Mr Speaker: Order. Before we proceed to Question Time, I have an announcement to make.
Hon Members, it was brought to my attention that Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Mr Leong Mun Wai was interviewed for a podcast “Yah Lah BUT”. This was hosted by Haresh and Terence and which appeared in YouTube and TikTok on various days in May 2024. Mr Leong also shared the podcast on his Facebook page.
During the interview, the following exchange took place between Haresh, the interviewer for “Yah Lah BUT”, and Mr Leong:
\"Mr Haresh said, 'Whenever the Speaker says, okay, any questions, you’re one of the first to put your hands up.'
Mr Leong Mun Wai replied, 'And one of the last to be called.'.”
Hereafter, I will refer to this as \"the Statement\".
Arising from the Statement, I had asked for information on the occasions that Mr Leong was called upon to make supplementary questions and clarifications in Parliament from August 2023 to May this year.
The record provides no basis for the Statement. It showed that Mr Leong was called for supplementary questions and clarifications earlier than other Members on many occasions, and that I had called him more than once on repeated occasions within the same item of business. Since Mr Leong was present during the relevant Sittings and would know the facts, the Statement is a gross misrepresentation of the proceedings of Parliament.
The Statement also suggests that Mr Leong is somehow treated differently from other Members and that his clarifications and supplementary questions have been de-prioritised. The Statement cast aspersions on my fairness and impartiality in calling Members. This is a reflection on my character as the Speaker, touching on my conduct of parliamentary proceedings.
On 22 June 2024, I wrote to Mr Leong asking him for the basis of the Statement made by him.
On 25 June 2024, Mr Leong replied to me. I will now quote the relevant extract of his email. It said:
“The Statement was a tongue-in-cheek response, and a light-hearted comment made at the start of the interview to lighten the mood in the context of a podcast. I had no intention whatsoever to cast any aspersion on your impartiality in Parliament.
I will be posting a Facebook clarification on the Statement to remove any misunderstanding.”
On the same day, Mr Leong put up a clarification on his Facebook page, the relevant portion of which reads as follows:
“The Speaker has since brought to my attention that my quip may be construed as casting aspersions on his impartiality in calling MPs.
I would like to clarify that my comment was a tongue-in-cheek response to Haresh’s comment ('one of the first to put your hands up' and 'one of the last to be called'), a response that was meant to be a light-hearted one made at the start of the interview to lighten the mood in the context of a podcast. This was in no way meant to be a comment on Speaker’s impartiality. Speaker has, on various occasions, called me ahead of other Members.”
In his 25 June 2024 reply, Mr Leong stated that he had no intention whatsoever to cast any aspersion on my impartiality in Parliament. He also requested for a meeting with me, before the next Parliamentary Sitting to clarify the matter in person.
I met Mr Leong in my chambers on 26 June 2024. At the meeting, I informed Mr Leong that I had checked the Parliamentary record since I was elected as the Speaker. The fact is, it is not true that whenever Mr Leong raised his hand to ask questions, he was one of the last to be called.
I told him that, even if he did not intend to cast aspersions on my fairness and impartiality in calling Members, the Statement does give rise to such an innuendo and reflects on my character in conducting Parliamentary proceedings.
Mr Leong repeated his explanation that the Statement was made in jest to make the podcast more light-hearted. He added that he never said the Speaker was unfair nor did he intend to make any insinuation about my character or conduct in Parliament.
I explained to Mr Leong that even if the Statement was made “tongue-in-cheek” and was a “light-hearted comment”, it does not change the fact that the Statement is attributed to me, that there was no basis for the Statement and it should not have been made.
At the meeting, Mr Leong stated that I had been fair to him when calling Members to ask questions. I thanked him for his clarification and asked Mr Leong to submit this in writing.
After the meeting with Mr Leong, I sent him an email on 26 June 2024, asking for a written statement from him in which he should:
(a)\tapologise for (i) giving the misleading impression that he was “one of the last to be called” whenever the Speaker asks for questions, and thereby misrepresenting the proceedings of Parliament; and (ii) implying that he was somehow treated differently from other MPs seeking to ask questions by the Speaker, which reflects that the Speaker is not fair and impartial; and
(b)\tacknowledge that I have conducted the proceedings of Parliament in a fair and impartial manner, and have treated him fairly.
Mr Leong’s reply was sent to me on 28 June 2024, the relevant portions of which read as follows:
“I would like to clarify that the Statement was a tongue-in-cheek comment made spontaneously in response to Haresh’s comment. It was a light-hearted comment made at the start of the interview to lighten the mood in the context of a podcast. Neither Haresh’s comment nor my Statement were scripted. We did not discuss beforehand what would be brought up during the interview.
I had no intention whatsoever to cast any aspersion on the impartiality of the Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to state for the record that I am satisfied with the time and opportunities that Speaker Seah Kian Peng has given me to ask questions since he took over as Speaker in August 2023. Mr Speaker has, on various occasions, called me ahead of other Members.”
In his reply, Mr Leong went further than his first reply to state that: (a) he was satisfied with the time and opportunities that I had given him to ask questions and (b) I had, on various occasions, called him ahead of other Members.
I wrote to Mr Leong again on 30 June 2024 informing him that I was grateful for his clarification (a) that he had no intention to cast aspersions on my impartiality as the Speaker, (b) that he was satisfied with the time and opportunities that I had given to him to ask questions, and (c) that I had on various occasions called him ahead of other Members.
However, I stated that his second clarification of 28 June 2024 did not contain the apologies requested for. In order to close the matter, I gave Mr Leong a final opportunity to make a written apology and the necessary clarifications.
So, on 1 July 2024, Mr Leong wrote to me a third email – this was yesterday – the relevant portions of which read as follows:
“First, I thank you for accepting my clarification that I had no intention to cast aspersions on your impartiality as the Speaker.
Given that you accept that there was no intention to cast aspersions on your impartiality as the Speaker, I trust you will agree that it would not be accurate to make an apology that suggests any intention to mislead listeners on my part.
However, to bring this matter to a close, I retract my words spoken on the 'Yah Lah BUT' podcast stating that I was 'one of the last to be called' and confirm I had no intention to imply that I was somehow treated differently from other MPs seeking to ask questions by you as Speaker, which reflects that you as the Speaker am [sic] not fair and impartial. For the record, I confirm that this has not happened to me under your term as Speaker.”
So, in his third email of 1 July 2024, Mr Leong retracted the Statement and confirmed that he had no intention to imply that he was somehow treated differently from other MPs by me. Mr Leong also stated that such unfair treatment had not happened to him during my term as Speaker.
I have given careful and due consideration to the totality of Mr Leong’s explanations conveyed in his letters dated 25 June 2024, 28 June 2024 and 1 July 2024, and in his meeting with me on 26 June 2024.
I want to emphasise that Members sitting in the House will know what happened in our proceedings. If you then proceed to say that something different happened in the House, even in jest, you are wilfully misrepresenting our proceedings. The misrepresentation is made more serious if it reflects on the character of a fellow Member or the Chair. As honourable Members, we should not be engaging in such conduct, whether in jest or otherwise. That is why I felt an apology was to be forthcoming from Mr Leong.
Having said that, I also considered that Mr Leong had, firstly, agreed to retract the Statement that he made on the podcast; secondly, that he was satisfied with the time and opportunities that I had given to him to ask questions; thirdly, clarified that I had on various occasions called him ahead of other Members; and fourthly, confirmed that I had not treated him differently from other MPs in asking questions.
I am satisfied that Mr Leong’s clarifications taken in totality have mitigated the misleading impression of the Statement. I have also taken due note of his clarification that I have been fair and impartial.
The Clerk will be distributing all the above letters recording my exchanges with Mr Leong to Members for reference. I have also instructed that these be made part of the Hansard record. [A handout was distributed to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]
I now consider the matter closed.
Going ahead, I would like to warn all Members that these are serious matters and such acts of contempt should not be repeated again, regardless of a Member’s intention.
The proceedings of Parliament and the conduct of Members, be it an Elected, Non-constituency or Nominated Member, Leader of the Opposition, Minister or any other office-holder, are not matters which should be taken lightly and cannot be made in jest. That is why section 31(g) and (h) of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act 1962 makes it a contempt of Parliament to make any statement which reflects on the character of the Speaker or any Member touching on his conduct in Parliament or anything done or said by him in Parliament, or to publish wilfully any false or perverted report containing a gross or scandalous misrepresentation of any debate or proceedings of Parliament.
These rules are not new to Members. In a statement to Parliament just last year, on 18 April 2023, the Leader of the House had drawn Members’ attention to the relevant rules relating to the conduct of Members to be observed both inside and outside of the House. The Leader of the House also circulated a note which highlighted, among other rules, section 31(g), (h) and (k) of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act 1962. These provisions relate to statements reflecting on Members in their Parliamentary roles, statements reflecting on Parliament and false reports of Parliamentary proceedings.
Today’s matter is not the first incident relating to Mr Leong. In her statement, the Leader of the House stated that the note was prepared having regard to recent incidents involving Mr Leong. I will not repeat what is contained in the handout, but I would encourage all Members to re-read it again.
At the heart of it, the issue is more than a collection of rules. It really about the proper functioning of our democratic system of Government. Parliament plays an integral role in the formation of a sound Parliamentary system and it is the forum where the Government explains and accounts for policies and laws to Members and through them, to the people. Our Members, past and present, have through the years earned the trust of the people. We need to uphold these rules and jealously guard that trust to maintain the confidence and respect our electorate has in our institution, and not bring Parliament into disrepute.
As the Speaker of Parliament, it is my duty to protect that trust by upholding the rules of Parliament, by being fair and impartial in the conduct of my duties and by maintaining decorum in Parliament. I trust that all Members will also play their part in upholding the rules of Parliament. Order.
Questions for Oral Answer.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clean-up Effort, Assessment of Impact and Review of Safeguards following Oil Spill from Accident at Pasir Panjang Terminal","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"1 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked Minister for Transport (a) whether there will be a review of the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act 1990 and its relevant subsidiary legislation in view of the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal; (b) whether there is an existing framework where the parties responsible for an oil spill, even in an accident, are made to appropriately address the potential negative externalities; and (c) whether the penalties under the Act commensurate with the costs of clean-up and provides a sufficient deterrent.
2 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether any environmental damage assessment has been done in relation to the maritime accident at Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June 2024; (b) what is the estimated cost of clean-up operations thus far; and (c) who will bear the cost of the clean-up operations.
3 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Transport (a) what standard operating procedures are in place, including targeted response times, to contain oil spills; (b) what coordination efforts are in place to promptly tackle both sea and beach clean-ups after oil spills; and (c) what are ways that citizens can be involved in such clean-up efforts.
4 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport in addition to using the current buster system, skimmers and containment booms, whether the Maritime and Port Authority has considered the use of hydrophobic sponges to separate oil from water emulsions to increase the efficiency and sustainability of oil spill response operations for the clean-up of the oil spill at the Pasir Panjang Terminal.
5 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the Maritime and Port Authority's (MPA’s) clean-up operations of the recent oil spill at the Pasir Panjang Terminal; and (b) whether there are subsequent plans to remove the remaining small droplets of oil mixed with sea water at low oil concentrations to ensure that the water is environmentally safe for local wildlife after the skimming operation is completed.
6 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the recent oil spill incident at Pasir Panjang Terminal, what are the estimated (i) environmental costs (ii) economic costs and (iii) costs of clean-up, including those arising from the procurement of emergency cleaning services.
7 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal (a) whether the Ministry and other agencies have received any reports from the public on adverse impact to persons and property; (b) if so, what are these reports and how can the public protect themselves and their properties; and (c) whether the agencies which are involved in resolving such issues are coordinated in their operations and responses.
8 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport when the recent oil spill at the Pasir Panjang Terminal was first discovered on 14 June 2024 (a) what actions, beyond the spraying of dispersant and deployment of oil booms, were undertaken in the first 24 hours to contain the spill; (b) how does the authorities verify that the containment efforts were successful; (c) how long after the oil spill was discovered before information was communicated to the press; and (d) how will the authorities determine when clean-up efforts are to cease.
9 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will conduct an after-action review regarding the multi-agency response to the oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal and present it to Parliament at a future date.
10 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport in respect of the oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal, how extensive is the resulting oil pollution damage to our beaches, coastal areas and port and territorial waters estimated to be.
11 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport in respect of the pollution caused by the oil spill at the Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June 2024, what is the estimated cost of the clean-up likely to be incurred for our beaches, coastal areas and port and territorial waters including the cost of deployment of vessels, equipment and manpower for all clean-up, containment and other mitigation measures.
12 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport regarding the collision between the Vox Maxima and Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal (a) why did the Maritime Port Authority choose to prioritise oil collection in certain areas before deploying booms to contain the spill; (b) what are the specific natural constrictions and catchment areas identified for containing the oil spill; and (c) whether this strategy resulted in any coastal areas becoming unnecessarily contaminated with oil.
13 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the planning parameters used in the Ministry's contingency planning for an oil spill in Singapore waters; (b) what assets and methods are required to ensure an effective response; (c) how regularly are these contingency plans exercised; and (d) what learning points from the oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June 2024 will the Ministry take to update its plans to respond to a future incident.
14 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport regarding the allision between Vox Maxima and Marine Honour (a) what time were booms fully deployed to encircle the vessels; (b) what was the boom formation shape and deployment pattern used; (c) what was the (i) total length of booms deployed (ii) height of the booms’ freeboard and skirt (iii) the significant wave height and (iv) the speed of tidal currents at the time and location of the incident; and (d) whether there were any breaks in the boom deployment.
15 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) how have the various Government agencies coordinated their responses to the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal; (b) whether the whole-of-Government response is coordinated with those of non-governmental organisations; and (c) what additional pre-emptive measures can be taken to guard against the effects of any future oil spills.
16 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the workers involved in the clean-up efforts for the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal have adequate personal safety protection equipment.
17 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the oil spill from the recent incident at Pasir Panjang Terminal (a) how will the Ministry ensure that the beaches are adequately cleaned to minimise the damage to the affected beaches and marine life; and (b) what preventive measures are being implemented to prevent such accidents in the future.
18 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what measures have been taken to ensure the safety of cleaning workers who are deployed to clean oil spills; and (b) whether there is an international standard of operating procedures that have been developed or adopted to ensure the safe and effective cleaning of oil spills.
19 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal (a) whether the Singapore Food Agency will be conducting random checks on the quality of produce from the fish farms for a defined period to ensure food safety; (b) what other support can be offered to the fish farm businesses in addition to the booms that have been deployed; and (c) whether the local fish supply will be impacted in the short term.
20 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are the standards for the use of personal protective equipment that companies and entities involved in the recent Pasir Panjang Terminal oil spill clean-up operation are required to meet; and (b) what recourse do workers involved in the clean-up have should they have or suspect to be suffering from ill effects from dermal or inhalation exposure.
21 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how frequently will the seawater intake at Jurong Island Desalination Plant be tested for oil contamination; and (b) whether there will be an impact on Singapore's water supply in the event that oil is detected.
22 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal (a) what are the personal protection equipment issued to workers and volunteers who are participating in the clean-up operations; and (b) what is the safety training provided to these workers and volunteers.
23 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal (a) what is the expected extent of damage to biodiversity-sensitive areas as a result of the low-sulphur fuel leakage; and (b) how can the current buster containment and recovery devices and booms help in managing the oil spill amidst the tidal currents.
24 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for National Development (a) how has the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal affected the marine protected areas of Sisters’ Islands and other parts of the Southern Islands; and (b) what measures are being taken to minimise the impact of the oil spill on marine life there.
25 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the impact of the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal on Singapore’s marine ecosystem in the short-term and long-term, respectively; and (b) how many wild animals have been rescued from the oil spill.
26 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current and long-term impact on the local wildlife and animal species in the areas affected by the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal, such as the Southern Islands and Labrador Nature Reserve; and (b) what measures can be taken to protect local wildlife against such impact from future oil spills.
27 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the expected biodiversity impact of the recent Pasir Panjang Terminal oil spill on the Sisters' Islands Marine Park; (b) whether the impact of the oil spill will affect plans for the second marine park in the Southern Islands; and (c) if so, what is the anticipated impact.
\tThe Minister for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mr Speaker, with your permission, may the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, the Minister for National Development and I answer Question Nos 1 to 27 in the Order Paper in our Ministerial Statements on the Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill Incident on 14 June 2024, which we will deliver later at today's Sitting?
Mr Speaker: Yes, I agree.
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Thank you, Sir.
Mr Speaker: You will all address this in the Ministerial Statement later on. I call on Ms Ng Ling Ling.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Future Plans for Family Nexus Centres and Other Key Initiatives in Child and Maternal Health and Well-Being Taskforce Report","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"28 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for Health with regard to the Strategy and Action Plan set out in the Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Taskforce report (a) whether there will be resources provided for ground-up or grassroots efforts to support the action plans; and (b) how long will it take for Family Nexus centres which provide integrated health and social services for families with young children and couples planning for marriage and parenthood to be established at all polyclinics in Singapore.
29 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the impact and utilisation of the Family Nexus sites established at Tampines, Punggol, Sembawang, and Choa Chu Kang; (b) what feedback has been received from the community; and (c) whether there are plans for expanding such sites to other regions.
30 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health with regard to the report from the interagency Child and Maternal Health and Well-being (CAMH) Taskforce published on 14 June 2024, what measurable outcomes have been observed from the 28 initiatives that have been implemented so far.
31 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Health with regard to the setting up of Family Nexus sites under the Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Taskforce’s Strategy and Action Plan (a) what is the timeline for rolling out this plan; and (b) when can residents of Woodgrove division expect to have access to such facilities at the Woodlands Polyclinic and other community spaces within Woodlands town.
32 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health how is the effectiveness of the key initiatives for the mental health screening and support for mothers, as provided in the report from the interagency Child and Maternal Health and Well-being (CAMH) Taskforce published on 14 June 2024, being evaluated.
\tThe Second Minister for Health (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer related Parliamentary Questions together?
Mr Speaker: Minister, I assume these are Question Nos 28 to 31 on the Order Paper?
\tMr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: My response will also cover the matters raised in both the questions for oral and written answers by Dr Wan Rizal,1,2,3,4,5 which are scheduled for subsequent Sittings. If he agrees that the questions have been addressed, it may not be necessary for him to proceed with the questions for future Sittings, Sir.
Mr Speaker: Please proceed.
\tMr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Thank you. The Child and Maternal Health and Well-being (CAMH) Taskforce published its Strategy and Action Plan report on 14 June 2024. In the report, we set out action plans to help keep mothers and children healthy, tackling challenges such as the rising age of first-time mothers and incidence of childhood obesity. The various initiatives are designed to serve families better by wrapping both health and social services around them. Of the 48 initiatives, 28 have been rolled out and the remainder will be progressively implemented over the next two years.
Dr Wan Rizal asked about the progress and evaluation of various initiatives. As the 28 initiatives have only been rolled out over the last two years, we will evaluate them from 2025 onwards, based on their effectiveness in achieving their intended outcomes and other dimensions such as participation rate.
In particular, Dr Wan Rizal asked about the reach of Project HOME, which stands for HOlistic Management and Enablement, and another project, HEADS-UPP or HEAlth and Development SUpport in Preschool Partnerships.
As of mid-2024, Project HOME has enrolled more than 100 families in the North-East region, while HEADS-UPP has onboarded 147 children in the West. Just to remind Members, these are pilots and therefore small cohorts are involved.
On how we are evaluating the key initiatives related to mental health screening and support for mothers, we will obtain feedback from participants and monitor the percentage of pregnant women identified and who have received appropriate follow-up care as well as improvement in their postpartum mental health.
Let me move on to the progress of other maternal and child health initiatives. Dr Wan also mentioned some areas for improvement, which the Taskforce had identified – rising age of mothers at childbirth, low birth weight and maternal mental health. We have addressed these in three ways.
First, we make more information available to all as early as possible. We do this by increasing access so that everyone can self-help, by publishing guidelines and providing bite-sized information on Parent Hub and other websites. The guidelines also help frontline providers in their work in supporting families. Second, we are introducing more accessible programmes, such as community antenatal education programmes at Choa Chu Kang by the National University Hospital System (NUHS) and at Family Nexus sites by healthcare clusters. Third, our public healthcare system proactively identifies those who are at-risk or need more help and offers additional support as needed.
Across KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and National University Hospital (NUH), all pregnant women will be screened for mental health conditions and those who need help will be provided follow-up care. KKH provides a Psychological Resilience in Antenatal Management (PRAM) programme to provide antenatal mental health screening, materials on mental health during obstetric visits and follow-ups with women at risk of developing postnatal depression. NUH runs the ProPEL programme, which stands for Promoting Parental Emotional Health to Enhance Child Learning, and similarly identifies patients to ensure timely follow-up and care. NUH has also extended their Women’s Emotional Health Service programme to women receiving care at NUH up to six years after their children are born, up from the follow-up period of one year previously, to ensure mothers receive adequate support. The programmes at KKH and NUH have benefited over 2,200 women.
Let me now turn to how the CAMH strategy is addressing childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a significant risk factor for developing obesity and other chronic illnesses later in life. Proper diet, sufficient physical activity and sleep, and balanced screen use can minimise sedentary lifestyles and reduce obesity. Multiple agencies across the health, education and social domains have worked together to introduce various measures to tackle childhood obesity. In the area of nutrition, we put out a set of guidelines for feeding and eating in infants and young children in February 2024. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is working with preschools and mainstream schools to provide healthier meals for students.
To ensure children have sufficient physical activity, preschools and schools are catering time for physical activities and raising awareness of the need to remain physically active. The Government and schools cannot do this alone. Behaviours still and will need to be sustained both in and out of school-time to be effective. We will continue to engage parents and encourage partners to improve access to healthier choice meals and physical activities in the community.
To help families better manage screen use and encourage balanced screen-time in children aged zero to 12, we issued the Guidance on Screen Use in Children in March 2023. The advisory has been disseminated to medical associations, polyclinics, general practitioners (GPs) and preschools, and are available as resources on Parent Hub and Parents Gateway for parents of Ministry of Education (MOE) students. Some polyclinics have also incorporated screen use check-ins and education as part of child health visits. The four Family Nexus pilot sites are actively engage parents on screen use habits of children.
Over the past months, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) have been discussing the need for more decisive and effective measures to shape the habits of device usage. MOH and MSF oversee the key touchpoints for children up to six years old through healthcare and preschools touchpoints. We will make our advice clearer and more definitive, deliver them consistently across all healthcare settings, with more reminders, put them into practice in preschools and find ways to encourage their adoption at home. We will share more about these efforts in coming months.
Finally, let me turn to addressing the questions around integrating health and social services, and how this is being done via the Family Nexus concept. Family Nexus brings together the health and social support services that families need. We have so far introduced the Family Nexus initiative across four sites to improve coordination and make it easier for families to access the support they need.
There has been positive ground feedback received on Family Nexus, from both partners and families. For instance, FamNex@Bukit Canberra has attracted more than 1,500 participants since it began operations in November 2023, reflecting a keen interest among parents and caregivers to engage in educational and wellness building activities with their children. In terms of referrals, FamNex@OTH had received more than 380 cases from community nurses since its soft launch in November 2022, while FamNex@Punggol had referred more than 500 cases to social service agencies from December 2023 to May 2024. We are tapping on these pilot sites to test out different models of bringing together partners to offer co-located programmes and services. MOH will study which elements of these models are most effective and explore how they can be scaled to residents in other regions.
Mr Speaker, having access to integrated services is especially important for lower-income households and vulnerable groups. I mentioned Project HOME and HEADS-UPP earlier in my response. MOH works closely with MSF, MOE and community partners to provide holistic health and social support through these two initiatives. Social workers and preschool educators are equipped with skills to identify and refer preschool children who are at-risk of health, developmental, behavioural and dental issues to KKH for Project HOME or NUH for HEADS-UPP for further assessment. Home visits are made to families who have more complex needs to provide additional support to the parents and to enable fast-tracking of referrals for medical appointments as needed.
To improve access, we have expanded community-based services to support children, adolescents and women in the community. They can now access services such as antenatal classes, breastfeeding and lactation support and screening for maternal mental health at polyclinics and Family Nexus sites closer to homes.
Our community nurses and other frontline colleagues play a key role in ensuring that services in the community are integrated and delivered well. They support families and children with their specialised skills, such as growth and developmental assessment and counselling on common childhood illnesses and allergies. In addition, they help to link and direct families to other related services. We will need to continue to count on them to care for families.
Dr Wan Rizal asked about the challenges we face. Let me touch on this briefly before I end. There is still much to be done and many of these initiatives require close coordination among multiple partners and stakeholders. We also need to raise awareness of the importance of anchoring healthy behaviours as early in life as possible. I encourage everyone to share the report and resources such as Parent Hub more widely to families, during programmes and healthcare appointments, and via schools and Government platforms, so that more families can benefit and we can better help the next generation to grow well and realise their potential.
\t
\tMr Speaker: Ms Ng Ling Ling.
\tMs Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio): Speaker, I thank the Minister for a very comprehensive update of the work that the CAMH Taskforce has done. I would like to express my appreciation for this task force because with the record low total fertility rate (TFR) in Singapore still continuing, every child is a precious one in Singapore. So, these initiatives are really important.
My supplementary questions are: firstly, with the many agencies across health, social and education involved in delivering over 40 initiatives, with 28 already implemented, how does the task force think that a mother who is coping with all the pregnancy demands and delivering her first baby would be able to have a more seamless experience, whether Health Hub maybe will be the digital platform that they can see all their case notes and intervention for coordination for their health?
Secondly, it is wonderful to have regional clusters doing community health talks. But because several of the initiatives are now still in the pilot phase, can HPB, being a national agency, take on maybe baseline training where most of the community centres can offer this, so that we can cover as many of these mothers and children as we can?
\tMr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I would say this is the first time we are actually trying to bring that many agencies across three domains: education, health and social support. Already, it is complicated because while everyone can do their work well, coordinating with one another in ensuring the support is done holistically is something we need to learn to do better.
But I would say that at the initial stages, the referrals that are designed into the programmes are being done properly. So, when a social service agency, for example, sees some health issues in the family, they do not just report; they make sure that it is addressed. If it is very complex, they ensure that the community nurses, for example, will attend to them and vice versa.
A health point like Family Nexus may find, during the interview, that they have other issues than just medical attention needed. That, too, has helped coordination among these agencies. Co-location is one solution so that when they come, they may be going for a particular issue to be addressed. But during the interview and triage, we also find out that there are other issues, and the agencies are already on hand and onsite to address the issues, if they want it to be done that way.
In fact, I also see that sometimes the mother needs more help than the children they bring to the Nexus. The children then get support and playing time, for example, while the issues of the mother are being addressed. I agree that we can do more to help the community provide support as we scale up the support.
I will consult with HPB on how this can be done, whether the Community Health Points, for example, can be used as one of the areas where we can rally our community to come together. But at the same time, our community nurses currently are only trained mostly for senior care, and we do need to train them to address maternal and child issues, which will also need a little time for us to keep up with.
\tMr Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal.
\tDr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for sharing on CAMH. I believe that this is a wonderful initiative, something that we have been waiting for, for some time. I have a number of supplementary questions, Mr Speaker. Is it okay if I go beyond the two?
\tMr Speaker: Please ask all of them at one go and try to keep it succinct.
\tDr Wan Rizal: Will do. Sir, my first supplementary question will be on the Family Nexus. There are Family Nexus sites already established. What considerations would the Ministry take into account when wanting to expand to other regions? I believe there are other regions which would also like to have these services. So, that is the first question.
The second question is about the usage of screen time. This is something that came up very strongly in the paper and there are only guidelines. Are there plans for the Ministry to consider making it into legislation, where we can limit the usage of these devices for children?
Sir, the third question I have is regarding the concerning rates of childhood obesity. Although we want to address obesity on its own, I remember back then that when we talked about obesity, a group of students in schools usually are sidelined. As we address this issue, I was wondering how we could better manage this situation so that we do not segregate this community too much where the children themselves are being targeted for being obese.
\tMr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: When we designed the four Family Nexus centres, we considered a few models to try out. One model is like the one in our Tampines Hub, a community point where the community comes together naturally, regularly and makes a place where everyone is familiar with, but there are no medical facilities available, not like a polyclinic. We have another where it is actually a polyclinic and then we infused social services, so that if they come for medical attention, they can be referred to the social service agency. Another one is where the polyclinic has a small unit onsite together with the social service agency, which is a hybrid.
So, we are still looking at the various hybrids and the various configurations and then evaluate within, say, two years to see what best, how best and what suits where, in terms of the impact that we can provide for our mother and child dyad. But for now, what we are looking at is what is the density of the mother-child dyad like and that will be our priority on when we will roll this out, when the pilot is proven and chosen in terms of whether it is a hybrid type, community type or polyclinic type.
On screen time, it is a guideline right now. At the end of the day, to legislate something for the service providers is going to be really difficult because it is a complex issue involving both the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and MOH. And everywhere in the world, we are trying to address this issue and looking for solutions to them.
But we can put this control in the hands of our parents to understand the different kinds of screen time that they are exposing their children to, especially when they are very young. Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO), for example, talked about television (TV) time. In the very early years, a child may be watching TV, totally captured and enamoured by what is happening on TV, and we think, \"Oh, the child is enjoying the show.\"
But what GUSTO has found is that it is stimulating the brain with lights. All the child is looking at is light. He does not understand what he is watching, and the stimulation on the brain is not good for the child. It is actually detrimental to the brain.
Therefore, when we look at other kinds of screen use, we have to understand whether it is for interactive purposes, which is recommended, but still must be regulated for different age groups; whether it is passive, where the child is watching and nobody is interacting; or, even worse still, in the background; where nobody is watching but it is in the background.
So, all these are kinds of screen device use which our parents must know about, more so because of social media and the ability of digital channels, like YouTube and so forth, so that we are aware about what we are exposing our children to and how their brains are developed and, in fact, even how their social behaviours are shaped. So, please read these guidelines. They are very well thought out and easy to use. We do not need regulations to get these things understood. We do not need lawyers to understand what they are. Just read them and they are very easy to use. Remember three things: need for interaction; avoid passive watching; and, worse still, do not have background screen use.
Finally, on obesity, I agree there are still many things we need to do and continue to do in addressing obesity in children. But a lot more effort ought to be done upstream. GUSTO studies also showed that there are things that we can do with our children that can prevent obesity setting in. For example, chewing time. Just getting children to chew more while they are growing up and not swallowing everything does affect obesity rate. Simple things that parents can do. Instead of us always trying to address the issues when they are in primary and secondary school, growing obese, actually there are things that we can do to address these issues as they are growing up.
That is why Family Nexus, the polyclinics, the interventions we are making with our mothers as they give birth to their children, other than lactation and so forth, these are important ideas, concepts, findings that we hope can help our children grow and develop their potential as much as possible by addressing and helping them far up and downstream as much as possible.
\tMr Speaker: Last supplementary question. Ms Hany Soh.
\tMs Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Speaker, I thank the Minister for the insightful sharing. My question surrounds the antenatal and postnatal mental wellness support which the Minister shared earlier that has been rolled out at KKH and NUH.
This supplementary question is in relation to whether there are plans to roll out to other hospitals, for example, like at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), and also, in terms of the consistencies of the services to be provided by these public hospitals, are we ensuring that there is some level of consistency in terms of the practices that are being shared with the patients as compared to the private hospitals' patients in these aspects?
The other supplementary question is in relation to the expansion of the Nexus centres, which the Minister had given an earlier response to my Parliamentary colleague Dr Wan Rizal's supplementary question, I have asked Parliamentary Questions on this as well, specifically in relation to whether these expansions will be rolled out in due course to our Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency's Woodgrove divisions, that will, of course, definitely benefit the residents of Woodgrove and also Marsiling. The gist of why there is an emphasis for this is because we are expecting a lot of Build-To-Order (BTO) families with young children who will be moving in. So, I hope that the Ministry can, when it comes to expansion, take this into consideration when deciding on the locations for Nexus centres to be constructed.
\tMr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. To answer the second question, yes, indeed, we look at the density of where young couples live and the potential for them to have children, have families, and those are actually where we would roll out the earliest next tranche of Family Nexus centres. I hope that this can give the support to improve our TFR because this is part of the programmes that we want to put in place to help make Singapore that is \"Made for Families\", and to know that we will do everything and anything to support our mothers, particularly, in raising their children and having families.
On the issue of antenatal and postnatal care, the prenatal mental health guidelines for women of childbearing age were developed by KKH, together with the College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (OB/GYN) and have been launched in February last year and are already disseminated to healthcare professionals and the general public. So, there is one for healthcare and there is one for the professionals; and there is a consensus statement published in the Annals of the Academy of Medicine, summary of the guidelines and they are all available on the KKH website. So, it is already available to all OB/GYN specialists and hospitals, and I believe that within the fraternity, they are referring to this for their practice.
\t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether an update can be provided on the new perinatal mental health guidelines on depression and anxiety and the universal antenatal mental health screening programme introduced in 2023; (b) what has been the response from healthcare providers and patients; and (c) how is the Ministry monitoring the programme’s effectiveness.","2 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how is the Ministry expanding community-based health services to support children, adolescents and women; (b) what role do community nurses play in this expansion; and (c) how is the impact made by community nurses being assessed.","3 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health in respect of the report from the interagency Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Taskforce published on 14 June 2024 on the stable yet concerning rates of childhood obesity (a) whether the Ministry is taking additional steps apart from the initiatives provided in the report to address this issue; and (b) whether there are any new additional partnerships planned to promote physical activity and healthier eating habits among children.","4 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what guidelines and educational resources are being provided to parents to manage their children's screen use of mobile devices; and (b) how is the Ministry ensuring widespread awareness and adherence to these guidelines.","5 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how is the Ministry ensuring that lower-income families receive adequate health and social services support through initiatives like Project HOME (Holistic Management and Enablement) and HEADS-UPP (HEAlth and Development SUpport in Preschool Partnerships); and (b) whether data can be provided on the reach and impact of these initiatives on the target population."],"footNoteQuestions":["28","29","30","31","32"],"questionNo":"28-32"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for GIC to Re-allocate Some Investments to Securities Listed on Singapore Exchange","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"33 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Government will review its investment mandates with GIC to consider the suggestion from some industry players for GIC to allocate part of its investments to securities listed on the Singapore Exchange to revitalise our local stock exchange.
\tThe Second Minister for Finance (Mr Chee Hong Tat) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, GIC's mandate is to preserve and enhance the international purchasing power of Singapore's reserves. That means two things.
First, to enhance the value of Singapore's Reserves, GIC's investment decisions aim to achieve good long-term returns for Singapore. That remains GIC's main focus. GIC must therefore continue to make professional investment decisions and the Government should not direct or interfere with GIC's investment decisions.
Second, to preserve the international purchasing power of the Reserves, especially for crisis needs, GIC invests in a globally diversified portfolio that reflects the availability and attractiveness of global investment opportunities and asset classes.
The Government will continue to find ways to improve the attractiveness of our local equity market, but directing GIC to invest in locally listed companies is not the solution. Doing so will compromise our objectives for setting up GIC, which is not beneficial for Singapore and Singaporeans. Under our current arrangements, GIC can already invest in appropriate Singapore companies if these companies have a global footprint and generate good returns to GIC's portfolio.
Sir, a more sustainable way to develop the local equity market is to first have a pipeline of good companies to list on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). In addition to anchoring international enterprises which bring new ideas, technology and good jobs, we will continue to groom and develop local companies. Some of these companies will have the potential to list locally. In 2022, we established funds to support growth enterprises and prepare them for Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) here in Singapore when the opportunity arises, such as the Anchor Fund @ 65. These funds have invested in nine companies to date and they are working closely with the portfolio companies to prepare them for IPO on the SGX.
Another priority is to help more companies which are listed on the SGX to grow their operations and expand into overseas markets. By becoming globally competitive and having a larger international presence, these companies would become more attractive to global investors. We have implemented schemes to support business innovation, transformation and internationalisation to help Singapore-based companies develop their capabilities.
Sir, the Government remains open to new ideas and measures to improve our equity market and support business growth. We will continue to work with industry stakeholders on this goal.
Mr Speaker: Mr Liang.
\tMr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Thank you, Sir. Let me first declare that I work in a financial institution. I thank the Minister for his reply, which further clarifies the position of GIC's investment mandates.
I do agree with the Minister that we should not compromise on delivering returns and to achieve the best Net Investment Returns Contribution for the country. But having said that, I would still nevertheless like to ask the Second Minister how our very own investment agencies like GIC, Temasek, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, can help strengthen our status as a premier international financial centre, given the scale that they have, as well as the sophistication in terms of the scope of investments.
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Liang for his supplementary questions. I think I would like to respond in two parts.
First is to say that Singapore's financial sector, as a whole, is doing well. The local equity market is, of course, one part of it. But Singapore continues to be an important pan-Asian gateway for capital formation and intermediation.
And this includes foreign exchange – we are the largest foreign exchange centre in Asia Pacific. We have almost US$1 trillion in foreign exchange traded daily in Singapore.
Wealth and asset management. Singapore is a developed pan-Asian asset management centre, with over 1,100 asset managers and over S$4.9 trillion of assets under management.
Fixed income. Our bond market has grown significantly in recent years, reaching $512 billion in 2022, with foreign issuers making up half the issuance volumes. SGX is also one of the largest bond listing venues in Asia.
And, of course, a new area that we are going into, is sustainability. We are a leader in sustainable finance in the region, accounting for over 60% of cumulative sustainable bonds and loans issuance in ASEAN in 2022.
Having said that, we do recognise that for the local equity market, more can be done to grow this segment. We are working closely with the industry to look at what is the best way to do this.
There are different ways to achieve this goal, including what I mentioned in my main reply: working with companies, grooming local companies that are able to go IPO and list here in Singapore. Existing companies that are already listed on the SGX but helping them to grow their presence, to grow their operations because when you expand overseas, global investors, including institutional investors then become more interested in doing research and investing in this company, and I think that will help to increase the amount of activity and liquidity here in Singapore.
For the Government's investment entities, like Temasek, GIC, they do invest locally, but I think there is a difference between asking them to make those investment decisions based on returns and what is in the best interests for shareholders, for Singaporeans ultimately, versus we give them a directive to invest locally.
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong.
\tMr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Speaker. I have one question for the Minister. Given that a vibrant local equity market is an integral part of an innovative economy. Over the last 20 years, actually, the equity markets in Singapore have been on a steady decline, in terms of the number of IPOs that have come onto the market, the liquidity and all that.
So, does the Government plan to have an integrated plan on reviving our local equity market? Is there a plan that the Government has in mind?
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Leong for raising his question. Indeed, as I mentioned earlier, we do want to look for ways to grow our local equity market. This is an important part of our overall economy. It would not only help to support our local companies who want to list and expand. It will also be an important contribution to our status as a financial centre.
Indeed, we have plans to work with industry partners to see how we can do this. As I mentioned earlier in my response to Mr Liang, there are different ways to achieve this goal and some, I think, are more viable, more sustainable than others.
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong.
\tMr Leong Mun Wai: Thank you, Speaker. Sorry, one more supplementary question. But I think what we need is that the local equity market, in a way, there has not been an integrated effort to promote the market. So, now, I think we have reached a stage whereby I think we should be paying more attention to it. So, what I am asking is that, does the Government have a very definite integrated plan and does the Government feel the urgency now to give priority to promoting our local capital market?
I think from what the Minister have said just now: you are doing this, you are doing that. But I think there ought to be a new emphasis. And I think a lot of the market participants have actually voiced these concerns to the Government for many years already.
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I am not sure which part of my replies earlier gave Mr Leong the impression that we are not taking this seriously or with urgency. I mentioned several times that we are taking a look, working with industry players to see how we can do better. I mentioned a couple of times that growing the local equity market is an important priority for us. So, I hope that there is no misunderstanding on that front.
I do not disagree with Mr Leong that this is something we want to do better. But as I mentioned, there are different ways to achieve the goal. Some ways are more appropriate, some ways are more sustainable. I think we need to look for what are those levers that will allow us to achieve that outcome.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assessment of Deterrent Effect of Singapore's Anti-money Laundering Laws","subTitle":"Proportionality of sentences in Singapore's largest money laundering case","sectionType":"OA","content":"34 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the public feedback on the proportionality of the sentences meted out to the perpetrators of Singapore's largest anti-money laundering case, what is the Ministry's assessment of the deterrent effect of the anti-money laundering laws.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, this question has been answered in Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA's) written reply to a similar question two months ago, asked by Mr Leong Mun Wai. [Please refer to \"Deterrent Effect of Existing Anti-money Laundering Legislation\", Official Report, 8 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 136, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
We will make some additional points.
The Government's role is to consider whether the existing range of sentences is adequate – that has been dealt with in the previous reply.
The actual sentences in individual cases are decided by the Courts, based on the facts of each case and based on the submissions by the Prosecution and the Defence. We should look carefully at the specific charges in considering the sentences imposed. Although the media often refers to the $3 billion money laundering case, the amounts and charges involved vary across the different cases.
For example, one of the convicted foreigners is Su Haijin. He was sentenced to 13 months' and six months' imprisonment respectively. This sentence was for two counts of money laundering involving about $1.4 million, which were ordered to run concurrently, and a further one month's imprisonment for one count of resisting arrest. This resulted in a total of 14 months' imprisonment for his offences in Singapore.
The sentences meted out by the Court for Su and the other Defendants are comparable to sentences imposed in other jurisdictions. The penalties provided for Su's specific offences in law are a fine not exceeding $150,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both.
Additionally, $165 million, or about 95% of the assets linked to Su and his wife, were forfeited to the state. This voluntary forfeiture went beyond the amounts for which charges had been brought against Su. Such additional asset forfeiture, where the Defendants agree to the forfeiture, deprives criminals of their assets, beyond the amounts which are the subject of the money laundering charges.
Mr Speaker: Dr Tan.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): My apologies. Can I ask on the next one? I will ask on the next one, then.
Mr Speaker: I am assuming you are asking a supplementary question, right? Which is why I called you.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: Yes. So, can I just ask more broadly, and I know this may have bearing on the next Parliamentary Question (PQ) as well, because one of the questions that arises from the Minister of State's and MHA's answer is that these are not crimes of passion. Money laundering offences involve planning, deliberation and calculation.
So, can I ask, does the Minister of State agree, more broadly, without reference to any particular specific case, that a potential money laundering criminal will do their sums, including what is the chance of being caught, and if they are caught, what is the chance of being convicted and whether the penalties will outweigh the potential benefits?
And so, can the Minister of State also tell us, looking back at the existing cases and looking forwards, does MHA have a sense of how many potential cases of money laundering was strongly suspected, but could not be caught and convicted, and will the Inter-Ministerial Committee look at tightening the evidential searching process and strengthening the potential penalty regime, if appropriate?
Mr Speaker: Dr Tan, your supplementary question covers a bit of your next question, actually. But anyway, I will leave it to the Minister of State.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
\tMs Sun Xueling: Yes, Mr Speaker, Sir. I think the Member's question is more in relation to the next PQ in the Order Paper, but I will answer it nevertheless.
\t
\t
As the Member, Dr Tan Wu Meng, would know, the Inter-Ministerial Committee was set up in end-2023 to review our anti-money laundering regime. The work of the inter-agency committee is still ongoing and recommendations will be made available in a few months' time. But what I would say is that the inter-agency review will focus on four areas and they are related to what Dr Tan had shared in his supplementary question, which are, we are looking at what more can be done to prevent corporate structures from being abused by money launderers; how financial institutions can enhance their controls and collaborate more effectively to guard against and flag suspicious transactions; and how other gatekeepers in the ecosystem, which involve real estate agents, lawyers, precious stones and metals' dealers and corporate service providers, can better guard against money laundering; and, of course, how we can strengthen our monitoring and sense-making capabilities to better detect suspicious activities.
So, I think, potential money launderers, when they look at what Singapore's whole-of-Government approach and whole-of-society approach is towards money laundering, they will make their assessment as to whether or not they would like to continue with these activities at a high risk of being caught.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":" Considerations of Inter-Ministerial Committee to Review Singapore’s Anti-money Laundering Legislation Regime","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"35 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Inter-Ministerial Committee established to review Singapore's anti-money laundering regime will consider and study how potential offenders calculate (i) their own potential probability of being caught, (ii) the range of existing sentencing precedents, when proposing any tightening of regulations and enforcements to prevent exploitation by criminals; and (b) whether the Committee will consider recommending the enhancement of detection, investigation and sentencing to safeguard Singapore's stature as a respected financial centre.
\t
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): In the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) review, the IMC will indeed consider the increasingly sophisticated ways by which criminals may seek to exploit our systems and make recommendations to ensure that our anti-money laundering regime remains effective in preventing, detecting and enforcing against such. The IMC will share its full findings and recommendations in the fourth quarter of this year. As for the adequacy of the penalties prescribed in the law, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regularly reviews such, the last time being just recently in 2023.
\tMr Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): I thank the Minister of State for her answer and I have got a further supplementary question on this topic. Will the IMC in its deliberations also look at whether there is an increasing nexus of money laundering with organised crime, including organised cybercrime?
I raise this because there were media reports of a foreign national arrested in Singapore, following an extradition request. It was reported in the media that this foreign national faced charges, not just of money laundering, but also running a large-scale malware and botnet, relating to cybercrime.
And if there is an emerging nexus between money laundering and organised crime and other forms of crime, including cybercrime, will the IMC look at applying the full force of Singapore's policy levers, including the ones we apply to organised crime, today?
\t
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Indeed, money laundering and the methods employed by money launderers have become increasingly sophisticated. They undertake multiple layering processes to hide their tracks.
And obviously, with greater digitalisation, different categories of assets, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between legitimate and illicit fund flows. Earlier in my response, I had mentioned that we are taking a whole-of-Government approach to strengthen our monitoring and sense-making capabilities. This would include looking into areas of cybercrime. So, I hope that helps address the Member's question.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
\tMr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a question for the Minister of State. Lately, over the last two years, in particular, there has been a term that is floating in the media lexicon – \"Singapore-washing\".
Can I confirm whether the IMC will also be looking at the various permutations and aspects of some of the claims made by individuals and media organisations worldwide about how Singapore is potentially used as a conduit for such money laundering?
\t
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. Indeed, the IMC is undertaking rigorous work to ensure that corporate structures in Singapore are not being abused by money launderers.
Secondly, we are also working closely with our financial institutions to make sure that they enhance their controls, they do their due diligence on their customers' backgrounds to be able to identify the sources of their funds.
I also earlier mentioned other gatekeepers in the system, such as real estate agents, lawyers, precious stones and metals' dealers and corporate service providers.
All these actions would help us better guard against potential money launderers trying to launder their monies through Singapore's ecosystem.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Factors Considered in Deciding Deportation Destinations for Foreigners Who Have Served Their Sentences in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"36 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for foreigners convicted of offences in Singapore, what are the considerations taken into account in deciding which country to deport them to after they have served their sentences; and (b) how are these considerations applied to the offenders involved in the recent billion-dollar money laundering case.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, such foreigners can go to any country to which their passport or travel document allows them to go. This applies similarly to the convicted foreigners in the $3 billion money laundering case.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
\tMs Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Thank you, Sir. I have three supplementary questions for the Minister of State. First on part (a), which is a general question on Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA's) policy with regard to deportation of foreigners convicted in Singapore. From my past experience, it is quite normal for foreigners to be sent back to their home countries. I would like to ask the Minister of State whether ICA, indeed, has this default guideline, apart from any special circumstances, that we would deport the foreigner back to the country where the foreigner is a national. For example, if you are a Malaysian, you will be deported to Malaysia; if you are an Indonesian, likewise, and so on.
The second supplementary question is that, on this recent money laundering case, out of the seven who had been deported to Cambodia so far, at least three of them do not seem to be holding Cambodian passports. That is based on the information which I could glean publicly. That means out of the seven deported to Cambodia, three of them do not seem to be holding Cambodian passports. So, I wonder if the Ministry can explain the choice, why they were deported to Cambodia, for those who are not Cambodian nationals.
The third question, out of the 10 arrested in this recent case, five were reported to be wanted by China and they are holding Chinese passports. So, my question is, why are they not being returned to China?
\t
\t
Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her questions. First and foremost, to start off with, the examples that she shared about previous instances could be a case whereby the subject did not hold multiple passports. And therefore, the only country in which the subject could be deported to, was the subject's home country. In this case, the 10 subjects hold multiple passports. As I alluded to in my main reply, the foreigners can go to any country to which their passport or travel document allows them to go.
On the second question that she had, about three of them not holding Cambodian passports, I am not aware of this situation. I would find that quite odd, because when we undertake deportation processes, we would look at whether or not they are admissible to the country of their choice. And that would include whether or not they hold a passport that allows them to enter the country.
