The following question stood in the name of Miss Cheng Li Hui –
1 To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many incidents have there been in the past two years of uniformed police being challenged by a disorderly member of the public; (b) in how many of these cases was additional back-up deployed; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure Police personnel are physically and mentally prepared to handle face-to-face conflicts.
\t
\tMs Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Question No 1.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Deputy Speaker, between 2019 and 2020, there were more than 400 reported cases of Police officers who faced verbal abuse or physical hurt while carrying out their duties. These include incidents where officers were challenged by disorderly members of the public.
We do not track the number of cases where back-up officers were deployed. Depending on the situation, additional resources may be despatched to reinforce the on-scene officers to arrest the criminals, maintain peace and protect lives.
Police officers are trained in a range of techniques to handle dynamic and unpredictable threats that they may encounter, including face-to-face conflicts. These include the use of verbal command, unarmed tactics, batons, tasers and firearms. The Police officers will evaluate the threat posed and take an appropriate course of action against the aggressor, taking into consideration public safety and their own safety and the aggressor’s safety as well.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Any supplementary questions? Yes, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
\tMr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Thank you, Deputy Speaker, Sir. I have just one clarification. On protection for our uniformed Police officers, is there any special recourse or compensation for them, in the event that they get hurt in the course of the disorderly conduct by a member of the public?
\tMr Desmond Tan: I thank the Member for the question. Our Police officers are trained to deal with different situations. Different circumstances may present obvious risks to the Police officers in terms of injuries. When they are injured in the course of their duty, which can happen from time to time, they would be taken care of by the Police in terms of the medical as well as personal recourse, in terms of how they are being taken care of in the Police Force. More importantly, we will also continue to support them in their duties which is what they signed up for. They always put the safety of the members of the public first, in the course of their duty.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Guidelines for Media when Approaching Those Affected by Traumatic Event","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"2 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what are the guidelines for the media when approaching those affected by a major traumatic event to avoid interference in their recovery; (b) what special considerations are put in place in relation to minors; and (c) whether there are plans to revise these guidelines.
\tThe Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): When a traumatic incident occurs, students and staff are naturally very affected, and safeguarding their well-being must be the priority. At the same time, we understand the high level of public interest and concern, and appreciate that the media have the important responsibility of accurate news reporting, which can help prevent public panic, rumours or fake news from spreading.
I echo Minister Chan’s sentiments during his Ministerial Statement on 27 July that the media has shown sensitivity and restraint in reporting the River Valley High School incident.
When the incident took place, the media was not given access to the school compound and was restricted to public areas outside the school. The media’s understanding was sought not to press students or staff for interviews or take photographs or videos of them in a way that they could be identified. Doing so would have created additional stress for them at an already difficult time. The media was also encouraged to give the school the space to recover from the incident.
In addition, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has also reminded the mainstream media about the legal protections accorded to those under 18, as part of the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA). Under the CYPA, no one is allowed to publish or broadcast information that identifies or is calculated to identify any person below 18 years old who is involved in any Court proceedings, including as a witness. This includes not publishing any information that may inadvertently lead to the identification of any persons under the age of 18 who may be involved in subsequent Court proceedings.
We will continue to engage and work closely with the media to enable them to do their job even amidst such tragedies, while prioritising the well-being of those involved.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms He Ting Ru.
\tMs He Ting Ru (Sengkang): I just have one supplementary question. Should the public, victims or their families have concerns about media behaviour when a traumatic event occurs, what recourse do they have and what measures are being taken to educate them on the sort of recourse that they have?
\tMs Rahayu Mahzam: I thank the Member for her clarification question. The CYPA does accord protection to minors below 18 years old who may have been involved or had witnessed a crime. So, if any mainstream or online media, or for that matter, anyone in his or her own capacity, ends up publishing any information that identifies the minor, there is legal recourse to take that offender to task.
We understand, of course, that this is after the fact and students and parents would rather not be put through this situation in the first place. So, we, therefore, appeal to the media and all members of the public to exercise empathy and good judgement in the situation.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. One point of clarification for the Parliamentary Secretary. In relation to the most recent incident at River Valley High School, there was online feedback from students who felt harassed on the actual day of the incident as the media gathered outside. Although the members of the media were doing their job, was there something more that MCI could have done to prevent this feeling of harassment on the part of the students and their contact with the media?
\tMs Rahayu Mahzam: I thank the Member Mr Alex Yam. We are fully aware of the anguish felt by the students and parents. As mentioned earlier, we had sought the mainstream media as well as the online media's efforts not to approach the students and staff outside the school gate. However, as reporters and media crew were in public areas, they were not actually breaking any laws, and they were entitled to be there as long as they wanted since they were not breaking any public safety laws. There was only so much the authorities could do to disperse them. I understand this was something that was causing pain to the staff and students, but we hope this is something we can continue to manage.
We must understand that it was not just the media, both mainstream as well as online media, but also members of the public, who gathered outside the school once the news broke to offer their condolences, support and expressions of sympathy.
We continue to appeal to both media and well-intentioned members of the public to give the much needed space to affected students and staff in such situations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Government's Study on Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"3 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether he can provide an update on the Government’s study on the use of sustainable aviation fuels in the local aviation industry; and (b) whether Singapore’s readiness to participate in the voluntary phase of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation has been delayed by the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry and, if so, what is the extent of the delay.
