1 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry is exploring the authorisation of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged under five; and (b) with some countries adopting different stands towards vaccination of young children against COVID-19, how does the Ministry decide which is the most suitable strategy for our country.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Health): Sir, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is currently approved for use in individuals aged above five. The use of vaccine for younger children is still being studied in clinical trials.
MOH, in consultation with the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination, the EC19V, continues to examine different vaccine strategies, based on the risk-benefit assessment to the relevant subpopulation, in the context of the evolving COVID-19 situation.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. What is the infection rate of children under five years old in Singapore? There is a new study that suggests that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is less effective for children. Is the Ministry looking into other vaccines like the one by Johnson & Johnson or non-mRNA vaccines like the ones by Sinovac or Novavax, for approval for use in children below five? What more should parents of children below five years old do to prevent them from getting COVID-19, since there is currently no vaccination?
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, the Member asked three questions. For the first, the specific data is a slightly different issue from the Parliamentary Question (PQ) he had filed. I suggest he file a PQ, potentially a written PQ, for that data. We will get it to him.
For his second question about other vaccines, we are studying all clinical data that is being produced for all the therapeutic interventions for COVID-19. We will take that data, we will take the recommendations from our professionals and experts, and we will assess the various products as they become available for licensing here in Singapore.
In terms of what parents can do, hygiene continues to be important. Making sure that we stay at home if we are feeling unwell, engage with the testing procedures, the various protocols that we have explained for community protocols – Protocols 1, 2 and 3. These are not just for ourselves. They are for our family, our loved ones and society at large. And if we can all play our part in helping, then, the youngest, most vulnerable and all vulnerable members of our society will be better protected.
\tMr Speaker: Leader of the Opposition.
\tMr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a quick question for the Senior Minister of State. This is with regard to the study that was being referred to by hon Member Mr Yip Hon Weng. Has that changed the consideration of the Expert Committee and the Ministry as to the effectiveness of vaccination amongst children, especially those from five to 12? How is the Ministry responding to that study? Is the Ministry undertaking its own independent study in Singapore as to the effectiveness of the vaccine for children above the age of 12?
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank the Member for the questions. The issue is not whether a vaccine is or is not effective. There is a matter of timing of those and the circumstances. So, the matter continues to be studied by various people around the world, as well as our experts here.
For children in the age groups that the Member mentioned, where the vaccines are already being rolled out, indeed, we continue through our various public health processes, to monitor and measure the effectiveness of the vaccination process.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reviews on Necessity of TraceTogether and SafeEntry Scans","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"2 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health (a) how regularly does the Ministry conduct reviews on the necessity of TraceTogether and SafeEntry; (b) what are the metrics that the Ministry considers when making this regular determination that TraceTogether and SafeEntry are still necessary; and (c) whether the Ministry (i) quantifies the impact of the compliance burden on business owners, the effect on productivity and electricity consumption in general in enforcing these requirements and (ii) takes into account this burden in the metrics.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Health): Sir, as we have described in previous responses to Parliamentary Questions, TraceTogether and SafeEntry continue to play important roles in our pandemic response system. TraceTogether and SafeEntry enable verification checks into venues or activities where vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS) are in force. This is necessary to protect unvaccinated persons who remain at higher risk of severe disease.
We aim to keep rules and requirements simple, and we regularly review the need for these. We will continue to rationalise and simplify our safe management measures.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
\tMr Leon Perera (Aljunied): I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. Just one supplementary question. Given that the compliance burden for TraceTogether and SafeEntry is not insignificant – it impacts time, productivity and so on – what would be the criterion or criteria that the Ministry would use to make the decision to phase it out? At what point will that actually happen?
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: I thank the Member for his questions. Indeed, measures that affect public health and safety do have a compliance burden. This is not unique to TraceTogether and SafeEntry. Neither is it unique to the COVID-19 situation. If we look at, for example, the automobile industry, the use of seat belts is a cost burden, but we do it now after many decades of education because it has proven its worth.
So, really, the issue is whether or not the approach that we are taking has proven its worth. I hope the Member will agree that it has the ability to issue Health Risk Warnings and Notices very quickly in the face of a rapidly progressing pandemic; is an important public health measure. These have managed to keep our case fatality rate low as we have slowed the spread and allowed people to self-isolate and seek help very early on in the illness. As long as we are able to do that and to demonstrate an effectiveness of using TraceTogether, SafeEntry and VDS in our public health response, then I hope the Member will agree that the ability to save lives, prevent morbidity and mortality through this disease is a beneficial outcome and is worth paying that compliance cost and compliance burden for.
Studies in other parts of the world, there was a UK study that was published looking at this, looking at some modelling and the extent to which this automated contact tracing approach saves lives, prevents cases, and we have every reason to believe the same is true here in Singapore.
The study that was done in the UK. If we extrapolate that approach to our situation here, the estimate is that between September 2021 and January 2022, comparing similar data-sets over about those four, five months, the contact tracing approach that we have taken in Singapore may have saved about 290 deaths and slowed down the progression to avoid about 144,000 cases. I hope the Member would agree that these are useful outcomes.
When will we no longer need such an approach, when will we phase out and what may the criteria be, it is a bit too early to tell. We need to wait until we no longer need VDS, we need to wait until we are quite sure that the pandemic and COVID-19 is no longer epidemic but is endemic. We have not reached that point yet. It is very hard to say with some degree of certainty what that date will be. But I think we have explained before that as long as we need the measures in place – the public health measures, the VDS – then, today, the easiest way and the least burdensome way and the cheapest way for businesses, for us to roll out these measures, is to continue with the TraceTogether and SafeEntry systems that we have in place, rather than standing up a whole new system and a whole new infrastructure in order to get those outcomes. So, when we no longer need those measures, then we would stand down the systems.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Voting Arrangements to Improve Voting Accessibility in Future Elections","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"3 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Prime Minister given that special arrangements were made during the 2020 General Election for those on Stay-Home Notice at designated facilities to vote at these facilities away from other voters (a) whether the Government has any plans to provide similar arrangements for other groups of voters at future elections; and (b) whether the Government will also consider mail-in voting for Singaporeans who are overseas.
\tThe Minister for Education (Mr Chan Chun Sing) (for the Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Prime Minister, please.
The 2020 General Election, or GE2020, which was held amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted two key issues in the electoral landscape. First, the electorate is ageing rapidly: 21% of Singapore Citizens in the Registers of Electors were aged 65 and above in GE2020, from 14% in GE2011. Second, from time to time, travel difficulties, such as in this pandemic, would make it difficult for Singaporeans working, studying or living overseas, to vote. In spite of the challenges of the pandemic, 6,500 overseas citizens registered to vote in GE2020, from just 3,500 in GE2011. We recognise that many overseas Singaporeans remain engaged with Singapore and are keen to exercise their vote.
As the Member noted, the Elections Department, or ELD, made a special arrangement at GE2020 to allow voters serving Stay-Home Notice at designated hotels to cast their votes. ELD is looking at piloting this arrangement for voters residing at some nursing homes. With this in place, there will no longer be a need for nursing homes to bring their elderly voters staying with them to the polling stations to vote.
For overseas Singaporeans, ELD had established overseas polling stations for them to cast their vote. This is because voting by paper ballot at polling stations remains the most transparent and secure method of voting that best ensures the integrity of the voting process and secrecy of votes. However, ELD recognises that it may not be possible for various reasons, for some overseas Singaporeans to travel to these overseas polling stations to vote. ELD is thus studying if we can introduce postal voting and allow overseas Singaporeans to mail in their votes.
Mr Speaker, Sir, any new voting arrangements will need to provide balance between greater voting accessibility and convenience for voters with ensuring the integrity of the voting process and secrecy of the vote. ELD expects to engage the public and key stakeholders, such as the political parties, nursing homes and overseas Singaporeans, on the possibility of piloting these initiatives sometime in the middle of this year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Seniors Reached via SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"4 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) how many seniors did the SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme reach out to last year; (b) whether there are any plans to expand this outreach target, especially to those who have not attended any similar programmes and do not live with younger family members; (c) if so, what are these plans; and (d) how does the programme ensure that seniors are continuously educated on the latest types of scams, given the evolving nature of scams.
\tThe Minister for Communications and Information (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Speaker, we are very mindful about how digitalisation impacts our vulnerable groups. In 2021, we launched the SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme to raise awareness of cyber threats and encourage adoption of good cyber hygiene among seniors. More than 14,000 seniors have attended this programme between July and December 2021. We target to reach out to 50,000 seniors by 2023.
The programme reaches out to as many seniors as possible by working through various channels, such as pop-up events, webinars, as well as the SG Digital Community Hubs across Singapore. These hubs are conveniently located at community centres and public libraries, and seniors can walk-in to any of these hubs for one-on-one sessions with a Digital Ambassador. In addition to CSA’s SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme, my Ministry also engages seniors on digital skills through other platforms, such as e-getai and dialect drama series, and IMDA’s SG Digital Office and NLB’s SURE programmes. For example, IMDA's SG Digital Office has reached out to more than 130,000 seniors and the curriculum and the types of interactions can certainly include cyber hygiene practices.
The curriculum for the SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure its relevance. For example, with online scams being a growing threat, we have recently included more tips for seniors to guard against online scams.
Through MCI’s surveys, such as the Digital Readiness Survey about to be released, we know that more can be done to improve the awareness and adoption of good cyber hygiene practices, such as the use of two-factor authentication and antivirus software. This is especially so for our seniors. We will continue to engage our seniors to empower them to stay safe and secure online.
\t
\tMr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for her reply. Are there plans to involve caregivers or family members of seniors for such programmes? Will MCI also rope in the Silver Generation Ambassadors for scam education as part of Silver Generation Office's (SGO) outreach into the community?
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, the short answers to Mr Yip's questions are both yes.
In terms of how we reach out to the seniors, one method that has proven to be very effective is peer learning and support. That is a method that we will continue to deploy. But he is also right that families, friends and caregivers of the seniors are another potential group that we can include, and I thank him for his suggestion. As to the involvement of the Silver Generation Ambassadors, yes, the answer is, we will equally reach out through them.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cybersecurity as Part of Core Curriculum in Primary Schools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"5 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Education whether there are any plans to introduce cybersecurity awareness as part of the core curriculum in Primary schools.
\tThe Minister of State for Education (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Education): MOE recognises the importance of equipping students to use technology safely and responsibly. Cybersecurity education is delivered as part of Cyber Wellness lessons within the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum. As part of CCE, all primary students are taught how to keep themselves safe in the online environment, including how to identify dangerous online content like phishing emails and online falsehoods.
These lessons are supported by digital literacy resources, covering cybersecurity-related topics such as safeguarding personal information when using the Internet and social media, and hosted on the Student Learning Space (SLS) online platform. These resources are available to all students.
Beyond the formal curriculum, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) supports the Ministry of Education's (MOE) efforts by providing assembly talks and other enrichment programmes in schools. A cybersecurity module is also incorporated into the Code for Fun programme for all upper primary students, where they are exposed to concepts like encryption and ways to protect oneself against cyberattacks.
MOE will continue to ensure that students are equipped with cybersecurity knowledge and skills to use technology safely and responsibly in their day-to-day lives.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Mariam Jaafar.
\tMs Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang): I thank the Minister of State for her response. As she has said, we all agree that technology is very important in going forward. We also agree that the earlier the introduction is done, the better.
I am glad to know about the programmes that already exist to introduce cybersecurity. But, with respect to both cybersecurity and coding, which we have also discussed in previous Parliamentary Questions (PQs), it is really important that our children are given that digital mindset early in life; otherwise, it could be another source of future inequality and lack of social mobility. Because I have seen great discrepancies in children who have resources and can code in all kinds of languages as kids, versus those who do not even have a computer when they come in.
I also think that introducing coding and cybersecurity in the core curriculum is very important to inspire kids to learn about these careers early in their life which foundational computational skills like Math and Science may not actually introduce them to.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her explanation of why she believes in the importance of coding as well as our cybersecurity knowledge. This is also something that MOE agrees with and that is why a lot of our learning resources are hosted on student learning spaces. And as I mentioned in my response earlier, cybersecurity awareness, cyber wellness are a very integral part of our CCE curriculum, which is available to all Primary school students and above, such as, Secondary schools and IHLs.
So, we want to introduce cyber wellness, cyber awareness, cybersecurity as early as possible, but we also recognise that we have to make the information available in an age-appropriate manner so that the students are best able to absorb the information and also know how to interact with the online space responsibly.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Mariam Jaafar.
\tMs Mariam Jaafar: Can I call for it again to be in the core curriculum? If you look at countries like Korea, for example, they have in the core curriculum dealing with robots. So, all those sorts of things are just going to be very important going forward.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for the question. I think I understand better where she is coming from in her second clarification. Currently, we do have a Code for Fun programme. We do work with agencies, such as CSA. As I mentioned earlier in my response, we do touch on these topics through assembly talks. We do touch on these topics through the Form Teacher Guidance Period for the younger ages, the lower primary ages.
As to whether or not to make it compulsory, this is something that MOE will consider. We are also conscious that we do not want to overload the curriculum because we have to pay attention to the learning needs of the students. But I think the Member has made a valid point and this is something that MOE will study further.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Number of Job Scam Victims Aged 60 and Above in Last Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"6 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for the last three years, what is the annual number of victims of job scams who are aged 60 and above; and (b) what are the targeted measures to protect seniors who are looking for jobs from falling prey to these scams.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan) (for the \tMinister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, from 2019 to 2021, there were 4,722 reports of job scam cases. Those aged 60 older formed about 2% of the total number of victims. The majority – around 70% – were younger adults aged between 20 and 39. This is not surprising, given that this group is more likely to be searching for jobs and are also more willing to try out online or remote work.
Job scams exploit victims' interest in easy, work-from-home settings, such as to generate hype on e-commerce platforms, or traction for social media accounts and content. In many of these cases, scammers had created professional-looking apps with references to e-commerce listings or social media posts, to enhance the appearance of legitimacy. In this way, the scammers deceive the victims into thinking that they were participating in a genuine job scheme.
Scammers would then require the victims to download apps and set up user accounts by transferring funds to bank accounts that are created by the scammers. Victims were then instructed to perform tasks, such as purchasing of items or clicking on posts to generate views, before they could receive their commissions. Victims usually only realised that they were scammed when they did not receive their commissions or were unable to withdraw money from their accounts after performing their assigned tasks.
To address this, education is key to protect people from falling prey to scams. Our anti-scam public education campaign, called \"Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes.\" is in its second year and its coverage includes job scams. The Police regularly share crime information, including scam prevention advice, with the community and grassroots volunteers, for the purpose of their engagement with residents about scams. Volunteer Crime Prevention Ambassadors from the National Crime Prevention Council also share crime prevention tips with residents during their engagements.
To reach out to seniors, the Police work with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and Silver Generation Office (SGO). We have also worked with MCI and IMDA through the SG Cyber Safe Seniors programme and the Seniors Go Digital programme in our outreach to our seniors.
Besides education, we have also stepped up enforcement efforts. Specialised units have been set up in SPF to disrupt scammers' operations and these include the Anti-Scam Division (ASD). Specifically for job scams, SPF has conducted targeted operations to dismantle the syndicates. Between September and November 2021, SPF conducted three island-wide anti-scam enforcement operations targeting money mules linked to job scams. These led to the arrest of 135 individuals and investigation of 141 others.
Given the transnational nature of job scams, the Police have stepped up collaboration with foreign law enforcement agencies. In December 2021, SPF worked with the Royal Malaysia Police to dismantle two scam syndicates believed to have perpetrated job scams and fixed deposit investment scams targeting Singaporeans. Fifteen people were arrested – eight in Malaysia and seven in Singapore.
As I had mentioned, the best defence against scams is a discerning public. When looking for jobs, members of the public should always exercise healthy scepticism and verify the legitimacy of the job offer. They should also refrain from making any advance payments to secure a job.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Will the Ministry consider working with Workforce Singapore and NTUC's e2i to include measures for job scams in their job coaching curriculum for senior jobseekers?
\tMr Desmond Tan: Indeed, IMDA constantly work with the stakeholders and agencies to expand our outreach to different stakeholders, to different target groups and to help prevent scams from happening. We will take into consideration the Member's suggestions in our continued engagement and education efforts to prevent scams from reaching especially our seniors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Compensation when Electricity Retailer Exits Market","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"7 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether EMA has the responsibility to ensure that electricity retailers uphold the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 when they exit the market; (b) if so, whether EMA sets a standard for compensation when an electricity retailer exits the market; and (c) whether a transparent method to determine a fair standard can be made known.
\tThe Second Minister for Trade and Industry (Dr Tan See Leng) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (CPFTA) protects consumers against unfair practices by suppliers, such as misrepresentations or false claims. These include services provided by electricity retailers.
Electricity retailers are also licensed under the Electricity Act and regulated under the Code of Conduct for Retail Electricity Licensees, called the Code. The Code requires retailers to comply with fair contracting practices. For instance, retailers must provide a consumer advisory and fact sheet to summarise the key terms of the retail plans, for consumers to acknowledge such information before signing contracts with the retailers.
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has implemented some safeguards in retailer exits. Exiting retailers are required to refund all security deposits collected from household consumers after offsetting outstanding charges. Exiting retailers must also approach other retailers to seek their interest and agreement to accept the novation of the contracts on the same terms and conditions, before the consumer can be transferred to SP Group under the default supply arrangement. Consumers are also free to switch to other retailers of their choice.
Between October and December 2021, six electricity retailers exited the market. While the CPFTA and the Code do not require exiting retailers to compensate their consumers, three exiting retailers – Best Electricity, Ohm Energy and UGS Energy – have committed to provide ex-gratia payments or private settlements to ease their consumers' transition.
EMA will review the current regulatory regime and will seek to strengthen the licensing and regulatory requirements for electricity retailers to better protect consumer interests. Consumers who wish to seek recourse from their electricity retailers can approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), Singapore Mediation Centre or Small Claims Tribunal (SCT), for advice and assistance.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Perera. Can you please keep it short? Thank you.
\tMr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. I have just one supplementary question. So, it does appear that some retailers are providing ex-gratia compensation upon appeal, and when people write in and request a compensation. Going forward, will the Government consider \"template-tising\" that and setting a standard for what sort of compensation should be paid so that people who write appeals do not get the benefits that other people who do not write appeals get?
\tDr Tan See Leng: I thank the hon Member Mr Leon Perera for his supplementary question. Indeed, that is one of the considerations that we are also considering. As I have shared earlier on, EMA is conducting a review in terms of how we can further strengthen the framework and also to ensure that in a very unprecedented crisis, such as this, what other measures will we be able to leverage on to support our general population and also many of the SMEs at large.
Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix, unless Members had asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022","subTitle":"Committee of Supply – Paper Cmd 13 of 2022","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
The Chairman: Second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, contained in Paper Cmd 13 of 2022. As there are no amendments, I propose to take the Heads of Expenditure en bloc. I will first take Heads C, L, P, T, U, V, W, X and Z of the Supplementary Main Estimates.
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sums stated for the Heads of Expenditure as shown on page 6 of Paper Cmd 13 of 2022 stand part of the Second Supplementary Main Estimates,\" put and agreed to. (proc text)]
The Chairman: I will now take the Supplementary Development Estimates for Head W.
[(proc text) Question \"That the sums stated for Head W as shown on page 7 of Paper Cmd 13 of 2022 stand part of the Second Supplementary Development Estimates,\" put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sum of $2,703,060,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Second Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, contained in Paper Cmd 13 of 2022,\" put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question, \"That the sum of $233,868,400 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Second Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, contained in Paper Cmd 13 of 2022.\" (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolutions to be reported. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Minister for Finance.
The Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mr Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has come to certain resolutions.
[(proc text) First Resolution reported, (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the sum of $2,703,060,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Second Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, contained in Paper Cmd 13 of 2022.\" (proc text)]
[(proc text) Second Resolution reported, (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the sum of $233,868,400 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Second Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, contained in Paper Cmd 13 of 2022.\" (proc text)]
Mr Lawrence Wong: Mr Speaker, I beg to move, \"That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions.\"
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolutions accordingly agreed to. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023","subTitle":"Committee of Supply – Paper Cmd 12 of 2022","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [2nd Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
[(proc text) Head J (cont) – (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [2 March 2022], (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates be reduced by $100.\" – [Mr Vikram Nair]. (proc text)]
Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman (Marine Parade): Chairman, at the COS debate last year, the Minister for Defence mentioned that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) would use, update and refresh the medical classification system to better match vocations and deployment of National Servicemen. According to the factsheet published on 1 March 2020, MINDEF claimed that the review will focus on the operational effectiveness of each individual instead of a binary classification of whether one is combat-fit or non-combat-fit.
Moreover, the Minister for Defence mentioned that the new system will also take into account the civilians' jobs and skill sets. The review of the medical classification system is a step in the right direction, as MINDEF aims to optimise its human resources amidst dwindling birth rates in Singapore. The review would be helpful in enabling the SAF to assess individual abilities for suitable vocations holistically.
Could MINDEF provide an update on this new medical classification system? Specifically, can MINDEF elaborate on how have individuals been assessed and how MINDEF has ensured that the assessment remains holistic for vocation matching? Finally, can MINDEF outline some key challenges that it has faced in implementing the refreshed and updated medical classification system and the necessary steps taken to address the respective challenges?
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, during my National Service, I was trained as an Infantry Officer. I was subsequently posted to a maintenance battalion, to be converted to an ordnance officer. It was an odd move because I was a Junior College (JC) Arts student majoring in history, geography and economics, with no technical background. But during my National Service, I had to learn about how hydraulics can move a tank turret, how to maintain a 75-millimetre gun in the tank, how to overhaul a car engine and how to replace a clutch disk.
On the other hand, some of my friends who are Polytechnic graduates in mechanical engineering, were posted to be storemen. Nothing wrong with these vocations, Sir, but it seems just a mismatch of skills. The skillsets which some of my JC and Polytechnic friends had were not optimised during their National Service. Thus, I was pleased to hear about MINDEF's plans to optimise the deployment of its NSmen. At the last Committee of Supply (COS), Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How shared about reviewing the use of functional assessments to determine our servicemen's deployability in specific vocations. I thought it was a move in the right direction.
Technology has changed the way soldiers can be deployed. Mr Heng Chee How mentioned about the trial functional assessments to guide the selection of transport operators. May I ask, what is the outcome of this trial? Are there plans to expand functional assessments to other vocations, so that our NSmen can be better deployed and they will feel that their time spent during NS has been meaningful and useful?
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Chairman, the pandemic has disrupted our economy and our way of life and in particular, greatly affected the education, training and learning opportunities for our youths. Over the last two years, many of these programmes and lessons had to be shifted online. While this arrangement has been necessary, our youths have missed out on valuable in-person interactions and hands-on experiences.
Through these disruptions, the economy has developed unevenly and the job market is full of uncertainties. Our primary responsibility is to train and develop our NSFs to undertake their missions. However, it is also important that we help to prepare and equip them to enter the workforce as best as we can.
Two years ago, MINDEF announced and launched the Work-Study Diploma with the Institute of Technical Education. Last year, it was announced that the first batch of NSF technicians from the Army and Air Force were being trained and certified under this programme.
Would the Ministry provide an update on the Work-Learn Scheme? How many servicemen have benefited from the scheme since it was launched? Are there any future plans to expand this scheme?
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, there are many of us in this House who have once upon a time donned uniforms and held guns. Two years' fulltime, during my time, it was two and a half years, and many years after that, serving our country in the Armed Forces.
We have all had friends who have different specialist skills and expertise, but for weeks on end, they will leave their professions and their expert knowledge behind to go to serve during our reservist call-ups as Operationally-Ready NSmen.
In March 2019, MINDEF announced that specialised civilian expertise will be harnessed and deployed into new roles. It also has a dedicated deployment centre to oversee the expansion of expertise deployment. Professionals, such as those working in cybersecurity, law, medicine, engineering and psychology, have been deployed.
In a small country, facing many complex threats and risks, such deployment offers us a good way to maximise the men and women who are serving our country.
Can the Minister tell us how MINDEF/SAF is exploring ways to better leverage the civilian expertise of our National Servicemen to meet the operational needs of the SAF?
Overall, can the Minister give us an idea of the expertise-based deployment scheme? How many experts have signed up and in what areas? How do their deployments differ from the usual deployments and have they been able to make an impact?
Given the fact that the scheme is fairly new, what lessons have we learnt and how do we compare against citizen armed forces in other countries?
Mr Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Not here. Mr Chong Kee Hiong.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: Chairman, digital technology has evolved exponentially in the last decade. It has changed the way people and organisations interact and exchange information and transact. The pandemic has accelerated this trend as people and organisations seek ways to minimise physical contact.
Digital payment has been well and widely adopted in Singapore. From small shops to large businesses and person-to-person transactions, digital payment is now the norm and this trend will continue to pick up pace.
MINDEF and SAF should leverage more on technology and digitalisation to improve the way servicemen transact and interact. Digital services can help to streamline many administrative processes and reduce waiting time for our servicemen and pre-enlistees. A large proportion of our servicemen are young NSFs who are digital natives and comfortable with performing tasks online.
Last year, MINDEF announced that it had established an NS digital transformation plan, including plans to consolidate digital services for the NS journey into a single platform. Would MINDEF please provide an update on this plan and elaborate on how it would improve or enhance the NS experience of our servicemen?
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast): Chairman, National Service is an irreplaceable component for our nation's defence. All men in Singapore commit two years of their youth to safeguard our country as full-time NSmen or NSFs. They set aside work and family obligations, at times, life milestones during their years as reservists. It is important that we ensure that NSmen and their families receive support and are recognised for their sacrifices.
In the case of 2020 NS Advocate Award Winner, Mdm Nur Kamilah binte Abdul Rahman, we saw the sacrifice of a wife and mother who chose to find alternatives to nurse a sick child and still care for another while her husband was on reservist, despite his insistence on returning home earlier. Her story is just one of the many sacrifices NSmen and their families have made.
We also recognise and are grateful that much has been done over the years to honour our NSmen. With a changing societal landscape, it is timely for us to review the recognition for our NSmen, not only by MINDEF, but also how the whole of society, including our employers, can better support our NSmen.
When MINDEF announced the creation of the NS Review Committee in 2020, one of the focus areas announced was \"NS Recognition and Engagement\". I am encouraged that this was identified as a priority area and would like to ask how can the Government better recognise and support not only our NSFs, but also the NSmen in the SAF and Home Team who have completed their full-time National Service. How can we encourage our employers to better support our NSmen?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru): Mr Chairman, for the past 55 years, NSmen have been a pillar of Singapore's defence – in fact, a key pillar. It is important for us not to take our NSmen's contributions to our nation's security for granted. Instead, we should seek to recognise their contributions, and work continually to improve the NS system so that every National Serviceman has a fulfilling and meaningful NS experience.
Members before me have welcomed the formation of the NS Review Committee (NSRC) in 2020 which seeks to examine ways to enrich the NS experience and maximise the potential of every National Serviceman. I echo these words of support and look forward to hearing MINDEF's updates on what changes are being made. Beyond this, could MINDEF please provide an update on the Committee's recommendations on future areas for review within the NS system?
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, I am a firm believer that our soldiers must train to fight under realistic conditions. Only when our soldiers are competent, can they fight effectively and achieve their mission to be a strong deterrent to unfriendly forces.
The war in Ukraine is a stark reminder on the need for realistic training and the importance of National Service. But even as soldiers train under tough conditions, it is vital that they train safely. A strong commitment to training safety will give our soldiers the confidence to focus on honing their skills. It will give parents and family members of our servicemen peace of mind. Without these, there would not be strong public support for defence and National Service.
As much as training safety continues to be an area of emphasis, the nature of military activities will always entail some risk of injury. How do we ensure that our servicemen are adequately protected when they perform their NS duties and what are some of the recent efforts to enhance safety management in the SAF? How do we ensure that our commanders take training safety seriously and put it as their priority that no NSmen under their command will suffer any serious injury?
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Chairman, safety is not something that should gain salience only when incidents occur. We must always keep safety at the forefront of our minds. The SAF must ensure that our servicemen and women return home to their families safe and sound. They should be kept safe not only in terms of their physical but mental health, too.
At the COS debate last year, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How said that a third External Review Panel on SAF Safety had been commissioned. This panel, like the panels before them, comprises a diverse range of experts who are well-positioned to provide fresh perspectives to the SAF.
Could MINDEF provide an update on the panel's findings so far? How are these efforts being translated into positive outcomes to strengthen SAF's safety culture?
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Sir, the colours of my outfit today emphasise the importance of SAF's realistic training and its safety record. For families who have sent their children to serve National Service, they must be assured of safe training. For SAF, its safety record reflects well on how our troops and resources are managed.
The SAF Inspector-General’s Office, or IGO in short, plays an important role in strengthening safety and the safety culture in the SAF. I understand that the IGO conducts independent safety audits and inspections within the SAF. I support efforts to critically review how the SAF's Services and Formations implement safety policies and assess the strength and prevalence of the safety culture.
Would MINDEF provide an update on the SAF IGO's audit findings and the training safety measures that have been introduced in response to its findings?
Dr Wan Rizal: Sir, in this digital age, we are witnessing a proliferation of technology driven solutions across various industries. Of course, the defence industry or ecosystem is no exception. Militaries around the world have been leveraging on technology to transform themselves. The possibilities range from enhancements in systems efficiency to augmented reality-based immersive training experiences.
My focus today, however, is something closer to our hearts – the safety of our servicemen and women. The proliferation of tools to harness data could aid the development of training regimes that are more effective, more efficient and most importantly, safe.
Could MINDEF provide an update on efforts to leverage data and technology to strengthen training safety in the SAF?
The Chairman: Miss Cheng Li Hui. Not here. Ms Denise Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): The concept of Total Defence has taken on a different complexion since it was first introduced in 1984 in Singapore. Back then, Total Defence was a national defence concept that rallies all Singaporeans behind the Singapore Armed Forces should there be a military threat.
Over the years, Total Defence has evolved and included non-military challenges, such as pandemics, economic recessions and natural disasters.
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested Singapore's resilience and unity heavily. Singaporeans now not only have to put up a strong psychological defence in overcoming mental wellness and safety management changes in their daily lives. Economically, supply chain disruptions have affected the access and affordability of essential goods for many. Civil defence was at play too in the introduction of contact tracing and safety management measures.
At the same time, other aspects of Total Defence have come into play, such as digital defence, as Singapore becomes more exposed to cybersecurity risks in a highly-wired society. There is also the continued need to emphasise the importance of military defence, especially in the wake of developments as recent as the Russian-Ukraine war.
Whilst many Singaporeans are fairly familiar with six pillars of Total Defence – namely, Military, Civil, Economic, Social, Digital and Psychological – not many are aware of exactly how important and relevant each of the pillars is and how each pillar of defence is manifested in the lives of Singaporeans.
How will MINDEF further provide clarity so that Total Defence will be better embraced and supported by all the people of Singapore? In the light of Budget 2022, how would resources be differently applied in this regard?
The Chairman: Miss Rachel Ong. Please take your two cuts together.
Miss Rachel Ong: Thank you. Chairman, one key demographic for outreach efforts on defence and security issues is our younger generation of Singaporeans here. Unlike our Pioneer and Merdeka Generations, our youth today and perhaps even their parents, have not had direct experiences of the Singapore in which insecurity and physical intimidation by external threats were a daily reality.
As the future leaders of Singapore, it is important that young people are engaged and understand defence and security issues to gain an appreciation of the potential threats we face, as well as how these issues affect their lives and the lives of their families. Threats are also different now. Many security threats are now more ambiguous, less tangible and more difficult to understand.
This may further disconnect defence issues from the day-to-day concerns of young people, especially having grown up in the context of a prospering Singapore. Our youths have also grown up more socially aware than those of earlier generations, and that is something to celebrate. At the same time, this also means there is an exposure to worldviews that may potentially fuel divides in civil society where worldviews may be applied without an in-depth understanding of the socio-historical background and its larger impact on Singapore society.
How has MINDEF engaged our young people on defence and security matters? What are some of the initiatives that MINDEF has embarked on to ensure that our next generation remains concerned about Singapore's defence?
Singapore's defence requires not only the effort and the work of MINDEF and the SAF, but the support and involvement of every man and woman in Singapore. For some, defence and security matters may seem abstract, but the reality is that all of our lives would be impacted if Singapore's sovereignty and security were undermined. The war in Ukraine is also a stark reminder of the ongoing need to be ready to defend our sovereignty and not to take it for granted.
It is thus critical that Singaporeans of all ages see the importance of defence issues and understand the role that each and every person plays in national defence.
In light of this, I believe that it is important for MINDEF and the SAF to make a conscious effort to engage Singaporeans in every demographic, from all walks of life and encourage them to learn and care about defence issues, especially during peace time.
Last year, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad spoke about MINDEF's efforts to develop creative ways to engage Singaporeans on defence. An example is the revamped Singapore Discovery Centre. He also shared that MINDEF will take on public suggestions to empower more Singaporeans to learn about defence issues.
What are some of these initiatives and how have these outreach efforts progressed? How can we encourage Singaporeans from all walks of life to learn and care about defence issues, and also make these issues more accessible and relatable to the man on the street?
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: Chairman, the Singapore Discovery Centre (SDC) is one of the venues built by the Government to present National Education in an interesting and engaging way. Here, visitors learn and experience Singapore's history and visualise its future in a fun and immersive way.
One of the main objectives of the centre is to help build a strong sense of belonging and identity among Singaporean visitors. As a young nation, it is critical that Singaporeans understand our history, what brought us together and who we are as one people. In this regard, our National Education is what enables Singaporeans to imbibe, understand and connect with what it means to be a Singaporean.
An important part of being Singaporean is our commitment and ability to defend our land and our way of life. It is important that Singaporeans, young and old, understand the importance of National Service and Total Defence. NS and Total Defence require all Singaporeans to step up to defend and protect our home and rally behind our soldiers.
Last year, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad announced that the SDC would be revamped to be a one-stop destination for learning about Singapore’s past and imagining its future. Would MINDEF update the House on how it plans to strengthen National Education and how the SDC would continue to support this objective through its programmes and plans?
The Chairman: Ms Carrie Tan. Not here. Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): At the heart of national defence is the amicable community relations Singaporean families have with our military. In the thick of the pandemic, military units continued to honour their departing Servicemen in milestone parades, making sure to arrange for remote viewing avenues such that Singaporean families could share in the pride and joy. Further, MINDEF and the Armed Forces’ have signalled their holistic commitment to the defence of Singapore in our greatest times of testing, mobilising our Servicemen to aid in contact tracing measures which are pivotal as we deal with COVID-19 as a nation.
As we enjoy such relations, MINDEF has and continues to regularly consult and partner grassroots and agencies to take pulse checks on Singaporeans’ outlook on defence issues, as well as to foster support for their various initiatives. The Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD), since its inception in 1984, has been instrumental in building this bridge to the community to provide feedback on Singapore’s defence.
Given that Singapore’s defence is a nationally-owned effort, it is important for ACCORD to continue to reach out to groups and individuals in key segments of society – the business sector, educational institutions and family-related bodies – to mobilise support for and foster better understanding of our defence issues, including NS. These channels are valuable for MINDEF to better listen to the community’s needs and interests and, therefore, shape messages and tailor programmes to engage different sectors and profiles within the community.
ACCORD has welcomed new members in 2021 who will, undoubtedly, bring fresh perspectives to issues on defence and community relations, given their rich and diverse backgrounds. Could MINDEF please update the House on ACCORD’s new initiatives and future plans to engage the community? Can ACCORD furnish us with more details about consultation efforts with the grassroots on Singapore’s defence issues and how Singaporeans wish to get engaged?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, I am a Member of ACCORD. It is an honour to serve alongside other Members to promote the support for NS amongst families and employers. Ours is an important role because NS is key to our concept of Total Defence, which covers not just military defence preparedness but also fosters greater identity and social cohesion amongst our young men in NS, who come from all races, religions and backgrounds.
The recent conflict in Ukraine has underscored how important it is for countries like Singapore to never lose our ability to defend and look after ourselves. A resolute defence comprises two things: first, a credible and strong SAF and, second, the unshakeable resolve of our people. NS provides the opportunity for Singaporeans to forge a deep sense of rootedness and resolve to defend what is ours and our way of life. A strong SAF, augmented by NS, serves as a strong deterrent, which goes hand-in-hand with diplomacy.
Come 17 March, NS would have been implemented in Singapore for 55 years already. NS has served us well, and long may it continue. Could MINDEF please provide an update on ACCORD's efforts to better shore up support for NS? How can we do more to involve all Singaporeans in our defence, including employers, parents of new citizens or those who wish to pursue sports or further education and, thus, seeking deferment of NS?
The Chairman: Mr Heng Chee How.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Mr Heng Chee How): Mr Chairman, Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen spoke yesterday about the challenging landscape in which the SAF would have to operate. Our National Servicemen form the bulk of our defence and security force, and NS is the bedrock of our national defence, giving us that firm foundation for Singapore’s survival, security and success.
For the past 55 years, generations of Singaporean males have served their country through NS and had done their duty. As we commemorate 55 years of NS this year, it is timely for us to reaffirm our commitment towards ensuring that our NS system remains relevant to the needs of the SAF in protecting our country and is relevant to our National Servicemen.
Minister Ng Eng Hen outlined the key changes arising from the NS Review Committee, or NSRC’s work. Allow me now to provide more details. The NSRC’s work and the changes it proposed can be grouped into three broad thrusts. First, how to maximise the contributions of National Servicemen; second, improving the NS experience; and third, enhancing support and recognition.
Let me start with the first thrust – maximising contributions. As all Members of the House know, our birth rates are low and what this then translates into would be smaller NS cohorts 18 years hence. In this context, the SAF has to find different ways to continue to optimise the deployment of every resource and every National Serviceman, in order for our defence to remain robust.
Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman and Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked for updates on the medical classification system review and functional assessments. Minister Ng Eng Hen had given the overall view yesterday and I will elaborate on that.
The SAF has implemented functional assessments for our full-time National Servicemen, or NSFs, to complement our existing medical screening processes. Functional assessment allows us to assess the NSFs’ abilities to perform physical tasks required for the job in order to better match them to vocations with greater precision and to enable them to discharge their duties well and safely. These assessments have been developed in consultation with external physiotherapy specialists, alongside SAF physiotherapists from our Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance.
They have also been trialled prior to implementation to ensure that the outcomes would be effective discharge of duties, effectiveness in the outcomes that the SAF seeks from the protection angle and, at the same time, safety of our Servicemen. Our trial on functional assessments for the Transport Operator vocation in 2021 has improved our deployment process and enabled more NSFs to be safely deployed as Transport Operators.
Riding on this success, we have implemented functional assessments for pre-enlistees with orthopaedic conditions. These tests will be administered by trained SAF physiotherapists when the pre-enlistees report for medical screening, according to established protocols. These pre-enlistees will then be deployed to the relevant vocations according to their abilities.
At the same time, to further expand deployment opportunities, the SAF has continued to redesign existing jobs for our NSFs. For instance, take the example of the redesign of the medic role. Leveraging advances in medical technology and efforts to define the physical demands required for each specific role, Servicemen of varying physical capabilities can now be deployed as medics. This approach has enabled the SAF to maximise our Servicemen’s potential to contribute to the SAF’s operational requirements.
Mr Chairman, I have been speaking of optimising deployments from the angle of physical fitness and job requirements. But there is also another important angle which is equally important and this concerns the skills, knowledge and expertise of our Servicemen. Our population may be small, but it is increasingly well-educated and well-skilled. Future conflicts will not be solely decided by force numbers and sizes, though these are obviously relevant, but it would also be influenced – to an increasing extent – by technology and know-how. The SAF should increasingly grow and tap on the expertise of our National Servicemen.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about MINDEF’s plans for Work-Learn schemes. We have established Work-Learn schemes for several critical skills-based SAF vocations. Eligible NSFs can join these schemes to receive accredited training and education from Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), whilst performing their NS roles. The Servicemen benefit from these qualifications and the work experience gained. The SAF is also able to tap on these Servicemen’s expertise for a sustained period of time.
The first Work-Learn scheme was introduced in 2018. Four years on, there are now 130 Servicemen enrolling in Work-Learn schemes every year, serving as cyber specialists, as well as Air Force and Army Technicians. In the years ahead, we expect to expand the Work-Learn schemes to cover more roles and vocations, based on the SAF’s operational requirements. At steady state in 2025, we expect 500 Servicemen to enrol in Work-Learn schemes every year. This year, the SAF will introduce another two Work-Learn schemes. One is the Digital Work-Learn scheme for eligible Servicemen to pursue undergraduate degrees in areas, such as Computer Engineering and Data Science. The other is the Work-Study Diploma for Supply Supervisors.
