019 survey by MOM found that 98% of employees worked in private establishments that issued written KETs. This is consistent with our enforcement findings.
The Ministry also ensures that the employment rights of workers are protected even if they are not given KETs by their employers. For work permit holders, employers will be required to pay minimally the salary that was declared in the In-Principle Approval letter and provide the statutory benefits as prescribed under the Employment Act. In resolving disputes, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management and the Employment Claims Tribunals will draw adverse inference against employers who do not comply with our employment laws, such as failing to issue complete KETs in writing. MOM will continue to strengthen our enforcement and education of legislative requirements for KETs through mass media, WorkRight initiatives and targeted outreach to employers and workers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for Requiring Work Permit Holder to Seek Approval to Marry Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower what is the rationale for the requirement that a current or former work permit holder who wishes to marry a Singapore citizen or permanent resident must seek approval from the Ministry when S Pass and Employment Pass holders are not subject to the same requirement.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Work pass holders are meant to be transient. Persons who wish to stay in Singapore for the long-term must meet stringent criteria. Work permit holders (WPHs) are much less likely to meet the criteria than Employment or S Pass holders. As marriage to a Singapore citizen (SC) or permanent resident (PR) does not confer an automatic right of stay, it is better to have conveyed a clear signal in certain cases by not permitting the marriage in the first place. That said, in the last five years, about 8 in 10 WPHs have been granted approval to marry an SC or PR.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Average Period of Stay and Age of Singaporeans in Aged Homes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the average period of stay of Singaporeans in aged homes over the last five years; (b) what is the average age of Singaporeans when they first moved into aged homes and whether there is an increasing trend; (c) what is the breakdown of male to female ratio of Singaporeans residing in aged homes; (d) whether it is necessary to increase Singapore's pipeline of aged homes; and (e) whether the existing and planned pipelines of aged homes are able to meet future demands.
Mr Desmond Lee: Sheltered Homes (SHs) provide residential and care services to seniors aged 60 and above, who have little or no family support. There are 14 SHs licensed under the Homes for the Aged Act.
We do not track residents' age at admission to SHs. Based on a recent survey conducted in 2019 on SHs which are funded by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the average age at admission was 72 years; and the average length of stay was about six years. The gender ratio of residents in SHs is about one male to one female. There are no immediate plans to set up more SHs as the occupancy rate has been relatively stable.
Not every senior requires the services and close supervision provided by SHs. Most seniors prefer to grow old where they live, and with or close to their loved ones. To enable seniors to age in the community, there are other housing options such as senior group homes which provide assisted living in public rental flats for seniors with mild care needs. The Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Health will also launch a pilot on assisted living typology, where seniors can purchase a flat bundled with a package of programmes and services. Seniors with care needs can also access other services in the community, which include centre-based and home-based care services. The Government will continue to ensure that there are various options for seniors to age-in-place.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":3716,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Rahayu Mahzam","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20200302/vernacular-2 Mar 2020 - Ms Rahayu Mahzam - MHA Cut.pdf","fileName":"2 Mar 2020 - Ms Rahayu Mahzam - MHA Cut.pdf"},{"vernacularID":3717,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Amrin Amin","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20200302/vernacular-2 Mar 2020 - SPS Amrin Amin - Reply to MHA cuts (Approved by MHA).pdf","fileName":"2 Mar 2020 - SPS Amrin Amin - Reply to MHA cuts (Approved by MHA).pdf"},{"vernacularID":3718,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Sun Xueling","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20200302/vernacular-Sun Xueling MFA 2Mar 2020 -Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Sun Xueling MFA 2Mar 2020 -Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":3719,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20200302/vernacular-2 Mar 2020 - SMS Maliki Osman - Reply to Mindef cuts (Approved by MINDEF).pdf","fileName":"2 Mar 2020 - SMS Maliki Osman - Reply to Mindef cuts (Approved by MINDEF).pdf"},{"vernacularID":3720,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20200302/vernacular-2 Mar 2020 - SMS Maliki Osman - Reply to MFA cuts (Approved by MFA).pdf","fileName":"2 Mar 2020 - SMS Maliki Osman - Reply to MFA cuts (Approved by MFA).pdf"},{"vernacularID":3721,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20200302/vernacular-Sam Tan MFA 2 Mar 2020 -Chinese (mfa) - changes accepted.pdf","fileName":"Sam Tan MFA 2 Mar 2020 -Chinese (mfa) - changes accepted.pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}