The third and last question the Member had was why they were not deported back to China, right? As I mentioned earlier, the foreigners can go to any country which their passport or travel document allows them to go. So, for these 10 subjects, they had chosen to be deported to Cambodia or Japan, at least for these 10 subjects. [Please refer to \"Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Correction By Written Statement section.]
\tMr Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
\tMs Sylvia Lim: Thank you, Speaker. I have three points. First is, my analysis of who held what passports are based on the publicly available reports. So, based on what I have discerned, there are three of them being deported to Cambodia who are not Cambodian national – so, Ministry can contradict me if I am wrong in what I found.
Secondly, she mentioned that the offenders chose to go to those jurisdictions – Cambodia or Japan. So, is she saying that the offenders have a right to indicate which jurisdiction they would like to be deported to? Because she used the word \"chose\", so, I would like the Minister of State to clarify that.
Last of all, my understanding is that there is an extradition treaty between Cambodia and China. So, I wonder whether she can or cannot confirm whether this was one of the factors taken into account in deporting seven of these offenders to Cambodia.
\t
\tMs Sun Xueling: For the avoidance of doubt, to be clear, convicted foreigners can go to any country which their passports or travel documents allow them to go. So, for the subjects that we are discussing right now, seven convicts have been deported to Cambodia, while one convict has been deported to Japan.
Specifically, on the question on three of the subjects as to whether or not they hold Cambodian passports, I can check back with my Ministry on this point. I have shared what I understood about this matter in my earlier reply. [Please refer to \"Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Clarification section.]
Sorry, could I get the Member to repeat her last point again, please?
\tMs Sylvia Lim: There were two more points, Speaker. The second one was about the fact that the Minister of State mentioned that these offenders chose to go to Cambodia or Japan. So, my question is, do offenders have the right to choose which country they would like to be deported to? So, if I decide that I want to go very far away to Canada, can I just say that, even if I have no connection with that country? So, anyway, specifically on that case, whether they had the right to choose?
And last of all, was the question of the existence of an extradition treaty between China and Cambodia, and whether that was one of the considerations which led to the Government deporting seven of these offenders to Cambodia.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her questions. To answer the second question first, whether or not there was an extradition treaty between Cambodia and China was not part of the decision-making process that the Ministry undertook.
I think what is important is that where subjects hold multiple passports, there is an assessment by the Ministry, as to whether or not they are admissible to the country based on the travel documents that they have. So, I think we do not want a situation where we try to deport an individual and actually the country to which we are deporting the individual to, does not accept the individual. Therefore, I think there is an assessment: firstly, based on the passports that they hold, which are the countries they can be deported to; secondly, obviously, if they have multiple passports, we would have to, well, whether or not the term is \"choose\", but we would have to decide which country that they have the greatest likelihood of being admissible to. We make that assessment and then we successfully deport them. I hope that helps address the questions.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
\tMs Sylvia Lim: Last clarification, again on the issue of choice. Can the offender choose where to be deported to and the Government will accede to the choice?
\t
\tMs Sun Xueling: I think you are using the term \"choice\" rather loosely, because the offender can indicate which country he or she would like to be deported to, but it cannot just be, \"I choose and therefore I will be sent there\". There needs to be an assessment by the Ministry as to whether or not the individual can be admissible to the country based on the travel document that he or she holds. I hope that helps address the question.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim. Your next question.\t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Competing Claims for Assets Forfeited by Those Convicted in Money Laundering Case","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"37 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs regarding the assets forfeited by those convicted in the multi-billion dollar money laundering case, whether there have been any competing claims to the assets lodged with the courts thus far by foreign governments or parties.
\tMr Speaker: Back to you, Minister of State Sun Xueling.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir. To date, there have not been any competing claims to the forfeited assets lodged with the Courts, by foreign governments or parties.
\t
\tMr Speaker: Ms Lim.
\tMs Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Thank you, Sir. Two questions. One, can the Minister of State confirm that these assets forfeited in the Courts will now go to the consolidated fund for general Government use? The second question is, is she able to confirm that now that they have been forfeited, is it too late to admit any other claims to these assets?
\t
\tMs Sun Xueling: Yes, the forfeited assets have been placed with the consolidated account under the Accountant-General's Department. On the point as to whether or not foreign parties can still assert a claim, foreign jurisdictions can make a formal request to Singapore for mutual legal assistance. Through this process, they can assert a claim to seize assets.
Singapore can provide mutual legal assistance to foreign jurisdictions which include sharing information in relation to the movement of the assets, the enforcement of foreign confiscation orders and we can also work together with foreign authorities on issues of assets sharing and the return of assets on a case-by-base.
Yes, the funds are in the consolidated account. Yes, there is still an open process by which foreign jurisdictions can still make a formal request to Singapore for mutual legal assistance.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Lim, next question.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Indications of Further Prosecution When Those in Money Laundering Case Are Deported to Home Countries","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"38 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Law for those convicted in Singapore for their involvement in the billion-dollar money laundering case, whether there have been indications from other governments to the Singapore authorities that the offenders will face investigations into the relevant predicate offences upon being deported to their home countries.
\tThe Minister of State for Law (Mr Murali Pillai) (for the Minister for Law): If I may, Sir, the hon Member, Ms Lim may be referring to deportation in the sense of extradition. If that is the case, extradition will only take place when there is an extradition treaty in force and a valid request has been made under the treaty. There are no extradition proceedings here. In the absence of extradition, the position is that after conviction and serving of sentence, the offenders will be required to leave Singapore.
As at end June 2024, eight of the 10 convicted foreigners have been deported and are barred from re-entering Singapore. This similarly applies to the remaining two after they finish serving their sentences. These foreigners can go to any country which their passports or travel documents allow them to go to, as explained by the hon Minister of State Ms Sun Xueling, just now.
What happens to them in those countries or in their countries of nationality is not within our control.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Lim.
\tMs Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, one supplementary question for the Minister of State. Given the transnational nature of money laundering, as we have seen in this recent case, does the Ministry assess that there is a need to enhance our extradition arrangements, meaning to increase extradition arrangements with other countries which, so far, we have not had any such treaties with?
\t
\tMr Murali Pillai: Sir, I thank the hon Member for her question. Currently, we have extradition treaties with the United States, Germany, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Indonesia. We also have extradition arrangements with about 40 declared Commonwealth territories. These include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India and the United Kingdom. In addition, we have reciprocal arrangements with Malaysia and Brunei based on endorsement of arrest warrants.
So, we have already a significant extradition network with about 44 jurisdictions. Expanding this network is not just about numbers alone. For extradition arrangements, we will have to look at it to see whether there are adequate protections, whether it carries risk to the people of Singapore, because the shoe can be on the other foot as well.
We are open to more extradition arrangements, but we will continue to take a careful and considered approach.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Stance on Proposal for UN Membership for Palestine and Assistance for Rebuilding of Palestine","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"39 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is Singapore’s position on the recent unsuccessful draft UN Security Council resolution to recommend granting the State of Palestine full membership in the United Nations; and (b) what are Singapore's considerations to support such a recommendation, in light of Singapore's voting record of abstention on the status of Palestine in the United Nations as a non-Member Observer State at the 67th UN General Assembly on 29 November 2012.
40 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) how effective has Singapore's technical assistance to Palestinian officials been in helping the Palestinian Authority to function more effectively as a state; (b) what other contribution is Singapore making towards realising a two-state solution with the Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side in peace and security; and (c) what prevents Singapore from officially recognising the State of Palestine before a two-state solution is reached.
41 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore has any plans to train Palestinian officials from Gaza towards aiding in the reconstruction of the enclave once military operations have ceased.
42 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the votes by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on a resolution to support the admission of Palestine as a UN member and the subsequent actions by certain European Union states to recognise Palestine as a state in May 2024 (a) whether it is timely for Singapore to recognise Palestine as a state; and (b) if so, what are the considerations in doing so.
43 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether Singapore will consider establishing full diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine; and (b) if not, what are Singapore's considerations for not doing so.
\tThe Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, I seek your approval to answer Question Nos 39 to 43 collectively as they all relate to the issue of Palestine.
\tMr Speaker: Please proceed.
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: Thank you. Let me begin by reaffirming the principles that guide Singapore's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have consistently advocated for a negotiated two-state solution that is consistent with the relevant United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions because we believe this is a way for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security. In fact, this is the only viable path for achieving a comprehensive, a just and a durable solution to this conflict.
We have also consistently supported the right of the Palestinian people to a homeland. In 1988, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) issued a proclamation on the State of Palestine which affirmed the UN's partition of the Mandate of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish State, as well as the PLO's decision to renounce violence against Israel. We welcomed this proclamation back in 1988 because the PLO had therefore explicitly rejected terrorism and recognised the right of the State of Israel to exist. We saw these moves as progress towards a durable solution.
On 18 April 2024, a UN Security Council resolution that recommended that Palestine be admitted for membership to the UN was vetoed. On 10 May 2024, the General Assembly took up a resolution expressing support for Palestine's membership in the UN and recommended that the Security Council reconsider this matter favourably. Singapore voted in favour of this resolution after very careful consideration.
This reflected our hope to encourage both Israel and Palestine to resume direct negotiations towards a two-state solution, at a time when, in fact, the prospects for such negotiations were increasingly bleak. We therefore decided to join the majority of the international community in supporting this resolution, which is also in line with our long-standing support for the principles of international law and for the implementation of all relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Our vote at the UN's General Assembly means that Singapore is prepared in principle to recognise the State of Palestine. We will make this move at an appropriate time. Our key consideration is that such a move on our part should help progress towards peace and a negotiated two-state solution. In particular, there will need to be an effective Palestinian government that accepts Israel's right to exist and categorically rejects terrorism.
Both sides have legitimate rights and both peoples have a right to live in peace and dignity within secure borders. We urge both sides to seize the moment, to take steps towards a long-lasting peace and to put an end to the suffering that has gone on for far too long. Ultimately, Israelis and Palestinians need to exercise leadership and will have to work together to forge a better future for their peoples. As Singapore is a friend to both, Singapore will continue to offer our encouragement and our tangible support to both Palestinians and Israelis.
Singapore will continue our engagement with the Palestinian Authority. We will continue to implement our S$10 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP) to help the Palestinian Authority build capacity and to prepare for eventual statehood. To date, we have trained more than 750 officials in a variety of areas, including diplomacy, water management, economic development and urban planning. These are important vital areas that any government will need have the necessary expertise in.
During my recent visit to Ramallah in March 2024, the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Mustafa expressed his appreciation for our long-standing technical assistance and, in fact, he sought further capacity-building support, especially in civil service training and in digitalisation. I welcomed his interest in these areas and I said that Singapore will do our best to respond. As a follow-up, there will be a course on \"Transforming Public Service with the Power of Artificial Intelligence\" which we will conduct for Palestinian Authority officials later this month.
We will also provide fully funded scholarships for Palestinian officials to pursue postgraduate studies in our local universities. Three Palestinian officials have already been awarded scholarships this year, I think in accountancy, international political economy and info-communications security. We hope that this training opportunities will help the Palestinian Authority officials better serve the Palestinian people, as well as equip them with necessary skills when it comes to the eventual reconstruction of Gaza.
On Mr Faisal Manap's specific question on training Palestinian officials to aid in the reconstruction of Gaza, let me just state that Singapore will assess how best we can help bilaterally and, in fact, as part of a multilateral effort. I remain in close and constant contact with all my counterparts in the Middle East on this issue. Singapore participated in a conference co-hosted by King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 11 June this year to discuss the humanitarian response to Gaza. We stand ready to contribute, taking into account Gaza's needs and in account of our own resources and expertise. But clearly, all these can only take effect when the fighting ceases. For now, the focus has to be on securing an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all the hostages immediately.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): I thank the Minister for his answers. Sir, what would be the thresholds that need to be crossed for Singapore to recognise the State of Palestine? Specifically, would it happen only when a two-state solution is negotiated and concluded? If so, this is no different from Singapore's previous position.
Secondly, does the Minister agree that the formal recognition of Palestine's statehood by Singapore and other countries which have close relations with Israel, like Spain, Ireland and Norway, would be a significant statement of unequivocal support for the two-state solution and will give impetus to advancing the moribund peace process?
Lastly, would the Minister agree that the recognition of Palestine would allow for negotiations to proceed on a more equal footing between two recognised states, the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, rather than one state negotiating with a non-state entity?
\t
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: I thank Mr Giam for the questions. In fact, I thank him for accompanying me on my trip to the Middle East in March.
\t
Let me reiterate that we are prepared, in principle, to recognise Palestine and the principal consideration is: when we do this, would it be helpful or would it hinder the progress towards peace and which, in turn, in fact, depends on negotiations between both sides.
The Member mentioned \"equal\". But a key point and the prickly question which every single country that is pondering this question has to decide is: is there an effective Palestine government or leadership who represents all Palestinians which has effective control over, at the minimum, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and has the mandate, has the authority to negotiate with the Israelis on behalf of the Palestinians?
And, quite frankly, I think every other country in the world will have to grapple with this same question but will arrive at that answer, probably at a different threshold or a different point in time. Frankly, it will also depend on their own domestic circumstances. So, I would say that we are not going to lock ourselves into a specific time or to whether or not other countries have made decisions in parallel on the same fundamental question.
So, let me summarise again. We are prepared, in principle, to recognise the state of Palestine. But we want to do so at an appropriate moment when it is helpful, and you must have an effective Palestine government and one, which I alluded to earlier, which must categorically renounce terrorism and must accept the right of Israel to exist.
Within those parameters, I look forward to progress. I do not know exactly when that will happen, but I certainly look forward to progress.
Mr Speaker: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
\tMr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Speaker, I thank the hon Minister for the response to my question. Two supplementary questions.
Firstly, the recognition of a state is not merely a diplomatic exercise. It entails legal implications as well. Under international law, there are conditions for the recognition of a statehood. So, has the Ministry conferred with the Attorney-General and Ministry of Law to assess whether Singapore would be ready to recognise a particular state and whether that state fulfils those conditions of being recognised as a state under international law, because it has repercussions on international treaties and other enforcement of court orders?
The second supplementary question is: with the Minister, we visited our officers in the Ramallah Representative Office and met participants from the ETAP batches and they are all very thankful for the Singapore Government's support. My question is: if Singapore recognises the Palestinian state right now, what kind of further support to the Palestinian Authority could Singapore provide which we have not already provided or are unable to provide right now?
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: Likewise, I thank the Member Mr Zhulkarnain for accompanying me. He was in Ramallah with me and when we had the discussions with the Palestinian Authority leadership, including their graduates of our ETAP programme.
Let me answer the second question first. We intend to continue all our assistance packages. We intend to also look for opportunities to do more. And quite frankly, the level of support that we provide to the Palestinian Authority will not depend upon whether or not there is formal recognition or not or, indeed, what happens even on the international stage. The Member will know, in fact, all Members will know, even without that formal status, the Palestinian Prime Minister has visited Singapore, our then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been to Ramallah, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and I and Second Minister Maliki have made numerous trips to Ramallah. So, the point I want to assure Members is that the interactions, the support and the assistance that we provide to the Palestinian Authority are not subject to the other political and diplomatic interactions.
Let me now come to the Member's first question. Actually, the formal recognition of statehood is not just a diplomatic or just a legal question. More specifically, in the case of Palestine as the situation currently subsists, you can make legal arguments both ways whether or not they fulfil the four criteria of the Montevideo Principles of Statehood. Permanent people define boundaries, effective government able to transact, enter treaties. You can make legal arguments both ways. Ultimately, we believe this is a political question and, therefore, it will be subject to the political considerations of the different entities that are trying to engage the Palestinian people.
In the case of Singapore, I said our principal consideration is that we have always believed in a negotiated two-state solution. We believe that the Palestinian people have a right to a homeland. We will continue to support the Palestinian people and the nascent Palestinian Authority, which, certainly, in the case of the PLO, constitutes, I would say, the key pillar of the current Palestinian Authority, which accepts Israel's right to exist and which has renounced terrorism. The Member was there in the room when I had these discussions with numerous Palestinian Authority leaders who all reaffirmed these points. So, we really have no problem with the Palestinian Authority.
But I think let us be frank about it. The situation in Gaza is far more problematical and the people whom we spoke to and engaged in Ramallah have tenuous or, in fact, almost zero input into the situation in Gaza. Nevertheless, let us be helpful, constructive and consistent. Let us not engage in performative gestures. Let us engage in constructive, direct assistance to the people of Palestine who need and, as the Member has noticed, appreciate our support.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Leong Man Wai.
\tMr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Speaker. I have two questions for the Minister. First question: what is our total official aid given to the Palestinians over the last 10 years? Second question, which is also one of my questions for written answer actually, is whether our country has made any defence sales, such as weapons or any other material that can cause harm to civilians, to Israel since 7 October 2023?
\t
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: I do not have the total aid provided to Palestine over the past 10 years. As I said in my earlier answer, we obviously have the $10 million enhanced technical assistance package, we have scholarships. I have not computed the value of the scholarships and we intend to give more. We have delivered three tranches of humanitarian assistance so far, including deploying the Republic of Singapore Air Force to airdrop, I think, at least 20 tonnes, to Gaza in March. We are contemplating a fourth tranche.
I should also say that the fundraising from Singaporeans – and I want to give a special shout-out to Rahmatan Lil Alamin – I think we have collectively raised at least $15.5 million so far.
So, I am giving the Member figures which frankly are all within less than one calendar year. If the Member really wants the total for 10 years, he can submit a separate question later on.
Let me now deal with the Member's question on arms and let me give the Member a very careful and proper answer to this. Singapore complies strictly with our international obligations on international arms sales as well as UN sanctions and embargoes against any country, including submitting regular reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms, which is a public record which you can access for yourself.
Apart from this, it is the established policy of the Government not to publicly divulge any details of defence sales for national security reasons.
Mr Speaker: Ms Mariam Jaafar.
\tMs Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang): Sir, I thank the Minister for his response on the consideration for when we would recognise Palestinian statehood and also further thank the Government for the very tangible things that they are doing to actually prepare their government for that. I have just one supplementary question.
Can the Minister share more on any diplomatic efforts that we are currently taking with international and regional bodies, like the UN, where a vote has been taken in favour of Palestinian membership; the European Union, where 10 out of 27 states now formally recognise Palestine and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), our closest neighbours to facilitate the realisation of the Palestinian state, a two-state solution, and to secure the legal and diplomatic rights of Palestine after this conflict is over?
\tMr Speaker: We are approaching the end of Question Time. So, I request the Minister to address that and I see a few more hands. So, let us keep all the answers and questions short. Minister.
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: I thank the Member for the question. We are trying our best bilaterally on the basis of our relationship with Israel, our relationship with all the Middle East stakeholders, as well as consulting closely with our ASEAN partners and other partners around the world. But I just want to emphasise again: we are not the determinative factor. This is a long-standing conflict. I honestly do not know how and when it will end, and my focus is not to add fuel to the fire, but to be quietly, discreetly, constructively helpful to the people at a humanitarian level and to build up capacity, specifically with respect to the Palestinian Authority.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Mr Speaker, I will brief. In response to the Minister's answer to my supplementary question just now, I think we are dealing with a Catch-22 situation here. Most people will agree that an effective Palestinian government that governs the entire territory is still in the works. However, we are waiting for a viable and effective Palestinian state to exist before recognising it. It might never happen under current realities. The Minister said that one key principle guiding our actions is whether it can bring forward the peace process.
Therefore, does the Minister agree that Singapore's recognition of Palestine will help, even in some small way, to bring forward the peace process and negotiations, or will it hurt the process?
\t
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: I know Mr Giam is sincere in this, but I would point out that even in his question, there are two different dimensions to it.
One, is there an effective Palestinian leadership that speaks for all and that has the mandate to negotiate? That is a separate question from is there a recognisable Palestinian state?
And without locking ourselves in prematurely, which may be unhelpful, I am saying that our long-standing position is that only a negotiated two-state solution will lead to a just, durable and comprehensive peace, and both sides must recognise the other's right to exist and must renounce terrorism.
Without those prerequisites, never mind the diplomatic and legal niceties, without the recognition and respect of the other's right to exist and without renouncing terrorism, these cycles of violence will recur. And there will be peroxisomes of wars, conflicts and horrendous humanitarian disasters which we are witnessing now.
So, I hope I have explained to everyone here, including the people, the principled position and the motivation behind our position. That is why we do not engage in polemic or in performative gestures, or making premature pronouncements – which frankly, would be unhelpful – and also, be humble enough to know, Singapore is a tiny city state far away. The Member has been there, so he knows the difficulty and complexities of the conflict.
Again, another worthwhile reminder for all of us in Singapore: this is fundamentally not our quarrel. This is a family quarrel in another family. The worst thing you can do in a family quarrel is to get involved unnecessarily or with ulterior motives, or to perform for an external audience.
So, let us remain calm, let us remain united, let us remain constructive and helpful, and hope even in this time of bleak, darkness, hope that peace will be given a chance in Palestine and that our Israeli friends and our Palestinian friends – brothers actually, the two of them – can live in peace with each other.
For Members who have accompanied me on my trips, I hope you have noticed that we actually have an unusual and unique privilege that we are welcomed by all sides. If you think about that, that is not something that you can take for granted. To be able to welcomed by all sides, including warring parties, requires a track record of principled, deliberate, careful diplomacy. It does not mean agreeing with everyone all the time, but even when we disagree with elements of other people's programmes, other people's agenda, they understand why we disagree and they know that we mean well and that we are good for our word and that we are helpful. So, that is the attitude by which the Government of Singapore approaches this most vexing of disputes, which has gone on for far too long.
Finally, let me again reiterate: an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and an immediate release of all hostages.
\t
Mr Speaker: Minister of State Sun Xueling, we are actually at the end of Question Time, but you wish to add something?
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, for your indulgence. Earlier, in my response to Ms Sylvia Lim, I had shared with her that I would confirm the passport status of the three individuals that she had referred to. [Please refer to \"Factors Considered in Deciding Deportation Destinations for Foreigners Who Have Served Their Sentences in Singapore\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
I have since confirmed with my Ministry that the three individuals that she referred to do not hold Cambodia passports. However, they each hold a valid passport or travel document that meets the admission requirement into Cambodia. From the Ministry's standpoint, our main focus is to effectively and quickly deport the foreigners once they have served their sentences, and that is why it is important for us to make an assessment of their admissibility into the country.
Mr Speaker: Order. Ministerial Statements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill Incident on 14 June 2024","subTitle":"Statements by Minister for Transport, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister for National Development","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mr Speaker, Members have filed a total of 40 Parliamentary Questions (PQs) on the oil spill incident that occurred on 14 June. Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu, Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee and I will be making Ministerial Statements to address the issues raised. Our Statements will address Question Nos 1 to 27 for oral answer and Question Nos 65 to 67 for written answer, in today’s Order Paper, as well as related questions that have been filed for subsequent Sittings.
Sir, the quick response to the oil spill which occurred in our waters on 14 June demonstrated the close coordination and collaboration among our agencies, industry partners and volunteers. They worked well together and responded effectively to mitigate the impact of the oil spill.
We have completed the first phase of the clean-up operations, including the operations at sea. Since 18 June, no oil slicks have been observed along East Coast and Changi, including the waters off Changi Naval Base. We have now moved to the next phase, which involves more focused cleaning of difficult-to-reach areas. The removal of the remaining fuel oil from the damaged vessel is ongoing.
Let me provide Members with a chronology of the incident and the steps taken.
The allision between the vessels Vox Maxima and Marine Honour happened on 14 June at 2.18 pm. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified at 2.22 pm and its first patrol craft arrived at the incident site 11 minutes later at 2.33 pm.
Upon confirming that a significant amount of oil had spilled into the water, the patrol craft sprayed dispersantd in the surrounding areas. This needs to be done quickly, so that the dispersantd can start to break down the oil, which will facilitate subsequent cleaning operations at sea and on land. Otherwise, the oil will harden over time and become more difficult to remove.
Besides the initial patrol vessel, 11 more vessels from MPA and their contractors were deployed to perform different roles during the initial phase of the response on 14 June.
MPA also checked the damaged vessel to ensure that it would not sink, the crew were safe and there was no further spillage of oil.
MPA then activated T&T Salvage Asia to lay heavy-duty containment booms around the damaged vessel. T&T’s vessel arrived at the incident location at 9.41 pm on 14 June, as it took a few hours to load the vessel with the heavy equipment and another few hours to sail to the incident site.
Despite the challenges of working at night and under bad weather conditions, T&T did well to deploy 200 metres of oil booms around the damaged vessel by working through the night. The deployment of the oil booms was completed at 5.15 am on 15 June.
Some have asked why MPA did not immediately deploy the containment booms onboard its patrol vessel while waiting for T&T’s vessel to arrive. Sir, the booms onboard the MPA patrol vessel are lightweight oil containment booms which are suitable for dealing quickly with small-scale and localised oil spills, such as oil leakages during bunkering operations. These lightweight booms were assessed to be unsuitable for dealing with the oil spill incident on 14 June, which was a more serious spill involving the sudden discharge of an estimated 400 tonnes of oil into the sea.
For such spills, the patrol vessel will focus on spraying dispersants and deploy contractors to lay heavy-duty oil containment booms around the damaged vessel as a preventive measure in case there is further spillage of oil from the vessel.
Sir, this is the established procedure, which is in line with international practices for dealing with oil spills, and the MPA response team on the patrol vessel followed the procedure correctly.
I had explained during last week’s joint press conference that the main purpose of the containment booms around the damaged vessel was not to “fence in” all the spilled oil. When there is a sudden discharge of a large amount of oil, like what happened on 14 June, the spilled oil will not remain stationary at the incident site. It will be carried by tidal currents and waves to other locations. The containment booms were therefore intended as a preventive measure in case there was further oil spillage from the damaged vessel.
The containment boomd can also help to catch some of the oil spill which remained in the vicinity of the incident location and did not float elsewhere. But this is not 100% foolproof, because the tidal currents and waves can carry the oil to go below or above the booms.
In addition to laying containment booms around the damaged vessel, we also deployed oil skimmers. Based on guidance from industry experts such as the ITOPF, oil skimmers are most effective against large and thick patches of oil.
Hence, before deploying the skimmers, MPA and its contractors had to first confirm the location of the large oil patches. This task was challenging for a number of reasons.
First, due to thundery showers on 14 June afternoon, visibility was poor and the vessels from MPA and their contractors were not able to spot large patches of oil in the sea in the first few hours after the incident.
Second, as the density of the spilled oil in this case is very close to that of seawater, the oil slicks might have gone below the water surface, making detection harder.
When night fell, the reduced visibility made it even more difficult for MPA and its contractors to locate the spilled oil.
Throughout its response, MPA used a multi-pronged approach involving drones, satellite imagery and sightings from ships at sea and personnel on the ground to confirm the location of large oil patches.
In the morning of 15 June, when large oil patches were located, MPA deployed oil skimmers to skim the oil from the sea.
MPA and its contractors also carried out the targeted deployment of booms along our coastlines and waterfronts to facilitate clean-up operations. This approach ensures the booms are placed where they can be most effective. In response to Mr Louis Chua’s question, MPA did not prioritise oil collection in certain areas before deploying booms to contain the spill.
Preventive measures were also implemented at biodiversity sensitive areas such as the Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, given the potential environmental impact.
We have deployed a total of around 4,000 metres of oil containment booms. To Mr Christopher de Souza’s question, our contractors also used absorbent booms with hydrophobic content.
Our clean-up methods and operations are guided by international experts from ITOPF, and our agencies work closely with specialised companies and contractors who have strong track records in responding to oil spills. We work with them on the deployment of assets to ensure optimal outcomes, taking into account factors such as the geography of the area, weather conditions, prevailing winds and tidal conditions.
Sir, some Members have asked about the timeliness of our communications to the public. Our agencies had provided regular updates from the day of the incident on 14 June. Our approach is to push out relevant information to the public as soon as possible, such as information on air and water quality, while we continue with the operations at sea and on land to deal with an evolving situation. Minister Grace Fu, Minister Desmond Lee and I also provided updates on the management and impact of the oil spill in the days following the incident. Please allow me to elaborate on the communications timeline.
On the afternoon of 14 June, MPA informed the other agencies of the oil spillage. After being alerted, the agencies mobilised their staff to actively monitor the situation and stood ready to respond.
At 6.03 pm that day, MPA notified the public of the allision and oil spill through a media release while it continued to assess and respond to the developing situation.
At around 9.20 pm, the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) began to cordon off affected parts of Palawan beach, when they first sighted oil on the beach. Early next morning on 15 June at about 7.00 am, SDC observed the further spread of oil in waters at Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong beaches, cordoned off affected areas and deployed workers to commence clean-up. At 10.59 am, SDC published a post on their Facebook page and website to inform the public that the waters of Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso Beach on Sentosa were closed for clean-up operations, but the three beaches remained open.
At 1.44 pm, MPA notified the public via a media statement that patches of oil and light sheens were observed off Pasir Panjang terminal and along Sentosa beaches. The National Environment Agency (NEA) started clean-up operations at about 10.00 am at Labrador Nature Reserve and around 4.00 pm at East Coast Park, after oil was observed along the shorelines.
Later that day, at 7.33 pm, a joint media statement was issued by the agencies to inform the public that oil had also landed along shorelines in other areas and that affected beaches would be closed to facilitate clean-up operations. The statement highlighted that the agencies were taking action to mitigate the effects of the oil spill.
MPA and our agencies had issued five media statements in the first four days of the incident to keep the public informed of the management of the incident and to address key concerns they might have. These media statements and other updates were also posted on the social media platforms of the agencies.
Mr Speaker, investigations into the incident are ongoing and preliminary findings showed that the allision was caused by the dredger experiencing sudden loss of engine and steering controls.
Some Members have asked about possible measures to prevent oil spills in future. Over the years, we have taken steps to enhance the safety of vessels and bunkering operations to minimise the risks of accidents and oil spills in our waters. We have also put in place practices such as mandatory safety training and shipboard drills for vessel crew on incident response as well as inspections for vessels in our port to ensure compliance with international safety conventions.
While we do our best to reduce the risks, oil spills may still happen in our waters or in the region. It is not possible to completely eliminate this risk. Therefore, we have prepared for and maintained our readiness to respond in a prompt, coordinated and effective manner when such incidents occur.
We have worked with industry partners to develop a contingency plan, which we rehearse and refine every two years during our inter-agency exercises for oil spills. Our standard operating procedures (SOPs) were enhanced along the way and they helped us to respond to this incident effectively. We will continue to update and improve our SOPs and contingency plans with learning points from this incident and prepare our teams to deal with oil spills effectively through training and regular inter-agency exercises.
Sir, before I conclude, I would like to, once again, express my appreciation to our agencies, our industry partners and our volunteers for their hard work and the good progress made so far. There is more work ahead to complete the next phase of the clean-up operations and to mitigate the impact of the oil spill. Let us continue to work closely together, so that we can return to normalcy as soon as possible.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will respond to any clarifications which Members may have, after my colleagues have made their Statements.
Mr Speaker: Minister Grace Fu and Minister Desmond Lee will be making related Ministerial Statements. So, I will allow Members to raise their points of clarification on all three Statements after the third Statement. I call on the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Ms Grace Fu.
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will address the progress of our land-based clean-ups, the challenges involved, our emphasis on protecting the health and well-being of our workers and the public, the impact to the businesses and our efforts in monitoring any impact on the safety of our food, air and water quality.
We have made good progress in cleaning up the oil spill. As of 30 June, over 1,200 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and debris have been collected and much of the oil slicks on our beachfronts has been removed. The bulk of oil-soaked sand has been removed and sent to toxic waste treatment facilities for safe treatment and disposal. Booms have also been deployed to prevent oil from being washed ashore or into our inland canals.
This operation will not have been possible without the tireless and coordinated efforts from multiple agencies and many service providers. Several Members have raised questions about the welfare and safety of our workers. I would like to assure Members that the well-being of our workers is our priority. We have been taking many steps to ensure their safety and well-being.
First, on air quality. As part of its air quality monitoring regime, NEA monitors ambient levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, through our network of 24/7 ambient air monitoring stations at various locations in Singapore. One of the monitoring stations is located on Sentosa and there is also one at the eastern-end of East Coast Park. The monitoring stations did not detect any anomalies over this period of time, including for benzene, toluene and xylene, or BTX, that are commonly associated with bunkering fuels and other petrochemicals.
When the oil slick reached stretches of our coastline on 15 June, NEA began conducting daily air quality tests using mobile detectors at affected areas of East Coast Park, Sentosa and Labrador Nature Reserve to ensure the safety of the public and clean-up personnel. The VOCs detected, including for BTX, have been well within safe limits.
Miss Rachel Ong1 asked if there were health and safety concerns from breathing in the oil fumes. I have explained that the air quality at affected areas is safe, based on both measurements from our 24/7 ambient air monitoring stations as well as localised daily testing using mobile detectors. While members of the public near the beachfront or shoreline may experience odour from time to time, especially in the early days of the oil spill, it is safe to be around these areas.
Second, as part of the SOP, service providers are involved in our oil spill response in many critical functions. Many of them are specialised contractors involved in the laying of booms and in cleaning of difficult-to-clean areas, such as rock bunds. Others are general cleaning contractors involved in clearing the beaches of oily sand and debris. These service providers participate in our regular oil spill exercises and are familiar with their roles and processes. Before deployment, personnel are briefed on their tasks and workplace safety.
Agencies and their contractors are regularly reminded to ensure that sufficient rest breaks and rehydration are provided. We have also reminded cleaning contractors to ensure that workers receive rest days and consider rotating workers, where possible. Workers who feel unwell should approach their employer for support and assistance.
Third, on protective equipment. Mr Louis Ng, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Melvin Yong and Miss Rachel Ong2 asked about the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our workers. As is the case for any work carried out in Singapore, employers, including the contractors, are responsible for assessing the site conditions, nature of tasks and risks when deploying and equipping their workers.
In the immediate few days after the oil spill, when a sizeable amount of oil was washed up on shore, NEA issued a general advisory for personnel involved in the clean-up effort to include masks, goggles, rubber gloves and high waterproof boots as part of their PPE. This was done as an additional precaution even though the air quality was well within safe levels. After the bulk of the oil was removed, NEA updated the advisory to no longer require masks and goggles.
The first phase of the clean-up focused on removing the oil slicks and contaminated sand from the surface of affected beaches and deploying booms to avoid further contamination. All the remaining affected areas have entered the second phase of the clean-up response, which focuses on difficult to clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters and oil trapped deeper in the sand. Members of the public may notice a scaling down of general cleaning at the beaches, as more specialised teams are deployed to clean these difficult areas. General cleaning of the beaches may still be required, as oil remnants may continue to be washed ashore.
The cleaning methods for the second phase have been decided jointly between the oil spill consultants and the cleaning contractors. These methods may be refined along the way as the shoreline of each affected area may be different. For ecologically-sensitive locations, the National Parks Board (NParks) is consulted on the methods to be deployed.
Once the second phase of cleaning operation is completed, we will move to the final phase where we remove tar balls from the beaches and inspect affected areas for any remaining oil stains.
We expect the clean-up to take around three months, but these will vary for each area, depending on the extent they are affected. ONE°15 Marina and the Marina at Keppel Bay have reopened as clean-up efforts continue to progress. The cordoned-off area of the beaches at Sentosa, along East Coast Park and Southern Islands will progressively open for land-based activities. We will test the water quality to ensure that it is back to normal and stable for at least a week before resuming swimming and other primary-contact sea activities.
Agencies have been monitoring the situation carefully and closely. We understand the frustration and inconvenience that businesses have experienced due to the oil spill. That is why SDC, which manages Sentosa and businesses on the Southern Islands, and other agencies, such as NParks, that collectively manage the beachfront along East Coast Park, have been proactively reaching out to their tenants.
The agencies are developing rental deferral measures to help affected businesses with their cash flow on a case-by-case basis. SDC will also look to promote a return of footfall through marketing and social media support.
As mentioned by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) during last week's joint press conference, the economic losses resulting from the oil spill can be accessed for claims. Contact details of the insurer have been made available to the public.
Many volunteers have stepped forward to offer their assistance in the clean-up operations. Volunteers have not been directly involved in the beach clean-up actions, due to the complexity of the tasks and for their personal safety.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked how citizens can be involved in our clean-up efforts. We are considering mobilising volunteers for the final phase of the clean-up, where remnant oil deposits hardened and mixed with sand in the form of tar balls will need to be sieved and separated for removal. This process is labour-intensive and if we have more hands to help, we can relieve the cleaners and accelerate the reopening of the beaches.
If and when volunteers are mobilised, we will tap on those who have registered with NParks as well as many volunteer groups who have contacted me personally and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) through social media and WhatsApp after assessing that it is safe to do so. The Public Hygiene Council will help to train, equip and coordinate with volunteers for this effort. This would be a safe and meaningful way for Singaporeans to contribute to the reopening of our beaches.
I will now address questions on food safety and water quality, which Miss Cheryl Chan, Miss Rachel Ong and Mr Xie Yao Quan have raised. To date, our fish farms remain unaffected by the oil spill. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency has been taking seafood samples from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait for food safety tests. We are also monitoring the quality of imported fish and seafood. The test results continue to indicate that our local fish and imported fish are safe for consumption.
Miss Rachel Ong3 asked if real-time data from the Marine Environment Sensing Network (MESN) buoys can be made available on an hourly basis to fish farms and relevant non-governmental organisations' communities. I understand that MESN currently deploys one buoy at St John's Island and real-time data that has been assessed to be of high confidence is publicly accessible on MESN's online data platform.
There has been no impact to our water supply. Sensors at our five desalination plants, including at the Jurong Island Desalination Plant closest to the oil spill location, continue to show no abnormalities in the quality of seawater. In the event that any plant in Singapore's water supply system is disrupted, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) will step up production capacity in our remaining plants. Mr Speaker, allow me to speak in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We have made good progress in cleaning up the oil pollution. We have collected over 1,200 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and effectively, most of the oil slicks at the beachfront have been removed. We have also deployed booms to prevent oil leaks from reaching the shore or flowing inland.
Here, I would like to express sincere gratitude to various Government agencies and cleaning contractors. Thanks to their close coordination and relentless efforts, the cleanup work has proceeded smoothly.
To ensure public safety and the safety of cleaning personnel, we have implemented a series of measures. In the areas affected by oil pollution, we have conducted air quality tests to ensure the personal safety of nearby residents, tourists and clean-up personnel. The air quality has remained at safe levels.
Before commencing the clean-up work, we briefed the personnel on the work scope and safety measures, and provided them with appropriate personal protective equipment. We also ensured that the personnel have sufficient rest time and regularly replenish their fluids.
The entire clean-up work is expected to take about three months. The beaches at Sentosa, East Coast Park and the Southern Islands will be gradually reopened to the public for land-based activities. We will conduct water quality tests to ensure that water quality is restored to normal and remain stable for at least one week before allowing swimming and water activities.
We are also considering mobilising volunteers to participate in the final phase of the clean-up work, to lighten the burden on the cleaning personnel and expedite the reopening of beaches.
Relevant authorities have been closely monitoring the situation. We understand that the oil spill incident has caused inconvenience to some businesses. Affected businesses and relevant parties can file claims with the vessel owners’ insurance agents.
The agencies are developing rental deferral measures to help affected businesses with their cash flow, on a case-by-case basis. Sentosa Development Corporation will also look to promote a return of footfall through marketing and social media support. In terms of food safety and water supply, our fish farms have not been affected by the oil spill incident. Nevertheless, SFA has been monitoring the quality of imported seafood and implementing preventive measures to ensure food safety. Our water supply has also not been affected.
(In English): Mr Speaker, in conclusion, as we are now in the second phase of the clean-up operations, some of the precautionary measures adopted in the first phase, such as daily air monitoring at affected beaches and water quality monitoring for our fish farms, have become less pressing. Given that the conditions have stabilised, we will gradually step down measures that are no longer required so that agencies can focus on the current demands.
Our agencies will continue to press on with cleaning operations and monitor the quality of our air, food and water, as well as the impact on affected stakeholders. I would like to thank the many cleaning personnel, supervisors and Public Officers who have worked tirelessly in the clean-up operations. I am also thankful for the support from service partners, volunteers and the public.
We look forward to the next and final phase of operations, where we would be inviting volunteers to help with the clean-up, so that we can nurse our cherished environment back to health as soon as possible.
Mr Speaker: Minister for National Development.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment have given an update on the progress of the seaward and shoreline clean-up operations.
I will now elaborate on the efforts taken by agencies and the community to contain and mitigate the immediate impacts of the oil spill on our coastal and marine wildlife, the impact thus far and the potential longer-term impact on biodiversity and habitats, as well as our action plans in the months to come.
From the onset of the incident, agencies worked together and moved quickly to contain and mitigate the immediate effects and impact of the oil spill on our coastal and marine biodiversity and habitats.
Affected beaches and shorelines were closed off to safeguard public health and safety, and frontline workers were deployed to clean up affected areas, such as the East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Sentosa, as well as St John's, Lazarus and Kusu Islands.
NParks deployed over 1.5 kilometres of oil-absorbent booms to protect biodiversity-sensitive coastal and marine areas, including Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore along Labrador Nature Reserve. These booms contained the spread of the oil and facilitated clean-up operations along affected beaches and shorelines.
As some oil was detected off Changi on 17 June, agencies also preemptively deployed booms around biodiversity-sensitive areas, such as at Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island and Pasir Ris Park as preventive measures.
To ascertain the immediate impact on our marine biodiversity, agency representatives, scientists, as well as volunteers from the Friends of Marine Park and S.E.A. Aquarium had conducted preliminary surveys at St John's Island, Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Sisters' Island Marine Park, as well as the site of the second Marine Park at the Southern part of Lazarus Island and the reef off Kusu Island, between 16 and 25 June.
Based on the visual surveys thus far, oil was sighted along the upper intertidal zones of biodiversity-sensitive sites at Labrador rocky shore, Tanjong Rimau and Serapong at Sentosa, Bendera Bay at St John's Island, Eagle Bay at Lazarus Island, as well as the outer mangrove fringes at the mouth of Berlayer Creek near Labrador Nature Reserve. However, the intertidal zones at other biodiversity-sensitive areas, such as Sisters' Islands Marine Park, the other Southern islands, Changi Beach Park, Pasir Ris Park and Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin appear to be largely unaffected. Similarly, the mangroves at West Coast Park and Pasir Ris Park also appear to be largely unaffected. Notwithstanding this, we will continue to monitor these sites closely.
As of end-June, NParks and animal welfare groups, such as ACRES, have rescued four collared kingfishers from the oil spill, two of which were received by NParks' Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation. Despite prompt veterinary care, two kingfishers unfortunately died, but the other two appear to have stabilised and we are monitoring their condition closely.
While no significant impact on our marine biodiversity and wildlife has been observed thus far, the situation remains dynamic and there could be a time-lag between the oil spill and its effects on our biodiversity and habitats.
Some of the impact on our marine and coastal ecosystems may only show up weeks or even months later, such as during spawning periods. Assessments of the environmental impact of the oil spill on our offshore islands are therefore, also still ongoing.
Based on our experience with the oil spill that affected the intertidal and seagrass habitats at Tanah Merah back in 2010, as well as the oil spill that affected Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin and Changi Beach Park in 2017, while our ecosystems are resilient, they will take time to recover from such external stressors.
At Tanah Merah, the intertidal and seagrass habitats started to recover after a year and they no longer show any signs of impact from the 2010 oil spill today. At Changi Beach Park, long-term biodiversity surveys have shown no discernible changes to the intertidal fauna before and after the oil spill in 2017.
We will closely monitor the impact of and recovery of our marine habitats and biodiversity including seagrasses, corals and aquatic wildlife, through intertidal and subtidal biodiversity surveys. NParks will also undertake rescue and rehabilitative efforts for affected wildlife where necessary.
Over the past few weeks, we are heartened by the public's response and support. More than 1,500 individuals have signed up to help with oil spill management efforts. An additional 2,000 have registered their interest to be kept updated on ongoing efforts and future volunteering opportunities.
As of 1 July, we have deployed over 700 volunteers, including volunteers from the Public Hygiene Council (PHC), and Friends of Marine Park. Organisations, such as the Singapore Veterinary Association, World Wildlife Fund for Nature (Singapore), Singapore Canoe Federation and many more, have stepped forward to offer help in their own ways.
These volunteers have been involved in a wide range of efforts. Some joined NParks to patrol East Coast Park and West Coast Park, advising members of the public to stay away from affected beaches and areas, as well as reporting sightings of oil stains and oil-slicked wildlife for rescue and rehabilitation, if needed. Members of the public can contact NParks' 24-hour Animal Response Centre hotline, if they encounter an oil-slicked animal.
As I shared briefly earlier, marine experts and volunteers from the Friends of Marine Park have also been carrying out surveys with NParks on St John's Island and Lazarus Island, to track the impact on biodiversity on these islands.
We are very grateful to our volunteers for their strong support, and to members of the public, nature groups and other organisations for coming together alongside our frontline workers and colleagues to mitigate the impacts of the oil spill.
As we move into our next phase of managing the impact of the oil spill, we will work closely with our partners from the nature and community groups, organisations and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), and tap on their knowledge and expertise to implement an action plan to manage the impacts more effectively.
During a recent consultation with these partners, some suggestions were raised, which will be incorporated into actionable plans.
First, we will work with various stakeholder networks to disseminate information to keep the public updated on the progress of recovery efforts. Through our partners, we hope to share information on the recovery and response operations, that can be translated into advisories and information guides for members of the public. For instance, Otter Watch and the Bird Society of Singapore will work with us to share tips with members of the public, on the dos and don'ts when spotting oil-slicked wildlife.
Second, we will involve the wider community for coastal clean-ups and citizen patrols. In the next six months and beyond, once NEA has assessed the affected areas to be safe for public access, we will work with our partners on recovery efforts, such as coastal clean-ups and beach patrols and surveys. In fact, community beach clean-up groups, such as Stridy and the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore (ICCS), have already started to coordinate their respective networks, so that they can organise beach clean-ups, once we can do so.
Third, we will work with partners to tap on their expertise and skills to support wildlife rescue and recovery efforts. Partners from Mandai Wildlife Group, Singapore Veterinary Association, ACRES and S.E.A. Aquarium, with their own pool of veterinarians, have offered to support wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts, where needed.
Fourth, we will continue to undertake impact assessments and sustained post-incident biodiversity impact monitoring, surveys and research, in collaboration with the nature community and volunteers, scientific community and our IHLs. These efforts will inform subsequent ecological recovery action plans.
Fifth, we will conduct scientific research with the scientific community to better understand the longer-term impacts of the oil spill on biodiversity. We have already started surveys at the Southern Islands and Labrador Nature Reserve, as well as Serapong and Tanjong Rimau in Sentosa.
Sir, to conclude, while the impact of the oil spill on our marine biodiversity and habitats have not been observed to be significant as of now, we will remain vigilant and keep a close watch on the longer-term impacts.
Once again, we would like to extend our gratitude to our many partners and community volunteers who have leaned forward and worked hand in hand with our colleagues in our agencies to manage the oil spill. With your help, we will be able to ensure that our ecosystems remain resilient.
The incident is not over yet, but we have made some good progress and we will continue to work with the community and our partners to safeguard our natural marine habitats.
Mr Speaker: There are 23 Members who have filed PQs on this topic. You will be given priority if you have clarifications. But before I call on hon Members for clarifications, I wish to point out Standing Order 23. Members may seek clarifications on the Ministerial Statements on this Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill Incident on 14 June 2024, but no debate shall be allowed thereon. Members can seek clarifications by way of asking questions.
So, again, because there is a lot of interest in it, I would seek Members' understanding to keep your clarifications clear and concise so that we can cover as many questions as possible and, at the same time, to ask the Ministers to also keep your answers short so that you can also answer as many clarifications as possible. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Speaker, given the extremely heavy traffic in our surrounding waters and the significant environmental consequences of oil spillage accidents, I am wondering if it makes economic sense to have in-house oil spillage containment capacity rather than to contract this out to outfits such as T&T Salvage Asia. After all, my understanding is that the best practice response time is closer to something like two to four hours rather than the six or so hours that we engaged in.
Relatedly, I wonder if MOT or MSE has estimates of the total economic costs for small-, medium- and large-scale oil spills and what category does this particular incident falls under.
Finally, if I could ask for the response to one of the original PQs I submitted on whether there will be, in fact, any after-action review, given the importance of a proper post-mortem.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, first of all, I would like to point out that it is not the case that the capabilities and the assets have all been outsourced. MPA does have quite a bit of in-house capabilities, too. The patrol vessel, the first to arrive on the scene, was an MPA patrol vessel. MPA also has its own vessels that it has deployed. But given the nature of oil spills and that it could happen not just in Singapore waters but also in the waters in our region, we do want to do two things.
The first is to have good collaborations with our neighbours so that in case there is an incident, there is a coordinated response, there is collaboration. We deal with it in a coordinated manner because the oil could flow from our waters to their shores or from their waters to our shores. So, this is part one of how we deal with the oil spills.