Our efforts to optimise expertise-based deployment also cover Operationally-Ready NS, or ORNS. A good number of our NSmen acquire expertise through their civilian careers and these are relevant to the SAF. A key priority for the SAF is to identify these NSmen during ORNS and redeploy them where their expertise can be put to best use.
Last year, I spoke about the establishment of the Expertise Deployment Centre within the SAF. With dedicated resources devoted to identifying and redeploying NSmen with relevant expertise, the number of expertise-based redeployments has gone up considerably. One of our redeployed NSmen is ME4A Jeremy Yeap. Jeremy Yeap is a lawyer specialising in dispute resolution and he wanted to contribute further with the skills and experience that he has in his role as a lawyer. ME4A Jeremy, who had served as an Air Force Engineer, was redeployed in 2021 and now provides specialist legal advice to commanders as part of SAF operations.
Mr Seah Kian Peng asked how expertise-based redeployment would be expanded. I would like to highlight a key change arising from the NSRC’s recommendations. When we launched the Expertise Conversion Scheme, or ECS, in 2014, the landscape was one where expert roles tended to be at the officer level. Eight years on, we have expanded beyond that and we have expanded expertise deployment across all levels, including roles that are assumed by Warrant Officers, Specialists and Enlistees. And for this reason, we will also rename the ECS into the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme.
While we invest significant efforts to optimise deployment, we must not forget that a strong SAF is contingent upon the commitment and morale of its fighting force. This brings me to the second thrust of NSRC’s work, which is that of improving the NS experience.
A number of Members have asked about this. At the core of that experience are the NSmen and we have, therefore, designed our processes around that so that the NSman can be very well-focused for his training, knowing that the organisation is there behind him, cares about him, does everything to make sure that his contributions are maximised for the protection of this country, and takes care of his safety and well-being.
Yesterday, Minister Ng Eng Hen touched on our plans to automate the Make-Up Pay claims system. At present, the filing of such claims is done manually by NSmen and their employers. Later this year, MINDEF will introduce an automated system which draws on income-related information from CPF Board and IRAS to compute the Make-Up Pay amounts. NSmen and their employers will be provided the opportunity to review the computed amounts to see if they agree. If no objections are raised, the amount will then be paid out to them automatically. For the bulk of NSmen and their employers, this greatly simplifies the process and saves time. Those who believe that the computed amounts are not up-to-date can certainly submit additional information for recalculation, so that the right amounts are paid out.
Today, some NSmen, mostly from lower-income segments, may receive income from informal job roles, gig economy employment or other payments, such as allowances and incentives, which may not be captured in CPF Board's or IRAS' databases. As mentioned by Minister Ng Eng Hen, along with automating Make-Up Pay computation, we will be implementing a base NS pay. Starting later this year, all NSmen will receive at least $1,600 for every month of In-Camp Training that they are required to attend. For In-Camp Training of shorter durations, the allowance will be pro-rated.
Aside from automating Make-Up Pay claims and base NS pay, allow me now to also talk about two other initiatives which will improve our servicemen’s NS experience.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about how MINDEF would leverage technology to improve NS processes. I am pleased to announce that the first phase of the OneNS platform will be rolled out later this year. This will replace the existing NS Portal and will provide a more seamless experience for our servicemen. Our National Servicemen perform several transactions with MINDEF/SAF throughout their NS journey. The idea is to centralise these transactions and essential NS services onto the OneNS platform and render it more accessible via a single mobile application or a revamped web portal. For a start, NSmen can look forward to enhanced Call-Up and Deferment eServices, to facilitate preparation for ICT. Other eServices will be rolled out subsequently and progressively.
MINDEF has also collaborated with the Smart Nation Digital Government Group to digitally deliver NS recognition benefits to our National Servicemen. Since November last year, MINDEF has been disbursing the NS Excellence Awards and Celebratory Gifts in the form of e-credits that can be accessed via LifeSG. In the past, recipients received their benefits in the form of physical vouchers. With this change, they are now able to receive and redeem these credits conveniently via the use of their mobile devices. The credits can be used at both online and brick-and-mortar shops that accept payment by PayNow QR. Thus far, through surveys, we found that 97% of surveyed users had reported satisfaction with this improvement. Come April this year, servicemen will also be able to use their credits with merchants that accept NETS QR. With this change, an even broader range of merchants will be able to benefit, including those who operate in heartland shops and hawkers. Obviously, with this greater array of merchants and merchandise, it will also be a value-add to our NSmen.
MINDEF will move our other cash and voucher-based recognition schemes, such as the cash payments for NS HOME, onto LifeSG. By mid-2022, MINDEF and MHA will disburse NS recognition benefits to 100,000 National Servicemen via LifeSG every year. Quite apart from the convenience that this will bring to our NSmen, this will also greatly contribute to our national drive to foster e-payments adoption and to go green and paperless.
Our National Servicemen who have received NS recognition benefits via the LifeSG mobile application will receive SMS notifications that these credits have gone into their account. We are very conscious that, in sending out these SMS notifications, these should not be mistaken as scams, and we will ensure that our SMSes will have no clickable links.
This brings me to the third thrust of the NSRC’s work, which is that of enhancing recognition and support for our National Servicemen. Our National Servicemen contribute to defence during their two years of National Service and at every subsequent In-Camp Training. There is sacrifice, from both them, as well as, we hear from Members, through the support of their families as well. We appreciate this greatly. Miss Rachel Ong asked about our recognition initiatives for our National Servicemen.
As mentioned by the Minister for Defence, we will enhance the NS HOME awards to better express our appreciation to our National Servicemen and their loved ones. We will disburse an additional $2,000 in cash to each National Servicemen cumulatively across the three existing NS HOME milestones, comprising $1,000 in cash at the first milestone and $500 in cash each, at the second and third milestones. Our National Servicemen will now receive at least $6,000 at the end of their full-time National Service and at least $5,500 at the mid-point and at the completion of their ORNS journey.
The additional $2,000 cash will be paid out as credits into our National Servicemen’s LifeSG mobile application. This complements the current NS HOME payment, of which the bulk is disbursed into the National Servicemen’s CPF accounts for long-term financial needs. As I have explained earlier, these credits can be used at merchants ranging from those that operate on e-commerce platforms to brick-and-mortar shops as well.
The change will benefit 54,000 SAF and Home Team servicemen every year.
Beyond recognition, we also want to provide our servicemen and their families with peace of mind when they participate in NS activities. Since 2016, MINDEF and MHA have been purchasing Group Term Life and Group Personal Accident core insurance coverage for all MINDEF and MHA servicemen, for a sum assured of $150,000 each. We have reviewed this and, come 2023, we will increase the coverage to $300,000 each. This will help ensure that the financial support and protection we accord our National Servicemen remain relevant and adequate.
Mr Chairman, the NSRC has completed its reviews, which have been significant in strengthening the NS system and the SAF’s operational effectiveness. And we want to thank the co-chairs and members of the Committee for the good work. Aside from the changes the Minister for Defence and I have outlined, the NSRC has made three other broad recommendations, which we will continue to follow up on. Mr Henry Kwek asked about this.
We will continue to work on, first, enhancing our training and leadership development programmes for National Servicemen. Second, better equipping our NSFs with transferable skills and preparing them for their transition to studies or work. And, third, better supporting pre-enlistees as they balance their NS-related obligations with personal pursuits.
I shall now move on to speak about another topic which is critical – training safety. As we continue to enhance the NS system, our safety practices on the ground must also continue to be robust. The SAF, therefore, places a very strong emphasis on strengthening our safety culture through regular audits and inspections, by leveraging technology and constantly reminding both commanders and men of the importance to internalise the safety culture itself – look after yourself, look after one another.
Dr Wan Rizal asked about the third External Review Panel on SAF Safety, or ERPSS, which MINDEF/SAF started last year. The Panel was established to review the SAF’s safety management systems and to make recommendations to improve safety in the SAF. A positive observation made by the Panel was the continual enhancements to the Safety Management System at our Basic Military Training Centre, or BMTC, where a slew of safety and mental health support measures has been implemented to better help recruits transit from civilian life into military life.
The Panel also noted the efforts to scaffold safety training across the leadership schools to ensure that our commanders understand and will conduct training safely. The ERPSS will continue to highlight best practices from industry during their continued visits to our ground units.
Aside from the ERPSS, we have, internally, the SAF Inspector-General’s Office. The SAF Inspector-General’s Office has commenced its second two-year audit cycle of all SAF formations. Mr Don Wee asked about this. Compared to the first audit cycle, commanders and servicemen were observed to have taken even more ownership in upholding safety practices and displayed more awareness towards potential safety hazards.
Going forward, the SAF will continue to sustain our emphasis on safety policies and processes and to ensure that safety lessons will be passed on, even as we see the turnover of servicemen, because it is in the nature of our NS system that you have cohorts who come in and train and they may leave. But we must ensure that the safety culture is entrenched and it is practised and improved upon, and we will do so.
Dr Wan Rizal also asked how MINDEF harnesses technology and digitalisation to further strengthen training safety. We are developing an enterprise Safety Information System for commanders to disseminate information on safety trends and lessons across the SAF. This would provide better awareness of safety situations and make safety promotion more targeted and, therefore, reduce the risk and likelihood of incidents recurring elsewhere within the SAF that are similar to the original occurrence.
However, as I have said, safety is not just the responsibility of commanders. Every soldier must play his role, too. The SafeGuardian mobile application, which I spoke about at Committee of Supply (COS) 2020, has played a significant role in enabling our servicemen to report safety hazards and near misses in a timely manner. Since its roll-out to our active Servicemen in June last year, we have seen a 20% increase in open reports being filed.
The SafeGuardian mobile application has empowered our servicemen to take greater ownership of their own safety and the safety of those around them. Besides open reporting, we are also encouraged that over 37,000 users have viewed the SafeGuardian’s in-application safety information thus far.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked about other recent efforts to enhance training safety. MINDEF/SAF will be collaborating with DSO and the National University of Singapore to establish the Heat Resilience and Performance Centre in the middle of this year. We recognise that rising ambient temperatures due to climate change will increasingly impact the well-being of our servicemen and the effectiveness of our training and operations.
Therefore, we look ahead to see what is it that we need to do in order to sustain our ability to train safely but effectively and upkeep our operational readiness. This centre will conduct forward-looking research on heat mitigation strategies and develop more fundamental approaches to prevent heat injury in the SAF.
Mr Chairman, as we celebrate 55 years of NS this year, we all recognise that NS remains the cornerstone of our national defence and security. We must continue to build on the previous generations’ efforts and dedication to the protection of this country and the strengthening of our NS system. This is a work that will never cease, and the NSRC's recommendations will add to this effort and will put us in good stead as we continue on this journey to ensure that Singapore will forever be secure and free.
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad.
The Senior Minister of State for Defence (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Mr Chairman, Minister for Defence Dr Ng spoke about the global geopolitical shifts, transnational threats and the attendant impact on Singapore. Increasingly, the security challenges that test us will lie outside of traditional battlefields – some call this \"grey zone\" contestation. Now, more than ever, our investments in both the SAF and Total Defence continue to be crucial as Singapore’s bulwark against crises, challenges and potential aggression.
In 1984, we launched Total Defence in the context of a conventional threat landscape. Both then and now, our Total Defence pillars reinforce our belief that a strong foundation for our defence goes beyond the military domain and requires a whole-of-society response.
Over the years, we have faced numerous challenges, from pandemics to economic recessions, to terrorism. The six pillars of defence – military, economic, social, civil, digital, and psychological – working in concert have allowed us to respond to the threats that jeopardise Singapore's future.
In the last two years, we have grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic as it upended our lives and stress-tested us as a nation. It has pressured our healthcare systems and strained our supply chains. Many amongst us have lost jobs and had to pivot to new sectors or roles. And just when it felt like we had turned a corner with the vaccines, there have been new variants like Delta and Omicron.
While this has not been a conventional war, it has been a crisis that has impacted all of us. We are dealing with an unknown threat – COVID-19 – which, even today, remains elusive and ever-evolving.
In order to meet this threat and protect one another from the virus, we have needed a whole-of-society response through Total Defence. We understand that Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui is interested in this topic.
Let us take our vaccination programme as an example. Today, 91% of our total population is fully vaccinated and 68% have received their booster shots. I am heartened that many have stepped up in support of our national vaccine effort. One example is National Serviceman Captain Dr Shane Abucewicz-Tan, a medical officer for the Home Vaccination Team, who supported COVID-19 operations. He conducted household visits as part of the Home Vaccination Programme, ensuring that Singaporeans who were immobile and immunocompromised could receive their vaccinations. Another example is the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations. It put together videos in dialects, such as Hakka, Cantonese and Teochew, to encourage seniors to receive their vaccinations.
Indeed, we have looked out for and supported one another. In 2020, the migrant worker community was disproportionately impacted when COVID-19 began spreading in the dormitories. MINDEF, together with other MINDEF-related organisations, and more than 20 partners, set up the Community Facility at Kranji in May that year − a temporary dormitory for migrant workers, which also served as a vaccination care centre and community care facility. It served over 70,000 migrant workers over 20 months.
I am grateful to our partners who have made this possible. Academic institutions, such as the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, also helped make the site more sustainable. For instance, they tested lightweight solar panels and piloted energy storage solutions, which could be scaled to other temporary sites like these and contribute to our sustainability efforts in the long term.
There are many contributions beyond these and too many heroes to name today. I thank you all for your efforts because you have shown that Total Defence is very much alive and is in every one of us.
The threats to our way of life – our sense of stability and security – come in many forms. A study by Check Point Research found that Singapore saw a 145% increase in cyberattacks from 2020 to 2021. The healthcare sector was the most targeted sector. Throughout the pandemic, fear-mongers have spread falsehoods about variants and the ill-effects of vaccines, which have directly threatened public health and, if not, weakened trust. As Singapore imports 90% of our food, we are highly dependent on continued access to quality food supplies. Threats to our supply chains, natural disasters and climate change have affected our supplies and food prices.
Minister Ng touched on the situation in Ukraine in his speech yesterday. As we watch events unfold, it is a lesson in real-time for Singaporeans on how a country’s stability can be threatened on multiple fronts, including cyberattacks, information campaigns and border threats, and all these ahead of military aggression.
It is tragic and sad how events in Ukraine have unfolded. What is now clear to me, and I hope for many Singaporeans, too, is that we must always be ready and we can only depend on ourselves for our defence. Total Defence – being able to defend ourselves economically, socially and even psychologically – has to be every Singaporean’s responsibility.
As threats become more complex, multidimensional and multifaceted, how can we ensure that we are ever ready to meet them? Member of Parliament Denise Phua asked about this. How can Total Defence continue to galvanise every Singaporean for our survival, security and success? It is with these questions in mind that we embarked on a review of Total Defence.
In the past 16 months, we heard from over 2,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life. We asked them how Total Defence might better rally Singaporeans in times of crisis and this was even before the Ukraine situation happened. From these conversations, we learnt that Total Defence has room to be more resonant and relatable, even as the actions within the six pillars remain relevant. Some found it too abstract, prescriptive and focused on present-day threats at the expense of emerging challenges, while some others did not want to be told what Total Defence was about. Instead, they wanted to be proactive, and wanted space to contribute ideas and efforts towards shaping a Singapore that they aspired to see.
I am grateful for the feedback, which will guide our ongoing review. We have started building on some of these suggestions. For one, we will work to make Total Defence less prescriptive and more inclusive, by encouraging more ground-up and community-led efforts. I say \"more\", because many Singaporeans have already stepped up to support the causes that they care about. For example, more people are choosing to buy local produce and dabble in community gardening to strengthen food security.
Member of Parliament Rachel Ong asked what MINDEF is doing to engage youths. This year, we have launched a two-year campaign, beginning with the Total Defence Sandbox initiative. A sandbox is a safe environment where you can test ideas and programmes. And that is what we hope this can be: a space that links ideas to resources, to turn ideas into prototypes and prototypes into solutions.
We look forward to supporting projects that target today’s most salient challenges, such as cyber threats, food insecurity, are some examples. Some ideas we have heard so far include workshops to increase awareness of cybersecurity and campaigns to promote environmentally sustainable habits. The possibilities are vast and we look forward to Members' contributions.
We will also continue conversations with Singaporeans to expand and reimagine the actions that we can take for Total Defence – both in the current security environment and for the challenges that we will face in the near future or the future to come.
As the security environment continues to evolve, Singaporeans must be aware of the threats to our sovereignty and stability as well as vulnerabilities. Only then can we understand the roles that we might play and how some of these will impact on our actions.
Let me now touch on how MINDEF will work alongside partners to bring to life some of these challenges and the actions Singaporeans can take, which Member of Parliament Rachel Ong also asked about.
The Singapore Discovery Centre (SDC), for one, will be transformed to better tell Singapore’s stories. Member of Parliament Chong Kee Hiong asked about this. SDC has made strides in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) and environmental sustainability, and in recent months, refreshed its galleries. In the upper gallery, an AR, first-person shooter game, takes visitors back to the Battle of Bukit Chandu on 14 February 1942. That day, even though Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and the Malay Regiment soldiers were outnumbered and eventually ran out of supplies, they fought valiantly against the Japanese Army and refused to surrender. As players hunker down behind sandbags, they will experience how the regiment defended themselves against waves of opponents and they will also understand the grit and determination that Lieutenant Adnan and his men had shown despite the odds.
SDC’s lower gallery, \"Sandbox\", opened last November. In that interactive space, a simulated digital environment allows visitors to experience Singapore’s history and the threats that we faced. Startups and students, including those in the AR/VR domain, can also use a new incubator space to collaborate on projects, experiment with technology and bring ideas to life.
SDC has also been investing in innovative energy solutions and renewables, and implementing various energy efficiency measures to reduce energy demand and emissions. Today, more than 60% of its energy use comes from renewable energy and SDC is working on becoming a net carbon-neutral facility. If you have not been to SDC recently, I encourage you to do so and, perhaps, I can invite and organise Members in this House, if you are interested, for a visit.
In the next few years, Singaporeans will have more to look forward to in our museums. We are developing capabilities and investing in technology to make the visitor experience in our three military museums, SDC and the upcoming NS Gallery at Marina Bay more fun and interactive. Museums and galleries are wonderful channels to learn about defence, as history offers important lessons while we look ahead to chart our course in an uncertain, ever-surprising future. We hope that visitors will walk away with an understanding of the competing needs, goals and trade-offs that we have made as a nation and those we might make in the future.
Mr Chairman, every Singaporean must understand Singapore’s security environment, unique vulnerabilities and the roles that we can play. Only then can we recognise the opportunities to contribute and step up where needed.
I am grateful to our ACCORD partners, who are instrumental in this effort, and have been reaching out to more youths and women in their current term. They have conducted NS engagement talks, a webinar series on NS and defence issues for University undergraduates and grassroots dialogues with women. Through these efforts, we prepare those who need to serve NS and help their families and friends take steps to support them.
There is a part for everyone to play, no matter how small, to make our defence total.
Member Carrie Tan had shown interest and asked if MINDEF would consider expanding NS to include community care roles and enlist both men and women.
NS is based on the critical need of national security and defence. Currently, our NS population adequately meets our national security and defence needs. Both Minister Ng Eng Hen and Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How have spoken about MINDEF and the SAF's continued efforts to enhance manpower resource efficiency.
However, contributing to Singapore's defence should not be limited to just those serving NS. There are many different opportunities for Singaporeans to contribute actively through Total Defence and I encourage everyone to do so.
One example is by equipping oneself with practical emergency response skills for Civil Defence. I would like to encourage women, first-generation Permanent Residents and new citizens without NS commitments who are keen to do more for Total Defence to volunteer with the SAF Volunteer Corps.
MINDEF has also embarked on a refresh for our volunteer programme and Singaporeans will soon be able to contribute in different capacities, including as educators, researchers and guides in our museums.
This year, we commemorate 55 years of National Service (NS), as both Minister Ng Eng Heng and Senior Minister Heng Chee How have mentioned.
NS has been the bedrock of our defence. Generation after generation have served, first as NSFs, then as NSmen, to protect and defend Singapore's interests. That is why it is important to appreciate the dedication, service and sacrifice of our National Servicemen and to thank them for their efforts.
ACCORD, for one, will step up efforts to recognise, support and appreciate NSmen across the community. Members Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Yeo Wan Ling asked about this.
Last year, ACCORD members raised several ideas on how Singaporeans can show their support for NS and we will expand on some of them this year.
We will enhance the \"We Support NS Campaign\" where businesses, for one, can offer discounts and privileges to NSmen. We will also expand the spaces for Singaporeans to reflect on the significance of NS, whether through close engagement with our youths or experiential camps for families and the public. More details on the initiatives will be shared later in the year.
The three SAF Services will also continue to engage the community, such as through their open houses and charity events.
In conclusion, Mr Chairman, I would like to close by reiterating that the world remains uncertain. We recognise that the security challenges we face are immense and constantly evolving. MINDEF will continue to build Total Defence as our best response to the threats and challenges that might come our way.
I am heartened that Singaporeans want to do their part for Total Defence through understanding and action and we will partner you to work towards securing our collective future. By working together, we have every reason to be confident that we will keep Singapore strong today and for generations to come.
The Chairman: Time for clarifications. Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Just two clarifications. One is in relation to the 4G Army and the development, I think the changes are quite interesting to hear. I just want to check what steps will be taken to train reservists and upskill them. I am one myself. I am looking forward to using the new equipment, if it is available.
The second, of course, is just to seek clarification that training has been going on smoothly with COVID-19. I think I have asked about that.
The Minister for Defence (Dr Ng Eng Hen): I thank Member Vikram Nair for the questions. Most militaries will face that problem as they modernise – how do they keep their Servicemen current. I think the honest reply is that we focus on the core, which is your NSFs, to make sure that they can, at the push of a button, operate the systems. As you go out on the various rings, ensure that there are both processes as well as outcomes that measure that your units are up to date.
It is not always possible for a large military – for us, we are a small military but a large organisation – that you can equip all the units at the same time. So, it is not as if all units are using the same level of advanced equipment. Some are perhaps one bound behind.
So, in a nutshell, it is always a challenge but I think the SAF, by and large, across all units, do quite well.
It helps that we also have a young military, in a sense that, on average, In-Camp Trainings (ICTs) are across 10 years. Most NSmen will know that you have ATEC, your tactical evaluation, which is done before they go into MINDEF Reserve (MR) or before they finish the 10-year cycle. So, I think that helps.
The question of training – I think we have talked about it. We will expect to be at pre-COVID-19 levels for NSmen later this year.
The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Vikram Nair: I would like to thank Minister Ng Eng Hen, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How and Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad for sharing with us the latest developments in MINDEF and to the whole team at MINDEF and the SAF for keeping us safe even during times of COVID-19. With that, Mr Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $15,775,728,900 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $1,090,745,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head N (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)","subTitle":"Securing our place in the world","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Head N, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head N of the Estimates be reduced by $100.\"
In 1945, following the end of World War II, the countries of the world came together to set up the United Nations. The leaders behind this initiative included the US, the Soviet Union, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom and France, the five permanent members of the Security Council. The Charter of the United Nations (UN) included articles prohibiting the use of force, save in limited circumstances.
The same concept had been applied a year earlier in 1944 at Bretton Woods when the world community came together to set up the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which later became the World Bank. These institutions became operational in 1945, once enough countries signed up.
Two years later in 1947, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was entered into, which laid the foundation for international trade and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
After the horrors of World War II, the idea behind these international agreements was to set up systems for a multilateral world where countries could mutually benefit and prosper. The UN would facilitate collective action in relation to security matters. The IMF would help regulate financial and currency markets; the World Bank would provide loans, initially, to help reconstruct countries ravaged by the war, but later, to help developing countries in need; and GATT, which laid the foundation for world trade, was to help countries prosper through international trade.
On the back of these organisations, many countries, Singapore included, lived in a world that was relatively safe and provided the means for any country big or small to prosper and develop.
Of course, there was no panacea to eliminate conflict altogether and poverty. But, certainly, as a whole, the end of World War II has marked a heightened awareness and compliance with these international norms than any century before.
Against this backdrop, the events in recent years have marked strong pressures amongst nations to pull back from multilateralism. The fast-moving business cycles and dynamism of creative destruction have left many workers in countries feeling displaced as the companies they worked in were restructured or disrupted. At the same time, those who did the disruption profited handsomely, with fresh billionaires being minted every year, particularly in the technology sector.
Free trade has been under continuing pressure, with the two largest economies, China and the US, having an intense rivalry in recent years that has made both more insular with their economic focus.
The multilateral response to uphold the prohibition against the use of force is also under intense pressure. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a direct violation of Article 24 of the UN Charter. However, as Russia is a Security Council member of the UN, a coordinated response by the UN Security Council is not possible.
It would be possible for countries to take action outside the auspices of the UN, say, if they were invited by Ukraine's government to assist. But other countries, including those in NATO, have been reluctant to get involved militarily as they are concerned this may escalate matters into a full-blown European war. As a result, Ukraine has been left to fight the war on its own.
The weakening of this multilateral system is a serious concern for me, particularly where it appears to be that the major powers who were the architects of the system are themselves pulling away from it. This makes it more likely that major powers will clash and that smaller countries may get swallowed up or trampled on during these confrontations.
What is Singapore's best approach in such an environment? I would like to ask whether MFA believes that Singapore can take any steps on our part to uphold the multilateral systems and the international order.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Mr Chairman, are multinational platforms still relevant and effective in dealing with our global problems today?
We have seen our multilateral platforms like the WTO, World Health Organization (WHO) and UN being helpless and ineffective in dealing with crisis and resolving deep-seated global issues and very often end up just being a platform for grandstanding and rhetoric. In an increasingly polarised world, we have also seen major powers manoeuvring and wielding disproportionate influence at such multilateral platforms.
Why does Singapore continue to place a heavy emphasis on multilateralism? Should we instead channel our efforts and resources more to bilateral and regional forums like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and so on where we can better galvanise actions and make real impact?
Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines): The grave frictions between the US and China over areas, such as trade, security and technology, pose risks to the fragile recovery in the global economy and to regional stability. The weakening of people-to-people linkages between the US and China amid the COVID-19 pandemic has not helped. Both superpowers are also trying to strengthen their engagement of our region through their multilateral initiatives, such as the US' Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy and China's Belt and Road Initiative.
We have seen this new political tussle between the US and China played out on the global stage and closer to home, in the South China Sea and during ASEAN meetings. This tension was also felt at non-political events, such as the Summit for Democracy, by which countries were invited by the US, and the diplomatic boycotts of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.
Singapore enjoys close ties with both the US and China. We welcomed US Vice-President Kamala Harris to Singapore in August 2021, while President Halimah Yacob visited Beijing just last month. China and the US were also among Singapore's top trading partners in 2021. Singapore's defence relationship with the US is underpinned by milestone bilateral agreements, such as the 1990 MOU regarding the US' use of facilities in Singapore, which was renewed during Prime Minister Lee's visit to the US in September 2019.
Meanwhile, besides being China's largest foreign investor since 2013, Singapore also has three high level government-to-government projects with China, including the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative launched in 2015.
Sir, as the Chinese saying goes, 顺得哥情失嫂意 – being good friends with both the US and China, there is, inevitably, pressure to choose sides when there are disagreements between the two, even more so when the strategic competition between these two countries has intensified and is happening in our neighbourhood. I would thus like to seek an update from MFA on how the continued rivalry between the world's two largest economies will affect Singapore.
The Chairman: Ms Janet Ang. Not here. Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, over the last two years, the pandemic has changed the way we live and travel. When COVID-19 first broke out two years ago, we had many Singaporeans abroad who wanted to return, at a time when flights and travel were high-risk activities, and those returning Singaporeans also posed the risk of bringing COVID-19 home when they returned.
More recently, when flights to many countries resumed, including the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) and shorter quarantine periods, Singaporeans resumed travel and I expect a number would have captured COVID-19 overseas. I myself mentioned earlier that I was part of this statistic when my family travelled to London and both my daughter and I tested positive. But my own experience with the High Commission in London was very positive and I am grateful for the assistance they rendered to help us navigate what needed to be done.
Looking at the statistics, the number of people getting COVID-19, I can imagine there are likely to be many other Singaporeans who are getting COVID-19 abroad. In this regard, I would like to ask what was MFA's role like during the pandemic and whether its policy priorities have changed.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, COVID-19 has affected Singapore badly for the past two years. I was hoping that COVID-19, like SARS, would go away after a few months. However, this seems to be far from the case. Part of the reason may be the fact that we are now a more connected world and people who travel between countries are the norm. Many of my residents were affected by the restrictions imposed on them or their relatives due to COVID-19. Children studying overseas had to disrupt their studies to either come back or they had to make a decision to remain out of Singapore.
Those residents with business interests overseas were also adversely affected as they cannot travel to their offices or factories in other countries. This means that whatever the COVID-19 situation in other countries will, inevitably, affect Singapore. So, may I ask the Minister how has MFA supported the national and global efforts against COVID-19? Are we in a position to help other countries with surgical masks, sanitisers, vaccines or even test kits in order to build on our relationship with other countries? As a small nation, we need to remain relevant and to have more friends.
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, as a small country that must navigate various forces, we must be wary of not just traditional geopolitical realities, but new and non-traditional challenges. Besides cybersecurity and climate change, what are some emerging and salient issues that are currently discussed at multilateral fora and how is Singapore addressing them? For example, interconnectedness through increased globalisation has reshaped threats to the modern state, such as terrorist groups, piracy networks and other non-state actions. We no longer just have a singular focus on military affairs, but we need to also think about non-military threats and also from the rise of non-state groups. Dealing with such threats and risks requires diplomacy and non-military responses.
Living through a pandemic today on an island that is vulnerable to rising sea levels as our climate changes, importing all our energy needs, we are a young nation, porous to overseas values and cultural debates which may fracture our historical fault lines. Paying close attention to such issues translates into the way we manage social and moral issues, such as equality and race relations, as well as more pragmatic ones, such as supplies of food and vaccines.
Let us not take for granted that as a small country with little geopolitical weight, we were one of the earliest to secure vaccines for everyone living on this island. Finally, can the Minister tell us what are some of these emerging issues and how we have planned to deal with these, not just as a Government, but as a people?
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, I had filed this cut prior to the Russian invasion to ask for MFA's response in relation to the situation in Ukraine. Since then, the invasion has taken place and I think the Minister has made Singapore's position clear in the Ministerial Statement. I do have a few related questions, though. As we speak, the fighting is still ongoing. According to reports, Ukraine is significantly outnumbered by Russia's military and military resources, but they have been putting up fierce resistance. It is not clear how long Ukraine will be able to hold out for or how long this conflict will last.
There has been news coverage, both of Ukrainians in Singapore, as well as Singaporeans in Ukraine. Does MFA see itself playing any further role in this issue, including facilitating the exit of Singaporeans from Ukraine, and/or facilitating the stay of the Ukrainians in Singapore, in the event something untoward happens and they are unable to return home?
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, it has been a painful week reading the various headlines about the war in Ukraine. The destruction and loss of innocent lives caused by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia are simply unacceptable as this is a blatant interference with the sovereignty of another country. Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had issued a Ministerial Statement about the Ukraine situation on Monday. I agree and fully support the stand taken by the Singapore Government. As a small country, we have to insist on the principles of respect for national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and also on the rule of law.
As Singapore has already imposed sanctions on Russia, may I ask the Minister, what else can Singapore do to garner support from other countries and, in particular, our ASEAN neighbours, to have all our neighbours agree to uphold international law and to respect each country's sovereignty? What else can we do to promote peace between our neighbours? What else can we do to provide support to the people of Ukraine?
Mr Eric Chua (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, Singapore is a small state. In the global order, small states have little intrinsic relevance. In the face of regional and global geopolitical developments, small states are often price takers. In many ways, 24 February this year will go down in the history books as the day history repeats itself. As curtains to the full-on military conflict in Ukraine were raised, what George Bernard Shaw said that \"We learn from history that we learn nothing from history\" takes on fresh relevance.
Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has delivered a Ministerial Statement on Monday explaining our response and sanctions on Russia. I fully agree with the Minister when he says that this crisis is of existential concern to small states like Singapore. International law and principles enshrined in the UN Charter must be upheld. We should avoid getting ourselves caught up in geopolitical games.
Internally, we must be united and, at the same time, always stand ready to stand for our interests and our sovereignty. Like many Singaporeans, I watch the daily developments in Ukraine with much unease. While the conflict in Ukraine remains somewhat a distant theatre of operations, what can we do to be sure that Singapore and Singaporeans really pick up and internalise relevant lessons because those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru): Chairman, our bilateral relations with our Southeast Asian (SEA) neighbours, as well as their relations with one another, are of paramount importance to us.
Firstly, Southeast Asia, through ASEAN, has maintained peace among the nations, creating conditions for peaceful development for all.
Secondly, the collective heft of SEA under ASEAN, allows us to come together to negotiate with the major powers.
Thirdly, SEA remains a key engine of growth for Singapore because (a) SEA, collectively, has a large and relatively young population, as well as a large and growing middle class; (b) SEA remains committed to free trade and regional integration; and (c) the ASEAN Economic Community, which all SEA nations are part of, could rise from being the seventh-largest economy today to becoming the fourth largest by 2030.
Given the importance of our immediate region, can MFA provide an update on our relations with our Southeast Asian neighbours?
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Chairman, Malaysia is one of Singapore’s closest neighbours. Most of us have friends and loved ones on both sides of the Causeway and, prior to the pandemic, had often travelled to each other’s country for leisure and work.
We have cooperated closely in many areas, including trade and investment, maritime security and environmental protection. Singapore and Malaysia are each other’s second most important trading partners.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted travel arrangements as well as other projects and engagements. I know our two governments have continued to work closely together and share a desire to gradually restore cross-border travel and resume other activities for the mutual benefit of both countries.
I would thus like to seek an update on Singapore’s relations with one of our closest partners. How has Singapore maintained our relations with Malaysia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast): Chairman, the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat held in Bintan on 25 January 2022 brought about significant milestones in the bilateral relations of our countries through an expanded framework of agreements in our Flight Information Regions, Defence Cooperation and the Extradition Treaty. MOUs on Green and Circular Economy Development and an MOU on Energy Cooperation were also signed between the two nations, with impact on green growth opportunities, low-carbon energy infrastructure, and development of new emerging green technology. What are some initiatives we can expect to see rolled out this year following the above two MOUs? And how will Singapore continue to work with Indonesia to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including at the central and regional levels, following the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat held in Bintan on 25 January 2022?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Our relations with Brunei have been very close and mutually beneficial for many years. In 2021, Brunei assumed the chairmanship of ASEAN in the midst of great challenges brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia and other issues as well, such as the military coup in Myanmar and the ongoing maritime disputes in the South China Sea. ASEAN, under the chairmanship of Brunei, would have to cooperate, navigate and chart a post-pandemic future together to achieve stability and prosperity in the region.
In this regard, can the Minister please elaborate on how we have maintained our excellent relations with Brunei in the midst of these challenges? And what are the highlights of Brunei's chairmanship of ASEAN in 2021?
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: Sir, given the increasing geopolitical tensions and rivalry between major powers, ASEAN centrality, unity and credibility become even more vital in order to stay relevant and not being sidelined on matters of strategic importance to the region. It was not how the concept of ASEAN was originally founded on where the grouping's role is meant to be limited, with a strong adherence to the principle of non-interference in each member state's internal affairs.
ASEAN has strengthened its engagement with external partners over the years with the setting up of extra-regional platforms such as, ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Regional Forums, ASEAN Defence Ministers Plus, Extended ASEAN Maritime Forum, to name a few. The engagement agenda has also gotten more substantial and taken on a more ASEAN-centric stand to regional or global issues.
Can I seek an update from the Minister on how Singapore will continue to play its part in maintaining ASEAN's centrality, unity and credibility?
The Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim. She is not here. Mr Henry Kwek.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: Chairman, the unending civil war in Myanmar is nothing short of a humanitarian disaster.
Singaporeans are rightfully concerned because of our relationships with the people of Myanmar and our business ties with Myanmar.
At the same time, how ASEAN responds to the civil war in Myanmar is also a major test for ASEAN. ASEAN countries will need to balance our deeply-held belief of non-interference in the affairs of member states, with our natural instincts of encouraging conditions of peace and stability not just among ASEAN nations, but also within ASEAN nations. As such, can MFA provide an update on the ASEAN response to Myanmar?
The Chairman: Mr Alex Yam. He is not here. Mr Chong Kee Hiong.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: Chairman, our leaders had a series of high-level exchanges with their counterparts from the Middle East, particularly the Gulf countries, recently.
Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Education Mohamad Maliki Osman visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia to engage their political leaders in October last year.
In mid-January this year, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister His Highness Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud visited Singapore. A few days later, our Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu visited the UAE to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. This was shortly followed by Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean’s visit to the UAE to officiate the Singapore Day ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubai. He also met the leaders of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
More recently, the Government had moved to launch the deferred VTLs with the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Would the Ministry share how Singapore is maintaining its relations with the Gulf countries, considering the impact of the pandemic? How have Singapore’s relations with the Gulf countries developed given the recent visits to and from the region?
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Chairman, in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Since last August, Saudi Arabia has welcomed international vaccinated Umrah pilgrims, after a gap of one and a half years due to COVID-19. In fact, many Singaporeans performed their Umrah during this pandemic. As Umrah for international pilgrims has resumed since last August, could we expect the Haj to resume for Singapore pilgrims for this year, too?
In last August too, I asked a Parliamentary Question during the tensions in Palestine. Minister for Foreign Affairs explained how the Government has, through the Enhanced Technical Assistance Programme (ETAP), trained over 500 Palestinian officials in public administration, economic and urban development. Singapore also sponsored Palestinian students to pursue post-graduate degrees in our local Universities. Many thanks to our MFA officers.
Can the Minister for Foreign Affairs update us on efforts to support capacity building in the Palestinian Authority?
Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Chairman, beyond our relationship with the US and China, it is also important that Singapore continues to strengthen its global network of friends. In light of the tension between the US and China, what more can we do to strengthen this network and enhance these partnerships with other key partners?
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, the US has been an important power in the world and the region since World War II. The US was a reluctant entrant in that war, but its entry into the war was definitive in the Pacific theatre. Since then, whenever there have been violations of Article 24 of the UN Charter, the US has played, again, a decisive role in these matters, including in the invasion of Kuwait.
More recently, though, the US seems to be heavily preoccupied with internal matters, particularly with the mid-term elections coming in November and it looks like control of both Houses may be in the balance.
The recent US withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as the strong statements ruling out military involvement in Ukraine seemed to suggest that its appetite for involvement in foreign conflicts is limited.
There is a risk that if the world perceives that the US and the major powers are less prepared to uphold law and order, then potential aggressors would be emboldened to act in violation of international law. Are there any steps that we can take to continue to engage the US and to keep them involved and interested in the region?
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Chairman, Singapore and the US have been close partners in support of the rules-based economic and security order within our region since our Independence. A recent example of how we have assisted in the area of security is our offer of military planes to help with evacuation efforts in Afghanistan last August.
Economy-wise, the US remains, by far, consistently the largest foreign investor in Singapore. The US is also Singapore’s top trading partner in services and Singapore’s third largest partner in merchandise trade.
The most recent development is on the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework put forward by the Biden administration.
While still light on details, a White House factsheet on the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the US gives us insights on the areas of engagement, including labour and environmental standards, a new digital economy framework, building resilient and secure supply chains, and making shared investments in decarbonisation and clean energy. If actualised, the plan presents significant opportunities for Singapore.
However, with the said opportunities come risks. One that comes to mind is the question of US commitment. The domestic political atmosphere in the US is one that is sceptical of trade and other economic deals that are perceived to place American businesses and workers at a disadvantage.
Such conditions are apparent across the political spectrum. This could affect the degree of US commitment to the framework.
There may also be concerns in Beijing that Singapore may be cooperating in an effort that undermines Chinese interests. Such considerations may be especially important, given the current heightened levels of suspicion and competition between the US and China.
Beyond navigating ties between the US and China, how will Singapore balance joining the Framework and fit in with various other economic arrangements which Singapore is currently committed to? I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister how does Singapore plan to engage with the US under this Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, Singapore has had a long and cordial relationship with China. We have been cooperating in many areas, including investment and trading, and have deep and robust ties through our joint entities and our people. Since 2013, China has been Singapore’s largest trading partner, and Singapore has been China’s largest foreign investor. Quite a number of Singaporeans and Chinese also share family ties. Both countries are committed to the many growing areas of cooperation and it can be seen in how both established a fast lane in early June 2020 to facilitate essential business and official travel. This is significant because the fast lane was China’s first with a Southeast Asian country.