\tThe Minister for Transport (Mr S Iswaran): Mr Deputy Speaker, sustainable aviation fuels, which are produced from resources such as waste oil, can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, on a life-cycle basis. However, it is important to note that today, sustainable aviation fuels are two to five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel.
The Singapore Government and our industry partners have conducted a study of the operational and commercial viability of sustainable aviation fuels at Changi Airport. The study presented options to integrate these fuels with traditional jet fuel at Changi Airport, such as at existing jet fuel facilities, or at tank terminals in the existing supply chain; in other words, where it is the most efficient way to integrate this within the supply chain for jet fuels.
It also identified viable feedstock-technology combinations for sustainable aviation fuel production in Singapore, based on the availability of feedstock in the region, cost and life-cycle assessments. The report also suggested various options to facilitate uptake and production of sustainable aviation fuels in Singapore. Our agencies are reviewing the findings.
Despite COVID-19, Singapore is participating in the voluntary phase of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which aims to cap the international aviation sector’s emissions. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Singapore-based carriers, namely Jetstar Asia, Scoot and Singapore Airlines, are monitoring and reporting the airlines’ emissions under CORSIA.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
\tMr Leon Perera (Aljunied): I thank the Minister for his comprehensive explanation. Just one supplementary question. Given that we have a strong petrochemical cluster and given that some study has already been done on sustainable aviation fuels, is the Government also looking at the possibility of Singapore becoming production or export hub for sustainable aviation fuels, particularly as demand for such fuels may increase over time as prices tend to drop due to commercial scale being achieved in the future?
\tMr S Iswaran: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for his question. Firstly, as the Member would know, in our larger chemical, petrochemical ecosystem in Singapore, we already have players, like Neste, who focus on the bio-fuels aspect. I think that is an important part of our development going forward, because we have always proactively wanted to anchor some of these more sustainable options as part of the broader fuel mix available in Singapore.
Secondly, the Member's point is well taken. In fact, it is something that our agencies are studying; how we can not just produce these sustainable aviation fuels for our own needs, but also be available for export.
In a manner of speaking though, firstly, I want to highlight that the supply side of it is still constrained. As I had mentioned, in this study, one of the things we need to look at is how we can not just make it available in sufficient quantities, which in itself is a challenge, but also do so in a manner that is cost-competitive. I would add that it is something that we are focused on as part of the process going forward.
\t
Secondly, if, in fact, we are able to develop this in a very strong manner, then, it is not just for Singapore-based carriers, but potentially other carriers who come to Singapore may also be able to use these sustainable aviation fuel options. Therefore, that is also a manner of export.
So, long before we talk about physically exporting them to other locations, there are (a) supply chain developments already taking place in Singapore; (b) our focus is on costs, viability and adequate supply; (c) that once we are able to work on this and implement this, then it will be available to aviation players in Singapore, based out of Singapore using Changi as a hub and, potentially, also for the region.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Developing Action Plan for Urban Wildlife Management with Stronger Focus on Co-existence Measures ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"4 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will develop an action plan for urban wildlife management in consultation with nature groups and with a stronger focus on co-existence measures rather than removal of wildlife which reinforces the mindset that native wildlife are pests.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the National Parks Board (NParks) adopts a holistic, science-based approach to wildlife management and works closely with the community to promote harmonious human-wildlife co-existence.
NParks works with various stakeholders, such as nature groups, academics, agencies and the community in its public education and outreach efforts. This is one of the key thrusts of NParks’ wildlife management approach. For example, NParks partners these stakeholders to develop educational resources and outreach initiatives to advise the community on how to respond to wildlife sightings and to raise public awareness on the negative impact of feeding wildlife. In addition, NParks works with stakeholders to host its monthly human-wildlife encounters webinar series, to promote responsible behaviour during such encounters. NParks also works with nature groups as part of various working groups to manage wildlife, including co-creating plans to address issues, such as wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release.
As part of NParks’ science-based approach to wildlife management, NParks also conducts population surveys and research studies to better understand the distribution of wildlife in Singapore. For example, by identifying wildlife hotspots, NParks is able to implement mitigation measures against roadkill, such as putting in place vehicle speed reduction measures. Notwithstanding this, NParks may have to carry out measures, such as the removal of wildlife, to safeguard public safety, where needed.
NParks will continue to work closely with the community to promote harmonious human-wildlife co-existence as part of our efforts to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. All of us can also play our part by not feeding wildlife, keeping our residential areas clean and appreciating wildlife from a safe distance.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. Could I ask specifically whether we can stop the poisoning of wild animals? I know we are doing that currently. The problem here is that it is not just the target species that dies but there is a huge knock-on effect.
Just recently, ACRES rescued a white-bellied sea eagle which had consumed a poisoned wildlife. Thankfully, it recovered and was released back into the wild but there were many cases where cats, dogs, other animals consume the poisoned animal and they subsequently die.
So, could I ask whether we can stop this practice – not have measures in place during the poisoning exercise but stop this practice altogether?
\tMs Sim Ann: I thank Mr Louis Ng for the question. Our approach towards wildlife management, as I have mentioned, is such that we would have to be very much based on the science of animal management. We would need to study the ecology and, where possible, to work on the upstream measures. The upstream measures are very key and include food source reduction. So, this is where we place a lot of our efforts.
Where necessary, we would also consider animal control measures, but these would have to be done in a humane and safe manner.