Part two is that we also want to work with the industry because some of these contractors are specialised experts. Some of them specialise in laying booms, some of them specialise in skimming the oil, and some of them specialise in other areas. So, it is important for us to not see this as a binary kind of situation, that everything has to be in-house or everything has to be outsourced. We need both. We do need to have some in-house capabilities and we do have them.
The second thing is about the scale of the oil spill. It is not a small oil spill because we have an estimated 400 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea in a sudden discharge. This is considered, I would say, on the scale, it is not the largest oil spill, but it is considered quite a serious oil spill.
All three Ministers have spoken about this point in our Ministerial Statements, about the learning points from this incident and how we can then incorporate the learning points into our SOPs, our processes, just as we have done with previous incidents. Every two years, we will do an oil spill exercise, together with the industry. It is alternate years – every two years, we will also do one for chemicals. These exercises help us to be ready in case there is a chemical spill or there is an oil spill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Speaker, in reference to my Question No 2, I may have missed a bit of the detail. Can the Minister share what is the current assessable cost of the clean-up operations? They are quite intense, a lot of manpower. Who will eventually bear the cost of this clean-up exercise?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, the clean-up operations have just progressed to the start of phase 2. So, it is too early for us to confirm what the cost will be. But what we can say in response to Mr Yam's question, in terms of who will bear the cost, is that after the operations are over, we will tally up the total cost for the clean-up and we will submit these claims to the insurer of the bunker vessel.
Mr Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Speaker, I would like to declare that I am a practising shipping lawyer in a maritime law firm. I have two supplementary questions.
One, it has been reported that T&T Salvage Asia was mobilised on the same day of the collision at about 2.55 pm and it took them just over 14 hours before they were mobilised and finished laying the 200-metre booms around the Marine Honour.
MPA reported on 16 June, at least, that Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), the largest international industry-funded cooperative providing oil spill response services, was supporting the clean-up efforts. Given OSRL's resources and expertise at hand, may I ask the Minister for Transport why was OSRL not mobilised concurrently with T&T Salvage Asia immediately after the collision to deploy the containment booms around the Marine Honour, especially with a view to reducing the deployment time and to reduce the subsequent spread of the oil spill?
My second question, bearing in mind the time required for T&T Salvage Asia to mobilise for the deployment of booms and, in particular, around the Marine Honour, would MPA consider reviewing the storage, loading and mobilisation processes of all equipment, including required containment booms, to ensure that mobilisation time can be reduced? In particular, will the Government consider requiring shipping terminals at locations like Pasir Panjang, Pulau Bukom, Pulau Sebarok and Jurong Island to have containment booms within easy reach of rescue vessels for quick deployment?
Mr Speaker, can I ask one more supplementary question?
Mr Speaker: Go ahead.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Thank you. My third question, has MPA contracted with T&T Salvage Asia for salvage services or for ad hoc oil spill response and recovery work? If so, would MPA consider engaging a term contractor providing oil spill response and recovery work to deal with oil spill response and recovery work instead, to facilitate better and quicker response and mobilisation?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, if I understood Mr Dennis Tan's questions correctly, there is a certain underlying assumption, which is that T&T Salvage Asia had been slow and had not been doing its work properly, if I understood the Member correctly. I think that is not the case. Let me explain.
T&T Salvage Asia was not the only contractor engaged by MPA. MPA has, as I mentioned earlier, in response to Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, in-house capabilities as well as a group of contractors that they work with in the industry and these are experts with many years of experience dealing with oil spills.
For T&T Salvage Asia, Captain Anuj, who is the boss of the company, was informed by his staff who were notified by MPA on the afternoon of 14 June. He was informed at 2.55 pm. I think he explained this in a media interview that upon being informed about this oil spill, he then had to mobilise to load up the heavy equipment.
Sir, Mr Dennis Tan is a maritime lawyer. I am sure he understands these are not lightweight, simple equipment. These are heavy equipment that will require time to load up onto the vessel. That is what T&T Salvage Asia did in the first instance. So, that process to load up the equipment took some time. Then, they had to sail from Marina South Wharves because that is the wharf that is designed to load vessels like the T&T Salvage Asia vessel to be able to deal with incidents like oil spills. There is a reason why we chose Marina South Wharves, because if you think about the entire anchorage in the southern part of Singapore, you have from Tuas to Pasir Panjang and all the way to the eastern anchorages. So, if you were to put your loading point in the western part or in the eastern part, it may not be as centralised as Marina South Wharves.
They arrived at the incident site at 9.41 pm. As Captain Anuj explained during his media interview, it was at night. The weather was bad. So, he and his crew did their best to deploy the heavy containment boom as quickly as they can. But it took them till the next morning before they could fully deploy them.
Sir, there is also an important point of clarification that I need to raise in response to Mr Dennis Tan's question because there is this assumption that the arrival of T&T Salvage Asia and laying out the booms could contain and fence in the oil that has been spilled around the vessel. Sir, I think that is not the correct understanding.
The oil that has been spilled, especially when it is in a large amount, estimated 400 tonnes, sudden discharge into the sea, it will not stay there. There will be tidal currents, there will be waves and these will carry the oil and it will float elsewhere. So, the purpose of deploying T&T Salvage Asia is not to try and \"fence in\" the oil. It is to try and have a preventive measure around the damaged vessel because, let us not forget, there is still a lot of oil inside the damaged vessel that has not been released and spilled into the sea. So, we wanted to make sure that in case there is further spillage, there is a preventive measure around the damaged vessel to deal with that scenario.
The next thing that has to be done is MPA and the contractors, together with our agencies, would have to try and locate where the oil patches, the spilled oil, are floating to, because you need to be able to locate it, then you can deal with it through the skimmers and the laying of booms to try and deal with the oil at sea. That is the process. So, I think it is important for us, as we discuss this matter and as we assess the response, of whether it is MPA or its contractor, in this case T&T Salvage Asia, to bear that in mind. I would say, given the weather conditions, nightfall and the amount of work that is required to lay out the booms, I think T&T Salvage Asia did their best and the response time was in line with industry practices internationally.
Mr Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Please do allow me to ask two supplementary questions or clarifications to the Ministers.
First, I would like to thank the Ministers and the various Ministries for coming out very fast in terms of communications and also the various groups that have helped to quickly come out with the ongoing works to clean up the beaches and the waters around Singapore.
I have two clarifications. I think Minister mentioned just now a very important thing. In regard to the oil spill, it may not be localised and it could be coming from outside the region. I am aware that there is an ASEAN cooperation mechanism for joint oil spills. I am wondering whether Minister can share a bit about that, including how the Revolving Fund Committee works, in terms of allocation of responsibilities if it happens abroad. As we know, Singapore is a maritime hub. Any oil spills slightly out of Singapore's waters could actually come in and affects Sisters Island and even Chek Jawa and other parts of Singapore.
Second, it is in regard to my original PQ which is about the penalties under the Act. Member Alex Yam mentioned about the cost, but can Minister share a bit about the penalties under the current legislation or Act, whether it commensurate with the cost of clean-up and provides a sufficient deterrent? Essentially, whether sufficient deterrent will be there, especially with us as a maritime hub?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I would take the second question first on penalties. We are still doing the investigation, so I think we let the investigations be completed before we look at what are the appropriate penalties. But what remains quite clear is that with or without the penalties under the law, which is subject to the findings of the investigations, the bunker vessel in this case has strict liability. So, the insurer, British Marine, which is the insurer of the damaged bunker vessel, will have to respond to claims from parties who are affected by this incident. If the findings of the investigation later turn out that it is not the fault of the bunker vessel, then the bunker vessel owners can have the right to then submit their own claims against the other party, which caused the allision. So, that is the second part of Mr Saktiandi's question.
The first part, indeed, as I mentioned earlier in my response to Assoc Prof James Lim, we recognise that this is not something that Singapore can deal with or our neighbours can deal with alone, because the oil can float from one part of the sea to another part of the sea across the boundaries.
That is why we have, when we were notified of this oil spill, alerted our Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts, and we also provided updates to them along the way and offered our assistance. I think this is a process that has worked well over the years. Likewise, when there is an oil spill in their waters, they will also do the same to help us to be able to respond effectively.
And we are part of the Revolving Fund Committee where the three littoral states can request and provide support for oil spills and clean-up operations in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. This mechanism that we have, together with the cooperation that we have built up with the industry, remains a very important part of our overall preparedness.
Because as I mentioned in my Statement earlier, it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk of oil spills and therefore we have to be ready that if it occurs, and it will occur from time to time, we are able to respond effectively.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Thank you, Speaker. Two supplementary questions from me.
The first is can the Minister for Transport share further details on the response time requirements for the different levels of oil spill severity, on the different types of resource owners, whether it is the boom operator or otherwise? For example, just like how for us National Servicemen, there are different kind of requirements in terms of the manning, depending on the operational demands of the different units.
Second, have the current operators performed to required response time and effectiveness standards in the twice-yearly oil spill response exercise? Are they stress-tested, and will the Minister consider tightening the standards and conducting such exercises annually in light of this incident?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I think we have covered these points earlier. The learning points from this incident, certainly I think as I mentioned earlier, we will take on board and see how we can further enhance our processes, our SOPs, and we will also factor this in in the regular exercises that we conduct. The next exercise for the oil spill will be in October this year.
As for standards, it is difficult to have a precise single number. And I hope Mr Chua can appreciate why, because every oil spill is different, depending on the scale, depending on the nature, depending on the geography, the time to respond to the oil spill can vary from oil spill to oil spill. In some instances, the oil may not float very far away. In some instances, it may float further away. In some instances, like I mentioned, the oil density makes it easier to detect because it floats on the surface. In this case, it was an added challenge because this oil has similar density as the seawater, so it could go below the surface. So, because of all those factors, there is not a single number that you can say, \"Oh, did you meet this X hours?\" It is not quite like that.
But if we look at the overall response, including the deployment of the MPA patrol vessel arriving 11 minutes, started to spray dispersants, which is very important, I think in the initial period before the oil starts to harden. And then subsequently, the deployment of the vessels to keep track of the oil and then to start cleaning it up. We have received positive responses from industry experts from different parts of the world who commented that Singapore's response in this particular incident, and I am sure they are comparing based on their years of experience with other incidents around the world, our response, in their words, was \"extremely fast\".
Mr Speaker: Mr Xie Yao Quan, you raised your hand earlier? Mr Xie Yao Quan.
Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong): Thank you, Mr Speaker. And I thank the Ministers for their comprehensive statements about our timely, competent and coordinated response so far. But just to build on Minister Chee's point about not all oil spills being the same, and at the same time, this oil spill was significant. It is not the largest in our history.
And to my question that I filed earlier about our contingency plans, I would like to ask the Minister if our contingency plans are sized for a much larger oil spill that is a lot closer to our shoreline, making a full frontal impact on our shoreline? Do we have the assets and the methods that are needed to deal with an oil spill of such a scale and with a full frontal impact on our shoreline?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, we have the assets that is required within MPA, but more importantly, I think we also have a network of industry partners that we can call upon who have their own assets but also, I think importantly, expertise and capabilities in dealing with different parts of the incident. And of course, as I mentioned earlier, the partnership with our neighbours. So, I think if there is a very major oil spill, whether it is very near to our shores or further away, closer to our neighbours or in international waters, I think this is the response that will be most effective. Not relying only on one single party, but tapping on the resources and the assets of all the different partners within the ecosystem and rehearsing this regularly. Keeping the links warm, keeping the SOPs well run so that everyone knows their roles and their responsibilities. That is part of our emergency preparedness.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, I join the Ministers in thanking the officials, workers and volunteers who helped in the oil spill recovery. I have some supplementary questions for the Minister for Transport.
Sir, it took almost 15 hours to complete deploying the containment booms after 400 metric tonnes of oil began spilling into the sea. I note the Minister's earlier reply that booms cannot contain 100% of the oil and he feels the contractors performed to par. But how much oil had already dispersed beyond the collision site by the time the booms were deployed 15 hours after the collision? And could the oil slick have been better contained if the booms were deployed earlier?
Sir, many countries, including the US, have regulations which require containment booms to be readily available in the event of an unexpected oil spill. Does Singapore have any such regulations and if not, are there any plans to enact them?
And lastly, I do not think the Minister has fully answered my Question No 14 for Oral Answer and Question No 67 for Written Answer, which he said he would cover in the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I think I have explained earlier in my response to Mr Dennis Tan that it is not the right way of understanding the purpose of the containment boom around the damaged vessel. But since Mr Giam raised it again, let me try to make another attempt to explain.
Sir, the purpose of the containment boom around the damaged vessel is not meant to try and catch the oil that has already been spilled into the sea. Because even if you talk about a shorter response, because the weather was good and it was not at night and the contractor, the vessel, was able to deploy the booms fully in a quicker way, it would still take several hours at least.
By that time, the tidal currents and the waves would have already carried the oil that has been spilled into the sea further away from the incident site.
So, it is therefore not the correct response to try and use the containment booms to \"fence in\" the oil. The purpose of the containment booms around the damaged vessel is as a preventive measure to prevent the further oil spillage from coming out from the damaged vessel. Because as I explained earlier, there is still a lot of oil left that we are now in the process of safely removing from the damaged vessel. So, I think this is an important point to clarify, so that we are on the same page.
And as I explained earlier, then what do you do with the oil that has been spilled and is floating away? The operations are then mounted to try and track and confirm the location of these large oil patches, so that you can then send out other types of vessels, the skimmers, to try and remove this oil, collect this oil. And then also to lay booms in certain areas to try and soak up this oil.
But you first need to know where these oil patches are, where it is floating to and MPA deployed a multi-pronged approach using a variety of information sources. They used drones, they used satellite imagery, they also used visual sighting from ships, they alerted the ships in our anchorages to try and look out for where the oil patches may be floating to and then they tried to piece together the different information to confirm where is the location of the oil. And when they saw the oil patches on the 15 of June morning, they deployed the oil skimmers to deal with these oil patches.
So, that is how the oil spill response is done, not just in Singapore, but internationally. The US requirement that Mr Giam mentioned is not something which is done in major ports. There was an earlier media article which quoted someone – they did not give the name, they called this person Captain A from the industry, who asked if we could put booms around the vessels in our anchorages. The article also mentioned that this was done in the Netherlands.
But when we checked with the Port of Rotterdam, which is also a major port, they said no, they do not have this practice of requiring booms to be placed around vessels. Because we have so many ships in our anchorages and they are not just static, they are also coming in and going out, it is just not practical and feasible to take that approach. So, I hope that answers the two questions that Mr Gerald Giam raised.
Mr Gerald Giam also said that he has some further questions. I was just flipping through earlier and I saw that one of them – just to seek Mr Gerald Giam's confirmation, is the Member asking about the height of the booms, freeboard and skirt? Is that one of the questions that you want me to answer?
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: That is one of the questions, as well as Question No 67 for Written Answer.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Thank you, Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Speaker, for this particular incident, the freeboard and skirt of the boom measured 0.36 metres and 0.43 metres. The wave height at the time was between 0.1 metres and 0.3 metres and the tidal current was 1.7 knots. We deployed 200 metres of booms.
On Mr Giam's question for written answer, for storage tanks, we have sufficient storage tank capacity for the operations, because the storage tanks, when you put it on the vessel, when you go out to sea and you skim the oil, collect the oil, you do have enough capacity, but if the volume in the tanks were to increase, you can come back to shore and use a new tank, replace with a new tank and then you go out again.
We do have sufficient spare capacity. This was not a constraint in this particular response. It was not due to lack of storage tank capacity. What was challenging, and I explained this in my Ministerial Statement, was it took some time to locate where the oil patches, this is the estimated 400 tonnes that floated away. It took us some time to be able to confirm the location of these large oil patches that floated away due to a variety of reasons that I have explained earlier – bad weather in the initial period and after that nightfall, and in this particular case, because the density of the oil was quite similar to seawater, it could go below the water surface, which then makes detection more difficult.
For these variety of reasons, we only managed to identify the location of the large oil patches on the morning of 15 June 2024. And when that is identified and confirmed, MPA then sent out the skimmers to collect this oil.
Mr Speaker: Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Our cleaners, very often, work under trying conditions and it is heartening to know that safety measures and SOPs have been put in place to ensure their safety and well-being.
Arguably, the cleaning up of oil spills would mean even more challenging conditions such as blistering heat, humid weather and the constant fight against time to contain and to remove the spill. Does MSE have measures put in place to ensure that all our cleaning workers are provided with ample rest and whether certain groups of workers are excluded from the strenuous clean-up deployments, such as workers with pre-existing health conditions?
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you very much. I would like to thank the Member for the clarification and for her concern for the well-being of our workers. We would like to remind all our service providers to adhere to the recommendations from the various agencies that are looking at workplace safety and to pay extra attention to the well-being of the workers.
Personally, I met some of them when I was visiting the affected beaches. I never fail to ask them, \"Are you given rest? Are you given time out to have your hydration?\" And the answer has been, \"Yes\".
So, I think that is something that is of priority and I would like to assure Members that we are always work with our contractors to make sure that their workers' well-being is also looked after.
Mr Speaker: Ms He Ting Ru.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. In response to part of my PQ on what recourse workers have should they have or are suspected to be suffering from ill effects due to exposure, while I acknowledge the Minister's earlier points about no anomalies being detected during air quality monitoring, can the Minister clarify whether there were any reports received about health concerns from our workers and now our volunteers given that they have started to be deployed and what recourse do they have should they suffer from or are suspected to be suffering from ill effects due to both dermal and inhalation exposure?
Secondly, how many who were involved in the main coastal clean-up were foreign workers and to what extent have they been trained for this sort of work, especially as the 1,500 volunteers who signed up to volunteer were deemed to be lacking the special skills in the initial phases?
I have a couple of clarifications for the Minister for National Development. First, I do not think I heard the answer to part of my question about whether the oil spill has affected plans for a second marine park in the Southern Islands. Secondly, how much are the various studies and research projects to study the impact on the biodiversity implications on our various natural ecosystems? How much is the total cost expected to be for these studies and research projects?
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you, Mr Speaker. In response to questions from the Member, we have not received any feedback on workers nor volunteers suffering from the ill effects of inhalation.
On workers who are involved in cleaning, I will clarify that there are mainly two categories of workers who are involved. One is general cleaners and they are involved in very basic but back-breaking work at the foreshore of the beaches, basically to clean up the oil leaks as well as the contaminated sand. The ratio, I would imagine that they would conform to the foreign workers ratio of general cleaners. They would be supervised as usual and, as I mentioned in my speech earlier on, contractors, their employers have been advised to adhere to giving them the adequate and appropriate protective equipment. There is also another type who are involved in specialised cleaning. Those will come from contractors who are engaged to handle such cleaning of the hard-to-reach places and they would have gone through their own internal training programme.
I have spoken to some of them. Some of them are actually our local workers with experience in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF). They have now joined this contractor, basically handling emergency responses, such as oil spill and other incidents and crises. They are very, very competent, very experienced, putting their experience from SCDF and SPF to good use and they are obviously very mindful and aware, high degree of awareness of the environment that they are working in. So, they are supervised with a high degree of competency and experiences.
And of course, I think we want them all to work under very safe condition, but it is really hard work, so we would like to really urge the public when it is time for us to volunteer that we would step forward to volunteer with the more laborious type of cleaning, where specialised skills is less involved so that we can actually relieve them of some of the work ahead of us.
Mr Desmond Lee: Mr Speaker, Sir, we are carrying out habitat and environmental surveys of the affected areas, including the Southern Islands, both those that were affected as well as those that are not affected, and we are monitoring the long-term impacts.
So, the answer to the first question is at this point in time, we continue to assess the impact of the oil spill. There is no impact on our plans for a second marine park in Southern Lazarus and Eastern Kusu.
And secondly, in terms of the total cost of monitoring and research, we are still working out the research questions and methodology, processes and locations of these works. The exact figure will be worked out in due course.
Mr Speaker: Ms Nadia Samdin.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Ministers for their Statements as well. Just two points. Beyond the workers and specialised professionals who have been really hard at work, I think we have also been able to engage some of the researchers who have specialised skills. For example, Minister Desmond Lee mentioned Friends of Marine Park, who went out, I think, maybe the day or two, really soon after, to engage in the work and there are many more volunteers, as the Ministers have pointed out, who are really interested to come forward, whether those who kayak out at sea or those who do beach clean-ups. I think they are looking forward to maybe when the next phase might be so, that they can really galvanise and come together. Is there a rough indication how long more this will take?
And will there be any sort of maybe training or briefing at a very high level to be able to equip them with the information on how they can best help with the clean-up?
The second is, beyond the wanting to help. I think many also want accountability in due course to be able to hear more as to how the collision happened and whether the parties responsible or the parties involved will be taking accountability.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Speaker, I am very heartened – and I think I speak also on behalf of my other colleagues – we are very heartened by the strong support and interest that the ordinary Singaporeans have shown towards protecting our environment. We would very much like to involve all Singaporeans who are willing to help us rehabilitate our beautiful beaches. But we do just want to put a word of caution here, because we are dealing with petrochemicals and we do want to make sure that it is safe to do so. We are monitoring the situation closely. We hope to give some update maybe in a week or two's time so that we can prepare for further general cleaning of the beaches.
Please be assured that when we do so, when we mobilise the volunteers, we will think through, we will put through procedures that involve training as well as briefing, as well as resourcing with adequate protective equipment, so that we can all do so safely.
Mr Desmond Lee: Sir, if I may supplement what Minister Grace Fu had said. The incident happened on 14 June. By 16 June, some of the Friends of Marine Park had already been galvanised to do a survey of some of the Southern Islands. They helped us monitor impact and to identify shorelines and habitats that have been affected.
Of the 1,500 volunteers who stepped forward, as I said earlier in my answer, that some 700 volunteers have been called upon to help with coastal patrols, to advise members of the public, to help us keep an eye out for impacted areas. Some have been mobilised for more specialised works pertaining to the environment, habitats, biodiversity and wildlife.
The incident happened on 14 June. And on 21 June, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng and I met many members of the community, green groups, environmental groups, IHLs, researchers, organisations, who wanted to support. We had a closed-door session to discuss areas where we could collaborate more closely on.
And as I said earlier in my answer, there were five broad areas that we decided to embark on, ranging from wildlife rescue to habitat monitoring to coastal clean-up surveys, as well as research into scientific questions on the impact of oil spills. These are all areas where we engage stakeholders, including those who are more specialised with skills that they can offer. And we work very closely with them to ensure that in carrying out these operations, this is all done safely and securely.
In response to the Member's second question on accountability, as Minister Chee Hong Tat had mentioned earlier in his answer, investigations are ongoing, even as operations to clean-up are in their second phase. There is some more work to be done, so allow the investigation to run its course before we address the broader issue of accountability in different aspects.
Mr Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have two questions for Minister Chee.
First, I would like to ask how effective was the predictive modelling used by MPA when trying to predict where the oil spill would move, based on tidal predictions and real-time weather data, which would then have informed and guided their decisions on where to deploy the skimmers and the oil booms.
My second question is regarding one of my PQs, which asked whether the whole-of-Government response is coordinated with those of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including the volunteer groups. I think the Minister mentioned that there are regular oil spill exercises and the next one being in October this year. My question is, are these NGOs invited to participate in the exercises, including the volunteer groups; and if not, would they be invited to do so?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, the modelling is one of the sources of information that MPA will use to try and locate where the oil that has been spilled will float to. But, as I mentioned earlier, we do not rely only on one source, because this is a highly fluid situation. Pardon the pun. It is evolving.
It is not something that, I think, any single source of information will give you the full picture. What MPA has done is to use a multi-pronged approach from drones, satellite imagery, modelling is one of the sources of info and the old-fashioned way, which is visual sighting by personnel at sea and also by our personnel who are on land, looking out for signs of the oil.
Can we further enhance the modelling? Certainly. I think that is one area where it is a continuous improvement process. We will be happy to work with researchers, with scientists, to see how we can take on board the learning points and further finetune our modelling.
The whole-of-Government approach and involving our industry partners that we do regularly, every two years, oil spill exercise; every two years, chemical spill exercise. That one, so far, has been more Government agencies plus industry players. The reason is because, it is dealing with the response out at sea; and also dealing with the use of different sources of information, running through different processes, looking at the different assets, the different kinds of vessels that you can use.
Do we want to involve the volunteers who would not likely go out to sea but more likely will be helping on land? I think that is something which we will be happy to take a look at together with the Ministry of National Development and MSE colleagues.
Mr Speaker: I think I have covered all those Members who have filed PQs on this. I will now move to the other Members. Ms Hazel Poa.
Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Mr Speaker. There are many businesses that have been affected adversely by this oil spill incident. I am glad to hear from the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment that rental assistance is currently being discussed.
Apart from rental costs, businesses face other costs as well, for example, wages for their employees. Is the Government looking into possibly helping the small businesses further, for example, in seeking compensation and providing some financial schemes, like, bridging loans on preferential terms, to tie them over until they have received their compensation?
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you very much for the supplementary question. Here I am speaking, really, as the Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, overseeing SDC as well as our tourism business. I would encourage businesses that have been affected, first of all, to start compiling the numbers, so that they can form a basis of claim. As I mentioned earlier in my speech, the person to contact, I think you can find it as public information.
Those that have agencies, whether it is NParks or SDC, as your landlords, I am sure they have already reached out to you. If you belong to a category that is affected and, yet, do not have a very strong land-based business on the affected beaches, I would suggest that you get in touch with SDC or the Singapore Tourism Board, so that we can look at your cases individually.
Different businesses are affected to different extents. Some of the businesses are completely unable to operate because they were operating sea-based activities, while others that are operating on the back shore of the beaches, they have been able to resume. Some of them have very much resumed to pre-spill days, some of them have not. So, I think we cannot take a standard approach or one-standard-solution for the businesses. Government agencies will be very prepared to listen to the plight of the businesses and see how we can best help them.
As Ms Hazel Poa has mentioned herself, there is always a solution, there is always the option of making a claim. We will see how we can help the businesses to bridge that cash flow problem in the interim process.
Mr Speaker: Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Thank you, Sir. I just want to follow on the question from the business side of things.
Minister Chee mentioned that there will always be lessons learned from each incident and I am sure post the incident, there will be further step-up measures. So, can I ask whether as the Transport Minister or the Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, whether post the oil spill incident, would we see increase in the cost for shipping and in the maritime sectors in Singapore and hence any wider implications to the economy?
My second question is for the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, whether the oil spill incident will have a bearing on our push to decarbonise the maritime sector? Whether, as the industry moves toward hydrogen and ammonia-powered ships, are we gearing up our capabilities to prevent as well as potentially deal with, the effects of allisions or collisions of such ships?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I will answer both questions.
The first question, the point that is important for us to bear in mind is: yes, there are some learning points that we can certainly look at incorporating into our processes and SOPs. That is something that we do after every incident, so that we benefit from the process of deriving the learning points that will enable us to deal with future incidents with greater confidence. Having said that, I think it is important for us to bear in mind that the overall response by our agencies, industry partners and volunteers to this oil spill on 14 June was a prompt and effective one.
Mr Liang asked about shipping costs. This is something which, precisely because our response to the oil spill was swift and effective, I think it did not damage our reputation as an international hub port and maritime centre.
First, MPA very quickly ensured that port and shipping operations were not affected on 14 June, soon after the allision occurred. So that ships could still come to our anchorages, call at our ports; cargo could still be loaded and unloaded; ships could still continue to have their supplies. So, port operations continued.
I do not think this incident will lead to an increase in shipping costs, because it is affecting two vessels in this case and not something that is structural or systemic. Unlike, for example, what is happening at the Red Sea, where that kind of incident, yes, that will affect global shipping costs, because ships have to then detour and go a longer distance.
So, in response to Mr Liang's question, I think we cannot 100% eliminate the risk of oil spills happening. But how we respond to the oil spills, I think that is how can differentiate Singapore from other ports around the world.
Mr Liang's second question is about the future, because we do have a plan to decarbonise our maritime sector. There are two parts to this. The harbour craft, which are the vessels that ply within our port waters, this can be done through a mix of electrification and also the use of biofuels. But if you talk about the larger ocean-going vessels – container ships, tankers – those, they cannot run on batteries. The alternatives that people are looking at would include liquefied natural gas (LNG) and newer types of fuels, like methanol, ammonia and, perhaps, even hydrogen.
I state in that order, because that is the level of readiness at this point in time for the global shipping industry. They have done some tests. With LNG, of course, it is the most well-established amongst all these different alternatives. Methanol, they have done some tests, but it is not quite ready for large-scale commercial deployment. We have done some tests as well with some of the industry players. Ammonia as well, we have done some initial pilots and tests.
Why we are doing all these tests and pilots, is because we need to confirm and understand the risks involved. Then, we can develop our safety protocols that, in the future, you have more ships now using ammonia or more ships now using methanol. How do we deal with those kinds of different types of fuel? Because the risks are quite different from a traditional oil spill.
Take ammonia, for example. If you have an ammonia leak, it will not be going into the water like an oil spill and then floating away, carried by tidal currents and waves. It may potentially go into the air and you have a plume cloud. And this is a very different kind of risk compared to how we deal with the conventional oil spills.
So, Mr Speaker, a more elaborate answer, but I think it is an important point to clarify because we remain committed to looking at how we can bring on board these newer fuels, because decarbonising the maritime industry remains our goal. But we want to find a way to do it safely, so that we are able to make progress.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Thank you, Sir, for your indulgence. Can I confirm that the Minister said just now, in response to my supplementary question, that the purpose of the containment boom around the damaged vessel is not meant to try to catch the oil that has already been spilt into the sea and that it is not the correct response to try and use the containment booms to fence in the oil around the damaged vessel? If so, what is the purpose of deploying containment booms?
The Minister said that, how we respond to oil spills can make a difference to our reputation around the world. Does the Minister not agree that the earlier the booms are deployed, the better? Because even if the booms cannot completely fence in the oil, they can prevent a large amount of the oil from spreading faster and this would reduce the amount and cost of the clean-up needed. So, are we looking to increasing our capacity for faster boom deployment in future oil spills?
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, I think we are having this exchange, but it is not my view versus Mr Giam's view. What I am sharing with Mr Giam is the international practice and the industry's response to oil spills. So, these are methods and processes that have been developed over the years by experts and this is how it is done internationally, not just in Singapore but also in other parts of the world. So, this is not an opinion that we are debating over. What I am sharing is the international practice.
But allow me to come back to the concern that Mr Giam raised, which is, the sooner you deploy, the better. There is no disagreement that faster is better. However, knowing that boom deployment requires time, even if you are able to do it very quickly – because the weather was good, it was daytime, you were able to do it more quickly – it is still going to have a time lag. And I hope Mr Giam understands that. From the point of the allision and the oil spilling in a large amount into the sea, by the time the booms are fully deployed, even under the best circumstances, there will be a gap. During this time, the oil would have floated away.
That is why the international industry practice is not to try and \"fence in\" the oil, because it is not practical. The oil would have floated away. It is to deal with what is remaining in the vessel, to prevent further spillage, in case it comes out, because there is no guarantee that the oil will stay inside the damaged vessel. It could spill again and, if in that scenario, when your boom is up, then, yes, you will be able to contain that amount of oil, the subsequent spillage, better.
But for the oil that has floated away, the international practice is to, as quickly as possible, try and locate where the oil is and then to be able to scoop it up, collect it. So, that was what was done. But as I explained earlier, it took some time before MPA and the contractors were able to confirm the location of the large oil patches.
They were only able to do so the next morning, on 15 June, due to bad weather on the first day, the initial part, and then subsequently because of nightfall. Various reasons made it more challenging. But when they discovered where the oil was, they very quickly deployed the oil skimmers to deal with it.
So, there is no disagreement with Mr Giam, that speed is important and faster is better. But I also hope that Mr Giam understands that, even under the best circumstances, some tasks are just not possible, not practical. In this case, it is not possible to try and \"fence in\" the oil around the damaged vessel because it has already been spilled and it will be carried by the currents and the waves away from the location side.
Mr Speaker: Alright, we have spent almost an hour on clarifications and I do not see any more hands being raised.
Order. End of Ministerial Statements. Introduction of Government Bills. Minister for Home Affairs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether there are health and safety concerns from residents and tourists staying at Sentosa on breathing in the fumes from the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal given reports of dizziness experienced by some members the public from the smell of the fumes.","2 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether proper personal health and safety measures have been taken to protect the workers who are cleaning up the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal and, if so, what are these measures.","3 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry can make available real time data from the Marine Environment Sensing Network (MESN) buoys on an hourly basis so that the fish farming and relevant NGO communities are aware of and can respond to information about Singapore waters promptly."],"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Anti-money Laundering and Other Matters Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to amend certain Acts to give effect to certain recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, to enhance the legal framework for preventing, investigating and prosecuting offences relating to money laundering, terrorism financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to provide for the manner in which seized property may be dealt with to preserve its value, to make certain amendments to the procedure by which seized property is dealt with, and to make consequential amendments to the Organised Crime Act 2015\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) on behalf of the Minister for Home Affairs; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Land Surveyors (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to amend the Land Surveyors Act 1991 and to make consequential amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Minister of State for Law (Mr Murali Pillai) on behalf of the Minister for Law; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill","subTitle":"Introduction of Bill by Private Member","sectionType":"BI","content":"Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Mr Speaker, I beg to move*, \"That leave be given to introduce a Bill intituled 'An Act for the protection of certain food donors from liability for any death or personal injury resulting from the consumption of food donated by those food donors under certain conditions'.\"
[(proc text) *The Motion also stood in the name of Ms Poh Li San. (proc text)]
Sir, it has been a long, at times painful but absolutely rewarding journey. More than four years ago, I said in this House that, \"Food waste is a serious and growing problem. In 2018, 763,000 tonnes of food were wasted in Singapore, a 30% increase compared to 10 years ago. At the same time, some Singaporeans struggle to have three meals a day.
Both problems can be alleviated if we introduce a Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. This piece of legislation would help encourage companies and organisations to donate healthy food that would otherwise go to waste. It will help both the environment and our people. Will the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources support a Private Member's Bill for a Good Samaritan Food Donation Act?\"
Four years later, I am glad and excited that we are now ready to move the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill. Honestly, I am really hiding my pure excitement and uncontrollable happiness. The Bill has been made possible by the tremendous work done by the Good Samaritan Legislation Review Committee over the past four years.
The Committee comprise of representatives from BreadTalk, DBS bank, Food from the Heart, Foodscape Collective, Mandarin Oriental Singapore, NTUC Fairprice, Restaurant Association of Singapore, the Singapore Youth for Climate Action, the Food Bank, the Fullerton Hotels and Resorts, Ya Kun International and my legislative assistants, grassroot leaders and fellow Members of Parliament, Ms Poh Li San, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Edward Chia.
It has been a privilege working with this team of passionate volunteers who donated their time and energy, so that many people and our planet can benefit from this piece of legislation. We spent hours, days, weeks, months and years discussing what should and should not be included in the Bill, what food should be covered and who should be covered.
We consulted extensively, conducting public consultations and meeting with restaurants, hotels, social enterprises, primary food producers, the food processing sector, distributors, wholesalers, food logistic, transport and delivery provider companies, supermarkets and merchants, bakeries and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
I am grateful for the Committee's hard work and inspired by their passion in wanting to help others.
Mr Speaker, we do have a food waste problem in Singapore. Every year, for the past few years, we generated about 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes of food waste and a lot of this food is still edible. The Good Samaritans Food Donation Bill aims to encourage more food donation by protecting food donors from criminal or civil liability for any death or personal injury resulting from consuming the food donated, provided that certain conditions to ensure food safety and hygiene are met.
This Bill will help reduce food waste and increase availability of food for redistribution to food-insecure communities. It is a Bill by the people, for the people and for our planet. I have waited a long time to say this, Mr. Speaker, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng, I can see the excitement in your words.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That leave be given to introduce a Bill intituled 'An Act for the protection of certain food donors from liability for any death or personal injury resulting from the consumption of food donated by those food donors under certain conditions.'.\" (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Who is prepared to introduce the Bill?
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: I am, Sir.
Mr Speaker: Please proceed.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Mr Speaker, I beg to introduce a Bill intituled \"An Act for the protection of certain food donors from liability for any death or personal injury resulting from the consumption of food donated by those food donors under certain conditions\".
[(proc text) Bill read for the First time. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Second Reading, what day?
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: At the next available Sitting.
Mr Speaker: So be it. Order. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Orders of the Day.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"ACRA (Registry and Regulatory Enhancements) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
The ACRA (Registry and Regulatory Enhancements) Bill aims to bolster data protection, facilitate digital communications between the Government and businesses and enhance the regulatory framework for entities under the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's (ACRA's) purview. The Bill introduces amendments to eight Acts, namely:
(a)\tThe Accountants Act 2004;
(b)\tThe Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Act 2004;
(c)\tThe Business Names Registration Act 2014;
(d)\tThe Companies Act 1967;
(e)\tThe Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005;
(f) The Limited Partnerships Act 2008;
(g)\tThe Variable Capital Companies Act 2018; and
(h)\tThe Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018.
Sir, the first set of amendments focuses on enhancing the protection of residential addresses filed with the Registrar.
As the national business registry, ACRA maintains and makes publicly available information about business entities and their associated individuals, including their residential addresses, to facilitate regulatory and enforcement actions. However, residential addresses can be exploited for malicious purposes, such as harassment and vice-related or loan shark activities.
To improve the protection of residential addresses filed with the Registrar, the Bill will mandate the filing of a contact address, alongside the residential address. The contact address must be a physical address at which the individual can be reached or contacted by post, for instance, his or her office. With this, the Registrar will make public the contact address and not the residential address. Individuals can still opt to use their residential addresses as their contact address, if they prefer.
Should an individual be unreachable at the contact address, the Registrar is legally empowered to make the residential address public.
The contact address regime differs from the existing alternate address regime in that: under the current alternate address regime, filing an alternate address is optional and individuals have to pay a fee to file an alternate address. This alternate address will be made public, instead of the residential address. However, under the new contact address regime, the provision of a contact address is required and there will be no need for payment.
With the introduction of the new contact address regime, the existing alternate address regime will be discontinued.
To ease transition to the new contact address regime, existing alternate addresses will automatically convert to contact addresses upon the commencement of the amended Acts. For those who have not filed an alternate address and wish to use a non-residential contact address, you can update your information with ACRA at no cost. Corporate service providers should also verify their clients' preferred addresses and update ACRA accordingly. As long as the alternate addresses are filed before commencement of the amended Acts, these will be reflected as contact addresses upon commencement.
If an alternate address is not filed by the time of the commencement of the amended Acts, the residential address will serve as the default contact address, with the option to update at any time.
The Bill also introduces a new framework for differentiated information disclosure. This framework protects confidentiality of personal information by limiting public access, while still allowing selected, specified parties to access the information to fulfil their legal obligations.
For example, residential addresses will not be made publicly available by default. But certain parties, such as financial institutions, may still require the information to conduct customer due diligence checks on business entities. The Bill allows specified parties to access selected personal information to fulfil their regulatory obligations. These specified parties will be required to properly safeguard the use of such information.
The second set of amendments aims to facilitate digital communications between the Government and businesses. Today, the Registrar still sends documents, not in connection with Court proceedings, in hard copy. The Bill will empower the Registrar to collect additional information, such as email addresses and mobile numbers, to enable ACRA to send secure digital communications through BizFile, which is ACRA's business registration and filing portal. Recipients will be notified via their provided email addresses to retrieve documents on their BizFile digital mailbox. Hard copy documents will still be sent for Court proceedings.
The third and final set of amendments seeks to enhance ACRA's regulatory oversight and streamline processes. For instance, the Bill will allow the Registrar to obtain and use information from prescribed public agencies, reducing manual entry by users and enabling ACRA to maintain, rectify and update its registers more efficiently. This will provide greater convenience to individuals and entities.
In addition, the Bill will also allow the Registrar to use any information obtained from prescribed entities, such as electricity and telecommunication companies, to verify the accuracy of any document or information in ACRA's repository. This will support ACRA in performing its enforcement and regulatory functions, for instance, to detect businesses that are set up for illicit activities.
Sir, in conclusion, this Bill lays the groundwork for the enhanced BizFile system, targeted to launch by the end of the year. These amendments will also enable ACRA to advance its regulatory framework, better protect data in its registry and facilitate data collection and usage for regulatory needs. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, this Bill will streamline the regulation of corporate entities. I thank ACRA for conducting a public consultation on the proposed changes and for publishing its responses to the feedback received. I have three points of clarification to raise.
My first point is on the use of the BizFile+ digital mailbox to send statutory correspondence and notices. The Bill will empower the Registrar to send documents and information, other than Court summonses, through the digital mailbox.
In the public consultation, Ministry of Finance (MOF) and ACRA clarified that customers will be informed, including by email, when they receive new information or documents posted through the digital mailbox. The timing of when documents are received may be important, especially in Court proceedings.
Can the Minister clarify how documents will be deemed to have been received? Will it be based on when the document is posted in the digital mailbox, when the customer is informed about the posting, or when the customer accesses the documents in the digital mailbox?
MOF and ACRA have also made clear that hard copy documents for Court proceedings will still be sent via registered post. Can Minister share if there are any plans to allow Court documents to be served via the digital mailbox? After all, the Courts have now recognised substituted service of Court documents for civil proceedings via the Singpass app inbox. If so, what factors will the Ministry consider in determining whether it is appropriate to allow service via the digital mailbox?
My second point is on the ceasing the exclusion of residential addresses from public disclosure. I have three questions about this.
First, section 30C(1) prohibits any individual's residential address from being publicly disclosed. However, section 30D(1) sets out two exceptions where an individual's residential address may cease to be excluded from public disclosure. This includes where communications sent require a response within a specified period or where service of any document at the individual's contact address is not effective to bring it to the notice of the individual. Can the Minister clarify how publicly disclosing an individual's residential address will assist in obtaining the individual's response or bringing any document to the individual's notice?
Second, under section 30D(8), if the Registrar causes an individual's residential address to cease to be excluded from public disclosure, the individual will not be allowed to provide a contact address within three years unless the Registrar is satisfied that there is good cause to allow the individual to do so. Can the Minister clarify the rationale for not allowing the individual to provide a contact address within three years? Can the Minister also share what would be considered good cause to allow an individual to do so?
Third, when lawyers commence legal proceedings, they have to effect service on the individual personally and, sometimes, those persons are not at the office. Currently, when they cannot be found in the office, the lawyers will serve them at home based on the residential addresses listed in the ACRA corporate registers. Can the Minister clarify whether lawyers will still be able to obtain the residential addresses for the purposes of service of process?
My third and final point is on the provision of information and documents to third parties. Under section 30B(1), ACRA may provide information and documents to certain third parties. These third parties include authorised information service providers, trustees of a bankrupt's estate, liquidators, judicial managers, receivers, financial institutions, moneylenders and estate agents. Once the information is provided to these third parties, the information is then subject to the third party's data protection and management policies.
My concern is that the capabilities around protecting data may vary across different third parties. For instance, a moneylender or a real estate agent may not be able to set up data protection as robust as those of a financial institution. This is noteworthy because the information ACRA shares may include personal data. Can the Minister share how ACRA will ensure that information, especially personal data, provided to third parties will be adequately protected and not be subsequently used by these third parties for other purposes, such as marketing or sales? For instance, will ACRA require an undertaking from these third parties on the use and protection of the information provided? Sir, notwithstanding these clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Mr Speaker, the proposed amendments to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Act of 2004 along with other related Acts are designed to improve registration procedures while making regulatory enhancements. I support the Bill but will flag some areas of concern.
I will begin by discussing the two main thrusts of the Bill pertaining to improving the business environment and enhancing corporate regulation. I will then move on to some more general reflections on the fundamental tensions between these two objectives. Since much of the Bill pertains to the business climate, I will also state at the outset that I am an associate professor at a business school.
Sir, the amendments include several that are meant to improve the ease of business registration. Clause 8 empowers the Registrar or Authority to obtain information related to ascertaining the veracity of registration from certain specified sources, including Government agencies. By a similar token, expanding the recognition of financial statements prepared according to internationally accepted standards, as embodied in clause 48, will make it easier for foreign investors to register the subsidiaries of their businesses locally.
Further simplifying the procedures involved in setting up private enterprises, not least by making the different arms of the Government talk to one another, will continue to lighten the burden of regulation. This, in turn, has the potential to spur further entrepreneurial activity, promote competition, stimulate the growth of existing businesses and even, potentially, raise productivity.
Of course, Singapore already does reasonably well by this standard. The most recent edition of the World Bank's Doing Business Report ranked our nation second overall in terms of ease of doing business. Even so, the Starting a Business sub-indicator, the one that is most related to the Bill at hand, held us at fourth, behind New Zealand, Georgia and Canada.
It is a reminder that other economies do not sit still, even as we strive to continue to improve our own. Hence, any steps that we can take to continue easing the process of new business formation should, in and of itself, be welcome. Moreover, the amendments also enfold certain rudimentary personal data protections, especially pertaining to residential addresses.
For example, the new section 30C and 30D affords the exclusion of residential addresses from public disclosure, so long as contact addresses are also available. Several clauses apply the same to related acts, such as clause 14 for public accountants to list a distinct contact address for public inspection in the Accountants Act, or clause 40 for directors, chief executives or secretaries in the Companies Act.
These basic protections are to be welcome, not least, because in an age of pervasive information dissemination, where, as we all know, the Internet never forgets, individuals and their families should, at least, be able to find some refuge from public scrutiny in their homes.
This naturally begs the question of whether providing information that differs from official residency information may inhibit Police or judicial operations. Certain clauses, such as clauses 19, 26 and 45, stipulate that documents may be directly served to contact addresses.
I will note that clause 26 specifically states that such documents may be sent either via ordinary or prepaid registered post, but notably, no such language is included in clauses 19, 34, 45 or 65, albeit the preamble definition of contact address, which indicates the necessity of a physical address at which the individual can be contacted by post, may be sufficient. Relatedly, it does strike me as somewhat odd that there is no requirement that registered post be used to ensure receipt. This is a fairly common practice for at least initial attempts at personal service prior to any application for substituted service thereafter.
Sir, several clauses take steps to enhance the corporate regulatory landscape. Clause 39 allows the registrar to unilaterally amend the register of directors for a company with reasonable cause. But when paired with clause 8, where information may be obtained from any authorised information service provider, which could, of course, entail non-governmental entities, problems could emerge, especially in a world where there may be incentives to generate fraudulent information, or even if, in the absence of malicious intent, such entities suffer from lapses that could corrupt their databases.
To be fair, the proposed amendments to section 30A, Part 4, relieves the person of liability if there is erroneous or inaccurate information collected, if they have not been offered an opportunity to verify the said information. But it nonetheless raises questions about how much the Government should be reliant on external information sources.
I will be the first to acknowledge that restricting data providers to only intra-Government sources may be even worse, given capacity limitations in the public sector. But it, nevertheless, places a strong onus on the Government to carefully verify the accuracy of information obtained.
I trust that this will be emphasised to public officials as part of standard operating procedures as they will go about their due diligence processes. Furthermore, I hope that ACRA will clearly post information on its website that explains the appeal mechanisms that may be available to individuals who wish to contest a disqualification.
Sir, in introducing these two sets of amendments, the Government is threading a fine needle of easing what could otherwise be tiresome or onerous processes involved in individuals pursuing private interests, while also ensuring that these private interests do not come into conflict with broader public and social objectives. In this sense, then, it is important to remember that we must guard against carrying any pro-business policy too far.
We must understand that supporting business does not imply coddling them from exposure to competitive market forces nor does it preclude taking care of other stakeholders, especially workers, in our economy. For these reasons, sensible regulation must be necessary. Recent events surrounding the Doing Business report are instructive.
The World Bank suspended the publication of the indicators in 2020, in part because of backlash about how the measures failed to adequately account for pro-social considerations and perceptions that there was widespread gaming of the system. Worse, the indicators were accused of favouring a right-leaning ideology. For instance, it included an indicator for paying taxes that seemed to suggest that lower corporate taxes were always unambiguously better.
As the Workers' Party has argued on multiple occasions in this House before, a higher effective corporate tax rate, if directed appropriately, can yield many positive benefits, ranging from averting an increase in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to providing further relief to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to reinvesting more in our home-grown companies.
Another controversial indicator related to employing workers, where more robust labour regulations were treated crudely as a cost, thereby failing to take into account the offsetting benefits of stronger employment protections. The indicator was justifiably excluded from the compilation of the Aggregate Index since 2011, but its presence in the report was, nevertheless, viewed as symptomatic of the report's implicit biases.
More generally, we should also not allow the world to think that an easy business environment also means a permissive one. Some have even suggested the term \"Singapore-washing\", the process where foreign actors take advantage of our relatively simple registration processes and global reputation for incorruptibility to incorporate fronts for dubious business activities, in some form of a quid pro quo for investing in our city-state. Such a mindset will undermine our very hard-won brand name and eventually come back to bite us. Recent incidents have already raised questions on how indulgent we appear to be of illicit activities, especially with regard to financial flows.