Singapore has enjoyed good relations with Japan and South Korea as well. Many Japanese and Korean companies have made investments and set up offices in Singapore. Singaporeans are very familiar with Japanese and South Korean products, entertainment and cultural influence. Japan and South Korea have been two of the most popular travel destinations among Singaporeans. There are many Japanese and Korean families living and working here as well.
What steps have we taken to broaden our bilateral ties and strengthen our cooperation with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea amidst the pandemic? How will these ties translate into cooperation in technological and business development on the ground for the benefit of all parties?
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, we have had a strong relationship with India over the years. Historically, it was India's independence that paved the way for many former colonies of the United Kingdom, including Singapore, to also become independent, in the post-war wave of decolonisation.
In more recent years, ties have been strong between India and Singapore with multiple top-level meetings taking place between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Relations have been cemented with the Singapore-India Strategic Partnership signed during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Singapore in 2015 and updated in 2017 and 2018. There were several high-level, Ministerial visits taking place between the countries during 2018 and 2019 as well prior to the pandemic.
Over the last two years, though, actual visits have been difficult. I would like to ask the Minister what the state of Singapore-India relations was like during the pandemic and whether there have been any potential areas where we can further develop the partnership in the coming year.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Chairman, in June last year, our Prime Minister hosted Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the 6th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Singapore. They noted the good progress made in the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) over the past year despite challenges presented by COVID-19. The Prime Ministers also agreed to keep the CSP forward-looking by furthering cooperation in emerging areas such as low-emissions solutions and fintech. In August, Singapore and Australia agreed to a dose sharing arrangement of COVID-19 vaccines. This arrangement enabled both countries to support each other in optimising our respective schedules for vaccinating our populations against COVID-19.
Since November 2021, fully vaccinated Singapore Citizens have been able to travel to most Australian cities quarantine-free. This is much welcomed news for many Singaporeans.
Another Oceania country we have close relations with is New Zealand. We share many interests and strategic views and cooperate closely both bilaterally and multilaterally. When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited Singapore in 2019, we upgraded bilateral relations to an Enhanced Partnership (EP). We have developed 26 bilateral cooperation initiatives across the EP’s four pillars: trade and economics; security and defence; science, technology and innovation; and people-to-people links. When the pandemic struck, Singapore and New Zealand reaffirmed our commitment to maintaining trade flows for essential goods by co-sponsoring the Joint Statement on Open Markets, Flow of Essential Goods and Supply Chain Connectivity issued by the UN in May 2020.
There are great opportunities for Singapore with these two countries. I would like to ask the Minister what new areas of cooperation are being explored between Singapore and Australia as well as New Zealand?
Ms Janet Ang (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, thank you for the privilege to participate in this debate.
Earlier in the week, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan gave this House an insightful and heart-wrenching Ministerial Statement on the situation in Ukraine and its implications. Singaporeans must not think that it can never happen to us.
As I said in my Budget debate speech, Singapore's Total Defence along with our diplomatic corps cannot be over-emphasised. Singaporeans cannot take our existence as a nation for granted. We must do our best not to be taken for granted by others.
Mr Chairman, let me start by sharing three reflections.
My first reflection is that our Singapore voice must be heard clearly but humbly. Singapore is a small country and a young nation in a big world. In the global economy, it is imperative that we stay relevant to global corporates, global markets, global supply chains, global financial networks, so as to create good jobs for our people, strong growth for our businesses and sustainability for our country.
In global geopolitics, it is paramount that we develop and maintain strong diplomatic relations with everyone without compromising our independence, values and principles.
It is pertinent, therefore, that our Singapore voice be heard clearly but humbly. We must have the courage to speak and act with integrity to protect the sovereignty of our country.
If you heard Singapore's Permanent Representative Burhan Gafoor take the stage as last speaker at the UN General Assembly's special emergency session to present Singapore's view, that is our collective courage.
That takes me to my second reflection: Singapore must not be used by anyone. The terrorists in Ukraine should remind us of the dangers of division and fragmentation of a society, falling prey to foreign influence or foreign might. We must never be the vassal state of any other power.
My third reflection is that even though we are small, Singapore and Singaporeans can play our part as channels of peace, dialogue and reconciliation.
Mr Chairman, we live in an increasingly polarised and uncertain world. The strategic competition between the US and China has widened and deepened, pulling other countries into the fray. We have seen this playing out in fields such as the deployment of 5G networks. There is also growing talk of a new cold war in Europe arising from the tragic situation in Ukraine, invoking the imagery of opposing ideologies that cannot be reconciled.
Closer to home, the situation in Myanmar continues to be a challenge for ASEAN.
These developments have and will continue to have significant geopolitical and economic ramifications on all countries, including Singapore. Amidst these challenges, how does Singapore continue to maintain an independent foreign policy and how do we balance between being your brother's keeper and minding your own business when it comes to diplomacy?
Let me close with this one line, which I took away from Pope Francis' message to all ambassadors at the meeting in the Vatican earlier this year: \"We should be unafraid to make room for peace in our lives by cultivating dialogue and fraternity among one another.\"
The Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Not here. Mr Desmond Choo.
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Chairman, there are 200,000 Singaporeans living abroad. For fellow Singaporeans living away from home, MFA's overseas missions are their primary point of contact when they require any assistance.
Now, consular assistance does not affect most Singaporean travelers. However, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of MFA's consular assistance. MFA had faced an unprecedented number of requests for assistance since the pandemic. MFA officers worked tirelessly to bring our citizens home even when international borders were shut.
I wish to thank our MFA officers for working round the clock to serve our fellow residents. In particular, some of the officers have not been home since the pandemic. Their dedication and commitment in serving our fellow citizens abroad are commendable.
In addition to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, we are now facing an uncertain global security climate. MFA must ensure their operational capabilities remain effective and meet Singaporeans' demand for prompt and effective consular services.
Could MFA update on its efforts to improve the delivery of consular assistance to Singaporeans overseas? What challenges does MFA face that require public support?
I also understand that MFA has over 50 overseas missions worldwide. Despite this, we face issues relating to repatriation efforts during the pandemic as there are some Singaporeans located in countries where the Ministry has no ground presence.
Is there a need for MFA to establish ground presence in more countries? How about the support to Singaporeans affected by the Ukrainian-Russian conflict? Furthermore, despite international borders reopening, there are still a few countries that remain closed to international travellers. How would MFA assist Singaporeans who need to travel to these countries for compassionate reasons amidst the pandemic?
The Chairman: Mr Alex Yam. Not here. Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Chairman, we live in an increasingly uncertain world. Russia has invaded Ukraine. The strategic competition between the US and China has intensified. Other countries have inevitably found themselves drawn into it and found themselves confronted with difficult choices. Countries are also grappling with global issues such as supply chain disruptions, technology bifurcation and climate change and the impact these have on their peoples and economies.
Singapore has to respond to these fast-changing developments and make very difficult choices as well and we need Singaporeans to believe and understand that our chosen courses of action are taken after very careful consideration in their best interests.
But the considerations that drive our decision making on foreign policy issues are complex and often hard to understand or translate into layman's terms.
Would the Ministry share what it is doing to deepen Singaporeans' understanding of the key tenets of our foreign policy and the considerations for them? How can foreign policy issues be made easy for the man in the street to understand? How can we highlight the ways in which good foreign policy contributes to the well-being of Singapore and Singaporeans and get domestic support for our foreign policy decisions?
This is extremely important because the understanding will help build trust between the Government and the people. The unity gives us a strong coherent voice in our interactions with foreign countries. Would the Minister consider providing easy-to-read information to schools, tertiary institutions, grassroots, community partners and even religious organisations?
The Chairman: Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Chairman, it has been a very busy year. As always, we are trying to secure our place in a very volatile and, I would say, dangerous world.
The key issues confronting us are: first, COVID-19 and its aftermath; second, navigating major power rivalry, fostering peace, upholding international law, strengthening multilateralism; third, protecting the global commons, including addressing non-traditional challenges; fourth, nurturing Singapore's relations with our neighbours; and fifth, ASEAN.
First, let me deal with COVID-19 because Mr Vikram Nair, Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Lim Biow Chuan have asked how COVID-19 has affected our foreign policy.
The pandemic has impacted – in fact, disrupted – the lives of many overseas Singaporeans. MFA's duty in the last two years has been to make sure that we left no Singaporean behind. I say that again, we left no Singaporean behind. We have helped to bring home more than 4,600 Singaporeans who had difficulty getting back for some reason or the another in the last two years.
MFA also supported the launch of Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) and the mutual recognition of health certificates in order to facilitate the safe resumption of international travel.
Singapore has also supported global COVID-19 vaccination – because no one is safe until everyone is safe in the world. We have contributed to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment and the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. I would add that we donated our entitlements to our neighbours.
We also responded quickly to urgent medical needs by sending medical supplies, including more than 500 tonnes of liquid oxygen to Indonesia through our \"Oxygen Shuttle\" programme and 120,000 vaccine doses to Batam and the Riau Islands, as well as 100,000 and 200,000 vaccine doses to Malaysia and Brunei respectively.
We also sent a consignment of 256 oxygen cylinders to support India's pandemic response at the height of its second wave last April.
I wish to commend the dedication of all MFA staff, both those serving in Singapore as well as in our Overseas Missions. Over 300 MFA officers have served Singapore at our Overseas Missions during this period and I am very proud that not a single officer has asked to leave their posts because of the risk of the pandemic.
Despite our best efforts and health precautions, about 40 of our officers serving overseas as well as another 150 foreigners who are employed by our Missions overseas did succumb to COVID-19. Fortunately, they have recovered. But again, it is a symbol of their commitment and their willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Singapore and Singaporeans. We owe them a big debt of gratitude.
COVID-19 will not be the last or even the worst pandemic faced by the world. So, we will continue to work with the international community, including and especially through the WHO, in order to strengthen the global health architecture and to enhance pandemic preparedness and resilience and the ability to cooperate as a single world.
Let me move on to the next aspect – major power rivalry, fostering peace, upholding international law and multilateralism.
The ongoing developments in Ukraine are a stark reminder of the vulnerability of small states when confronted by a larger and more powerful opponent. Mr Vikram Nair, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Mr Eric Chua, Ms Janet Ang and Mr Baey Yam Keng have all asked very salient questions about multilateralism, about the world order and about big power rivalry.
In my Ministerial Statement on 28 February, I explained why we have to be such a staunch supporter of international law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. We must take a stand against actions that clearly violate the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of another country, of all countries, because, ultimately, this is also about us, as a tiny city state.
When push comes to shove, smaller countries like Singapore must be prepared to defend ourselves and not get caught up in the geopolitical games of big powers. We do not take sides. But we do take a stand to uphold existential principles. We make common cause with our neighbours and our friends, within ASEAN and in the UN General Assembly to the maximum extent possible.
So, for instance, last night, there was an overwhelming vote – 141 countries at the UN General Assembly voted in favour of the resolution. In ASEAN, all our Ministers, I can tell you, were up until 1.00 am to 2.00 am last night communicating and we will shortly be issuing an ASEAN statement calling for an immediate ceasefire.
We continue to try to get humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and, of course, we continue to monitor the evacuation of Singaporeans in Ukraine. We have got another further three out, and there are still six left there.
Let me say a few words about the strategic competition between the US and China. This has intensified across multiple domains and, quite frankly, the strategic choices of both these countries will shape the emerging international order profoundly.
Under President Biden, US foreign policy has become, in a sense, more predictable. However, its fundamental approach and the policies of the US towards China have basically remained unchanged. In fact, the sanctions against Chinese entities have not been relaxed but have become even tougher.
Both political parties in America as well as the business community and even society at large have come to, generally, view China as a direct threat to the United States' interests. This is compounded by the fact that the US has never, in its history, faced a peer competitor on such a scale.
On China's part, there is a growing perception that the US is a declining power reacting defensively and aggressively to China's inevitable growth and progress. China is promoting its own constructs to broaden and deepen its relations with other countries in the world through international schemes, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, and more recently, the Global Development Initiative. However, China will want to avoid being seen to be pressured into making concessions in its policies or posture, out of a concern that any concession on its part will only lead to continued or even increased pressure from other countries.
US and China's relationship is fraught with many spiky issues and this is complicated by domestic considerations, and the distrust, the rivalry have intensified over the past few years. Trade and economic issues can be negotiated and compromises found. However, disagreements cast in moralistic or ideological terms on issues like human rights or political systems quickly lead to deadlocks where no compromise is possible. We hope both countries will accept that there is a need to reset their postures, to work out a new modus vivendi, and to reduce zero-sum competition. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for them to cooperate constructively, even where their interests are aligned.
How the US and China compete and cooperate will determine not just their trajectories, but that of the rest of the world. It would be disastrous for both powers to focus on what they call \"extreme competition\", or even outright confrontation. And the old Cold War strategy of containment will not be viable.
We, therefore, welcome efforts by both the US and China to engage at the highest levels to cooperate on global challenges like climate change and the digital age, and we encourage greater people-to-people engagement as travel restrictions are removed in order to foster generations, especially younger people in both the United States and China, to understand and to appreciate each other's values, attitudes, strengths and weaknesses. We hope that these interactions will encourage greater trust and pave the way forward for a more constructive relationship.
As the former Secretary of State George Shultz wisely observed, he said – and this is worth remembering \t– \"Trust is the coin of the realm. When trust was in the room, good things happened. When trust was not in the room, good things did not happen. Everything else is details.\"
On Singapore's part, we enjoy excellent ties and, in fact, I may add, high levels of trust with both the US and China. And we have been able to maintain high-level interactions even amidst COVID-19 over the past two years. In 2021 alone, we welcomed visits by US Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. I also made a working visit to Washington where I met with my counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken. President Biden will be hosting an ASEAN-US Summit in Washington later this month.
We have also maintained intensive engagements with our Chinese counterparts, including through mutual support when we both needed it during COVID-19 at its worst moments, as well as bilateral cooperation and at the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in December last year.
Since 2020 – and I double-checked this number – I have met or spoken with my counterpart, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on nine occasions. So, that is about once every three months. And our most recent engagement was in Beijing last month, when I accompanied President Halimah Yacob to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. And there is a standing invitation for President Halimah to make a formal State Visit to China.
It is in Singapore's interest to continue to foster stronger ties with both the US and China and to be a consistent and reliable partner to both for the long term. We will continue to engage both powers through diplomacy grounded in fundamental principles, such as adherence to international law, the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, respect for sovereignty, the sanctity of borders and upholding a rules-based multilateral system.
However, we make decisions based on our long-term national interests and we make it clear to both that we will not be a proxy vassal state or a cat's paw for one side or the other. And we have not shied away from standing up for ourselves and disagreeing on issues when necessary. And we do not have the luxury of saying different things to different partners. So, Singapore strives to be straightforward, consistent, reliable, trustworthy. To this end, we will also work with all parties to uphold an open, inclusive, stable, peaceful, rules-based international order.
There were questions just now about the TPP and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework by Mr Dennis Tan. Quite frankly, I have told my American interlocutors on numerous occasions, it was a mistake for the US to pull out of the TPP. It is still the highest level and most ambitious Free Trade Agreement with safeguards not only for trade, labour, the environment, intellectual property; and the rest of it. But all my interlocutors in America have said they cannot do it because of domestic political reasons. In a sense, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is an alternative which they are trying to put beef on this framework. Let us see and let us encourage them. But as I have said, the key point I keep making and, in fact, the Prime Minister has made to multiple Presidents in Asia, trade is strategy. So, let us watch how progress is made on this front. And it is also no accident that now you have got the UK, China and Taiwan applying to join the CPTPP.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked why Singapore continues to place such heavy emphasis on multilateralism, given that powerful states are often perceived to wield outsized influence at multinational platforms, and he asked whether we should just focus on bilateral and regional arrangements. Ms Janet Ang asked how Singapore's foreign policy can remain independent while balancing and advancing our own national interests, as opposed to, and she even asked why should we be our brother's keeper.
Well, let me address these thematically. With global economic integration and the expansion of cross-border capital and trade flows over the last century, the fortunes of all countries and all peoples are now increasingly interdependent. Small states like Singapore value a system, where sovereign states, regardless of size, have equal rights and disputes can be settled peacefully in accordance with international law and agreed rules, and not to be subject to the rules of the jungle where might is right or to be forced to make invidious choices between big powers.
In fact, multilateralism and economic integration have been a formula for peace and prosperity for many decades since the end of the last (Second) World War, and especially critical for small states like us. You notice I said \"last\" World War. I am betraying my anxieties.
We have spared no effort to strengthen the rules-based multilateral order so that it continues to provide us with a platform to safeguard our interests. And that is why we worked with a cross-regional group of countries to establish the Forum of Small States, which, in fact, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
In today's charged geopolitical context, it is even more important that small states continue to stand up for a stronger United Nations and a robust multilateral system that levels the playing fields, takes all countries' interests into account. The rise of protectionism amidst COVID-19 has also underscored the importance of: one, upholding a free, open and rules-based multilateral trading system, as embodied by the WTO; second, deepening economic integration at multilateral fora, such as APEC and G20; third, diversifying trade relations through regional arrangements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and our latest free trade agreement, the Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. These regional agreements facilitate more efficient, more diversified and resilient supply chains. They increase access to global markets, encourage rules-based trading activity and foster greater connectivity.
Even in Singapore, as we face pushback from some people against economic integration, it is important to redouble and reaffirm that this is an essential pillar for our economic strategy.
Third, let me deal with our international work on the global commons and non-traditional security challenges that have been raised.
Countries are grappling with geopolitical flashpoints, insularism and major power politics. Mr Seah Kian Peng reminded us and asked about Singapore's approach to these emerging issues at multilateral fora.
Well, there is certainly no shortage of emerging non-traditional issues. The ones which often come to mind are climate change, food security, emerging diseases, the challenges and problems of the digital economy and the threats in cyberspace and, eventually, and, in fact, emerging, outer space as well.
Again, our approach is that we believe in multilateralism and that these issues should best be pursued at multilateral fora, including the United Nations, APEC, G20 and ASEAN. Basically, an opportunity for us to work together, address the challenges, the opportunities, deal with the dangers, establish common standards, norms, rules and, ultimately, hopefully, norms for state behaviours. And this is the way, in a sense, we have to protect the global commons, public health, the oceans, the environment, cyberspace, outer space.
Actually, Singapore has a history of outsized contributions in protecting the global commons.
For instance, in cybersecurity, which is a clear and present threat right now, we clearly need to work with the international community towards arriving at a global consensus, including through the creation of a multilateral architecture in cyberspace. We are members of both the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on Cybersecurity – in fact, this is chaired by Singapore \t– and the UN Group of Government Experts on Cybersecurity to foster understanding and collaboration on the development of new governance principles, frameworks and standards.
Climate change, we all know, is an existential threat to mankind and as a small city-state, we are exquisitely vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Encouraging progress was made at the most recent 26th Conference of the Parties, and I am sure Minister Grace Fu will explain. But in case she is too humble, let me say that she and her team have continued this tradition of being excellent ministerial facilitators, being honest brokers and arriving at consensus and making progress for the world.
Similarly, this year, I should also add, marks the 40th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. And amidst all the oceans-related challenges today, we continue to affirm the primacy and the universality of UNCLOS, which sets out the legal framework for all activities in the oceans. And notwithstanding our small size, our pioneers, including Ambassador-at-Large professor Prof Tommy Koh, played again an outsized role and helped to bring UNCLOS to fruition 40 years ago.
So, we continue to play a constructive role in oceans-related issues and right now, Ambassador Rena Lee has been the President of the Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Intergovernmental Conference since 2018. Most people may not be aware of this, but this is another offshoot of UNCLOS.
Fourth, peace and stability in our immediate neighbourhood are absolutely critical. Our relations with our closest neighbours, Indonesia and Malaysia, will always be of special importance. Miss Rachel Ong asked about the outcomes of the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat in January and how this would affect the trajectory of our bilateral relations.
I think you all know that Singapore and Indonesia are close partners. We enjoy a substantive and multifaceted relationship. The Leaders' Retreat held in January marked a significant milestone in our bilateral relations and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean delivered a Ministerial Statement last month explaining the significance of the agreements that Singapore and Indonesia signed to address longstanding bilateral issues, namely, the Flight Information Region, the defence cooperation and the extradition of fugitives.
The Flight Information Region (FIR) Agreement will uphold the safety and efficiency of air traffic in our region in a manner that is consistent with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules and meet the civil aviation needs of both countries. The Defence Cooperation Agreement will strengthen cooperation between our two armed forces. It will provide clarity on the arrangements for the SAF's training in the Indonesian archipelagic and territorial waters and airspace, which is conducted with full respect for Indonesia's sovereignty, whilst preserving Singapore's rights under UNCLOS.
The Extradition Treaty will enhance cooperation in combating crime and send a positive signal to investors.
Both countries also exchanged letters to undertake that all these agreements will enter into force simultaneously.
This set of mutually beneficial and durable agreements shows the strength and maturity of our bilateral relationship. It illustrates our commitment to resolving longstanding bilateral matters in an open and constructive manner for the long-term benefit of our peoples. Prime Minister Lee and President Joko Widodo both expressed the desire to ratify and bring these agreements into force soon. Prime Minister Lee and President Joko Widodo also had good discussions on new areas of collaboration, including green economy, renewable energy, human capital development. And we look forward to making progress on all these fronts.
The key point is that we can steadily resolve all issues and we can open up new areas with win-win outcomes.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about Malaysia. For Malaysia, I want to tell you that we have maintained our very close relationship. And I would say, it has probably even been strengthened by our shared experience of COVID-19. Malaysia is our closest neighbour and bilateral engagements continued both formally and informally throughout this pandemic. Our Ministers have been communicating: WhatsApp, letters, phone calls, video calls. And most importantly, at times of greatest need, we are available for each other. And one thing which I want to cite is that we made sure our supply chains both ways never failed, even in the depths of the crisis. We were still able to facilitate the safe movement of goods, services and people.
In fact, trade in goods and services increased in 2021. We collaborated closely with Malaysia to restore connectivity, launch Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) for both land and air travel on 29 November 2021 and helped restore some – I say \"some\", because it is still a very small fraction – of the pre-pandemic flow of tourists and business people. We have also helped to reunite families on both sides of the Causeway and I know we all look forward to expanding cross-border travel progressively and safely, and hopefully, at some point, back to pre-pandemic levels.
On ASEAN, let me just quickly say that Mr Henry Kwek asked about the concerns with Myanmar. It is still a very dire situation. The ASEAN leaders had a meeting in April 2021 and arrived at the Five-Point Consensus. Unfortunately, there has been no significant progress at all. We will continue to work with the ASEAN Chair – Cambodia this year – as we did with Brunei last year, and, indeed, with our fellow ASEAN members to continue trying to promote, persuade, cajole, and reach a peaceful and durable resolution of the situation in Myanmar through the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
Mr Chairman, since MFA's establishment in 1965, our Mission has always been to uphold the independence and sovereignty of Singapore, to protect and advance the interests of Singaporeans, both at home and overseas. And we must thus continue to invest in this effort of diplomacy, even as the Government tackles all the immediate challenges of the day.
Just as supply chains are moving from \"Just-in-Time\" to \"Just-in-Case\", for a small city-state like Singapore, we must always prepare for all possible scenarios. It is in our fundamental interest to ensure that our partners around the world have a stake in our continued peace and prosperity. We must never take our independence, sovereignty, peace and security for granted. I thank Members of Parliament for your continued support of MFA's work and for the wonderful, dedicated service of every single MFA officer. [Applause.]
Mr Chairman: Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman.
The Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman): Mr Chairman, I would like to begin by following up on what Minister Vivian Balarishnan had just shared about our relations with our closest neighbours – Malaysia and Indonesia.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong’s question on how we have engaged Malaysia amidst the pandemic is a pertinent one as our two countries are deeply intertwined. Two years of living with COVID-19 have underscored the depth of our ties and the value of close cooperation for mutual benefit.
The prolonged closure of our borders has thus had a profound impact on the people on both sides, with many families and relatives separated. Given our interdependencies, the two governments have worked closely to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19.
We coordinated to ensure the sustainable movement of supplies, goods and services, and will continue to do so. It has not been easy and we thank our Malaysian friends, including truck drivers who undergo regular testing to ensure that supplies reach us.
We convened with Malaysia the 14th Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia on 21 December 2021, where we reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem in Iskandar Malaysia.
As Malaysia’s closest neighbour, Singapore always stands ready to do our part to help when needed. We contributed seed money to support the Singapore Red Cross’ disaster relief and recovery efforts following the floods in Kuala Lumpur and nine other Malaysian states in December 2021, as we had done in previous similar instances. We are similarly very grateful for Malaysia's assistance. Recently, Malaysia helped to facilitate the departure of a Singaporean from Ukraine.
Beyond our relations with the federal government, we have also maintained our ties with various Malaysian states. We have contributed medical supplies and vaccines, and shared our experiences on vaccine procurement and other areas. For example, we donated over 100,000 vaccine doses and over 100,000 test kits to Johor last year and have regularly engaged the state government on the re-opening of the Singapore-Johor land border. The recent land VTL between Singapore and Malaysia has provided much relief to both Malaysians and Singaporeans as they are now able to meet their families again.
Looking ahead, we will continue our engagement of Malaysian leaders and officials across all levels while working towards the further expansion of cross-border travel and reinvigorating our economic ties.
Let me now move on to Singapore-Indonesia relations. Singapore and Indonesia enjoy strong and substantive relations. We have been Indonesia’s largest foreign investor since 2014. In 2021, investments from Singapore reached US$9.4 billion despite the pandemic. The Bilateral Investment Treaty, which entered into force last year, will promote greater bilateral investment flows. To further deepen our economic and people-to-people links, we are exploring new areas of cooperation, such as in the digital economy, the green economy and human capital development.
We have also continued our close cooperation with the various regions across Indonesia. Our economic engagements in Batam, Bintan and Karimun have progressed well. The Nongsa Digital Town was launched last year and is set to house 8,000 tech talents when completed. Its proximity to Singapore offers opportunities for Singapore-based companies to tap on Singapore and Indonesia's complementary tech ecosystems to support their digital needs.
This demonstrates Singapore and Indonesia’s mutual commitment to develop Batam as a \"digital bridge\" between us. Infrastructure Asia, which was set up by ESG and MAS, is also partnering the West Java provincial government to accelerate infrastructure projects focusing on urban transportation, waste management and water sectors.
This partnership will increase the attractiveness of West Java’s infrastructure projects to international investors. At the same time, it allows Singapore-based companies to better access and participate in projects in West Java.
Next, let me talk about Singapore-Brunei relations. Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked how we have maintained our excellent relations with Brunei. We have always enjoyed a longstanding, special relationship with Brunei. There remain strong links between our people, leaders and institutions. Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Brunei in March 2021, while Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean attended the Sultan’s 75th birthday celebrations in July 2021. We have also worked together to tackle the challenges of the pandemic. For instance, in September 2021, we sent 100,000 doses of the Moderna vaccines to Brunei. In exchange, Brunei will provide the same quantity of vaccines back to Singapore at a later date.
Mr Zhulkarnain also asked about the highlights of Brunei’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2021. Singapore appreciated Brunei’s steady leadership in guiding ASEAN through a challenging year. Brunei led ASEAN’s efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, including utilising the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund to procure much-needed vaccines for our ASEAN Member States, and coordinated ASEAN’s response to address the situation in Myanmar.
Sir, let me now move on to the Middle East. Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked how our relations with the Gulf countries have developed. A number of our Ministers, including myself, have visited the Gulf in recent months. I made a working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Qatar last October. Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng also co-chaired the inaugural Saudi-Singapore Joint Committee in December 2021, which we hope will catalyse greater trade and investment between Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
In turn, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud visited Singapore in January 2022, his first to Southeast Asia. During his phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud last month, Prime Minister Lee had welcomed the deepening of ties between our two countries. Mr Chairman, allow me to speak briefly in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Zhulkarnain had asked whether we can expect Haj to resume for Singapore pilgrims in 2022 since Umrah for international pilgrims has resumed.
I am glad that Singaporean Muslims have been able to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, after being unable to do so for much of 2020 and 2021. I understand the eagerness of the community for the Haj to resume. This was discussed during the Prime Minister’s recent phone call with the Saudi Crown Prince during which Prime Minister Lee requested for our Haj quota to be increased. We look forward to receiving more details on whether Haj 2022 will be open to international pilgrims and also an increase in our Haj quota.
I understand that Mr Alex Yam also wanted to know about developments in the Middle East, including the impact of the Abraham Accords.
While the geopolitical situation in the Middle East remains fluid, there have been some positive developments. Following the signing of the Abraham Accords, relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco have advanced quickly. We hope that the Abraham Accords will serve as a foundation for peace and stability in the region.
Sir, however, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved. Last May’s escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was their fifth major conflict in the last 15 years. We were saddened by the loss of civilian lives on both sides. Nevertheless, the situation in Gaza is partly a manifestation of intra-Palestinian political rivalries. The West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and controlled by the Fatah Party, while Hamas seized unilateral control of Gaza in 2007. This political divide has persisted despite past attempts at forging a national unity government. Unlike Fatah, Hamas does not officially recognise Israel’s right to exist and believes in armed conflict.
Sir, for the cycle of violence to stop, there must be political will on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to reach an agreement through peaceful negotiations. Singapore remains steadfast in our support for a negotiated two-state solution that allows Israelis and the Palestinians to live side-by-side in peace and security, consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. This is the only viable option to achieve a durable, just and comprehensive solution.
Mr Zhulkarnain sought an update on MFA's efforts to support capacity building in the Palestinian Authority (PA).
We continue to do so through the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP) which we doubled from $5 million to $10 million in 2016. The ETAP has benefited more than 600 Palestinian officials who have participated in courses, in areas, such as public administration, economic development and urban development. This training has continued online during the pandemic. We have also expanded the postgraduate scholarships for Palestinians to include Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. At present, we have two Palestinian scholars in Singapore pursuing their postgraduate studies. I was happy to meet one of the students last week, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations at RSIS in NTU. We look forward to doing more under the ETAP.
Sir, besides the developments in the Middle East, I will touch on several key issues that Singapore faces in today's increasingly complex and volatile world.
First, the COVID-19 pandemic situation. For MFA, extending consular assistance to overseas Singaporeans remains our key priority.
At the same time, we must also continue to support global and regional efforts against COVID-19.
Second, geopolitical flashpoints and major power rivalry and the implications for Singapore. We must continue to make decisions based on our national interests and fundamental principles, and to fight for these principles to be upheld.
Third, non-traditional security challenges, such as climate change and food security. Singapore remains committed to working together with our partners, bilaterally as well as through multilateral fora, such as ASEAN, to address them.
Fourth, maintaining good relations with our neighbours to promote peace and security.
And fifth, upholding ASEAN's credibility to work towards a peaceful and durable resolution in Myanmar through the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
(In English): Mr Chairman, allow me to continue my speech in English, please.
Mr Henry Kwek sought an update on our ties with other Southeast Asian countries. We enjoy warm and friendly relations with our fellow ASEAN Member States, including Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos. Just last week, we welcomed Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc for his State Visit to Singapore.
We will continue to closely engage and pursue collaborative interests with our Southeast Asian partners, including the diversification of our food and energy options, as well as in emerging areas, such as digital economy and sustainable development. For example, in April 2021, MAS and the Bank of Thailand launched the linkage of Singapore’s PayNow and Thailand’s PromptPay, the first of its kind in the world for cross-border real-time retail payment, which has brought convenience to users from both countries. We will continue to be a steadfast friend during both good and trying times.
When Typhoon Rai struck the Philippines in December 2021, we contributed seed money to support the Singapore Red Cross' public fundraising for disaster relief and recovery efforts.
This brings me to ASEAN. ASEAN remains a cornerstone of Singapore’s foreign policy and we will continue to build up ASEAN’s resilience and responsiveness to future public health emergencies and support ASEAN’s post-pandemic recovery. For example, the ASEAN (Travel) Corridor Arrangement Framework, when operationalised, will allow for the safe resumption of travel, both for business and leisure, within the region.
ASEAN also continues to serve as a vital regional architecture for external powers to engage ASEAN member states and one another. In 2021, ASEAN established Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with China and Australia and held an ASEAN-China Special Summit in November. We are now discussing similar proposals by the US and India, and the US has invited ASEAN Leaders to an ASEAN-US Special Summit this year.
Given ASEAN’s importance, Mr Liang Eng Hwa’s query on Singapore’s role in maintaining ASEAN’s centrality, unity and credibility is apt. Singapore stands ready to work with the ASEAN Chair, Cambodia, to advance ASEAN’s community-building and regional economic integration efforts. These include the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which entered into force in January 2022.
In our capacity as ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) Shepherd, we also hope to work with Cambodia, ASEAN's current chair, to advance cooperation on Smart Cities. I am happy to note that thus far, 72% of 65 ASCN projects are being implemented in 26 ASCN cities.
Mr Vikram Nair asked if there are potential areas that Singapore can develop further in our relations with India. India remains a key partner for Singapore. We continue to have active engagements in the economic, security and people-to-people domains.
India has a vibrant and youthful population, a thriving tech sector, and its economy is well-positioned to strengthen in the years ahead. India’s economic growth will benefit the rest of Asia, including Singapore. Singapore is one of the largest foreign investors in India, with our Direct Investment Abroad to India in 2020 standing at S$66.1 billion. As of 2020, there were 5,800 Singapore-based companies that either exported to or invested in India. These include SMEs such as EnvironSens, which develops water toxicity monitoring technology, as well as another SME, Graymatics, a cloud-based video analytics service provider. We are keen to enhance our digital connectivity with India and are also exploring ways to develop more mutually beneficial partnerships in areas, such as fintech, innovation and skills. Likewise, Indian investments in Singapore remain healthy, standing at S$25.78 billion in 2020.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked about new areas of cooperation that we are exploring with Australia and New Zealand. With Australia, we are constantly exploring new areas of cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. After signing the Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement in 2020, we have launched formal negotiations on a Green Economy Agreement in September 2021. The agreement will be the first of its kind, once concluded, and will facilitate trade and investment in environmentally-sustainable goods and services.
As for New Zealand, we are looking to refresh our Enhanced Partnership and we signed an MOU on Low Carbon Hydrogen in July 2021, which will open up opportunities for our companies to build new capabilities and participate in global hydrogen value chains.
Sir, I understand that Mr Gan Thiam Poh is also keen to know about our engagement with emerging markets, such as Latin America. In January 2022, the Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, or PASFTA, was signed between Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The Pacific Alliance is a major economic bloc with a combined GDP of over US$2 trillion in nominal terms.
This landmark agreement makes Singapore the Pacific Alliance’s first Associate State that will open up more opportunities for our businesses, through access into these markets and the assurance that their investments will be supported by a robust trade architecture. The appointment of our first Non-Resident Ambassadors to Colombia and Costa Rica also signals our interest to enhance our diplomatic engagement in Latin America.
Our relations with the South Pacific also reached new heights as Singapore was admitted as a Dialogue Partner to the Pacific Islands Forum in 2021. This will enable us to better contribute to the South Pacific’s development journey by sharing our development experience through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). Thus far, 5,300 officials from this region have benefited from our SCP. We also contributed seed money towards relief and recovery efforts in Tonga after the volcanic eruption and tsunami in January 2022.
Mr Chairman, allow me to just conclude by reiterating MFA’s commitment to enhance our ties with our global partners amidst an uncertain external environment, harness opportunities that emerge as we ensure peace and prosperity for Singapore and the region.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Sim Ann.
The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Ms Sim Ann): Mdm Chairman, as we are making good time, may I ask for a few extra minutes for my speech?
The Chairman: Go ahead.
Ms Sim Ann: Thank you. Mdm Chairman, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Don Wee asked how we have broadened our ties with China amidst the pandemic. Singapore and China have enjoyed close bilateral relations and established a wide range of cooperation mechanisms – the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), the eight provincial-level Economic and Trade councils, and three Government-to-Government projects.
Prior to the pandemic, bilateral visits were frequent. As the pandemic situation evolved, it has been harder for us to visit each other due to differences in our approach to public health policy and border controls.
Nonetheless, we have continued to keep up the momentum of collaboration and high-level exchanges via virtual meetings. At the 17th JCBC last December, we agreed on new areas of bilateral cooperation. Economic cooperation continued to flourish.
Last month, President Halimah Yacob attended the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games – our first high-level visit to Beijing since 2020. Her friendly discussions with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang served to cement our bilateral relationship and affirmed the substantive, wide-ranging and forward-looking nature of our unique \"All-Round Cooperative Partnership Progressing with the Times\" established in 2015.
As China embarks on a new development paradigm, we look forward to strengthening the bilateral partnership to better seize opportunities in the future, especially in the digital economy and green development. Naturally, in-person interactions are more effective than virtual meetings. Whether it is official visits, people-to-people exchanges, overseas studies, study visits or investment activities, we hope to resume air connectivity with China in a safe and appropriate manner and recover pre-pandemic levels of frequent in-person exchanges.
(In English): Mdm Chairman, allow me to continue in English. Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Vikram Nair asked how we can continue engaging the US. Our relationship with the US is robust and longstanding, with multifaceted cooperation in defence, security, trade and economic domains, as well as people-to-people ties. Singapore is the US’ only “Major Security Cooperation Partner”, demonstrating the strength and depth of the relationship. Our relations have continued to strengthen despite the pandemic.
Our Prime Minister Lee and US President Joe Biden had a fruitful meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Meeting in Rome last October. We were honoured to receive US Vice President Kamala Harris in Singapore last August. On our part, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Ministers Ng Eng Hen, Vivian Balakrishnan and Gan Kim Yong visited the US last year to engage their counterparts and other key stakeholders, and discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation and our strategic partnership.
Amidst intensifying geopolitical tensions, Singapore will continue to engage the US meaningfully and urge it to remain engaged in the Asia Pacific.
Domestic preoccupations will continue to be top-of-mind for the Biden Administration, particularly with the November mid-term elections. We will work to keep up the good pace of engagement, find ways to support US policy priorities where opportune, and continue supporting US engagement of Southeast Asia. We will also work to enhance existing cooperation and explore new areas of collaboration.
To Mr Dennis Tan’s query, Singapore welcomes the US’ intention to shape a robust and comprehensive regional economic strategy, including through its proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and will contribute meaningfully towards enhancing the US’ open and inclusive engagement of Southeast Asia.
Now, a few words about how to strengthen our global network of friends.
Mr Don Wee asked what steps we have taken to strengthen cooperation with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) during the pandemic. We have kept up close cooperation with both countries, including in the digital economy and safe resumption of travel. High-level visits have gradually resumed. Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and Minister Edwin Tong visited Japan last August for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, while Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda Koichi visited Singapore in January this year. ROK Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong made an introductory visit here last June, while Minister Tan See Leng visited Seoul last November.
We have steadfast partners in Europe including the United Kingdom, with whom we share deep historical ties and close partnership. Another milestone was reached last week when we signed the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement – the first digital pact between an Asian and a European country, and a pathfinder in setting high-standard digital trade rules between both regions. We will continue exploring further opportunities for collaboration, particularly in the green sector.
We will continue working with other key European partners, in particular the European Union (EU), on post-pandemic recovery and enhance cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, the digital economy and the green sector. We welcome efforts by the EU and its member states to step up engagement of the region through their Indo-Pacific strategies and will encourage their further engagement with ASEAN through the areas outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh has indicated interest in knowing how Singapore contributes to the development of other developing countries. The Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) is our way of giving back to the international community, having benefited from similar assistance during our formative years.
2022 marks the SCP’s 30th anniversary. We have hosted some 137,000 foreign government officials to our programmes over the past three decades. Many have come to Singapore as strangers but left as friends. We continue to update our programmes so that they remain relevant and cover areas, such as public health governance, sustainable development and digital transformation.
This is part of our contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We will continue to focus our capacity-building efforts on developing countries and small states, such as through the “FOSS for Good” technical assistance package, which was launched in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Forum of Small States (FOSS) this year.
A core function of MFA’s work is our consular assistance to Singaporeans across the globe, especially during this pandemic. As more Singaporeans live, work and travel abroad, MFA will need resources to support those in need. Mr Alex Yam has indicated interest in knowing more about how MFA has facilitated the return of overseas Singaporeans, given the unpredictable epidemiological situation and border control measures. Let me give some examples of the good work done by our MFA officers over the past year.
On 16 December last year, Typhoon Odette landed in Siargao Island and swept through the Visayas, affecting mobile networks, power and water supplies. Our Embassy in Manila reached out to the 12 Singaporeans in the Visayas e-registered with MFA and confirmed their safety. However, four Singaporeans in Cebu needed assistance and our Embassy worked with airlines to have emergency supplies sent to them from Metro Manila to provide temporary relief.
Nearer home, MFA has assisted the return of over 450 Singaporeans stranded in Malaysia since March 2020.