With regard to the use of poison, specifically, NParks does not use poison in the control of pest birds. NParks is also working with the Town Councils to encourage them to move away from the use of toxins and to adopt animal control measures and practices that are humane and safe.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Revising Start Time for Schools ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"5 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education whether there are plans to re-evaluate school start times, especially with most schools currently operating in single-session mode.
6 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Education in light that fewer than 15% of Secondary school students get enough of the recommended daily eight hours of sleep and experts on children and sleep advocate starting school no earlier than 8.30 am, whether there are plans to revise the starting time for all Primary, Secondary and pre-tertiary schools to later than 8.30 am.
\tThe Minister of State for Education (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I would like to take Question Nos 5 and 6 together.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Yes, please.
\tMs Sun Xueling: International research has established that amount and quality of sleep is influenced by multiple factors, such as circadian rhythm, exercise and sleep habits. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has also recently commissioned two research studies on the impact of factors affecting sleep duration and quality of our students in Singapore. This will help us better understand how later school start times could contribute to students’ longer sleep duration.
Currently, schools start no earlier than 7.30 am. Schools have the autonomy to adopt a later school start time, taking into consideration factors such as parents’ feedback, school end time, impact on after-school and inter-school programmes, transport provisions and traffic situation around the schools.
MOE will consider the results of the local and overseas research. Apart from whether school start time should be delayed, we will need to work with parents to improve sleep hygiene, manage the overall load on students as well as their use of digital devices.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim.
\tAssoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): I thank the Minister of State for her response. I have a quick follow-up question. I wonder if MOE would consider if the idea of a wholesale change in start time is impossible; whether staggered start times just for Primary 3 onwards or for secondary school only is possible.
Part of the motivation behind this is we understand that pre-puberty circadian rhythms do predispose children to sleep around 8.00 pm or 9.00 pm, but after the onset of puberty, which is typically around 10 or 11 years for girls and four years later for boys, pre-adolescents experience sleep-phase delay of about two hours. It is entirely possible that just a half-an-hour or an hour's delay, which I think will actually not be very disruptive to traffic situations as well as schedules, will make a significant difference, as a July 2019 Straits Times article suggests.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his suggestion. I think, right now, because of our safe management measures, schools have already implemented staggered start and end times. I had earlier mentioned that MOE had contracted two research studies. We will be looking into the results of those studies to better inform us as to how we can implement more wholesale guidance to schools on start and end times.
To share more, the two related projects will help us better understand how the complex issues related to our adolescents' sleep patterns and time use can be addressed comprehensively.
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): May I ask the Minister of State, in light of the Parliamentary Question from Miss Cheng Li Hui, whether the schools would want to encourage parents to get their children to sleep early? I recall that when my kids were young, I used to tell them to sleep early so that they would be able to have more sleep and to wake up early to be able to go to school without having problems.
So, instead of getting school to start later, would we not consider asking children to sleep earlier to get their quota of available sleep?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member Mr Lim Biow Chuan for the question. Indeed, he has raised a very important point, which is that delaying school start time may not translate directly into gain in students' sleep duration.
He mentioned good sleeping habits. Indeed, they matter. They are an important factor. A local study by Prof Michael Chee in 2016 showed that a 45-minute delay in school start time resulted in a 10-minute increase in sleep time for students from one school in Singapore. An overseas study in Seattle, 2018, reported an additional 34 minutes of sleep when school started later by nearly an hour.
That is why we have commissioned the two studies to understand the topic better. Mr Lim Biow Chuan has mentioned a very important point, which is that we need to work closely with parents so that the students have good sleeping habits, good sleep hygiene. I had mentioned the use of social media devices in my main reply. These are all factors that we need to consider as we think about how to better improve sleep quality for our students.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
\tMr Leon Perera (Aljunied): I thank the Minister of State for the answer. Just one supplementary question. I think in previous discussions of this issue of school start times, one consideration that was brought to bear was the possibility of traffic congestion. So, if children are going to school either by school bus, public bus or car at 8.30 am or thereabouts, that might create a lot of congestion because office workers are going to work as well.
But will the Government also consider that with the trend towards working from home, flexible work and so on, which may persist beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, that is an issue that may be much less of a concern and that could be a factor for encouraging an across-the-board later start time?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. Indeed, I think the factors he had raised have been raised recently in a Straits Times article. MOE will consider these factors holistically. As I mentioned in my main reply, MOE would take into consideration parents' feedback; we will look at the impact on after-school and inter-school programmes and also transport provisions and traffic conditions around the schools. So, I thank the Member for his suggestion.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Incentives for Companies to Extend Flexible Working Arrangements to Outsourced Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"The following question stood in the name of Dr Tan Wu Meng –
7 To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to outsourced employment, to what extent do flexible working arrangements (FWA) incentives apply to (i) the outsourcing entity and (ii) the contractor employing the outsourced worker during the period of such employment.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Question No 7.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower): Sir, the Work-Life Grant was introduced in July 2013 to incentivise companies to enhance and sustain the provision of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) for their employees. Contractors that performed outsourced work for their clients could apply for the Work-Life Grant.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many forms of FWAs, such as telecommuting and staggered working hours, have become more common. With FWAs becoming increasingly prevalent, the Work-Life Grant was ceased in August 2020.