The sentences meted out for the $3 billion Fujian gang money laundering case of between 13 months and 15 months' jail time struck some as excessively lenient. In a written response to the hon Member Mr Leong Mun Wai, Minister Shanmugam indicated that this duration is comparable to other jurisdictions, although he did concede that further tightening of regulatory measures was warranted.
The decision to extradite the alleged malware purveyor Wang Yunhe to the United States (US), without also prosecuting him for crimes here, also raises the question of why our laws do not appear to be sufficient to ensnare such criminal operations. After all, US court documents revealed that the companies he registered here were shell companies used to \"concealed the identity and illegitimate nature of his proceeds\".
I am aware that we will be debating the Anti-Money Laundering Bill in this House next month, where these matters are very likely to be debated at length. Nevertheless, I hope that we will reflect on whether our drive towards simplifying doing business here may have ended up erring on the side of becoming too permissive.
In closing, I will urge this House to guard against allowing the undeniable benefits of a favourable business climate to entrench itself as an ideology, divorced from the counter-balancing role of sound corporate regulation and, subsequently, insulated from critique. Internal criticism of the Doing Business report contributed to the resignation of the then-Chief Economist of the World Bank.
As we debate the present Bill in Parliament, it is my hope that we also remain clear-eyed on the value of considered, constructive criticism of our own business environment, too.
Mr Speaker: Mr Don Wee.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to seek clarifications from the Minister on some aspects of this Bill. Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The first set of queries relate to the purpose of the Bill and its impact on businesses.
What are the primary reasons for requiring business entities, position holders, shareholders and members to maintain updated email addresses with ACRA? How will the use of a digital mailbox for statutory correspondences and notices (excluding summons) will affect the communication process for businesses and individuals?
I would also like to know which specific Government agencies will provide information to ACRA to keep its registers up to date. In addition, how will the process of updating registers with information from these agencies be managed and monitored for accuracy?
There is a clause to empower the Registrar to obtain and use information from specified Government agencies. Such updates should include email addresses and mobile numbers of Singaporeans and Employment Pass holders who are acting as company officers on behalf of the entities. Government agencies like the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) should have the most updated information.
My second set of questions concern foreign companies. What specific changes will be made to streamline financial reporting requirements for foreign companies registered under the CA? How will these changes benefit foreign companies operating in Singapore?
One of the proposed changes is to empower the Registrar to notify the recipient via electronic means on how and when to access documents and information sent by the Registrar. How does the Registrar verify or ensure that the foreign recipients' email addresses or mobile numbers belong to the rightful person? Foreign companies incorporated by the same corporate secretaries may already be sharing the same email addresses or office numbers when updating their particulars with ACRA.
(In English): Thirdly, on data privacy and security. How will the tiered framework for the disclosure of personal data ensure privacy and security for different user groups? What measures will be in place to protect the data in the digital mailboxes?
Next, what are the new powers granted to the Registrar concerning the registers of directors? How will the Registrar determine and reflect the disqualification status of the individuals? Would the Ministry share with the House what were the main concerns and feedback raised during public consultation? How have MOF or ACRA addressed these concerns in the final version of the Bill?
Notwithstanding my queries, I can see the many benefits from these amendments. We can expect enhanced efficiency and speed in communication between ACRA and business entities, potential cost savings by reducing physical mail and increased accountability for businesses to maintain updated contact information.
With more accurate and up-to-date registers, the administrative burden on businesses should be reduced. Compliance processes may be simplified due to better integration with other Government agencies. There should also be greater privacy and security with improved data protection through a tiered disclosure framework, through businesses that may need to invest to meet new data security requirements.
As the Registrar will be better empowered to maintain accurate records of directors, including disqualification status, this could lead to greater transparency and trust in corporate governance. For foreign companies, these changes would potentially reduce compliance costs and administrative burdens, too, making Singapore a more attractive destination for their investments. Hence, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, this Bill represents a significant step forward in our journey towards digital transformation. Notwithstanding, I have several clarifications.
First, Mr Speaker, Sir, the new regulations must ensure digital inclusion and smooth implementation for all stakeholders. The Bill mandates the use of electronic transaction systems for interactions with the Registrar. This move towards digitisation is commendable. It streamlines processes and increases efficiency. However, we must also consider the potential accessibility issues that may arise.
There are individuals and small business owners who may lack digital literacy or access to reliable Internet services. The digital divide is a reality we must acknowledge and address. It is our responsibility to ensure that the benefits of digitalisation are accessible to all, regardless of their digital literacy or Internet accessibility, and that no one is left behind.
We must consider and mitigate any negative impact on SMEs. SMEs are the backbone of our economy, providing employment, fostering innovation and contributing significantly to our gross domestic product (GDP). Therefore, for any regulatory changes, we must consider the potential impacts on these vital entities.
While the Bill aims to streamline regulatory processes, I would like to ask what specific considerations have been taken to ensure that SMEs, which may not have the same resources as large corporations, are not disproportionately burdened by the new requirements? Specifically, these businesses may lack the resources to quickly adapt to new regulations. The costs of compliance can also be disproportionately higher for them. We need policies that support, rather than hinder these businesses.
An effective way to address the concerns of businesses and render the necessary support, is clear implementation and transition periods. This will give stakeholders time and resources to adapt. Can the Ministry provide detailed insights into the planned implementation timeline?
A clear and manageable transition plan is critical to ensure that stakeholders are adequately prepared for the changes, reducing potential disruptions. We need to understand how these changes will be rolled out and over what time period. Furthermore, what support mechanisms are in place for entities to transition smoothly to these requirements?
Second, Mr Speaker, Sir, this Bill must address data privacy concerns, while ensuring alignment with international standards. The Bill provides for the sharing of information, including personal data, with authorised information service providers and other public agencies. This is a matter of great significance, especially in an era where data breaches are increasingly common and global concerns about data privacy are at an all-time high. Can the Ministry elaborate on the specific measures that are in place to safeguard this data against breaches and misuse? In this data age, data is an asset, but it can also be a liability if not handled with the utmost care. We must ensure that the Bill aligns with the best practices in data security. We need robust data protection measures that not only comply with our national standards but also stand up to international scrutiny.
As we strive to enhance our corporate regulatory regime and data management practices, it is critical that we benchmark ourselves against the best in the world. How does this Bill align with international best practices in corporate regulation and data management? Are there specific countries or frameworks that influenced the drafting of this Bill? Understanding this can provide valuable insights into the strengths of our Bill and areas where we can improve. It can also help us ensure that Singapore remains competitive and compliant with international norms.
Further to the above, I am heartened by the exclusion of residential address from public disclosure, if contact address is available, pursuant to the proposed new section 30C. In particular, the new provisions would prevent the misuse of the residential address of company officers. Such misuse may include the use of such residential address for the purposes of harassing officers for perceived wrongs of the company.
Third, Mr Speaker, Sir, we must commit to a process of continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure the long-term effectiveness and impact of the changes introduced by this Bill. Can the Minister explain the mechanisms that will be put in place to monitor and evaluate the long-term effectiveness and impact of these changes? We need robust systems that allow us to track the outcomes of our legislation and make necessary adjustments over time.
Furthermore, how will the Ministry ensure that the Bill's objectives are being met without unintended negative consequences? Legislation, no matter how well-intended, can sometimes have unforeseen impacts. It is our responsibility to monitor these impacts and take corrective actions when necessary. Continuous monitoring and evaluation are essential for adapting and improving regulatory frameworks over time.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to draw parallels between the ACRA Bill and the Accountants (Amendment) Act, which I also spoke on in 2022. Both pieces of legislation aim to enhance our audit regulatory regime and introduce measures for better compliance with professional requirements and standards. This is a testament to our continuous efforts to strengthen our regulatory framework and maintain the highest standards of corporate governance.
As someone who is not an accountant by training, but who has studied financial markets and econometrics, and works in an international investment firm, I view these changes as necessary and important from a private sector perspective. However, as mentioned above, I urge the Ministry to consider the following.
First, digital inclusion. We must ensure a smooth transition for all stakeholders, including those with limited digital literacy or Internet access. SMEs, the backbone of our economy, may consider particular support to adapt to the new requirements. Second, data privacy. The Bill must have robust data protection measures aligned with international best practices to safeguard against breaches and misuse. Third, long-term effectiveness. We need a plan to monitor and evaluate the long-term impact of these changes to ensure that they achieve their objectives without unintended consequences.
Singapore is an established international financial centre and we aspire to project ourselves further, to be a leading global financial centre in the world. Unfortunately, we have been recently hit by a series of high-profile money laundering cases. This Bill will tighten and enhance our measures vis a vis corporate governance, which will hopefully minimise such cases moving forward. In doing so, we will improve investor confidence in Singapore, in a world now increasingly fraught with uncertainty, especially with digitalisation and cybercrimes. Ensuring that our information collected is updated is a critical part of this process.
While I support this Bill, I urge the Ministry to address these concerns and provide a clear implementation plan with support mechanisms for businesses. Let us ensure that Singapore remains a competitive and compliant global financial centre through this digital transformation, but also one that is inclusive and protects data privacy. I support this Bill.
Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Members of Parliament Mr Louis Ng, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, Mr Don Wee and Mr Yip Hon Weng for their comments and support of the Bill.
They have raised questions around four main themes, which can be summarised as follows: one, relating to the transition to digital communications; two, the introduction of the new contact address regime; three, data protection and information sharing; and four, the proposed enhancements to the corporate regulatory regime.
I will address them in turn. Let me start by addressing questions relating to ACRA's transition to digital communications.
Mr Louis Ng asked how documents sent digitally would be deemed to have been received by the recipient. Mr Don Wee asked about the security of ACRA's digital mailbox system and how the Registrar can ensure that the email addresses provided are accurate.
Clause 28A provides that the document sent by ACRA is considered effective when it is uploaded to the recipient's digital mailbox and an email notification is sent to the recipient. As the email notification serves to alert individuals and businesses to access the information or documents addressed to them or their associated business entities, it is in the recipient's interests and their responsibility to provide an accurate email address to ACRA. If, for example, they do not fulfil their obligations under the Companies Act because they had provided an inaccurate or outdated email address and did not receive the alerts on ACRA's reminders and notices, they can still be held responsible.
To Mr Don Wee's query on security, the BizFile system is a secure environment and any information or document uploaded to the digital mailbox can only be accessed by individuals and businesses when they log in with their Singpass and/or CorpPass.
Mr Louis Ng asked whether there are any plans to allow Court documents to be served digitally. While the Bill does not cover that, ACRA will consider Mr Louis Ng's suggestion in future reviews but that will also depend on the rules of Court and what they permit.
Mr Don Wee and Mr Yip Hon Weng also asked about the impact of the transition to digital communications on individuals and businesses, particularly SMEs. Given that digital filing has been in place since 2003, most individuals and businesses that transact with ACRA would be familiar with the BizFile portal. So, we expect the transition to digital communications to be manageable. That said, we recognise that some individuals and businesses may need more time to adjust to digital communications. Hence, we will provide a one-year transition period. During this time, ACRA will send both hard copy documents and digital copies with reminders about the full transition to digital communications.
Next, I will address questions relating to the contact address regime. Mr Louis Ng asked how the disclosure of residential addresses when the contact address is found to be not effective will help to bring documents to the individual's notice. As mentioned in my opening speech, the contact and residential addresses are key in reaching individuals associated with the company. If the individual cannot be reached at the contact address provided, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the contact address is either inaccurate or outdated. To ensure that the individual can still be reached, ACRA may then disclose the individual's residential address for corporate transparency and to allow effective service of documents because, presumably, the individual will have to go home at some point in time.
Mr Louis Ng also asked about the rationale for imposing a three-year restriction on updating contact addresses after the residential address is disclosed by the Registrar. The three-year period is to deter individuals from providing fake or unreliable contact addresses. We do not want individuals to intentionally file inaccurate contact addresses in order to avoid being reached, which would undermine the contact address regime. Hence, if individuals are uncontactable at the contact addresses they provided, it suggests these addresses are ineffective as a way to reach these individuals.
In this situation, ACRA has the power to publicly disclose their residential addresses for corporate transparency purposes. Once this happens, then, as a form of deterrence, these individuals will not be allowed to put up new contact addresses for a period of three years, even if they wish to do so for privacy reasons. They will have to accept their residential address functioning as the contact address for three years. However, if an individual genuinely needs the three-year restriction to be reviewed, they can make an application to the Registrar, who will consider the facts and circumstances of each case before deciding whether to allow the individual to provide another contact address.
Let me move on to questions relating to data protection and information sharing.
Mr Louis Ng asked whether lawyers will be able to obtain residential addresses of individuals registered with ACRA for the purpose of service of Court processes. The scope of the Bill does not presently cover this. However, the Member has raised a good suggestion. To provide for this, we will consider amending the disclosure framework relating to the use of personal information in the Sixth Schedule to the Bill, which can be amended as subsidiary legislation to permit disclosure of residential addresses to lawyers for the purposes of service of process.
Mr Louis Ng, Mr Don Wee and Mr Yip Hon Weng asked about the safeguards in place when sharing information with authorised information service providers and other specified persons. ACRA is committed to data protection. ACRA will implement the necessary safeguards, which include requiring these third parties to sign undertakings or agree to terms and conditions governing data use to prevent the disclosure of data to unauthorised persons or for unauthorised purposes. Breaches may result in severe consequences, including the termination of service contracts or debarment from Government procurement.
Mr Don Wee asked which Government agencies would provide information to ACRA and the accuracy of such information. The Government agencies that would provide information to ACRA will be published in the Government Gazette. For instance, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, or ICA, will provide realtime data updates of NRIC holders' personal information to ACRA registers. If any data discrepancies come to ACRA's attention, ACRA will conduct verification with the relevant agencies. This ensures accuracy of ACRA's registers and provides greater convenience to individuals and businesses who do not then need to update multiple agencies.
Fourth, let me address questions related to the refinements to our corporate regulatory regime.
Mr Don Wee asked about the Registrar's powers in relation to the registers of directors and how the Registrar will determine and reflect the disqualification status of disqualified directors on ACRA registers. The Bill will empower the Registrar to amend the register based on specific provisions in the Companies Act which set out the circumstances an individual is disqualified from acting as a director. This status will be publicly accessible, ensuring transparency on the eligibility of individuals to be appointed as directors. Once the disqualification period ends, the status will be removed.
Mr Don Wee also asked about the changes to the financial reporting requirements for foreign companies registered under the Companies Act. The amendments aim to reduce the administrative burden on foreign companies by allowing them to file the applicable financial statements that they have already prepared as long as the requirements under the Companies Act are met. For example, if a foreign company is listed in Singapore overseas, it can lodge with ACRA the financial statements prepared in compliance with the applicable rules of the exchange on which it is listed.
In relation to the questions raised by Members on the Bill process, let me assure the House that careful study has been done in the formulation of this Bill. We looked at the best practices of leading jurisdictions and adopted them for our local context. For example, our approach to not disclose residential addresses of individuals associated with businesses is similar to the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.
In the public consultations held in 2020, 2022 and 2024, the feedback received was broadly in support of the proposals and we incorporated the relevant feedback received into this Bill. For example, financial institutions highlighted the need to have access to residential addresses of individuals associated with businesses for compliance with anti-money laundering statutory obligations. As I have mentioned in my earlier speech, we accepted this feedback and provided for this under the disclosure framework. We also regularly review our policies and legislation to maintain a pro-business environment while ensuring a robust regulatory regime.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim had a couple of questions. Let me just address that. He had mentioned, in relation to foreign companies, the suggestion was that clause 48 would make it easier for foreign investors to register the subsidiaries of their businesses. I just want to clarify that the purpose of clause 48 is not to make it easier for foreign investors to register their companies, but as I mentioned in my speech earlier, it relates to the streamlining of financial reporting requirements by foreign companies. In other words, if they have already prepared financial statements which substantially meet our requirements, then they can use that and it is easier for them.
There was another point which Assoc Prof Jamus Lim raised. He mentioned that it is odd that there was no requirement that registered posts be used to ensure receipt, it being a common practice for, at least, initial attempts at personal service prior to any application for substituted service thereafter. Actually, they are all three different concepts. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim may be confused between the three.
Registered post is not the same as personal service and personal service is not the same as substituted service. When there is personal service, you have to actually hand it to the person directly, in person. You would never, in any circumstances, use registered post as a means for personal service, nor would it be a prerequisite. You would send by way of registered post if you want to be doubly sure that it reaches a certain address. But registered post does not ensure it reaches an individual because you can have registered post delivered to a certain address. The domestic helper may be at home, another family member may be at home, not the addressee. So long as they receive it and sign for it, it is registered, but that is not personal service.
Then, substituted service comes when you are not able to actually deliver to the person face-to-face. Usually, for Court documents, the Court is satisfied that you could not meet that person face-to-face, so you have a substituted service, leaving it at the doorstep, in some cases, if the Court allows, sending it digitally. So, I just wanted to lay that framework so that everybody understands all three are very separate things for separate purposes.
However, in terms of what the regime provides, first, documents for Court proceedings will continue to be served in hard copy, including whichever means they are required to be served. Second, under existing legislation, ACRA sends certain documents only digitally, as there is no requirement for these documents to be sent in hard copy or by registered post. For documents required by ACRA-administered legislation to be sent in hard copy, clause 28A will allow the documents to be sent digitally.
There was one more question, which was whether the contact address would inhibit Police or enforcement action. The answer is no, because the residential addresses still need to be filed with ACRA. It is just that they will not be made public, but ACRA can share the residential address and other data or information with other Government agencies if needed.
With that, Sir, in conclusion, the amendments in this Bill will strengthen data protection, facilitate digital communications between the Government and businesses and streamline our corporate regulatory framework. It strikes a fine balance between corporate transparency and personal data protection as we advance the digitalisation of our corporate regulatory services. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker: Are there any clarifications? Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for the clarification about the distinction between registered post, personal service and substituted service. In fact, my comment is a little more straightforward and, that is, that in one of the clauses, clause 26, it states specifically that documents may be sent by ordinary or prepaid registered post. But for clauses 19, 34, 45 and 65, in terms of contacting the individual, no such requirement exists. So, I thought that there was an inconsistency that I hope the Minister will be able to clarify.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Can I just check the other clauses? Clause 26, I got. Which were the other clauses that were being referred to?
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Yes, they were clauses 19, 34, 45 and 65. And there, it just states that a contact address, but it does not require, specifically, the language of ordinary or prepaid registered post is not included, unlike clause 26A.
Ms Indranee Rajah: I will have to have this checked specifically. However, the general principle of the contact address is that if you have done a BizFile search or a company search, you will know that when they show, let us say, director's particulars, there will always be an address. That is for general purposes. There will be, sometimes, when you have specific documents where you need a specific mode of delivery, for example, Court documents; or if we send reminders to pay money, we will normally do registered post. So, the Act sometimes prescribes situations where a specific mode has to be followed. But when you file general particulars, there is a general address.
Clause 16, if I am not mistaken and that was the one that was being referred to— no, clause 19, that talks about the alternate address being replaced with contact address. An alternate address is one of those generic addresses. So, when you print out the search in an ACRA search, you will see director's name. Then, there may be residential address. Then, there may be alternate address. This is the generic one and this is the one for alternate addresses which will be replaced by the contact address regime.
Clearly, in the Act, it contemplates different underlying functions, and you have different addresses or different things for that. So, one refers to the address, the other refers to the mode of delivery of the document.
Mr Speaker: Any more clarifications for the Minister? I do not see any.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Ms Indranee Rajah.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.50 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 4.33 pm until 4.50 pm.
Sitting resumed at 4.50 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
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The Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a second time.\"
Madam, this Bill is linked to the next Bill on the Order Paper, the Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. As such, may I propose that the debates on both Bills take place together, although we will still have a formal Second Reading of the Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill to comply with the procedural requirements.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Yes, please proceed.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Thank you. Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) regularly review the effectiveness of our anti-money laundering policies to ensure that our regime continues to stay relevant, amidst evolving threats and increasingly sophisticated crimes. Today, the House will be debating two Bills which are intended to strengthen Singapore's anti-money laundering regime.
First, the Corporate Service Providers Bill (CSP Bill), to enhance our regulatory regime for corporate service providers; and second, the Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, which will complement the CSP Bill by enhancing the transparency of companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).
Money laundering has been a subject of significant public interest recently, largely due to the $3 billion money laundering case uncovered last year. While insights from the incident have been incorporated, I would like to emphasise that the proposals in both Bills are part of MOF and ACRA's ongoing enhancements and were in development even before the case was uncovered.
Let me start with the CSP Bill. Corporate service providers (CSPs) play an important role in anti-money laundering. CSPs provide a range of services to businesses, such as helping them to comply with regulatory requirements, like the filing of annual returns; as well as other services, such as arranging for another person to act as a director of a business. As CSPs may support companies in a number of key company activities, they serve as gatekeepers against the misuse of companies. They are, therefore, regulated by ACRA to ensure that they fulfil their obligations.
Today, non-residents looking to set up companies in Singapore must engage a CSP to do so. While this is not mandatory for locals, many locals still opt to engage CSPs to facilitate company incorporation. Regardless of whether their clients are Residents or not, all CSPs must conduct customer due diligence before incorporating a company.
This Bill will enhance our regulatory regime for CSPs to deter the misuse of companies and bolster our efforts to combat money laundering. There are three key areas of the CSP Bill.
First, all entities carrying on a business in Singapore of providing corporate services must register with ACRA as a CSP. Under the current regime, only CSPs that carry out transactions with ACRA on their customers' behalf are required to register with ACRA. These transactions involve the statutory filing of documents in the course of providing corporate secretarial services. There are nearly 3,000 CSPs regulated by ACRA today, and filings done by these CSPs account for 70% of ACRA's filing transactions.
With this Bill, we will expand ACRA's regulatory scope to include Singapore-based entities that provide corporate services, even if they do not transact with ACRA. These could be, for example, entities that provide corporate services exclusively to overseas clients and, hence, do not transact with ACRA. In addition, we will also extend the obligation to register to include entities that, in relation to their provision of accounting services, carry out specific services defined by the Financial Action Task Force.
The widened coverage of ACRA's regulatory regime will ensure that all entities providing corporate services from Singapore, regardless of whether they serve local or foreign clients, have the same obligations in our fight against financial crime.
The second key area of the CSP Bill is the introduction of fines on CSPs and their senior management for non-compliance with their duties to combat financial crime.
Today, ACRA already imposes sanctions on CSPs and their registered qualified individuals for non-compliance with ACRA's regulations. These include financial penalties of up to $25,000 per breach, or in egregious scenarios, the suspension or cancellation of their registration.
Since 2021, ACRA has taken an increasingly strict stance over CSPs and registered qualified individuals found to be non-compliant. Between 2021 and June this year, ACRA has imposed 41 sanctions against CSPs and registered qualified individuals. In 31 of these cases, the registration of the CSPs or registered qualified individuals was cancelled or suspended.
We will tighten our regulations for breaches of obligations to combat financial crime. We will increase the sanctions for non-compliance by CSPs of their obligations to detect and prevent money laundering, from the existing financial penalty of $25,000 to a fine of $100,000.
Additionally, the senior management of such firms, such as the chief executive officer (CEO), can, in certain circumstances be held liable for such breaches. For example, if they knew or ought reasonably to have known that the offence would be or is being committed, but failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent or stop the commission of that offence. Then, upon conviction, they can, likewise, be fined up to $100,000.
The third area of the CSP Bill, will address the potential misuse of nominee directorship arrangements. A nominee director is a person who is appointed as a director of a company, but acts according to another person's directions.
All directors play an important role in preventing the misuse of companies. They owe fiduciary duties to a company and are required to discharge their duties responsibly, with honesty and reasonable diligence. Nominee directors have the same legal obligations as other directors. Those who fail in discharging their duties can face sanctions, including disqualification and debarment.
We recognise that nominee directorship arrangements are a legitimate service provided by many CSPs, to support their overseas-based clients to set up a company in Singapore and fulfil Singapore's requirement for an ordinarily resident director. However, such arrangements are vulnerable to abuse and can lead to the conduct of illicit activities if the nominee directors do not perform their fiduciary duties well.
As important gatekeepers in the ecosystem, CSPs cannot arrange for nominee directorships in a cavalier manner. In some cases, we have observed individuals who are clearly unfit to bear the responsibilities of being a director, but were arranged by errant CSPs to act as nominee directors. We will, therefore, do more to tackle the misuse of nominee directorship arrangements.
First, we will require that individuals can only act as a nominee director by way of business if the nominee directorship was arranged by a CSP, unless the individual himself is the sole proprietor of a registered CSP. This could include a scenario in which, for example, an individual receives a fee for providing such services to his clients. Those found guilty of breaching this requirement can face a fine of up to $10,000.
Second, CSPs will be required to ensure that the individuals they arrange to act as nominee directors are fit and proper. The general principle is that, CSPs must apply their professional judgement and appoint individuals who possess the necessary competencies as nominee directors. CSPs should also be satisfied with the capacity, conduct and integrity of these individuals, which could include checking their compliance records to evaluate if they have the capacity to take on additional directorships. CSPs who are found guilty of breaching this requirement, can face a fine of up to $100,000.
Madam, let me now move to the second Bill, the Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, which will introduce amendments to the Companies Act and the LLP Act to complement the CSP Bill in enhancing Singapore's anti-money laundering regime.
There are two sets of amendments in this Bill which will help to enhance the transparency of companies and LLPs.
The first set of amendments will enhance the accuracy of the information contained on the various registers that are currently maintained by companies and LLPs. Today, both companies and LLPs are required to maintain registers of their registrable controllers or beneficial owners. These are individuals or corporate entities that have a significant interest in or significant control over the company or LLP.
In addition, companies are also required to maintain registers of their nominee directors and nominee shareholders respectively. These registers promote transparency by ensuring that when there are persons exercising control of legal persons behind the scenes, they are known to the authorities.
But the usefulness of these registers depends on their accuracy. A register with inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date information is of no use to the authorities. Those who do not update their registers in a timely manner already face penalties under the Companies Act and LLP Act.
This Bill makes three enhancements.
First, we will raise the maximum penalties for companies and LLPs that commit offences relating to their registers, from $5,000 to $25,000. These offences could include failing to maintain their registers, keep the information up to date or correct inaccurate information.
Next, we will make it an offence for persons to provide false or misleading information about their registers to ACRA, with a fine of up to $25,000. This will apply to persons who did not act with reasonable due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the information that they provide to ACRA.
Third, we will require companies and LLPs to verify and update their controllers' information on an annual basis.
The second set of amendments will further enhance transparency around nominee arrangements. Today, individuals who are nominee directors or shareholders are required by law to disclose their particulars and nominee status to their companies, but there is no requirement for them or their companies to share this information with ACRA.
To promote even greater transparency, the Bill will require companies to provide the full information of nominee arrangements to ACRA, such as the particulars of the nominee directors and shareholders, as well as the identities of the nominators behind these nominees. This information will only be available to ACRA and other public agencies for the enforcement of any written law. However, ACRA will make public which of the company's directors and shareholders are nominees. In other words, an individual's status as a nominee director will be made public, although the identity of the nominator will not be disclosed. This information will be useful to banks, CSPs and other gatekeepers who may, for instance, wish to conduct additional checks on companies with many nominee directors or shareholders.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, together, these two Bills fortify our legislative and regulatory framework against the misuse of companies and other legal persons, reflecting our collective approach towards money laundering. This issue cannot be single-handedly tackled by an individual stakeholder. All stakeholders, including companies and CSPs, must each play their role in the fight against financial crime, by upholding transparency and adhering to their AML obligations. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, I wish to declare my interest in speaking on this Bill as a practising lawyer. I am also a Registered Qualified Individual (RQI) and my company is a Registered Filing Agent (RFA) under the ACRA Act.
Under the ACRA (Filing Agents and Qualified Individuals) Regulations, a qualified individual means either an advocate and solicitor, a public accountant registered under the Accountants Act, a member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants and so on. Essentially, a QI must be properly qualified and be a fit and proper person before he can be a QI. And every RFA must act by or through a registered QI.
The RFA must also attend a mandatory anti-money laundering course (MAML) or a Countering of the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) course and pass a proficiency test once in every two years. An RFA also needs to have a documented Internal Policy, Procedures and Control (IPPC) and an AML policy. As an RFA, I have to attend the AML course and I have taken the proficiency test.
What does an RFA do? An RFA helps businesses navigate the huge amount of rules and regulations relating to the operation of the company. According to ACRA, there are almost 600,000 businesses registered in Singapore. Thus, RFAs are needed to help these businesses keep their statutory records and registration. RFAs also help to incorporate companies, draft directors and shareholders' resolutions, help file the company's annual returns and so on. If a company wishes to increase its capital or pay dividends to its shareholders, to take a bank loan or to buy or sell property, they will need to ask an RFA to assist in the required paperwork and update their ACRA records. If the company has given a security over its assets, the RFA will help to register a charge on the company.
Sir, this Bill seeks to do a few things.
First, to require companies and other entities that carry on a business in Singapore of providing any corporate service to be registered as a registered CSP. This is so, even if they do not file transactions on behalf of their customers with ACRA. This will cover companies that provide registration of shell companies in overseas jurisdictions. It also means that the term RFA will no longer be used and will be replaced by the term \"corporate service provider\" or CSP.
Second, to require companies and other business entities that carry on a business in Singapore of carrying out any \"designated activity\" in relation to the provision of any accounting service to be registered as CSPs. Designated activity is also defined in clause 2 of the draft Bill and would include buying and selling of real estate, managing of client money or assets. The Act imposes criminal liability on registered CSPs and their senior management with hefty fines of up to $100,000 for each breach.
The third objective of the Bill is to disallow a registered CSP from arranging for a person to act as a nominee director of a company, unless the CSP is satisfied that the person is fit and proper. In determining whether the person is fit and proper, the registered CSP must take reasonable steps to satisfy himself that the person, who is a nominee director, is not disqualified from acting as a director of a company under any written law, and consider other factors prescribed in subsidiary legislation.
Finally, the Act seeks to require CSPs to comply with requirements to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorism financing.
Madam, in principle, I support the need for tightening the regulations to ensure that all entities offering specific accounting and corporate secretariat services are properly registered under the CSP Act and I support the principle that they must comply with AML/CFT requirements. So, I believe that all parties must do their part to ensure that we deter dishonest entities from carrying out illegal activities and then laundering the illegally obtained funds through our financial system.
However, Madam, I do have a few concerns. Many RFAs, now to be known as CSPs, provide critical services to many small companies and businesses to ensure that these businesses and companies do comply with the Companies Act and ACRA regulations. These CSPs are already required to attend AML/CFT courses and to pass the mandatory test every two years. To impose too many requirements and to impose such high penalties of up to $100,000 fines, seem to be an excessive reaction to the current action against money launderers.
As it is, within the last three years, ACRA has cancelled the registrations of 17 RFAs and 17 RQIs, based on The Straits Times report today. They are cancelled for breaching the ACRA regulations. So, Madam, there are already penalties imposed for breach of such regulations.
Many RFAs typically provide company secretariat services and do not deal with huge flow of funds or monies into the companies. This is unlike the banks or financial institutions, remittance companies or dealers of precious metals. So, to impose onerous requirements on the CSPs to carry out stringent customer due diligence for every company that they incorporate or service and even CDD on existing clients that they know, seems to be an overkill to me. There will be a higher cost of compliance and this will invariably have to be passed on to the businesses. And many of these businesses may be small companies which have to pay for the higher compliance costs just to run a small family business.
Madam, the feedback which I have received from RFAs, eventually to be known as CSPs, is that many huge sums of monies or funds come through the banks, financial institutions or even remittance companies. Surely, these banks, financial institutions or remittance companies are better placed to have stringent AML/CFT measures to stop the flow of illegal funds. The banks and financial institutions make huge profits every year and they should bear a larger share of compliance costs to detect money laundering of illegal funds.
Madam, I am not saying that CSPs do not have a role to play in detecting money laundering activities. However, the question is who is in a better position to detect money laundering activities and which entity should bear the greater part of the compliance costs. Here, I would submit that banks and financial institutions are in a better position to be the gatekeeper against money laundering, rather than CSPs, because the funds flow through the banks and financial institutions. Thus, there should not be a need to impose such huge penalties on CSPs who may have been careless or negligently failed to carry out their CDD.
So, may I urge the Minister to consider the culpability of the CSP when imposing criminal liabilities on CSPs. In this case, the question would be whether the CSP had directly facilitated the illegal flow of funds into Singapore.
Next, may I ask the Minister whether there would be clear guidelines issued to enable CSPs to determine who is considered a fit and proper person to be a nominee director. The criteria must be clear and easy to comply with. Is it the duty of the registered CSP merely to ensure that a nominee director is not disqualified from acting as a director? Or must the CSP check how many directorships is the nominee director holding? Or are there other factors that the CSP must consider.
For example, the classic advice in AML/CFP literature is that a CSP has to carry out CDD to assess for country risk and then assess whether the customer is a politically exposed person (PEP). When the customer is a PEP, then the CSP and many financial institutions would have to carry out enhanced CDD. PEP, in this case, would include politicians like us Members, judges, senior civil servants and so on.
For financial institutions that choose to take the easy way out, they simply reject a PEP as its customer, because they are concerned whether they will be penalised if they process wrongly someone who is a PEP as their customer. Likewise, the easy way out would be for a CSP to reject any PEP so that they do not have to take unnecessary risks.
Madam, without clear guidelines, the concern will be that it will be more difficult for innocent customers, whether local or foreign, to do business in Singapore. A former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) had shared with me that he had many difficulties trying to open a bank account more than 10 years after he had stepped down as an NMP. Personally, I, too, have been rejected by banks when I tried to open a simple deposit account with the bank simply because I am a PEP.
Thus, I urge the Government to provide clear guidelines to CSPs so that they know what are the criteria they have to assess in complying with AML and CFT requirements. If a foreigner has to wait for months to start a business or to open a bank account in Singapore, the risk is that we will lose our competitive edge as a business-friendly country.
Madam, The Straits Times had previously reported about a nominee director who was a director of 980 companies. Does ACRA check on the directorships held by any person? Would ACRA not want to set a limit as to the number of directorship that a director can hold? I hope the Minister can provide some clarifications on my concerns.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, the CSP Bill is an important piece of legislation that is begging to be enacted in the face of rising concerns over the use of Singapore as a home base or transition country by financial criminals. Over the past year, Singaporeans and many others across the world were shocked and captivated by the discovery of one of the largest money laundering operations globally happening on our shores, even as memories of the money laundering of 1MDB funds remain fresh in our minds.
As we reflect on the money laundering risks and vulnerabilities in the wake of these incidents, it is important that the reputation of our country cannot be associated with that of money laundering or \"Singapore-washing\", a term which I first read about in a Financial Times article from November 2022 and which was once again brought up in a Bloomberg Opinion article in June last month titled \"Singapore-washing Has Hit a Wall\".
We need to send a clear message to the world that we are not a haven where our financial system can be easily exploited. When it comes to tightening our regulations, we need to err on the side of caution, even as we continually enhance our supervisory and enforcement methods, as we should. And it is in this spirit that I wish to raise several areas of concerns and seek clarifications to the CSP Bill in this House today.
One of the key areas of concern when it comes to the role of CSPs in facilitating or abetting money laundering operations is the misuse of nominee directors and the multiple layers of companies involved in money laundering networks. This arises from the requirement for companies to have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore and, hence, a foreigner may engage CSPs to incorporate companies in Singapore while procuring nominee director services from CSPs.
In December last year, it was reported that a Singaporean was helping his clients from China set up companies in Singapore and became a director of a whopping 980 companies. He was subsequently sentenced to multiple charges of failing to exercise his duties as a director and other related charges under the Companies Act, with more than US$5 million being laundered through some of the companies under him.
The Companies Act requires each company to have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. Additionally, foreigners must engage the services of CSPs to incorporate a Singapore company. As such, a foreigner might also procure nominee director services.
In a Ministerial Statement in October last year, Minister Indranee shared that, \"ACRA has been studying restrictions on directorships, both to ensure that nominee directors are fit and proper to take up the role and whether it would be useful to limit the number of nominee directorships that one can hold\".
While the introduction of clause 16 of the Bill meant that a registered CSP must not arrange for a person to act as a nominee director of a company unless he is satisfied that the person is fit and proper, the proposal to require CSPs to ensure appointed nominee directors satisfy prescribed training requirements if they hold more than a legally prescribed number of nominee directorships by way of business was, ultimately, not proceeded with. I view this as a lost opportunity.
The proposal first introduced in ACRA's public consultation already provides for qualified persons to be exempt from such requirements, where qualified persons include an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, registered public accountants and members of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants.
Moreover, the requirement is merely to ensure that such persons satisfy prescribed training requirements. Today, banks have to take steps to ensure that all of its employees are regularly and appropriately trained on anti-money laundering laws and their responsibilities in combating money laundering and terrorism financing. Even property agents have to fulfil an increased number of training hours a year from October 2025 onwards. For nominee directors, whose legal obligations are the same as other directors in discharging their duties responsibly, I do not think that minimum training requirements that were initially considered are a step too far but are, in fact, essential.
While it can be argued that it is difficult to come up with a \"magic number\" on the prescribed number of nominee directorships, the key here is that the proposed legislation would not have prevented non-qualified persons from taking on such nominee directorships. ACRA's justification in not proceeding with this proposal was that it will \"enhance its supervisory and enforcement efforts on persons who hold a large number of nominee directorships and exhibit other high-risk indicators\". My question then is: does this have to be mutually exclusive? What is the Minister's estimate of the number of nominee directors who would have been covered under this new proposal, especially when 99% of directors hold fewer than 10 directorships and that many nominee directors are likely to be qualified persons themselves?
I do hope that the Government will reconsider this training requirement proposal in due course to further strengthen our regulatory safeguards against the abuse of nominee directorships.
I have several other clarifications specific to the Bill.
Firstly, in relation to the appointment of nominee directors and the requirement for CSPs to take all reasonable steps to be satisfied that the person he or she is appointing is a fit and proper person, I understand that such details will be provided in subsidiary legislation or guidance. In what way would such guidelines and thresholds be similar or different to that of the Monetary Authority of Singapore guidelines on the fit and proper criteria?
Given that all directors, nominee or otherwise, owe a fiduciary duty to the company and have a range of other serious duties and responsibilities, it is important that we uphold high standards in determining the fit and proper criteria that should be expected of the nominee directors appointed by CSPs. Doing so will uplift the corporate governance standards of the companies on which they serve on and also complement the work of regulators in anti-money laundering efforts.
At the same time, support in the form of training and resources should also be made available to CSPs in guiding them on making such fit and proper assessments, as well as on other broader matters relating to money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing. Would the relevant agencies and Ministries be spearheading such training and briefings on a regular basis, to ensure that the conduct of fit and proper assessments is aligned with both legislation and the latest AML developments?
Next, I recognise that there are close to 2,800 Registered Filing Agents (RFAs) and 3,500 Registered Qualified Individuals in Singapore as at the end of 2023. Within this sizeable group of CSPs, there could be many which are very small entities and could also be largely dominated by one or two dominant customer groups. In such cases, the independence of judgement in the assessment of money laundering risks may be at risk of being clouded in view of commercial considerations. Are there requirements for CSPs to declare their customer concentration risks to certain groups of customers, which are ultimately related to the same beneficial ownership? Doing so could aid ACRA in its risk assessment of the broad swathe of CSPs currently.
In addition, under section 9(1)(e) of the Bill, registration or renewal of a CSP will be refused if any of the key appointment holders did not successfully complete a prescribed course or training. What is the level of intensity or duration of such prescribed courses or training? In addition, as the definition of key appointment holders is sufficiently broad such that \"any person who is principally responsible for the management and conduct of X's business activities in providing corporate services\" would be considered a key appointment holder, there could be a large number of company employees that would have managerial responsibilities, albeit being a junior member of the company, and the level of scrutiny and standards required of a qualified individual (QI) supervising the CSP should be well higher than that of a junior assistant manager.
Finally, a group of companies that are connected to one another may provide different corporate services to the same set of clients. To what extent do the current provisions in the Bill mean that duplicate registration is required and, hence, duplicate monitoring of the clients for money laundering risks? For example, there could be efficiency gains for such companies and for ACRA in holding a Qualified Individual responsible for the implementation of the CSP Bill requirements.
To conclude, Mdm Deputy Speaker, while we do not want to unnecessarily stifle legitimate activities and investments, it is important that we do our utmost to prevent and detect money laundering and the use of our financial systems to facilitate illicit fund flows. I am confident that most professionals in the legal, accounting and finance functions in Singapore carry out their duties diligently and ethically and a tightening of rules and regulations could be seen as unnecessary, given that they are doing no wrong. But when it comes to our commitment to tackling money laundering and illegal activities, we need to take a clear and strong stand, making sure that we examine the sector with a fine-tooth comb and not water down regulatory standards, so that current and prospective businesses which are legitimate can have the confidence of operating in Singapore and dealing with entities operating in Singapore. Notwithstanding my clarifications, I support the Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. Over the past decades, Singapore has emerged as a global financial centre. We have a good reputation for our robust regulatory framework and our commitment to uphold high standards of integrity in the financial sector.
However, recent data from Moody's show that money laundering events in Singapore surged by 79% year-on-year. This is not surprising, considering that Singapore faced and tackled decisively the largest money laundering incident last year involving S$3 billion of illicit funds. This episode occurred despite our regular reviews of our AML strategy, such as the 2022 requirement for companies to maintain registers of nominee shareholders and directors.
Bad actors will continue to find their ways to mask their activities. As Singapore strives to maintain its reputation as an open and transparent financial hub, stringent legislation at all levels is necessary. We must protect our financial sector from illicit activities and strengthen global investor confidence.
This Bill is timely. It aims to strengthen the regulatory regime governing CSPs. It ensures they rigorously adhere to AML protocols and align with international standards set by bodies, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). CSPs can act as key gatekeepers against money laundering, serving as part of our first line of defence.
Under the proposed Bill, CSPs can only conduct business if they are registered for the type of corporate service they provide. Section 9 outlines the Registrar's responsibilities, including the mandate to refuse applications or renewals under specific circumstances. Notably, section 9(2)(f) stipulates that the Registrar must decline re-registration applications for CSPs whose previous registration was cancelled within two years due to non-compliance, serving as a \"cooling-off\" period.
To enhance the Bill's effectiveness against money laundering, we should consider extending this mandatory \"cooling-off\" period beyond two years. The duration of this period should also differ, based on the severity of the non-compliance. This will underscore the seriousness of regulatory compliance and act as a stringent deterrent against non-compliance.
The Bill also mandates CSPs and qualified individuals to complete prescribed courses or training related to Customer Due Diligence (CDD) requirements and AML best practices. Sufficient time should be provided for CSPs to meet such requirements. The Labour Movement, through NTUC Learning Hub, is ready to partner ACRA and the Ministry to deliver these courses. The Ministry should also consider providing training subsidies to facilitate broader access and affordability.
Section 8(3) grants the Registrar discretion to impose different conditions on registered CSPs based on various classes or circumstances. I agree that tailored conditions would ensure robust AML safeguards while not causing unnecessary compliance costs. Clarification is needed, however, on what are these circumstances that would justify differing conditions. This would better guide companies in deciding whether they are required to register as a CSP and, as for the existing CSPs, how could they prepare to meet escalated conditions. Certainly, for CSPs with international operations and, thus, facing heightened risks in managing international transactions, enhanced requirements must be imposed.
Section 17 introduces stringent measures to combat money laundering, proliferation financing and terrorism financing. Registered CSPs must perform comprehensive CDD in various crucial circumstances: before providing any corporate service, upon suspicion of illicit activities and when there is reason to doubt previous CDD findings. Non-compliance carries significant penalties, with fines up to $100,000 for the CSP and its senior management.
A critical requirement is conducting CDD based on previous findings, necessitating CSPs to reassess and update their CDD measures periodically. Can I seek clarification on whether there will be a prescribed look-back period or if CSPs must undertake a full review of their current CDD for all existing customers? It is essential to strike a balance that ensures AML compliance while considering the operational feasibility for CSPs.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Bill marks a decisive step in fortifying Singapore's financial integrity. By tightening the regulatory oversight of CSPs, we reaffirm our commitment to global leadership in combating financial crime. As we move forward, let us remember: \"The price of freedom from financial crime is eternal vigilance.\" Let us ensure Singapore retains its position as a trusted financial hub in the international space. With this, I support the Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Usha Chandradas.
Ms Usha Chandradas (Nominated Member): Mdm Deputy Speaker, under the new Corporate Service Providers Bill, corporate service providers and qualified individuals who provide or supervise the provision of corporate services, will be regulated. The Bill imposes on them a duty to detect or prevent money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing . I will refer to these as AML/CFT/PF, for short. While I support this Bill, I seek seven clarifications from the Minister.
My first few clarifications relate to how the proposed Bill will apply to law firms, especially when they provide tax-related legal services.
Clause 3(1) of the Bill includes in its definition of \"taxation services\" four different types of services namely – the ensuring of compliance by an entity with written law relating to tax in the course of preparing tax returns, the making of tax calculations for the purpose of preparing accounting entries for an entity's financial statements, the provision of advice in relation to tax and tax planning; and the provision of assistance in the resolution of tax disputes. If these services are rendered in relation to certain \"designated activities\" they then become \"corporate services\" which are within the scope of the new Bill.
Clause 3(2) then goes on to state that such services will not be caught by this new law \"unless they require the application of an accounting or related skill.\" This might at first glance seem to exclude lawyers providing tax services, but the boundaries of the Bill are not so clear.
Certain tax provisions for example, section 34A and section 34AA of the Income Tax Act 1947 relating to the taxation of financial instruments, directly import the application of financial reporting standards, such as FRS 39 and FRS 109, into tax law. While financial accounting rules are generally not definitive of tax positions, the outlook may be different where tax legislation directly refers to financial reporting standards. So, in other words, if a tax lawyer was looking to advise on section 34A or section 34AA of the Income Tax Act, he or she would necessarily have to refer to and apply financial reporting standards, as well as the law.
If for example, a tax lawyer is engaged to work on a matter involving the application of section 34AA of the Income Tax Act, and this arises in the wider context of a corporate restructuring exercise that his or her firm is working on and the deal involves \"the buying and selling of business entities\" what would the relevant treatment be? Would this then result in the law firm's tax work being covered by the Bill because some \"accounting or related skill\" is necessarily being applied?
Or is it the case that the standard of accounting skill involved has to be something higher? Does it have to be equivalent to that of a professional practising accountant, before regulation under the Bill is triggered? In this regard, I am aware that the term \"accounting or related skill\" is currently found in the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Prescribed Accounting Services and Conditions) Regulations 2023. These regulations apply to situations where a non-accounting entity voluntarily wishes to apply to ACRA to be described as a \"Chartered Accountant of Singapore\". This might suggest that a high standard of accounting skill, equivalent to that of a professional practising accountant, must be involved before the Bill is triggered for any \"taxation services\". However, this is not immediately apparent from the plain wording of the proposed Bill. The context of the term's use in the existing legislation appears to be different from that which is proposed in the Bill today. It would be helpful if the Government could clarify the legislative intent on this point and on what is meant by the term \"accounting or related skill\" as it is referred to in this Bill.
Secondly, I note that the provision of assistance in resolving tax disputes is deemed to be an \"accounting service\" referred to in the Bill, if it requires the application of an \"accounting or related skill\".
To this end, I would like to refer to CDD recommendation No 22 issued by FATF for designated non-financial businesses and professions such as lawyers and accountants. This recommendation adopts very similar language to that of the proposed Bill, and it is recognised there that representing clients in disputes and mediations, as well as the provision of advisory services on regulations, are not specified activities covered by FATF's CDD requirements. The Bill's definition of \"designated activities\" draws from FATF's standards and it is unclear when some of the \"accounting services\" defined at clause 3(1) of the Bill would as a matter of practical effect, be covered as \"designated activities\". This includes matters such as tax disputes work and tax advisory work, as well as other types of accounting work such as \"internal audit work\". This is fundamentally something that is not transactionally-oriented as a service.
In other words, does the link to \"transactional\" activity unnecessarily narrow down the scope of the proposed Bill? It would be useful if the Government could comment on this point and provide some guidance on the intended interaction between the terms defined as \"accounting services\" and \"designated activities\" for the purposes of this Bill.
Thirdly, another related point is this. In Singapore, taxation services in themselves are currently not covered by any CDD regulations. The Bill proposes to remedy this, but only to the extent that it is done as a part of providing \"accounting services\". I appreciate that the Government's intention may be to align the scope of regulation with the requirements of FATF and to go no further. But a question that nonetheless deserves to be asked is whether persons providing \"taxation services\" should be regulated for AML/CFT/PF purposes regardless of whether these tax services have any connection to accounting at all. This is particularly in light of the fact that serious tax offences are, in themselves, predicate offences for AML/CFT/PF purposes and may in fact be considered to be an area of heightened risk.