Mr Desmond Choo asked how MFA can assist Singaporeans who need to travel overseas for compassionate reasons and improve the delivery of its consular assistance to overseas Singaporeans. MFA has explored new initiatives to address consular needs arising from the COVID-19 situation. For instance, Singapore launched the Death and Critical Illness Emergency Visits (DCEV) scheme with Malaysia last May. Under this unique bilateral arrangement, Singapore residents can make urgent trips to Malaysia to visit immediate family members who are critically ill, or to pay their last respects, without serving the full quarantine duration in Malaysia. Malaysia residents can similarly use the DCEV scheme to visit immediate family members in Singapore for similar reasons. Last September, MFA and MOH launched dedicated vaccination channels for overseas Singaporeans which made it more convenient for them to return home for inoculation. Since its establishment, there have been over 360 successful sign-ups.
As more VTLs are established, MFA has received increased requests for consular assistance from travelling Singaporeans, particularly those caught off-guard by changes to travel regulations and border policies announced at short notice. Similarly, more Singaporeans have requested consular advice and assistance to return home after contracting COVID-19 overseas. MFA has been using social media and our website to provide advice and travel information updates where possible. We have also explored the use of technology to improve our consular services. This includes newly-launched e-Services to report loss of passports and apply for Documents of Identity (DOIs) online. This will help mitigate the inconveniences Singaporeans face after losing travel documents while overseas.
We thank Mr Vikram Nair and other Members of the House for the appreciation shown for the work done by our officers.
The pandemic reminds us of our vulnerability and interdependence in a fast-changing global environment. But fundamentally, foreign policy begins at home. Our diplomacy is only credible if we maintain domestic consensus and nurture a deeper understanding of Singapore’s foreign policy priorities. This includes our interests and vulnerabilities as a small state, such as our consistent, unequivocal support for a robust, rules-based multilateral system that gives Singapore an equal voice.
Ms Joan Pereira asked how we can deepen Singaporeans’ understanding of the key tenets and considerations of our foreign policy. MFA has undertaken sustained efforts to engage Singaporeans on this through different means. Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Second Minister Maliki Osman and myself, as well as MFA’s senior management and foreign service officers regularly communicate key messages on our foreign policy through engagement sessions, media interviews and digital media platforms. We also reach out to students through dialogue sessions to help them understand key foreign policy issues and challenges. Our goal is to keep the Singapore public well-informed about the geostrategic forces at play, encourage critical thinking about our national interests, and strengthen resilience against foreign influence and agendas that do not benefit Singapore.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that Singapore’s continued success is contingent on many factors. Both domestic and foreign policy considerations play a role. In keeping with our Mission to protect and advance Singaporeans' interests, MFA will continue to invest in our relations with global partners, and support international norms that help Singapore navigate challenges thrown up by a complex global landscape. MFA will also strengthen our consular support of Singaporeans during this pandemic period and beyond.
The Chairman: Clarifications? Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Thank you, Mdm Chairman. Just a quick clarification for the Minister. He mentioned earlier on in his speech that the specific announcements with regard to Ukraine, in terms of how Singapore will respond in terms of embargoes, were still being worked out. But I wonder if he could elaborate on whether Singapore has plans to block Russian airlines and private aircraft from Russia from landing at Changi.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: I am not in a position to make specific announcements yet. So, we will do so in due time.
The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair, do you wish to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): I would like to thank Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Second Minister Maliki Osman and Senior Minister of State Sim Ann for sharing with this House the hard work of MFA. I think it has been a particularly trying year with COVID-19 and all the extra work they had to do. So, thank you to all the Consular staff as well. With that, Mdm Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $482,360,900 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $16,000,000 for Head N ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)","subTitle":"Securing our place in the world","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Head P, Ministry of Home Affairs. Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Madam, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
The Singapore Home Team enjoys high levels of trust and confidence amongst Singaporeans. Why is this so? Principally, it is because our Home Team continues to deliver on the promise to make Singapore safe and secure.
This is achieved despite significant operational challenges. As parliamentarians, we need to ensure that our Home Team is provided with sufficient resources and legislative levers so that they will be in a good position to deliver on their mission.
In my speech, I will focus on two areas: first, providing better support to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), our premier white-collar crime buster, in the fight against complex white-collar crime; and second, reviewing the effect of the death penalty as a deterrent against drug trafficking, murder and other serious crimes.
Turning to the first topic, we have seen a significant increase in complex white-collar crime cases in Singapore which are being investigated by the CAD. Several examples, some of which I have gleaned from the CAD's Annual Report 2020/21, include the fraudulent billion-dollar investment scheme by nickel trading companies; trade financing fraud involving several oil trading companies that has left banks with a combined exposure reported to be about US$3.5 billion; and numerous cases of misconduct in the stock markets. Some of these cases have been unearthed because of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, if not for the pandemic, the fraudulent conduct could have carried on without detection.
Needless to say, such cases affect the reputation of Singapore and her financial system. These perpetrators must be dealt with firmly by the law.
But one thing astonishes me – what makes these people think that they can get away with their offending conduct in Singapore? The scale and nature of these crimes show that this is daylight robbery, not a thief in the night. Everyone knows we have tough laws. People convicted of serious white-collar crimes are imposed deterrent sentences. But why do these crimes worth several billion dollars still happen with some regularity on our shores?
It seems to me that one issue we have not yet nailed is detection. A good number of these fraudsters think that their acts will not be detected. Is there any basis for this sort of thinking? If there is, we better make sure that we address this expeditiously.
We need a framework that will enable white-collar crimes to be detected as early as possible. These persons must get the message that if they do the crime, they will be detected and will have to pay a high price. How can we do this? I note that there are already established strategies, such as leveraging data analytics, to process suspicious transaction reports, cash movement reports, cash transaction reports by institutions and individuals in Singapore, as well as deepening of intelligence capability through partnerships. I support these strategies.
One suggestion I wish to make is to have a whistle-blowing legislation that not only protects whistle-blowers from recrimination but also incentivises them should the information they provide lead to successful prosecution and recovery of ill-gotten assets. This is not a new idea. Other financial centres, such as the US and UK, have such legislation. I have made the same suggestion in the past.
The reality is that the white-collar crime criminals obviously commit their acts in secrecy. What we see in the open is not robbery but a legitimate front. The real underbelly can only be exposed through insiders. Insiders are not likely to volunteer information unless their interests are protected. I know this is a separate matter from providing incentives but, in a risk-benefit calculus, the benefit may not be just mere protection. We are incentivised by way of rewards, too.
Another suggestion I have is to review the role of external auditors in order that they are in a better position to detect fraud in companies and report the matter to CAD. Hon Members may be familiar with the German Parliament’s investigation into the shortcomings of the Wirecard’s auditors. By the way, the CAD has investigated Wirecard, too, which involves alleged losses of more than €1 billion and prosecution in Singapore is currently afoot. The report concluded that the auditor did not maintain sufficient professional scepticism and this led to it accepting documents and instructions without sufficient scrutiny. There must be better alignment between the auditor’s role currently and the investing public’s expectations.
Next, we need to decisively tackle the problem of resourcing. I suggest we beef up manpower internally and be more open to engaging other experts from the outside. CAD is operating in a challenging environment on a day-to-day basis. Despite that, it is doing a very good job in bringing offenders of complex white-collar crimes to book. As legislators, we need to ensure that CAD is sufficiently resourced so that investigations into complex white-collar crime are conducted fully and with due dispatch. The faster the culprits are prosecuted, the stronger the message of deterrence will be against like-minded offenders in the future.
CAD faces a manpower constraint. After all, its officers continue to be highly sought after in the private sector. We must acknowledge this and pay our CAOs as close as possible to their market value. It is the Government’s responsibility to ensure adequate resourcing to deal with criminality. I have heard laments about problems in recruiting people as IOs. With respect, this is not an answer I accept. The Government must try harder.
I now move on to the second point of my speech, which deals with the death penalty. The Government's position was spelt out by the hon Minister on 5 October 2020. He said that in determining whether to apply the death penalty to a particular offence, the Government takes into account three considerations in totality: seriousness of the offence; how widespread the offence is; and the need for deterrence. Applying these considerations, the main offences for which the mandatory death penalty is imposed are intentional murder, gang robbery with murder, trafficking of significant quantities of drugs, terrorist bombing and use of firearms. The Government’s approach has resulted in Singapore being one of the safest places in the world – something that is deeply valued by Singaporeans.
Two significant changes to the law had happened since 2013. Drug couriers convicted of capital drug trafficking offences who have been issued with certificates of substantial assistance to curtail drug trafficking activities or found to be suffering from abnormality of mind would be imposed with life sentences instead of the mandatory death penalty. In addition, the death penalty would only be imposed as a mandatory sentence for intentional murder. For the other forms of murder, the Court has a discretion to impose either the death penalty or life imprisonment.
The Minister had revealed earlier last month that for the period between 1 January 2013 and 11 February 2022, out of 104 accused persons who were found to be couriers and convicted as drug traffickers, 82 of them received certificates of substantial assistance and they were imposed with life imprisonment terms. Of the remaining 22, eight persons were imposed with life imprisonment on the basis that they were suffering from an abnormality of mind. The Court imposed the death penalty on 14 persons. In other words, 13% were found to be couriers and convicted of capital drug trafficking charges were imposed with mandatory death penalties.
The impact of the law is clear. The number of persons subjected to the mandatory death sentence has been reduced significantly. Nonetheless, there could be a watering down of the deterrent effect of the death penalty for drug trafficking. I, therefore, ask whether there has been any deterioration on the part of the Home Team’s ability to keep our drug situation under check. If there is no deterioration, may I ask whether the Government is prepared to consider extending the issuance of certificates of substantial assistance to cover cases where drug couriers whose death penalties have been affirmed on appeal?
Most essentially, Singaporeans must continue to be convinced that the retention of the death penalty is essential for the Home Team to do its job. The fact that most Singaporeans agreed in the past does not mean that their views may not change. Outside Singapore, more and more jurisdictions have abolished the death penalty. Singaporeans’ opinions can be shaped by these developments.
May I ask what efforts have been made by the Government to continually make the case for the continued use of the death penalty in Singapore? Has there been any recent survey to measure Singaporean support?
Madam, the Home Team’s mission is one that needs constant vigilance, not only in terms of policy implementation, but in its alignment with changing social norms and mores.
Our officers already enjoy the trust of Singaporeans from arresting the trend of increasing white-collar crime to deterring serious crimes, such as drug trafficking. Our officers must be well-resourced, supported and adequately compensated so as to ensure that we continue to attract the best and the brightest to take on the heavy task of keeping us safe.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mdm Chairperson, the death penalty has been a part of Singapore’s criminal justice system from colonial times. Capital punishment is not new or unique. It has been a part of criminal justice systems for thousands of years and references to it can be found in the Code of Hammurabi in Babylon more than 3,000 years ago. It is usually reserved for the most serious of offences.
Over the last 50 to 60 years though, a number of countries, including most of Europe, have abolished the death penalty. There are various groups lobbying for its abolition in many parts of the world, including in Singapore. This is usually based on humanitarian grounds because, despite the seriousness of the crime involved, when one looks at the world from the perspective of the offender, there is usually a sad story involved as well.
In Singapore, the death penalty is used only for a very small number of offences, including for murder, kidnapping, illegal use of firearms and drugs. Of these, the largest number of death sentences are meted out for drug trafficking. Singapore has done well in keeping these serious crimes under control. Our rates of murder, kidnapping and firearm use are extremely low, with the latter two offences being very rare.
While drug-related offences are more widespread, in relative terms, compared to other countries, Singapore’s rate of drug addiction and drug-related crimes is amongst the lowest in the world. That drug trafficking is more rampant than the other serious crimes is not surprising because there are well-financed organised syndicates running this business.
I would like to ask MHA to what extent it believes the death penalty is important in deterring serious crimes and what role it plays in keeping Singapore’s rates of serious crimes low. How does Singapore compare with countries that do not impose the death penalty in relation to these serious crimes?
The Chairman: Mr Leon Perera. You can take your two cuts together.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Thank you, Mdm Chairperson. My first cut, on foreign interference.
Chairman, in some of our laws, the Government has sweeping powers over many activities. In the Home Affairs Minister’s FICA round-up speech, he said if the CPIB hypothetically “wants to investigate the Prime Minister, there is a higher authority they report to.\"
I would like to return to one question I raised during that debate, which is, who checks the checkers, and specifically in relation to foreign interference. The world is changing and geopolitical tensions are ratcheting up to levels that have not been seen in recent memory. Ministers, including the Home Affairs Minister and Prime Minister himself, would be extremely high-value targets for foreign interference, particularly given what some might say is Singapore’s significant role in ASEAN.
I would like to ask MHA what is the nature of the institutional check on senior Ministers in respect of foreign interference. Does it reside with the CPIB, which is what the Home Affairs Minister’s reply suggested? If so, does the CPIB proactively assess risks of foreign interference against Ministers or does it act only reactively, if complaints are lodged? Are there officers in the CPIB with the necessary skills and expertise to investigate possible foreign interference?
I would like to reiterate calls for an Ombudsman to provide independent oversight, similar to that in countries like New Zealand. The office of an Ombudsman would create investigative resources behind a legitimate institutional check that would be seen to be legitimate. In the current climate, there is more of a need for this.
Second cut on extra-judicial caning in prisons.
Mdm Chairperson, I recently filed a Parliamentary Question (PQ) on the use of extra-judicial caning to punish aggravated or major prison offences. While I accept that there is a need for in-prison disincentives against dangerous behaviours, in my opinion, there is too little independent oversight in this process.
The Institutional Discipline Advisory Committee reviews the recommended strokes. The Commissioner also reviews the findings and has the authority to vary punishments. However, the process starts and ends within the Singapore Prison Service, which investigates, presses charges and recommends punishment. Can reform with a judicial element be studied, so we have a greater oversight mechanism? This is important in respect of caning, which is a harsh punishment.
On caning, lastly, according to one published account, there is a practice that sometimes happens of requiring inmates to \"thank\" the prison staff after being caned. I am not alleging that this is the case. But I would like to ask the Government if this is a current practice and, if so, would the Government consider stopping it, as it is unnecessary and seems of questionable rehabilitative value, to put it mildly.
Mr Murali Pillai: Madam, a nation’s prisons are strong signals about what kinds of behaviours it feels are criminal and have harmed societies in the strongest terms. But they are also centres of hope and second chances. Over several decades, our officers of the Singapore Prison Service, known as Captains of Lives, had been working assiduously to turn our prisons into rehabilitation centres for inmates – to reform and reintegrate into society.
This House has heard about the good work that the Singapore Prison Service, Yellow Ribbon Singapore and their partners do in rehabilitating prisoners in January 2022 when the hon Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, moved amendments to the Prisons Act. As hon Members may recall, the amendments introduced the Employment Preparation Scheme. Under this scheme, inmates were allowed an opportunity to undergo skills training in the community so that they will be able to get good jobs upon their release.
In his speech, the hon Minister of State recounted the important steps taken by the Singapore Prison Service over almost four decades to help inmates in their journey of rehabilitation and reintegration.
Currently, the number of inmates participating in community-based programmes to help their rehabilitation has increased by more than 40%. This translates into almost 3,500 inmates. An impressive 90% of these inmates successfully complete the programmes too.
I believe that all these efforts have been instrumental in SPS achieving a commendable all-time two-year low recividism rate of 20% for inmates released in 2018. The five-year recividism rate remains stable. These rates are among the lowest in the world, with only a few countries such as Norway, doing better than Singapore.
The question arises as to what more should be done to help our inmates reform and lower recidivism even further. One in five slipping back into a life of crime is still one too many.
Over time, our prison population is gradually reducing. This is a good sign. From my own calculations, I worked out the Singapore prison population rate as at 2020, to be 163 per 100,000. This compares with 212 per 100,000 across the Causeway in Malaysia.
However, there are states with lower figures than ours. I cite three:\tHong Kong's rate is 96 per 100,000; South Korea's is 105 per 100,000; and England's rate is 132 per 100,000.
To be fair, when I looked at our prison population figures, I noted that the main driver is actually those who have committed drug offences. Almost 70% of our penal inmate population consists of drug offenders.
We have an uncompromising stance on drugs that allowed us to have one of the lowest rates of drug abuse in the world – about 30 opiate abusers per 100,000, compared to 600 per 100,000 in the US. Although this tough stance means that more people will be jailed or detained in drug rehabilitation centres (DRCs), I support this as our way of dealing with this scourge.
It seems to me, therefore, to lower recidivism in a more decisive way, we will have to focus even more on the rehabilitation and aftercare programmes for these drug offenders. This is, obviously, not easy, but we are fortunate that, in Singapore, SPS, CNB and its partners have been doing excellent work on this front for a long time.
One suggestion I have is to carefully monitor the company that drug offenders keep during the time that they are subject to drug supervision orders. I came across a case of an ex-inmate who, when reporting for urine test, reconnected with old friends who were also reporting for urine tests and thereafter, started committing crime together.
It sounds perhaps too much like a surveillance state to require that we keep tabs on who such supervisees meet or constrain them from mixing around with more hardened offenders. I have in mind something more like using the good to crowd out the bad. Occupy their time and energies with new and interesting options.
Motivating inmates, providing them with the structural and emotional support to reform from within themselves, giving them opportunities to learn new skills and acquire knowledge, emplacing them in decent jobs and helping them reintegrate into their families and societies are important steps to lower recividism amongst our inmates.
I look forward to hearing from the hon Minister on his plans to further cut the recividism rate and reduce our prison population.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Madam, it has been mentioned very often in this House and it is true that our justice system and law enforcement agencies enjoy a high level of public confidence. In fact, the Institute of Policy Studies' 2020 instalment of the World Values Survey found that our Courts and the Singapore Police Force enjoyed admirably higher levels of confidence, compared to our Government and Parliament.
On a related note, the low level of crime in Singapore is a key indicator of the success that law enforcement has achieved. I will be speaking on the role of the community in building a holistic criminal justice system.
Madam, our recidivism rates, as mentioned by Mr Murali before this, are amongst the lowest in the world. The two-year rate for the 2019 release cohort is 20%.
However, as has been pointed out in this House before, the five-year recidivism rate is double that. This warrants some pondering as to why the rate of reoffending goes up steeply after the first two years of being released.
I know that, as had been debated in Parliament last year when the Singapore Prisons Act was amended, there are significant Government programmes for ex-offenders immediately before and immediately after release. These include the Employment Preparation Scheme and a community-based programme.
Most of these appear to taper off at around the two-year point, including the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme. I will, therefore, venture to deduce that the reason or at least one of the reasons, why the recidivism rate goes up after the two-year mark is precisely because Government programmes are tapering off.
In this regard, in order for us to keep the likelihood of reoffending low, we need to make sure that the community plays its part in conjunction with Government programmes and importantly, after Government programmes have completed.
Some community initiatives include the Singapore After-Care Association's befriending programme and the HCSA Highpoint Halfway House. I would like to urge MHA to continue to provide support to these and other ground-up programmes, including with grants and funding, so as to empower the community to play its role in rehabilitation and to help to prevent re-offending.
On a related note, I would like to ask the Minister what other efforts has MHA made to look at the criminal justice system, from a holistic perspective, to prevent individuals from offending or re-offending.
Separately, and based on my experience as a volunteer probono lawyer, I have noticed that there are many drug offence-related re-offenders. This appears to be corroborated by a 2018 paper by Stephanie Chok at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on drug offenders in Singapore that the recidivism rates for drug offenders has been consistently higher than overall recidivism rates. Furthermore, the figures quoted by Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua yesterday with regard to the noticeable rise in the number of youth drug abusers from 2016 to 2019 are troubling.
I have two questions as regards preventing drug offences in the first place and reducing the likelihood of re-offending.
My first question is with regard to MHA and CNB's collaboration with the community in the fight against drugs. An example is a partnership between PERSES, the Sepaktakraw Federation of Singapore, and the Dadah Itu Haram campaign. As Senior Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim has said about this collaboration, it was a step showing how the rest of the sports community could join in the anti-drug effort. In this regard, could the Minister update on MHA's efforts in spreading the anti-drug message to various communities and the impact it had made thus far?
My second question is with regard to the death penalty for drug offences. A study commissioned by MHA in 2019 on the views of Singapore residents found that the majority felt that the death penalty was more effective than life imprisonment for serious crimes, including drug trafficking. Another study in 2018, this time on a sample of non-Singaporeans who were likely to visit Singapore came to similar conclusions. Minister Shanmugam had also mentioned in the House in October 2020 that there was evidence that knowledge of the death penalty led to a reduction in the amount of drugs trafficked.
As the Minister said then, these and other surveys quite clearly show that there is majority public support for the death penalty.
On this, would the Minister be able to give a comparative view, that is, how Singapore compares with other countries that do not impose the death penalty for drug trafficking offences?
On my final point, Madam, part of the community effort in bolstering our criminal justice system is ensuring that the public support for law enforcement that I mentioned at the start of my speech is not eroded. In this regard, all of us have a part to play.
First, we must make sure that we do not make any allegations about law enforcement without being absolutely sure of the factual basis of these allegations. It is incumbent on the authorities as well to swiftly crush even rumours of any impropriety if they are untrue.
Equally, MHA and the Police must continue to be transparent about disciplinary cases and make these public. This gives confidence that the system of internal checks works and that errant officers are taken to task.
Importantly, Madam, we must also speak up in support of our officers when they do well.
I will end, Madam, with a quote from a LinkedIn post by Ms Sadhana Rai, a criminal defence lawyer at the Law Society's Criminal Legal Aid Scheme. She wrote, \"In my experience as a defence counsel...\" – and we should know that defence counsel are opposite the AGC and opposite the investigation officers (IOs) in the Court setting – \"...I have come across some hardworking, sensitive and professional investigation officers who go out of their way to ensure that complainants are safe, comfortable and emotionally supported. These officers accompany complainants to Court, sit through proceedings, speak to the complainants on breaks to make sure they are doing alright and more. We are all important parts in a system that aims to uphold and deliver justice.\"
Mr Mark Chay (Nominated Member): Mdm Chairman, I believe in giving our ex-offenders second chances and preparing them while they are in prison so that they can have a fair shot at it after they are released. I also echo hon Member Zhulkarnain bin Abdul Rahim's suggestion to call ex-offenders the \"overcomers\" – having overcomed the difficulties of the past.
One of the things inmates worry about is whether they can get a job after prison and whether they can have the right skills to keep up with the demands of the job.
Prisons and Yellow Ribbon Singapore have done a good job in facilitating inmates' learning and upskilling even while they are in prison. I am especially encouraged to know about the Train and Place (TAP) and Grow initiative, where the inmates are offered the opportunity to acquire certificates and complete diploma courses in certain fields, such as media skills training, while in prison. I also understand that inmates can also be matched with specific jobs after they complete their courses with compatible employers who are prepared to give them a chance. This is a great initiative that allows inmates to receive targeted and industry-specific skills training.
Can the Ministry provide more information about how successful the programme has been in helping inmates not just to secure jobs after their release, but in equipping them with the necessary skills to sustain and retain their jobs in the long term?
Lastly, are there any plans to extend the TAP and Grow initiative to other industries?
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mdm Chairman, previously, I had spoken on how a Yellow Ribbon \"Inclusive Hiring\" mark can provide a way for fellow Singaporeans to support businesses with inclusive hiring practices to recognise and channel their custom and businesses towards employers that help lift up our ex-offenders through providing job opportunities and training.
Can the Minister share what progress has been made on improving the job search process for ex-offenders and how can progressive and inclusive human resource practices towards ex-offenders be recognised, incentivised and encouraged further?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Madam, the use of Police Cameras is one example of how the Singapore Police Force has leveraged technology to deter, detect and investigate crimes. They are now commonplace in our neighbourhoods and public areas.
Since their installation in 2012, Police Cameras have aided our officers to solve more than 5,000 cases. Feedback from the Police officers have also been positive, with some commenting that these cameras have doubled their effectiveness in solving crimes.
Police Cameras have improved Singapore's safety and security while improving our officers' productivity. However, camera technology and analytics have improved significantly since 2012.
May I ask for an update from the Ministry on their plans for enhancement to Police Cameras to further tackle crimes? How would the Ministry balance crime-solving with privacy? Will the footages be used to tackle social issues, such as illegal smoking?
Mr Vikram Nair: Mdm Chairman, MHA has expanded the use of cameras over the years to improve crime detection and prevention with less heavy reliance on manpower, which is severely constrained.
I recall the move to install Police Cameras in the access points of all HDB flats. Following this, the number of loan shark harassment cases had reduced significantly. And I am aware of at least one murder case where the Police identified and arrested the suspect based on the footage and cameras.
Our roads, too, have become safer. We see more signs of speed cameras and traffic light cameras, which, in turn, generally, encourage compliance, so much so that, whenever there is trouble, people ask for more cameras to be installed.
I had raised previously in this House that I receive regular complaints from residents in relation to speeding at Woodlands Avenue 5 and the initial response was that the Police would send more patrols. But residents were wondering why cameras were not used instead of patrols.
On this, I have two questions. Are there any plans by the Police to increase the use of cameras and surveillance where needed and do the developments in technology mean that the use of these cameras would be less costly in the coming years and therefore, more widespread?
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mdm Chairman, may I have your permission to take my four cuts together?
The Chairman: Yes, please do.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you. As Singapore transforms to fulfil its vision to be a Smart Nation, the role of data has come increasingly to the forefront.
With increasing technological capability, the ability to collect and handle a large volume of data and analyse it is now possible, leading to the ability to make predictions and anticipate events and behaviour.
In the realm of public safety and security, this is vital, especially during the pandemic. While machine learning and various software are currently available, the possibility of assessing trends in location, type of crime and likelihoods of criminal activity can allow the Home Team to better understand and prepare for future threats. How does the Home Team intend to use such data to enhance public safety and security, particularly in the monitoring of threats?
Furthermore, given that the nature of much of this data is also private, there is also a need to protect and secure the data to prevent against internal abuse of the data and against cyber attacks.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting how the Home Team’s interactions with the community might take place, it is necessary to take advantage of technology to continue to provide channels to serve the community and allow individuals to access these law enforcement services.
What technology has the Home Team utilised and how has the Home Team used such technology to make its service delivery more efficient and accessible to the public?
With the use of data analytics, sensors, AI and automation, training scenarios for officers can be increasingly realistic, thereby allowing for greater preparedness of our officers. As the Home Team looks to train officers in skills that are relevant across Singapore’s public sector, there is a need to train in key tech skills so as to fight crime in the cyber realm. That can take place not only within the Home Team force, but officers can be attached to relevant technology companies and startups within the private sector so as to gain relevant experience and different skillsets.
What are Home Team’s plans to continue to use technology to enhance the effectiveness of the officer’s training as well as to train them in methods and expertise to tackle cybercrime? My fourth cut.
As technological advances have increased operational capability and the range of monitoring and responses to threats, the nature of the threat towards our national security and safety has evolved. Particularly, many messaging platforms, such as Telegram, have become channels facilitating an online marketplace for illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.
The Home Team needs to stay ahead of this threat by similarly taking advantage of technology to both augment and sharpen existing operational responses and capabilities. How will the Home Team deploy technology in its operations?
Mr Mark Chay: Mdm Chairman, COVID-19 has impacted our ability to travel the world freely.
Last year, travellers had to navigate many different restrictions imposed by different countries. At last year's Global Esports Games, Singapore welcomed over 150 players and officials to Singapore. These players and officials all stayed in a bubble. I must admit that understanding the immigration requirements and explaining them to 40 different nations was a tedious task, but everyone understood what they needed to do – what they need to do before arrival, during their stay in Singapore and before they departed.
The global Esports Federation also conducted a post-event survey with participants and I am happy to report that participants gave an 89% satisfaction rating at the way our Immigration handled the transit of passengers. Everyone was very impressed with Singapore's efficiency.
I am glad that Singapore is slowly and cautiously opening our borders to allow more travel for work, social and other purposes.
One distinguishing feature of travel during COVID-19 is the travel rules. Each country has its own travel restrictions, instructions and protocols to abide by. Clearing immigration during travel amidst the pandemic can, therefore, be quite a daunting task.
As we further open our borders, how will ICA ensure that the immigration clearance processes for travellers are smooth, seamless and safe for travellers? Is there scope to leverage technology to simplify and automate immigration clearance processes and make them contactless, as far as possible?
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mdm Chairperson, before COVID-19 severely affected air travel around the world, Changi Airport handled about 68 million passengers in 2019.
I note with interest, the recent announcement by ICA that, from next year, all travellers will be able to use the automated immigration clearance lanes, previously reserved for Singaporeans and PRs, upon arrival in Singapore.
Madam, overall, I believe this to be a positive step taken by ICA, given that the advance in technology now allows us to permit all travellers to clear immigration without the need for physically manned checkpoints. This should reduce immigration clearance time for foreigners entering Singapore while reducing the manpower strain on ICA.
I do hope, however, that such a move, does not result in the unintended consequence of increasing the immigration clearance time for Singaporeans.
Further, to me, returning to Singapore from overseas is one of the warmest feelings a Singaporean can experience. Be it returning from work, study or simply a holiday, landing at and stepping into Changi Airport is about coming home, a place we belong. Having a seamless entry back into one’s own country is therefore, a privilege that returning citizens enjoy.
In the premise, I invite the Minister to share with this House whether the move taken by ICA will affect immigration clearance time for Singaporeans and whether a dedicated lane or two can still be reserved for the exclusive use of Singaporeans.
Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines): Mdm Chairman, some months ago, I was privileged to be part of the Yellow Ribbon songwriting competition. As I listened to the songs composed and sung by the talented inmates, the lyrics spoke of their strong will, the voices sang of their resolve to be a better person for their loved ones. And I can feel the desire to turn over a new leaf.
These men are serving time for the offences committed, a necessary tenet of the law and order that keeps our nation safe. However, with the quickening pace of life and changes brought about by technology, a year behind bars today is different from the same 12 months one decade a week ago. The impact is much larger than before.
Mdm Chairman, I read an interview with a man who was released after spending 20 years in prison. He shared that his biggest challenge getting back to normal life is learning to live with technology. We take for granted the conveniences the digital world bring us today but before this man was incarcerated, there was no WiFi, no mobile phone apps – it was a totally different world.
We have seen prisons leverage technology to automate work processes and enhance operational effectiveness. I would like to ask how the Home Team is helping to facilitate rehabilitation efforts, including on the technology front.
COVID-19 has also presented challenges to prison operations and the usual in-person physical engagements and programmes for inmates, for example, visits by loved ones, rehabilitation programmes. How did Prisons overcome this or ensuring that the inmates do not lose out on what they are used to in pre-COVID-19 times?
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Mdm Chairman, Singapore's zero-tolerance approach towards drugs is well-established today. CNB has been effective in countering illicit drugs and drug offenders, particularly traffickers.
While the drug situation in Singapore remains largely under control, the proportion of new youth abusers is concerning. CNB reported that youth aged under 30 continued to form around 60% of new abusers in recent years. We are also starting to see a trend of youths becoming more liberal towards illicit drugs as they become more exposed to alternative lifestyles on social media.
Two key trends are notably concerning that complicate matters.
One, drugs in the form of new psychoactive substances are on the rise and these are not easy to detect or as straightforward to regulate or enforce from a legislative standpoint.
Two, drug traffickers and youth abusers utilise e-commerce services and encrypted messaging apps like Telegram, enabling them to transact swiftly and anonymously in the digital space. To this end, what new measures will the Home Team take to address this trend?
The National Committee on Prevention, Rehabilitation and Recidivism reported that youths who had a household member with a history of substance abuse will be more likely to abuse drugs than those who did not. In other words, influences from the lived and learning environment matter. As youths spend more time with parents at home and friends as well as teachers at school, how can MHA leverage this ecosystem to identify at-risk youths for more timely intervention?
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza, please take your three cuts together.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Madam, my first cut on deterring youth drug abuse. With 75% of young drug abuse arrests being first-time drug abusers and the number of repeat young drug abusers doubling over the last couple of years, there is a distressingly liberal attitude among young people today towards drugs and other such substances. There is a much more curious attitude towards drugs, such as cannabis, and procuring e-cigarettes to vape. Despite the stringent regulation and monitoring and much success in eliminating drugs in our nation, many young people are still able to seek out suppliers via messaging platforms and obtain drugs and drug paraphernalia. While part of the battle is to keep pace and cut off the source of drugs, what initiatives will MHA be deploying to nip the problem in the bud to prevent a drug-tolerant culture from taking root in Singapore?
New psychoactive substances are being supplied and manufactured with great speed. They are concocted in makeshift labs in the region and disseminated throughout ASEAN. How can the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) be made more flexible to quickly make illegal new variants and concoctions of new psychoactive substances before they hit the Singapore market?
Singapore has come a long way in fighting to be a drug-free nation, especially in Southeast Asia where the flow of drugs is rampant. However, we cannot take our success for granted but must continue to stay vigilant in the face of greater complexities in eliminating drugs amidst the pandemic as well as the proliferation of messaging platforms.
With Telegram groups often being used to illegally advertise and supply such prohibited items, the threat has evolved because of increased internet penetration and the abundance of mobile apps that allow for encrypted communications. This facilitates an environment where there is greater anonymity and suppliers have the ability to delete messages once the transaction is complete. My question, therefore is, how is the Home Team using social media to inculcate the merits of a drug-free Singapore in the minds of Singaporeans?
Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member): Madam, a September 2021 report on youth delinquency by the National Community of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Recidivism showed an encouraging reduction of 43.3% in the number of youth offenders in the last 10 years. I would like to ask whether the Ministry tracks the recidivism level among youth offenders? What percentage are real offenders and when they reoffend, do their offences get more serious in nature?
Is there scope to go further upstream, to work with such youths and reduce the rate of recidivism?
Additionally, the recent investigations into the OCBC phishing scam, revealed that the suspected perpetrators were all youths aged 18 to 22. No doubt, we may see more or similar offences as a new generation increasingly becomes more tech-savvy. Even if proven guilty, given their young age and misguided talent and promise, what efforts will the Ministry undertake to deter youths from misusing technology to commit offences and ensure that those who offend are guided to more constructive use of their talents and skills?
Mr Vikram Nair: Mdm Chairperson, the roots of criminal activity for some offenders start early. This can start with delinquent behaviour and then evolve into involvement in drugs or gangs. Typically, where they get involved in drugs, this is the start of a downward spiral, as they may move from gateway offences like glue sniffing to starting to take drugs and eventually the stronger ones like heroin and methamphetamines. Thereafter, it is a very difficult task to break them out of the cycle.
Singapore has a strong, well-known Yellow Ribbon Programme to help rehabilitate offenders and help them get back into society. However, I think it is even more helpful if we can intervene at an earlier stage, say, at the first signs of delinquent behaviour, or, if possible, even before that, if it is possible to identify youths at-risk.
I would like to ask the MHA what programme it has for early intervention to prevent crimes and whether there are any plans for further programmes?
The Chairman: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, please take your two cuts together.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Madam, Singapore's two-year recidivism rate is amongst the lowest in the world, with the rate for the 2018 release cohort being 22.1%. Our relative success is fueled by the good work of our officers in MHA and its agencies. It is complemented with an ecosystem of support like Yellow Ribbon Singapore, where I volunteer and other community partners.
Our approach in Singapore is, indeed a whole-of-nation effort to help with the employment and employability of ex-offenders in their path away from recidivism and towards rehabilitation and reintegration.
Society's perception and understanding of the challenges that ex-offenders face are crucial to our reintegration efforts. Clear efforts have to be made to remove stigmatisation and labels. Personally, I prefer the term \"overcomers\" instead of \"ex-offenders\" as it better reflects their journey to overcome their chequered and challenging past. I thank Member Mr Mark Chay for his support in this regard.
Let us help offenders become \"overcomers\". In this regard, how is MHA working with other partners to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders, generally, and in particular, to drug-related offences? How is MHA working with the community to strengthen support for ex-offenders? May I suggest, besides rehabilitation and reintegration, we add another reconciliation, that is, reconciliation with their families.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Recent statistics show that the number of Malay drug offenders arrested last year declined by 15%, compared to offenders from other communities which declined by only 7%.
The number of new Malay drug offenders declined by 32% and the number of new Malay offenders was less than the Chinese community.
For me, this is something very encouraging to our community and it is the result of efforts by CNB and MHA over the years, especially the “Dadah Itu Haram” campaign which began in April 2017 in support of our Malay/Muslim community’s initiatives.
The “Dadah Itu Haram” campaign has been around for almost five years. And we have already seen how these efforts are effective in fostering greater awareness and reducing the number of drug offenders in our community.
Here, I would like to acknowledge CNB and MHA officers who have been working very hard to help save our community from the drug scourge. Their sacrifices and efforts will shape the future of our children in a life free from drugs. I hope that more community members and organisations will answer the call and get together to assist this noble effort.
In view of these latest statistics, what are MHA's next plans and updates to cooperate with Malay/Muslim organisations on the fight against drugs? What are the lessons and approaches in the “Dadah Itu Haram” campaign that can be applied to reach out to other communities or young people?
Dr Tan Wu Meng: My Clementi resident came looking for help sometime back, just released from prison, nearly, 60 years old. When he was in Changi Prison, his medical care and follow-ups were at a hospital in the east of Singapore. But upon release home to Clementi in the west, he had a referral letter to the polyclinic listing 11 medical conditions. His medication card had 13 different prescriptions. He had eight medical appointments over the coming months at medical centres in the east of Singapore. Eleven medical conditions, 13 medications on prescription, eight appointments which he would have had to cross the island to attend.
Each trip for medical care and back, from west to east, would have cost him money; transport costs. He shared he was living alone upon release from prison. Not yet found a job, no income. He was on the verge of giving up.
We reached out to the healthcare teams and agencies which were able to come together and help him coordinate his medical care in the west of Singapore near Clementi. But there will be other older Singaporeans with multiple medical conditions just released from prison trying to rebuild their lives.
Can the Minister tell us what is being done to improve handover medical care when prisoners with multiple medical conditions are released and returned to the community, especially if their are existing follow-up is far from home? We know our agencies tried their best. We know our agencies mean well, but let us continue looking at ways to improve and do even better.
The Chairman: Order. I propose to take a break now.
[(proc text) Thereupon Mdm Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.30 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.09 pm until 3.30 pm.
Sitting resumed at 3.30 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY – HEAD P (MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS)
(Securing our place in the world)
[(proc text) Debate in Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
[(proc text) Head P (cont) – (proc text)]
Mr Desmond Choo: Madam, National Service remains ever-important because of our shrinking population. The Home Team's National Servicemen work alongside a full team of full-time officers in ensuring our nation's safety and security. Some of our NSmen go on to become full-time officers after serving National Service, encouraged and inspired by their time spent serving the nation.
Since the pandemic, some of our NSmen have played a different but vital role in our nation's efforts to contain the pandemic. We have seen our NSmen supporting MOH's efforts in fighting COVID-19. For example, some of our NSmen have been assisting in home vaccination efforts and the Home Recovery Programme. We should properly recognise their contributions and continue to ensure that every NSman's experience remains enriching. Can the Home Team share how it plans to further enhance the National Service experience for its National Servicemen?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): Our NSmen in the Home Team serve in the Police Force and SCDF. They stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our regulars, keeping Singapore safe and secure.
We now have more than a quarter of a million NS officers who have served or are serving in the Home Team. This year also marks the 55th anniversary of National Service in Singapore, or NS55, for short.
Our Home Team NS officers perform extremely important work. Over the years, the nature of this work has evolved, expanded, and the risks and burdens become more onerous. Having the benefit of serving both in the SAF and the Home Team as an NSman, I get a sense that Home Team NSmen are not treated on par and given the same level of support as those serving in the SAF, possibly because of the lack of resources. I hope MHA can find ways to better honour, appreciate and celebrate the contributions of our Home Team NSmen. More importantly, to stay engaged with them throughout their NS and reservist journey.
Mr Desmond Choo: Madam, the Internet has enabled the quick and easy dissemination of harmful content. We have seen the Internet being abused to spread harmful misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccination and, more recently, bank-related scams. Perpetrators who disseminate harmful content under the guise of anonymity has made it even tougher for the authorities to track them down. Furthermore, the vastness of the Internet makes it financially burdensome for the authorities to track such content. We must understand that platforms are intrinsically profit-driven entities. We cannot expect them to put our nation's collective interests before their business objectives.
Last year, the Government had signaled its intention to review the feasibility of regulatory levers to enable the Government to deal with online harms effectively. Can the Ministry provide an update on the review, in particular, what legislation with regard to levers, platforms and content, and what is the timeline?
Mr Mark Chay: Mdm Chairman, the metaverse is the seamless convergence of our digital and physical lives, creating a virtual and unified community where people can relax, socialise, play, transact and work. Web3 refers to the third version of the Internet. Even though the metaverse and Web3 will provide opportunities for a better future, we should be concerned about issues of digital policies, digital identity, cybersecurity and data protection.