FWAs enable employees to continue working while meeting their personal and family needs, and are especially important for those who have to take care of young children or elderly family members at home. Employers that provide the option of FWAs are more likely to attract and retain talent in the long run. That must be the biggest incentive for employers to extend FWAs to their employees.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal. I must thank you for standing up because that is a bit of a blind spot in the far right corner.
\tDr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for spotting me at that corner. Mr Speaker advised me to do jumping jacks previously to attract his attention.
\t
\t
\t
I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer on Dr Tan's question. There is a supplementary question here where we keep on asking ourselves. This whole idea of outsourcing creates what we call a double hurdle for those who are in FWAs. Because the contractor must be willing to provide FWAs in the first place, and then the outsourcing business must have workflows and preferences that can make it feasible for the contractor to provide FWAs. How do we ensure that companies and contractors do not pass the buck to one another?
As a context, I will give an example. A number of my residents have come forward to me. They are working in outsourced companies, for example, in security and as cleaners. They face this problem when one of them falls sick, for example, they need kidney dialysis and they need that time off. It is very difficult for them to get this arrangement. Eventually, they need to resign and find another job. So, that would be my question: how do we ensure that these companies do not pass the buck to one another?
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I thank the Member for raising this clarification. I think what he has described are genuine real challenges on the ground. Not every job description or job role is amenable to full flexible work arrangements because it depends on the roles the person has to perform and also the nature of the work.
Indeed, many outsourced workers undertake work that could present challenges for their employers to implement flexible work arrangements. These include shift workers, workers in frontline or client-facing roles, such as cleaners, manufacturing operators and service workers. It is quite a challenge to do flexible work arrangements when the worker is required to man a production line, for example.
But having said that, there is a tripartite effort to encourage outsourced companies to do a lot more flexible work arrangements where possible. There is also an Alliance for Action on Work Life Harmony, which is a good example of how the partners can come together to look at ways in which they can encourage, not just companies, but also workers, to adopt new skills, so that there is a lot more upgrading and redesign of the jobs.
Ultimately, it is about working together, seeing how we can transform the job into something that is, perhaps, much more automated and productive, and this makes it open to possibilities of flexible work arrangements through the use of technology.
I hope that is something that employers, workers and unions can work together on, to make it possible for all job roles to eventually explore some degree of flexible work arrangements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Range, Median and Average Commission Paid by Housing Developers to Appointed Sales Agents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"8 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development (a) over the last five years, what is the annual range, median and average commission rates paid by housing developers to their appointed sales agents; and (b) whether the Government is looking to regulate or mandate the disclosure of such commissions paid by property developers.
The Second Minister for National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Government does not collect data on sales commissions paid by housing developers to their appointed sales agents.
The commissions paid by housing developers to their sales agents are a private contractual arrangement and the Government does not require this information to be disclosed.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
\tMr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): I thank the Second Minister for her response to the Parliamentary Question. Just one supplementary question. I see from a February report in The Business Times (BT) where the journalist mentioned that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is looking into property agents' commissions and engages developers regularly to obtain information and provide feedback.
So, I was just wondering if this is something that is going to be of a regular occurrence in terms of collecting commission-related information from developers and whether or not there are plans to then look into the regulation on this? Or is it mainly a private contractual agreement, as the Minister mentioned?
\tMs Indranee Rajah: Mr Deputy Speaker, I am not familiar with the specific wording of that report and, perhaps, in order for me to address that question, does Mr Louis Chua have the exact wording of the report?
\tMr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: Thank you. In terms of the exact wording, based on what is in the BT article, it was quoted that a URA spokesperson said, \"URA does not regulate the commission rates paid by developers to their appointed sales agent. As part of our monitoring of the property market, we engage developers regularly to obtain information and provide feedback.\"
\tMs Indranee Rajah: I thank Mr Chua for that clarification. So, the report said that URA does not regulate the commissions. In fact, URA does not ask for information on the commissions. I think he also said that the report said that the Ministry would engage the developers for information and provide feedback. I think the engagement of developers is something URA and the Ministry does regularly, but specifically on sales commissions, as I have mentioned, the Government does not collect data on that; and that is a private arrangement between the developers and the sales agents.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan, next question.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support for Food Catering Businesses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"9 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry how does the Ministry intend to support food caterers with their slower recovery compared to other F&B businesses.
\tThe Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Low Yen Ling) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Deputy Speaker, we fully recognise that this is a challenging period for food and beverages (F&B) businesses, including the catering sub-sector. That is why under the support package for Phase Two (Heightened Alert), all F&B businesses, including caterers, will receive 60% wage support under the Jobs Support Scheme.
However, even as we gradually reopen the economy in a safe manner, caterers may not be able to revert entirely to their pre-pandemic modes of operation as consumer preferences change. This is why we have been encouraging and supporting food caterers to embark on transformation efforts and develop new business models or diversify into new businesses.
One caterer that has ventured into new business concepts is Kitchen Haus Group. With funding support from Enterprise Singapore's Enterprise Development Grant (EDG), the company launched their cloud kitchen concept and virtual brand \"Gourmet Xpress\", which offers ready-to-eat products. This has opened up new growth opportunities and customer groups for the company.
The EDG and other Government schemes work together to help our companies diversify their businesses, deepen their capabilities and develop talent. We encourage food caterers to tap on this range of schemes to seek out new opportunities in an evolving environment and strengthen their resilience for the future.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: No supplementary questions? Next question, Ms Tin Pei Ling.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proactive Policing of Internet and Blocking of Violent Content Accessible to Children and Youths in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"10 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Government will more proactively police the Internet and block violent content that can be accessible to children and youths in Singapore.