I understand that some other jurisdictions, including the UK and Germany, do extend CDD obligations to providers of tax services as such. So, my third clarification is this: has the Government considered whether all persons providing taxation services should simply be regulated for AML/CFT purposes, and if so, why the scope of regulation in the proposed Bill has been limited in the way that it is?
Fourthly, further to clause 7(2) of the Bill, accounting firms will automatically be treated as registered for the purposes of the new proposed law. There is however no similar carve-out for law firms. In any event, law firms are already required to conduct extensive due diligence checks under the Legal Profession (Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism) Rules 2015. I would be grateful if the Minister could clarify whether the Corporate Service Providers Bill will be applicable to practicing lawyers and law firms, if at all. In my view, it would be more correct in principle to completely exclude practising lawyers from the Bill, in order to avoid law practices from being subject to two sets of overlapping AML/CFT/PF obligations. Being subject to overlapping but similar CDD regimes is not ideal.
My fifth and sixth clarifications relate to clause 29 of the Bill. Could the Minister clarify how the requirement to prove a corporation's \"state of mind\" will be assessed? Will objective or subjective standards be applied? It is also unclear as to what will constitute \"action towards creating and maintaining a corporate culture that does not direct, encourage, tolerate or lead to non-compliance\" under the new rules. Is the Minister able to clarify if further guidance will be issued on these points and on whether regulated corporate service providers will be assisted with the training and tools necessary to support their own compliance with these new rules?
My last clarification has to do with future plans by the Government in the AML/CFT/PF regulatory space. FATF has identified trade in art, antiquities and other cultural objects as a market that is vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing risks; and so my last question is this: are there any plans to specifically include the art market within the scope of Singapore’s AML/CFT/PF regulatory framework? Notwithstanding these clarifications I support the Bill.
The Chairman: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, both Bills are significant commitments to our ongoing efforts to fortify the foundations of corporate governance in Singapore.
In recent times, our headlines have been marred by high-profile cases of money laundering. This is alongside a worrying trend in cybercrime. These incidents are not just isolated events; they are symptomatic of a larger issue that threatens the very fabric and integrity of our economy. These Bills are tabled with the presumption that they will serve as a bulwark against the misuse of our financial system.
By regulating CSPs, we are taking a significant step towards safeguarding our economy from the perils of money laundering, proliferation and terrorism financing, which are critical for maintaining national and international financial integrity. In a globalised era where cross-border operations are the norm, mandating that foreign companies lodge returns on their registers sends a clear message that Singapore is committed to a level playing field where every corporate entity, both local and foreign, are held to the same stringent standards.
While the intentions of the Bills are clear, I have several clarifications.
First, Mdm Deputy Speaker, how will the Bills concretely improve transparency and accountability within CSPs, LLPs and all relevant business and companies? Mandating the registration of CSPs is a commendable move to maintain industry standards. However, it is imperative that these criteria emphasise not just qualifications, but also the reliability and integrity of the entities. Can the Minister elaborate on the mechanisms that will be employed to vet and verify the qualifications of CSPs?
What mechanisms are in place to ensure that the information provided by company controllers is accurate and up-todate? Foreign entities are expected to have the same standard as local entities when it comes to registering their nominee directors. How will ACRA ensure that such registration is correct regarding foreign entities?
Moreover, given the recent surge in money laundering cases, it is also critical to understand how the lessons learnt have been woven into the considerations of these Bills. How have insights from these cases shaped the registration and information-sharing criteria? Given that financial crime prevention is one of the key goals, what specific outcomes are expected in this regard? How will the success of these measures be quantified and evaluated?
Second, Mdm Deputy Speaker, for these Bills to be truly effective, awareness and enforcement are necessary to ensure regulatory compliance. It is imperative that the regulatory actions and enforcement mechanisms outlined are not only stringent but also practical and implementable. How will the enforcement mechanisms outlined in the Bills discourage malpractice among service providers?
What steps will be taken to monitor and warrant compliance? Can the Government also provide more details on the prescribed frequency and form of notifications to registrable controllers to ensure ample notice and awareness?
Third, Mdm Deputy Speaker, it is important to strike a balancing act between transparency and data protection. In enhancing transparency, how does the CLLP Bill balance the need for openness with the protection of sensitive information? What measures are in place to prevent unauthorised access to the registers of nominee directors and controllers?
Fourth, Mdm Deputy Speaker, can the Minister elaborate on mechanisms in place for appeals and legal protections? The inclusion of an appeal process for service providers to challenge decisions made by the Registrar is commendable. It establishes a robust system for review and ensures that fairness and due process are upheld. How will the CSP Bill ensure that the appeals process upholds the principles of fairness and transparency? In this connection, clause 23(2) of the CSP Bill states that a person who appeals the decision of the Registrar must specify the grounds of appeal. However, it is unclear if the Registrar will provide the grounds of the Registrar’s decision. The lack thereof may hinder the said person from submitting substantive grounds of appeal.
Fifth, Mdm Deputy Speaker, we must comprehend the extent of these Bills' impact on businesses and proactively provide support to alleviate any foreseeable negative consequences. Has the Ministry conducted an assessment on the administrative and financial impact of these amendments on businesses? In recent months, we have seen a surge in new bills and policies introduced in response to the increase in financial crimes. However, there is a concern that businesses may struggle to keep pace with these rapid changes.
Providing a clear implementation timeline empowers companies to proactively plan and adapt to the new requirements of the Bills. How will the Registrar ensure timely updates and accuracy in the registers?
What support or guidance will be available to companies, especially small and medium enterprises, as they adapt to the new regulatory framework? Are there provisions in the CLLP Bill to assist businesses to transit to the new regulatory framework, such as training or grants?
Sixth, Mdm Deputy Speaker, we must remain cognisant of our duty to serve the public interest without causing undue disruption. What provisions are in place to ensure that the day-to-day function of corporations or individuals who wish to incorporate new corporate entities are not disproportionately inconvenienced by these new regulations, which may reduce the number of CSPs in the short term? Are there additional financial costs to businesses?
It is critical that our approach to combat financial crimes does not inadvertently cause more detriment to us. We must ensure that while casting our net wide to catch the perpetrators, we do not entangle ourselves in red tape and undermine our business efficiency. Our efforts should be precise and targeted. What are the risks that these new measures will deter potential investments by individuals seeking to relocate here?
In conclusion, Mdm Deputy Speaker, the provisions in both Bills are indispensable in the wake of the massive money laundering cases that have recently come to light. These cases have imparted valuable lessons, emphasising the pivotal role of CSPs in our business ecosystem and their inadvertent link to money laundering activities.
CSPs may be used, on purpose or heedlessly, to create complex corporate structures that can obscure the true ownership and control of assets. This makes it difficult to trace illicit funds. It is important for CSPs to maintain a high standard of compliance. This is to prevent their services from being misused for money laundering or other illicit financial activities.
By ensuring that the particulars of controllers, nominee directors and shareholders are meticulously maintained and regularly updated, we are establishing a robust framework that deters illicit activities and fosters a more transparent business environment. We will also have a better picture of who are behind companies to ensure greater accountability and ease for culpability, should there be any illicit activities.
These Bills are Singapore's commitment to ensure that companies operate within a framework that is not just stringent but also just. By establishing high standards of regulation, we are not only fortifying our defenses against financial crimes, but also enhancing the attractiveness of Singapore as a premier business hub. Increased trust and transparency are the cornerstones upon which businesses thrive and the two Bills are a beacon that signals to the world that Singapore is synonymous with integrity.
They are a crucial step in safeguarding Singapore's financial system against misuse and in preserving the sanctity of our economic sovereignty. I support both Bills.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Neil Parekh.
Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant: Mdm Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join this debate on a topic of great importance for Singapore's continued success as a business and financial centre. In parallel with Singapore's rapid development as a financial centre, the CSP sector have seen significant growth, providing a wide range of fiduciary and administrative services to corporates, investment managers and high-net-worth individuals.
The CSP Bill, along with the ACRA and CLLP Bills mark significant strides to solidify Singapore's regulatory landscape. These legislative measures aim to enhance transparency, combat illicit financial activities and maintain Singapore's reputation as a trusted global financial hub. By imposing stricter compliance requirements and heavier penalties, the Bills seek to ensure that CSPs uphold rigorous anti-money laundering standards.
The CSP Bill seeks to regulate entities offering corporate services, ensuring they are registered, meet the necessary criteria and operate in compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
The Bill also aims to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism by imposing stringent requirements on CSPs. The legislation will also provide training opportunities for staff employed in the sector, to help them keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry and ensure they do not fall short of the law in their work.
The Bill also establishes the role of the Registrar of CSPs and details registration processes, renewal requirements and obligations of registered providers. Penalties for non-compliance include fines, imprisonment, suspension or cancellation of registration and regulatory actions, such as censuring and financial penalties. However, I believe this Bill could also bring about challenges to businesses and owners.
Firstly, the Bill introduces increased administrative burden for businesses. To comply, companies in this sector need to prepare extensive documentation to register as CSPs or to ensure their own service providers are properly registered. These new administrative tasks demand considerable effort and resources from small businesses, diverting attention from other critical activities.
Secondly, the additional financial costs associated with compliance will be substantial. This reallocation of resources, in terms of time and people and system upgrades to meet new standards, can cause temporary interruptions in service delivery.
Lastly, stricter regulations might also result in fewer service providers meeting the new criteria. In my view, smaller, specialised CSPs will continue to play an important role in this sector. We just need to ensure we do not stifle growth of this very important sector by bringing about major changes at too rapid a pace.
Madam, now, I have a few clarifications which I wish to raise with the hon Minister: first, could the Minister please elaborate on the additional information that will be required for the registration and renewal of CSPs, including the necessary documentation; and the specific form and manner designated by the Registrar, as outlined in clause 8? Understanding these aspects ensures that applicants can comply effectively with the registration process quickly, avoiding any delays or rejections.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
Secondly, will businesses be provided financial support to alleviate increased costs from operational disruptions?
Lastly, could the Minister clarify what constitutes adequate supervision and the specific responsibilities involved, as defined in the Bill? Providing such clarity upfront will ensure that CSPs maintain compliance with the regulatory standards and uphold the integrity of their services.
As we deliberate upon this Bill, it is important to underscore the significant benefits it holds for our economy. I believe it will enhance trust and credibility, improve compliance and governance and eventually boost operational efficiency. Laws like the one before us will further strengthen and enhance Singapore's financial stability and investment climate. The CSP Bill is not just about regulation; it is also about creating a better business environment for all.
Despite the short-term challenges, the Bill will facilitate a better future for our economic growth and will create an enhanced investment climate for all investors in Singapore. Sir, notwithstanding my clarifications, this Bill has my full support.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, the CSP Bill and the CLLP (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill will strengthen the regulation of CSPs and increase the transparency of beneficial ownership of corporate entities. I thank ACRA for conducting a public consultation on the proposed changes and for publishing its responses to the feedback received.
I have three points of clarifications to raise. My first point is on the duties imposed on CSPs. Section 16 will impose duties on CSPs to ensure that a nominee director is a fit and proper person. Section 16(2) requires a CSP to take all reasonable steps to be satisfied that the person is not disqualified from acting as a director and to consider prescribed factors. Can the Minister elaborate on the extent of reasonable steps that must be taken? Can the Minister also provide examples of the factors which will be prescribed?
In the public consultation, respondents asked whether these requirements apply retrospectively to nominee directors' appointments made before the CSP Bill might come into force. MOF and ACRA clarified that this requirement will not apply retrospectively. Notwithstanding that the requirement will not apply retrospectively, in the event that a CSP discovers that an existing nominee director is not considered a fit and proper person based on any prescribed factors, can the Minister clarify what the CSP will be obliged to do in this situation?
In the public consultation, MOF and ACRA also clarified that the obligation to ensure that a nominee director is fit and proper is an ongoing one. Can the Minister provide further guidance on the steps that a CSP must take to discharge this ongoing obligation?
My second point is on CSPs' duties to perform customer due diligence. Section 17(1) requires a CSP to perform customer due diligence measures in certain circumstances. However, under section 17(3), a CSP may choose not to perform or complete any customer due diligence measure, if the CSP has reason to suspect that the transaction relates to money laundering, proliferation financing or terrorism financing and performing the measures will tip-off the customer or any person.
Further, under section 17(4), if a CSP is unable or chooses not to complete any customer due diligence measure, the CSP must decline to provide or terminate ongoing corporate services. If the reason for not performing or completing any customer due diligence measure is because doing so will tip the customer off, the CSP's refusal to provide or termination of corporate services may also risk tipping-off any person. Can the Minister clarify how CSP should proceed in refusing to provide or terminating its services, if it is concerned about the risk of tipping-off any person?
My third and final clarification is on regulatory breaches. Under sections 19(2)(d) and 21(2)(d), financial penalties of $25,000 and $10,000 respectively may be imposed for each contravention or non-compliance of regulations. For certain continuing offences, the Bill prescribes additional fines to be imposed for every day during which the offence continues after conviction. Can the Minister clarify whether the provisions on regulatory breaches gives the Registrar the power to treat each day of continuing regulatory breaches as fresh instances of contravention or non-compliance which can be separately penalised?
Under sections 18(4)(b)(iii) and 20(4)(b)(iii), the Registrar may determine that there was a contravention or non-compliance of regulation and decide not to take regulatory action. Can the Minister clarify whether the CSP or individual involved will be informed that the Registrar determined that there was a contravention or non-compliance, and decided not to take regulatory action?
Can the Minister also clarify whether the Registrar can take into account this earlier determination that there was a contravention or non-compliance as an antecedent if the CSP or individual later commits an offence or regulatory breach? Can the Minister also share what other implications will arise from the Registrar determining that there was a contravention or non-compliance, even if no regulatory action is taken?
For instance, will this record be considered in any future application by the CSP or individual? If there are potential future implications from the Registrar's determination that there was a contravention or non-compliance, even if no action is taken, the CSP or individual should be informed of the determination, so that they can decide whether to challenge the determination.
Under section 23(1), any regulatory action by the Registrar can be appealed to the Minister. It does not appear that a determination of contravention or non-compliance can be appealed against. If a determination of contravention or non-compliance may have future implications, even when no regulatory action was taken, how can the CSP or individual challenge the Registrar's determination?
Sir, notwithstanding these clarifications, I stand in support of both Bills.
Mr Speaker: Mr Don Wee.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I declare that I am a counsel member of the Institiute of the Singapore Chartered Accountants, but I do not have any interests with any CSP.
Being an open economy and a leading global financial centre, Singapore is exposed to significant money laundering risks. The $3 billion money laundering case last year and more recently, a case of US$1 million in scam proceeds channeled through two companies incorporated here, are two examples of money launderers trying to take advantage of our financial system. A Bloomberg article, dated 17 June, coined the term \"Singapore-washing\". These two Bills are timely and will plug the loopholes being exploited. Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to seek clarifications regarding some of the clauses in the Bill.
Clause 7 expands the registration requirements for CSPs, even if they do not file transactions on behalf of their clients. How will the proposed registration requirements ensure that all CSPs comply effectively with Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Finance regulations? What mechanisms will be put in place to monitor compliance and prevent regulatory overlaps or impose excessive burdens on CSPs?
May I recommend that the Government consider implementing a phased approach for the registration of CSPs, accompanied by detailed guidance and support for compliance with AML/CFT/PF regulations? Would the Ministry share more information about its measures to establish a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of the new requirements while minimising regulatory burdens?
(In English): Clauses 3 and 7 require the inclusion of companies which carry out any designated activities, in relation to the provision of any accounting service as registered CSPs. What specific risks have been identified that justify extending AML/CFT/PF requirements to all accounting service providers and how will ACRA ensure that these providers are adequately prepared to comply with these new regulations? Is ACRA able to ensure that the CSPs employ qualified accounting professionals to provide accounting and bookkeeping services to companies incorporated in Singapore? The unqualified professionals do not answer to any accountancy body, like ISCA or CPA Australia.
I would like to suggest that the Ministry conduct a risk assessment to clearly identify and communicate the specific risks posed by different types of accounting service providers. I recommend that targeted training and resources be provided to ensure that they understand and comply with the new requirements while minimising disruptions to their operations.
Clauses 16, 17, 29 and 30 imposes criminal liability on registered CSPs and their senior management for breaches of AML/CFT/PF requirements. How will this impact the willingness of individuals to take on these roles and what safeguards will be in place to protect against undue penalties?
May I recommend that the Government consider implementing a clear framework that distinguishes between minor compliance issues and serious breaches as well as ensuring that penalties are proportionate to the severity of the offences? Additionally, would the Ministry provide a mechanism for senior management to appeal decisions or demonstrate due diligence to avoid unjust penalties?
Regarding clauses 16 and 37 for the new requirements for nominee directors, I would like to ask, what criteria will be used to determine if an individual is \"fit and proper\" to act as a nominee director and how will CSPs verify this information without access to comprehensive background data? \"Fit and proper\" must be clearly defined and the nominee director should be required to attend workshops relating to director's duties and responsibilities.
Organisations, like ISCA, also run programmes to help new and aspiring directors to acquire new knowledge, build competencies and attain board readiness as well as for existing directors to keep themselves abreast of developments in the corporate governance space. I suggest that the Ministry develop a standardised set of criteria and a verification process, including access to relevant databases, that CSPs can use to assess the fitness of nominee directors. This process should be transparent and ensure that CSPs can perform these checks efficiently and effectively.
About the introduction of clause 17 to detect and prevent the proliferation financing of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), how will the requirement for CSPs to comply with this new regulation be integrated with existing AML/CFT frameworks and what specific challenges might CSPs face in meeting these new obligations?
I propose that the Ministry align the new requirements with existing AML/CFT frameworks to ensure consistency and avoid duplicative efforts. CSPs should be provided with clear guidelines and examples of best practices for detecting and preventing PF and offered regular training sessions to help them stay informed of evolving threats and compliance strategies.
I would like to sum up with five recommendations for this Bill.
Firstly, phased implementation. Implement the new regulations in phases, starting with high-risk CSPs and gradually include other entities. This approach allows for adjustments based on feedback and ensures that all entities have adequate time to comply.
Secondly, support and training. Provide comprehensive training programmes and support resources for CSPs to help them understand and comply with the new requirements. This includes workshops, online courses and access to advisory services. It will be better if additional training grants can be provided to these CSPs.
Thirdly, monitoring and feedback. Establish a robust monitoring system to track compliance and gather feedback from CSPs. The Government can use this feedback to refine regulations and support mechanisms, ensuring that they are effective and not overly burdensome.
Fourthly, proportional penalties. Ensure that penalties for non-compliance are proportionate to the severity of the breach. Implement a clear distinction between minor infractions and serious violations, with appropriate penalties for each category.
Finally, transparency and communication. Maintain transparent communication with CSPs about the rationale for the new requirements, the expected benefits and the processes involved. Regular updates and open channels for feedback will help build trust and compliance. I would like to conclude with my support for both Bills.
Mr Speaker: Second Minister for Finance.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Members for their support of the Bills.
In their speeches, Members made reference to the $3 billion money laundering case. I just want to emphasise, as I did to my opening speech, that the proposals in the Bills were actually already in development even before the case was uncovered. So, the amendments do not stem from nor are they solely in response to that particular case.
But that said, we refined certain proposals to incorporate the insights gleaned from the ongoing Inter-Ministerial Committee as well as lessons learnt from the case. For instance, as part of the CLLP Bill, we are strengthening upstream controls and corporate transparency by ensuring that persons exercising control of legal persons behind-the-scenes, or registrable controllers in short, are identified at the point of incorporation. Such information would be immediately available to relevant authorities.
With this context, let me now address clarifications on the Corporate Service Providers Bill or CSP Bill, before moving on to the Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill.
First, on the CSP Bill, Members raised queries around three main themes. First, the registration criteria and obligations of CSPs; second, nominee directors; and third, penalties and avenue for appeals, which I will address in turn.
Mr Neil Parekh, Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Desmond Choo asked about the criteria to register as a CSP. These requirements and mechanisms to register as a CSP are similar to our existing regulatory regime for Registered Filing Agents or RFAs. In summary, CSPs are required to be a registered business entity with ACRA and must appoint a Registered Qualified Individual (RQI) who meets the qualification requirements. Key appointment holders and RQIs will be subjected to screening checks by ACRA and the CSP must also complete a prescribed AML/CFT course before their application for registration will be considered. More details of the registration requirements for CSPs can be found at clauses 8 and 9 of the Bill. Any conditions on registration will be published by ACRA.
Mr Don Wee asked about the requirement for accounting service providers to be registered as CSPs. Amongst accounting service providers, only those that carry out any designated activity defined by FATF to have money laundering risks, need to register as a CSP. Examples of designated activities include, carrying out transactions for a customer relating to the management of client monies and bank accounts and the buying or selling of real estate. For accounting entities that are already registered with ACRA under the Accountants Act, they do not need to apply to ACRA to be separately registered as CSPs. They will be automatically be registered as CSPs.
To Ms Usha Chandradas' queries, other professionals, like practising lawyers and law firms who provide legal services on tax matters, do not need to be registered with ACRA. They are actually heavily-regulated, but that is under a separate legislation and regime. This Bill is also not intended to cover other services, such as taxation services provided by non-accountants and the art market.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Neil Parekh and Mr Louis Ng inquired on the obligations of CSPs. The measures in this Bill do not fundamentally affect CSPs' obligations insofar as customer due diligence and AML/CFT checks are concerned. They reinforce the existing measures that the industry is already familiar with.
Mr Don Wee also asked about the new requirement for CSPs to detect and prevent the proliferation financing of WMDs. These duties would be similar to the existing duties of CSPs to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism. CSPs will be required to screen against sources of information, like the relevant regulations under the United Nations Act. The sources of information will be prescribed in subsidiary legislation and ACRA will also publish guidelines to raise the industry's awareness and understanding of proliferation financing. We do not expect this requirement to significantly increase the CSPs' compliance obligations.
Mr Don Wee and Mr Yip Hon Weng also asked how the requirements in this Bill will be enforced to ensure that CSPs comply with their obligations. Today, ACRA already conducts regular inspections to ensure CSPs comply with their anti-money laundering obligations. During these inspections, ACRA will assess, among other things, the CSPs' approach to assessing money laundering or terrorism financing risks; obtaining of beneficial ownership information; record-keeping; and customer due diligence procedures. If CSPs are found to violate or be negligent in any of their obligations, they could be subject to fines and regulatory action from ACRA, including cancellation of their registration as a CSP.
Following a cancellation, entities and individuals are not allowed to reapply for registration for a period of two years. Mr Desmond Choo referred to this as the two-year \"cooling off\" period and suggested to extend its duration. An entity or individual may reapply to ACRA after two years, but this does not mean that their registration would necessarily be successful. ACRA will subject all applications received after the \"cooling off\" period to higher scrutiny. In instances where applicants did not meet the requirements, such as the \"fit and proper\" criteria, ACRA will not approve their re-registration, even after two years.
Besides enforcement, ACRA also publishes guidance and participates in industry fora to share best practices and raise awareness, so as to better support the sector in discharging its AML/CFT obligations.
Let me turn now to questions pertaining to nominee directors.
Mr Don Wee, Mr Louis Ng and Mr Lim Biow Chuan sought clarifications on the requirement for CSPs to be satisfied that the individuals they arrange to act as nominee directors are \"fit and proper\". The \"fit and proper\" factors will be prescribed in subsidiary legislation, but would include assessing an individual's conduct and compliance history, integrity and whether the person has the competency, capacity and capability to fulfil his obligations as a director. ACRA will also provide additional guidance on how CSPs can fulfil this obligation. However, CSPs must also exercise their professional judgement when making arrangements for individuals to be nominee directors.
Mr Ng also asked how CSPs should discharge this ongoing obligation to ensure that nominee directors are \"fit and proper\". Once an individual is appointed as a nominee director, it is the company's obligation, under the Companies Act, to ensure that their directors, nominee or otherwise, remain \"fit and proper\". However, if the CSP has reasons to believe that its appointed nominee director is no longer \"fit and proper\", after the appointment, it should also take appropriate action, such as informing the company involved to replace the individual concerned.
Again, I would like to repeat the general principle from my opening speech, which is that ultimately, each CSP must exercise professionalism and undertake responsibility for its actions or lack thereof.
Mr Louis Chua had asked about the issue of whether or not we should have a regime where we specify the number of nominee directors or have a threshold of nominee directors. On this, it was previously mentioned that ACRA was studying if it would be useful to limit the number of nominee directorships that one can hold. We studied the proposal closely. It is included in the inter-agency discussions and conducting of public consultation.
But after considering the feedback received, we decided not to go ahead with that proposal. This was because prescribing the number of nominee directorships that an individual can hold, could be a blunt tool that is unnecessarily restrictive. It would make it difficult for individuals who are capable of fulfilling their obligations, despite holding more than the prescribed number and who may have legitimate reasons for holding multiple nominee directorships.
At the same time, bad actors could always find ways to get around the prescribed number. It could also inadvertently raise the cost of doing business as companies may need to source from more individuals to fulfill this requirement.
So, that said, we still remain committed to addressing this issue. Earlier, I had spoken about two new measures that we are introducing: the requirement for CSPs to arrange for the appointment of individuals as nominee directors by way of business and for the CSPs to ensure that the nominee directors appointed through them are fit and proper.
Beyond these legislative amendments, ACRA has also stepped up their supervisory and enforcement efforts for those who hold a large number of nominee directorships and exhibit other high-risk indicators and ACRA will continue to do so.
Moving on to the third bucket of queries around penalties and avenues for legal protection. Mr Wee and Mr Lim asked about the criminal liability that will be imposed on registered CSPs and their senior management for breaching their obligations to combat financial crime and the quantum of the fines.
Imposing criminal liability for breaches relating to anti-money laundering obligations is consistent with the legislation governing other gatekeepers in Singapore, and better reflects the serious nature of the breaches. Such liabilities would be adjudicated and determined by the Courts.
To Mr Lim’s suggestion for the banks to be held accountable for money laundering breaches rather than CSPs, I would say that guarding against money laundering is a whole-of-society effort and the CSPs must play their part. I agree that banks are a critical gatekeeper, and they do have onerous obligations and there are existing AML regulations in place for banks. Banks will similarly face sanctions, including fines, if they breach any obligations.
The quantum of up to $100,000 for the maximum fine of such breaches is also consistent with those of other designated non-financial businesses and professions in Singapore. It is a maximum quantum and the actual amount of fine meted out would depend on the facts of each case.
To Mr Wee's suggestion to distinguish between minor compliance issues and serious breaches, this has and will remain in place as ACRA will still be able to take regulatory action for breaches of a less serious nature.
On a related note, Ms Chandradas asked how a corporation's \"state of mind\" will be proven under clause 29 of the Bill. This will depend on the wording of the particular offence and the general principles of criminal law.
As for avenues for legal protection and appeals, if a CSP is found to have contravened any of their obligations, ACRA will first inform the CSP of the contravention, regardless of whether there is any regulatory action against the CSP. In cases where ACRA intends to take regulatory action, a \"show cause\" letter will be sent to the CSP, setting out the contraventions. The CSP will then have the opportunity to make written representations to ACRA to explain as it were. This is provided for in clause 22 of the Bill. If further actions are taken, clause 23 of the Bill allows for appeals to the Minister for regulatory actions.
Mr Speaker, I will now address questions raised on the Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill.
Mr Yip asked about the measures that are implemented to ensure data accuracy of our various corporate registers. First and foremost, it is the responsibility of companies to ensure that the information they maintain in their registers is accurate. While we understand that companies depend on the information provided to them from their controllers or nominee directors, the companies will be responsible for sending notices to their controllers annually to ensure that the information is kept up to date.
In addition, ACRA leverages data analytics and conducts ongoing inspections to verify that the information contained in the various registers is accurate and up to date. Companies that do not maintain accurate and up to date information in their registers can face fines, which we are enhancing as part of this Bill.
The measures and underlying principles broadly apply to both local and foreign companies that are required to maintain the registers.
Next, data protection. As Mr Yip mentioned, the data that is contained in these registers is of a sensitive nature and must be safeguarded appropriately. Hence, it is critical to strike the right balance between the need for transparency and data protection.
This is why we always monitor this trade off and are prepared to introduce changes where necessary. For example, we have introduced a new framework for differentiated information disclosure, not in this Bill but in the ACRA (Registry and Regulatory Enhancements) Bill that was just read earlier. The framework will protect confidentiality of personal information by limiting public access, while still allowing selected, specified parties to access the information to fulfil their legal obligations.
On ease of doing business, I also agree with Mr Yip, Mr Wee and Mr Parekh about the need to balance between compliance cost, ease of doing business and the extent of controls and safeguards to combat financial crime. This is why we have consulted stakeholders extensively and carefully calibrated the requirements in both Bills to ensure that on one hand, appropriate measures can be taken in relation to those who breach their obligations, while on the other hand, we continue to ensure that Singapore remains open and friendly to legitimate businesses, and the cost of compliance remains manageable.
On the whole, we do not expect the new requirements in the Bills to significantly increase compliance costs on CSPs or affect the ease of doing business in Singapore. The requirements in the Bill are existing best practices that CSPs should already be adopting.
In addition, we have taken steps to ensure that the transition will be as seamless as possible.
For the requirement for all CSPs to register as CSPs, even if they do not transact with ACRA, existing Registered Filing Agents will be transited seamlessly and need not re-register with ACRA, until their existing registration expires. Entities that have not yet registered with ACRA will have six months to do so after the commencement of the new CSP regime. ACRA will communicate the effective date of commencement in advance, provide the necessary support, such as guidance, and sufficient lead time for CSPs to implement the necessary changes.
Similarly, for the registers-related requirements, ACRA will notify companies ahead of time of the timeline and the means to file the necessary information.
I also agree with Mr Choo and Ms Chandradas on the necessity of training. We will explore working with the relevant stakeholders, such as the professional bodies and the labour union, to develop training courses to support individuals in acquiring the necessary skills to fulfil the obligations in these Bills.
I think there were a couple of other queries which Mr Louis Chua had raised. He had asked, I think, whether in a situation where you have a group of companies connected to each other providing different corporate services to the same set of clients, whether it is necessary for them to have duplicate registration and whether there will be duplicate, I think – there will be duplication in maintaining the due diligence for the AML risk.
The first thing to understand is that, if it is different companies providing different corporate services, the different entities each must comply and register. I mean, it depends on the nature of what they are doing. But if you are an entity that is providing corporate services and you have two entities, then it has to be two registrations. If you are providing different services, you still have to register separately. It is not a duplication though. It goes by entity. This is also because they would be providing different services, which are associated with different risk. So, you go by entity.
And I think he asked about the definition of key appointment holders under the Act. There is a definition under the CSP Act of key appointment holders. That would be under section 2, the general interpretation section and it defines \"key appointment holders\", in relation to any person. Let us call that person X. So, a key appointment holder means this in relation to any of the following persons: where X is a sole proprietorship, then the sole proprietor is the key appointment holder. Where X is a partnership, or limited partnership, then a partner of the partnership or limited partnership. Where X is a company, then a member of the board of directors or an individual for the time being holding the office of chairperson or chief executive officer of the company. Where X is the limited liability partnership, then it would be a partner or manager of the limited liability partnership and, I think, in other cases it would be persons principally responsible for the management and conduct of X's business activities in providing corporate activities. So, that is set out in the Act.
Then I think he asked what if any of the key appointment holders did not successfully complete the prescribed course of training and what is the level of intensity or duration of such courses. The CSPs must complete mandatory AML/CFT courses, as part of the registration and renewal. So the course is mandatory at the point of the CSP's registration or renewal.
My understanding on the intensity of the course and this is not set in stone because, obviously, this may be adjusted. But at the moment, it is a half-day course by professional instructors with about a one-hour test, subsequently; and the pass mark is 80%. Subsequently, of course, the CSPs must ensure that the employees are adequately trained in the AML/CFT laws and regulations.
I think that covers the queries. So, Mr Speaker, Sir, let me conclude by thanking the Members for their support of the two Bills.
The Government has always taken our responsibilities to combat financial crime seriously, even before the authorities uncovered the $3 billion money laundering case last year. Since then, however, money laundering has been a prominent topic in the media. So, I am grateful for the support and for our unity, as a society, in recognising the need for and the importance of combating financial crime.
These amendments will further advance our efforts to combat financial crime, by strengthening our regulatory regime for CSPs and minimising the misuse of legal persons. I would like to conclude with a word of encouragement to the gatekeepers who have been diligently fulfilling their anti-money laundering obligations. Your efforts are not in vain, they are deeply appreciated and crucial in maintaining Singapore's reputation as a trusted business hub. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker: Clarification time. Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just two quick clarifications for the Minister.
I think the first, in terms of the nominee directors, my proposal is not so much about the capping of the nominee directorship per se. But I think in ACRA's original consultation paper, they did suggest that for those who hold more than a legally prescribed number of nominee directorships, then you will have to satisfy the prescribed training requirements. I also acknowledge Minister's point about the enhanced supervisory and enforcement effort, so, I think that is definitely necessary and important. But my question is more of, why is it that we cannot have the enhanced supervision while prescribing the minimum prescribed training requirements for those who hold excessive number of nominee directorships?
The second is in terms of the key appointment holders. Indeed, just a small clarification because given the definition of the key appointment holders for, basically, those who are principally responsible for the management and conduct of X's business activities. In that sense, the question is more of when it comes to someone who is holding a – whether it is a junior assistant managerial position, the level of requirement versus that of, say, the qualified individual supervising the CSP, whether or not then there is a distinction there and, I think, some of CSPs may be concerned that every single manager that I have would be covered.
Ms Indranee Rajah: On the second point, I think it is very difficult to define really precisely, but when you have a term like key appointment holder, the definitive word is \"key\". So, if it is a junior officer in the company who does not really have a lot of responsibility for the decisions which are taken, then obviously that person would not be regarded as a key appointment holder. It would be a question of fact in each case, but I think it is generally recognisable.
It is not a question of age, because you may have somebody who maybe young, but let us say, in a company that happens to be the shareholder's son. All the other directors or appointment holders may be older, but if the director's son says this has to be the case, everybody goes along with that. Depending on the circumstances, he could well be a key appointment holder.
So, you can see from the definition, that the definition laid out certain well-recognised key appointment holders, which is the sole proprietor himself, the partner, the director. But you do not want to be so tight that you actually leave out people who may really be the persons having the control or the say. That is why the last provision needs a little bit of room for a court or any regulatory agency, when looking at the facts, you identify somebody who really acts in all ways as the key appointment holder and it would land on that person. So, I hope that addresses the question.
On the first question, if I understood Mr Chua correctly, he was saying, \"Can we still not have training courses when a person exceeds a certain number of directorships\". Is that the question? Okay. I think that would have been in the background when you are setting a certain number. But what we have moved to in these two Bills, is a regime where: first, if you are a CSP and if you are a nominee director, you have certain obligations. A nominee director has the same obligations as any other directors – you have fiduciary duties and this is certain minimal level of competence. We decided that it would be better for the individuals and the persons appointing them and the companies to determine whether this person is fit and proper and has the right competence.
There are some people who are extremely good with the corporate governance, the corporate law and they are practitioners; they can be easily be nominee directors for a large number of companies. Because for them, the knowledge is at their fingertips. So, if you set a number of 10, a number of 20 and then say, that at company number 21, you must go training, it makes no sense. I would not say to a top corporate lawyer, who happens to be a nominee director that, that is something that they have to do, because they are practising that every day.
But it is quite different from somebody else, who, let us say, it is only a nominee for one company, but has completely no idea about corporate matters and is just put there because he happens to be a friend of somebody, but truly, he knows nothing about accounts, or anything. So, even one nominee directorship for him would be too much.
So, when we were looking at this, setting a number did not really advance our attempt to strengthen the regime. So, we thought it is much better for people to pay attention, think about how much they themselves can actually cope with; whether they actually have the right skills in competencies, have the CSP to look at that, also have the company to look at that and you make that determination. But, of course, obviously the agencies will keep on eye on that as well.
Mr Speaker: Ms Usha Chandradas.
Ms Usha Chandradas: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for her answers. I appreciate that my question may not be immediately relevant to the Bill that is being moved today, but to the extent that it applies to future plans by the Government to expand our regulatory framework under our AML/CFT/PF rules, can I ask the Minister if there are any specific plans underway to include the art market within the scope of our AML/CFT/PF regulatory framework?
Ms Indranee Rajah: All I can say is that I have not been looking at that, at this stage. So, I could not rule it out sometime in the future, but as far as I am aware, and I am not speaking for any other Ministries, but in the course of looking at the work, we were not looking for a regulatory regime for the art market.
That said, it does not mean that art would be excluded from examination in the context of looking at anti-money laundering. Anything which is an asset and has value can potentially be a receptacle for illicit funds to be parked in and then later on, transacted.
I think the best way I can summarise it, is that there is no, at the moment, an intention to do a legislative regime for this. But art, given its value – some art are very valuable, some are not so – but it is potentially something that could be used in money laundering and we will obviously look at it if it looks suspicious.
Mr Speaker: Any other clarifications for the Minister? I do not see any.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
The Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships CLLP (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, or the CLLP Bill, is associated with the previous Bill on the Order Paper, The Corporate Services Providers Bill (CSP Bill). The main amendments of the CLLP Bill were explained in my Second Reading speech of the CSP Bill earlier and the substance of this Bill was debated concurrently with the CSP Bill earlier. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to a date to be fixed.\" – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad]. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Creating Opportunity for Youth to Thrive","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Leader of the House, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi.
Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi (Nominated Member): Thank you, Mr Speaker.
In any society, Youth is a demographic of significance. Various authorities define this group differently but suffice to say that the period of youth generally starts at the cusp of late adolescence, into the years of formal adulthood and transits to the early working life of an adult. It is the energy and gumption, the health and verve, as well as the innovation and pushing of boundaries by youths that are key to propel any society forward to the next bound.
Youths are foundation and key to a society’s future survival. Where leaders can dream, where governments can plan and policies implemented, the longer-term sustainability of such an effort will eventually fall squarely on the shoulders of youths of today, for they are the leaders of tomorrow. It must be the case that they remain rightly invested and guided in principles and values, as well as have the right capability and skills in leadership to keep society cohesive and Singapore successful. It is also from the churning belly and energy of youths that economies thrive, productivity is at its firm best and the fire of entrepreneurship lights new opportunities and growth for the country.
Youths are both the agents of social change, yet also the conduit of cultural continuity. They sometimes challenge established social norms, question the relevance of certain rules and whether some things remain important or should change. The sustenance of any language, culture, heritage and values anchor on its acceptance and willingness for active participation of youths as their torchbearers into the future, else they will vanish and left only to be admired and talked about in museums rather than lived by.
Youths, Mr Speaker, are also society’s bulwark of resilience and recovery from challenges and adversity. How a society develops its youths, the indicators of their growth, their outlook, their worldview and their ability to adapt are forward indicators of how youth as a group can weather storms, crises and turbulent times for themselves and for the country in future. How youths manage stressors today, would be a reasonable indicator of how the country manages a crisis tomorrow. How adaptable and resilient our youths are today, would be a fair measure of how the country and society tolerates uncertainty tomorrow.
If we err in developing our youths, the country suffers tomorrow. We must endeavour to get it right and we must give every opportunity for our youth to thrive. It is a national impetus.
For our youths to thrive, it must be that they are energetic, enthusiastic and optimistic about future paths of success; that there is scope for them to believe deeply that they can realise their potential to flourish, to grow and to be better versions of themselves. They must be able to find themselves in networks of trust, safety and support, enough for them to feel confident to push boundaries, to move out of their comfort zone and to take on a growth mindset.
They must feel ready to express and stand by their views for a better world for the future of their generation, yet still be prepared to stand corrected and be open to opposing ideas. There must also be a willingness to think beyond themselves and consider wider societal mores, be forgiving of setbacks and kind to well-intended failures, yet still maintain the resilience, ruggedness and fervour to go at it again and again and again.
How then do we build a youth core that is fiercely competitive, skilled, passionate and spirited when it needs to be, yet at the same time, tampering with traits of compassion, a sense of community and togetherness, mutual respect and dignity for ourselves and one another?
Mr Speaker, as part of this Adjournment Motion, I offer four areas that may benefit from the Government's emphasis to lend opportunity for our youths to thrive. First, to redefine what success means for youths. Second, to build confidence in our youths. Third, to give opportunity for youths to express their views. And fourth, to ensure our youths continue to have a strong sense of rootedness to Singapore.
Recently, on redefining success for youths, the hon Prime Minister released a video on redefining success in Singapore beyond the proverbial 5Cs. He spoke of having had the benefit of mentors, a need to recognise that people flourish at different times, that there are different pathways to success, and that there should be room for different skills, aptitudes and talents, as well as different aspirations, priorities and hopes. That there should be space for \"U-turns, side steps, slowdowns, pauses, experimentation and outliers\", and to \"respect all forms of work and never be afraid to try\".
In the Prime Minister's words, \"no need to squeeze ourselves into boxes we were never meant to fit\". In gist, I agree with the hon Prime Minister's view of redefining success. There is so much more that life has to offer and I have some confidence that the youths resonate with that; where there must be a plethora of pathways to find meaning and purpose in our lives as Singaporeans and our yardstick of success in life must widen beyond material gains. To hear it from the office of the Prime Minister is reassuring.
However, I would caution that at the last mile, it is important to address and reassure the youths, that as they try to follow their heart and curate their own pathway of success, and, if it so happens that they do not find themselves in the proverbial 5C boxes, that the opportunity cost of that side step and experimentation is not insurmountable.
The sustainability of this cultural and mindset shift on redefining success will hinge on the lived experience of ordinary youths and whether their families view this with the same enthusiasm or scepticism, especially from families of less privilege; one with no safety net materially or for those who have only one shot at success to uplift those around him or her, where pauses and U-turns, perhaps cost a lot more in relative terms for themselves and their families.
For this redefinition to happen, and happen well, the effort to shift must not only be taken in our schools for our students and educators, but it must also permeate through the psyche of our businesses, employers, parents and even our scholarship panels who lend opportunity to youths who wish to pursue creative and less than traditional pathways of success.
If we want youthful innovation to thrive, their exuberance and passions to take flight, and also groom their willingness for U-turns, side steps and experimentation, then, as a society, some reassurance needs to be there, that it is okay to bruise once in a while, that it is okay to misstep and tumble, as long as there is safety net such that you are not falling the full flight of stairs and risking too much at a time of yourself and the needs of your family.
Emerging into the hallways of adulthood, or \"adulting\" as the youths say, our youths are restless about their futures, too. Notwithstanding their idealism and passion, they take a pragmatic view of their circumstances in that their passions are not necessarily sacred cows, especially when balanced against the rising costs of living, the responsibility to put food on the table and the need to care for their families, dependants and children.
If we can provide assurance that there is value, that there is an amelioration of some risk and a provision of safety to explore beyond the traditional measures of success, it will go some way to pivot our youths to go into paths less travelled.
Second, on building confidence for our youths, I was struck by the recent findings of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment award by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) through the press release of the Ministry of Education on 18 June. Relevant to us specifically, our students have attained pole position in terms of Mathematics, Reading and Science and, this round, we also topped the matrices for Creative Thinking. In another global study comparing global reading literacy levels in Primary 4 students, our students topped the Progress in International Literacy Study last year.
What is striking though is that despite our articulated strong ability and high levels of creative thinking, the same press release also noted that there is a dissonance in our students' objective measured abilities versus their belief and confidence in their abilities and own creativity. In essence, even though we topped the class or the cohort internationally, the level of self-confidence we have in ourselves is captured as being less than the OECD average, and not commensurate with the strengths that we have.
Mr Speaker, while I qualify that these studies are school-based at a younger age group and do not necessarily capture the youth audience in general, it is something that is worth addressing.
It is not the case that I am advocating for us to toot our horns or be haughty about our achievements. To be hungry for more and not be blinded by success keeps us on our toes, and a good dose of humility keeps us grounded as a country, for there are other things we are deficient and needful of.
However, there is scope for us to develop better confidence and optimism in our youths in their ability and standing in the world today and being raised from an education system that is world-class, by educators who care, and through a work ethic and culture that is resilient and robust. Arguably, the early education indicators suggest that all things being equal, our youths can compete more widely against the world and will do well.
If we wish for our youths to thrive, an important part of this narrative must be that they, too, are able to value themselves in alignment with their abilities, that they are encouraged to stand and be counted as youths of potential, and that they are allowed to recognise and be excited about the prospect of success well beyond our shores and the global opportunities at their doorstep.
Only then will we be able to realise the full strength and potential of an education system we have invested so much in and restore the confidence, optimism and self-belief for our youths to thrive. Our youths can take heart that they start from a position of strength and can rightly have some latitude to feel confident and be positive of their abilities, to not fret the small stuff and that they have it in themselves to be resilient in the face of any uncertainty that the world may bring.
Third, on giving opportunity for youths to express their views, we live in a world today that is so interconnected that it is impossible to ignore what happens around us, whether in our neighbourhoods, locally or from a place far away. Our youths are digital natives and their calibration of social proximity, networks and friendships are not the same as the generations before. They devour news online, are open to the influences of the world and care about the happenings around them. They want to make a difference and be a helpful citizen of Singapore and also to the world.
Our youths are exposed to global trends and happenings very quickly and sometimes graphically so. They have views, some stronger and more passionate than others, about many things, whether it be about climate change and environmental concerns, wars raging and people needlessly dying around the world, as well as strong views on issues relating to inequality, mental well-being, the construct of family and sexuality, drug habits and intergenerational differences.
If we want our youths to thrive, for them to be raised with a global outlook and have a fire in the belly to think critically and creatively about the world around them, then it must come with a willingness for us to lend opportunity for them to express their thoughts and lend their voice as, together, we knit the social fabric that is Singapore.
More so than having a seat at the table for youths to share their concerns as a member of society invested in our collective future, when youths express their views, it allows them a further exercise of having to know one another, to acknowledge diversity of worldviews, locally and overseas, and then further celebrate that diversity.
It is also an exercise for our youths to develop skills for difficult conversations, to develop a readiness to be corrected and to appreciate that we all have our blind spots coming from our respective social, cultural and religious traditions. It is then incumbent on us to create spaces and allow platforms for youths to feel comfortable and confident in the expression of their views, whether they be in agreement and support, or disdain and frustration, over the status quo.
As the world becomes more diverse, layered and complex, a youth core skilled in negotiating difficult decisions respectfully, interacting with differences of opinion calmly and achieving common intent pragmatically, will be a distinctive trait to a world becoming more and more polarised.
Finally, Mr Speaker, even as I wish for our youths to thrive, to chase their pathways of success and to be confident in themselves, I share my genuine worry that it will all come to naught if we cannot root their hearts here with us to call Singapore home.
The world is getting smaller, the search for talent is stiff and our youths, too, are very much sought after and valued. Youths are more mobile than the generations before, and we do want them to seize the opportunities globally and be well-travelled, but yet, still maintain strong ties and roots back home.
In this space, we must make an effort to build greater social connectedness, as well as civic participation and affiliation in our youths that stand the test of time and the allure of opportunities beyond our shores. It is less a question of dollars and cents, and more of how connected they are back to Singapore.
We want them to see this red dot as a place to build families, raise children and as a safe and a secure place to live and play; for our youths to feel that this is the place that allows them to flourish and grow, for them to have confidence in our public institutions, and for them to care deeply about Singapore and that Singapore cares deeply for them as well.
This can only be had by a strengthening of national identity, collective experiences through school, work, National Service and a social connectedness to family, friends and the way of life here. These are things that are intangible, are less than formulaic, take decades to build and require a combined function of social policy, leadership and pragmatism that cut across all sectors, whether they be public, people or private sectors.
This also allows a virtuous cycle of thriving youths who turn into leaders of tomorrow who care for the country and then create opportunity for the society and youths of tomorrow to thrive in turn.
In closing, Mr Speaker, my Adjournment Motion speaks to how the Government must create opportunity for youths to thrive in our midst. Today, it is anchored under the Ministry of Culture Community and Youth (MCCY), more specifically with the National Youth Council, and rightly so. However, in terms of actionable steps, the youth agenda could be palpable more widely. It should percolate through to how we curate policy, with youths as an enabling consideration and part of the nation's sustainability plan for our future.
The firm anchor and starting point of youth development remains in terms of early accessibility to education, not just in terms of academics alone but also for the development of character, values and self-confidence, as well as starting all our children with the correct and equitable footing to begin their lives.