The metaverse and Web3 will benefit both businesses and consumer environments as well as business-to-business enterprises. For instance, for a manufacturer who wants to purchase equipment for spare parts, the current process involves receiving an email in two-dimensional pictures as a brochure. In the metaverse, there could be a virtual environment to test how the products work in a physical environment. The metaverse is expected to bring more hazards to privacy, safety and security. There are concerns about uncivil behaviour, bullying and stalking in the mixed or virtual reality worlds. The metaverse could also provide forums for manipulation and misinformation.
Web3 is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in the way that people shop, interact socially and browse the Internet. Web3 will focus on improving sharing of content, collective ownership and personalisation.
To ensure that citizens remain protected, can the Ministry consider updating our laws that protect Singaporeans from online harassment, identity theft and virtual crimes?
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza. Take your four cuts together.
Mr Christopher de Souza\t: Mdm Chair, my first cut. Often, those who are detained for plotting a terror attack or collaborating with overseas units to design a terror attack are misguided in their thinking and philosophy. Detaining them so as to prevent them from carrying out the act is key, but, of equal importance, is the effort to rehabilitate them such that they form their own view that violent, extreme, radical thinking manifesting in terror-plotting against the innocent is just simply incorrect. How does MHA intend to intensify its efforts in such rehabilitation and how successful has MHA been so far in rehabilitating potential terrorist threats?
Working alongside regional and global partners to combat terror and potential terror threats is key to helping prevent an incident from happening on our shores. How will MHA continue to be a key partner in the region and, indeed, the globe, in information sharing to achieve a zero-tolerance attitude towards terrorism in Singapore?
MHA’s and its agencies’ partnership with the community to ensure radical, violent extremism does not take root in the thinking of Singaporeans is key in ensuring, pre-emptively, that the prospect of a terror attack in Singapore is minimised. How does MHA intend to intensify its collaboration with community groups to ensure that terrorism is rejected by all communities in Singapore?
The Home Team has served Singapore well for many years in keeping our nation safe and secure. Despite the landscape constantly changing and security threats getting increasingly complicated, the various agencies have risen to the challenge and maintained a very high standard of efficiency and having great precision in eliminating and reducing threats. One aspect of the Home Team force in serving the public is protecting and partnering the community to face any obstacle. That includes how the public can contact the various departments and Statutory Boards to provide feedback or raise queries and concerns or seek help. That also includes the day-to-day service to the community to protect them from the myriad of potential threats. How can the partnership with communities and neighbourhoods be enhanced to deter crime?
The Chairman: Ms Carrie Tan, not here. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: Mdm Chairman, we have all heard stories of errant debt collectors who use every tactic imaginable to collect from those who have loaned monies but may have fallen into arrears for various reasons.
Cases which involve individuals from whom debt collectors approach in their residential homes are especially troubling. Oftentimes, in such cases, the debt collectors not only harass the debtors and their families, but also cause disamenities in the neighbourhood. Families with seniors or young children are rightly concerned that such actions taken by debt collectors may inadvertently and potentially cause harm to them and other families living in the vicinity, even if they are not the ones in debt.
Further, as we know, over the past two years, the pandemic has caused job insecurities for Singaporeans in many industries affected by the pandemic and measures taken to protect public health. This could have caused some families to fall into financial hardship or exacerbate debt-related difficulties.
I, therefore, invite the Minister to share with this House whether the Government has any plans to address this issue and, if so, how do they intend to do so.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Mdm Chairman, the number of online scams has escalated in recent years. Criminals are taking advantage of more people communicating and transacting online due to the pandemic. Most common cases include technical support, Internet love, e-commerce, jobs, investment, loan- and bank-related phishing scams and/or China-related official impersonations. The money conned from the victims are often channelled through money mules, which allow scammers to use their bank accounts or assisted them by carrying out bank transfers and withdrawals.
Last month, the Police investigated 157 people for suspected involvement in scams or money mule operations. In 2021, the Singapore Police Force arrested and investigated more than 7,000 scammers and money mules. How can we prevent people from becoming money mules? And they seem to become younger than before. In addition to public education and campaigns, would the Ministry consider new measures in collaboration with e-financial institutions?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: The security sector has seen several changes over the years. From the NSRS and then WSQ skills requirements and licensing of individual officers, annual assessment of security agencies, implementation of the Progressive Wage Model in 2016 and the launch of the security industry transformation map in 2018, officers and agencies have regularly been subjected to tighter and higher benchmarks. This is great work by the tripartite bodies in the sector – unions, employer associations and, especially Government agencies like MHA, SPF, MOM and others.
The private security sector is a largely outsourced one. This means that other than the officers and their employers – the security agencies – there is a third stakeholder that plays a disproportionately large role in how well deployed or productive the security efforts are. They are the service buyers.
The best way to procure security is an outcome-based contracting model: to first be clear of the security objectives sought for the site through a proper analysis and audit. This is then followed by the installation of the right security technologies to harden the site before deploying the right manpower with the right skills to leverage technologies to achieve the desired outcomes.
Sad to say, the Union of Security Employees has shared with me that many buyers today still engage in \"cheap-sourcing\" instead. \"Cheap-sourcing\" is easy to implement – ask for three quotes by headcount basis and whoever supplies the security officers at the cheapest rates gets the job. Whether the number of security officers or the skillsets of the security officers are adequate for the site is usually not the key deciding factor. This is especially so for the private residential sector, which is estimated to be about 25% of sites procuring private security in Singapore.
\"Cheap-sourcing\" often leads to poor outcomes and low productivity. Officers are tasked to man CCTV screens and manually record vehicle licence plates even today when technologies to handle such tasks are readily available at very affordable prices. Many other examples abound.
I would like to urge MHA to consider measures that can be imposed to guide buyers of private security towards an outcome-based contracting model. This will help increase the security outcomes for the sites and also raise productivity.
A first step to consider, perhaps, is to look at how the relevant legislation can be modified to require licensed security consultants to be appointed as qualified persons of sorts, much like the construction industry, to ensure that security contracts encompass and embrace outcome-based contracting.
Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong): Madam, I echo Member Patrick Tay's call to MHA to do more to shift buyers of private security services towards outcome-based contracting – outcomes that can and should be achieved by security technology playing a central role to augment manpower.
Unfortunately, the practice today, especially in the residential sector of the market, is still \"cheap-sourcing\" – based on headcount. The operating model and mindset are still very much about having warm bodies on site to do tasks that technology can already do today.
We need to help the sector progress beyond this \"headcounts\" mentality. I think it is a big reason why the sector continues to face an estimated shortfall of 10,000 to 15,000 officers today. Meanwhile, existing officers in the sector put in longer hours and unsustainable shifts to plug the gap.
I understand from the Union of Security Employees that split shifts with two hours in between, for example, are a common practice today. But during these two hours, the officer may very well be unable to leave the site, especially if it is in a far-flung location. Job conditions for our officers can become much better if operating models and practices shift decisively.
In addition, I would like to ask if MHA has other plans to uplift security officers, encourage women participation in the sector and enhance respect by society at large for the profession.
Mr Derrick Goh: Mdm Chairman, combating scams urgently was a topic I raised in my previous Budget speech. In 2021, crimes related to scams have increased significantly. SPF reported over 46,000 crimes, the highest in the decade, driven by scam cases being four times that in 2017.
Last year, scam victims lost a total of $635 million. This is sizable and more than the $500 million Jobs and Business Support Package or the $560 million Household Support Package. If scams are not curbed safely and resolutely, coupled with the looming threat of more complex cyber crimes, our national efforts towards creating a safer digital economy may be derailed.
While our agencies have stepped up, cases show that scammers are innovative and brazen and appear to be a step ahead. Scam typologies consistently evolve to exploit different weaknesses along the payments value chain, testing every link of the digital ecosystem and generally, originate from overseas.
SPF has established the Anti-Scam Centre, which has proven effective in our fight against scams. This partnership with stakeholders across the payments value chain seems to have borne fruit, with 24,000 bank accounts frozen and over $160 million in scam proceeds recovered.
Similarly, MHA also needs to enhance cross-jurisdictional cooperation to cripple foreign scam syndicates to effectively recover lost monies.
On this note, how will MHA step up partnerships with both public and private stakeholders in the digital ecosystem? Can the Minister elaborate on MHA's strategy to foster stronger partnerships with foreign agencies?
Community engagement is equally core to SPF's crime prevention strategy. In our fight against scams, a vigilant and discerning public is the first and foremost important line of defence, as are those in the value chain such as online marketing places, telcos, fintech and banks. All stakeholders have a role to play.
On this basis, what are the Home Team's new plans to develop and deepen the engagement and set minimum standards across the payments ecosystem to defend against digital crimes?
Madam, the Police must be better resourced to maintain its effectiveness in a more complex digital world. Minister of State Desmond Tan had previously mentioned in this House that Police investigators are stretched, given more workload. As such, beyond an increase in manpower, we also need to equip investigators with the right cyber and commercial crime expertise.
In noting the modest 1.8% increase in MHA's 2022 Budget, can the Minister clarify if the expenditures have planned for additional manpower as well as capabilities so that our Police can be more effective in stemming the growth of scam cases to keep Singapore safe and secure?
Lastly, given the recent media reports and commentaries, can the Minister provide the Government's views on the Court of Appeals' judgment on the constitutional challenge to section 377A of the Penal Code.
The Chairman: Minister K Shanmugam.
The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Thank you, Mdm Chairman. I thank the hon Members for their comments.
I will first address Mr Derrick Goh's question about the recent Court of Appeals' judgment on the constitutional challenge to section 377A of the Penal Code. AGC is looking at the judgment carefully. The Government has explained its stand. Prime Minister Lee said in Parliament in 2007, when the Penal Code was amended but section 377A was left unchanged, that we want to be \"a stable society with traditional heterosexual family values but with space for homosexuals to live their lives and to contribute to society.\"
He added, \"Among them are some of our friends, our relatives, our colleagues, our brothers and sisters or some of our children. Our kith and kin.\"
This remains our stand today. These are deeply divisive issues. That is why we take a \"live and let live\" approach. We seek to be an inclusive society where mutual respect and tolerance for different views and practices are paramount. The Government has thus taken the approach that while section 377A remains on the books, there will be no proactive enforcement. And AGC takes a similar approach.
We expressly included in the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) that any attack on LGBTQ+ groups or on persons because they are LGBTQ+ will be an offence and will not be tolerated.
LGBTQ+ individuals are entitled to live peacefully without being attacked or threatened. Likewise, any attack on any other group based on their religion or religious beliefs, even if those beliefs run counter to values held by LGBTQ+ groups, will not be acceptable.
So, our emphasis on gradual evolution and traditional families remain constant. However, since this issue was last discussed in Parliament in 2007, social attitudes towards homosexuality have gradually shifted.
One of the things that upsets the LGBTQ+ community is that many feel that their experience of being hurt or rejected by their families, friends, schools and companies is not recognised, indeed, often denied.
At the same time, a large majority want to preserve the overall tone of our society, in particular, the traditional view of marriage as being between a man and a woman, and their children should be raised within such a family structure. Their concern is not section 377A per se but the broader issues of marriage and family.
Many amongst this group also support decriminalising homosexual sex between men.
Both these viewpoints are valid and important. Policies need to evolve to keep abreast of such changes in views and legislation needs to evolve to support updated policies.
The Government is considering the best way forward. We must respect the different viewpoints, consider them carefully, talk to the different groups and if and when we decide to move, we will do so in a way that continues to balance between these different viewpoints and avoids causing a sudden destabilising change in social norms and public expectations.
If you look at successive Court judgments over the years, the Courts have consistently taken the position that these are highly contentious social issues and within the province of Parliament. The heterosexual stable family remains the social norm and the current legal position reflects our society's norms, values and attitudes. That is what the Courts have said.
In this latest judgment, the Court noted the compromise which Singapore has struck in respect of section 377A is unique. Our approach strikes a balance between preserving the legislative status quo whilst accommodating the concerns of those directly affected by the legislation.
The Court recognised that the Government did this in order to avoid driving a deeper wedge within our society. It also noted that Singapore's approach seeks to keep what to do with section 377A within the democratic space.
Socially charged issues such as section 377A call for continued discussion and open-ended resolution within the political domain, where we can forge consensus rather than in win-lose outcomes in Court. In this way, we can accommodate divergent interests, avoid polarisation, facilitate incremental change.
Furthermore, the Court highlighted the importance of creating space for peaceful coexistence among the various groups, especially since the balance between the various interests around section 377A has grown more delicate.
These opinions align with the approach that the Government has taken in dealing with section 377A and that it intends to take as it considers the changes in our social landscape since 2007.
I will now move on to the rest of my Committee of Supply (COS) speech. I will focus on two issues – the death penalty and our approach to rehabilitation. My colleagues from MHA will talk about MHA's plans, new capabilities, use of technology, tackling drug abuse and the fight against scams.
Mdm Chairman, with your permission, may I distribute the Annexes to the Members of the House?
The Chairman: Yes, go ahead. [Handouts were distributed to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]
Mr K Shanmugam: Criminal justice systems have various objectives. I have spoken before about this. I will mention four today: first, to deter crimes; second, to provide proportionate punishment for offenders; three, to protect public safety; and four, to rehabilitate ex-offenders.
How our Government balances these objectives depends on a country’s needs and values. In that context, I want to talk about the death penalty, which I will call DP for short. Annex A sets out the list of offences for which the DP can be imposed.
Mr Murali Pillai asked if the death penalty remains relevant. I will answer by making the following points: first, does the DP have deterrent effect; second, what is its effect on the behaviour of drug traffickers; third, Singaporeans' attitude towards the DP; fourth, specifically, what are the wider harms imposed on society by drug traffickers; and fifth, the outcomes in Singapore as a result of the approach we have taken.
First, the deterrent effect of DP. In our view, it has had a clear, strong deterrent impact, based on past behaviour, as well, as current trends. With your permission, Mdm Chairman, may I display slides on the screen, please?
The Chairman: Please go ahead. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: Let me deal with the past first. In 1961, DP for kidnapping was introduced. Three years before, the average was 29 cases per year. Three years after, the average became one case per year. It has remained very low since.
Firearms robbery. It was on the rise in the 1970s. In 1973, 174 cases. Government introduced DP in November 1973. The number of firearms offences immediately fell by 39% in 1974 to 106 cases and continued to decline in subsequent years, ever lower. Firearms offences remain very rare today in Singapore. So, that is a historical perspective and the charts speak for themselves.
Let me talk about the current situation. I could go on a little bit about it, but let me just deal with a few short points. It appears to us, specifically in relation to drugs, that our position on drugs, including imposing the DP is well known in some of our neighbouring regions and that has contributed to a strong deterrent effect.
MHA specifically commissioned a study on persons from parts of the region outside Singapore. These are places from where most of our arrested drug traffickers have come from in recent years. We wanted to get a sense of what people in these places knew and thought. And this is what we found: 82% of respondents believed that DP makes people not to want to commit serious crimes in Singapore. These are not Singaporeans, these are people in the region – 69% believed that the DP is more effective in discouraging people from committing serious crimes, compared to life imprisonment.
There are many around the world, some in Singapore, who say: \"Well, why do you not replace it with life imprisonment?\"; 69% in the region believe that the DP is more effective in discouraging people from committing serious crimes compared to life imprisonment; 83% believed that the DP makes people not to want to traffic substantial amount of drugs into Singapore – 83%.
I emphasise this – these are the places from which many of our traffickers come from. You remove the death penalty, that number, 83%, will surely be reduced because there is money to be made. Just go back to the second question, 69% believe that DP is more effective than life imprisonment. It is a fair assumption to say that more people will traffic drugs into Singapore, more drugs will enter into Singapore, there will be more drug abusers in Singapore and more Singaporean families and individuals will be harmed, if we remove the DP, in particular, the mandatory death penalty (MDP).
It is a stark choice for Singaporeans. So, those who campaign against the DP ought to answer these questions. These are debates we can have in society, but they ought to answer these questions and deal with them and face up to them squarely, and then debate on that basis.
Public policy requires making choices. My view is that Singaporean lives and livelihoods, a large number of that, will be at risk. That is why we have taken a tough line on this.
Second, the introduction of the DP has also changed the behaviour of drug traffickers. In 1990, the Government introduced the MDP for trafficking in more than 1.2 kilogrammes of opium. Comparing the four years before and after, there was a 66% reduction in the average net weight trafficked. In a 2018 study conducted by MHA, we found a very high level of awareness of the DP amongst convicted drug traffickers.
This had influenced their drug trafficking behaviour and it is consistent with the survey I spoke about earlier in the region. One of the traffickers in this study said the following: he knew very clearly that if he were caught for trafficking a small amount, he would just go to jail for trafficking. But if he was caught with a larger amount, he would be at risk of the death penalty. And so he trafficked below the threshold amount.
Mr Murali Pillai also asked if Singaporeans continued to support the use of the DP. That is my third point, the majority of Singapore residents support the use of the DP and agree that the DP deters serious crimes. In 2019, our MHA survey showed very strong support for the DP. We conducted a follow-up survey in 2021, with a segment specifically on MDP. The results are still being analysed. So, my statements on that are preliminary.
On the question as to whether the MDP is appropriate: 81% said it was appropriate for intentional murder; 71% said it was appropriate for firearm offences; 66% said that it was appropriate for drug trafficking; and more than 80% also believed that the DP had deterred the commission of these offences in Singapore.
But it is not just a question of survey results, whether more people agree or less people agree. If, as policy-makers, having studied the issues and the facts, we believe this is the right thing to do, then it is our duty, both mine and Members, if you are convinced, to try and persuade people on what is the right course of action. In the end, we also have to lead by persuading, explaining and if we are wrong, then the counter-arguments prevail.
I will now move to my fourth point on the wider harm of drugs and why we take a firm stance. Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked how Singapore compared with countries that did not have DP for drug offences. Well, let me answer it in a broader way. Let us take a look at other cities around the world, some of which have taken a softer stance on drugs and some are going or have already gone down the path of legalisation. See the examples from the US and the UK in Annex B-1 and Annex B-2.
A CDC report estimates that more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths in the US took place in the one-year period ending April 2021. In Delaware, one of the places most affected by drug abuse in the US, more than 2,300 people have died of drug overdoses since 2016. That is about the number of people who have also died of COVID-19 in Delaware, since the beginning of the pandemic until end of 2021.
In Baltimore, spending on drugs is estimated at an incredible US$165 million, with over 19,000 heroin users. That is just heroin. People are caught in brutal, vicious cycles. Criminal records and poor job prospects push them into the drug trade. And violence is part and parcel of their lives; either they use violence or it is used on them. And the impact of drugs on innocent children and babies is rarely ever discussed.
With your permission, Mdm Chairman, may I display a video on the screen? I think it is useful for Members to watch this video.
The Chairman: Please go ahead. [A video was shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: In many countries, including in Singapore, there is a small group who will bring out sob stories on the drug traffickers and their parents and how they should not face the penalties that the law provides. Their parents will be put on display crying. What about the babies? What about the innocent children? Who speaks for them? Huge numbers of babies are born in withdrawal and addiction, and these drug traffickers profit from destroying these children and their families. Where should our sympathies be placed?
Based on the 2017 data, nearly 80 newborns are diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) every day. This is a snapshot, what you saw, of what it looks like. We have largely not had this in Singapore. It is news to us. So, those who ask us to abolish the death penalty should answer these questions.
Madam, may I seek your permission to play a second video now? This is a situation in San Francisco. If it gets to that situation, it will be too late.
The Chairman: Yes, go ahead. [A video was shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: There are some who will say, \"We are not talking about decriminalisation in Singapore\". They will say our laws are already adequate. We are talking only about removing the DP or MDP; keep all the other tough laws.
My response is this. First of all, I gave you the survey results. Removing the DP and what impact it will have, psychologically.
Second, we have never said that the DP or MDP alone is sufficient. It is, however, a key part of our system and approach to deal with drug trafficking. You need many different things to keep Singapore relatively free from drugs. Good intelligence, strong enforcement, stiff punishments, rehabilitation for offenders, and deterrence. And you heard earlier what people in the region say, what convicted drug traffickers say about the DP being a very strong deterrent.
So, I am telling Members we have to think very carefully about this before removing any part of this framework or going soft. Those who advise for removal often compare us with countries which have already lost the drug war. I am not sure if they understand the consequences or choose not to understand them. Because the consequences are plain for everyone to see. It is not rocket science.
Mdm Chairman, with your permission, can I have another video played on the situation in San Francisco from a former abuser?
The Chairman: Yes. [A video was shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: In the 1990s, CNB arrested about 6,000 abusers per year. Now, it arrests about 3,000 to 3,500 per year. It has not become less effective, it is just that we have managed to reduce the number of people who engage in drug abuse.
It is a large number of people, potential abusers, whose lives have been saved. And it is not just them, if you consider their families. So, many more have been saved. And crime has been kept low in Singapore because the drugs abuse situation has been kept low.
Singapore does well in measures of safe cities, such as the Gallup survey and the Safe Cities Index. But if we change the laws, we cannot expect crime to remain low.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
The drug problem has also contributed to the homelessness situation in many major US cities. The tents that were in Skid Row in LA now covers many blocks, and this is what it looks like. Chairman, can I have your permission to play video three please?
The Chairman: Please do. [A video was shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: I am not seeking to draw a direct comparison. There are many other reasons for homelessness in these places. But just note, the homeless also have addiction and drug abuse problems and some of that will spill over; when people cannot live with others because of drug abuse problems, they will spill out onto the streets and crime will go up.
If you look in the UK, we see similar problems. In Sheffield, for example, the drug problem has led to an increase in violent and armed crime. Innocent children get killed. The number of people dying of drug-related deaths in Sheffield has tripled between 2010 and 2020.
Now, let me turn to outcomes in Singapore. Mr Murali Pillai asked whether there was a worsening of the drug situation. My answer is that the number of drug abusers in Singapore remains low, though there are some worrying trends. The number of new drug abusers is higher than we would like it to be.
I had earlier shared how the number of abusers arrested in Singapore has, over the years, gone down, and how that is also linked to low crime. Drugs are not the sole cause of murders, violence or crime. When we look at the overseas examples, a variety of other factors shape safety in cities, including the availability of guns, how effective the criminal justice system and the police are, and many other factors. But in my view, drug abuse and the prevalence of drug gangs are an important contributing factor and it links up to quite a lot of other factors.
So, by being tough on drug offences, we minimise the harms of drugs in our society. If we removed the DP, I have no doubt, more drug syndicates and traffickers will bring larger amounts of drugs into Singapore. Singaporeans and their families will suffer. We prefer not to have to impose the DP on anyone, but we must continue to do what is best for us as a national policy.
Mr Murali Pillai also asked whether we would consider allowing issuance of Certificates of Substantive Assistance (CSA) to offenders when the case is before the Court of Appeal, instead of before their trial.
The purpose of the CSA is to encourage offenders to come clean and to provide assistance before trial, provide assistance to CNB in breaking down criminal gangs, drug gangs. The purpose will be undermined, if we allow offenders to fight a case, put up a defence based on other legal arguments and then offer the information later and ask for a CSA. So, we do not intend to make that move.
So, that is what I have to say on DP. Given the time available, I have not said everything I would like to have said.
Let me now move on to the second part of my speech, which is rehabilitation.
There is a tendency to think of the Singapore system as being tough. I do not blame Members because I have just spent, I think the last 20 minutes or so explaining why we need to be tough on drug offenders.
But to describe it simply as tough is not a complete and accurate descriptor. We have to be tough on drugs, but the complete picture, even on drugs, is not about just being tough. We are tough on those that we have to be tough on. That is, the drug traffickers. But, for example, drug abusers, we try to not even treat them as criminals. We, instead, treat their drug dependency through a variety of means. Without a criminal record, if their situation is that they are only drug abusers and have not committed any other crime.
And our criminal justice system has evolved quite substantially to help those who have gotten onto the wrong side. One key aspect of that is rehabilitation. So, let me talk about the different aspects of it.
As part of rehabilitation, we have moved to alternate types of sentencing. Annex C lists some of the types of orders which our Courts can make for minor offences. The Courts can consider these in appropriate cases, instead of traditional sentences, such as imprisonment or fine. They are the: Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO), Day Reporting Order (DRO), Community Work Order (CWO), Community Service Order (CSO) and Short Detention Order (SDO).
A second aspect is rehabilitation within prison. Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked about our efforts to improve the employability of inmates and our work with the community in bringing down recidivism rates. Our two-year recidivism rate is the lowest it has been. 20% for the most recent release cohort. It is one of the lowest for comparable cities around the world.
But there is more to be done. The five-year recidivism rate for the 2016 release cohort is higher, at 41%. It has gone down a little bit over the years, but we want to try and bring it down further.
There are some factors that can lead to a successful reintegration in the long term. These include stable employment, positive pro-social networks and personal motivation to seek help and contribute to society.
When inmates are admitted to prison, they have their risks and needs identified and undergo appropriate programmes to address them. There are four broad areas: one, psychology-based correctional programmes; two, family programmes; three, skills training and employment assistance; and four, community corrections.
Under psychology-based correctional programmes, correctional rehabilitation specialists and psychologists do intervention programmes for inmates. Inmates may have rehabilitation needs, including relating to substance abuse, anti-social attitudes, interpersonal violence, sexual violence and other mental health needs. So, our experts will look at these issues.
The second aspect is working with the family. Strong family support is essential in the rehabilitation and re-integration journey. Prisons conducts programmes, social skills training programme and the Family Reintegration Programme (FRP). The aim is to help the inmates link up, bond with their family, strengthen the bonds with their family and loved ones.
Prisons also works with community partners, for example, Centre for Fathering, The Salvation Army and New Life Stories, to facilitate family bonding programmes for inmates and their children.
Some families may also face difficulties during the inmates’ incarceration. Prisons proactively refers families of inmates who require assistance to Family Service Centres. In the broader community, grassroots volunteers are roped in to support families impacted by incarceration. Today, there are over 1,200 grassroots volunteers under the Yellow Ribbon Community Project, involving all 93 divisions across Singapore.
Third is the Skills Training and Employment Assistance. This is a key focus. Having a stable job upon release reduces the risk of re-offending.
Mr Mark Chay asked about the success of the Train and Place (TAP) and Grow Initiative. The TAP and Grow initiative works on equipping inmates with skills to secure and sustain jobs. He also asked if there are plans to expand this initiative. The Prison School deals with inmates. They can go for academic programmes while in prison. Programmes range from GCE to diploma and degree programmes.
Last year, Prisons and Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) worked with ITE to introduce the NITEC in Services – Business Services Programme. The first batch of 29 graduated in February this year.
Under the TAP and Grow initiative, training academies in prison have been set up in partnership with the media, precision engineering and logistics sectors. Inmates will be offered jobs by the partner employers upon release. Twenty-eight inmates completed the training and graduated with diplomas in media courses. Some of them have since been released and they are working in media-related jobs. Others are waiting for job interviews. There were 30 inmates from the first batch of training programmes for precision engineering and logistics and about 650 inmates will benefit from the TAP and Grow initiative in these three sectors every year.
This year, YRSG does aim to make the initiative bigger and go into the food services sector. YRSG has also developed a digital literacy masterplan for inmates to gain basic digital skills in prison so that they are better prepared for the job market upon release. An estimated 750 inmates will be trained in basic digital skills each year. YRSG has also partnered IMDA to roll out digital skills training for older residents at the Selarang Halfway House and this training helps with digital services, including Government services and financial services.
The fourth aspect I want to mention is community corrections. Research has shown that there are better rehabilitation outcomes when rehabilitation in prison is complemented by community-based programmes. And Prisons has been expanding community corrections. As at end of 2021, there were about 3,400 supervisees undergoing rehabilitation in the community, double the number from five years ago.
Results from community corrections continue to be encouraging. In 2021, close to 90% of the inmates who were placed on community-based programmes completed them successfully. Inmates who have completed these programmes have a lower risk of reoffending. Prisons is also developing a Digitalised Learning and Support Package for inmates. The aim is to better prepare inmates for their emplacement in the community.
The efforts I have described will not be effective if the community is not willing to give ex-offenders a second chance. YRSG helps with our reintegration efforts and my colleague, Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim, will speak about this later.
Mr Leon Perera then reprised a part of the FICA debate. At that time, I pointed out to him that, in Singapore, we take investigations very seriously and I explained how the system works and that the Prime Minister can be the subject of independent investigations. He did not respond then, but he has come back to it today.
What is our structure? If there is wrongdoing by anyone, whether a Minister or civil servant or private sector person, there will be investigations. Very few people doubt that. And, over the years, we have added on the checks. This Government has added on checks on itself, which are very rare elsewhere. We institutionalised it such that the CPIB can go straight to the Prime Minister but, where the Prime Minister himself is the possible subject of investigations, or if the Prime Minister does not want to do something, the CPIB can go to the President. Not many countries have done this. As I have said, I will come back to this point.
Therefore, if there is any wrongdoing or suspected wrongdoing, known to anyone, including suspicion of foreign interference or influence, you can let CPIB know. CPIB has the resources to carry out the investigations and it has the ability to tap onto other agencies for the appropriate additional help or work that needs to be done. And FICA put in place a framework where interactions cross the line and you become the subject of foreign influence. So, there is a legal basis to act.
Mr Leon Perera's suggestion, if I understood him correctly, is that why not we set up a separate ombudsman with the resources to carry out all these investigations? Because he had a question about whether the CPIB was adequately resourced, trained, does it have the ability to handle these matters? So, my inference from that way of phrasing the question is, therefore the agency, whichever agency is set up, must replicate, I suppose, many parts of our law enforcement agencies, including our intel agencies, so that they can do this on a standalone basis. If that is the suggestion, if I understood him correctly, I would suggest it does not make much sense because how do you replicate, and at what cost an entire investigative mechanism outside the Government?
And let me make three points.
If you only have the ombudsman without this apparatus that I have described, then he or she will go to the law enforcement agencies. Here, in such a situation, the law enforcement agencies can go to the President. That is the check. There is an independent person who can give the directions and who can authorise.
Second, Mr Leon Perera referred to New Zealand and I have often found that, we make these references – they sound sexy, but then, when you actually look at what is happening, I find that the debates get very academic, without any grounding in reality, without perhaps either understanding or acknowledging what really happens in Singapore. What is our situation – how well we have managed to handle and keep corruption low and official wrongdoing low and how other countries are in this context?
Let me just read something from The Guardian, which is I think in January 2020, which wrote about New Zealand and foreign influence: \"New Zealand's international reputation for political integrity has taken a battering recently. The country's Minister for Justice Andrew Little admitted last month, like many democracies around the world, ours is vulnerable to those abroad who would seek to interfere in our democratic processes and influence the outcome.\" I am not going to read the whole article. I will make it available to Members or I will give the reference in a while.
A Financial Times article this month said that New Zealand was \"on the edge of viability as a member\" of its allied relationships because of its \"supine attitude towards China\" and \"compromised political system\".
New Zealand's National Party Member of Parliament Todd McClay was featured in a report by Freedom House as an example of how they say which foreign government forges relationships with foreign politicians who promote a certain view in local media. McClay is infamous for receiving NZ$150,000 from a China-based businessman, Lang Lin. New Zealand allows donations from New Zealand-registered companies even if they are foreign-owned. The country's new legislation on electoral funding did not include changes to this massive loophole.
In 2016, New Zealand was described as \"at the heart\" of global money laundering. The ease for foreigners to set up a company in the country is one of the reasons why money launderers have been attracted to do business there. You would think New Zealand's other political parties would be making hay with all this material, but they have been mute.
I would ask Members to perhaps do their research before they cite various countries and their institutions as models.
Second, here we have an elected Government, which has to govern, and I will come back to this point and explain it a bit later.
Third, let me ask, you set up an ombudsman with or without the full suite of resources and without any oversight from the Government, who then deals with misconduct by the ombudsman or the officers within that office?
Mr Leon Perera said during the FICA debate \"quis custodiet ipsos custodes?\", if I recall correctly. For some reason, I think that phrase seems to have lost favour now. Who guards the guards? Take a hypothetical situation: say, you have an organisation, where the top leaders engage in wrongdoing or, for example, say, they set up a disciplinary committee to cover up what they did rather than actually investigate, I think you can ask \"quis custodiet ipsos custodes?\". And if Mr Leon Perera – I suppose if he was part of any such organisation, would be the first one to make such a point.
But for the Government, with the systems in place and the variety of people who can lodge complaints and investigate – AGO, Attorney-General, you have CPIB, the Police – civil servants are obliged if they think that a Minister is doing wrong to take it up to a higher authority and, if they believe that the higher authority is not acting properly, they can take it up all the way. And these civil servants are protected through the structure of Public Service Commission, which, in turn, is protected through the fact that appointment cannot be interfered with willy-nilly by the Government. So, if you take the senior appointments, including the chief of CPIB, Chief Justice, Attorney-General – all these – there are carefully constructed structures on these appointments. So, I would say, look at all that first and look at the ground situation before we start talking about replicating more and more institutions outside.
In contrast, look at countries with a longer runway of democracy. Australia – I stand corrected – but in the short time I had since Mr Leon Perera spoke, the example I found is Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), a state-level agency that reports to the premier; in this case, the case that was highlighted to me, the Prime Minister of New South Wales.
If you look at what is the situation in the UK – I am reading from something that says \"Institute for Government – Ministerial Code\", what does the Code say? All of the Codes, meaning the Codes for Wales, Scotland and UK, give the final authority for decisions about action to be taken to the Prime Minister or First Minister or, in Northern Ireland, the relevant nominating officer for a particular Minister's party. So, it is the prime minister. Since 2006, UK Government Ministerial Code breaches have been investigated through an independent adviser on ministerial interest or by the cabinet secretary, but there is no requirement to follow any particular process. That is the UK situation. And I think the Member will be well aware of the situation in the UK more recently and for some period in the recent past.
Here, a second question on caning and whether there was a requirement for those who have been caned to thank the officers after the caning. There is no such requirement.
And he has suggested there should be – no surprises – an outside commission to decide on institutional caning.
Over the years, I have listened to the speeches, Mr Leon Perera, in particular. There seems to be a typical solution that is suggested for many different aspects of Government: set up an independent mechanism outside. I mean, reading from his speech on 4 November 2020: \"an ombudsman would function as an independent office to investigate complaints about administrative decisions or actions of a public agency, including delay, rudeness, negligence, arbitrariness, inconsistency, oppressive behaviour or unlawfulness\".
Every aspect of Government, anyone who is unhappy, go to an ombudsman, you have got to then set up an entire huge structure at the taxpayers' expense to investigate this, rather than having a proper legal process, including a complaint system, independent investigations set up, say, by the Police with some outside people sitting on it, or judicial review.
In FICA, there was a suggestion of ombudsman. Prisons, another agency. I mean, essentially, we can subcontract many aspects of Government, if we go down this route. And it will not solve the problems, because who guards the guards?
So, I would suggest we start with what is working well, what is not working, and for what is not working, how do we better do things. I think these are the things on which there can be positive contributions, and my Ministry will always be open to positive contributions, regardless of who it comes from, whether people in this Chamber, whether from the Government or Opposition, or members of public. If the suggestion is good and valid, we will study it. If it is possible to implement it, we will implement it.
The Chairman: Second Minister Josephine Teo.
The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Chairman, in 2015, MHA started our ambitious Home Team Transformation Journey. We recognised the need to overhaul the Home Team’s operational model to ensure we would be future-ready to meet evolving challenges, as new threats emerge amidst higher public expectations, rising workload and manpower constraints.
Seven years on, we have seen encouraging results. In the 2020 edition of the Home Team Public Perception Survey, over 88% of the respondents agreed that the Home Team uses technology effectively to enhance Singapore’s safety and security.
In the era of hyper-innovation, each successful adoption of technology is merely the beginning of more to come. I will update Members on our efforts in three areas: first, new capabilities for greater operational effectiveness; second, safer and more convenient services for the public; and, third, upskilling of our officers.
First, our operational effectiveness.
Mr Christopher de Souza said as the nature of threats evolve, the Home Team needs to stay ahead by using technology to augment our operational responses and capabilities. We cannot agree more. Public trust is built on our ability to detect and prevent threats, and our speed of incident response.
Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Vikram Nair asked about the Police Cameras. Fortunately, we are operating from a position of strength. In terms of detection and prevention of threats, Police Cameras deployed in public places island-wide have helped SPF solve more than 6,000 cases. Their presence has also deterred criminals. Reports of crimes such as unlicensed moneylending have decreased by 94% from 2013 to 2021, between January and June, at approximately 2,100 HDB blocks installed with cameras.
SPF will now expand its camera networks to more than 200,000 cameras by 2030 to continue to safeguard our public housing estates. In a survey conducted by SPF in 2021, 91% of respondents supported the installation of Police Cameras in public areas to deter, detect and solve crimes. As at end 2021, SPF has completed the installation of about 90,000 cameras at HDB blocks, multi-storey car parks, town centres, neighbourhood centres and hawker centres.
SPF will continue to expand the cameras’ coverage to more public spaces and heartland areas to improve our response against crime and security threats. The footage from these cameras is stored securely and only accessed by authorised officers. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is applied to help officers analyse the high-volume of footage.
SCDF has also been enhancing its capability over the years to better detect hazardous materials. In the next few years, SCDF will implement a real-time 24/7 nationwide sensor grid to enable early detection of hazardous materials. With earlier detection, SCDF will be able to quickly dispatch resources to investigate and manage the situation. The management of an incident involving hazardous materials is time critical, as these substances pose significant risks to public health property and the environment.
We are also using technology, so that officers can respond faster and better to incidents. SPF and SCDF will be enhancing their 999 and 995 operation centres with VEEN, or Video Extension for Emergency Numbers. VEEN will allow officers in the Ops Centre to initiate a video call on the mobile phone of the 999 or 995 caller. With that, the Ops Centre will be able to see what is happening on the ground and officers arriving at the scene will be able to react quicker and better. The VEEN system will be implemented in the first quarter of 2023.
SCDF frontline officers will also be equipped with smart devices, such as smart phones, tablets and smart watches, so that they can respond better in emergencies. An example would be OMNII, or the Operational Medical Networks Informatics Integrator, jointly developed by SCDF and MOH. Launched in mid-2021, OMNII helps paramedics to make better interventions when responding to emergency medical cases through accessing a patient’s relevant medical data on the go. Paramedics can also quickly share information with the hospitals, so that the patient can receive timely assistance upon arrival.
The second area I will speak about is how we use technology to improve service delivery to the public.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have accelerated the digitalisation of our services to minimise physical touch points and to reach more Singaporeans safely and conveniently.
Currently, the majority of ICA’s transactional e-services see a high take-up rate of over 80%. Satisfaction rates among users are over 80%. This year, ICA will make available more digital documents. Members of the public will soon be able to apply for and access documents digitally, such as birth and death certificates, long-term visit passes and student passes. This makes these processes completely digital end-to-end, and we will no longer need to worry about losing such important documents. This also saves time spent on travelling and collecting physical documents at ICA. Identity cards and passports will remain physical documents as current legislation still requires the presentation of physical identity cards in certain settings and we need to adhere to international passport standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
In time to come, these digital documents can be securely and conveniently retrieved on our mobile devices through the “MyICA Mobile” app. ICA will also be making more e-services, such as the application of identity cards, passports and extension of visit passes available on this app.
Mr Mark Chay asked how technology can assist in the safe reopening of Singapore’s borders. As international travel starts to open up, we expect the number of travellers passing through our checkpoints to increase. ICA will introduce the Automated Clearance Initiative this year to allow more eligible visitors to use automated clearance facilities, without the need for prior application.
In the longer term, most residents, long-term pass holders and visitors will be cleared through automated lanes in the passenger halls, which will be faster, more efficient and more secure.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked if this will increase the immigration clearance time for Singaporeans since we will have a larger pool of travellers eligible for automated clearance. I would like to assure Members that Singaporeans will not experience longer clearance times. We can clear a traveller at the automated lane in less than half the time, compared to the manual counter. In addition, over the next three years, ICA will double the number of automated lanes at Changi Airport. All lanes can be flexibly allocated to serve specific traveller groups according to operational needs.
Mr Baey Yam Keng asked how we have used technology to facilitate rehabilitation. We have used technology to ensure our rehabilitation programmes can continue during the pandemic and keep families close to inmates. Since 2020, SPS has used videoconferencing for its rehabilitation programmes. Through the virtual family programmes, inmates were able to connect with their children, despite the pandemic. SPS also partnered Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) to facilitate virtual job placement interviews, allowing inmates to continue to access employment assistance. These virtual initiatives will be kept up to complement in-person sessions.