\tThe Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Deputy Speaker, our children and youths are digital natives who have access to the Internet from an early age. As much as possible, the Government will ensure they can do so safely. This includes protecting them from undesirable material such as violent content.
Under the Internet Code of Practice, content which is objectionable on the grounds of public interest, public order or public security is prohibited. In considering what is prohibited material, one factor taken into account is \"whether the material depicts detailed or relished acts of extreme violence or cruelty\". The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has powers under the Broadcasting Act to direct Internet Content Providers to take down prohibited material, as well as direct Internet Service Providers to block access to websites that contain such material.
IMDA also requires Internet Service Providers to offer Internet parental control services to their subscribers. Parents may subscribe to such services to manage their children’s access to websites and online services.
Given the dynamic and borderless nature of the Internet, we cannot realistically block every website with undesirable content. It is equally important to teach our young how to navigate the Internet safely. This is why our schools conduct cyber wellness lessons for students, where students learn to identify and avoid inappropriate online content.
The Media Literacy Council (MLC) has also been promoting safe and responsible online behaviour. They have developed resources and public education activities to encourage online users, including our young, to exercise judgement about the content that they come across online. Based on MLC’s survey, its 2020 Better Internet Campaign had an awareness rate of 60% for educational tips on issues such as positive Internet usage and digital footprint.
There is clearly room to improve and we will continue to build on existing efforts.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: No supplementary questions? Next question, Mr Desmond Choo.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Measures to Restrict Juveniles' Purchase of Offensive Weapons Online","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"11 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the recent school incident allegedly involving an offensive weapon procured online (a) whether our current measures are sufficient to restrict juveniles' access to offensive weapons; and (b) over the last three years, what is the number of juveniles who are arrested for possession of offensive weapons.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Deputy Speaker, in the past three years, 131 persons under 18 years of age have been arrested for possession of offensive weapons.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) currently regulates six weapons under the Arms and Explosives Act (AEA) – sword, spear, spearhead, dagger, bayonet, and certain dangerous bows and arrows. Persons who handle these weapons are subject to certain safety conditions. For example, sellers must maintain transaction records of such items and owners of such items must store them securely.
In January 2021, MHA introduced the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act (GEWCA), which will replace the AEA when it comes into force in end 2021.
Under the GEWCA, the list of regulated weapons will be expanded and subject to greater controls. In determining which items to include, we have to find an appropriate balance, as almost any item can be used as a weapon, including those used in daily life like kitchen knives and choppers.
Highly dangerous items like guns and explosives must be tightly regulated as they can cause a lot of damage. For other mixed-use items like axes which have normal legitimate uses, we may want to impose some controls, but need to consider carefully exactly what, so that we do not over-regulate.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
\tMr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of State for his clarification. I have three supplementary questions.
First, we clearly need to look at it from a demand and supply issue. To tighten the supply of these offensive weapons, what are the age verification checks required of online and brick-and-mortar retailers?
Second, are there any plans for these retailers to have to report suspicious transactions? It is not different from what MAS does for suspicious transactions.
Third, how would MHA be working with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to strengthen awareness of the dangers of offensive weapons and checks of offensive weapons in schools?
\t
\t
Mr Desmond Tan: I thank the Member for the supplementary question. First of all, the question about tightening the supply and imposing an age verification for controlled weapons or even mixed-use items like purchase of axes and knives, this is something we will constantly review to assess the appropriate level of controls we want to impose, especially for mixed-use items like axes and parangs that have legitimate uses. On the one hand, we do not want to over-regulate. As I mentioned earlier, even for nefarious purposes, actually, access to kitchen knives and choppers can become a form of weapon. So, we have to find the right balance.
We are currently considering requiring the e-commerce platforms, for example, as well as the brick-and-mortar retailers, to take reasonable steps to verify, do some age verification checks and ensure that those especially who are clearly underaged, do not have access to these items. We will share more details when we have them.
On the second question about reporting suspicious transactions, we all recognise that, first of all, already requiring age verification is something that we would consider doing and there are some practical challenges there. It is even harder, sometimes, for retailers, especially online retailers, to understand or to verify the intent and the purpose of the purchase of legitimate items that are used for legitimate reasons.
So, again, we will have to find the right balance and not to over-regulate, and to also be practical about this whole issue, while we understand the need to ensure that access to weapons is controlled especially for young children.
On the third question about what MHA and SPF are doing in support of MOE and the schools, we have been working with the schools and MOE to implement, for example, the SGSecure movement; there is a form of security protocols. SPF will continue to work with the schools and MOE to strengthen the awareness, the checks on, as well as the response protocol for some of these weapons incidents and checks in the schools.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact on Employees with Change in Employer-provided Insurer","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"The following question stood in the name of Dr Tan Wu Meng –
12 To ask the Minister for Manpower what channels of appeal and support are available to workers with employer-provided healthcare insurance when the employer-provided insurer has changed and the affected workers are no longer covered for conditions which the previous insurer covered.
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Question No 12.
\tThe Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, employers may choose to provide health insurance to their employees as an employee benefit. There is currently no statutory requirement for employers to do so. Where such benefits are contractual, any changes should be agreed to by both parties.