However, beyond access to school and education, might we be able to consider other aspects of support and imagine different solutions that contribute to a thriving ecosystem for our youths? For example, when the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs engage our overseas counterparts diplomatically, could we be more deliberate in expanding areas of collaboration specific for our youth base to thrive and find opportunities, too, especially in emerging markets, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), India, China, the Middle East and perhaps, even in less chartered pathways, in Africa and South America?
Could perhaps the Ministry of Manpower's policies be more permissive to support employment efforts for youths to do side steps and nudge employers to consider youth development in other areas and yet find a way that it could also be sustainable for businesses in the longer term?
And would, perhaps, MSF and MCCY consider community and social support for our youths who may come from underprivileged families, to afford them some stability, assuage their concerns and lend them confidence to still push ahead, to take that leap for an overseas internship, apprenticeship or work opportunity?
In the spirit of youthful exuberance, Mr Speaker, where there are opportunities to be had, where the step is pragmatic and where the floor of support is reasonable and reassuring, most youths would leap at half a chance to give it a go.
It is my firm belief that, if we do it right, it is possible for our youths to flourish, compete, give of their best and thrive, grazing in the pastures of the world, yet remain rooted here in this little red dot we call home.
Mr Speaker: Minister of State Alvin Tan.
The Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Alvin Tan): Sir, I thank Dr Syed Harun for his speech. I would also like to acknowledge the many youth leaders who are here in the gallery today, in support of Dr Harun's important Adjournment Motion.
Last month, at the National Youth Council's Leaders Course, I met youth leaders Ernie, Kaegen and Danish. Danish is here with us today. They youth leaders shared with me about their experience in the National Youth Leaders Course, overcoming physical obstacles during the Outward Bound School (OBS) segment of the course. They were initially daunted by the physical challenges, but ultimately, through mentoring, coaching and the support of peers, they gained the confidence to overcome the physical, mental and emotional obstacles in their way.
Mr Speaker, I agree with Dr Harun that it is okay for our youths to try, to tumble and even to fail. But we do not want to provide a fail-safe environment because that simply does not exist in the real world. Instead, the best thing we can do for our youths, is to equip them with the tools that they need to thrive. This is exactly what we are doing and will continue doing. Let me share a few examples.
OBS, which over 20,000 Secondary 3 students attend every year, equips them to be confident, resilient and rugged. We are expanding OBS to double the number of participants to 40,000 a year, once OBS@Coney is completed later this year. But beyond OBS, we also have other programmes and platforms to equip our youths to thrive.
For youths who are adulting, we launched our national mentoring movement, Mentoring SG, in 2022 to create more mentoring opportunities to equip them with perspectives and opportunities from mentors, so they can chart and walk their own path.
Together with our youths, we launched Well-Being Circles under our SG Mental Well-Being Network to equip citizens, including youths, with the skills to care for themselves and those around them. Cho Ming Xiu, who leads Campus PSY, a member of the SG Mental Well-being Network is here today. Campus PSY is a ground-up youth organisation, working on youth mental well-being and peer support work.
Then, as part of our Youth Action Challenge, beyond funding, we equip our youths with skills to develop sustainable business plans and they must in the Youth Action Challenge pitch their ideas to a panel. So, they will need help to learn how to pitch, how to negotiate and how to persuade a panel, which is very useful for them as they go out to the working world.
Then, there are our Youth Panels. Through our Youth Panels, we are equipping them with tools to solve societal challenges of our day. Some of our Youth Panels members are here today and they have been working closely with us on topics such as financial security, financial literacy, sustainability, evolving careers as well as digital well-being. The Youth Panels will be sharing their preliminary ideas in the upcoming Youth Policy Forum in August.
Dr Harun also asked how we are working with other Ministries and partners. Indeed, we are working with many of them, again, to equip our youths with the skills and the opportunities to thrive.
The Ministry of Manpower and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) are key partners of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Mentoring SG. We are working with our tripartite partners to onboard corporates to provide industry-relevant mentoring opportunities. We work with, for example, NTUC's Youth Taskforce, which Member Desmond Choo has been leading. For example, Young NTUC provides mentorships, internships, mental well-being support and its Career Starter Lab, which NTUC is championing.
We have also put together with our NTUC counterparts a strong line-up of over 100 corporates, including impressive names such as Micron, Timbre, CISCO, LinkedIn, JobStreet, Prudential, and also trade associations and chambers of commerce. For example the Singapore Fintech Association, the Singapore Semiconductor Association, ST Aerospace Engineering and Singapore International Chambers of Commerce.
So, we are tying them with industries so that they have key industry perspectives and opportunities. We also provide training and career opportunities for our youths in the financial sector. We launched the Polytechnic Talent for Finance Scheme last year together with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Institute of Banking and Finance to offer internships and apprenticeships for polytechnic students, leading to full-time jobs in the financial industry.
Just last month, we partnered OCBC to launch OCBC Ignite, an internship and apprenticeship programme to equip polytechnic students with industry experience and skills to springboard their career to a university graduate-equivalent role in 18 months.
We also partner the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Enterprise Singapore to equip our youths to be ready not just for the region but for the rest of the world. For example, we have an Asia-Ready Exposure Programme which equips our youths to be Asia-Ready through exposure to ASEAN member states, China and India.
We also have a Youth Leaders Exchange Programme with countries in the region. I was just with our youth leaders at the Second China-Singapore Youth Leader Campus in Singapore in April. In fact, this month, our youths will be in China for the second leg of this programme.
This month also, it is going to be very busy for our youths. I am looking forward to working with the team on the Singapore-Malaysia Youth Leaders Exchange Programme. So, we are expanding this space and our youths are out there interacting with their counterparts, learning from their counterparts and forming long-term networks with their counterparts.
For disadvantaged youths, we work with many different partners, including at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), but also with youth sector organisations like Access, a social mobility charity providing career exposure opportunities for our youths. Its founder, Clarence Ching, is in the gallery today.
Mr Speaker, last night at my Meet-the-People Session, I caught up with Tristan, a youth volunteer in my constituency. He had just returned from a leadership camp in the United States (US). While he was there, we had been in touch on WhatsApp. I was checking in on him and he was telling me what he had learnt in camp. Last night, he came by and he was very eager to share with me what he had learnt. He told me that he had gained valuable leadership experiences and valuable perspectives about the US and also about Singapore’s unique place in the world. Tristan told me that his \"American peers at camp regard Singapore very highly for our safety and success despite our size\". Tristan came back feeling more inspired to serve and plant roots in Singapore – the rootedness point that Dr Harun had mentioned. Tristan is here today, as well.
For youths like Tristan, we will continue to turn their aspirations to serve into actions to serve. Like through Youth Corps Singapore, which equips our youths and provides opportunities for them to serve in a myriad of areas such as sustainability and caring for vulnerable groups.
In fact, Youth Corps Singapore celebrates its 10th year anniversary this Saturday. Prime Minister Wong will be joining us at the Carnival at *SCAPE and I invite all Members to also join us to celebrate Youth Corps' milestone this Saturday.
Mr Speaker, Dr Harun’s Adjournment Motion about creating opportunities for youths to thrive is timely as we celebrated Youth Day just two days ago and Youth Month in July. In my response, I have made the point that the best thing we can do for our youths as a nation is to equip them with the tools to thrive in a world in flux.
Sir, given the youth leaders in attendance with us in the gallery, can I invite Members to join me in appreciating the incredible work they are doing to equip our nation's new generation of leaders. [Applause.]
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 7.09 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":"Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion","questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Exclusion of Pre-existing Conditions from Insurance Coverage When Applying for New Integrated Shield Plans","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"44 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has studied the market structure of Integrated Shield Plan (IP) providers with the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore to assess if exclusion of pre-existing conditions at the point of applying for new IPs has led insurers to have dominant market position over their existing policyholders; and (b) whether an insurer's implementation of panel doctor lists will be liable to scrutiny arising from market power over existing policyholders in the context of section 47 of the Competition Act 2004.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Competition Law, including Singapore’s Competition Act 2004, typically prohibits collusion amongst industry players, or a big market player abusing its dominance to the detriment of competition.
The Ministry of Health has consulted the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore. The practice cited by the Member is unlikely to fall within the prohibited practices under the Competition Act. There has been no evidence of collusion by insurance companies in the Integrated Shield Plan market. There are seven insurers and the largest insurer only has around one quarter market share and does not appear to be in a dominant position with the potential for abuse that stifles competition among industry players.
What the Member raised is a separate problem altogether, which is that industry players are not actively competing for the segment of customers who have pre-existing conditions. This is because their probability of claiming is higher, which means insurers will likely compensate more than what they collect in premiums. Hence, insurers are not vying for their business. The issue is adequate social security for this segment of the population, not a case of a lack of competition.
Where the commercial market cannot cater, the Government will have to intervene appropriately. That is why we subsidise care in public healthcare institutions and ensure that every Singaporean is covered by MediShield Life, regardless of pre-existing conditions. Those who still cannot afford their bills can apply for MediFund, which is the ultimate safety net.
Separately, the Member also asked about the practice of having a panel of preferred doctors by insurers. This is generally also not anti-competitive because it does not restrict insurers from competing on price, product features or benefits for policyholders. Doctors also may individually decide whether to accept the fees and other terms offered by insurers in return for joining a panel. Patients are also able to choose their doctors, taking into consideration any differences in benefits should their doctor not be on their insurer’s panel.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Distribution of CDC Vouchers for Separate Households Living in Same Public Rental Flats or Registered Addresses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth how is the distribution of CDC vouchers handled for separate households living together in public rental flats and for those with the same registered addresses under HDB’s Joint Singles Scheme.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: As before, Singaporean households receiving the latest tranche of Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers will not be disadvantaged due to their co-tenanted living status as long as they can provide proof, such as a tenancy agreement, that they are from separate households and have yet to claim their CDC Vouchers.
Those with difficulties claiming the vouchers can approach their nearest Community Centre/Club for assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Investigation into Worker Death and Injury during Tank Cleaning at PUB’s Choa Chu Kang Waterworks Plant","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"46 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are the initial findings from investigations into the incident resulting in the death of a worker and injuries sustained by two others during routine tank cleaning at PUB’s Choa Chu Kang Waterworks; (b) what is the cause of the hydrogen sulphide gas leak; (c) whether an update can be provided on the condition of the two workers under intensive care; and (d) what are the lessons learnt to ensure such mishaps do not repeat.
47 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the incident at PUB’s Choa Chu Kang Waterworks where two workers inhaled toxic gas when carrying out tank cleaning works, what safety measures are in place at all PUB waterworks to ensure the safety of workers against the risk of exposure to toxic gases and chemicals.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: First, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of Mr Srinivasan Sivamaran and Mr Izzat Naqiuddin Bin Dawood, who lost their lives due to the incident at PUB’s Choa Chu Kang Waterworks on 23 May 2024. The third worker, Mr Erifin Anak Awan, was discharged from hospital on 22 June 2024. I wish him a swift and full recovery.
I seek Members’ understanding that I can only provide basic information due to the ongoing investigation by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
On 23 May 2024, during routine cleaning of a water treatment process tank at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks, three contractor workers were found to have collapsed. Initial investigations indicated that they had inhaled hydrogen sulphide. Hydrogen sulphide is a gas that is typically emitted when sludge is being drained from the tank. At the time and location of the incident, hydrogen sulphide levels were higher than normal based on the hydrogen sulphide sensors installed.
As a precaution immediately after the incident, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) issued a Board-wide safety time-out. During the time-out, PUB carried out comprehensive checks on its processes and safety procedures, both at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks and across PUB. Checks were specifically made in the management of work in confined spaces and locations where there was risk of exposure to toxic gases and chemicals. Work resumed across PUB after ascertaining that safety procedures were adequate and in place, with the exception of Choa Chu Kang Waterworks where MOM’s Stop Work Order is still in force.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases of Suspected Child Abuse Reported and Escalated to Relevant Agencies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"48 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education (a) in each of the last five years, how many cases of suspected domestic child abuse have surfaced in the schools; and (b) what percentage of these cases have been escalated to other agencies, such as the Child Protective Services and the Police.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) work collaboratively to manage suspected cases of domestic child abuse and to support the affected children. As schools are only one of the sources of reporting, cases surfaced by the schools could also be reported to MSF by community partners or members of the public.
Between 2019 and 2023, the number of suspected domestic child abuse cases reported by schools to either the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) or MSF’s Child Protective Service (CPS) remained consistent, averaging about 600 cases annually.
About 30% of these cases were taken up by CPS for investigation. Less serious cases were referred by NAVH or CPS to community agencies, such as the Child Protection Specialist Centres, Protection Specialist Centres or Family Service Centres for follow-up intervention.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"More Measures to Ensure Firefighters Are Equipped and Trained to Protect Themselves and Their Team","subTitle":"Review after recent passing of SCDF officer after fighting ship fire","sectionType":"WANA","content":"49 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent passing of an SCDF officer after fighting a ship fire, whether additional measures will be taken to ensure that firefighters are adequately equipped and trained to protect themselves and their team during firefighting.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has robust frameworks and processes in place to ensure the safety of its officers during firefighting operations.
All SCDF officers are required to undergo regular medical screening to ensure that they are fit for deployment as firefighters. Only those who are certified to be medically fit and are of Physical Employment Status \"A\", \"B1\" or \"B2\" will be deployed because of the physically demanding nature of the job.
All firefighters are required to undergo firefighting training as part of their foundational course at the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) before they can be deployed. The firefighting training includes both theoretical and practical components, covering competencies, such as incident management, firemanship, rescue and the use of equipment. All firefighting training at CDA is conducted with \"live\" fire simulators to provide realism, so that trainees can experience operating in conditions similar to real fires. The training curriculum is reviewed regularly to ensure continued currency and to enhance effectiveness.
Following graduation from the foundation course, those who are selected as marine firefighters will go through further training to equip them with the additional skillsets needed, for example, ship firefighting and search and rescue operations at sea. The specialised training covers knowledge in ship construction and design. Marine firefighters are also required to pass the Marine Firefighting Specialist Certification Test comprising swimming, water rescue, water survival, ship intervention and marine knowledge theory test.
While they are deployed at the frontlines, SCDF officers continue to undergo regular exercises and drills as well as annual proficiency and certification tests, such as the Individual Physical Proficiency Test, Breathing Apparatus Proficiency Test and other vocational certification tests. This is to ensure that their skills and fitness are at the required standards.
There are clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place with which all firefighters need to comply during firefighting operations. These SOPs are benchmarked against international standards and best practices and incorporate safety considerations. For example, during firefighting operations, SCDF officers are to work together in teams, and officers’ movements in and out of the scene of fire are tracked at a Staging Point that is set up near the entry point to the scene of the fire.
SCDF also ensures that its officers are properly equipped. The full set of firefighting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) comprises a bunker gear, helmet with torchlight, firefighting gloves, a flash hood, firefighting boots and a complete set of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus with face mask. The officers are required to check that their PPEs are in working order at the start of every duty and before they are deployed for firefighting operations.
Following the tragic incident, SCDF convened an Internal Review Group to examine the operations from the viewpoint of firefighting strategy, safety procedures, training and equipping. In particular, SCDF will, henceforth, include an Emergency Medical Services crew as part of the firefighting team that will proceed to the vessel on fire, so as to be able to attend more expeditiously to any medical emergency that may arise during the operation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Sign-up Rate for Healthier SG Chronic Tier Scheme and CHAS Cardholders Who Have Yet to Enrol with Healthier SG GP Clinics","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Health (a) how many people are expected to benefit from the Healthier SG Chronic Tier scheme, where selected common chronic medications are offered to residents enrolled at Healthier SG general practitioner (GP) clinics at subsidised rates comparable to polyclinics; and (b) as of February 2024, how many Community Health Assistance Scheme (CHAS) cardholders have yet to enrol themselves at Healthier SG GP clinics.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Based on historical claims data, we estimate that two-thirds of Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation chronic enrollees at Healthier SG general practitioner clinics will benefit from the Healthier SG Chronic Tier. At steady state, this may be about 300,000 residents. As of end February 2024, 760,000 or 60% of CHAS cardholders aged 40 and above had yet to enrol in Healthier SG.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"In-person Process for Nomination of Non-family Member as CPF Beneficiary","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider requiring CPF nominations of beneficiaries who are not a direct family member of the CPF account holder be made in person at one of the CPF Service Centres.
Dr Tan See Leng: The purpose of the Central Provident Fund (CPF) nomination scheme is to allow members to decide who they want to leave their CPF savings to and in what proportion. Members have their unique personal circumstances and should have the choice to nominate any person, regardless of age, nationality or family relation.
We have safeguards in place today under the CPF nomination scheme. First, when making their CPF nomination, members are required to appoint two witnesses. The role of witnesses is to attest that the members themselves had the intention to make their nomination. Witnesses cannot be any of the member’s nominees, to prevent a conflict of interest.
Next, when members nominate someone who is not a family member, the CPF Board will conduct additional checks to confirm the member’s intentions to make such a nomination. Such checks apply, whether the nomination is done in person, online or posted in via the hardcopy nomination form.
Finally, for online nominations specifically, members are required to log in via their Singpass. Singpass requires users to authenticate themselves to verify their identity. This ensures that the members themselves are the ones making their nomination. Witnesses for online nominations are also required to log in with their Singpass to attest to a member’s nomination.
Members can make a new nomination at any time if their bequeath intentions change. We provide members the option to make their CPF nominations in-person at the CPF Service Centre, via a hardcopy nomination form or online at any time using their Singpass. This is to provide flexibility based on the member’s choice and to encourage members to make their nominations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Installation of New Statues of Leaders from Colonial Times at Fort Canning Park","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"52 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for National Development what is the basis for the installation of two new statues of colonial figures, Sir Stamford Raffles and Dr Nathaniel Wallich, in Fort Canning Park in view of more recent trends in local and global art and cultural institutions towards decolonisation and the re-examination of colonial histories.
Mr Desmond Lee: The artwork featuring a pair of life-size bronze figures, titled “Scholars in Conversation: Sir Stamford Raffles and Dr Nathaniel Wallich”, was unveiled on 21 May 2024 at Canning Rise in Fort Canning Park. This was the site of Singapore’s first botanical and experimental garden, which was established by Raffles and Wallich in 1822. The artwork was commissioned by the University of East Anglia Alumni (Singapore Chapter) and donated by the Estate of Mr and Mrs Tan Chee Kow through the Garden City Fund, a registered charity and Institution of a Public Character established by NParks.
Raffles and Wallich’s contributions laid the foundation for botanical discovery and science in Singapore and beyond. Raffles’ keen interest in natural history led him to study and collect specimens of flora and fauna during his expeditions around the Straits Settlements. He amassed a vast collection of natural history drawings over the years, which serve as records for the biodiversity in Southeast Asia during the 1800s. Wallich was known for his extensive catalogue of over 20,000 specimens. Many of the valuable old herbarium specimens collected by Wallich from Singapore and the region are now housed in the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Herbarium. Raffles and Wallich’s collections contributed to our study and research of local flora in Singapore and the region in the 1800s.
The Member has asked how this sits with the “growing trend towards decolonisation and the re-examination of colonial histories”. It is important to be clear on what is meant by “decolonisation” and “re-examination of colonial histories”.
Decolonisation, in its traditional meaning, is the process by which colonies become independent of the colonising country. That is not a recent trend. The largest wave of decolonisation took place in the aftermath of the Second World War. Singapore decolonised in 1963 and became a fully independent and sovereign state in 1965. Since then, we have charted our own destiny, as a people, and as a nation.
In this context, however, I believe the Member is referring to more recent moves in some places to erase all and anything that may be a reminder of a colonial past.
Re-examination of colonial histories on the other hand, involves looking back at history through a modern lens. It takes different forms in different places. In some places, it involves a reinterpretation of events or how they are viewed. In others, it has involved a latter-day condemnation of all things regarded as associated with colonialism.
In Singapore, we take a clear-eyed view of our colonial past. We do not glorify or celebrate it. However, we acknowledge that it is a phase of our history which stretches way back 700 years to even before colonialism – as we saw in the Bicentennial – and that it has left legacies on which, post-Independence, we were able to build, adapt and transform to bring Singapore to what it is today. This includes our administrative, judicial and even our political system. For example, our Parliament is based on the Westminster model.
The acceptance and display of this donated artwork should be seen in this light. It recognises the contributions of Raffles and Wallich to our botanical heritage and allows visitors to learn more about it.
We need not be afraid of the past. We should be able to reference it with confidence, having regard to all we have achieved together since Independence as a people and a nation, and secure in the knowledge that we continue to carve our own destiny and forge our future.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Redemption Rate for Climate Vouchers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"54 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) to date, how many HDB households have redeemed their Climate Vouchers under the enhanced Climate Friendly Households Programme (CFHP); and (b) what are the barriers to expand the participating retailer base of stores where Climate Vouchers under the enhanced CFHP can be redeemed, to include HDB heartland electrical stores.
55 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the utilisation rate of the Climate Vouchers under the enhanced Climate Friendly Households Programme (CFHP); (b) how will the Ministry promote the take-up rate for the Climate Vouchers; and (c) whether there are plans to expand the participating retailers under CFHP to include heartland electronics and electrical appliances stores.
56 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many HDB households have redeemed the $300 Climate Vouchers under the enhanced Climate Friendly Households Programme; (b) whether the Ministry will consider further expanding the programme to households in private properties; and (c) if not, why not.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: In April 2024, the Climate Friendly Households Programme (CFHP) was expanded to all Housing and Development Board (HDB) Singapore resident households. As of 15 June 2024, more than 50% of eligible households, that is, about 607,000 households, have claimed their Climate Vouchers. Of these, about 90,000 households have started using their vouchers.
So far, the three most popular household products purchased were direct current fans, washing machines and refrigerators. The National Environment Agency (NEA) and Public Utilities Board (PUB), Singapore’s National Water Agency, will continue to work with stakeholders, including participating retailers, to publicise the programme and promote the take-up of the Climate Vouchers.
By switching to more efficient appliances and fittings, households will be able to save on their utility bills. For example, a 4-room HDB household that switches from a one-tick refrigerator to a three-tick refrigerator can save up to 6% on their utility bills. The savings depend on various factors, including a household’s usage pattern, size and the appliance’s energy or water efficiency in relation to the original appliance.
Households have access to a wide selection of retailers and climate-friendly appliances and fittings from the current list of 14 participating retailers, covering more than 300 stores. In addition, NEA, PUB and Government Technology Agency (GovTech) are onboarding more retailers, including heartland retailers, over the next few months. Participating retailers will need to configure their Point of Sales (POS) system to tag the eligible products in their inventory and enable voucher redemption by households. Interested retailers who do not yet have a POS system can tap on Enterprise Singapore’s Productivity Solutions Grant to receive up to 50% support to develop a POS system. As consumers can compare the prices across different retailers, there is market pressure on retailers to keep their prices competitive.
We will continue to track the progress of and review CFHP from time to time, taking into consideration suggestions on the scheme’s refinement and coverage.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore’s Solar Generation Capacity","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"57 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is Singapore’s current solar generation capacity; (b) what are the Ministry’s plans to grow the solar industry in Singapore; and (c) whether the Ministry will roll out any initiative to promote the take-up rate for fitting private residential properties with solar panels.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Singapore is on track to achieving our solar deployment target of at least two Gigawatt-peak (GWp) by 2030. As of end-2023, we have achieved 1.17 GWp of installed solar capacity. As for the clean energy sector workforce, it is projected to grow from 1,500 in 2022 to at least 2,700 workers by 2032.
The Government has accelerated solar deployment through initiatives, such as the SolarNova programme, which aggregates demand for solar systems across the public sector, as well as floating solar on reservoirs. There are no plans to subsidise solar deployment in private residential properties. The cost of solar panels has decreased over time and solar energy is now generally cheaper than retail electricity prices.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Errant Cyclists Fined in 2024 and Proposal for Penalties to be Enhanced","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"58 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many errant cyclists have been fined in 2024; (b) how many of those fined are repeat offenders; (c) whether LTA plans to step up enforcement operations; and (d) whether the Ministry will (i) enhance penalties imposed on errant cyclists, especially for repeat errant cyclists and (ii) consider imposing a requirement for errant cyclists to attend a mandatory road safety course.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Between January and May 2024, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Traffic Police (TP) took action against 653 cycling offences committed on public paths and roads. Less than 1% of them were by repeat offenders for the same offence in the past three years.
Under the Active Mobility Act, first-time offenders for errant cycling offences may be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to six months depending on the severity of the offence. Repeat offenders can be subject to higher penalties. Offenders who have committed offences, such as speeding, are required to attend safe riding courses.
LTA and TP will continually review our regulatory frameworks and penalties and take firm enforcement actions against errant riders to keep our paths and roads safe. We will also continue to promote gracious road usage behaviours, as safety is a shared responsibility for all road and path users.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Advancements in Data Centre Efficiency, Liquid Cooling and Tropical Operations by Singapore Companies and Research Institutes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"59 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what specific breakthroughs or advancements in data centre efficiency, liquid cooling and tropical operations have been achieved by Singapore companies and research institutes during the 2019-2022 moratorium period; (b) how these innovations compare to the state-of-the-art globally; and (c) whether any of these innovations have been commercially implemented at scale locally or internationally.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Data centres (DCs) are foundational to Singapore’s digital economy. However, they are intensive users of electricity and water. The three-year pause in the growth of the DC industry was imposed to study how this growth could be managed sustainably, in line with our international climate commitments.
During this pause, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Singapore Economic Development Board consulted the industry and end-users extensively on ways to grow our DC sector sustainably through best-in-class and energy-efficient DCs. One key approach was the pilot DC-Call for Application (or DC-CFA) in 2022 to invite proposals for sustainable DCs. The four DC operators that were awarded capacity in the call have committed to building new DCs with innovations, such as liquid cooling and the use of energy-efficient IT equipment.
In addition to DC-CFA, we are developing new standards to shift existing and new DCs towards greener operations. These include the world’s first Tropical DC standard, which enables DCs in Singapore and other similar climates to operate safely at higher temperatures and thus reduce the energy needed for cooling. This new standard complements global industry best practices, which are already adopted by many DCs locally.
To ensure that Singapore remains at the forefront of DC sustainability, IMDA recently released the Green DC Roadmap, which outlines the Government’s plans to work with the industry to pioneer solutions for greater energy efficiency at the hardware and software levels, as well as to accelerate the use of green energy.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Monetary Support for Students Pursuing Certification Courses in Human Resources, Capital and Employment or Industrial Relations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"60 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Education with regard to students who take on modules, courses or programmes related to Human Resource, Capital and Employment or Industrial Relations, whether the Ministry can provide full funding to ITEs, polytechnics and autonomous universities to fully support them in sending these students to undergo and complete the various certifications from the Institute for Human Resource Professionals as they do not qualify for the SkillsFuture credits yet.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Graduates from Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic’s Diploma in Human Resource (HR) Management with Psychology, as well as from Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma in Business can automatically qualify for the Institute for Human Resource Professionals’ Certified Associate (IHRP-CA) certification if they take the required modules. Students from nine Degree and Diploma programmes are partially exempted from the certification assessment, which substantially reduces the assessment cost by more than 85%.
Beyond IHRP-CA, IHRP’s higher-level certifications require at least three years of HR-related working experience. The Ministry of Manpower provides subsidies for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents to attain these certifications.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review One-year Ban from Blood Donation for Ex-offenders","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"61 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will review the policy on banning ex-offenders from donating blood within one year of their prison release.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) follows the World Health Organisation’s recommendation to implement an appropriate deferral period after ex-offenders have been released from prison before they can donate blood. This is to ensure the safety of the national blood supply as there is a higher prevalence of blood-borne infections in this group. HSA’s current deferral period is aligned with the deferral period in developed countries, such as Australia, Canada and the United States of America.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Adult Singaporeans Do Not Hold Dual or Multiple Citizenships","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"62 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what systems and processes does the Government have to ensure that adult Singaporeans do not hold dual/multiple citizenships of other countries; (b) what steps are taken when it is discovered that an adult Singaporean is holding dual/multiple citizenships; and (c) how many such cases of adult Singaporeans holding dual/multiple citizenships have occurred in the last five years.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has various methods to try and detect adult Singaporeans who hold multiple citizenships. Nevertheless, of course, it is not an easy exercise when people wilfully do so and hide their action. We do not disclose details of methods used for detection, for operational reasons.
Adult Singaporeans found holding multiple citizenships are required to renounce their foreign citizenships if they wish to retain their Singapore citizenship. If they fail to do so, they are liable to be deprived of their Singapore citizenship.
Between 2019 and 2023, a yearly average of about 1,600 adult Singaporeans chose to renounce or were deprived of their Singapore citizenship, because they were holding multiple citizenships.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Migrant Workers Consuming Alcohol and Sleeping on Roads and Outside Their Dormitories Where Drinking is Prohibited","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"63 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Manpower what steps are being taken to ensure the safety of migrant workers who are found sleeping on roads and pavements near dormitories where alcohol consumption is prohibited.
64 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Manpower what plans are in place to ensure that the large majority of foreign workers who have access to recreation centres near their dormitories consume alcohol at these purpose-built locations instead of drinking at roadsides and on pavements.
Dr Tan See Leng: Large dormitories have designated areas within their compounds for the consumption of food and alcohol. The majority of dormitory residents consume food and drinks within the dormitories. However, some residents may also eat and drink outside the dormitories on occasion, for example, when meeting their friends.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) shares the concerns raised by members regarding the safety of the migrant workers, as well as the potential inconveniences to other road users, when workers socialise in an unsafe manner near public roads. We work with dormitory operators, migrant worker leaders and grassroots volunteers to patrol areas near dormitories and to educate migrant workers on road safety and to be considerate to other members of the public. We also disseminate advisories and reminders to workers on social media and mobile phone apps on road safety and responsible drinking. We will strengthen these efforts.
To complement in-dormitory amenities and provide more socialising venues for migrant workers, nine recreation centres were built near migrant worker dormitories. Free shuttle bus services are provided to and from dormitories. Together with non-government organisations and commercial partners, MOM has plans to improve the variety and quality of the offerings at the recreation centres to make them more attractive for our migrant workforce.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Further Reduce Time from BTO Flat Application to Key Collection to 18 Months","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"65 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB can review its BTO building programme and policy to shorten the waiting time to about 18 months, from the date of successful application to the date the keys are collected, considering the lessons learnt from the delays caused by the pandemic.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been actively working to reduce the waiting time for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats. In 2023, close to 70% of the flats had a waiting time of four years or less. This is back to pre-pandemic levels where the majority of BTO projects had a waiting time of three to four years, compared to the pandemic peak of four to five years.
In 2023, we committed to launching 2,000 to 3,000 shorter waiting time (SWT) flats per year by 2025. These are flats with waiting times of less than three years. Working closely with agencies and our construction partners, HDB will meet this target one year ahead of schedule. We will offer about 2,800 SWT flats this year. Going forward, HDB targets to launch about 2,000 to 3,000 SWT flats per year.
Eligible families awaiting the completion of their BTO flats can also tap on the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) for interim housing support. HDB will further double the PPHS supply to 4,000 flats by 2025. In the meantime, eligible families may also tap on the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher to defray the cost of renting an HDB flat or bedroom in the open market.
There are practical and operational challenges to launching more SWT flats. These include difficult site conditions, extensive land preparation required for brownfield sites, need for consultation with stakeholder groups, and construction industry capacity. HDB will continue to innovate and aim for higher efficiency and we remain committed to deliver flats as quickly as possible to Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Incorporate Accessibility of Financial Services in Enabling Masterplan 2030","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"66 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether he will consider refreshing the Enabling Masterplan 2030 to incorporate the accessibility of financial services for consistency with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030) covers areas across the life stages of persons with disabilities, and efforts under EMP2030 will continue evolving to meet the support needs of persons with disabilities. This includes efforts in improving the accessibility of financial services.
Financial institutions have made improvements to enhance the accessibility of financial services for persons with disabilities. These include infrastructure, systems, procedures and staff training to assist persons with disabilities. For example, financial institutions have installed ramps and lowered counters to enhance accessibility for customers in wheelchairs. Banks have also introduced “Talking automated teller machines (ATMs)” with Braille instructions and audio guidance to help customers with visual impairment perform basic ATM transactions independently.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has also recently updated its Guidelines on Fair Dealing on 30 May 2024. The Guidelines formalise, amongst other things, expectations for financial institutions to ensure that all customers’ applications for financial products and services are assessed objectively, based on relevant and reliable information or data.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Goods Vehicles Registered under Sole Proprietors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"68 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many light goods, heavy goods and goods-cum-passenger vehicles are currently registered under sole proprietors; (b) does the Ministry collect the residential addresses of the vehicle owners; and (c) if such data are not collected, whether the Ministry will consider including this data field in vehicular registration to aid in parking space planning.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority does not have data on commercial vehicle ownership by sole proprietors. Vehicle registrations are based on information from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, (ACRA), which classifies both sole proprietorships and partnerships that are formed by two to 20 partners as one type of business entity. Only the business address registered with ACRA is collected during vehicle registration, not the residential address of the vehicle owners. The vehicle owners of commercial vehicles may not be the drivers of the vehicles. Some commercial vehicles can also have more than one driver.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proportion of Children Attending Childhood Developmental Screening Checks and Measures to Encourage Participation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"69 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health (a) in the past three years, what proportion of children have attended Childhood Developmental Screening checks; and (b) what are the measures to ensure that children who do not turn up for such checks will still get the appropriate follow-up.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Childhood Developmental Screening (CDS) checks are conducted to identify children at risk of developmental delay and allow for early intervention.
Between 2020 and 2022, more than 70% of children aged two attended at least four out of the recommended five CDS checks at polyclinics and the Community Health Assist Scheme's general practitioner clinics. During the same period, around 40%-50% of children aged three attended at least five out of the recommended six CDS checks at subsidised primary care settings. This does not include CDS checks conducted in other private healthcare settings.
Inclusion Coordinators at preschools work with their fellow early childhood educators to identify children with potential developmental needs for further assessment at CDS. Polyclinics will also opportunistically remind parents with young children of the CDS touchpoints and the importance to follow up. Parents are also encouraged to refer to the child’s Health Booklet for age-specific developmental checklists to monitor the growth and development of the child and seek help accordingly should they notice a delay.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Prevent Profiteering by Landlords with Launch of PPHS (Open Market) Vouchers for Rent Subsidy","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"71 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for National Development in view of the recently launched Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) (Open Market) Voucher scheme, how will HDB prevent and detect attempts at profiteering or price gouging by landlords that may negate the $300 rental voucher value that is supposed to benefit the eligible families.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) (Open Market) Voucher is a temporary measure to support PPHS-eligible families who rent Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats or bedrooms in the open market, while HDB ramps up the supply of PPHS flats.
The PPHS Voucher is disbursed directly to eligible households, without involving landlords. During tenancy negotiations, households need not disclose to potential landlords that they intend to apply for the voucher. Families can refer to the HDB InfoWeb or reputable private property listing platforms for information on market rental rates, in order to make an informed decision before entering into a rental contract.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Hourly Earnings of Self-employed Persons as Criterion for Application of Financial Assistance and Social Support","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"72 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider accepting the use of average hourly earnings of self-employed persons to derive the equivalent household income for application of financial assistance and social support to take into account that they may have lower average hourly earnings as compared to others who work the standard work hours per month.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The assessment for ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance (SMTA) is based on the applicant’s total earnings for the month, other sources of income and savings. This is compared against what is sufficient to cover their basic daily living expenses. For two households with the same monthly expenditure for basic needs, the household with lower monthly income will get more cash assistance. This is regardless of whether household members are employed or self-employed, and also regardless of the number of hours worked.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for Categorising Vehicles and Differentiating Allowable Parking Spaces for Vehicles by Weight Instead of Size","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"74 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Transport what is the rationale for (i) categorising vehicles by weight instead of size and (ii) differentiating allowable parking spaces for lorries by weight instead of size.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Commercial vehicles, in particular goods vehicles, are categorised by Maximum Laden Weight (MLW) in numerous countries around the world, including the United Kingdom and European Union member states. Vehicles that are loaded beyond their design weight are less able to stop quickly during an emergency and steer effectively at road bends.
Stemming from vehicle categorisation, the allowable parking spaces for lorries are also based on weight. Heavy goods vehicles with an MLW that exceeds 5,000 kilogrammes are mandated to park at designated heavy vehicle parks from 12.00 am to 6.00 am, given the additional safety considerations, namely, such vehicles parking at residential areas overnight.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Family Offices Linked to Accused Persons in Singapore's Largest Money Laundering Case","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"75 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how many family offices that were granted tax benefits by the Monetary Authority of Singapore are linked to the accused persons in the recent $3 billion money laundering case; and (b) whether there will be a clawback of the benefits previously accorded to these family offices.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): A total of six single family office (SFO) funds which were awarded SFO tax incentives have been identified to be linked to individuals who have been convicted in relation to the money laundering case or their spouses.
Tax benefits were withdrawn starting from the financial year the owners of these SFO funds or their spouses were charged or convicted. Tax benefits accorded prior to that will not be clawed back, unless there were breaches of the conditions of the tax incentive awards then.
In addition, as part of enforcement actions in this case, assets have been forfeited from the convicted individuals. The total value of assets forfeited from convicted individuals with links to SFO funds that were awarded tax incentives far exceeds any tax benefits accorded to the SFO funds.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing Assurance Package Assistance for Low-income and Vulnerable Families","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"76 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Assurance Package can be enhanced for low-income and vulnerable families so as to provide more monthly assistance to each family member based on the family's per capita income to help them cope with the higher cost of living.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Assurance Package helps all Singaporeans. Some of the measures, such as Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, are given to all Singaporean households. We have designed the Assurance Package so that lower-income families as well as larger households, particularly those with seniors and children, get more support.
The Assurance Package was most recently enhanced at Budget 2024 by $1.9 billion to provide further assistance to Singaporeans.
The means-tested schemes in the Assurance Package, comprising cash, MediSave top-ups, additional U-Save and S&CC rebates, use one or more of these criteria: individual assessable income, annual value of residence, Housing and Development Board flat type and number of properties owned. Per capita household income is not used to determine the amount received for the schemes under the Assurance Package. However, Singaporeans living in households with lower per capita household income will generally receive more support from the Assurance Package and other Government schemes. These include families who earn lower incomes or have larger family sizes.
On top of the Assurance Package, lower- and middle-income families benefit from the permanent Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher scheme. In total, a lower-income household with two young children will receive about $5,500 in benefits from the enhanced Assurance Package and the GST Voucher scheme in financial year 2024. Singaporeans also receive subsidies when they access public goods and services, such as education, healthcare and housing, with more support provided to families with lower incomes.
The Government understands the concerns of Singaporeans with regard to costs of living. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and regularly review our support measures.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Follow-up with Children from Vulnerable and Distressed Families Who Miss Childhood Development Screening Checks","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"78 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what support measures are in place to follow up on children from vulnerable and distressed families who miss their Childhood Developmental Screening (CDS) checks and whose parents or guardians are non-compliant; (b) whether the Ministry considers the non-attendance of CDS checks as an early sign of possible neglect or abuse; and (c) how does the Ministry investigate such suspected cases of neglect or abuse where families cannot be contacted.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Childhood Developmental Screening (CDS) serves to identify children at risk of developmental delay for early intervention. CDS is not compulsory but has been streamlined to be conducted together with recommended childhood vaccinations.
Not attending CDS, in itself, does not mean the child is vulnerable or that the child is at risk of neglect or abuse, as there could be other reasons for non-attendance, such as parental work commitments. ComLink+ family coaches and preschool outreach workers also work with lower-income families to encourage them to bring their children for recommended vaccinations and CDS checks can also be done at the same appointment.
The Government works with community partners, including health institutions and social service agencies, to watch out for signs of neglect or abuse. Protocols are in place for agencies to contact the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Child Protective Service if such signs are detected. Community partners and members of the public can also call the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline to report suspected cases of neglect or abuse.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Indoor Sports Facilities Used for Coaching","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"80 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) in each of the last five years, what is the total number of indoor sports facilities used for coaching; (b) whether there are plans to increase the pool of such facilities to meet the increasing demand for commercial coaching services for sports and, if so, what is the forecasted rate of increase over the next 10 years; and (c) how are such facilities being made available and affordable to micro-enterprises which offer such commercial coaching services.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Government seeks to encourage as many Singaporeans as possible to participate in sports and physical exercise to support active and healthy living and promote social cohesion.
In tandem, we have been expanding the number of sports facilities to meet Singaporeans’ needs. These include a variety of sporting facilities in ActiveSG Sport Centres, People's Association community clubs, Ministry of Education school facilities that are open for public use under the Dual Use Scheme (DUS), and free-to-play sports facilities located conveniently in our housing estates.
Our ActiveSG Sport Centres offer affordable subsidised rates and primarily serve the needs of members of the public who want to play sports, rather than the needs of private coaches or commercial sports service providers. As such, the facilities in the sport centres are primarily open to bookings by members of the public and we do not track the usage by private coaches. Our sport centres also host training programmes under ActiveSG’s Academies and Clubs as well as those organised by accredited programme partners and National Sport Associations to develop our pipeline of athletes. We will continue to expand our sports facilities primarily to meet the needs of our residents and athletes.
SportSG supports coaches by (a) maintaining the National Registry of Coaches (NROC) and requiring some public agencies to hire only NROC-registered coaches, while also publicising their profiles for search by the general public; and (b) upskilling them by providing free or subsidised continuing coach education courses.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Bell Curves to Determine Final Grade or Grade Point Average for Students in ITEs, Polytechnics and Autonomous Universities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"81 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Education whether there is a bell curve for all forms of examinations to determine the final grade or the Grade Point Average given to students in ITEs, polytechnics and the autonomous universities.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The intent of graded assessments and examinations at the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) is to evaluate students’ mastery of a topic. Grading also enables IHLs to provide feedback to students on their learning so that they can build up the necessary skills and academic foundation to join the workforce or continue their studies at a more advanced level.
In this regard, our IHLs use a grading approach that is largely standards-referenced and do not \"force-fit\" grades into a bell curve.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assessment of Need for Health Controls Given Recent Increase in COVID-19 Infections","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"82 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Health (a) what assessment has been made regarding the current risks associated with increased COVID-19 infections; (b) whether the Ministry considers it necessary to implement new health protocols to control the increase in cases; and (c) what measures are being planned to protect vulnerable populations and ensure healthcare system resilience amidst the rising infection rates.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: My response will also cover the matter raised in Parliamentary Question No 46 for Written Answer by Mr Liang Eng Hwa for today’s Sitting.
The current COVID-19 wave, which started in mid-April 2024, has been on a steady decline. It peaked in early May 2024 at around 26,000 cases per week, while the hospitalised COVID-19 cases peaked two weeks later with 370 beds occupied. The weekly estimated number of COVID-19 cases has since declined to 8,700 cases, as COVID-19 hospital bed occupancy has dropped to around 130. The average number of cases in the Intensive Care Unit remains low at four cases.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has taken some measures to protect our healthcare capacity, but we have ridden through another wave without having to impose any additional restrictions. This is consistent with our intention to live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease, just like influenza or chickenpox.
Vaccination remains important to reduce the risk of severe infections. As of 23 June 2024, about 60.5% of our total population did not receive any COVID-19 vaccination in the last two years. On the other hand, countries like Denmark are able to get the broad majority of their population to take the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
This is a cause for concern because we know that vaccine protection will wane with time, and as the virus mutates further, at some point, there can be escalated risks of many infected patients falling severely sick, just like at the beginning of the pandemic.
MOH is thus encouraging individuals, especially vulnerable ones like seniors, to take their COVID-19 vaccination. We are bringing on board Healthier SG clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccination. There are 320 Healthier SG general practitioner clinics providing COVID-19 vaccinations as of 24 June 2024, in addition to the five Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres around the island.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Recent Closures of High-tech Farming Companies and Impact on \"30 by 30\" Plan for Local Food Production","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"83 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of recent closures of high-tech farming companies, including vegetable farms and cultured meat companies (a) how does the Singapore Food Agency conduct due diligence, including financial viability assessments, on companies before awarding grants to such farms and companies; (b) what measures are in place to ensure that grant funds are used effectively; and (c) whether the \"30 by 30\" goal of achieving 30% local food production by 2030 is still achievable in light of the developments.
85 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government remains committed to the “30 by 30” goal that aims to produce 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030 locally; and (b) whether there are plans to (i) further boost local demand for locally produced food and (ii) address the price differential between locally produced food and imported food in order to promote the market viability of domestic food production.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: This response will also address the written Parliamentary Questions filed by Ms Hany Soh for Parliament Sitting on 2 July 2024. [Please refer to \"Progress of '30 by 30' Goal and Grant Funding Disbursed\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Since its formation, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been stepping up efforts to grow our local agri-food sector, alongside our efforts in import source diversification and stockpiling. Local production can help to buffer any impact of supply disruptions and add to Singapore’s food security. We set “30 by 30’’ as an ambitious vision of building the capability and capacity to locally produce 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030.
When the “30 by 30” vision was first conceived in 2019, there was strong investor interest in the global agri-food sector, a low interest rate environment and lower global energy prices. Since then, the business climate has become less favourable due to factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions and inflation. Some farms have taken a pause in development works to re-evaluate and finetune their business models. Global agri-tech companies have also not been spared from similar headwinds. That said, while there have been farm closures, we are also seeing new players enter the agri-food sector. Overall, the total number of land- and sea-based farms has remained relatively stable at about 250 since 2019.
Given the nascency of our agri-food sector and the challenging environment, SFA has provided our farms with support in various areas, including (a) accessing land and infrastructure for farming, (b) improving energy efficiency and productivity, and (c) increasing demand offtake for their produce. Let me elaborate.
First, we are making land and infrastructure available for farming by regularly launching land and sea space tenders. In 2022, we also introduced the option for the typical 20-year land- and sea-space leases to be extended for a further 10 years to give more certainty to farms when planning and seeking investors.
Second, we have increased support to farms for energy efficiency and productivity transformation. SFA ensures that the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund remains relevant in meeting farms’ business and growth needs. In 2022, the ACT Fund was enhanced to extend the higher co-funding quantum of 70%, or up to $6 million, to a wider range of food types, such as fruited vegetables, mushrooms and shrimps, allowing more farms to benefit from higher co-funding. The ACT Fund encourages farms to invest in productive and resource-efficient technologies that can help to manage resource use and, consequently, operating costs. In 2023, SFA introduced the Energy Efficiency Programme (EEP) under the ACT Fund to co-fund energy efficiency audits and the adoption of energy-efficient equipment and technologies to help farms better manage their electricity costs. As of 30 April 2024, SFA has awarded $25.7 million to support 68 projects under the ACT Fund.
To ensure funds are used effectively, the grant is allocated only after considering the farms’ financial statements, key personnel involved in farming, relevant track record, the merits and reasonableness of the project proposal, projected costs and whether the outcome supports Singapore’s food security. SFA requires funding recipients to meet key performance indicators (KPIs) in areas, such as production output, energy and manpower savings. Farms are also required to submit half-yearly progress reports to document progress in the project. The funds are disbursed through reimbursement and in tranches, ensuring that project milestones are achieved before additional funds are released.
Third, we are also working to increase demand for local produce. The price of food reflects a combination of factors. Aside from costs of production, higher prices may also reflect better quality and value, such as freshness or being pesticide-free, which are value-added attributes that consumers might be willing to pay for.
SFA is supporting the industry through the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation Limited (SAFEF), which has spearheaded the formation of an industry level supply and demand aggregator that partners farmers, traders and food processing companies to better match demand and supply. Through the efforts of SAFEF and its partners, locally grown vegetables and fish are now sold at Fairprice supermarkets under a six-month trial under the brand names “The Straits Fish” and “The SG Farmers’ Market”. I am heartened to hear that consumer response to the products has been positive.
Consumers can play a part in ensuring our national food resiliency by choosing to purchase local produce that are labelled with the red SG Fresh Produce logo, or dining at food businesses under the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme which recognises food businesses that feature local produce on their menus. Together, we can continue to safeguard Singapore’s food security.
The “30 by 30” vision has always been an aspiration, which seeks to rally our efforts around the important task of enhancing Singapore’s food security. We have achieved some results in a few areas. For example, our local egg production now contributes more than 30% of local consumption from 26% in 2019. Local beansprout production has also come in at more than 50% of consumption. We have also seen both new and existing farms harnessing technology and innovation to scale up production and operate productive, viable models. Some have expanded their operations to higher-value products that better cater to consumers’ evolving demands. SFA will continue to anchor more of such farms and help them scale up over time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cause of Recent Toxic Fumes Incident at PUB's Choa Chu Kang Waterworks Plant and Future Preventive Measures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"86 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the investigation of the recent incident where workers inhaled poisonous fumes at PUB's Choa Chu Kang Waterworks plant; and (b) what safety measures are being put in place to prevent a recurrence.
Dr Tan See Leng: \t\tAs investigations are ongoing, we are unable to provide further details at this time.