SPS also uses tablets to facilitate inmates’ rehabilitation with self-directed learning and engagement. Inmates connect with their families and friends through e-letters and keep up with the news. This sense of connection with their loved ones and society is essential to their rehabilitation process.
A third and important area is the use of technology to make training safer and more realistic for our officers. One example is SPF’s Live Instrumentation Training System, which does away with the need for our officers to fire live rounds during simulated tactical trainings; instead, lasers and body-worn detectors are used.
To make taser training safer for our officers, the Mobile TASER Training Target system uses computer vision technology to detect and analyse data, such as where the taser probes are targeted at, thus removing the need for conventional methods where officers wearing protective suits serve as targets.
Our officers are vested in this journey. They, too, want to have a stake in better understanding and leveraging technology. Thus, each Home Team Department has developed their own digital upskilling roadmaps to equip their officers with the relevant digital skills.
The Home Team is also using technology to train our officers to tackle cyber crime. We adopt a two-pronged approach.
First, we equip our Home Team officers with tools to detect and provide intelligence on cyber crime activities. For example, Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) developed an E-Commerce Surveillance Tool that uses AI to help enforcement officers sift through online listings of contrabands. As data mining and analysis are fully automated, this significantly reduces the enforcement efforts of contraband items from days or even weeks to a matter of hours.
Second, we train and keep our officers updated on the latest cyber crime trends. For example, SPF works with private sector organisations to train officers on technology features and technical skills to combat cyber crime.
Sir, over the next few years, technology will continue to be a cornerstone in our transformation journey to help meet the challenges of our evolving security environment.
MHA will build key capabilities to enable the delivery of our future digitalisation initiatives and accelerate innovation. HTX is developing HEIDI, or Hyperscale Enterprise Intelligent Digital Infrastructure, a dedicated cloud platform. HEIDI will enable HTX to quickly adopt and create new digital capabilities so that capacity can be scaled up quickly to meet future needs. It will also provide enhanced data security and stronger operational control compared to regular commercial cloud services. With HEIDI, the Home Team will be in a stronger position to fulfil our mission.
Sir, leveraging technology to improve our capabilities will enable us to serve the public better, more efficiently and effectively. We will press on to ensure that Singapore remains a safe and secure home for all of us.
The Chairman: Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Sir, the Home Team continues to do well in keeping Singapore safe and secure. Prevention and rehabilitation play an important role in our successes.
Mr Vikram Nair asked about our efforts to identify and work with those who are at-risk of offending. Dr Shahira Abdullah asked about MHA's efforts to prevent young individuals from offending and re-offending.
The Police and the National Crime Prevention Council have been jointly organising the Delta League since 2011. We engage youths through football tournaments, workshops and e-sports to imbue a sense of teamwork, discipline and social responsibility. In 2018, we set up the National Committee on Prevention, Rehabilitation and Recidivism, or NCPR, to oversee national efforts to prevent offending and re-offending and enhance the rehabilitation of offenders.
We piloted the Localised Community Network (LCN) in 2019 to provide support for children and youths who exhibit at-risk behaviours. The Youth GO! Programme (YGP) has been in place since 2012 and engages around 300 youths each month through structured activities to reduce risky behaviour, build positive relationships and life skills.
Thanks to the hard work of the agencies and our partners, we have seen the number of youth offenders decreased by 28% over the past decade.
Dr Shahira Abdullah asked about the percentage of youths who re-offend.
The two-year recidivism rate among youth offenders aged under 20 who were under the charge of the Singapore Prison Service was 26.4% for the 2019 release cohort. The three-year recidivism rate of youth offenders aged under 16 who were on MSF's Guidance Programme, Probation or Youth Homes was 14.9% for the 2016 release cohort.
We do not track if these youths' subsequent offences become more serious in nature.
Apart from upstream efforts, we also invest in rehabilitation and reintegration. Minister Shanmugam has spoken about rehabilitation in his speech.
Our rehabilitation efforts would not be effective if the community is not willing to give ex-offenders a second chance. Dr Tan Wu Meng asked how we can improve job search prospects for ex-offenders and further incentivise HR practices.
Hiring ex-offenders is one of the most symbolic acts of acceptance. Yellow Ribbon Singapore, or YRSG, has built a system of support to incentivise, recognise and empower employers to hire ex-offenders. Placement exercises are held in prison to match inmates with suitable employers prior to release.
YRSG provides Career Retention Support for ex-offenders. For up to 12 months, career coaches work with ex-offenders and their employers to set behavioural goals and resolve work issues. Later this year, YRSG will launch the Friends of Yellow Ribbon network to galvanise individuals, community groups and employers to advance second chances.
Currently, about 80% of ex-offenders assisted by YRSG are employed in lower-wage jobs. MOM will implement the Progressive Wage Mark, or PW Mark, to accredit firms that pay progressive wages. The PW Mark will uplift lower-wage workers.
Beyond employers, YRSG has put in place a community action masterplan to map out opportunities for the community to be involved and better harness the strengths and aspirations of volunteers.
Prisons partners community organisations and volunteers to provide pro-social support to ex-offenders when they are released into the community.
Under the Throughcare Volunteer Framework, or TVF, volunteers involve them in activities after their release and connect them to wider communities of support.\tIn 2021, all 11 religious partners working with Prisons adopted the TVF. We are heartened by the strong support of prison volunteers and community partners.
On the drug front, the local drug situation remains under control. However, there are still areas of concern. Among them is the observation that there is a gradual slide towards increasingly liberal attitudes.
To better protect Singapore from the scourge of drugs, we will strengthen the three pillars of our harm prevention efforts: tough laws and robust enforcement; preventive drug education or PDE; and rehabilitation and aftercare. We intend to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act to better regulate new psychoactive substances, expand PDE efforts to forge a national consensus of zero tolerance against drugs and enhance drug supervision to support former abusers in leading drug-free lives.
First, Mr Christopher de Souza asked how the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) could be made more flexible to deal with new variants of new psychoactive substances, or NPS. MHA will amend the MDA to introduce a new legislative framework to regulate NPS, based on their potential to produce a psychoactive effect. This will allow us to be more responsive to emerging forms of NPS. We will share more details in due course.
Mr Derrick Goh asked how we address the use of the digital space for dealing in drugs. CNB will continue with operations targeting trafficking and abusers who use encrypted messaging applications such as Telegram.
Second, Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Derrick Goh asked how we address liberalising attitudes towards drugs and strengthen resilience for a drug-free Singapore, especially among youths. Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked about the impact of our efforts in spreading the anti-drug message.
CNB has been leveraging social media to secure mindshare to build a drug-free Singapore. In May 2021, CNB released the short film \"Down The Rabbit Hole\". The film sheds light on the mercenary motivations of drug pushers and traffickers who had profited at the expense of vulnerable and addicted persons.
To involve parents and educators of youths, CNB published an information booklet on \"Staying Free from New Psychoactive Substances\". This booklet provides tips on identifying tell-tale signs that their children are abusing drugs and ways to help youths stay away from drugs. In fact, if you go to the CNB website, you will be able to see many resources and information.
We also engage in using social media, such as Instagram and Facebook. We proactively share information. Whenever there are arrests, we also share such photos so that we can get people aware and involved in such efforts. So, I hope you can support us and share our messages and issues that we want to proactively reach out to Singaporeans with.
CNB also organises an annual video competition to provide a platform to engage older youths interested in video production. This allows youths to articulate their understanding of the harms of drugs and promote anti-drug messages through short videos. This year, CNB will reach out to more students through pre-competition workshops and provide opportunities for collaboration with CNB to develop PDE resources for their peers.
I am heartened that a Home Team Public Perception Survey conducted in 2020 found that more than nine in 10 respondents below the age of 30 were aware of PDE efforts. We will continue to engage our people to forge a strong national consensus of zero tolerance.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked how MHA is working with the community to strengthen support for drug offenders and ex-offenders.
I had earlier spoken about efforts to support the reintegration of ex-offenders. Former drug abusers will be subjected to supervision by CNB to support them in leading drug-free lives. CNB will be enhancing its drug supervision scheme to better support the reintegration of former drug abusers.
Since 2019, CNB has been piloting Community Supervision Skills (CoSS) sessions where CNB supervision officers will check in on supervisees and assess their residual reintegration needs. If necessary, supervisees will be referred to the appropriate agencies for follow-up. I am pleased to announce that CNB will be rolling out CoSS progressively, with full implementation islandwide by March next year.
Mr Murali Pillai spoke on the mixing of ex-abusers who are reporting for supervision. Currently, there are different reporting days for youth and adult supervisees to prevent undesirable interactions and contamination. Further, supervisees are not allowed to communicate with each other during reporting and are to leave the reporting centre once they are done.
I will now speak in Malay on the supportive role played by the Malay/Muslim community in our fight against drugs.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Zhulkarnain requested an update on MHA's collaboration with the Malay/Muslim community in the fight against drugs.
In November 2021, a network comprising 26 Malay/Muslim organisations (MMOs) and 11 M³@Towns was launched to strengthen collaboration and support for inmates, ex-offenders and their families. These include Malay/Muslim organisations, such as FITRAH, PERGAS and AMP, which provide intervention and outreach programmes. We will continue to support other Malay/Muslim organisations to build upon and expand the network.
The \"Dadah Itu Haram\" campaign has been going on for almost five years with the aim of working with the Malay/Muslim community to spread the message of living healthy, drug-free lives. Currently, we have more than 230 volunteers and advocates, along with 340 partners comprising various Malay/Muslim organisations, community groups, special interest groups, barber shops and eateries, participating in the campaign. Their efforts ensured that the \"Dadah Itu Haram\" campaign reached out to over 650,000 participants through more than 140 co-created events. To ensure continued participation during COVID-19, CNB conducted more than 20 virtual and hybrid events in 2021.
In 2021, all 71 mosques across Singapore participated in the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking for the first time by displaying \"Dadah Itu Haram\" signages and banners in the mosque compounds. This event included a Friday sermon specially prepared by MUIS on the importance of prohibiting drug abuse and to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs.
The latest survey on the \"Dadah Itu Haram\" campaign is very encouraging. It shows the community’s strong support towards this campaign and there is encouraging evidence of this campaign’s success in spreading the anti-drug message to the target group within the Malay/Muslim community. We are studying the “Dadah Itu Haram” campaign to identify the learning points that can be used to increase our reach to other groups. We thank the community for their support in the war against drugs, and we look forward to more collaborations.
(In English): Sir, I will now address Dr Tan Wu Meng's question on ensuring proper handover of medical care for ex-offenders.
In general, ex-offenders who need further follow-up after release will be referred to Changi General Hospital's specialist clinics for continuity of care. Prisons is exploring with SingHealth on facilitating follow-up appointments at other public healthcare institutions which are closer to the ex-offender's home.
Before I end, I want to highlight a special group of people, namely, our National Servicemen, or NSmen. Our NSmen serve alongside our regular officers with the same dedication and commitment. Mr Desmond Choo asked about our plans to enhance the NS experience and Mr Patrick Tay asked what more could be done for our Home Team NSmen.
SPF and SCDF will be adjusting operational requirements so that more NSmen, especially those with slight physical or medical limitations, can take on more frontline roles. We are also looking at ways of improving the touchpoints for our NSmen for a more positive NS experience.
This year, we commemorate 55 years of National Service. It is timely that we will be officially opening the HomeTeamNS@Bedok Clubhouse at the end of the year.
Sir, the Home Team will continue to work together with the community to keep Singapore safe and secure, and free from the harms of drugs.
The Chairman: Minister of State Desmond Tan.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan): Mr Chairman, I will elaborate on three areas that our Home Team will be focusing on, in our partnership with the community and the industry stakeholders in the year 2022 to keep Singapore safe and secure. These three areas are crime prevention, combatting scams and anti-terrorism.
First, we will continue to work with the community to prevent crime. Mr Christopher de Souza asked about the Police’s partnerships with the community to create safer neighbourhoods.
In 2021, the Police launched the Community Watch Scheme (CWS) to build a volunteer network to fight crime. This scheme actually integrates the existing groups, such as the Neighbourhood Watch Zone (NWZ), Vehicles on Watch and Riders on Watch, into an overall community partnership programme. Today, it stands at a 5,000 membership.
Some members have also gone beyond and to help to patrol the streets. Some do so on Citizens on Patrol (COP) by donning a vest. Others go even further to don a uniform, under the Volunteer Special Constabulary scheme. These efforts have helped make our neighbourhoods and communities safer.
One example I would like to highlight is Mr Pragash s/o Kulasagar, who has volunteered via the COP scheme for 20 years. In February 2018, while on patrol, Mr Pragash and his team were approached by a couple who shared that their domestic helper had been molested outside the lift of their flat. Mr Pragash and his team used the description provided and were able to narrow down the identity of culprit and helped solved the crime.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked how the Government will tackle public disorder and disamenities brought about by errant debt collection activities. We have listened carefully to the feedback from the ground. We intend to put in place a new debt collection regulatory framework to address this issue. This framework will involve a licensing regime and introduce restrictions on what debt collectors can or cannot do.
Second, on our whole-of-society approach to tackling scams and cheating cases. Mr Derrick Goh and Mr Mark Chay asked how the Government will combat the scourge of scams together with our stakeholders.
In February, I made a Ministerial Statement on two aspects of our approach: (a) enforcement; and (b) public education. Let me just highlight some of the key points from there.
I mentioned about the Anti-Scam Centre, which continues to be effective and will continue to be organised for better effectiveness. I talked about working with transnational agencies and jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies to continue to be more effective as many of these crimes were transboundary. And finally, we will continue to work with the telcos as well as the banks to secure our network and to ensure that our funds are secure in the transactions.
Some of the measures, including blocking of SMSes, phone calls as well as websites, will be introduced in the year ahead.
We will continue to explore other strategies to combat scams. For example, later this year, MHA will be introducing the E-Commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings. This rating will help consumers understand the safety features offered by different e-marketplaces, so that they can make an informed choice on where or how they are going to do their online shopping.
We are also working with agencies to develop a framework that will help us tackle scams as well as a broader suite of criminal activity online, such as child pornography, terrorism and content inciting violence in our communities. Ultimately, we want a safer online environment for all users. We will engage the relevant stakeholders on our proposals very soon. This is in response to Mr Desmond Choo as well as Mr Mark Chay’s questions on how we are going to deal with harmful online content and virtual crimes.
Mr Murali Pillai asked if the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) is adequately resourced and whether CAD can tap on the private sector to enhance its operations.
As I mentioned earlier, resourcing across the SPF – that includes CAD – is indeed, very stretched. We will have to discuss with MOF on how we can increase our manpower in the Police Force to enable our forces to cope better. We regularly review the salaries of our CAD officers to make sure that they are kept competitive and are able to be adjusted should market forces also move.
Even so, this has not prevented CAD from being an effective unit. CAD has also proactively engaged industry stakeholders to streamline its operations. For example, in 2021, CAD worked with trusted industry partners to disrupt an extensive network of shell companies potentially used for money laundering. This partnership allowed CAD to intercept over US$33 million in criminal proceeds.
With regard to the Member’s suggestion of a whistle-blowing legislation, today, our current laws already protect the identities of informants for organised crime and money laundering offences. At the same time, we take a stern view of such crimes and so our laws do not protect them from prosecution or to provide further incentives. While we can understand that whistle-blowing will encourage more people to step forward to help detection, there are also other considerations that we need to consider. Including how it may create a moral hazard or lead to frivolous reporting, or there may be some cases where the whistle-blower themselves are complicit in the crime. These consideration will have to be weighed against some of the benefits that the Member talked about.
Mr Don Wee asked how we will address “money mules” – individuals who receive and transfer tainted funds as part of a trans-national syndicated money-laundering process.
Today, a large proportion of investigations into money mules do not result in prosecutions, due to the inherent difficulties in proving the money mule’s intent to participate in moving monies for scam syndicates.
To address this issue, MHA will be making amendments to the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act or CDSA, to allow money laundering offences to be made out at lower levels of culpability. These amendments are currently scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Next, let me touch on our approach to anti-terrorism.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked about the Government's partnership to prevent terrorism and strengthen our response. Key to Singapore’s counter-terrorism strategy is working closely with global security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies to foil terror attacks. For example, in 2016, ISD worked closely with our Indonesian counterparts to thwart a plot by the pro-Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group that targeted Marina Bay Sands.
The Government also works closely with our community and religious leaders to address the roots of the ideology upstream. We are also ramping up our community response and mobilisation capabilities against terror attacks through the SGSecure Movement.
Mr Christopher de Souza also asked how we rehabilitate radicalised individuals. Today, we have extensive partnerships with organisations, such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) and the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group. To-date, over 80% of those that are detained for terrorism-related conduct have been released from detention. Most of them are gainfully employed and some are pursuing their education. They have good social support and remain resilient against radical influences.
I would like to cite a quick example of a former ISIS supporter “Daniel”, not his real name, who was only 17 years old when he was detained in January 2020. Following extensive engagement by rehabilitation stakeholders, “Daniel” has renounced his support for ISIS and his radical ideologies. While in detention, he received weekly tutoring from RRG members who are also MOE-trained teachers, to prepare him for his GCE “N” level exams. He did very well in his exams, and his achievements have strengthened his resolve to change for the better. “Daniel” has since been released from detention in January 2022 and is now furthering his education.
Our partners in the security industry also play a critical role in keeping Singapore safe from terrorism. Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Xie Yao Quan asked about the Government's role in helping this sector to be better equipped to play this role. Our approach is always multi-pronged.
To continue raising the professionalism of our security industry partners, with effect from 1 July 2023, all security officers must complete the \"Recognise Terrorist Threats\" (RTT) training before they can be deployed at any site.
We will also uplift wages for all security officers, including women, whom we always try to recruit. The PWM recommendations will provide a six-year schedule of sustained wage increases for more than 40,000 resident security officers.
Since May 2020, all Government Procurement Entities are required to adopt outcome-based contracts (OBCs) for their security services and we will move towards 100% adoption of OBCs in the coming years. We hope more private sector entities will follow suit. Mr Chairman, to conclude, let me speak a few words in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, it is the responsibility of every Singaporean to protect Singapore.
Although we are doing our best to plan and prevent crime, it is hard to totally prevent it from happening. We must take a three-pronged approach to curbing crime. First, we continue to strengthen cooperation with community partners to provide timely assistance to individuals and families. Second, strengthen the awareness of fraud prevention, so that scammers do not take advantage of it. Third, we must heighten vigilance against extreme anti-social attitudes and practices that create division.
In the coming year, the Government and the Home Team hope to continue to work with Singaporeans to prevent and combat crime. It is important to be vigilant and report suspicious persons or show concern for our neighbours. Each of us can contribute to crime prevention and work together to build a Singapore where we can all live and work in peace and contentment.
(In English): Mr Chairman, as the security environment continues to evolve, the Home Team will continue to work with our community to build a safer and more secure Singapore.
The Chairman: Clarifications? Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera: Thank you, Mr Chairman, Sir, and I thank the Law and Home Affairs Minister Mr Shanmugam for his lengthy comments on my two minute cut speech. I would like to just respond to some of his points and pose some clarifications.
He mentioned that he was not surprised at my suggestion of a judicial check on the administration of punishments in prison. I am equally unsurprised at his disagreement with that. He referred to New Zealand and he pointed out many problems that New Zealand has recently been grappling with. There is no doubt in my mind that if I had cited another country, he would point out problems with that country as well.
My question would be that if instituting an independent organisation with investigative powers against the executive government, such as an ombudsman, is such a bad idea, why are so many countries doing that? I made a long speech, which I do not intend to and I cannot anyway repeat, in September 2020 when I gave detailed arguments for an ombudsman, I addressed the objections to the idea, one by one. I talked about the countries that have that. Many countries do incorporate this institution. And if you were to go to opinion leaders, and if you were to conduct public opinion polls in those countries, I am not at all sure that the majority of people would say that, \"Well, this is a bad thing, let us remove this institution and then things will get better\". So that is the first point I wanted to put across.
I think, fundamentally, the main argument for this ombudsman comes down to the fact that, currently, law enforcement institutions sit on the organisation chart within the executive Government, they are within that command and control hierarchy at the end of the day. An ombudsman would report to Parliament in the manner that I outlined in that earlier speech and that means that it sits fundamentally in a different place organisationally. So, when it investigates alleged abuses, it is seen to be an investigation coming from a different part of the Government.
I think being seen to be that, to do that, has advantages in terms of vertical accountability, that is felt by the society and that has advantages in terms of the strength and solidarity of our polity. I would say that there are tangible advantages to be gained from that.
It is difficult to speak of practical benefits that would come from instituting this proposal because it is hypothetical, of course. We have never had —
The Chairman: Mr Perera, if we can keep it to clarifications and questions; if we can.
Mr Leon Perera: Okay. I will just wrap up in the next one minute.
Because I would not know what sort of cases would be referred to that, how those cases will be dealt with. What I can say is that in terms of the perception of legitimacy, I think there is a benefit there. The Minister mentioned various practical issues that could come about, for example, do we want to duplicate resources. I mean, there are practical solutions to that. You could design an office ombudsman to address that. For example, investigations could be directed by the office but they could seek resources from other agencies.
But I think for the sake of length, I will leave it at that.
The Chairman\t: Minister Shanmugam.
Mr K Shanmugam: In a way, I am not sure that we are that far apart because I had anticipated this point, which is why I said that there are two possible ways.
One is you replicate the entire resources, that means you have various parts of the Government machinery outside which makes no sense. The alternate is the ombudsman uses the Government machinery. I think Mr Perera overlooks – if he uses the machinery, those machineries sit within the Government. They sit within various Ministries. Then that is the point I make in my earlier response to him.
And today, the very same agencies can report directly to the President and I have explained how that is so. So, I do not understand what the argument is. Maybe Mr Perera has not understood the constitutional structure and how the CPIB can go direct to the President.
The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, I did not file a cut for this Ministry but in view of some of the earlier remarks made by the Minister, I have two clarifications.
Both pertain to the surveys. I just need to be sure that both were surveys; the first one covered the mandatory death penalty. If I heard the Minister right, he said the Ministry is studying the results. And then, thereafter, Minister went on to say that in the case, for example, for intentional murder, 81% approved of the mandatory death penalty. I think there were three other statistics that he revealed in that part. Can I just confirm then what is the Ministry studying with regard to the mandatory death penalty for this particular survey?
The second question pertains to the first survey the Minister referred to, which covered foreigners in countries, I understand the Minister said where some of these drug offenders originate from. Can I confirm that that survey would be made public and not for its own sake but at least people can understand the argument vis-a-vis deterrence quite squarely and also understand the structure of the survey itself?
Mr K Shanmugam: I thank Mr Pritam Singh for both those questions. The first question relates to a survey amongst Singapore residents. We did one in 2019. We do this regularly. And then 2021, on my instructions, a part of the survey specifically focused on mandatory death penalty. Because people may have differing views on death penalty and mandatory death penalty. And the figures I gave were for mandatory death penalty.
But having said that, I have to put a caveat, as I said, there is a statistical methodology and this survey has been completed fairly recently, the results are still being analysed. I have been given these figures with a reasonable degree of confidence. When it is finalised, we will make it available, we will make it public, as we have made public previous surveys. There is no issue about that. It will just take the appropriate time and we will release it.
Second, the survey that Mr Singh spoke about or referred to my speech, where I spoke about a survey in the region where not a small number, well, many of our drug traffickers come from. The results are known to us. I think it is important and I have given instructions for it to be made public in some form, in a way that will not prejudice Singapore's public interest and foreign policy interest.
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you, Mr Chair. I have three clarifications.
The first clarification has to do with the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim had mentioned that in order to make the Misuse of Drugs Act more flexible, in order to catch quickly and swiftly new psychoactive substances that come onto the market, they are looking at a framework that concentrates on the effect of the drug.
I think that is a good move, but I would like to confirm with him that even if we were to go in that direction, which would make the MDA swifter, we would still retain the First Schedule which lists all the controlled drugs. And if you possess, deal in or consume any of those controlled drugs in the First Schedule, you will still be up for an offence. So, the deterrent effect on the controlled drugs remains. That is my first clarification.
My second clarification arises out of what Minister of State Desmond Tan said on anti-terror capabilities. My question to him and my cut were really directed at what intelligence cooperation we can have across jurisdictions to ensure that there is information sharing to pre-empt a terror attack from happening in Singapore. And I had in mind collaborations with Interpol. Would he be able to confirm that MHA does work with organisations like Interpol to create a good intelligence environment to deter terrorist threats?
The third clarification, Sir, really arises from the Minister's position on the death penalty. First, I want to say that it takes a lot of courage to come out and say that, because of the wave of liberal attitudes towards consumption of drugs in the globe today and in the region. And I want to say that as a lawmaker, it is one of the toughest decisions that I have to make for my country whenever the Misuse of Drugs act comes up, if not the toughest and I have searched my conscience and I am fully in favour of the retention of the death penalty. Why? Because 15 grammes of diamorphine – heroin – feed 180 drug abusers a week.
The Chairman: Mr de Souza, can we just keep it to the question and clarification?
Mr Christopher de Souza: Yes. So, my position here is that in preserving the death penalty, would MHA also share statistics about the effect of the drug and how it creates cross-generational detriment? A hundred and eighty families are one whole HDB block. And share the empirical evidence of how the death penalty does, in fact, deter?
So, I just want to place on record my thanks to the Minister for going deep into a very sensitive topic notwithstanding the forces at work in the opposite direction.
The Chairman: Mr de Souza, if you can just wrap up. Thank you.
Mr Christopher de Souza: That is what I wanted to say and I say that as a matter of principle and conviction.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Yes, indeed, we will retain the First Schedule of the MDA.
The Chairman: Mr Desmond Tan.
Mr Desmond Tan: Thank you, Mr Chairman. Just a quick response to Mr Christopher de Souza. In my response, I did mention that the Police as well as our intelligence agencies do work very closely with our regional, as well as extra-regional partners from the other countries to ensure there is exchange of information, there is capacity building and there are also joint operations, if necessary. So, this is something that we have been working on and that includes our partnership with Interpol. I have cited examples where we have also worked with Indonesian agencies some time ago to thwart the plot that was planned against Marina Bay Sands.
The Chairman: Mr Murali Pillai, would you like to withdraw your amendment, please?
Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, Sir, with your leave, I would like to convey my appreciation to three groups of people.
First, the hon Members for filing 40 cuts which led to a very involved debate on issues that affect MHA.
Second, to the two hon Ministers and the two hon Ministers of State for their comprehensive responses. And I cannot remember another COS debate with slides and videos, and for hon Members who have seen the videos, it would probably forever be etched in their memories the pernicious effects of drugs, especially on those who are voiceless. So, my thanks to them.
Last but not least, on behalf of Members who spoke, I would like to record our appreciation to the Home Team officers who work every day to keep Singapore safe and secure. With that, may I seek leave to withdraw the amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $6,897,464,400 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $1,306,450,600 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head R (Ministry of Law)","subTitle":"Securing our place in the world","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Head R, Ministry of Law. Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Chairman, Sir, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head R of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
Sir, I am heartened to note the significant steps that MinLaw has taken to strengthen access to justice in Singapore to the average man in the street and forging an efficient and trusted legal system over the past year.
One major initiative, which has received good reviews from members of public, is the iLab, which is a free legal chatbox that provides legal information on nine modules which include COVID-19 legal issues, monetary claims in addition to the usual family law issues. There has been a good take-up rate for this service. In 2021 alone, iLab registered 47,500 queries in 3,408 sessions.
The feedback on these services is also good, averaging four out of five stars in the post-usage surveys. This achievement comes on top of other initiatives such as the operationalisation of the Protection from Harassment Court with simplified processes allowing a person to navigate the system on his own without the need for a lawyer, and the Apostille Act which was put into effect on 16 September 2021 which helped Singapore travellers easily get Apostilles for their Singapore-issued vaccination records for travel to countries, if so required, as a condition of entry. These and other moves have enhanced access to justice and make our legal system more efficient and trusted.
I have two suggestions that I hope the Minister would consider to strengthen this even more.
First, the simplification of the probate and administration process. I have been advocating for change in this process, especially for non-contentious matters, for sometime now. I suggested the Japanese Kobeki system, which does not involve the courts, to be looked at.
The vast majority of probate and administration cases are simple. Yet, the current system requiring executors or administrators to file applications in Court is cumbersome and costly, as it involves lawyers in a Rube Goldberg machine or process.
Several years back, the Government agreed to look at my proposal to simplify the system. I would be grateful for an update, please.
Next, to further strengthen access to justice for persons of limited means, I wish to propose that the current means limit of the Per Capita Gross Monthly Household Income (PCHI) of $950, which was last adjusted in October 2019, be raised. Means testing is an important part of prudence in public spending. Balanced against prudence is the assurance that cost will not be an obstacle to access to justice.
I note that in the past five years, the total number of applications has dropped. Between 2017 and 2019, these applications generally numbered around the 9,000s. In 2020, the number went down to 7,722. In 2021, it went down further, to 6,651. That is not all. I also note that the number of successful applicants has also gone down. Between 2017 and 2019, the average number of successful applicants is 6,180. For 2020, it went down to 5,466; and in 2021, it went down even further to 4,928.
The percentage of unsuccessful applications that did not satisfy the means test criteria is about 80%. This could mean that many well-to-do people are trying their luck. But looking at the benchmarks for income in the other parts of our policies on means-testing, I do not think so. For example, in comparison a person under the Joint Single Scheme (JSS) may apply for a public rental flat from HDB, if his gross monthly salary does not exceed $1,500.
Given that there is a capacity to take on more cases, I suggest that a study be done to review the PCHI and study the feasibility of revising it upwards.
I also suggest that the Ministry make it better known that there is a discretion given to the Means Test Panel to waive the means test requirements when it is found to be \"just and proper\" to do so. I learned from MinLaw's recent response to my Parliamentary Question that since 2019, when the amendments to the Legal Aid and Advice Act to provide for flexibility in providing legal aid was introduced, the Means Test Panel only received seven applications, of which five were approved. In the end though, two withdrew, leaving only three applicants to proceed with their applications.
In my respectful view, this is too small a number, given the demand for legal aid. I also checked the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) website and noted the reference to this statutory discretion is respectfully rather cursory. I was not able to find a reference to the Means Test Panel and the fact that the decisions of the panel can be appealed to the Minister. The illustrations as to what constitutes \"just and proper\" circumstances are also rather limited.
From time to time, our laws have to be updated in keeping with developments. I would be grateful if the Minister could please outline his plans in this area. I would also like to make two proposals for his kind consideration.
First, I propose that the Ministry look at amending the Limitation Act 1959 to address a recent decision of the Court of Appeal to the effect that claims in unjust enrichment and restitution for wrongs are not covered under the Act. As a result, stale claims based on these causes of action be potentially be brought in our Court.
Next, I propose that the Ministry review the merits of retaining the provisions of the Debtors Act 1934, which allows for judgment debtors to be committed to civil prison after an examination before a Court on the inability to pay or satisfy the judgment debt. In my respectful view, this provision is anachronistic. It has not being used, as I have been told, since 2013, pursuant to a response to my Parliamentary Question recently.
In any event, there exists provisions to deal with judgment debtors who are not forthcoming with honest answers or fraudulently remove their assets to frustrate judgment creditors.
Mr Chairman, Sir, I have spoken on the need to capture all possible efficiencies, including from chatbots and new technologies, to ensure that the provision of justice remains a lean and streamlined process. That is tending to the cost of supply.
At the same time, we must look at demand for legal services and ensure access to justice for all. In this, I ask for us to review the means test.
Last, I ask for a few smaller reviews to ensure that our laws are updated and made coherent with developments across the entire body of law. Together, they ensure that our legal system remains efficient, accessible and coherent, all of which will go a long way towards maintaining and building up that trust that Singaporeans have in our laws.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, disputes are often an unpleasant but inevitable by-product of our personal and work life interactions and also in the course of doing business. If unresolved, some of these disputes end up in litigation before the civil Courts or for resolution before Tribunals. To those of us who have had the unfortunate need to go through litigation or dispute resolution, we know that it is not only resource intensive but also likely to be a frustrating and trying experience.
Sir, I had shared my views with this House previously on promoting the greater use of mediation as a platform to resolve civil disputes and I am very pleased to see the various steps taken by the Government to push for the use of mediation as a key platform to resolve civil disputes amicably.
But on the other hand, even if one navigates successfully through the process and obtains a favourable judgment or order, it does not mean that the problem or the dispute is resolved instantly. If, for whatever reason, a party does not comply with the judgment or order, the other party will then have no choice but to take steps to enforce it.
The enforcement process is equally, if not more, painful. It requires investing further time and resources and this could sometimes be to the detriment of the successful party. I was therefore quite pleased when Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong had, at a previous Committee of Supply debate, alluded to the Government’s plan to study measures to streamline and simplify the enforcement of civil judgments and orders.
In the premises, I invite the Minister to share an update with this House of the Government’s study and whether there are plans to push ahead with any recommendations to reform the legal process in the area of enforcement.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): When workers face issues with an employer and get judgments from the Courts or the Employment Claims Tribunal that they are not satisfied with, they would still need to be enforced in the same manner as an order made by the Court. This would involve going through an entire rigmarole of processes set out in the rules of Court pertaining to the filing of relevant forms, documents, as well as the payment of Court fees. In most instances, they would still need to engage a lawyer and may sometimes still be subjected to a protracted enforcement process. Workers’ lack of knowledge of the workings of our Court system exacerbates this problem.
There is thus a need to simplify and expedite the enforcement mechanism to facilitate workers’ recovery of monies. Can I therefore ask if MinLaw is reviewing this entire civil enforcement process to make enforcement more accessible, economical, expeditious and less painful for workers and the layman?
Mr Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim. Not here. Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Chairman, access to justice is an important issue and in recent times, MinLaw and the Singapore Courts have taken important steps to make sure that those who need to access the legal system are able to get it. This includes making proceedings easier for the self-represented, the expansion of legal aid by easing the means test and providing funding for some criminal legal aid cases too. It is also considering a fully funded public defender’s office. These are important developments which I support.
Over the last year, the Ministry has also permitted the use of third-party funding and conditional fee arrangements for arbitrations, as well as for proceedings before the Singapore International Commercial Courts. This is a helpful development that levels the playing field somewhat, between local and international law firms.
However, one area where I still believe more can be done is in the area of domestic litigation for those who do not qualify for legal aid, but who may still lack the resources for an expensive, longdrawn suit, even if they have a valid claim. In these types of situations, I have two suggestions.
The first is that we can consider permitting conditional fee arrangements for these situations as well, meaning that lawyers can have outcome-based payments rather than collecting fixed payments. The other is to allow damages-based awards. This means they can collect a proportion of any damages recovered.
The country with the most liberal system in relation to the above is probably the US and, despite the potentially high legal costs there, access to justice is rarely a complaint by civil litigants because if a person has a good case, it is usually possible to find a lawyer to take it up and share the risk. The UK as well now allows both, although it circumscribes limits to the proportion of damages that can be claimed in certain situations.
The main concern cited against this is the risk of frivolous lawsuits and that the advocate, by taking an interest in the litigation, may not be able to perform his duty as an officer of the Court. On the risk of frivolous lawsuits, I think this is unlikely to be high because lawyers will be bearing the risk and it will be a big investment for them as well.
In relation to lawyers acting as professionals, I think this risk can be managed and other countries, such as the US and the UK, are able to function with this.
Singapore is a melting pot and our legal system currently provides a robust and clear framework for foreign judgments to be enforced here. One area though, where this is not so easily enforceable, is in the case of matrimonial law. And we are also a melting pot for mixed marriages, where 25% of Singaporeans marry spouses of a different nationality and we have lots of foreign marriages. However, it is not automatically easy to enforce custody orders or maintenance orders from a foreign court.
These have to still be enforced under first principles through the Guardianship of Infants Act. So, I would be grateful if the Ministry could consider making it easier to enforce maintenance and custody orders from foreign courts, especially if divorce proceedings are determined there.
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Sir, I have met Clementi residents facing divorce proceedings. Some feel disadvantaged, especially if the other spouse is better educated and controls the family's finances. Even where the Court has issued orders in favour of one party, there are cases of maintenance orders not being followed. The spouse can be a litigant-in-person who finds the legal system complex and difficult to navigate. Residents struggling to make ends meet, single parent, single income, looking after elderly grandparents and the children at the same time. Some do not earn enough to engage a lawyer, but earn too much to qualify for legal aid.
One Clementi resident shared about her journey as a litigant-in-person. She wished to vary a maintenance order. She had to navigate the various intermediaries – VITAL, which is a department under MOF, as well as CrimsonLogic – an entity that apparently handles some of the payment transactions.
In February 2021, a Singapore Academy of Law blog, in an excerpt of a book by NUS professors Jaclyn Neo and Helena Whalen-Bridge stated, and I quote: \"The legal system itself may limit the litigant-in-person’s access to justice, particularly in terms of equality of access, due to complex procedural rules\".
Despite this, some spouses still proceed to deal as a litigant-in-person for divorce proceedings. Has MinLaw studied why and done a deep dive into this issue? Can the system be streamlined for litigants-in-person of limited means? Is MinLaw considering additional enforcement mechanisms against errant spouses who do not attend or comply with maintenance orders and timely payments because justice delayed is justice denied?
Mr Chairman: Ms Hany Soh. Not here. Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Sir, may I take both cuts together?
Mr Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Sir, there has been an increase in unclaimed CPF monies held by the Public Trustee. In 2018, it was reported that 2% of CPF monies were unclaimed, amounting to $132 million. Last year, the Central Provident Fund Act was amended to take a \"Beneficiary Representative\" (BR) approach to simplify the payment of deceased CPF members’ un-nominated CPF monies.
Besides this, what other efforts have been made to increase public awareness among beneficiaries and reduce the amount of unclaimed CPF monies held by the Public Trustee?
Further, the probate and administration process in Court for beneficiaries can be quite cumbersome to navigate before they are able to appoint the executor and administrator of the estate of the deceased. Hence, may I know what are MinLaw's plans to make it easier during the probate process for beneficiaries to appoint executors and administrators particularly for those with limited means or those without any legal representation?
Technology is becoming increasingly an important element in the practice and business of law. My own firm, which is part of a larger international set-up, has a global collaborative platform focused on developing, deploying and investing in new technologies in the practice of law in our offices all around the world. It is almost imperative nowadays to incorporate and leverage technology in legal practice. Clients are increasingly looking for quicker assistance and more are specifically seeking out innovative solutions and the adoption of technology.
In this regard, how is MinLaw supporting law practices in their digitalisation journey and also to encourage legal practitioners to utilise legal technology in their practice? This is especially so for smaller or local firms which may not have the benefit of economies of scale when seeking to acquire such legal technology solutions on their own.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Sir, I start with a quote: \"Every solicitor who has got a serious practice is under stress\". The hon Chief Justice was quoted in a Yahoo! News article on Monday as saying this at a recent Court of Three Judges hearing.
Lawyering, Sir, is invariably stressful. Why so? It is because the stakes are so high. It takes a certain dedication to be in a profession that, amongst other things, defends life and liberty, that acts for commercial interests that may have wide-ranging consequences, that challenges in Court the constitutionality of laws made in this House.
If we accept stress as an immutable part of the profession, we have to then look at other things that can be changed to address the exodus of junior and middle category lawyers from the profession. Many suggestions have been made by various people and I would like to add three.
First, MinLaw could consider upping the proportion of law students in our Universities who are graduate students. As a graduate law student myself – my first degree was in political science and I took up a law degree only after working a few years in the Civil Service – I can attest that once someone makes that sacrifice of three years with no salary or advancement to obtain a law degree, they will likely remain in the profession, as most of my batch have. The MOE Tuition Grant should also be extended to all graduate law students, regardless of whether they had utilised the grant for their earlier degree.
Second, it was recently suggested to me by a Senior Counsel that the current training contract scheme has lost the emotional elements of the previous pupillage system, which created a bond between new lawyers and their pupil master, and to the profession. Gone also are the formal dinners that trainee lawyers were invited to attend, where they would be seated with and would get to know senior practitioners. These unique and iconic traditions of the profession helped to build camaraderie and fraternity and gave life to the idea of being part of an ancient and noble profession. Even in the UK, from which we inherit our legal traditions, the importance of these \"dining-in sessions\" was recently affirmed. Perhaps we could consider bringing these back.
Third, while stress from the job is inevitable, stress from bosses and from the working environment is not. I note that modules on leadership and management have recently been added to the compulsory training for lawyers becoming partners. There is merit in considering including these types of courses as compulsory modules in the Continuing Professional Development programme for middle and senior category lawyers.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, Singapore's position as a global legal hub is well-known and one that we do not take for granted. But every system is, ultimately, made up of people and around the world. The legal profession is facing significant strain. Singapore is no exception and we have heard instances of young lawyers leaving the industry and feeling disillusioned. A record number of 538 lawyers left the profession in 2021, most of whom were in the junior category.