Tripartite partners recommend that for employers who wish to provide medical benefits to their employees, they could adopt the Portable Medical Benefits Scheme (PMBS) and provide additional contributions to their employees’ MediSave accounts instead of insurance. These additional contributions can then be used by employees to purchase their own insurance plans. The PMBS makes healthcare costs more predictable and sustainable for employers. As the scheme's name suggests, employees can also enjoy portability of medical benefits where coverage continues with no risk of exclusions even if their employment situation changes.
Regardless of coverage under employer-provided healthcare insurance, all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are covered under MediShield Life. MediShield Life provides lifetime protection against large hospitalisation bills and selected costly outpatient treatments such as dialysis and chemotherapy, without exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Singaporeans who face difficulties in paying for their remaining medical bills after Government subsidies, insurance and MediSave can approach medical social workers at public healthcare institutions for further assistance.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Dr Tan Yia Swam.
\tDr Tan Yia Swam (Nominated Member): I thank Dr Tan See Leng for the reply. I would like to ask two supplementary questions. One is, there is some confusion on the ground, among friends, lay people and even some doctors, between insurance plans for Shield plan versus employee-benefit types of plans. Is there a way to better educate our people on what exactly these different insurance covers are?
My second question is: as the Multilateral Healthcare Insurance Committee (MHIC) is reviewing problems with the Shield plan providers and doctors, will there also be a way to relook how third-party administrators of employee-benefit plans could be better regulated?
\tDr Tan See Leng: I thank Dr Tan Yia Swam for her questions. Indeed, education is going to be key in terms of how we advise our employees to navigate between the insurance plans as well as the Shield plans. And I believe that is something that we can look into under the auspices of Ministry of Manpower (MOM). However, we should be working with the tripartite partners, namely, the Labour Movement, together with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), ourselves, and, perhaps, even bringing in the Ministry of Health (MOH) to work together to collectively come up with very clear communication and educational principles and discussion groups, so that we can communicate some of these policies fairly, clearly and effectively.
On plans to look at third-party administrators, again, this cannot just be isolated to one or two Ministries. The third-party administrators have been in existence for quite a number of decades now. To work collectively to make sure that we find a more nuanced approach involves even the trade associations. In this particular setting, we need to involve professional associations, for instance, like the Singapore Medical Association, and if you want, to even extend it to the Primary Care Network, probably the College of Family Physicians and, perhaps, the Academy as well, to get them involved in coming up with a more nuanced and middle-of-the-path kind of approach involving the providers, third-party administrators, payers and also the patients who are, ultimately, the end-user of the entire system.
So, it is not something that we can decide in one Sitting. Perhaps, it is something that the industry should come together and work towards.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
\tMr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister for the answers. There are workers whose employer medical benefits come from an insurer. In some instances, the employer's insurer changed and the new insurer no longer covered what the old insurer would cover. For employees who are so affected, how can they get help? Often, they do not know until they submit a claim and they find that the terms and conditions have changed.
Beyond PMBS, which the Minister has cited, are there other best practice recommendations which TAFEP, MOH and the Monetary Authority of Singapore can work on, so that the insurance industry can have a more consistent practice including providing avenues for workers to get help? The NTUC would be happy to work with MOM and SNEF to promulgate these best practices.
\t
\tDr Tan See Leng: I thank Mr Yong for his very pertinent question. It is important to note that, today, as I have shared in my earlier reply to the Parliamentary Question, there is no requirement for employers to-date to do so. However, Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management can step in to offer advice through, for instance, if the Labour Movement has collective agreements signed between the employees whom they represent and the employer. We certainly can step in to see how we can bring the parties together. But, today, there is no legal requirement for them to do so.
We obviously aspire that employers continue to take a very enlightened, engaging approach in terms of dealing with the medical benefits and the coverage for all of their employees, particularly when it comes to collective agreements. And we hope that all parties would come together. But we understand the challenges because we are also in the situation whereby the cost of healthcare continues to increase. And, hence, the Government, on our part, has a slew of different initiatives to help our local Singapore Citizens and the Permanent Residents. But we are happy to work with the union looking at some of these collective agreements, to see how we can step in to advise and bring both parties to a middle ground. I hope that answers the question.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Chua, next question, please.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Nursing Homes, Available Beds and Average Occupancy Rates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"13 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Health in each of the last five years including year-to-date, what is the number of (i) nursing homes (ii) nursing home beds and (iii) available beds and average occupancy rate, broken down by the public, not-for-profit and private sectors respectively.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Health): Annual statistics on nursing homes are published by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on its website.
The number of nursing homes has increased from 69 in 2016 to 77 in 2020, comprising 24 public, 22 not-for-profit and 31 private nursing homes in 2020. The number of licensed nursing home beds has also increased from around 13,000 to 16,300 in the same time period, where there were 6,400 public, 6,000 not-for-profit and 3,900 private nursing home beds in 2020. The number of available beds differs based on operational considerations. Bed occupancy rate has generally remained stable over the past five years at around 90%.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
\tMr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answers in terms of the statistics for the nursing homes situation. The Parliamentary Question really originated based on the concern that one of my residents had already been waiting for about a year for a nursing home bed and was told to be mentally prepared to wait up to three years for a space.
Given that the number of nursing homes has increased by just about one a year since 2006, I was just wondering, firstly, what plans does the Ministry have in terms of accelerating the build-up of nursing home beds? Secondly, what would the projected number of beds be in, say, five years' time or 10 years' time, if this is something that is inside the Ministry's projections, given the ageing population that we are having?