Under the Workplace Safety and Health (Confined Spaces) Regulations, workplaces must implement safety measures to mitigate risks associated with working in confined spaces. These measures include gas tests conducted by a competent assessor to ensure that the atmosphere within the confined space is free from contaminants, effective ventilation of the space, adequate training of workers, the use of protective equipment, and an emergency rescue plan. Detailed guidance for employers and workers is provided in the Approved Code of Practice Singapore Standard 568 and the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s Technical Advisory on Working Safely in Confined Spaces.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Housing Options for Youths Who Do Not Receive Financial or Practical Support from Any Living Parent or Relative","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"87 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development what HDB housing options are available to children or youths aged between 12 and 23 who, because of parental death or separation, receive no financial or practical support from any living parent or relative.
Mr Desmond Lee: Younger orphans under 18 years old are typically placed in kinship care. If there are no suitable carers, the Ministry of Social and Family Development will place them in alternative care arrangements, such as foster care or residential care. For those who are 18 years old and above and have inherited a fully paid-up Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat from their parents, they can continue living in the flat.
For minors aged below 21 who inherit a fully paid-up flat, HDB may allow the creation of a trust over the flat, which will be transferred to the child once they reach 21. If the flat has not been fully paid up, HDB will treat these on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with an adult guardian when appropriate.
Adult orphans who are at least 21 can choose to take over ownership of their parents’ flat, if they have the financial means to do so. They can also purchase a new HDB flat with their siblings or on their own under the Single Singapore Citizen scheme. Those with no other housing options may apply for a public rental flat with their siblings or with another eligible single person under the Joint Singles Scheme.
The Member also asked about children whose parents are separated. For these children, as well as children whose parents are divorced, their parents continue to be responsible for their housing needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cause of 3 June MRT Disruption and Efforts to Improve Handling of Future Incidents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"88 Mr Alex Yam Ziming asked the Minister for Transport (a) what have investigations into the MRT disruption on 3 June 2024 found to be the cause of the power traction failure; (b) whether current lightning protection for the MRT system is adequate; (c) how can future occurrences of such disruptions be prevented; (d) what are the contingencies for such major incidents; and (e) whether the Ministry will accede to providing more transport options for residents of Yew Tee and Limbang estates.
89 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry regularly reviews the communication and crowd control measures adopted by the public transport operators to notify commuters affected by breakdown of MRT trains.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: My reply will address Question Nos 88 and 89, as well as Written Question No 70 for today’s Sitting.
The investigation into the disruption on the North-South Line on 3 June 2024 is ongoing. We have established that a lightning strike damaged an outdoor trackside power control box near Kranji station at around 5.46 pm. Based on the Land Transport Authority's (LTA’s) preliminary investigation, the surge arrester that was designed to protect the power control box against lightning strikes did not operate as intended. This caused a loss of traction power and the disruption to train service.
The current lightning protection systems for our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network comply with local and international standards to ensure the safety of our commuters. Until this incident on 3 June 2024, there had been no train disruptions due to lightning strikes in the past five years.
The operator had adhered to the maintenance regime recommended by the manufacturer for the surge arrester. It is possible that past lightning strikes had accelerated the deterioration of this particular surge arrester, as this section of the track between Kranji and Marsiling is lightning-prone. Arising from this incident, we are working with the manufacturer and the rail operators to review the maintenance frequency of surge arresters. We have replaced the surge arrester in question, and the other surge arresters in the vicinity have been checked and found to be in working condition.
LTA mandates that rail operators have in place robust response plans in the case of service disruptions. These plans include providing alternative transportation options, such as free bus boarding at affected stations and bridging bus services. LTA, rail operators and other relevant agencies jointly exercise these plans annually. Learning points from incidents and exercises help LTA and our operators to make continual improvements to their incident response plans.
For the 3 June disruption, LTA has assessed that the operator had responded in accordance with the standard operating procedures. Nevertheless, LTA has taken note of the feedback arising from the disruption and are working with the rail operators to strengthen their incident management plans. These include improving the clarity of public announcements during service disruptions and improving crowd control measures for affected MRT stations and at boarding points for bridging buses.
Mr Alex Yam asked about transport options for Yew Tee and Limbang. Yew Tee and Limbang residents are served by the North-South Line at Yew Tee station and are also connected to the East-West Line and Downtown Line by bus services. By the mid-2030s, Yew Tee and Limbang residents will have better access to the Downtown Line when it is extended beyond Bukit Panjang station towards a new Sungei Kadut interchange station.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Study on Whether Food Price Increases Are In Line with Inflation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"90 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) in view of the recent findings by the Singapore Department of Statistics that hawker food prices have risen, how does the Ministry ensure that increases in prices at hawker centres, food courts and coffee shop food and drink stalls are due to increasing overhead costs and are not, in fact, excessively contributing to profits by such food businesses; and (b) since 2022, how many such stalls and food establishments have been held accountable for profiteering.
91 Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether recent findings by the Singapore Department of Statistics that hawker food prices have risen include the price of food and beverages sold at neighbourhood coffee shops and food courts; and (b) whether the increases in price of food and beverages align with the rate of inflation.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: A recent article by the Department of Statistics on hawker food price trends covers food and beverages sold at food courts, coffee shops and hawker centres.
The 5.7% and 6.1% increases in hawker food prices in 2022 and 2023 respectively were primarily driven by more costly imported food ingredients due to supply chain disruptions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. In particular, Singapore’s import prices for food commodities rose by 8.7% in 2022 and a further 2.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2023.
Singapore’s import prices for food commodities have started to decline since the third quarter of 2023 due to the fall in global food commodity prices. Hawker food inflation has moderated to 3.7% in May 2024, which is broadly in line with Consumer Price Index (CPI)-All Items inflation of 3.1% in May.
The Government shares the concern of many Singaporeans regarding higher daily expenses. To address this, the Government introduced measures, such as the $1.9 billion enhancement to the Assurance Package in Budget 2024. The enhancement includes an additional $600 worth of Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers for all Singaporean households that can be used at participating hawkers, heartland merchants and supermarkets. The first $300 tranche was launched on 25 June, and the second tranche of $300 will be disbursed in January 2025. Singaporeans will receive further support throughout this year, including the Cost-of-Living Special Payment in September 2024.
The Government has also rolled out various initiatives to provide consumers with affordable food options. For example, the Housing and Development Board worked with coffee shop operators to provide budget meal and drink options. Members of the public can search for these options using the BudgetMealGoWhere website. The Consumers Association of Singapore has also developed the Price Kaki app, which enables consumers to easily compare the prices of hawker food items and groceries from different sellers.
Given the Goods and Services (GST) rate increase in 2023 and 2024, the Committee Against Profiteering (CAP) was reconvened to review and investigate feedback about unjustified price increases of essential products and services that use the GST increase as an excuse. Since 2022, CAP has investigated and resolved 16 submissions alleging GST misrepresentation by hawker centres, food courts and coffee shops. Since March 2024, CAP has not received any such feedback.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Causes for Increases in Hawker Food Prices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"92 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the recent findings by the Singapore Department of Statistics that hawker food prices have risen (a) whether the Ministry has done a deeper study on the causes of the increases; and (b) what supply side measures can be taken to moderate further price increases so as to keep hawker food affordable.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Part (a) of this question has been partially addressed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s reply to Question Nos 90 and 91 on the Order Paper for 2 July 2024. [Please refer to \"Study on Whether Food Price Increases Are in Line with Inflation\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] Based on surveys conducted by the National Environment Agency (NEA), the main cost drivers for stallholders in hawker centres were raw materials and manpower which accounted for an average of 56% and 20% of their operating costs respectively in 2022. Hawkers consider multiple factors when determining the prices of their food, including cost of ingredients, other operating costs and market competition.
While NEA does not regulate hawker food prices, NEA provides a conducive operating environment for hawkers at our hawker centres. This allows them to balance between pricing their food affordably and sustaining their livelihoods. To do this, NEA moderates the rent of hawker stalls by not setting reserve rents for stall tenders and disallowing subletting. For Socially-Conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHCs), NEA takes into consideration tender proposals holistically, including the total costs that hawkers will have to bear, before awarding the tender. SEHC operators have also committed that all stalls in their centres will provide at least one value meal option as part of their tender commitment.
In addition, NEA provides support measures, such as the Productive Hawker Centres programme and Hawkers’ Productivity Grant, to help hawker stallholders improve their productivity. To help moderate ingredient costs, some SEHC operators also tap on their industry networks to offer bulk purchasing services.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Salary and Allowance Data for Supreme Court Judges","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"93 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Chief Justice and the Minister for Law have a role under the framework of the Judges’ Remuneration Act 1994 to determine the fixed and variable components of salaries paid to the Chief Justice, Judges of Appeal and other Judges of the Supreme Court; and (b) if so, what is the extent of the role played by the Chief Justice and the Minister for Law respectively.
94 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for each year since 2010, what is the average and median of (i) total salary package and (ii) each of the following six components: gross annual salary, annual variable component, non-pensionable annual allowance, performance bonus, national bonus and judiciary allowance, paid to the Chief Justice, Judges of Appeal and other Judges of the Supreme Court respectively.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): The Judges Remuneration Act 1994 falls under the responsibility of the Minister-in-charge of the Public Service and not the Minister for Law. It sets out the framework for the salaries, allowances and privileges accorded to Supreme Court Judges as a class. The Chief Justice determines the salary and bonuses to be paid to each Supreme Court Judge within this framework. Neither the Minister-in-charge of the Public Service nor any Minister determines the payment to be made to specific judges.
The salaries of Judicial Appointment Holders take reference from a number of salary data sources, including market surveys by compensation specialists. This is similar to how the salaries of other public officers are determined, based on the size of the job and benchmarking with relevant talent pools in the private sector, to ensure that the Public Service is able to attract and retain our fair share of talent.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Updating Framework for 21st Century Competencies and Student Outcomes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"96 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider (i) reviewing and updating the Framework for 21st Century Competencies and Student Outcomes and (ii) evaluating the impact of the Framework on primary school students.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: With the introduction of the Framework for 21st Century Competencies, or 21CC for short, in 2010, the Ministry of Education has placed greater emphasis on 21CC development in the design of our curriculum. This ensures that important traits, such as being creative and collaborative, are developed more strongly in our students.
For example, in English language lessons, students get to work in groups, brainstorm ideas and write their stories creatively based on a given theme. In Project Work, applied learning programmes and co-curricular activities, students collaborate in teams to explore their interests, overcome real-world challenges and achieve group goals.
Our efforts have been worthwhile. International benchmarking studies, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment, have consistently found that our students perform well relative to their peers overseas in 21CC like reasoning, problem solving, global competence and creative thinking.
The 21CC Framework was last reviewed and updated in 2023. Over the next few years, guided by the updated framework, schools will progressively embark on a journey to strengthen their 21CC development efforts.
We will continue to review our efforts regularly to ensure that our students will possess the necessary values and competencies to thrive and learn for life.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Cost of Taking Risdiplam for Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Decisions on Drug Advisory Committee Recommendations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"97 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the annual cost of taking risdiplam for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy in view that the Ministry’s Drug Advisory Committee has recommended “risdiplam 0.75 mg/mL powder for oral solution” for inclusion in the Medication Assistance Fund from 1 August 2024; (b) whether the current Standard Drug List Subsidy Framework is enough to alleviate this cost for patients; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider increasing the subsidy to make it more affordable for patients.
98 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Health (a) how often does the Ministry accept recommendations from the Drug Advisory Committee; and (b) what are the considerations of the Ministry in accepting recommendations from the Drug Advisory Committee.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The annual cost of risdiplam in Singapore is currently about S$375,000. Following the Drug Advisory Committee's (DAC’s) recommendation to subsidise risdiplam under the Medication Assistance Fund subsidy framework, eligible patients in public healthcare institutions can receive up to 75% subsidies for risdiplam from 1 August 2024. Patients who face affordability concerns after subsidies may apply for financial assistance, such as MediFund, at public healthcare institutions.
The estimated cost impact to the public healthcare system of listing risdiplam for subsidies is derived from the projected number of patients that require risdiplam in Singapore and the cost of treatment.
DAC is a standing committee that regularly makes evidence-based recommendations to Ministry of Health (MOH) for drugs to be subsidised. These recommendations are based on objective considerations, such as clinical need of patients, clinical and cost effectiveness of the treatment, and budget impact. Recommendations are surfaced to MOH three to four times a year. Thus far, MOH has accepted these recommendations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prospects of Revival of High-Speed Rail Project between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"99 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Transport whether an update can be provided on the prospects of a possible revival of the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, in view that the Malaysian government has recently shortlisted three consortia to build HSR.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: \tWe have not received any new proposal from Malaysia for a Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail. As stated previously, Singapore is open to discussing new proposals with Malaysia in good faith, starting from a clean slate.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Delayed Effective Date for Increase in Annual Value Bands Threshold for Owner-occupier Residential Property Tax Rates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"100 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance why will the increase in Annual Value bands threshold for owner-occupier residential property tax rates only take effect from 1 January 2025, even though market rent rates have been experiencing sharp increases since 2022.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: My response will cover both Oral Question No 100 and Written Question No 7 by Ms Foo Mee Har on today’s Order Paper.
Over the last two years, property taxes (PT) for most residential properties had increased due to higher market rents and an increase in PT rates for higher-value private residential properties.
To cushion the impact of the PT increases, amidst cost-of-living concerns, the Government provided PT rebates in 2023 and 2024.
For 2024, with the rebate, all one- and two-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) owner-occupiers do not pay PT. For other HDB owner-occupiers, the average PT increase is less than $3 per month.
For private property owner-occupiers, half experience a PT increase of less than $15 per month. The increase in PT is higher for those with higher-value private properties.
At Budget 2024, the Government announced that in light of the market trends in the last two years, all Annual Value (AV) bands of the owner-occupier residential PT rates will be raised with effect from 1 January 2025. The change, like other tax changes, is applied on a prospective basis. We also took into consideration the significant PT rebates that the Government had provided to cushion the PT increases in 2023 and 2024.
With the revision of AV bands from 2025, an owner-occupied 4-room HDB flat, assuming constant AV of $15,500, will see a PT bill of about $12 per month in 2025, without rebate, instead of the $25 per month seen in 2024, without rebate. Similarly, an owner-occupied landed property with constant AV of $50,000, will see a PT payable of $140 per month in 2025 instead of the $200 per month seen in 2024.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Availability of Fit-to-drive Eye Examination Information to Medical Practitioners and Maintaining Standard of Testing for Such Checks","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"101 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Home Affairs regarding the medical examination for motorists aged 65 and above to be certified fit-to-drive to revalidate their Singapore driving licence (a) whether the Singapore-registered medical practitioner can be granted access to the applicants' health information on the National Electronic Health Records for a better overview of their medical conditions; (b) whether the examinations can be made increasingly frequent for those aged above 75, 80 and 85; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider limiting such examinations to appointed specialty clinics.
Mr K Shanmugam: Today, motorists aged 65 and above must pass a medical examination and be certified fit-to-drive by a Singapore-registered medical practitioner, before they can revalidate their Singapore driving licence. Medical practitioners are not authorised to access National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) for this medical examination, as it is not one of the permitted uses. Access to NEHR is granted primarily for the purposes of providing direct patient care.
For Class 4, 4A and 5 driving licences, which are for heavy vehicles, motorists between the age of 65 and 75 must undergo a medical examination and a Proficiency Driving Test every year. Motorists above the age of 75 are not allowed to drive heavy vehicles. For the other classes of driving licence, motorists aged 65 and above must undergo a medical examination every three years. We are reviewing the frequency of medical examination, as suggested by the Member.
We do not intend to limit such medical examinations to specialty clinics, as the assessment does not require any special knowledge, skill or experience in any particular branch of medicine.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Increasing Public’s Awareness of Channels for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse Cases","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"102 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what more can be done to increase the public’s awareness of the channels and platforms available for reporting of suspected child abuse cases.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I thank the Member for raising this question. Domestic violence, including child abuse, can happen to anyone and anywhere. Unfortunately, child abuse can be difficult to detect as it often happens behind closed doors. A whole-of-society effort is needed to be vigilant, to intervene and report suspected domestic abuse cases, especially child abuse, as children are more vulnerable. This means that family members, neighbours, community partners or members of public can each help to watch out for potential victims.
Members of the public can call the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Hotline at 1800-777 0000 or make an online report via the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF's) website or call the Police if there is imminent danger. From June 2024, members of the public can also report child abuse via the LifeSG App, the integrated Government e-service mobile application.
MSF has run annual public awareness campaigns since 2016. This year’s “Break the Silence” campaign was launched in June. To maximise reach, we have tapped on free-to-air TV channels, social media, out-of-home platforms like digital display panels, bus stop shelters and table-top stickers in hawker centres and coffee shops.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Restoration of Direct Flights from Singapore to Timor Leste","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"103 Mr Keith Chua asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry can provide a timeline for the restoration of direct flights from Singapore to Timor Leste by our national carrier Singapore Airlines or its subsidiary Scoot.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Airlines, including Singapore Airlines and Scoot, make decisions on flight routes based on commercial considerations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Terms of Reference for Electoral Boundaries Review Committee and PM's Role in Setting Principles for These Terms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"104 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what are the terms of reference provided to an Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC); (b) what are the principles underlying how terms of reference for EBRC are being determined; and (c) whether such decision is made by the Prime Minister.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, or EBRC in short, has not been convened. When EBRC is convened, the Prime Minister will set out the Terms of Reference for the committee.
Based on the Terms of Reference for past committees, EBRC will review the electoral boundaries and recommend the size and the number of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and Single Member Constituencies (SMCs). In its review, the EBRC should consider significant changes in the number of electors in each electoral division as a result of population shifts and housing developments since the last boundary delineation exercise. For the last three General Elections, the Prime Minister also directed EBRC to reduce the size of GRCs and to create more SMCs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Additional Financial Assistance Akin to Bursaries for Preschool Children from Low-income Families","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"105 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether it will consider providing additional financial assistance similar to bursaries, for preschool children from low-income families.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I thank the member for his question. The Government is committed to giving all children a good start.
Today, lower-income families receive significant assistance for preschools. With existing support, such as fee caps at Government-supported preschools, broad-based basic subsidies and means-tested additional subsidies, lower-income families can pay as low as $3 per month for full-day childcare in an Anchor Operator (AOP) preschool or $1 for half-day kindergarten in an AOP preschool or Ministry of Education Kindergarten.
From the fourth quarter of 2024, more families will qualify for the maximum childcare subsidies for their income tier. Families with a monthly household income of $6,000 and below will be eligible for these maximum childcare subsidies. We will also lower fee caps for Anchor and Partner Operator preschools in 2025 and 2026, to make childcare more affordable for more Singaporean families.
We will soon provide additional support to supplement the efforts of lower-income families that prioritise their child’s preschool education. The ComLink+ Progress Package for Preschool will be launched in the second half of this year. ComLink+ families that meet enrolment and attendance requirements under the package as part of their action plan will receive financial top-ups in their child’s Child Development Account (CDA). Parents can use the CDA funds to defray child-raising expenses, such as preschool fees, medical expenses and assistive technology.
Some families may face more difficult circumstances and require more assistance. Under the Child Care Financial Assistance scheme, eligible families may apply for additional financial assistance for their childcare fees and a one-time grant of up to $1,000 to offset preschool enrolment costs and out-of-pocket expenditures. Families that require financial assistance for basic living expenses may contact the Social Service Offices.
We regularly review our schemes to ensure that there is comprehensive support for our lower-income families to give their children a good start in life.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rate of Re-employment of PMETs Who Have Reached Statutory Retirement Age","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"106 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower in each of the last five years (a) how many resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) applied for and were offered re-employment upon reaching the statutory retirement age; (b) how many were not; (c) what were the reasons provided by employers for not offering re-employment, excluding those medically unfit to work; (d) whether the Ministry will consider publishing data on re-employment of PMETs reaching the retirement age as part of its quarterly reports; and (e) if not, why not.
Dr Tan See Leng: In 2022 and 2023, about 98% of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) were offered re-employment. PMET data for the years prior to 2022 is not available, as the data was not broken down by PMET and non-PMET. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not collect PMET-specific data on the reasons why workers are not offered re-employment. Amongst all senior workers who were not offered re-employment in 2023, eight in 10 did not want to continue working. The rest were not offered re-employment either because there was a lack of suitable vacancies, the employees did not meet work performance requirements or they did not meet requirements on medical fitness.
MOM monitors the re-employment rate of eligible seniors annually. The re-employment rate for eligible senior workers has remained consistently high since the introduction of the re-employment policy in 2012 and does not vary much year to year. Where relevant, we will consider highlighting noteworthy trends in our annual publications.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulations on Social Media Platforms to Protect Children from Potential Addiction and Harmful Content","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"107 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether there are any plans to introduce stricter regulations on social media platforms to protect children from potential addiction and harmful content.
Mrs Josephine Teo: My response will also address a similar question for written answer raised by Mr Sitoh Yih Pin1 for a subsequent Sitting.
The Singapore Government strongly believes in protecting our citizens, especially children, from harmful online content and potential addiction. In this regard, regulation plays an important role.
On online harms, we have taken a targeted approach. Under the Broadcasting Act, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has designated six Social Media Services (SMSs) with significant reach or impact in Singapore. They are Facebook, HardwareZone, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube. These SMSs are required to comply with the Code of Practice for Online Safety (Online Safety Code), which took effect on 18 July 2023. The Online Safety Code requires designated SMSs to have in place additional measures to enhance the online safety of children. These include ensuring that children are not targeted to receive content that SMSs are reasonably aware to be detrimental to their physical or mental well-being, having in place more restrictive account settings for children, and providing tools for children or their parents to manage their safety.
Designated SMSs are due to submit their first online safety compliance reports by end-July 2024 and we will evaluate their compliance with the Online Safety Code before assessing if there is a need to tighten any requirements. Age assurance remains one of our key considerations in ensuring the online safety of children. While most major social media services require users to be at least 13 years old, they rely primarily on users’ self-declaration. With the growing availability of age assurance methods, we are seriously studying how the industry can do more on this front to better protect children online.
Excessive use of social media is also a key concern associated with anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress. These associations are linked to the duration, frequency and number of social media platforms being used2. It is as yet unclear if putting warning labels on social media platforms, on its own, will be effective in curbing excessive use. We have instead adopted a more holistic strategy which includes educating and providing stronger support to parents and children.
For parents who suspect that their children may have developed dependency on social media, they can seek help from community service providers, such as TOUCH Community Services, which runs counselling and intervention programmes for affected youths. Alternatively, parents can tap on specialised services, such as the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS), for assessment and intervention.
We also recognise that it is important to go upstream to provide support and create awareness amongst parents early, even before the child is born. Prevention is better than cure. In this regard, the Government is committed to taking more decisive and effective measures to shape the habit of device usage. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) oversee the key touchpoints for children up to six years old, through child and maternity care and preschools. They intend to make their advice on device usage and screen time clearer and more definitive and to deliver them consistently across all healthcare settings with more reminders. They can put such advice into practice in preschools and encourage their adoption at home. MOH and MSF will finalise and announce these initiatives in the coming months. At the same time, Ministry of Communications and Information is working with MOH and MSF to strengthen safeguards where practical.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Government will consider requiring social media platforms to exhibit warnings of the harmful effects of excessive social media use by children or regulating the age on which a child is allowed to register for a social media account.","2 : Zubair, U., Khan, M. K., & Albashari, M. (2023). Link between excessive social media use and psychiatric disorders. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 85(4), 875–878. https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000000112"],"footNoteQuestions":["107"],"questionNo":"107"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Numbers Who Seek Dental Healthcare and Review of Subsidy for Dental Services","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"108 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the percentage of Singapore Citizens (i) below 50 years old and (ii) above 50 years old, who have sought dental treatment in 2012 as compared to 2023 respectively; (b) whether the Ministry tracks the dental benefits that employees are offered, especially for senior employees; and (c) when will the Ministry next conduct a review of the current subsidy and regulatory framework for dental services.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The proportion of Singapore residents who visited a dentist in the past 12 months remained stable from 2019 to 2023. We do not have statistics before 2019. Among those aged 18 to 49, the proportion increased slightly from 59.4% in 2019 to 61.6% in 2023. Among those aged 50 to 74, the proportion remained stable between 53.0% and 53.7% in the period 2019 to 2023.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not track dental benefits enjoyed by private sector employees. Public sector employees enjoy $120 of dental benefits at outpatient settings per year and these are reviewed periodically by the Public Service Division.
The regulations for outpatient dental services were reviewed and promulgated under the Healthcare Services Regulations in June 2023. MOH reviews dental policies, including financing, from time to time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations for Building Civil Defence Public Shelter within Housing Estate","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"109 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the considerations behind the decision to construct a civil defence public shelter within a given housing estate; (b) whether the scarcity of such shelters in non-mature estates, such as Sengkang and Punggol, are due to the in-built shelters in HDB units; and (c) whether HDB considers such shelters as comparable in safety to the public shelters.
Mr K Shanmugam: In times of war, residents have little time to seek protection. It is relatively safer to remain at home than being out in the open trying to reach a public shelter. Therefore, since 1998, we have required all residential developments to have either a shelter in every household unit, or a common shelter on each storey or within the staircase of a building.
Public shelters, such as at underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations, schools and community centres, are now mainly for those conducting essential activities outside, such as distributing food rations and supplies.
All civil defence shelters, whether residential or public, are designed in accordance with the technical specifications set by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and provide protection against blast and fragmentation effects.
We have assessed residential shelters to be the most effective protection approach and will continue to adopt them as the primary means of shelter for the public during times of war.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases of Non-issuance or Delay in Issuance of Itemised Payslips","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"110 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) since 2021, how many cases of (i) non-issuance or (ii) delay in issuance of itemised payslips have been reported to the Ministry; and (b) how long does it take on average for employers to issue accurate itemised payslips after such reports to the Ministry.
Dr Tan See Leng: From 2021 to 2023, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received an average of 670 complaints per year against employers regarding non-issuance or late issuance of itemised pay slips. MOM will engage and guide these employers to start issuing itemised pay slips within one month. If employers fail to do so and complaints surface again, MOM will issue caution letters to the employers and can further impose an administrative penalty of up to $400 fine for each repeated infringement.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Allocating Dedicated Season Parking Lots for Lorries Owned by Sole Proprietors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"111 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider allocating separate and dedicated season parking lots for lorries within housing estates for sole proprietors who depend on their vehicles, such as tow trucks and goods delivery vans, for their livelihood.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) parking lots are provided primarily to serve the parking needs of residents. For season parking, priority is accorded to residents who either have their own vehicle or a company-registered vehicle, including those used by sole proprietors for their livelihood.
In general, large commercial vehicles, such as lorries, tow trucks and goods delivery vans, with unladen weight exceeding 2,000 kilogrammes are not allowed to park at HDB car parks due to safety concerns and potential disamenities to residents. HDB multi-storey car parks are also not designed to withstand vehicular weights beyond this limit. HDB can consider season parking requests at surface car parks on a case-by-case basis, if the vehicle is able to fit within a parking lot, does not obstruct or endanger other car park users and does not create disamenities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Supply Chain Disruptions Due To Port Congestion Given Trade and Manufacturing Recovery","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"112 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the net impact of the supply chain disruptions due to port congestion on Singapore’s trade and manufacturing recovery because of delays in supplies of imported components, longer export fulfilment times and higher freight rates; and (b) to what extent are industries, such as shipping, logistics, warehousing or those providing auxiliary services to the ports, benefiting from the increase in container traffic and shipping rates.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: To date, supply chain disruptions and port congestion have not affected the recovery of our trade and manufacturing sectors. On a year-on-year basis, total trade expanded by 14.2% in May. Total exports grew by 12.6%, while total imports rose by 16%. Our manufacturing output also increased by 2.9% year-on-year in May.
Nevertheless, we recognise that port congestion here and in other ports around the world has led to longer shipping and transit lead times, which has, in turn, resulted in delays in shipments of imports and exports. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is working closely with the Ministry of Transport, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and PSA to minimise the impact to our trade and manufacturing activities and uphold our reputation as a reliable, efficient and trusted logistics and transportation hub.
At this point, we are unable to determine if other industries, such as shipping, logistics, warehousing and those which provide auxiliary services to the port of Singapore, are benefiting from the increase in container traffic and shipping rates.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adequacy of Singapore’s Seaports to Anticipate and Manage Severe Cargo Congestion","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"113 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether Singapore’s seaports are adequately equipped to anticipate and manage severe cargo congestion arising from global disruptions; (b) whether the closure of other ports will be delayed until the Tuas Mega Port is fully operational; and (c) whether the Ministry can elaborate on the protocols and projected duration for resolving cargo congestion in our seaports.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: My reply will also address Written Question No 69 for today’s Sitting and related questions from Ms Joan Pereira1 and Mr Saktiandi Supaat that have been filed for a subsequent Sitting.
The Red Sea crisis has led to vessels being diverted to the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope for sailings between Europe and Asia. As a result, ports around the world are experiencing more off-schedule arrivals. In our port, about 90% of container vessels are arriving off-schedule, compared to an average of about 77% for 2023. Many of the vessels are also arriving within a short window, compounding the issue by causing a “vessel bunching” effect.
To allow vessels to return to Europe more quickly, container shipping lines are relying on Singapore as a transshipment port to unload cargoes bound for Asian ports beyond Singapore before turning around. Container lines are also using Singapore to rearrange their containers on the vessels, to maximise the number of containers carried and facilitate operations at downstream ports. As a result, both the demands and complexity of container handling at our port have increased.
These have lengthened the time container vessels stay in our port for cargo operations, which, in turn, increased the waiting time for incoming vessels, leading to congestion at our container berths.
The Ministry of Transport (MOT), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and PSA are working closely together with our Tripartite Partners to address the congestion. We have reactivated some of the berths and yard space at Keppel and Tanjong Pagar Terminals. Since the start of the year, PSA has ramped up its handling capacity across its terminals and will continue to scale up in the months ahead to meet anticipated demand.
In line with Singapore’s port capacity development plan, three new berths will also be operationalised at Tuas this year. The first of these commenced operations just yesterday, with two more berths starting operations in October and December respectively. If the increase in demand is sustained, PSA will also expedite and bring forward the development of additional capacity.
Pasir Panjang Terminal will remain in operation until at least 2040, to support the transition to Tuas Port which will have a capacity of 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) when it is fully completed in the 2040s. This will ensure that our port container handling capacity does not decrease and will instead continue to grow when Tuas Port progressively develops. As PSA increases its container handling capacity, MOT and MPA are supporting PSA to ensure that there are sufficient workers for its expanded operations.
MPA and PSA are also in discussions with all the major container lines, using MPA’s Just-In-Time system, to optimise vessel arrival times and operations and improve vessel turnaround. For vessels that arrived off-schedule and are waiting for berths to be ready, the container liners will use the waiting time to conduct services, such as bunkering and ship resupply, at the anchorages.
The strong growth in container throughput and the reliance on our port to turn around transshipment containers reflect the global shipping industry’s confidence in Singapore as a trusted hub port. Container throughput at our port between January and May this year has increased by 7.7% to 16.9 million TEUs, up from 15.7 million TEUs in the same period in 2023.
While our efforts have improved average waiting times this month, it is unlikely that the Red Sea crisis will ease any time soon. The situation could also be compounded by an increase in container volumes as companies bring forward export schedules out of Asia and in preparation for major holidays in the second half of the year.
MOT and MPA will continue to work closely with PSA, our unions and the container shipping lines to deal with the situation, so that the port of Singapore can handle the additional demand and uphold the service excellence, reliability and efficiency that we are well-known for.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the decanting of berths and yards at the Keppel and Tanjong Pagar terminals prior to the completion of move to Tuas Port has led to a decrease in container handling capacity and thereby contributing to the current port congestion issue; and (b) what is the estimated loss in revenue and reputation arising from the extended vessel waiting times; and to ask the Minister for Transport whether more extensive and immediate containment measures could have been taken upon the discovery of the recent oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal to prevent the oil spill from affecting more shorelines."],"footNoteQuestions":["113"],"questionNo":"113"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mandate for Vehicles Transporting Large and Bulky Items on Public Roads to Ensure Safety of Other Road Users","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"114 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether there are conditions mandated by LTA for vehicles transporting very large and bulky items on public roads to ensure the safety of other road users; (b) how many vehicles transporting large, long and bulky items have been fined for traffic offences or posing hazards to the public and road safety in the last three years; and (c) whether the Ministry can consider certain roads, especially those with heavy traffic, to be out of bounds for such vehicles.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Vehicles transporting large and bulky items on public roads are subject to regulations under the Road Traffic Act and its subsidiary legislations.
First, all loads on vehicles and trailers are required to be properly secured, to prevent the contents from falling out and causing danger to road users. Failure to do so is an offence. Between 2021 and 2023, 80 motorists were caught for such offences.
Second, if the load carried by a vehicle goes beyond the rear of the vehicle by more than 300 millimetres, a clean red flag must be tied to the protruding end of the cargo as a visual warning for other road users.
Third, the movement of oversized vehicles exceeding certain dimensions also requires a permit from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to travel on public roads. These oversized vehicles are subject to conditions, such as travelling only during non-peak hours or after dark, having to display warning signs and, where applicable, ensuring there is Auxiliary Police escort.
Fourth, Excluded Vehicles, such as low trailers and mobile cranes, are not allowed on expressways unless a permit is obtained from LTA.
Between 2021 and 2023, about 3,300 vehicles were caught by LTA for offences relating to not displaying a red flag for protruding cargo, driving without an Oversized Vehicle Movement permit when required or breaching Oversized Vehicle Movement permit conditions, and Excluded Vehicles driving on expressways without a permit when required.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Request for Opening Hours to be Assessment Criterion for GP Clinic Tenders at Woodlands North Plaza","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"115 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB can make opening hours a qualifying or assessment criterion for new tenders or tenancy renewals for the three general practitioner clinics at Woodlands North Plaza to ensure access to medical services during lunch time or after-office hours on weekdays, or on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and public holidays; and (b) before the end of their current tenancies, whether HDB will consider taking interim measures to address the lack of access to medical services within such hours.
Mr Desmond Lee: Clinic operating hours are business decisions made by private operators and are not part of the assessment criteria for new tenders or tenancy renewals.
Where there are site-specific requirements, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) would generally work with operators to understand any operational or business constraints they may face and explore solutions that can meet the local needs. This allows HDB to better assess whether it is necessary or feasible to impose additional requirements as part of tenancy renewals or new tenders. HDB understands from the operators of these three clinics at Woodlands North Plaza that they wish to continue serving the local residents as they have for many years, but face difficulties in extending their operating hours beyond office hours due to manpower challenges at this time.
Residents living around Woodlands North Plaza could visit the 24-hour clinic at Block 768 Woodlands Avenue 6 (Woodlands Mart) should they need urgent medical attention after operating hours. They may also search online for other clinics near them and their opening hours, via Community Health Assist Scheme clinic locator or HealthHub.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Qualification for Fund Tax Incentive Scheme by Foreign Family Offices' Investments in Local Shophouses and Assets","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Derrick Goh asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether investments by foreign family offices for local shophouses and assets qualify for the Fund Tax Incentive Scheme; and (b) what is being done and whether more will be done to minimise the impact of such investments on local asset demand and inflation.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): Investments made by single family offices in local shophouses or any Singapore immovable properties are not eligible investments under the tax incentive schemes for single family offices.
Accordingly, there is little impact on demand on local shophouses and properties arising from such schemes. It has also been explained in earlier Parliamentary Sittings that family offices have little impact on commercial and residential properties and inflation. [Please refer to \"Growing Pool of Financial Professionals Due to Outflow of Talent Joining Singapore-based Single Family Offices\", Official Report, 9 January 2023, Vol 95, Issue 79, Written Answers to Questions section; and \"Data on Foreign Funds Flowing into Singapore through Family Offices\", Official Report, 9 May 2023, Vol 95, Issue 103, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Initiatives to Engage Retail Investors and Encourage Greater Participation in Singapore Exchange","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether there are any initiatives that the Government and the Singapore Exchange (SGX) have implemented to engage retail investors and encourage greater participation in the SGX, including any incentives or educational programmes to boost investor confidence and trading activity.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): Singapore retail investors have access to a diverse range of investment products to meet their investment needs, in addition to cash equities on the \tSingapore Exchange (SGX). These include Government Bonds and Treasury Bills, mutual funds and listed products, such as equities and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Additionally, retail investors can access international markets through platforms like robo-advisors and online trading platforms.
The Government and SGX have taken steps to educate and support retail investors in their financial planning and investment decisions. These include retail outreach initiatives and efforts to strengthen the equities market research ecosystem.
In addition, SGX and MoneySense, our national financial education programme, run various investor outreach initiatives to equip the public with basic investing knowledge. These include free talks that cover a spectrum of topics, such as the basics of investing, building passive income and sector-specific investment seminars. Over the last year, the SGX Academy has organised close to 180 such events, benefitting more than 21,000 participants across various demographics. Industry partners, such as the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), also educate and keep retail investors up-to-date with current investment trends.
Besides investor education, MAS introduced a Research Development Grant Scheme in 2019, aimed at supporting and incentivising research houses to improve research coverage of SGX-listed stocks. Since its inception, the grant has supported more than 900 research reports covering over 130 SGX-listed companies. These research reports provide retail investors with detailed analysis and investment insights for informed investment decision-making. The reports are easily accessible on SGX's website and social media channels.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Updated Data of Electors in Electoral Divisions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what is the overall increase or decrease in the number of electors (i) in each electoral division and (ii) in the electoral divisions with the largest and smallest number of electors respectively, based on the latest revised register of electors as of 1 June 2024.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Based on the latest revised Registers of Electors, as of 1 June 2024, there are 2,713,051 electors. This is an increase of 3,644 electors from the number of electors at the Presidential Election 2023. The largest electoral division is Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC), which had a decrease of 1,076 electors. The smallest electoral division is Yuhua Single Member Constituency (SMC), which had a decrease of 468 electors.
The difference in the number of electors for each GRC and SMC is shown in the table below.
4 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how has MAS worked with banks to ensure independent access to banking services for visually impaired persons; (b) for each year from 2021 to 2023, how many times has MAS been contacted on the issue of visually impaired persons being prevented from independently accessing banking services; and (c) what recourse is available for visually impaired persons who face barriers to accessing banking services independently.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): Banks have been taking steps to facilitate their visually impaired customers' independent access to banking services. Examples include, introducing \"Talking automated teller machines (ATMs)\" with audio guidance and Braille features to help visually-impaired customers perform basic ATM transactions independently, training staff to assist visually-impaired customers and enhancing the accessibility of digital banking applications through improving their compatibility with voice command software.
From 2021 to 2023, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) received four cases of feedback on visually impaired customers' user experience with internet and phone banking. The feedback were mainly related to issues with account verification via One-Time Password or Personal Identification Number and were promptly resolved through the banks' assistance. For instance, guiding customers to use available solutions, such as \"Talking ATMs\".
Visually impaired customers can contact their banks for assistance should they encounter difficulties in accessing banking services independently. MAS expects financial institutions to have processes to handle all customer feedback effectively and promptly, including concerns from visually impaired customers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress of Inter-Ministerial Committee Reviewing Singapore's Anti-Money Laundering Framework","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether an update can be provided on the progress of the Inter-Ministerial Committee reviewing Singapore's anti-money laundering framework; (b) what are the Committee’s key areas of focus; and (c) whether there have been consultations with relevant stakeholders and the industry.
6 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Inter-Ministerial Committee formed to review Singapore's anti-money laundering framework can provide an update on its work; (b) whether the Committee is of the view that there are gaps in the system and will recommend tightening regulations, enforcement and deterrence to prevent exploitation by criminals especially in money laundering operations where sums involved may exceed $1 billion; and (c) what are the Committee's recommendations to ensure that Singapore maintains its position as a financial centre of repute.
Ms Indranee Rajah: The reply addresses Parliamentary Questions for Written Answer Nos 5 and 6 filed by Member of Parliament Dr Tan Wu Meng and Member of Parliament Mr Liang Eng Hwa respectively.
The Government is committed to upholding Singapore's status as an open and trusted financial hub. A strong financial sector needs to be built on a clean, robust and credible system. We adopt a zero-tolerance stance towards money laundering and will decisively act against any persons involved.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) was set up in end-2023 to review our anti-money laundering regime (AML) by drawing learnings from the billion-dollar money laundering case. This inter-agency review focuses on four areas: (a) what more can be done to prevent corporate structures from being abused by money launderers; (b) how financial institutions can enhance their controls and collaborate more effectively to guard against and flag suspicious transactions; (c) how other gatekeepers in the ecosystem, such as real estate agents, lawyers, precious stones and metals dealers and corporate service providers can better guard against money laundering risks; and (d) how we can strengthen our monitoring and sense-making capabilities to better detect suspicious activities.
IMC's work builds on existing efforts, including the agencies' regular reviews, to ensure that our AML regime continues to be effective even as criminals find new ways to circumvent our controls and safeguards.
As tackling money laundering risks is a whole-of-society effort, IMC has also been engaging a range of industry stakeholders, such as financial institutions, real estate agents and corporate service providers, to understand the challenges they face and how we can better support them to reinforce their controls against money laundering.
IMC will share its full findings and recommendations in the fourth quarter of this year. In the meantime, agencies have already been working on and putting in place regulatory and legislative changes that are in alignment with IMC's forthcoming recommendations. For example, the Corporate Service Providers (CSP) Bill, which will be introduced for Second Reading at this Parliamentary session, will increase penalties for breaches by CSP and introduce requirements for nominee directors to be \"fit and proper\". These proposals were in development prior to the case and were refined to benefit from the insights gleaned from IMC discussions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Increase in Residential Property Tax by Housing Type Since 2023 and Projected Reduction from January 2025","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how much has residential property tax increased for each housing type since 2023; and (b) what is the projected reduction in property tax rate for each housing type once the annual value bands are adjusted in January 2025.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: My response will cover both Oral Question No 100 and Written Question No 7 by Ms Foo Mee Har in today's Order Paper. [Please refer to \"Delayed Effective Date for Increase in Annual Value Bands Threshold for Owner-occupier Residential Property Tax Rates\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Over the last two years, property taxes (PTs) for most residential properties had increased due to higher market rents and an increase in PT rates for higher-value private residential properties.
To cushion the impact of the PT increases, amidst cost-of-living concerns, the Government provided PT rebates in 2023 and 2024. For 2024, with the rebate, all one- and two-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) owner-occupiers do not pay PT. For other HDB owner-occupiers, the average PT increase is less than $3 per month. For private property owner-occupiers, half experience a PT increase of less than $15 per month. The increase in PT is higher for those with higher-value private properties.
At Budget 2024, the Government announced that, in light of the market trends in the last two years, all Annual Value (AV) bands of the owner-occupier residential PT rates will be raised with effect from 1 January 2025. The change, like other tax changes, is applied on a prospective basis. We also took into consideration the significant PT rebates that the Government had provided to cushion the PT increases in 2023 and 2024.
With the revision of AV bands from 2025, an owner-occupied 4-room HDB flat, assuming a constant AV of $15,500, will see a PT bill of about $12 per month in 2025, without rebate; instead of the $25 per month seen in 2024, without rebate. Similarly, an owner-occupied landed property with a constant AV of $50,000, will see a PT payable of $140 per month in 2025; instead of the $200 per month seen in 2024.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Carbon Tax Allowances Granted and Impact on Singapore's Emissions Profile","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many firms have been granted allowances for carbon tax in 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively; (b) what is the average proportion of emissions covered by allowances in each of the three time periods; and (c) what is the expected impact of the allowances granted on Singapore's emissions profile.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: No allowances were provided for 2023. More than 20 companies from the Emissions-Intensive Trade-Exposed (EITE) sectors have been notified of their eligibility to receive allowances for their carbon tax assessments from 2024. We will continue to monitor and review if other companies are eligible.
MTI will release aggregated information on the amount of allowances at an appropriate time and will do so in a manner that does not undermine the competitive position of our Singapore-based manufacturers.
Carbon tax allowances are part of a portfolio of tools to help our economy make the transition towards our ambition of net-zero emissions by 2050. They will help the affected companies to transform their operations and adopt solutions to reduce their carbon emissions and meet our emissions targets in the coming years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Findings of RSAF F-16 Jet Crash at Tengah Air Base and Preventive Safety Measures Taken","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Defence with regard to the RSAF F-16 crash at Tengah Air Base (a) what are the preventive maintenance and measures taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur; (b) what steps are taken to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the pilot and all staff involved in or affected by the incident; and (c) what are the plans and measures to reassure residents and businesses of the safety of the surrounding areas of Tengah Air Base.
10 Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Defence (a) what are the key findings of the investigation into the recent crash of an RSAF F-16 jet at Tengah Air Base; (b) what is the Ministry's assessment of the steps taken by the pilot during the course of the entire incident; (c) what are the Ministry's and RSAF's overall assessment of the operational capability of the F-16 jets; and (d) whether there are any particular concerns resulting from the Tengah Air Base incident.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: This reply addresses the Parliamentary Questions for Written Answer raised by Mr Neil Parekh and Mr Zhulkarnain regarding the RSAF F-16 crash in Tengah Air Base on 8 May 2024.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), supported by Lockheed Martin and the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, has concluded the investigation on the incident. The findings, which have also been reviewed by the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Inspector-General Office and the External Review Panel on SAF Safety, were issued on 19 June 2024. Members can find the detailed news release on the Ministry of Defence's (MINDEF's) website.
In summary, the root cause of the incident was due to the simultaneous malfunction of two out of four pitch rate gyroscopes, which provided similar erroneous inputs to the digital flight control computer. This is a rare occurrence and the first such failure reported to Lockheed Martin since the F-16s first flew in 1974. Unable to safely control the aircraft, the pilot acted in accordance to established emergency procedures.
The investigation showed that the F-16 had been maintained in accordance with established protocols and its pre-flight built-in test did not detect any fault with the gyroscopes before take-off. To better detect early signs of gyroscope degradation and reduce the chance of a reoccurrence going forward, RSAF has put in place an additional preventive maintenance procedure for the gyroscopes, over and above what is stipulated by the aircraft manufacturer.
We remain confident in the operational capability and reliability of the F-16 aircrafts, which is a well-established platform, with approximately 3,100 of them operating in 25 countries clocking over 19 million flight hours1.
RSAF has a dedicated team of aviation medicine doctors and psychologists to ensure that its service personnel are physically fit and psychologically ready for their training and missions. After the incident, medical and psychological support were proactively extended to the affected personnel and assessments made before they resumed their duties. The pilot has been certified physically fit and psychologically ready. He has resumed flying from 24 May 2024.
The safety of populations around its aircraft flying routes and training and operations areas is a key priority to RSAF. RSAF upholds the highest maintenance standards to ensure the airworthiness of every aircraft. It takes steps to minimise flight routes over residential areas, where possible, and ensures that the routes are in accordance to norms prescribed by international bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Federal Aviation Authority of the United States. These norms are similar to those adopted in airports in densely-populated cities.
As part of their training, RSAF pilots are also trained to handle various types of aircraft emergencies and to prioritise the safety of the public. This training ensures that our pilots are able to respond quickly and professionally to minimise any risk to the public in the event of an aircraft emergency.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Statistics from Lockheed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon Fast Facts, correct as of May 2024."],"footNoteQuestions":["9","10"],"questionNo":"9-10"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Singapore's Defence Sales to Israel since 7 October 2023","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore has made any defence sales, such as weapons or any other material that can cause harm to civilians, to Israel since 7 October 2023.\n
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Singapore complies strictly with our international obligations on international arms sales, as well as the United Nation's (UN's) sanctions and embargoes against any country, including submitting regular reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms. Apart from this, it is the established policy of the Government not to publicly divulge any details of defence sales for national security reasons.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Steps Taken by Police to Combat Fixed Deposit Scams","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs how is the Singapore Police Force combating the fixed deposit scams that arise from phishing SMSes.
Mr K Shanmugam: As part of its anti-scam strategy, the Police issues advisories on scam variants and also shares them in its Weekly Scam Report. These include an advisory on the fixed deposit scams variant, which saw an increase in reported cases in early 2024. The scam variant involves Social Media Services (SMSes) impersonating banks, offering victims fixed deposit scheme promotions with high interest rates and inviting them to contact a number.
When the victims initiate contact, the scammers would pretend to have opened bank accounts under the victims' names. In some cases, victims would receive forged bank statements showing the new bank accounts in their name. Victims would, then, be instructed to deposit or transfer money into these bank accounts, which, in fact, belonged to the scammers or money mules. The victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they log into their banking application and were not able to find the supposed bank accounts that had been created.
The Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams has implemented several anti-scam measures which can help combat this scam variant.