The demands of practice today, with unrelenting advances of technology, long hours, complex cases and transactions, are very real. This is not about millennial strawberries. While it sounds like an exciting career, it is one that, more often than not, veers towards burnout and, if we do not do something meaningfully to tackle structural and attitudinal factors, it will be an unhealthy race to the bottom.
Yet, the legal needs of our society and economy are constantly evolving. To remain as a preferred jurisdiction for dispute resolution, we must remain competitive and have good people. What plans does the Government have to work with the legal sector to attract, manage and retain young legal talent sustainably in the long run? Are there any structural or skilling concerns to ensure that we can continue to meet the evolving legal needs of our society and economy?
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, may I take all my five cuts together, please?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Christopher de Souza: First, allow me to declare that I am a lawyer in private practice.
The pandemic has shifted the legal profession to a new normal of working from home and attending hearings via Zoom. Technological advancements have made the arrangement and management of case documents easier. Additionally, clients' needs have evolved as they themselves face increasingly complex issues because of technological advances and cybercrime. How is MinLaw equipping the legal profession to better meet the evolving legal needs of our society and economy?
Technology is becoming an increasingly important element in the practice and business of law, with Zoom hearings, Artificial Intelligence (AI) being utilised to perform due diligence and research and data analytics providing prediction, thereby, saving time.
However, many law practices continue to struggle with the digitalisation journey, such as converting archive files and paperwork to digital records and having the necessary funds to upgrade computers and software to keep up to date. Furthermore, while law graduates emerging into the industry would be the most up to date, legal practitioners who have spent many years in the field and have already honed their craft might find the challenge of incorporating technological advances far too steep. How is MinLaw supporting the law practices in their digitalisation journey?
Singapore has steadily built a reputation as an international dispute resolution centre over the past few decades. Whether through arbitration, mediation or some other form of dispute resolution, Singapore is known to be even-handed and fair and transparent in its dealings.
This has been built upon the backbone of creating and continually updating our law and regulations and developing the relevant infrastructure to take on the flow of legal work through our borders. Additionally, we have cultivated local legal talent to become world-class arbitrators, mediators and advocates.
However, the pandemic has moved many dispute resolutions online and the places having the most updated technology and best handling of the pandemic become the destinations best suited for dispute resolution.
What plans does MinLaw have to maintain Singapore's position as an international dispute resolution hub today?
Intellectual Property, or IP, plays an increasingly important role in an innovation-driven economy, particularly with the rise of blockchain and cryptocurrency, as well as perhaps non-fungible tokens or NFTs.
With the world increasingly interconnected and businesses and revenue going wherever there is the greatest protection over assets and the best environment for innovation, Singapore needs to keep pace. Having the required legal regime and infrastructure will allow for greater foreign investment into local enterprises and allow for the growth of local enterprises to explore and lead the way in blockchain and other cutting-edge developments.
How has MinLaw been supporting the local enterprises in the area of IP to build infrastructure as well as to monetise their IP?
Sir, despite our limited land space, Singapore has maximised much of it to build the city that it is today – including much lush greenery and parks and recreational spaces. Over the years, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has done very well to convert under-utilised state land into community spaces, such as parks and even quarantine facilities during the peak of the pandemic.
Furthermore, by partnering the community in engaging the public to receive feedback on how state properties can be retrofitted and adapted, we can continue to create a beautiful Singapore and maximise the usage of our land.
How does MinLaw plan to continually repurpose and rejuvenate state properties to breathe new life into them?
The Chairman: Minister Edwin Tong.
The Second Minister for Law (Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai): Mr Chairman, good evening. I thank the Members for their various speeches.
The range of issues raised in Members' cuts reflect the extensive and diverse reach of our legal system and its fundamental importance to Singapore, as well as the rapidly-evolving landscape that we are navigating. As we adjust to living with COVID-19, we will pay renewed attention to strengthening the rule of law and access to justice and, of course, at the same time, keeping an eye on being able to seize the opportunities ahead of us. This will secure our place in a post-COVID-19 world and ensure that we continue to thrive.
In support of this, my Ministry remains focused on three broad areas. First, building a legal system that is trusted, effective and accessible. Second, strengthening Singapore as a legal services and intellectual property hub. And third, enhancing our management of state land and properties.
I will address in response to the cuts along these themes.
Singapore has a legal system renowned for efficiency, effectiveness and fairness. We are not, however, resting on our laurels and will continue to make improvements across various facets. This will promote affordability, timeliness, simplicity and, of course, effectiveness and trust, as Mr Murali Pillai puts it, for all litigants – key characteristics of a country with a strong rule of law and good governance.
An important aspect of a strong rule of law is to ensure that Court judgments are efficiently enforced. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked about the enforcement of Court orders following prolonged litigation, often requiring further time and resources. We have also received feedback that the time, effort and costs of enforcing a judgment in some cases, particularly where there is a lower-value judgment, can be disproportionate to the judgment sum.
To address this, we will introduce changes designed to make enforcement simpler and more streamlined – a point also picked up by Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Mr Patrick Tay. SMEs and litigants-in-person, in particular, will benefit from these changes. These include introducing new powers to punish and disincentivise non-compliance with Court orders. And if a party still fails to comply, the Courts will be given enhanced powers to track and trace assets of the judgment debtor.
Sir, these are complex changes and we are studying the options and will engage stakeholders to get their feedback and finetune some of the proposals we have in mind and will provide more details in due course.
Specifically on Mr Tay's concerns on workers encountering difficulties enforcing Employment Claims Tribunal or ECT orders, the proposals I mentioned are intended to apply to ECT orders as well. The Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Resolution Management, or TADM, is mindful that workers should be able to recover their monies efficiently and cost-effectively.
TADM has partnered NTUC's U Care Centre and Migrant Workers' Centre to provide advice and assistance to local and migrant workers on enforcing ECT orders through a writ of seizure and sale (WSS). In cases where it may be impractical to proceed through a WSS, TADM will help affected workers get financial assistance through the Short-Term Relief Fund or the Migrant Workers' Assistance Fund.
Turning now, Sir, to the family justice system, it is a system that deals with many cases that are often less about legal issues and a lot about emotional and family issues. Typically, this plays out in acrimonious, often protracted, proceedings, often souring the relations of people already strained by the proceedings themselves.
Sir, we place a strong emphasis on promoting therapeutic justice. Amendments to the Women's Charter this year were a step in this direction.
To take these objectives further, we have been working with MSF and the Family Justice Courts (FJC) to effect the recommendations of the Committee to Review and Enhance Reforms in the Family Justice System. We are looking at legislative amendments later this year.
Dr Tan Wu Meng mentioned that family proceedings can be challenging for some litigants-in-person. We agree. He had asked today and also in a Parliamentary Question (PQ) on 15 February why many parties continue to choose to represent themselves.
There are, Sir, a variety of reasons for this. One factor could be the initiatives that MinLaw, together with MSF and FJC, have introduced, in fact, simplify and reduce the acrimony in divorce proceedings. For example, we have implemented the simplified divorce track for couples who have agreed on the divorce and ancillary matters.
We will continue to simplify proceedings so that all parties can obtain a fair and just outcome even if they choose or are sometimes forced to go without a lawyer. Some of the improvements we are, therefore, considering in the upcoming Bill will be especially helpful for self-represented parties, specifically, the enforcement of maintenance orders, which Dr Tan Wu Meng has spoken about.
Take, for example, where the enforcing party has difficulty ascertaining the other party's financial position. This, Members will know, is not an uncommon position. We will empower the Courts to question parties and obtain the information directly. This facilitates a simpler and more efficient process and really gets to the crux of the issues directly. These are the issues which matter.
We are also considering additional enforcement mechanisms to strengthen compliance – a comment which Dr Tan Wu Meng had made.
Mr Vikram Nair suggested simplifying the enforcement process for ancillary orders made by a foreign court in divorce proceedings.
Sir, for maintenance, the Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act (MOREA) provides a streamlined process for directly enforcing a foreign maintenance order issued by a court of a designated reciprocating jurisdiction. For fresh applications in Singapore for ancillary orders for foreign divorces, our Courts have been mindful to avoid unnecessary re-litigation. Their approach is to respect and recognise any foreign custody order made in the child's habitual residence unless there are exceptional circumstances which militate against that. That said, Sir, we will consider Mr Vikram Nair's feedback.
Mr Murali Pillai raised two matters on law reform and I will address those.
He commented on the Debtors Act dealing with arrest and imprisonment of debtors and asked if MinLaw would consider reviewing its relevance. We thank Mr Murali Pillai for highlighting this. We will review the Debtors Act at the appropriate juncture and, if necessary, propose reforms.
Mr Murali Pillai also asked about the recent Court of Appeal decision, which held that claims in unjust enrichment and restitution for wrongs are not covered by the Limitation Act. We are aware of this. In fact, I think we had spoken about this with Mr Murali Pillai, and are studying, if we decide to proceed, how the Limitation Act should be amended.
We will continue to explore a range of possible refinements and, of course, also review our laws continually to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our legal system and also ensure that justice continues to remain accessible.
In fact, Sir, access to justice is a fundamental pillar of our society. Advancing access to justice for all Singaporeans, regardless of their means, is, therefore, important to us. Let me highlight four areas we are looking to enhance.
First, community disputes remain an area of focus. As Members have noted, there has been a rise in such cases. An inter-agency committee comprising MCCY, MND, MinLaw and MHA has been working on a holistic review of the Community Disputes Management Framework, a broad holistic framework that looks at how we manage such disputes within the community from end to end as far as possible. The committee has made progress in this review. Whilst it is at this point in time premature to announce any firm measures at this stage, I can say that we are considering proposals and remedies which fall into two broad buckets.
First, to look at enhancing upstream measures to help reduce the occurrence of disputes. For example, the committee is studying how we can forge closer relationships and partnership with the community to establish community norms for issues, such as noise and disturbances, local disamenity issues, and this includes the establishment of a community advisory panel. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will elaborate on this during MND's Committee of Supply speech.
Second, if a dispute does arise, how can we enhance the framework to promote an amicable resolution as far as possible? After all, most of these disputes occur in the context of a neighbourly situation where two parties live side by side or in close proximity to each other. How do we find a solution that better facilitates a fair, expedient and effective resolution of that dispute should an amicable resolution not be possible?
Measures that we are studying include: (a)\tmaking mediation mandatory in some cases; (b)\tenhancing the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals' (CDRT) processes to address pain points, including some of the present difficulties involved in the CDRT process; and, finally, (c) having an appropriate response protocol to address disputes quickly and effectively.
This is a complex effort, as Members would appreciate. It requires work and coordination amongst different agencies, and the committee has been working with stakeholders and partners to develop and refine these proposals. I will share some further aspects of the committee's work at MCCY's Committee of Supply speech.
Second, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about efforts to reduce unclaimed CPF monies held by the Public Trustee. Members will recall that we are already simplifying the claims process through the beneficiary representative approach. This will apply to about half of all unnominated CPF monies handled by the Public Trustee annually. So, a fairly big proportion of the unnominated sums will come under this approach. We are focusing on implementing this by the second quarter of this year. We encourage beneficiaries who are able to, to use this process.
Under this process, an eligible beneficiary can represent all beneficiaries for cases up to $10,000. The application process has also been streamlined, which will significantly reduce inconvenience for beneficiaries and also, in many cases, halve the disbursement time from the current three to six months to one to three months.
We also plan to review the monetary limit for cases to qualify under this approach, potentially expanding the approach to a larger group of cases.
The beneficiary representative approach will go some way towards reducing the inconvenience when making a claim for unclaimed unnominated sums and also reduce the unclaimed monies as a result. I should add, however, that despite refining this and making it simpler and more convenient, that to enable distributions to beneficiaries more quickly and directly, CPF members can, where possible, make their nominations ahead of time and update it as their life circumstances change.
Third, both Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim suggested simplifying the probate process. We agree with that.
Last year, Members may recall that I had shared that the Courts are already working to simplify the application process for straightforward probate matters. Let me now share more details.
In gist, self-represented applicants can look forward to a probate e-service. This can be used to apply for a Grant of Probate online in straightforward applications. One key feature will be the integration of Singpass information, which will allow the applicant's particulars to be automatically populated.
Beyond personal particulars, the e-service will also use guided questions to help applicants provide the relevant information – information that allows their applications to be processed more quickly – and use that to help applicants fill up the Court forms, which sometimes present a chokepoint, even at the start of the process itself. These features reduce the amount of information the applicant needs to provide and potential form-filling errors, which then lengthen and delay the process. This will significantly improve the service journey for self-represented applicants.
Mr Murali Pillai raised an interesting proposal about the Japanese koseki system. We did study this. It is a system that has unique features. Interesting, but, ultimately, we felt that it was relevant for Japan's own context – quite different from our situation. We assessed that adopting it does not necessarily make Singapore's probate and administration processes more efficient and we felt that enhancing and making it more convenient and simplifying the process itself would benefit applicants more.
That said, we take Mr Murali Pillai's suggestion and we are grateful that he has taken the trouble to look at comparable systems. The lesson in that, really, is to look at other systems and think of how it may apply to us and adapt the process, as may be appropriate, to contextualise it to our circumstances, and we will do so.
Mr Murali Pillai proposed reviewing the means test limit in order to strengthen access to justice. It has been less than three years since these criteria were revised. We should let this run for a period of time and study its impact and effectiveness before deciding whether to review the limits again.
Additionally, we also acknowledge Mr Murali\tPillai's suggestion on increasing awareness regarding the waiver of the means test requirements. We completely agree with that and we will take steps to enhance the awareness. We will work with various other stakeholders, including Law Society, to do so.
For those who lack resources but may not qualify for legal aid, Mr Vikram Nair asked whether conditional fee agreements (CFAs) could be expanded to domestic litigation and also include damages-based awards.
Members will recall that Parliament passed a framework for CFAs in January. This will commence later this year. Under this new framework, CFAs will be permitted as an additional litigation funding option for arbitration proceedings, certain proceedings in the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) and related Court and mediation proceedings.
We are studying extending CFAs to other categories of proceedings – as I have explained when I made the speech in Parliament in January – such as in domestic litigation and mediation, in order to enhance access to justice.
We are aware of the developments in this area in other jurisdictions like the UK and the US. But as Members know, such proceedings are likely to involve more vulnerable litigants. So, we want to take this approach more carefully, study the pros and cons, make further reviews and consultations, before we move on this front.
On Mr Vikram Nair's other point, we had considered whether to allow damages-based awards but decided not to do so, at least presently, as such an approach means that fees that one charges will have no direct correlation to the quantum and value of the work done by the lawyer. We will, nonetheless, continue to study this and might have further consultations to study the appropriateness of such damages-based awards.
The introduction of CFAs in its current form, nonetheless, will strengthen Singapore's offerings as a legal services and dispute resolution hub – a point that I will now turn to.
Sir, our status as a trusted, best-in-class and efficient legal and intellectual property (IP) system presents us at once with opportunities and advantages. It provides the necessary infrastructure for us to engage in commerce. It contributes to Singapore's status as an international centre for finance, business, shipping, amongst others.
Singapore is building up its reputation as a legal and IP hub. In the 2021 Queen Mary University of London and White & Case International Arbitration Survey, Singapore was ranked as top arbitration seat globally, alongside London, and Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) was the most preferred arbitral institution in the Asia Pacific and second in the world. In the Global Innovation Index 2021, Singapore was amongst the world's top 10 most innovative nations.
Sir, these are statistics and surveys, but they also present a picture and tell us that we can create value for the legal sector and good jobs for Singaporeans with the attendant benefits for the economy.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked how we will maintain Singapore as a dispute resolution hub amidst the changes brought about by the pandemic. Beyond updates to our laws, such as CFAs, that I mentioned, we continue to evolve our international commercial dispute offerings and infrastructure to meet the end-users and the parties' changing needs. We must evolve and move with the times and I am sure that what we offer, what we have in our jurisdiction, meets the needs of users of legal services.
With the pandemic, proceedings are now often held in an online or hybrid format. Our dispute resolution institutions moved quickly to offer online and hybrid solutions. We will, therefore, work with them to consolidate these efforts, enhance their digital offerings at a broader level, and provide users with a comprehensive suite of online solutions and services, including hearing platforms and case management.
We will also work with these institutions to expand their footprint into other jurisdictions and promote our services. This includes supporting this expansion overseas, as I have mentioned; strengthening cooperation with foreign counterparts in a mutually beneficial system; and stepping up our physical engagements with key stakeholders and target markets as travel resumes.
Sir, at the same time, a legal hub also needs to be supported by a strong legal talent base. Mr Christopher de Souza asked how the profession will meet our evolving needs. Ms Nadia Samdin and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas talked about the high attrition rates, especially amongst young lawyers, and asked how we will support and retain talent.
Sir, for some context, let me just cite some numbers. In 2021, about 20% more lawyers left the profession, compared to the average of the preceding three years. This phenomenon, however, is not unique to Singapore. An International Bar Association survey of more than 3,000 young lawyers globally published in January found that a third are likely to move to a new legal profession, for example, in academia; and a fifth are likely to leave the profession entirely. So, that is about 20% likely to leave the profession entirely.
They leave for a wide variety of reasons, including high workload and pressures, some of which the Members have mentioned. But while there were lawyers who left the profession, the numbers of which I have cited, there were, equally, also new entrants and re-entrants into the profession. In fact, the number of new entrants exceeded those who left the profession every year for the past four years, at least since 2018, when we kept a data bank of the numbers.
There was also a net increase in the number of Practising Certificate (PC) holders, those who practise law, in 2021, compared to 2020. So, overall, while there are a number of lawyers who have left the profession, equally, as I have said, others have come into the profession either at the start as a young lawyer or, in some cases, re-enter the profession as a mid-career or more senior lawyer. That said, I understand the sentiments of young lawyers and the views expressed by Members.
Sir, the start of a young lawyer’s career is challenging. Both Mr Murali Pillai and myself, we practised together as young lawyers and we know the drill. The first few years are when they go on a tremendously steep learning curve. That helps them to deepen their knowledge, quicken their experience, hone their craft and gain exposure. With these challenges, they grow professionally and, I think, if truth be told, through this experience, they become better, more experienced, more well-rounded lawyers.
The reality, too, is that we need to be able to compete globally. Otherwise, Singapore will be a less compelling proposition as a legal services hub. There is, therefore, no shortcut to developing legal skills. It is about the experience, it is about the ability to apply legal knowledge in the context of real-life, lived experiences, and make real commercial value judgements. If we want to be an outstanding legal hub and the jurisdiction of choice, there are no shortcuts. But we can make the journey more sustainable, more meaningful and rewarding.
First, we will look into preparing our lawyers, especially young lawyers, more adequately for practice and, along the way, developments in practice throughout their careers. MinLaw earlier accepted the recommendations of the Committee for the Professional Training of Lawyers. This includes lengthening the Practice Training Period from six months to a year, to allow trainees to develop a stronger foundation in legal practice before they embark on legal practice. We will implement this next year.
We will also review the training and education for law students, lawyers and allied legal professionals, including the need for leadership and management training, a good suggestion by Mr Raj Joshua Thomas. We will work with the Law Society to explore an industry-wide secondment programme to enhance our presence in important markets, such as in China, and also in important domains, such as in sustainability, M&A and technology.
Second, we will continue to provide lawyers with opportunities in the legal industry and the wider ecosystem. Lawyers today have more diverse options available, beyond joining as a lawyer in a Singapore law practice or joining the public sector. For instance, there are now opportunities at international law practices, in-house counsel teams, dispute resolution institutions, boutique firms and, of course, also legal tech firms.
There are also more development opportunities within the Singapore law practices and the public sector. Our Singapore law practices second lawyers to partner firms and clients, including through programmes introduced by MinLaw. The Legal Service restructuring also gives opportunities to specialise in judicial roles or as public sector lawyers.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas suggested attracting more graduate students to read law, as they are more likely to stay in the profession. Mr Raj Joshua Thomas might know that all three of our local law schools offer JD programmes and we see a healthy take-up every year. SUSS Law School, in particular, takes in more than 50% in each cohort of JD students on average.
But, Sir, regardless of the law degree, lawyers will stay in the profession if there are opportunities and if they find the work fulfilling. This requires the collective efforts of different stakeholders. We will, therefore, continue to work with the Law Society and law practices to ensure that the legal industry remains attractive, challenging and with renewed opportunities for all and at the same time, continuing to foster a strong, talented, energetic Bar, with camaraderie among lawyers.
Next, let me turn to technology and digitalisation, as Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Mr Christopher de Souza have raised. Both have asked about supporting law practices and lawyers in the technology transformation.
Sir, MinLaw is at the forefront of this transformation, supporting Singapore law practices to adopt technology. We launched a Technology and Innovation Roadmap in 2020, a 10-year roadmap to guide our efforts and direction. We are working on a Legal Industry Digital Plan with IMDA and industry partners. Within the Ministry, we have set up a new Legal Technology Transformation Office, specifically to provide dedicated resources to support law firms on this journey.
We will also be launching the Legal Technology Platform (LTP) shortly. This is a matters management tool that is integrated with technology tools popular with our lawyers. It addresses common pain points when adopting and using technology, such as a steep learning curve and lack of interoperability between tools and systems, often a high threshold for lawyers to cross when talking about adopting technology.
We are also incorporating Singapore-specific features, features which we use best within our own local practice in our jurisdiction, including integration with existing practice management tools and solutions, and ensuring Singapore user data is hosted from Singapore, from a security perspective.
We have taken pains to ensure that user feedback is incorporated early into the design architecture of the system. Over the last year, we engaged over 100 lawyers from small and medium-sized law firms to obtain feedback on their usage, how they see interoperability, what functions they want to see, how they feel integration ought to take place between their own systems and the systems on the platform and so on. We established a standing LTP Industry Engagement & Advisory Group to provide continuous feedback as the product is developed and redeveloped over phases. We held a soft-launch at the end of January this year, where we provided a preview to some industry members and stakeholders, put the system with them and let them use it for a while, market test it, road test it before we finally make the launch later this year.
Once launched, law firms will be able to start adoption progressively. MinLaw is working to ensure firms receive technology support as they adopt the platform and beyond. We will work with Enterprise Singapore, IMDA and Law Society to encourage adoption amongst small and medium-sized law firms. We will also be exploring grants for early adopters to defray the subscription cost of the LTP and selected LTP-integrated solutions. We will share more details of this closer to the launch.
Next, another area – intellectual property (IP) – which we see will carry Singapore into the future.
IP and intangible assets (IA) are engines of today’s innovation-driven global economy. In 2021, the global value of intangible assets reached US$74 trillion. This is expected to keep rising.
But we have long recognised the need to leverage IA and IP for growth. Today, Singapore is an IP hub. We encourage creation, protection and commercialisation of new innovations and technologies, including blockchain and other emerging digital technologies. The rapid pace of innovation requires us to continually review our IP policies and laws to ensure that they support technological advances and, of course, the continually evolving business environment.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked how we are supporting local enterprises build infrastructure and monetise IP. Last year, we launched the Singapore IP Strategy 2030 (SIPS 2030). This aims to strengthen Singapore as a top-ranked global IA/IP hub. I will touch on two areas, particularly relevant to local enterprises, given Mr Christopher de Souza's question.
First, the initiatives that enable enterprises to better leverage IA and IP for growth. Enterprises can obtain IP protection quickly through the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore’s (IPOS) acceleration programme, SG IP Fast Track. It allows patent applications to be granted as fast as six months and, in this area, Members will know, time is efficiency, efficiency is commercialisation and money. So, as fast as six months, and the related trademark and design applications to be registered within three months and one month respectively.
At IPOS’ complimentary IP Legal and Business Clinics, local enterprises can consult lawyers and business consultants on a range of IP matters. You can go there to get help. Since February, these Clinics offer advice on IP issues when expanding overseas.
Concurrently, IPOS is working with Enterprise Singapore and the SME Centres to widen the IA/IP outreach to local enterprises, to socialise the idea with them, to equip them with information and knowledge, should they decide that their own business can take advantage of the IA/IP environment.
In May, IPOS will introduce the IPOS Digital Hub, a new IP registration system, which will harness the latest technologies to enhance the user experience in the IP registration process and provide businesses with new features to manage their own IP portfolio. This will complement the legislative updates in the Intellectual Property (Amendment) Bill passed in January 2022. Altogether, these initiatives will enable a more efficient and business-friendly IP registration system.
Second, we are working on IA and IP disclosure and valuation to make IA and IP more recognised and also more transactable.
IPOS is working with ACRA and the industry to develop an Intangible Asset Disclosure Framework. This will enable enterprises to better identify, communicate and disclose the value of their IP and IA for growth. We plan to consult the industry later this year, before introducing the Framework in 2023. Singapore will also work with international partners to develop internationally-recognised IA/IP valuation guidelines. This enables us to have a uniform platform, one that is internationally-recognised, on which we can say, if you have an IA or IP, this is the valuation methodology and this is how it will be recognised across different jurisdictions. This, in turn, will create more opportunities for IA/IP valuers in Singapore, anchor IA/IP valuation activities and thought leadership here and support Singapore as a trusted business and financial hub. IA/IP valuation based on internationally-recognised guidelines is also critical to enabling enterprises to transact and effectively monetise their IA/IP both in Singapore and overseas.
Finally, Sir, let me touch on Mr Christopher de Souza's cut on how we optimise land resources. As Mr Christopher de Souza recognises, optimising land resources is integral to sustaining Singapore’s economic and social development. Let me set out briefly how we plan to repurpose and rejuvenate state properties.
It almost goes without saying that, given our limited land resources – this is an important piece of the puzzle to ensure that the land is optimised even as it awaits its next use – we manage our state land and properties carefully to ensure that they are put to the best possible use.
In deciding how to utilise these assets, we consider not only economic returns, but also how they can bring broader societal benefits to the community. To achieve this, we manage these assets along two broad thrusts. First, to maximise the utilisation of state properties through good upkeep and enhancements, and by putting state land to more productive uses. Second, to unlock greater value from our state properties through new and innovative ideas which create greater economic and social returns.
Let me explain this by reference to some examples. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has engaged extensively with market players to identify fresh concepts for existing state properties. One example is the upcoming rejuvenation of Gillman Barracks. Members may be familiar with this location. This will introduce creative lifestyle concepts to complement the existing commercial arts enclave and attract greater footfall. Sustainability initiatives, such as green programmes and deployment of solar panels, will also be incorporated, as we do our part to grow the green movement in Singapore.
Second, SLA will also be transforming the former campus of Loyang Primary School through adaptive reuse. The first plot, a four-storey building, will be repurposed as a childcare centre. SLA is working with potential tenants to introduce community elements to the adjacent plot with the aim of creating a synergistic community of complementary users within the same site.
These efforts, amongst others, will help to inject life into existing spaces in a manner that benefits both the business and the community, and keeps the use of state lands efficient and, of course, exciting and vibrant in the context of the community in which the state lands are situated.
Finally, Sir, in closing, let me once again thank Members for their comments and suggestions.
Sir, we have achieved significant progress through these various initiatives. My Ministry will continue to forge ahead to ensure a trusted and efficient legal system, providing access to justice, regardless of means. We will strengthen our attractiveness as a legal and IP hub, a position that we have worked hard to gain, and which we must work even harder to maintain. We will continue the stewardship of state properties and ensure our lived environment best serves Singaporeans’ needs.
Sir, all of this would not be possible without the support of all our stakeholders. I wish to thank the Judiciary, members of the Bar and of this House, Universities, law students and various agencies and professional institutions, including the Law Society and the Singapore Academy of Law.
In Singapore, we are fortunate to have an open and constructive relationship with all our stakeholders in the legal industry fraternity. We have very robust but very constructive discussions, with a clear eye on what is best for Singapore. We are grateful for this, and look forward to extending our partnership and fostering new collaborations in the coming year.
I also want to thank the many staff and officers of MinLaw who have spent much effort in ensuring that we achieve our objectives that I have set out in this speech.
The Chairman: Clarifications, please. Mr Don Wee.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Thank you, Chairman. A clarification for Minister Edwin Tong. I am heartened to know that an IA and IP international valuation framework or standard will be developed in Singapore. So, I guess there are a lot of opportunities for the chartered accountants and auditors to work with the lawyers. Maybe I would urge IPOS to work with IE Singapore, as well as the accountants and the lawyers, to develop Singapore into a regional or worldwide valuation hub.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Sir, certainly so. Mr Don Wee can be assured that we look at this as a multi-disciplinary cross-cutting approach and, certainly, there will be opportunities for the business community, including the accountants, as Mr Don Wee has put it, to work with us on this.
The Chairman: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Thank you, Sir. I thank the Minister for the announcement on the plans on simplifying the probate process. I just want to have one clarification. I think there is also the need to synergise with the Muslim law probate process as well because there is a need for Muslim intestate beneficiaries to also extract Syariah inheritance certification from the Syariah Court; and whether there will be also plans to synergise the two systems, so that there will be a seamless transfer of documents and the certificate from the Syariah Court to the Family Justice Court, which may be administering the family justice or the probate and the letter of administration process.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Yes, Sir. I assure Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim that we will look at this. The system of law governing inheritance may be different. But the administration is something that we can look at because both of the systems will require some degree of administration. And for the applicants to make their application, there will be some process. So, we can look at that behind the scenes in the eService that I talked about.
The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Mr Chairman, just two short clarifications. The first is that Minister Edwin Tong talked quite a lot about therapeutic justice. But I was wondering whether or not there could be some emphasis in the justice system on restorative justice, which is, reconciliation between parties, in addition to therapeutic justice. That is the first question.
For the second question, I declare that I am a lawyer in private practice and I do arbitrations. Be that as it may, may I ask what the Minister and MinLaw are doing to promote the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) rules, especially because arbitrations and hearings are increasingly being held via Zoom or online, so that the rules make all the difference to attract the case to SIAC? So, these are my two clarifications.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: I thank Mr de Souza. On the first question, the answer is yes. All the different objectives and principles behind what we do in sentencing will obviously apply. But it has got to be the appropriate set of facts and context and the appropriate cases. So, restorative justice will be considered, as and when it is appropriate.
On the second query, yes, we have to ensure that we continue to put SIAC out there. We have to work hard at doing that, and part of this is also to ensure that SIAC remains in the mindshare. So, when we talk about forays into foreign jurisdictions, as we have done with Mr Murali Pillai, I think he was present on at least one of the trips overseas to speak about our rules, to talk about our system and to, basically, socialise the idea of using SIAC. I think that is one step that will be taken.
Second, I think it is important to ensure that we continue to have the best arbitrators in SIAC. We look at our Panel as one where we ensure that the best in the class, when it comes to arbitrators, are retained by SIAC – the best personnel, best expertise, best secretariat, to administer the cases. These are often the best advertisements, as it were, to ensure that parties, when they come to choosing the relevant rules, will come to choose SIAC rules and we can give them the best service.
Third, as I mentioned in my speech, it is important to continually update our processes, our laws and even our procedures to ensure that we best fit the business use. When we do this, when we make amendments like the CFA, for instance, we give parties out there the best reasons to come and use the SIAC and, in some cases also, be present in Singapore for the arbitration.
The Chairman: Mr Murali Pillai, would you like to withdraw your amendment, please?
Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to thank the hon Minister for his characteristic, comprehensive response to all the points raised in the hon Members' speeches.
Sir, last year, MinLaw had the heaviest legislative agenda because it actually introduced the most number of Bills compared to other Ministries. So, this year, I would not be wishing him and his officers as busy a year as last year, although from the plans that he has in mind, it seems to be going to be as busy, nonetheless. I wish him and his officers well in the implementation of his plans to further the access to justice, strengthen the rule of law, grab the economic opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans and, of course, strengthen our society. With that, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $259,045,400 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $58,450,400 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Deputy Leader.
The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Sir, may I seek your consent to move that the Chairman do leave the Chair? This is to enable me to move a Motion to take the proceedings on the business of Supply today beyond 7.30 pm.
The Chairman: I give my consent.
[(proc text) Resolved, That the Chairman do leave the Chair. – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Exempted Business","subTitle":"Committee of Supply","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Sir, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move a Motion to take this day's proceedings on the Estimates of the Financial Year 2022/2023 beyond 7.30 pm.
Mr Speaker: I give my consent. Does the Deputy Leader of the House have the general assent of hon Members present to so move?
[(proc text) With the consent of Mr Speaker and the general assent of Members present, (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, That the proceedings on the business of Supply be proceeded with beyond 7.30 pm at this day's Sitting. – [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":"Committee of Supply – Head V (Ministry of Trade and Industry)","subTitle":"Building a strong and vibrant economy, and future-ready workforce","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Chairman: Head V, Ministry of Trade and Industry. Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head V of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
Sir, just when we thought that the global economic recovery is gaining momentum, the Ukraine crisis was unexpectedly thrust upon us. It will have very severe implications for the world economy that is yet to recover from the pandemic shock.
Oil price has hit beyond US$100 per barrel and gas prices as well had increased by more than 50% just last one week, and more price upside moves are expected.
Both Russia and Ukraine are also major food and commodity exporters. So, the crisis will have both a demand-side and supply-side impact.
All these grim developments paint a gloomy outlook for the Singapore economy, notwithstanding the 7.6% growth we registered in 2021, on the back of a 4.1% decline in 2020. So, can I ask the Minister if we would be able to still grow at 3% to 5% growth rate in 2022 as forecasted, or that the assumptions are no longer applicable and that we are back to the drawing board to determine a new forecast?
Of major concern is the impact on inflation, with CPI expected to range between 2.5% and 3.5%, based on earlier forecast. Do we have further scope to moderate imported inflation with the stronger Singapore dollar and the other measures?
Sir, energy prices will stay high, with the Ukraine crisis likely to be a longer-term conflict between Russia and the West. But price is not our only concern. The other concern is the supply of oil and gas. In particular, whether the conflict in Ukraine will disrupt the supply of LNG to Asia. This would have implications on our energy security as LNG is our critical contingent source of energy.
Sir, while global supply of energy is beyond our control, I believe we can do more to manage our domestic demand for energy and electricity. I feel that there is enormous scope to manage down our consumption of energy and to cut wastage of electricity by both households and commercial entities.
For households, we can encourage more conscientious use of electricity, and it is often about reminding consumers on good habits. Simple steps such as setting your aircon temperature higher, more conscious to turn off appliances like TV, lights when not in use, lesser use of water heater, for example, among others; all these add up and move the needle to save electricity.
In the commercial area, there is also more that we can do to reduce energy consumption. Many of our commercial and office buildings are more than adequately brightened during after office hours and on weekends. The Government could also advise shopping areas, industries and other public spaces’ management to review their energy consumption and institute electricity saving measures.
I believe if the Government can take the lead in driving the overall energy conservation, we could achieve significant energy savings that can manage down the demand of energy consumption. This would absolutely fit into the efforts of the Singapore Green Plan as well where we aim to reduce carbon emissions. So, can I ask if the Government has any plans to mount an energy conservation campaign to encourage businesses and household to save electricity?
Sir, amidst the uncertainties, there are still opportunities for Singapore to pursue. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated growth in the digital sector and highlighted that firms, regardless of industry, would benefit from developing stronger digital capabilities. How has the Government supported firms, especially local SMEs, in developing their digital capabilities?
Mr Chairman, it is not just the disruptions from external events but also disruptions from technological developments that our firms need to deal with. Nonetheless, we also have forward-thinking firms in Singapore which are the ones driving this disruption through innovating and creating new products and services. How can we spread this culture of innovation to more firms in the economy, including for more SMEs to start innovation projects? How are we supporting the firms which are interested but may need some help in developing the needed capabilities to innovate?
Sir, we need to continue to invest in our people as well so that they are able to benefit from the economic growth and, in turn, participate in or even create the innovation that we would like to see in our local firms. This cannot be left solely to the industry nor can it be driven purely by the Government. How would the Government work with the industry and workers to build a future-ready workforce?
Sir, my final point. The world has changed at a faster pace due to human-led developments like technological changes, innovations, climate change actions and so on. But the world has also become more unpredictable and less stable due to unexpected events like the pandemic, political conflicts, tensions and higher interdependent risks.
We need to remain even more agile to adjust to these expected and unexpected changes and events as well as the emerging new challenges in the overall economic environment. Against this backdrop, it is important for the Government to share how we intend to respond and position ourselves in this challenging landscape. To guide and align the different stakeholders in moving towards a common goal, can I ask the Minister for his overall vision of the Singapore economy?
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast): Mr Chairman, an MOM report shows that job vacancies have hit a record high of over 98,000, about double the running average.
The labour crunch is further exacerbated by a mismatch in skills. A survey conducted by NTUC found that 63% of business leaders cited skills mismatch as the most prevalent form of mismatch but only 15% of these business leaders placed priority for retraining their workers to address the problem. Therefore, investing in the training and development of our workers has never been more urgent.
In Budget 2022, a sum of $100 million has been set aside to support NTUC in its efforts to upscale workers' training and businesses' transformation through the Company Training Committees (CTCs).
There is great potential in leveraging a tripartite partnership to address workers' training. The close collaboration between Enterprise Singapore and the industry and trade associations will be crucial to ensure that a sector-based training solution is developed for scalability. The framework must accommodate SMEs which cannot achieve the scale needed to form CTCs.
Over 800 CTCs have actually been formed since the initiative was launched in 2019. I would like to ask what specific outcomes have been achieved so far and the key lessons learnt so that this round of funding support may be more effective in helping companies fast-track their implementation.
Sir, there have also been innovative ideas being deployed to overcome our shortage of manpower. The Cheif Technology Officer (CTO), as a service scheme, was launched to offer SMEs access to a CTO to help them develop plans and technology solutions and even training programmes without the need for them actually hiring one themselves. So, it is a shared resource.
So, I would like to ask the Minister to replicate this to include other key functions, such as Chief People Officer as a service, Chief Sustainability Officer as a Service, to provide the expertise central to SMEs' transformation and pivot to new growth areas.
Companies can also tap on remote or offshore working models more systematically. This has proven to be a genuinely viable option for some areas of work, such as technology services, offered out of Vietnam and Indonesia. This will open firms to a new channel of manpower by tapping on offshore talent pool to work alongside onshore Singapore teams. This often comes with substantial cost savings. So, companies will benefit from support to navigate the offshore marketplace and for a framework to source and onboard remote talents.
Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang): Sir, the investments in building new capabilities, strengthening local enterprises and investing in our people signal our Government's commitment to enhancing the competitiveness of our domestic economy and helping companies to digitalise and globalise.
But it will take time for the impact of these measures to be felt in a large flow economy like ours while there are many nearer-term headwinds to global trade and economic recovery. Competition for investments can also be expected to intensify, especially in a post-COVID-19, post-BEPS 2.0 world where companies are refining their global and regional games.
EDB has done remarkably well during the pandemic years. As the world emerges from the pandemic, how does the investment pipeline look going forward? How can Singapore extract value quickly from the recently completed trade agreements?
Can the Government give an update on progress in facilitating cross border data flows and digital trade? How else can the Government enhance Singapore's competitiveness in the near term to capitalise on opportunities, both amidst the COVID-19 recovery and in a post-BEPS 2.0 world?
The Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim. Not here. Ms Janet Ang. Not here. Mr Don Wee.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, I declare that I am a council member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants and working with a Singaporean bank.
In 2021, close to 70% of the nominal value-added to our GDP was generated by the services industries. I would like to ask the Ministry about the measures to boost the growth of our services sector. As of last year, the two biggest contributors were wholesale trade at 17.9% and finance and insurance at 14.6%. What are we doing to keep our lead in these two sectors?
The professional services sector and information and communications sector account for 5.8% and 5.6% respectively and show much potential for further growth. Professional services, such as accountancy and consulting in information and communications technology (ICT) sectors, provide good jobs and career prospects for our Singaporeans. How will the Ministry support local enterprise developments and attract international investments in these sectors?
The Chairman: Prof Hoon Hian Teck. Not here. Mr Baey Yam Keng.
Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines): Mr Chairman, last year, MTI announced a 10-year plan to grow Singapore's manufacturing sector, maintaining its share of about 20% of GDP. This is an ambitious goal, given that it has to take place while the global economy continues to be impacted by COVD-19 and, now, the latest challenges from the crisis in Ukraine – and all within the context of a tightened labour market. Would the Ministry be able to provide an update on how we have progressed over the past year for the manufacturing sector?
Mr Chairman, manufacturing is a diverse sector covering many industries. While we want to spread our eggs across different baskets and have sufficient variety in our industries, we are still a small country and would need to focus on our strengths. Would MTI be able to share what are some industries which Singapore has strengths in and what the Government is doing to develop these industries?