\t
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, the case that the Member has described, I would think it is rather unusual for a wait to extend to so many years. So, perhaps, if there are special circumstances and situations that he might want to highlight, he can actually send the information to us, we can take a look. It would be quite unusual for someone to have to wait years just to get into a nursing home. That is not my experience working in the hospitals as well, so I think that is quite unusual.
While the number of nursing homes may have increased somewhat, the key is not about the number of nursing homes but the number of beds available. Each nursing home can come in different sizes, so just because the increase in the number of homes may not be exponential does not mean that the number of beds available is not increasing significantly.
But what we want to do is to make sure that we do not entrench our elderly in institutions as they age. It is more important to make sure that they age in place and also, have good health to be able to carry on a meaningful life in their golden years. So, it is important to make sure that the intervention is about keeping them healthy, making sure that if they do have care needs, try and localise them within the community, so that they do have a social support network around them to promote emotional, physical well-being as well, such as keeping active and having engagements, rather than think about institutionalising them in nursing homes. That, in my mind, as a doctor, should be the very last resort for our elderly to be in.
\t
If you speak to enough elderly, that is one of the things they fear a lot as well, to be kept in a home, away from their family. So, we should devote a lot more resources in helping them to be able to be cared for close to their families, especially in areas like home nursing and home care.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Update National Survey on Informal Care to Reflect Changing Care Patterns","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"14 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health whether there are plans to conduct an updated national survey on informal care to reflect changing caring patterns given that the last survey was released in 2012.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Health): Following the national Survey on Informal Caregiving in 2012, the Government continues to monitor the evolving trends of caregiving through research studies, such as the Retirement and Health Study by the Central Provident Fund Board and partner agencies, the Quality of Life of Caregivers study by the National Council of Social Service, and findings from social service agencies and other institutions such as Duke-NUS' Centre for Ageing Research and Education.
We also conduct regular engagements with partners and stakeholders. In 2018, the Ministry of Health (MOH) consulted over 200 caregivers, service providers, stakeholders and grassroots leaders on the needs of caregivers. Following this, MOH launched the Caregiver Support Action Plan in 2019 to address caregiving needs in the community.
We will continue to collect insights from studies and engage caregiving platforms to review the senior caregiving support landscape as they evolve.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms He Ting Ru.
\tMs He Ting Ru (Sengkang): I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. I just have a supplementary question. Would the Ministry consider committing to conducting a survey, say, every five years, because, obviously, the survey on caregiving is very structured. Or in the alternative, whether they can actually have a caregiving portion in the census so that we can have a very clear idea of how Singapore is ageing, the trends we are seeing, every time we conduct the census?
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, MOH does have regular touchpoints with partners and stakeholders in the care sector and also within the engagement platforms with many focus groups, residents through our grassroots networks and all.
I am not sure the Member's suggestion of doing a regular survey itself would achieve the intended purpose because caregiving can be quite different, where there are different needs for different segments. I think it is more important to be targeted in terms of reaching out to those who have direct nexus with caregiving and curate some of those insights in a more focused and deep way where it makes it easier for us to implement some of these measures in a more meaningful way, rather than do a broad survey that gathers broad insights, which may not exactly be applied to each different care setting. But we will continue to engage different partners and stakeholders to gain the insights as suggested by the Member.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Number of Single Unwed Mothers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"15 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in the last five years, what has been the annual number of single unwed mothers.
\tThe Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the last five years, the annual number of single unwed citizen mothers, estimated by the annual number of out of wedlock births, has averaged around 830 per year.
The Government has extended to citizen children all benefits that support child growth, development and caregiving, regardless of the marital status of their mothers. These include the Child Development Account (CDA), subsidies for education, healthcare, childcare and infant care, and the foreign domestic worker levy concession.
Single unwed mothers who are in financial difficulty may also approach the Social Service Offices (SSOs) for financial assistance and also, be referred to Family Service Centres (FSCs) or other agencies for further support.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Seah Kian Peng.
\tMr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Sir, I thank the Minister of State Sun Xueling for her answer. I would like to ask a few supplementary questions. The 830 that was mentioned, which is the average number in the last five years, is she able to give the exact numbers in each of the last five years? What I am getting at is, is the number increasing or is the trend a decreasing one?
Second, regardless of the trend, 830 is still not a small number. And as we know, many of us have spoken in this House, myself included, for both mother and children, that given their circumstances, they are disadvantaged in many ways.
I do recognise the many new benefits that we have extended to mother and children. I would like to especially ask, in addition to those benefits, bearing in mind that they are one member short and, therefore, they have to do more as the challenges that they face are not small, are there gaps which the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), perhaps leading on behalf of the whole-of-Government, could look at? Are there gaps which are not currently addressed?
One particular area I know is housing. While it may not be under MSF, it is an area of concern. I do know that yes, we do look at it on a case-by-case basis. But I wonder whether a policy could be made to address the needs of these single unwed mothers.