To block scam SMSes, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) mandated registration with the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry (SSIR) in January 2023. Organisations needing to send SMSes bearing alphanumeric Sender IDs to Singapore mobile numbers, are now required to register with the SSIR. SMSes bearing non-registered SMS Sending IDs will be labelled as \"Likely-SCAM\" to advise recipients to exercise caution. All retail banks in Singapore have registered their Sender IDs under the SSIR and legitimate SMSes from banks would only be sent via registered Sender IDs. To further protect the public against scam SMSes, IMDA is currently working with the telecommunication companies (telcos) to provide the public with the option not to receive international incoming SMSes.
To detect and report scams, we launched ScamShield, which identifies and blocks scam calls and SMSes. It also comprises a reporting function where members of the public can report suspected scam calls and SMSes via their phones. The Police also work closely with telcos to block mobile lines suspected to be involved in scams. In 2023, more than 9,200 mobile lines, which were believed to be used in scams, were submitted for termination.
Ultimately, the best defence against scams is a discerning public. We urge the public to adopt precautionary measures through the three simple steps of \"Add\", \"Check\" and \"Tell\".
First, \"Add\" the ScamShield App to protect yourself from scam calls and SMSes. Set security features, such as multifactor authentication, for digital accounts and transaction limits for Internet banking. Second, \"Check\" for scam signs and with official sources. Be cautious of bank offers with unrealistically high interest rates. Banks will only send you SMSes using registered Sender IDs. They will never send SMSes using personal numbers or with clickable links. If in doubt, call the bank directly at its official hotline to verify the authenticity of bank offers. Third, \"Tell\" your family and friends about scam encounters and report any fraudulent transactions to the bank immediately.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"WhatsApp Channel to Provide Seniors Information on Scams or Fake News in All Four Official Languages","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Government will consider creating a separate WhatsApp channel in addition to the Gov.sg channel, to alert seniors on new and trending scams or fake news and to make the information available in the four national languages.
Mr K Shanmugam: There are two WhatsApp channels today to alert members of the public on scam-related matters. Messages are available in the four national languages on both channels.
First, the \"gov.sg\" channel, which communicates key messages on behalf of the whole-of-Government, including advisories to alert the public on scams and fake news. Second, the \"National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) ScamAlert\" channel, which is a dedicated channel for scams. It provides information on the latest scam trends and how members of the public can protect themselves.
There are also specific, targeted ways to reach out to seniors. For example, the Police work with the Agency for Integrated Care and grassroot organisations to alert residents, including seniors, to the latest scam trends, tell-tale signs of scams and steps they can take to protect themselves. Another example is the \"SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme\", which teaches seniors cyber hygiene practices through a mix of physical and online platforms. A handbook in the four official languages has also been produced for digital ambassadors from the SG Digital Office to hand out to seniors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Protect Traffic Enforcement Officers On Duty and Protocol for Emergency Situations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the fatal incident involving an LTA enforcement officer during a traffic chase (a) what are the measures in place to better protect the enforcement officers on the road; and (b) whether there are consistent training and standard operating procedures for such emergency situations applicable for all traffic enforcement officers including the Traffic Police, LTA or other enforcement officers.
Mr K Shanmugam: Traffic enforcement officers, including the Traffic Police (TP) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers, receive customised training in accordance with their duties, to equip them with the skills to carry out their functions safely and effectively.
The training, which TP and LTA officers go through, is rigorous and includes defensive riding and driving techniques as well as how to safely stop and engage drivers who violate the law. They are also taught the standard operating procedures in various scenarios. As TP officers enforce against irresponsible driving, they undergo additional training to handle such cases and are required to attend a riding refresher course every year.
Following the completion of their training, new TP and LTA officers are partnered with experienced officers for up to six months. They are deployed alone only after they are assessed to be competent. In addition, TP and LTA officers don protective riding gear and their motorcycles are equipped with several enhanced safety features.
Some low-risk functions, for example, illegal parking enforcement, are outsourced. These officers receive appropriate training by their respective companies before being deployed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Takeaways from Police's Multi-Jurisdiction Operation's Arrest of Perpetrators of Malware-operated Scams and Cybercriminals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Home Affairs in relation to the recent arrest of perpetrators of malware-operated scams and the crackdown of the online infrastructure of such cybercriminals led by the SPF's multi-jurisdiction operation team, what are the lessons learnt to (i) facilitate such investigation and enforcement across jurisdictions including recovery of assets from the proceeds of such cybercrimes and (ii) better safeguard our online devices against such cybercrimes.
Mr K Shanmugam: Enforcement against scams and cybercrimes is extremely challenging. Most of the cases are perpetrated by syndicates based outside Singapore. They are adept at using technology to cover their tracks. They run sophisticated transnational operations, which are not easy to uncover, let alone dismantle. Recovery of scam proceeds is also difficult, especially when the monies have been transferred overseas. Our ability to solve these cases and recover scam proceeds depends critically on the cooperation and capabilities of overseas law enforcement agencies.
The case referred to by the Member illustrates this. In this case, two men were charged in court for their suspected involvement in malware-enabled scams against Singaporeans, which had been going on since June 2023. Their arrests and the dismantling of their scam infrastructure relied on the strong partnerships between the Police and their counterparts in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Notwithstanding this successful operation, there are many more cybercriminals who remain outside the reach of our law. Therefore, the most effective way to deal with scams and cybercrimes is to prevent them from happening in the first place. This is why we have been doubling down on public education. Industry stakeholders, including banks, telecommunication companies, device manufacturers and online platforms, also play a critical role. Our agencies will continue to work with them on upstream measures to protect their users.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Installation of Enforcement Cameras at Zebra Crossings for Pedestrian Safety","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Home Affairs where the terrain and other traffic constraints permit, whether the Ministry will consider installing enforcement cameras at zebra crossings to reinforce in motorists the habit to slow down for pedestrian safety at the zebra crossings.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Traffic Police installs enforcement cameras at speeding-prone and accident-prone locations, where the terrain is assessed to be suitable. This is regardless of whether there is a zebra crossing.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Loans Taken Up at Licensed Moneylenders by Singaporeans Aged 18 to 25 and Above 65","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"17 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Law (a) for the past three years, what is the number of loans taken out at licensed moneylenders; and (b) whether there has been an increase in the number of such loans taken up by Singaporeans aged 18 to 25 and those aged above 65.
Mr K Shanmugam: Between 2021 and 2023, approximately 308,600, 338,300 and 370,500 unsecured personal loans were obtained from licensed moneylenders in the respective years. The approximate number of such loans taken up by Singapore Citizens aged 18 to 25 increased from 11,300 in 2021 to 13,200 in 2023; and those taken up by Singapore Citizens aged above 65 increased from 19,800 in 2021 to 28,700 in 2023.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints Against Judicial Officers in State Courts and Supreme Court for Breach of Judicial Code of Conduct","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Law (a) whether the Ministry has data on the number of complaints that have been made against judicial officers in the State Courts and Supreme Court for breach of the judicial code of conduct over the past three years; and (b) if so, how many complaints have there been.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Ministry of Law does not keep track of the number of complaints that have been made against judicial officers in the State Courts and Supreme Court for breach of the judicial code of conduct over the past three years. I understand from the Judiciary that, in the past three years since January 2021, there have been a small number of complaints against Judges, Judicial Commissioners and Judicial Service Officers relating to the Singapore Judiciary's Codes of Conduct. One of them is pending determination. The others were found to be not substantiated.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of Climate Vouchers to Residents in Executive Condominiums and Private Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider extending the Climate Vouchers to residents living in Executive Condominiums (ECs), given that residents in ECs have similar household per capita income to those living in other types of public housing.
20 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) to date, how many out of the 1.1 million HDB households have claimed the Climate Vouchers; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider giving Climate Vouchers to residents living in private estates as energy efficiency should be practised by every resident.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: These questions will be addressed with similar Parliamentary Questions on the Climate Friendly Households Programme at the same Parliament Sitting on 2 July 2024. Please refer to the reply to Question No 54 to 56 in the Order Paper. [Please refer to \"Redemption Rate for Climate Vouchers\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress of National Action Strategy on Marine Litter","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether she can provide an update on the progress made towards tackling marine litter under the National Action Strategy on Marine Litter.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Singapore's National Action Strategy for Marine Litter (NASML) was launched in 2022. There are six priority areas under the NASML: (a) Reduction of Land-Based Sources of Litter; (b) Reduction of Sea-Based Sources of Litter; (c) Circular Economy Approach; (d) Research and Development (e) Maintaining and Strengthening Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement; and (f) International Engagement and Collaboration.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has carried out a study to better understand the origins of marine plastic litter along our shoreline, inland waterways and marine waters. The study, which was completed in end 2023, found that about 97% of plastic waste on our recreational beaches originated from marine sources. This finding reaffirms the effectiveness of our waste management strategies in preventing the introduction of plastic waste from inland activities into the sea. The study also found that during monsoon seasons, there were notably higher amounts of plastic waste washed onto our shores. In response, NEA has stepped up cleaning efforts during monsoon seasons to remove the increased amounts of marine litter. Many volunteers have also participated and led regular beach clean-ups.
We have actively engaged counterparts at regional and international platforms to tackle the issue of transboundary marine litter. At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment, we are working with our fellow ASEAN neighbours and the World Bank on the Southeast Asia Regional Programme on Combating Marine Plastics project, which will drive national and regional initiatives to tackle marine litter. At the international stage, we are engaging in negotiations on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, which aims to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
Collectively, our efforts in the various areas will help to tackle the issue of marine litter.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Success of Hawkers' Development Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since the launch of the Hawkers' Development Programme, what is the number of applicants who have (i) successfully enrolled in the programme (ii) completed the training programme (iii) completed the apprenticeship (iv) started business operations and (v) continue to be in operation.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Hawkers' Development Programme (HDP) was launched by the National Environment Agency in 2020. It combines training, apprenticeship and mentorship to equip aspiring hawkers with the relevant skills to run a hawker business. As of 30 April 2024, 566 aspiring hawkers have enrolled for HDP and completed the classroom training. Among them, 120 have moved on to complete their apprenticeship. Out of the 29 who proceeded to start their business within a hawker centre, 16 of them remain in operation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress of \"30 by 30\" Goal and Grant Funding Disbursed","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of the recent closures in the farming sector, whether Singapore's \"30 by 30\" goal to produce 30% of our local nutritional needs by 2030 locally is on track to be attained.
24 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what is the aggregate amount of grant funding disbursed to date, for the purposes of Singapore's \"30 by 30\" goal to produce 30% of our local nutritional needs by 2030 locally.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: These questions have been answered in the reply to Mr Yip Hon Weng's and Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis' Parliamentary Questions filed for the Sitting on 2 July 2024. Please refer to the reply to Question Nos 83 and 85 on the 2 July 2024 Order Paper. [Please refer to \"Recent Closures of High-tech Farming Companies and Impact on \"30 by 30\" Plan for Local Food Production\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Waste Collection Lapses by Sembwaste Pte Ltd and Preventive Measures in Place","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"25 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) in the last 12 months, how many incidences of waste collection lapses by Sembwaste Pte Ltd as the public waste collector of City-Punggol and Clementi-Bukit Merah sectors have been logged with NEA; (b) what is the breakdown of the causes of these lapses; and (c) what measures are in place to minimise such lapses.\n
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: SembWaste Pte Ltd (Sembwaste) is the appointed Public Waste Collector (PWC) serving the City-Punggol and Clementi-Bukit Merah sectors. In the last 12 months, there were no waste collection disruptions, which is defined as non-collection of refuse by the end of a scheduled collection day. However, there were temporary delays to waste collection in May 2024, due to a spike in the number of SembWaste's workers falling ill, coinciding with a wave of COVID-19 infections at that time. As the delays did not result in any non-collection of refuse by the end of any given day, overall waste collection operations were not disrupted.
The National Environment Agency monitors the collection of waste by PWCs and may intervene in the event of disruptions to waste collection.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Total Government Expenditure on Permanent Resident and Non-Resident Students in FY2022 and FY2023","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Education what is the breakdown of the Government's total expenditure in FY2022 and FY2023 on permanent resident students and non-resident students respectively in (i) primary schools (ii) secondary schools and (iii) pre-tertiary educational institutes, respectively.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: On a per student basis, the Ministry of Education spends much more on Singapore Citizen students compared to permanent resident and international students. This is reflected in the fees payable by students, with fees for international students being the highest. Overall, total spending on Singapore Citizen students is much higher than for permanent resident students, which is, in turn, higher than for international students.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Scholarships Granted by Government to International Pre-tertiary and Tertiary Students Since 2019","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education in each year since 2019 (a) how many (i) pre-tertiary (ii) polytechnic and (iii) university international students have been granted scholarships by the Singapore Government, respectively; (b) what is the median annual cost for each category of scholarships, respectively; and (c) what is the proportion of undergraduate international students who are (i) on tuition grant only (ii) on a combination of tuition grant and scholarships and (iii) full-fee paying.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: International students on scholarships make up less than 1% of pre-tertiary and tertiary students. The average nominal value of the scholarships depends on their level and course of study. We do not offer scholarships for international students to study at the polytechnics.
About half of undergraduate international students pay fees net of a tuition grant, while a quarter receive both tuition grant and scholarship. The remaining pay full fees as international students. All students who receive the tuition grant are required to work in Singapore for at least three years upon graduation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Resignation Rates for Teachers Since 2018","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education in each year since 2018 (a) what is the overall resignation rate for the entire teacher population; (b) what is the resignation rate of teachers (i) over the first five years of service and (ii) when their bonds end, respectively; and (c) what percentage of teachers who resigned cited workload or burnout as a reason for leaving the service.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The annual resignation rate of teachers has remained stable at around 2% per year since 2018. The average resignation rate in the first five years of service is 2.5%. The resignation rate among teachers with three to five years of service, the period when the bonds end, is around 4%. Workload or burnout is not a commonly cited reason for teachers leaving the service.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Policy on Allowing Exceptionally Gifted Children to Skip Grades and Attend University Earlier","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"29 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the Ministry's position on allowing exceptionally gifted children to (i) skip grades or (ii) attend university earlier; and (b) how many of such students have there been in the past five years.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education (MOE) will allow the grade-skipping of an exceptionally gifted student in the MOE school system, if he or she is assessed to be ready, both academically and socio-emotionally, for the higher grade level.
For exceptionally gifted students who apply for early admission to our local autonomous universities (AUs), their applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In the last five years, no exceptionally gifted students skipped a grade in our schools. One exceptionally gifted student gained early admission to an AU.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Counsellor-Student Ratio in Schools and Percentage of Students Seeking Help","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"
30 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the current counsellor-student ratio in schools and whether this is uniform across all schools regardless of their size; (b) what percentage of schools have two or more school counsellors; (c) what percentage of students have sought help from counsellors; and (d) how have these metrics changed since 2020.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: \tSchools are resourced with one or two trained school counsellors, depending on need. Schools can also deploy flexi-adjunct school counsellors or teacher-counsellors to augment the support for their students. Since 2020, about one-third of schools have two school counsellors. During the same period, an average of 1.5% of the students have approached their school counsellors for help in each year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans for Replacement Event for Cancelled Talk on Gender and Sex at Science Centre","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Education in light of the cancellation of the talk on gender and sex at the Science Centre that was originally planned to take place on 14 June 2024, whether there are any plans in place for a replacement event to be held, addressing the same issues but with a different or expanded panel of speakers.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Science Centre Singapore does not plan to organise a replacement event on the topic of gender and sex. It has already lined up the next few sessions of Science Café to discuss other topics in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Monitoring Informal and Unregistered Childminding Services to Prevent Abuse","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry monitors the informal or unregistered childminding services available; and (b) what are the steps taken to increase awareness on the safety and wellbeing of the children among parents, users and providers of such services, including reporting or whistleblowing on potential breaches or abuses.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Contractual or informal arrangements between the parents and the childminders or childminding service providers are not regulated.
Childminders are subject to the relevant law under the Children and Young Persons Act or the Penal Code, no differently than any other adult responsible for a child. Anyone who suspects child abuse should report the incident to the police for investigation. There is no indication that the public lacks this general understanding.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adequacy of Infant Care and Preschool Vacancies in Bidadari Estate","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the assessment on the adequacy of infant care and preschool vacancies in the Bidadari estate; and (b) whether an update can be provided on the plans and timelines for the opening of new preschool(s) to meet the increasing demand of young families moving into the estate.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: As of April 2024, there are about 660 infant care and 8,110 childcare places licensed for operation in the Toa Payoh Planning Area, which includes the Bidadari estate. These places have not been fully subscribed, with a utilisation rate of about 70%.
To ensure that future demand is met, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has been building infant care and childcare places in tandem with new Built-to-Order (BTO) housing developments. Over the past five years, infant care and childcare places in Toa Payoh have increased by about 130% and 90% respectively. The majority of which were sited in new BTO developments, such as Bidadari. This is notably higher than the national rates of 60% and 20% respectively over the same period. By 2025, ECDA will build another 150 infant care and 920 childcare places in Toa Payoh, with the majority in the Bidadari estate. These places are mostly offered by anchor operators and do not include additional places that may be built by other preschool operators.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Actual Vacancies Available in Infant Care and Preschools and Expanded Powers for ECDA to Regulate Operators","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether there is an asymmetry of information between the infant care and preschool vacancies listed on LifeSG and the actual vacancies available when verified with operators in person; (b) if so, what are the plans to resolve this; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider expanding the powers of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to equip them with the necessary authority to regulate operators on issues such as vacancies, enrolment and capacity.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has worked closely with preschools for the recent launch of the preschool search function on LifeSG. With monthly updates on preschool vacancies, this function facilitates parents' search experience and allows them to directly contact preschools with vacancies to secure a place for their child. Post-launch, some parents have provided feedback to ECDA on mismatches in certain preschools' vacancy information, between what was posted on LifeSG and what they received directly from the centres.
ECDA's checks showed that most of these cases were due to inaccurate representation of the preschool's vacancy status and has worked with the operators to rectify the issue. ECDA will urge operators to update their preschools' vacancies regularly and accurately, so that parents can make informed decisions on which centres to approach and secure a place for their child. ECDA will also continue to explore ideas to make the Preschool Search function more useful for parents.
The Early Childhood Development Centres Act and Regulations already cover areas regarding preschool capacity and enrolment. These include the licensed capacity for each centre and requirement for preschools to provide enrolment information to ECDA. ECDA has no plans to impose additional regulations on operators regarding the reporting of vacancy information.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Unsuccessful Applications for Student Care Fee Assistance and Requests for Backdating","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) from 2021 to date, how many children attending student care have been unsuccessful in their Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) applications; (b) in what proportion of cases do these SCFA applications involve a request for backdating; (c) whether the backdating assessment is conducted by the student care centres; and (d) if so, whether avenues exist for families to appeal on the care centre’s assessment process and outcome.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: From January 2021 to March 2024, about 10% of applications for Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) were unsuccessful. Of the unsuccessful applications, only about 0.4% were late requests for SCFA to be paid retrospectively.
Student Care Centres (SCCs) that are registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) assist parents in submitting the SCFA applications to MSF. This can be done as early as four months in advance. In the rare event that SCC fails to submit an application in time, MSF will consider appeals for retrospective payments. However, these must be substantiated with sufficient facts about the circumstances contributing to the delay.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Child Protection Investigation Cases Involving Emotional Abuse and Neglect","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development for each year in the past five years, what is the breakdown in the number and percentage of child protection investigation cases which involve (i) emotional abuse and (ii) emotional neglect, respectively.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Children and Young Persons Act was amended in 2019 to provide clarity and introduce examples of emotional and psychological abuse, including forms of emotional neglect, such as isolating a child. Since the amendments came into effect, the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Child Protective Service has investigated an average of around 340 cases of emotional and psychological abuse each year, making up approximately 16% of all cases.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Child Abuse Cases in Preschools and Teacher Support Measures Identified","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) for each year in the past five years, how many cases of child abuse in preschools have the Early Childhood Development Agency investigated; (b) whether there is a rising trend of child abuse in preschools; and (c) whether the Ministry has identified any upstream measures that can be implemented to help preschool teachers cope with the demands of their jobs.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The number of child mismanagement cases investigated by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) increased slightly from 137 cases in 2022 to 147 cases in 2023. The three-year average number of substantiated child mismanagement cases increased slightly from about 11 cases per 100,000 children enrolled in 2022 to about 12 cases in 2023. The increase in the number of investigations and substantiated child mismanagement cases can be attributed to increased vigilance and awareness of appropriate reporting channels among parents and educators.
All educators are expected to provide a safe and conducive environment for children. ECDA has strengthened training programmes so that all educators are clear of their obligations to ensure child safety. Additionally, ECDA is also reviewing our regulatory framework, with a view to enhance the penalty provisions on errant operators.
ECDA has introduced measures to improve the educators' well-being and working conditions so that they can better care for our children. This includes removing the requirement for childcare centres to operate on Saturdays from 2025 and designating Teachers' Day and Children's Day as preschool holidays, on top of six Development Days from 2024 onwards. This allows the educators to have more time to rest and focus on their development.
ECDA is also looking to put in place a relief staff pool to better enable educators to take time-off. Parents also play a role in appreciating the work of our educators and having reasonable expectations on educators, such as when to expect replies to messages sent at night.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Median and Average Duration for Finalisation of Divorce Cases in Syariah Court","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"38 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs for divorce cases handled by the Syariah Court that have been concluded in the last two years, what is the median and average case duration from the time the case is registered to the time the divorce is finalised.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The court process in the Syariah Court starts with the filing of the Originating Summons for a divorce. The divorce parties have to complete the mandatory Marriage Counselling Programme before they can file this Originating Summons.
The court process comprises three main stages:
(a) The first stage is Mediation, where the parties explore a resolution of the divorce and ancillary issues. If there is a settlement of all issues, the parties will enter into a consent order and the case is concluded; (b) the next stage is the Pre-Trial Conference, where the parties take directions, such as for the filing of affidavits, towards the disposal of the case. It is also during this pre-hearing stage that interim applications, if any, are filed by the parties and determined by the Court; and (c) the final stage is the Hearing, where the case is adjudicated upon by the Court President, who makes a decree on the divorce and ancillary issues. The case concludes with this decree. Parties can file an appeal on the Court's orders to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore's Appeal Board.
In 2023, one-third of Originating Summons for divorce filed in the Syariah Court were concluded at the mediation stage. The divorce parties are scheduled for a mediation session approximately 10 weeks after the acceptance of the Originating Summons by the Court. The parties may require more than one mediation session if one or both parties need time to file the required documents or to explore or consider the terms of settlement.
For cases that are not concluded at mediation, the time taken for these cases to conclude depends on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the case and parties' compliance with the Court's directions and timelines.
The median and average time for divorce cases registered at the Syariah Court in 2023 to conclude is within four months or less, if parties consent to the divorce and ancillary issues at the Mediation stage. If the matter is contested and goes to the Hearing stage, the median and average time for the case to conclude is within one year or less from the date of the acceptance of the Originating Summons.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Overseas Best Practices Explored to Expand Local Psychologists' Scope","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry has explored best practices in other developed countries to expand the scope of practice for psychologists in Singapore.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health have been benchmarking against best practices around the world. For instance, in the case of the scope of practice for psychologists, the Tiered Care Model under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy was developed with reference to mental health care models overseas, such as those in Australia.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Status of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Singaporeans and Reasons for Not Taking Additional Booster Shots","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"40 Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the status of COVID-19 related vaccination amongst the population especially as to how many seniors have gone beyond their fourth vaccination to date; (b) what are the reasons cited by Singaporeans for not having taken their additional booster shots; and (c) what steps will be taken to educate citizens on the importance of the additional boosters in view of current global concerns about the virus and the recent spike of COVID-19 cases locally.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As of June 2024, only about 15% of seniors aged 60 and above, have received more than four doses of COVID-19 vaccinations. Many Singaporeans are reluctant to take further doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Much of it is because of vaccine fatigue and wanting to put the crisis behind us. This is, in turn, due to the perceptions that COVID-19 is no longer a severe disease and there are side-effects to taking the vaccines.
Seniors and vulnerable individuals are recommended to stay updated with their vaccination, which means that they ought to take the vaccine once a year to keep themselves protected. COVID-19 did not become mild all of a sudden, it is mild because we have taken the vaccines earlier, which protected us against severe illness when infected.
Side-effects are inevitable for any medications, but local and international evidence continue to show that severe side-effects from COVID-19 vaccination are infrequent and, even then, most recovered by themselves. Many people, due to various reasons, including years of lifestyle habits, have developed chronic illnesses that progressed into heart attacks and strokes. Others, due to ageing, also developed various medical conditions. There is a tendency to conflate these diseases with the taking of COVID-19 vaccines. It is much more important to lead a healthy lifestyle to prevent these diseases.
We are undertaking various measures, such as fully-funding COVID-19 vaccinations, sending out Social Media Service reminders and deploying mobile vaccination teams, to encourage vaccination especially amongst seniors. However, it is difficult to go against the current public perception and bring about a high vaccine uptake. Unlike many Western countries, we do not have a strong vaccination culture among adults.
We will try to change this over time. After all, flu and pneumococcal vaccination rates have gone up since the rollout of Healthier SG. We will encourage more Healthier SG clinics to come on board to provide COVID-19 vaccination. By leveraging the relationship between family physicians and residents, we can hopefully keep up societal resilience against COVID-19, which will be here to stay.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Estimated Cost Impact on Public Healthcare System from Adding Risdiplam on List of Subsidised Drugs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"41 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Health how does the Ministry's Drug Advisory Committee derive the estimated cost impact to the public healthcare system of listing risdiplam on the List of Subsidised Drugs to be between $5 million and $10 million per year in the first five years.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The question has been addressed in my Oral reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos 97 and 98 on the Order Paper for 2 July 2024. [Please refer to \"Annual Cost of Taking Risdiplam for Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Decisions on Drug Advisory Committee Recommendations\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress in Integrating Health and Social Services to Better Support Child and Maternal Health","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"42 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health (a) what progress has been made in integrating health and social services to support child and maternal health more effectively; (b) whether there are any identified challenges; and (c) if so, how is the Ministry addressing them.
43 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health given Singapore's low maternal and infant mortality rates, what steps are being taken to address emerging concerns such as the rising age of mothers at childbirth and the incidence of low birth weight in newborns.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The questions have been addressed in my Oral reply to Parliamentary Question Nos 28 to 32 on the Order Paper for 2 July 2024. [Please refer to \"Future Plans for Family Nexus Centres and Other Key Initiatives in Child and Maternal Health and Well-Being Taskforce Report\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale Behind Cessation of Gender Confirmation Surgery in Public Hospitals and Potential Reinstatement","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"44 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Health (a) what were the specific reasons behind the cessation of gender confirmation surgery in public hospitals in 2014; and (b) whether the Ministry has any plans to reinstate the provision and subsidy of gender confirmation surgery in public hospitals, similar to the arrangement prior to 2000.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Gender reassignment surgery has always been offered by the public hospitals for those seeking medically necessary care, but it has not been part of any subsidy scheme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Funding for Institute of Mental Health Studies on Suicide and Self-Harm and Outcome of Studies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"45 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Health (a) how much funding support has been given to the Institute of Mental Health in the past three years for ongoing studies related to risk factors for suicide and self-harm as well as mitigation factors for reduction or prevention of the same; and (b) when will the outcome of the studies be reported and made known to the public.\n \n
Mr Ong Ye Kung: In the past three years, the Ministry of Health has provided about $1.6 million to the Institute of Mental Health for two research studies, which are designed specifically to understand the risk factors for suicide and self-harm as well as the mitigating factors for prevention and/or reduction of self-harm.
Both studies are ongoing. Outcomes of the studies are projected to be ready by end-2025.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on COVID-19 Infections, Hospitalisations and Vaccination Status","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"46 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Health (a) to date in 2024, what is the peak number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations; (b) how many in the population have not received the COVID-19 vaccination in the last two years; and (c) how many Healthier SG clinics currently offer COVID-19 vaccinations.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The question has been addressed in my Oral reply to Parliamentary Question No 82 on the Order Paper for 2 July 2024. [Please refer to \"Assessment of Need for Health Controls Given Recent Increase in COVID-19 Infections\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Improving Accessibility to Higher-Quality Meals for Low-Income Families","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"47 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the increased percentage in food budget that low-income families must bear to access higher-quality meals that are nutritionally adequate; (b) what proportion of the low-income families are taking lower-quality meals on a regular basis on account of finances; and (c) what measures will the Ministry consider introducing to make these meals accessible to lower-income families.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) do not have the data, as there is no universal definition of a high- or low-quality meal.
MOH and MSF adopt a multi-pronged strategy to ensure that lower-income families have access to nutritious meals. To raise awareness, MSF has implemented programmes, such as the \"Healthy with KidSTART\" programme, to increase access and educate lower-income households on health nutrition. Similarly, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) works with community partners under the Healthy Living Passport Programme, to hold nutrition talks that provide tips on how to prepare affordable and nutritious meals at home.
To enable healthier choices, HPB partners food businesses, under the Healthier Dining Programme, to make heathier meals accessible across different settings and budgets, including at hawker centres and food courts. HPB also works with supermarket chains, under the Healthier Choice Symbol programme, to increase the variety of healthier house brand products, which are typically more affordable.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extending Home Caregiving Grant to Individuals with Neurological Conditions Requiring Assistance with IADLs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"48 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) whether individuals with neurological or psychiatric conditions, including stroke, dementia, epilepsy, major depressive disorder, severe anxiety disorders and schizophrenia, who can perform the six Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) but require assistance with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) can qualify for the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG); (b) if so, how many of such individuals have been given the HCG in the past year; and (c) if not, whether the HCG can be expanded to assist such individuals.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: If the Member has come across specific cases that may be deserving of the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG), we suggest that he surfaces them to us for consideration.
The ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADL) is a sound, objective basis for assessing the eligibility for a broad-based scheme like the HCG. Instrumental ADL involve a different set of activities, such as managing finances, preparing meals and housekeeping. Other schemes are available for those who require support in these domains.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing MSO's OneService App and \"Help Neighbour\" Function to Facilitate Locating and Helping Seniors with Dementia","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"49 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider enhancing the location-based reports on the Municipal Services Office's OneService app for missing seniors who have dementia by including location-based SMS notifications.
50 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the OneService app's \"Help Neighbour\" function will be enhanced to facilitate residents who are keen to help others within their community, such as to alert on what help is needed and how they can help; and (b) if so, when will this function be enabled and released.
Mr Desmond Lee: The \"Help Neighbour\" function in the OneService (OS) App was launched in September 2021 by the Municipal Services Office (MSO), the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), to make it easier for residents to alert MSF and AIC about persons who may be in need of assistance. These persons include, cardboard collectors, rough sleepers, tissue paper sellers and vulnerable seniors.
In February 2023, MSO partnered Dementia Singapore to help broadcast its reports of missing persons with dementia via the OS App. For each missing person submitted via the Dementia Singapore's platform, the same information is broadcast via the OS App's push notification to OS App users who reside within the town of the missing person's last seen location. The notification contains photographs and details of the missing person.
We have previously assessed the option of location-based Social Media Service (SMS) notification and decided not to proceed with this mode as the OS App's push notification can avail relevant information, such as photographs of the missing person, which is not possible via SMS notifications.
The OS App is designed, primarily, to route feedback and replies between individual users and agencies. The Member's suggestion would entail a different operating model, that is, sharing information about specific residents, who need help, with OS App users; mobilising volunteers; and tracking their action. This requires more than just an enhancement to the OS App. We will study the Member's idea with the social agencies on its feasibility. In the meantime, residents who are keen to help their community may wish to take up volunteering opportunities through SG Cares and the Silver Generation Office.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"HDB Housing Options and Waiting Time Estimates for Singaporean Middle-Aged Divorcees and Retirees","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"51 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for National Development what options can HDB provide for the immediate or interim housing needs of (a) middle-aged Singaporeans who need to obtain a HDB flat after the sale of their flat due to a divorce; and (b) retirees who have run out of their savings due to unforeseen hardships and need to sell their HDB flats to downgrade but cannot afford the open market resale flats.
52 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for National Development what is the estimated waiting time for a successful ballot for a Built-To-Order or Sale-of-Balance HDB flat in non-mature estates for second or third-time HDB applicants who are (a) middle-aged Singaporeans who need to obtain a HDB flat after the sale of their flat due to a divorce; and (b) retirees who have run out of their savings due to unforeseen hardships and need to downgrade.
Mr Desmond Lee: Divorcees can apply for a new flat once they have obtained an Interim Judgment of divorce and have settled the ancillary matters regarding their matrimonial property and children. Divorced parents with care and control of a child can qualify for the same housing access and subsidies as other families, including the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, if they require interim housing while waiting for their Build-to-Order (BTO) flats to be completed. Second-timers buying 2-room Flexi or 3-room BTO flats in non-mature estates are also accorded priority under the Assistance Scheme for Second-Timers (Divorced/Widowed Parents). In the last five years, second-timer divorcees who booked the Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in non-mature estates were generally able to do so within two tries.
Seniors who need to monetise their homes to supplement their retirement income have several options. First, those who prefer to remain in their existing flat can tap on the Lease Buyback Scheme to sell the tail-end lease of their flat to HDB and join the Central Provident Fund (CPF) LIFE. In turn, they will receive a cash bonus and a stream of income in their retirement years. They can also seek HDB's approval to rent out spare bedrooms in their flat.
Second, seniors who wish to sell their existing flat and right-size to a smaller new or resale flat can benefit from the Silver Housing Bonus of up to $30,000. They can consider buying a new 2-room Flexi flat on a shorter lease or a Community Care Apartment (CCA), which are also available to seniors who have already bought two subsidised flats in the past. In the last five years, second- and nth-timer seniors who booked 2-room Flexi flats or CCAs in non-mature estates were able to do so within 1.5 tries on average.
Divorcees and seniors who require assistance with their housing options may approach HDB.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"GP Clinics in HDB Shopping and Office Complexes Not Operating After Office Hours or on Sundays and Public Holidays","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"53 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for National Development how many HDB shopping and office complexes with general practitioner clinics do not have any such clinics that operate after office hours or on Sundays and public holidays.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) plans for at least one general practitioner (GP) clinic in every neighbourhood centre and every precinct shop cluster. They can be located in shopping and office complexes or other commercial units, such as shops on the first floor of residential blocks. Out of the 34 HDB shopping and office complexes, 31 currently have GP clinics. Of these, 28 complexes have at least one clinic operating after office hours, including 26 with at least one clinic open on Sundays or both Sundays and public holidays.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Foreign Investment on Shophouse Prices and Government Measures for Property Market Stability","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"54 Mr Derrick Goh asked the Minister for National Development given high investment demand by wealthy foreigners for local shophouses (a) what is the Government's assessment of the potential impact of higher shophouse prices on the wider property market and Singaporeans in general; (b) whether restrictions for foreign purchases, as with the residential market, will be considered to moderate demand and asset price inflation given increasing foreign fund inflows buying limited supply of local shophouses; and (c) whether local business tenants will be assisted to cope with rising shophouse rents.
Mr Desmond Lee: Shophouse spaces make up 9% of the total stock of office and retail space in the market as of 1Q2024 and its impact on the wider property market is minimal. In addition, shophouse sale transaction volume and total sale transaction value have fallen significantly over the last two years. Over the past five years, more than 80% of shophouse purchases were by local companies and individuals.
Apart from shophouses, businesses can also rent spaces in other types of commercial properties, which include retail and office spaces in conventional commercial buildings, like malls and office buildings. There is also ample supply of retail and office space coming onstream over the next few years to cater to demand.
Nevertheless, the Government will continue to monitor the property market and adjust our policies, as necessary, to promote a stable and sustainable property market.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Applications for HDB HFE Letter Under Deferred Income Assessment Scheme from Couples with Student and Working Status","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"55 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB can exercise more flexibility when considering applications for the HDB flat eligibility (HFE) letter under the deferred income assessment scheme, when one of the two parties of the applying couple is still studying while the other has been working for more than 12 months; and (b) what criteria does the HDB use in deciding whether to approve such cases.
Mr Desmond Lee: Young couples where both parties were full-time students or National Servicemen in the last 12 months are not eligible for the Enhanced Central Provident Fund Housing Grant (EHG), which requires 12 months of continuous employment prior to a household's Housing and Development Board (HDB) Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter application. We, therefore, allow them to apply for a flat first and defer their income assessment to give them time to enter into continuous employment, before their eligibility for EHG is assessed. Couples with one party already working for the last 12 months before their HFE letter application can already qualify for the EHG and, therefore, need not defer their income assessment.
Young couples who need financial advice on their flat purchase may approach HDB for assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for Discrepancy in HDB's Treatment of Occupier's Income in Determining Housing Grant Quantum","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"56 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development what is the rationale for the discrepancy in considering an occupier's income in the HDB's assessment of household income for the purposes of purchasing a HDB flat and in determining the quantum of housing grant provided, but not in the credit assessment for a HDB housing loan.
Mr Desmond Lee: In assessing household income to determine eligibility for housing subsidies, including the quantum of the means-tested Enhanced Central Provident Fund Housing Grant that the household may be eligible for, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) considers the income of all household members, regardless of whether they are applicants or occupiers. This ensures that housing subsidies are prioritised for households who need them the most.
On the other hand, in determining the loan quantum that HDB can extend to eligible flat buyers, HDB only considers flat buyers' incomes because they will be the borrowers of the loan and will need to service the mortgage loan. Conversely, occupiers are not the borrowers and, hence, their incomes are not considered.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Permission for Beneficiaries of Subsidised Tenancies under NAC's Arts Infrastructure Schemes to Sublet Their Allocated Spaces","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"57 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether beneficiaries of subsidised tenancies under the National Arts Council's Arts Infrastructure Schemes are permitted to sub-let their allocated spaces; and (b) if so, what terms and conditions govern these sub-leases.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The National Arts Council (NAC) supports the arts sector via various Arts Infrastructure Schemes, such as the Framework for Art Spaces and the Arts Housing Scheme. They are highly-subsidised to ensure affordable access to spaces for arts creation and presentation.
As the landlord, NAC does not permit tenants to sub-let the spaces. However, arts tenants can share their spaces with other arts companies or artists as part of their collaborative art-making process or presentations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Outcome of National Arts Council's Major Company Scheme and Key Performance Indicators","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"58 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the National Arts Council’s Major Company Scheme has achieved its intended outcomes since its implementation; and (b) what are the key performance indicators for the Ministry’s evaluation of the scheme’s success.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Major Company (MC) Scheme was introduced in 2000 with the objective of developing a sustainable pool of professional arts organisations that are hallmarks of excellence, and in support of the development of Singapore’s cultural landscape and artistic practices.
Since its inception, the number of registered arts companies under the MC Scheme has grown steadily, from 17 in 2000 to 50 in 2024. These are companies that practise different art forms, such as dance, music, and theatre, from the different ethnic groups in Singapore. Most of these companies are also Institutions of Public Character (IPC). This reflects the rising standards of arts companies in Singapore over the years, both artistically and in corporate management. In evaluating the outcomes of the scheme, the National Arts Council (NAC) measures indicators such as audience attendance and satisfaction, and companies’ financial sustainability and governance.
Our Major Companies are key players within Singapore’s arts scene. They have contributed to the vibrancy of the arts ecosystem in driving artistic excellence and expanding access to and engagement with the arts across different segments of society. Collectively, they hire around 480 employees as of FY2023, and also generate projects for Self-Employed Persons.
Following engagements with and feedback from the arts community, NAC has refreshed the MC Scheme in 2024 to better contribute to the strategic priorities in Our SG Arts Plan (2023-2027), i.e., to build a connected society, create a distinctive city, and drive the creative economy. More support will be provided to companies that use the arts to contribute to Community Building, and/or contribute to Capability Development and Collaboration to grow the arts sector in Singapore. The details of the refreshed MC Scheme are available at https://www.nac.gov.sg/support/funding-and-schemes/major-company-scheme/overview.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Works and Improvements at Hougang Sports Centre","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"59 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether he can provide an update on (i) the works and improvements being carried out at the Hougang Sports Centre, including information on the facilities which will be enhanced or added and (ii) the timelines expected for such works.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Hougang Sport Centre is currently undergoing renovation works. When completed by 2026, residents in the area can look forward to a larger gym, new fitness studios, a sheltered teaching pool with ramp access, new water play features, new activity areas, new fitness stations, basketball courts and a new running track.
The refreshed sport centre will be accessible to all in the community with barrier-free access, sheltered drop-offs and facilities connected by covered linkways.
60 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Manpower whether the recent trend of increased contract work compared to permanent jobs and shorter business cycles will impact income security and longstanding Government policies, such as compulsory savings and pension plan, for working Singaporeans under CPF and HDB home ownership schemes.
Dr Tan See Leng: The proportion of resident employees in contract work has not increased. In fact, it has declined for the third consecutive year to a low of 6.6% in 2023, as more residents took up permanent jobs amid a tight labour market.
For contract employees who require more support to find another job, the Government provides support through our employment facilitation and reskilling programmes. These workers may approach Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the National Trades Union Congress's (NTUC's) Employment and Employability Institute for career matching services. WSG's Career Conversion Programmes also provide generous salary support to employers who hire and reskill jobseekers for new roles.
In terms of retirement adequacy, every successive cohort, which includes contract workers, has seen a higher proportion of Central Provident Fund (CPF) members setting aside their Basic Retirement Sum at age 55. Singaporeans can be assured that they will be able to meet their basic retirement needs as long as they work and contribute consistently to CPF. For those who have less in retirement, we will continue to provide targeted support.
Contract workers receive the same treatment as workers in permanent jobs, in terms of their access to housing grants, HDB housing loans and usage of CPF for housing. The Government remains committed to help Singaporeans from all walks of life own a home.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prevalence of Migrant Workers Sleeping on Roads and Efforts in Providing Sufficient Recreation Areas","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"
61 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the prevalence of cases of migrant workers sleeping on the roads; and (b) how is the Ministry ensuring that migrant workers are provided with sufficient recreation areas to reduce such instances.
Dr Tan See Leng: There are, on average, around one report per month of migrant workers found resting along the roads.
Large dormitories have designated areas within their compounds for resident workers to consume food and alcohol. Nine recreation centres were also built to provide additional venues for dormitory residents to socialise. These recreation centres are located near large migrant worker dormitories. Free shuttle services are provided to and from the dormitories. Together with non-government organisations and commercial partners, the Ministry of Manpower has plans to improve the variety and quality of the offerings at the recreation centres to make them more attractive for our migrant workforce.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans for Consumer-friendly Electric Vehicle Ownership and Progress in Developing Charging Infrastructure","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"62 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the Ministry's plans to make the cost and convenience of owning electric vehicles (EVs) more favourable for consumers in Singapore; and (b) whether an update can be provided on the progress of developing EV charging infrastructure to ensure sufficient support and convenient access for the increasing number of EVs in Singapore.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Government has introduced financial incentives for motorists who choose to purchase a cleaner energy vehicle. These include, the Electric Vehicle (EV) Early Adoption Incentive and Enhanced Vehicular Emissions Scheme that lower the upfront cost of owning an EV by up to $40,000 in 2024. We enacted the Electric Vehicles Charging Act in December 2023 to ensure the safety, reliability and accessibility of our charging network. The EV Common Charger Grant, introduced in 2021, also co-funds the cost of installing EV chargers at non-landed private residences, such as condominiums. As a result of these measures, EV adoption has increased significantly. For 2024, thus far, about one out of three new cars sold in Singapore is an EV, as compared to about 18% in 2023.
The installation of EV charging infrastructure is on track to support a larger EV population, with more than 7,100 EV charging points across Singapore today, and more than a third of HDB carparks installed with charging points. The ECCG has also supported the installation of more than 1,100 EV chargers in NLPRs. We encourage more NLPRs to step forward to tap on the remaining grant support for around 900 chargers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Training Requirements for Locally-based Pilots and Technology to Address Increased Frequency in Flight Turbulence","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"63 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether pilots of airlines based in Singapore are required to be trained in responding to the weather volatility and increased frequency in flight turbulence brought about by climate change; and (b) whether CAAS is working with airlines based in Singapore to explore technology that can better detect or reduce turbulence, particularly clear air turbulence.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Pilots of airlines based in Singapore are trained to operate the aircraft under various scenarios, including turbulence. Their competency is regularly practised and tested as part of their recurrent training and assessment.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore also works closely with Singapore air carriers to explore the use of new aircraft technology and advanced flight planning tools that can enable real-time prediction of adverse weather conditions, including turbulence.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans to Introduce In-Vehicle Monitoring Systems for Senior Drivers and Improve Road Safety for All","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"64 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to introduce in-vehicle monitoring systems to assist and accommodate senior drivers and improve road safety for the drivers, road users and pedestrians.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: \tCurrently, there are no plans to mandate installation of In-Vehicle Monitoring Systems (IVMS). IVMS is typically used by companies to manage their vehicle fleets for business operations purposes, such as monitoring vehicle speed, location and driving patterns. Nonetheless, senior drivers may install such IVMS products if they find it useful.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Coordination of Operational Responses to Oil Spill Incident and Measures to Prevent Recurrence","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"65 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport in view of the impact of the oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal affecting multiple agencies, how coordinated are the operational responses among the relevant agencies.
66 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the recent ship collision at the Pasir Panjang Terminal which caused an oil spill (a) what are the preliminary findings on the cause and culpability of the different parties; and (b) whether there is necessity to enhance safety procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
67 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport regarding the allision between the Vox Maxima and Marine Honour (a) how many skimmer vessels and storage tanks were deployed for oil recovery; (b) what time on 14 June 2024 were they deployed; (c) what was the total capacity of the storage tanks; (d) are response teams trained to handle both oil and ammonia spills effectively; and (e) whether there are agreements with neighbouring countries or international organisations to obtain support when needed.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: I thank the Members for their questions. I have addressed them in my Ministerial Statement at the 2 July 2024 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to \"Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill Incident on 14 June 2024\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Ministerial Statements section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on PTC's Review on Extending Concessionary Fares to Graduating Students Transiting to Next Stage of Education","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"68 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the Public Transport Council's review of extending concessionary fares or passes to graduating students, such as those of GCE A-levels, International Baccalaureate or the ITE, before they enter their next stage of education.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Based on feedback from parents and students, I had earlier suggested to the Public Transport Council (PTC) to consider extending the concession period for graduating students as part of the 2024 Fare Review Exercise. The PTC is reviewing the suggestion.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Trend of Increased Container Volume, Off-schedule Vessel Arrivals and Tuas Port's Measures to Better Manage Congestion","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"69 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the increased container volume in first five months of 2024 will continue into the rest of the year and beyond; (b) how many of the container vessel arrivals at Singapore’s ports are off-schedule; and (c) how can Tuas Port better manage vessel-bunching and minimise port congestion.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: I thank the Member for his questions. I have addressed them in my Oral reply to Parliamentary Question 113 at the 2 July 2024 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to \"Adequacy of Singapore’s Seaports to Anticipate and Manage Severe Cargo Congestion\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Lightning-induced Train Disruptions and Rail System Redundancies to Mitigate Impact","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"70 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) in the past five years, how many lightning strikes have resulted in train disruptions; and (b) given that Singapore has one of the highest lightning strike rates, what are the redundancies in the rail systems to help mitigate the impact of lightning strikes.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: I thank the Member for his question. I have addressed it in my reply at the 2 July 2024 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to \"Cause of 3 June MRT Disruption and Efforts to Improve Handling of Future Incidents\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WS","content":"[(proc text) The following statement was made by Minister of State for Home Affairs Ms Sun Xueling in the reply for Question No 36 during Question Time at the Sitting of 2 July 2024: (proc text)]
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): As I mentioned earlier, the foreigners can go to any country which their passport or travel document allows them to go. So, for these 10 subjects, they had chosen to be deported to Cambodia or Japan, at least for these 10 subjects. [Please refer to \"Factors Considered in Deciding Deportation Destinations for Foreigners Who Have Served Their Sentences in Singapore\", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
[(proc text) Written statement by Ms Sun Xueling circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)]
I wish to make the following factual correction to the reply given for Question No 36 during Question Time at the Sitting of 2 July 2024. My statement should read as follows:
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): As I mentioned earlier, the foreigners can go to any country which their passport or travel document allows them to go. So, for the eight subjects who had already been deported, they had chosen to be deported to Cambodia or Japan.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[{"annexureID":2637,"sittingDate":null,"annexureTitle":"Annex 1","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240702/annex-Annex 1.pdf","fileName":"Annex 1.pdf","sectionType":"OS","file":null}],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":6151,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240702/vernacular-Grace Fu MS 2July2024-Chinese_cleared.pdf","fileName":"Grace Fu MS 2July2024-Chinese_cleared.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6152,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Don Wee","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240702/vernacular-Don Wee ACRA 2July2024_Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Don Wee ACRA 2July2024_Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6153,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Don Wee","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240702/vernacular-Don Wee CSP 2July2024_Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Don Wee CSP 2July2024_Chinese.pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}