To fully benefit from the growth of such Industries, we will need to ensure that Singaporeans are able to access good job opportunities in the manufacturing sector. This is not only desirable but also critical, given our tightening manpower constraints.
How will we prepare Singaporeans for high-quality jobs in the manufacturing sector, both in terms of having the relevant capabilities to land these jobs and the desire to want to enter and stay in these industries? At the same time, how will we encourage the industry to hire Singaporeans for such jobs?
The Chairman: Ms Janet Ang.
Ms Janet Ang (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, trade and connectivity have been Singapore's strategic focus to ensure we continue to be relevant on the world stage. I have four points to make in the next few minutes.
Number one, Singapore as a key node in the global trading network. Digital and green are two S-curves that will continue to disrupt economies and societies. It is right that digitalisation and green are both big agenda items in Budget 2022. Singapore is charting the way forward with these new engines of growth and MTI has taken the lead to frame and design the world's first digital economic agreement, DEA, and gotten us off to a fast start with DEAs signed with Chile, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and, most recently, the UK. Even China has expressed interest in joining.
On the green front, Minister Grace Fu and her team played a key facilitation role at the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), getting the world to agree on high-level talks to operationalise Article 6, which covers cooperation among countries to meet their emissions reduction targets, including through international carbon markets.
Sir, the industry is appreciative of the Government's efforts in keeping Singapore front and centre on the global stage. Meanwhile, we are seeing the weakening of the rules-based multilateral trading system and increasing disregard for WTO rules. At the same time, we saw the escalation of unilateral and protectionist measures by many countries in their response to COVID-19. There is the war in Ukraine and its implications on supply chain disruptions and escalating energy prices, which Minister Gan Kim Yong took us through the other day.
Can the Minister for Trade and Industry give this House an update on the way forward and what might be Singapore's playbook for Singapore's trade and industry? Can the Minister also share MTI and EDB's strategy to accelerate and expand Singapore as a key node in the global trading network?
To my second point – skills and talent 4.0. With the digital disruption and the impending green disruption, everyone needs new skills and competencies. I believe that companies' industry-led reskilling of the Singaporean workforce is the way to go. I have got two proposals.
One, industry training industry. Much has been talked about Industry 4.0 in advanced manufacturing. Bosch Rexroth, an industry leader, decided to locate their regional training centre for Industry 4.0 in Singapore. They partnered Singapore Polytechnic and co-launched the first course in 2020. To date, about 56 companies have participated with 165 of their staff trained and I applaud Bosch Rexroth for stepping forward to help themselves and the industry and, in so doing, get staff retrained and reskilled to be up to speed in Industry 4.0.
Another notable example would be Google's participation in Skills Ignition SG to train digital skills. We need more queen bees like this to come forward and work with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). Our economic agencies, which have the best relationships and have the most influence with the queen bee companies, are in the best position to programmatically scale up our skills and talent 4.0 initiative.
Can the Minister share how our Government economic agencies may support with carrots and sticks to strongly encourage the queen bee companies, multinational companies (MNCs) and large local enterprises (LLEs) to invest in our people to get to skills and talent 4.0? It will be a win-win for all.
The second proposal is to leverage on Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) to strengthen the workplace learning ecosystems.
When COVID-19 broke out, SBF Foundation, together with seven TACs, launched the Industry Compassion Fund to support employees in their respective sectors, who are having difficulties. It is a charity-begins-at-home approach. During COVID-19, SBF also played clearing house for migrant workers from one company which cannot keep them to be matched with another company which needs them.
Mr Chairman, strengthening the workplace learning ecosystems to address the issue of skills mismatch is part of the great manpower challenge for our businesses in Singapore.
Considering that TACs are aligned by industry, and they should understand best the disruptions taking place in their industry and the skills their industry needs to stay relevant, TACs can, hence, be a platform to be leveraged in strengthening workplace learning ecosystems. There has been strong support by the Government over the years to build capacity at the TACs via the LEAD programme. It is timely to give TACs a booster shot to enable them to support their members with job development, job redesign, skills matching and broadening their understanding in sustainability and digitalisation and the new trends.
TACs can also partner IHLs, NTUC, e2i and even queen bee companies to programmatically strengthen the workplace learning system uplift their skills, industry by industry. It would take a village to uplift an industry.
Grow our networks is my third point. In my Budget debate speech, I put forward the fact that SMEs need capital and credit, talent and network.
In this speech, I will speak on access to networks. Global Connect at SBF, set up by SBF in November of 2019 in partnership with Enterprise Singapore to support Singapore SMEs, to learn about overseas markets, land in those markets with business opportunities and localise their businesses for sustainable presence. This has been positively received by enterprising SMEs which recognised the need to go beyond Singapore.
According to colleagues at SBF, today, more than 3,000 companies are part of this network and 80 companies have successfully landed in overseas markets with signed distributorships or reseller contracts. These companies leverage the network to take their aspiration for internationalisation one step forward and should these companies plan to go deeper and wider, they can apply for Market Readiness Assistance Grants from the Government.
This approach, no doubt is one company at a time, but, as the Chinese saying goes, \"a thousand miles begin with a single step\". So, imagine my excitement to hear how Global Connect at SBF and the Singapore Food Manufacturers Association (SFMA) helped a few Singapore food brands to land in Vietnam together.
The Chairman: Ms Janet Ang, if you can wrap up.
Ms Janet Ang: Okay. So, the last point is: play the ecosystem game. What will be our competitive advantage and differentiator? Imagine green and sustainable Singapore-branded value chains where our Singapore SMEs, LLE, TLCs, MNCs and even Government-linked companies like PSA, Changi Airport, work together to innovate and transform our value chains for competitive advantage and deliver unique value.
This would require research capability, IP assets, deep industry skills, broad cross-industry expertise and financial capital to create platforms for our company —
The Chairman: Ms Janet Ang, you do need to wrap up.
Ms Janet Ang: — to work together as a winning ecosystem.
Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, the Ministry previously mentioned that the Industry Transformation Map would be refreshed by this year. What is the progress of the ITM refresh?
Given that in this year's Budget, a lot of additional resource is provided to bring about transformation of businesses, how do we ensure companies develop in line with the refreshed ITMs? Will the ITM refresh consider workplace transformation and, specifically, address the upskilling, retraining and hiring of mature workers and other vulnerable workers for an inclusive transformation of the industries? Will the ITM refresh set clear direction on how to enhance our sustainability efforts, such as the use of sustainable aviation fuels, electric propulsion or hybrid propulsion, in the aerospace ITM refresh.
The Chairman: Ms He Ting Ru. Not here. Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Chairman, a topic that never gets old is how we brace Singapore's economy for the future. To that end, the Government works closely with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), industries and the Labour Movement to equip our workforce with the skills and knowledge which companies need.
The future is exciting with emerging, high-growth areas but it is also uncertain and dynamic with demand for workers and talent which is high. We cannot guarantee what will happen in five or 10 years' time. In 2018, hardly anyone saw this pandemic slowing the airline industry to a halt, including the demand for manpower and local workers as well as retention.
So, we need to build in flexibility as we train our workforce to be future-ready. In providing continuous learning and training opportunities, perhaps we can model after our IHLs and structure courses that are more general, core modules that are applicable across groups of adjacent industries, together with specialised electives that are industry-specific and spend resources to reallocate talent with enhanced Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) by sector and using technology for skills matching.
How will Singapore ensure that firms, both present and future, continue to have access to the talent they need to support their expansion and operations in Singapore?
Mr Cheng Hsing Yao (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, one of the key limiting factors going forward for us to achieve another economic growth trajectory is skill and knowledge-based manpower.
I am concerned that our manpower policies use a macro approach without sufficient differentiation to help the whole economy transform.
I am also concerned that our policies, such as salary threshold and dependency ratio ceilings, can only move in one direction every time they are reviewed, that is, further tightening. Recovery or growth will be uneven across different sectors. Singaporeans can choose their jobs from different sectors of the economy.
When a company wants to hire a Singaporean, it is competing with companies within its industry as well as with companies in other sectors. The larger, better capitalised companies in growth sectors have an advantage in drawing talent. Take the example of digitalisation: when traditional sector companies want to go into digitalisation, they will need relevant IT professionals. However, with the growth of the tech sector in Singapore, IT professionals are in short supply.
Singapore has become an important technology hub today and draws tech companies to headquarter and expand their activities here. This is the result of many years of building up the infrastructure and ecosystem. We should support the tech sector's growth to its fullest. However, as the tech sector grows rapidly, it will hollow out relevant manpower from other sectors. This applies not just to IT professionals but also finance, marketing and compliance ones.
Companies in more traditional sectors may not be able to compete for the limited pool of Singapore talent in terms of pay or prospects. Without the relevant IT professionals, these companies may have to slow down and suspend their transformation or digitalisation plans. This, in turn, will make them even less competitive. I expect that when the need for decarbonisation gains pace, professionals in those fields will also be in short supply.
It is counter-intuitive, but the less competitive and more traditional sectors should be given more flexibility to tap into foreign labour, with the condition that it is only for fields where there is a severe shortage of Singaporean talent and only for professionals who will help the companies innovate, raise productivity, digitalise or decarbonise.
Providing funding and technological support is useful, but to do the work, companies still need the warm bodies and brains. The cost of the manpower must also be sustainable for these companies.
I would like to suggest that the Government consider a more differentiated and dynamic approach for foreign labour policy that takes into account the inter-sectoral competition for talent and provide more leeway for less competitive sectors to tap into foreign labour to help them transform and innovate.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Mr Chairman, can I take my two cuts together?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: In Budget 2022, Minister Lawrence Wong highlighted that we have a window of opportunity for us to invest in building new capabilities to establish leading positions in key market segments. What are the growth and emerging sectors and how can companies seize opportunities in these sectors?
Last year, the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) were refreshed as part of a new plan over the next five years and included three new thrusts: incorporating the recommendations of the Emerging Stronger Taskforce, closer integration with research and innovation, and greater focus on jobs and skills. What is the progress of the ITMs? Can MTI share that?
The pandemic has also heightened the need for companies to digitalise and accelerate the pace of adoption of digital and technology solutions. The current pandemic has shown that businesses that had invested and adapted digitally were more prepared for the disruptions and changes in operations.
What investments has the Government made and will make to encourage and groom Singapore companies, especially SMEs, to transform and adopt digital or tech solutions to be competitive? And what support will the Government provide to firms to do so? My second cut on enterprise development.
Helping companies grow outside of Singapore has been a strategy for many decades. In recent years, with the disruptions, market shifts and, most recently, the pandemic, businesses do need to build new capabilities to compete globally. Increasingly, the market opportunities are across sectors and industries. When companies venture overseas, apart from access to new markets, market insights and regulations, businesses require access to capital, supply chains and talent.
Against this changing landscape, how will local enterprises be supported to grow and build capabilities to compete globally? How will we foster stronger partnerships between MNCs and SMEs to help our enterprises collectively seize new opportunities in the global economy?
The Local Enterprises Funding Platform was part of last year’s Budget. The objective was to help selected large Singapore firms transform and expand internationally. What is the progress of this initiative?
In Budget 2022, Minister Lawrence Wong announced a new initiative, the Singapore Global Enterprises, to provide bespoke support to promising larger local enterprises in areas of innovation, internationalisation and partnerships with other companies. How is this different from the Local Enterprises Funding Platform?
The Chairman: Mr Shawn Huang, take your three cuts together.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong): Thank you, Mr Chairman. On enterprise development, over the years, the Government has provided much financial and non-financial support to SMEs. Amongst the myriad of options, from capability development and marketing, to internationalisation capabilities at various stages of their development, many SMEs have provided feedback they are appreciative of the robust support but, due to the numerous offerings, they have found it difficult to navigate all available options.
As such, to better assist our SMEs to better access the assistance provided by the Government, how can Government schemes be streamlined so that they are more accessible to businesses, especially SMEs?
Our heartland enterprises are the heartbeat of our community. For decades, our heartland enterprises remain relevant as they provide us with much-needed daily essentials – fresh food as well as important services, such as hairdressing. However, digitalisation and e-commerce have changed the landscape substantially. This is made more difficult as last-mile delivery becomes more common and affordable. Our heartland enterprises have limited resources to keep up with digitalisation. As such, how can we support heartland enterprises to digitalise and build new capabilities?
For manpower and talent: as the world is experiencing a wave of digitalisation, deep tech and scientific advancements, there is a global competition for talent. The ability of companies and Singapore to compete globally is highly dependent on the amount of talent Singapore is able to access.
This is highly dependent on our Singapore workforce as well. Our workforce must be relevant and have the skills to face the challenges of today and the future. This is only possible if we continue to be diligent in maintaining our skills and update our knowledge and professional capabilities with the latest technologies, solutions and processes. This requires a concerted effort on all fronts and in different phases of our manpower and talent development.
How will Singapore ensure that firms here continue to have access to talent they need to support their expansion and operations? What is the Government doing to build a future-ready workforce? How is the Government supporting SMEs to improve the training and upskilling of local workers so that they stay relevant and competitive?
On economic recovery, Mr Chairman, I would like to declare my interest as adviser to SIA's Staff Union (SIASU).
Our airline industry has been deeply affected. Our local tourism industry is far from recovery levels. Many working in the tourism sector continue to face many challenges, with reduced incomes and much uncertainty in the months ahead. What is the Government's plan to support the recovery of the hardest-hit sectors in tourism, given the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on the inflow of travellers?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Over the last two years, an average of around 3,840 firms were deregistered each month, similar to the period 2017-2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, an average of more than 5,000 new firms were registered each month over the last two years, reflecting an increase in the total number of businesses operating in Singapore, despite the impact of the pandemic.
An annual Business Survey conducted by Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) showed that a majority of Singapore companies, mostly SMEs, view rising costs, availability of suitable manpower, adaptation to COVID-19 safe management measures and transforming or pivoting to growth areas as top business challenges.
In the same survey, 67.5% of respondents experienced rising manpower costs, including the cost of foreign workers, while 63.1% were unable to recruit local staff with the needed skills and 49.5% said that it has become more difficult to get foreign workers.
Banks and finance companies in Singapore have committed to help ease the financial strain on SMEs arising from the need to make principal repayments on their loans during this period, in view of the temporary cashflow constraints that many face. MAS worked with financial institutions in Singapore to offer options for SMEs in need, to lower their short-term repayment obligations for their loans and to stay insured, despite facing financial difficulties.
The Government has in place a suite of measures to support business transformation and help companies upskill and reskill their workforce, including the Enhanced Training Support for SMEs, that provides subsidies to sponsor employees to attend training courses funded by SkillsFuture Singapore.
Businesses can also leverage the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit to invest in their workforce development. Meanwhile, the Enterprise Leadership for Transformation supports leaders of promising SMEs in developing their capabilities. It has been a challenging period, but businesses are looking to find new opportunities to transform and grow.
While the overall economy has grown significantly in 2021, we know that the growth has been uneven. In particular, consumer-facing sectors, such as retail trade and Food and Beverage services, continue to face challenges due to the pandemic. These SMEs provide important services to the community and hire large numbers of Singaporeans. How will the Government support SMEs overall, and specifically, in sectors with more challenging business conditions?
Besides providing the grants and assistance schemes, we would also need to make sure SMEs are aware of the support that is available to them. While we acknowledge the many new or enhanced schemes and targeted support that have been rolled out in the last couple of years, SMEs may be overwhelmed by the information out there and unsure which schemes they are eligible for. How would SMEs be able to find out more about the support that is available and access such support?
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, Sir, our economy remains vital to Singaporeans’ livelihoods. There are four key areas that I would like to focus on: one, the progress of the Fair Tenancy Code of Conduct; two, our Business Hub status; three, opportunities and support for our businesses in our region post-COVID-19; and four, deepening our ecosystem and collaboration amongst MNCs and local companies.
While Singapore’s economic recovery has been led by trade-related and manufacturing sectors, this does not fully reflect all sectors and there are still sectors that continue to operate below pre-COVID-19 levels. This uneven recovery amongst businesses can potentially lead to wage disparities. Consumer facing businesses continue to feel the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Added to this, COVID-19 has also highlighted structural issues faced by consumer facing businesses. A notable structural challenge is one of tenancies. As many operate in spaces by way of tenancies, an unbalanced relationship and onerous tenancy conditions have exacerbated challenges faced by SMEs.
Nevertheless, during the COVID-19 pandemic, various industry associations, such as Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), Singapore Retailers Association (SRA), Singapore Tenants United for Fairness (SGTUFF), Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS) and REIT Association of Singapore (REITAS) had come together to develop the code of conduct for fair tenancies.
Such a code of conduct provides a fairer tenancy agreement outcome for all parties which sets the basis for business survivability and sustainable growth for both landlords and tenants.
Therefore, there are four questions that I would like to raise pertaining to the Fair Tenancy Code of Conduct. First, I would like to seek updates on the rollout and implementation of the code of conduct for fair tenancy and can I confirm that all Government landlords have adopted this framework? Second, what are the challenges and feedback received by the Fair Tenancy Industry Committee? Third, is MTI reviewing any parts of the code of conduct after gathering feedback and if so, which parts are under review? Fourth, I would like to request a timeline towards legislating this code of conduct into law.
To support businesses and jobs, Singapore must continue to function as a business hub. We must continue to strive hard and be on the lookout for opportunities so that Singapore remains relevant to the global economy. However, with increased protectionism, competition from other global cities and travel restrictions, there is a need for the Singapore economy to build on our resilience and capability to catch the eye of opportunity providers.
Therefore, how has Singapore’s performance been as an investment destination amidst the COVID-19 pandemic? Furthermore, how can Singapore better distinguish itself as a more favourable business hub and enhance our competitiveness, especially in a post-BEPS 2.0 world? What are the anticipated headwinds for Singapore and how are we positioning ourselves?
Asia’s economy continues to be of great value to Singapore and likewise, there is great potential from emerging markets which we can tap. As a global Asia node, how is Singapore supporting our firms to capture opportunities in these markets and how has the support differed, compared to pre-COVID-19 times when the situation was different?
Also, what is MTI's assessment of our regional economies, especially the rise in public and household debts due to COVID-19, and how should our businesses, especially consumer facing businesses, account for these growth plans? What are the concrete steps that Singapore is taking to strengthen our overall trade, economic and digital linkages with other relevant economic partners?
The various support grants that MTI has provided for enterprises, such as the Enterprise Development Grant have been timely to support local enterprises in their transformation. In addition to developmental grants, how do we foster stronger partnerships with MNCs and SMEs to help our enterprises collectively seize new opportunities in the global economy that is increasingly competitive?
What are the strategies to deepen our ecosystem of businesses and collaborations to provide Singapore a competitive advantage in the global economy? Lastly, how can we translate these strategies into increased productivity in SMEs as they face manpower and cash flow challenges?
Overall, as Singapore continues to recover and build new engines of growth, we must ensure that we exit this pandemic with an inclusive recovery in all sectors and industries.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Sir, I declare my interest as President of the Security Association Singapore (SAS). Sir, the Finance Minister had, in his Budget statement, as well as his reply speech, mentioned the important role that trade associations and chambers (TACs) can play. In addition to the roles the Minister had mentioned, I would like to make the following suggestions as to what more they can do and how MTI could support them.
First, TACs can coordinate shared services for their members that would help them get favourable rates and enjoy economies of scale. This includes legal, accounting and human resource services, but also consultancy in core capabilities and internationalisation. In this regard, Enterprise Singapore could consider adapting the Enterprise Development Grant in a way that would allow TACs to coordinate mass funding for their members in the eligible areas.
Second, TACs could be harnessed to administer appropriate Government schemes. A good recent example is how the SG United Training scheme is administered by the Singapore Business Federation. The sectoral TACs can similarly take charge of sector-specific schemes, within parameters worked out jointly with the relevant Government body and with funding to support the costs incurred in administering the said programmes. The TACs' closeness with their industry’s companies will be useful in that it is easier for them to explain how each scheme works and increase these companies’ participation in beneficial programmes and grants.
Third, regulatory authorities can consider devolving some regulatory functions to TACs, where appropriate. Such devolution is most easily achieved with professional certifications and if we push the envelope a bit more, even licensing. For example, instead of regulating the facilities management sector, the Building and Construction Authority has worked closely with the Singapore International Facilities Management Association to establish accreditation schemes for firms and facility management professionals. Similarly, as debated in Parliament last year, my own association administers the Security Consultants Accreditation Programme.
Finally, I would like to thank MTI for the TAC Growth Model Toolkit that was launched recently. This, Sir, is a very excellent resource and reference document for TACs that can help them chart their development.
On a related note, while TACs may get some funding from the Government pursuant to the LEAD grant, it should be the aim of all TACs to not only grow their operations and the services they offer to their members, but also to make sure they have the financial wherewithal to stand on their own two feet. In this regard, I would like to ask MTI if it will consider extending grants to TACs that are traditionally offered to SMEs to help them build revenue making activities.
The Chairman: Mr Derrick Goh. You can take your three cuts together.
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Thank you, Mr Chairman. On the strengthening of TACs to help SMEs, even as the Government has catered for significant resources to help SMEs in our pursuit of a digital and green economy, SMEs still see transformation as a cost, rather than a strategic investment or advantage. Intensifying outreach to proactively engage SMEs was a point that Minister Gan Kim Yong made in his speech at the Budget debate recently.
To accelerate our SMEs' growth in the new economy, there is room to do more to spark that mindset shift and marshal them towards the right resources, shape role models in different industries and to sustain partnerships in their transformational journey. In these aspects, I believe that the trade associations and chambers of commerce (TACs) can step up to play a bigger role and better define a role in partnering the Government.
With their extensive networks, TACs can be an effective bridge between agencies and our businesses and are able to galvanise members as agents of change. TACs can also play a role in encouraging knowledge sharing amongst their members, so that businesses can learn about successes and pitfalls faster in their journey for growth. Therefore, can MTI share how it can better incentivise and equip TACs to encourage them to step up their efforts in this area?
In the next cut on measures to further support SMEs, Mr Chairman, the economic improvement in Singapore in 2021 is a testament to both the effectiveness of the Government's support measures for our SMEs, as well as the resilience of our local businesses. Although we are not yet out of the woods in this pandemic, our SMES can be cautiously optimistic as the world progressively opens up.
That said, there are concerns, given significant economic headwinds. Higher energy prices and supply chain disruption continue to push business costs up. Locally, our tighter wage policies relating to foreign labour have been structured to help our local workers and can also, therefore, translate into higher expenses for SMEs. The recent crisis in Ukraine has compounded these worries, as it has exacerbated the rise in energy cost.
Oil prices are now expected to stay way higher than US$100 a barrel and business prospects looks a lot cloudier, when it looked a lot brighter, just a few weeks ago. While the business support packages in Budget 2022 are generous and with digital transformation, productivity and trading schemes, can the Minister explain what short-term measures will the Government further provide for SMEs to cope with the yet higher energy prices?
Will the Government consider further extending the availability of the Temporary Electricity Contracting Support Scheme (TRECS) to all SMEs which wish to subscribe, given that it is reviewed monthly? Against the backdrop of a prolonged energy crisis worsened by the Ukraine situation, which is still unfolding, will the Government consider further extending TRECS beyond May?
Beyond navigating higher business costs with funding support, the Government can also consider boosting non-financial measures to help our SMEs recover and grow. More than handouts, SMEs are eager for opportunities to get back on their feet.
Sir, the most inspiring stories of grit can be found in our worst-hit sectors such as our SMEs in the MICE industry.
Mr Dylan Sharma, Vice President of the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, or SACEOS, told me about pivots that MICE SMEs took and described that online became their lifeline. While the industry deeply appreciates the Government's support schemes that enabled many to stay afloat, the association has given feedback that the demand aggregation (DA) procurement mechanism used by VITAL to improve Government procurement efficiency has locked out SMEs even though Mr Sharma himself and his company are on the panel. Those who are not on the panel of vendors, he describes, are unable to compete for Government jobs for the few years related to the DA contract.
As the digitalisation of procurement processes has made it efficient, can the demand aggregation model be reviewed to improve openness so as to enhance business competition for Government contracts? On this note, what other non-financial measures can MTI further implement to support SMEs in their recovery?
Mr Chairman, digitalisation is an imperative for SMEs to thrive in our new economy. Nonetheless, I mentioned in my Budget speech that what weighs on the minds of SME owners is the certainty of cost increases against the uncertainty of the benefits related to digitalisation. While the Government has embarked on the journey to provide a nurturing ecosystem for SMEs to digitalise, there are still inertia and doubts that deter SMEs from taking that first step.
I recently spoke with Mr Jimmy Goh, the owner of an SME 500 Awardee Sin Chwee Mini Mart who successfully digitalised his father's 30-year-old traditional seafood business with the help of an SME Centre. His feedback was about the heavy reliance on outsourced solution providers, noting that SMEs owners like him are not technologically savvy and have to go through a lot of trial and error. SMEs, therefore, worry about potentially getting locked into contracts and losing control of key business data as well as IT systems.
How can MTI provide better assurance to SMEs with such concerns?
The Association of Trade and Commerce also fed back that some SMEs feel that support can be a lot more holistic because, as beginners, they may not be clear of the holistic roadmap for a successful digitalisation, such as the need for online marketing after developing a sales channel. SMEs hence found themselves underestimating the costs and time required to build a digital channel.
On this note, how can MTI provide more comprehensive support for SMEs to digitalise?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Chairman, digitalisation and innovation are no longer just the mainstays of larger companies. They are essential for any company to survive and thrive in the new economy. While larger companies have the expertise and resources to do so, SMEs find it much more challenging. SMEs also hire the bulk of our workforce. Thus, their growth is critical to the Singapore workforce. This is even more so as the world becomes smaller and global competition ever closer to home.
Budget 2022 focuses significantly on helping SMEs to boost their productivity by automating business processes. Six hundred million dollars have been set aside to help them.
There are two key challenges to adoption for SMEs. First, talent is needed to digitalise and automate business processes. With the escalating costs of talent acquisition, even eager SMEs might find their ambitions curtailed. In the longer run, having talent within the company allows for more robust implementation. How can the Ministry help to accelerate the training of such talent within companies?
In the interim, another option is to establish a common core of such talent that companies can buy services from. Such consultancies are already commonplace but need to be amalgamated and subsidised for SMEs' adoption.
Despite the vastness and accessibility of information, identifying opportunities in the digital economy that suit the SMEs is even more difficult than ever. Because of the exponential increase in opportunities and also threats, deciding on business opportunities is more complex than ever. Companies suffer from either choice paralysis or analysis paralysis, or both.
One of the more common curation tools used to be trade visits or trade delegations to overseas markets. In this new digital economy, this will neither be necessary nor desired. Can the Ministry share how they are helping our firms to identify new opportunities in the digital economy?
The Budget also focuses significantly on R&D. Digitalisation and innovation are complementary but distinct processes. Both are essential in today's knowledge economy.
Singapore's total business R&D expenditure lags behind other economies, with most of the nation's R&D efforts driven by MNCs.
We are investing more into R&D, seeking to boost the private sector's collaboration with 80 research centres islandwide. Can the Ministry share how we can support enterprises in reaping the benefits of R&D outcomes? The value from innovative ideas generated from R&D must be captured in a timely fashion and commercialised for businesses to fully benefit from R&D efforts. This post-R&D step is a vital one.
In the short run, support for enterprises to tap on the opportunities presented by digitalisation and innovation is crucial. In the long run, we must seek to assist enterprises to grow their innovation capabilities independently to ensure continued R&D efforts even where Governmental support is not provided.
Can the Ministry share how it has been assisting our enterprises to grow their capabilities independently in the near future?
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Mr Chairman, I would like to first declare my interest as President of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).
In my Budget Debate speech, I spoke at length about the choices that consumers can make to alleviate the rise in our cost of living. But all our efforts will be in vain if we fail to clamp down on unscrupulous businesses which take advantage of the inflationary environment and engage in unfair practices.
I have three suggestions to strengthen the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act or CPFTA.
First, we need to be able to take faster action against errant businesses. Under the current regulations, CASE may invite errant businesses to enter into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA) to cease its unfair practices and to compensate affected consumers. As the name suggests, such agreements are entered into on a voluntary basis and businesses which refuse the VCA are then referred to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) for investigation.
Since the last CPFTA amendments in 2016, CASE has referred 10 businesses to CCCS for investigation and CCCS has successfully obtained three injunction orders against these errant businesses.
But, Sir, it took CCCS about 20 months to obtain an injunction order to stop these businesses and to stop their unfair practices. This long lead time can lead to: one, a continuation of the unfair practices; or two, allow the errant business time to wind down their companies. If unaddressed, this will severely undermine public confidence in our consumer protection regime.
Sir, we should enhance the CPFTA to ensure timely action can be taken against errant businesses. For egregious cases, MTI should empower CCCS to impose financial penalties on errant businesses without having to first obtain an injunction order from the Courts.
Second, the Courts must be able to order errant businesses to compensate the affected consumers during an injunction application by CCCS.
Currently, even if CCCS successfully obtains an injunction order against an errant business, affected consumers are still required to separately file their cases at the Small Claims Tribunal to seek compensation and this can be an onerous process for some consumers.
I propose to amend the CPFTA to provide the Courts with the discretion to compel errant businesses to compensate affected consumers. This is already practised in countries such as Australia, and I believe that doing so will provide consumers with quicker financial relief.
Third, we should expand the ambit of regulated contracts under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) (Cancellation of Contracts) Regulations to include beauty-related contracts.
Complaints against the beauty industry took the top spot in 2021, with many consumers complaining of pressure sales tactics and misleading claims. Despite our best efforts, such unfair business practices continue to run rampant.
Including beauty-related contracts under the ambit of regulated contracts will provide consumers with a crucial five-day mandatory cooling-off period. This allows consumers the necessary time and space to consider whether they truly want to go ahead with the purchase, especially those that involve large prepayment amounts.
Sir, I urge the Ministry to consider my three suggestions to strengthen the CPFTA so that we can better protect consumers amidst the backdrop of global inflation.
Mr Sharael Taha: Mr Chairman, how will the Committee Against Profiteering be implemented and how will it address concerns of businesses perceived to be profiteering from the GST increase? How can the committee identify the singular cause of price increase and hence, identify businesses profiteering from GST in light of increasing costs of supplies, rental, labour, energy, in addition to the stepped increases in GST? How can we ensure the committee is effective in protecting our residents?
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply Reporting Progress","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked again to sit tomorrow?
The Chairman: I give my consent.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow.\" – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Mr Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 2022/2023 and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.
Mr Speaker: So be it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn to 10.30 am tomorrow.\" – [Mr Zaqy Mohamad]. (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 7.58 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases of Suicide among Suspects, Accused Persons and Convicted Persons in Last Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"9 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for each year in the last five years, how many cases of suicide have occurred among suspects, accused persons and convicted persons; and (b) what mental health support is provided to accused persons both pre- and post-conviction.
Mr K Shanmugam: Between 2017 and 2021, there was one case of suicide that occurred among suspects, accused persons and convicted persons who were under official custody.
We do not track the number of cases among such persons who were not under official custody. There are usually multiple factors, including social and environmental factors, that are unrelated to investigations and convictions that may drive a person to commit suicide.
As regards measures, if an accused person is identified to be requiring mental health support, then the person will be referred to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for medical assessment and treatment.
In addition, the Police may, when they believe that a suspect or accused person has mental health conditions, refer the person to the Home Team Community Assistance and Referral Scheme (HT CARES). Under this scheme, CARES officers will assess whether social interventions, such as counselling and mental health assistance, are needed. They will then try and assist such persons by considering their situation and whether they need to be referred to further specialised services or IMH.
It must be noted that the Police and other investigative agencies’ primary task is to deter crime, investigate and deal with crime. They are not deeply trained in mental health issues. It is important that family members of the accused persons/suspects identify the mental health needs and seek the appropriate mental health assistance for such persons at an early stage.
When convicted persons are sentenced to imprisonment, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) will assess their mental health. Inmates diagnosed with mental health needs but whose condition is more stable are housed with the general inmate population and seen regularly by prison psychiatrists.
Those who are assessed to require specialised treatment are housed in the Psychiatric Housing Unit (PHU) within the Changi Prison Complex (CPC). They undergo psychiatric treatment programmes, which include therapy and counselling, conducted by IMH. They are managed by a multi-disciplinary team comprising prison officers, psychiatrists, psychologists and occupational therapists.
SPS may also refer inmates to IMH or polyclinics for follow-up care after their release from prison. For inmates whose mental health conditions are severe enough to warrant immediate follow-up, SPS will send them directly to IMH for assessment on the day of their release.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Relocation of Marina East Construction Staging Ground out of East Coast Area","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"12 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development what is the expected timeline for the Marina East construction staging ground to be relocated out of the East Coast area.
Mr Desmond Lee: The operations at the Marina East staging ground have ceased since March 2020. However, there are other construction worksites in the surrounding Marina East Drive area which support key ongoing infrastructure works in the area, such as the North-South Corridor and Thomson East Coast Line.
As we progressively develop the Marina East area, such worksites will continue to be required to support the infrastructure construction and physical development plans. Measures will continue to be taken to minimise disamenities caused by the worksites.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Guidelines for Veterinarians on Issue of Convenience Euthanasia","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"13 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will issue a circular to all veterinarians to provide guidelines on the issue of convenience euthanasia; (b) if so, when does the Ministry intend to do so; and (c) if not, why not.
Mr Desmond Lee: NParks has a framework in place to regulate the euthanasia of animals. Veterinarians are required to comply with the Code of Ethics for Veterinarians as part of their licensing conditions. Under the Code, veterinarians are required to consider animal welfare and public safety in deciding the course of treatment for an animal. Specifically, the Code provides that veterinarians must consider other treatment options prior to considering euthanasia. The Code also allows veterinarians to reject an owner’s request for euthanasia, should he or she not deem it necessary. NParks works closely with the Singapore Veterinary Association to review the Code of Ethics regularly to ensure that it is in line with developments in the veterinary sector and international best practices.
The Rehoming and Adoption Workgroup, comprising NParks, animal welfare groups, veterinarians and trainers, had discussed the topic of euthanasia arising from behavioural issues. The workgroup has developed guidelines to clarify the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, including for post-adoption support, before a decision to euthanise an animal is made. These guidelines, released in January 2022, serve to ensure that there are good understanding and communication amongst all parties. NParks will also continue to keep veterinarians updated on these guidelines through its regular veterinary newsletters and during veterinary licensing briefings.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Assignment of Vocation for Pre-enlistees Entering National Service","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Defence (a) since 2017, how many pre-enlistees entering National Service are granted their first and second choices of vocation respectively; (b) how does the Ministry balance the need to be universal and fair when assigning vocations while ensuring the best match of skill sets; and (c) how does the Ministry work on improving the appeal of less popular vocations.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: Based on available data, more than 70% of our full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) deployed between 2018 and 2021 have been assigned to a vocation among those that they indicated interest in. They are not required to rank their choices when indicating their interest in vocations.
While the NSF's choice, ability and suitability to perform the tasks required of different vocations are taken into account, the operational requirements of the SAF remain as the primary consideration in the deployment of NSFs.
In addition, efforts have been made to help pre-enlistees appreciate the nature of all vocations and their importance to the SAF, especially for less popular choices. This is done through videos on various vocations that are available on the Central Manpower Base's website.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Allow NSmen to Indicate Vocation of Choice for Reservist Training","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Defence whether the scheme of allowing pre-enlistees entering National Service to indicate their preferred vocation of choice can be extended to NSmen who wish to utilise their newly obtained skill sets for their reservist training.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: We seek to match full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) with their indicated vocations of choice, given their longer lengths of service. This is done while ensuring the SAF's operational requirements continue to be met.
For NSmen who perform their duties for only a few weeks a year, it would not be practical or efficient to take into account their preferences in such a manner. Instead, for those with the relevant technical skills in domains, such as cybersecurity and info-communications, we have a scheme to administratively redeploy them to more suitable operational roles. This is currently performed by the SAF's Expertise Deployment Centre which was set up in 2021. Over the past eight years, around 400 NSmen with relevant expertise have been redeployed to new roles. To achieve better matching for redeployment, the SAF will also be encouraging NSmen to update their post-NS education, training and job experience through the NS Portal and other touchpoints.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Updates on Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership on Implementation of Tariff Concessions and Rules of Origin","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Ministry can provide status updates on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in respect of the implementation of (i) tariff concessions and (ii) the Rules of Origin; and (b) when will further updates on the impact assessment of RCEP on Singapore be published.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement has entered into force for 11 out of the 15 RCEP Parties. The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2022 for 10 Parties, namely Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam, and on 1 February 2022 for the Republic of Korea. The Agreement will enter into force for Malaysia on 18 March 2022.
On average, the RCEP Agreement will eliminate tariffs on about 92% of all goods traded amongst RCEP Parties. Not all products will enjoy tariff elimination immediately upon entry into force of the Agreement. Some of this will be done in a phased approach. The timeframe for this tariff elimination varies based on product and by RCEP Party. The details of tariff concessions provided by each RCEP Party can be found at: https://www.mti.gov.sg/Improving-Trade/Free-Trade-Agreements/RCEP.
Another benefit of the RCEP Agreement is that it provides a streamlined and common set of Rules of Origin for each product for all RCEP Parties, also known as Product Specific Rules. This allows businesses to save time and costs as they only need to meet a single rule of origin when exporting to the 15 RCEP countries. Companies will also be able to cumulate inputs from RCEP countries in order to enjoy preferential market access. These Product Specific Rules and cumulative rules of origin are implemented immediately upon the entry into force of the Agreement for the RCEP Party.
As RCEP has just entered into force, more time will be needed to analyse the impact of the RCEP Agreement on Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans to Educate Local Companies and Other Stakeholders on Potential Benefits from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Trade and Industry how does the Ministry plan to educate local companies and other stakeholders on their potential benefits from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: After the signing of the RCEP Agreement on 15 November 2020, MTI has been working closely with Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Singapore Business Federation to reach out to companies on how they can benefit from and utilise the RCEP Agreement.
In 2021, as part of the lead up to the entry into force of the RCEP Agreement, the Ministry and our partners organised two webinars which were attended by more than 400 participants from over 200 Singapore-based companies. These webinars introduced participants to the RCEP Agreement, highlighted key benefits and demonstrated how businesses could use the Agreement. The Ministry also worked closely with the media to facilitate their understanding and reporting of the Agreement and its benefits to Singaporeans.
In 2022, we will continue to organise such outreach sessions and also conduct in-depth sectoral sessions that target different business segments and highlight the relevant benefits under the RCEP Agreement.
In addition to these webinars, the Ministry has published three guidebooks: (i) Understanding Trade in Goods and Rules of Origin under the RCEP: Benefits for Businesses; (ii) Understanding the RCEP Services, Investments and E-Commerce Chapters; and (iii) Understanding the RCEP Intellectual Property Chapter: Benefits for Businesses. These guidebooks were designed to help businesses understand and utilise the RCEP Agreement and include examples of how the RCEP Agreement will benefit them and help save costs. These guidebooks were distributed at the webinars and can be found via this weblink: https://www.mti.gov.sg/Improving-Trade/Free-Trade-Agreements/RCEP.
Businesses can also take advantage of ESG's Tariff Finder at this weblink: https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/non-financial-assistance/for-singapore-companies/free-trade-agreements/ftas/tariff-finder. The Tariff Finder provides information on the preferential tariffs to more than 150 destinations (covering Singapore's bilateral, regional and plurilateral FTAs), the relevant Rules of Origin, and other general requirements necessary for exportation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Comparison of Total Number of Hours Teachers Work Per Week between 2018 and 2020","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education whether the total number of hours that teachers have to work per week has increased or decreased for (i) 2019 compared to 2018 and (ii) 2020 compared to 2019.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: In 2018, our internal survey was focused on measuring specific components in teachers' workload. In subsequent years, our surveys had a more comprehensive coverage on teachers' workload. In 2020, due to disruptions caused by the circuit breaker, we did not conduct the typical workload survey. Instead, we conducted a series of polls to regularly monitor teachers' sentiments and morale during the pandemic.
We, therefore, do not have comparable data for 2018 and 2020. Nevertheless, comparing the data from the 2019 and 2021 surveys, the average workload has gone up slightly from about 51 hours to about 53 hours per week during term time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Resignation Rate of Teachers in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education in the past five years, what is the annual resignation rate of teachers.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: In the past five years, the annual resignation rate for teachers has remained low and stable at around 2% a year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mean and Median Costs in Public Hospitals for Fresh and Frozen In-vitro Fertilisation Cycle","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for each year in the past five years, what are the respective mean and median cost in the public hospitals for (i) a fresh In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle and (ii) a frozen IVF cycle.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The mean and median charges of a fresh In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) cycle and a frozen IVF cycle in local public Assisted Reproduction (AR) centres from 2017 to 2021 can be found in Table 1 below.