And beyond it, whether we could look at it from a whole-of-Government approach to deal with all challenges faced by this group of single unwed mothers and their children.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his comprehensive list of supplementary questions. I will start off with the numbers first. Based on the numbers I have, for single unwed mothers, between the years 2006 and 2012, the numbers have been above a thousand a year. The Member has specifically asked for the numbers in the past five years. I mentioned this because, actually, after 2012, starting from 2013, the average number of single unwed mothers per year has been less than a thousand per year. And, specifically, for the last five years that the Member has enquired about, in 2016, the number is 843; in 2017, 805; in 2018, 891; in 2019, 783; and in 2020, 859. So, we can see that from 2006 to 2020, it looks like the numbers on average have come down. But this is a number that we monitor closely because we do agree with the Member that we want to ensure that we give as much support as we can to single unwed mothers.
On his larger question about what we are doing, whole-of-Government, to support single unwed mothers, I would like to say that we hold a couple of principles. One I have mentioned in my main reply, which is that we have equalised the benefits for all citizen children. We have consistently been doing this in 2013, 2016, 2017, a whole range of updated measures to support citizen children. There are some specific Government policies that are specific to the encouragement of parenthood within marriage. So, there are a few that are separate from the equalisation of all child benefits which I mentioned earlier.
Coming back to the main point of the question, which is what is our whole-of-Government approach towards supporting single unwed mothers. I would like to mention a few points. Firstly, we know that we must tackle their basic needs and if there is any need from them for financial assistance, ComCare or Social Service Office; and for longer-term support, the Family Service Centres (FSCs) as well because they build a relationship with the single unweds and know best what they need; this is available to them.
Secondly, when it comes to caregiving, we have subsidies through KiFAS and also Childcare, Infant Care subsidies. We also have Student Care Financial Assistance schemes to help these moms.
We also know that job support is important to them. It is somewhat related to the earlier point I made about caregiving because if you build an ecosystem or support around their children, this frees up time for the mom to be able to look for a job. There are, of course, job training as well as support grants to help these mothers re-enter the workforce.
Next, we also have specific programmes such as KidSTART which targets children in rental housing. Some of them, they come from families where it is a single mom that is taking care of them. We have shared that we are scaling up the KidSTART programme.
Last but not least, sometimes our single unwed mothers also need counselling support and that is where the FSCs can come in.
The Member had mentioned specifically on housing. I cannot answer on the Ministry of National Development's (MND's) behalf. But from my last posting at MND, this was a topic that has been actively raised by Member Louis Ng before. MND has proactively removed impediments to single unweds when they try to apply for housing, for example, through the HDB online portal.
No single unwed mother will be turned away at the onset from applying for housing. HDB will assess whether or not the single unwed mother has family support, and in the instance where she does not have family support and she has a citizen child, then rest assured that HDB will ensure that she has housing options.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
\tMr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for the answer. I think we can all agree: single unwed mothers do face a multitude of challenges, ranging from housing to caring for their children with limited resources.
My question focuses on the children of single unwed mothers. I would like to ask if the Ministry can consider embarking on a comprehensive study to examine whether the children from single unwed families do suffer disadvantages in their education and also, later in life, their job opportunities and their income; and to explore how we can better assist these children upstream to fulfil their best potential.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I do not have the specific details of a research with me right now to address his question. But given the long-standing work we have been doing with single unwed mothers and our understanding of the experience that they and their children have, I am quite sure that MSF has quite ample data to understand the impact that children can undergo or be impacted with when they grow up in such family situations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Prevent Patients on Kidney Dialysis from Being Discriminated against at Workplace","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"The following question stood in the name of Dr Tan Wu Meng –
16 To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the current measures to prevent dialysis patients from being discriminated against at the workplace; and (b) given the prevalence of kidney failure, what is being done to promote flexible working arrangements (FWAs) to accommodate these patients’ attendance at life-supporting dialysis centres.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Question No 16.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower): Sir, the tripartite partners support all employees, including those requiring dialysis treatment, to enter and remain in the workforce while managing their personal responsibilities and circumstances. We do so by promoting the adoption of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) and work-life strategies as well as ensuring that such employees are not discriminated against at the workplace.
\t
In 2020, 93% of firms offered some form of formal or ad hoc FWAs to employees. To further entrench the implementation of such work arrangements, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) actively promotes the Tripartite Standard on FWAs to companies through its publicity campaigns, briefings to members of trade associations and chambers (TACs) and also, conduct workshops. Progressive employers who adopt this Standard are required to inform their employees of the types of FWAs available, such as \"flexi-time\" and \"flexi-load\" which allow employees, including those with medical conditions, to vary their working hours and job functions to manage their work and personal responsibilities.
To ensure greater success in the implementation of FWAs, employees are also encouraged to proactively engage their supervisors on their personal responsibilities and circumstances. This allows employers and employees to discuss and explore varied FWAs that meet employers' business needs while enabling employees to manage their personal responsibilities.
Employees requiring dialysis treatment, or having any other medical conditions, are protected against discrimination through the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) which is based on the principles of fair and merit-based employment practices at the workplace. Employees who feel that they have encountered workplace discrimination should lodge a complaint with TAFEP.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: I am sorry, if Members could stand up when you raise your hand because we cannot see your face from here. Ms Ng Ling Ling.
\t
\t
Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Deputy Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for the comprehensive reply. I would just like to ask a question. With the concern of a rising number of individuals needing dialysis, whether the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Manpower will consider and what kind of measures they might implement for more upstream measures such as workplace education on the risk factors leading to kidney diseases.
A lot of laymen are not very aware that, for example, common chronic diseases like diabetes can lead to chronic kidney diseases, if not well managed, and the chronic kidney diseases, if worsened, will require dialysis. So, I would like to check if there are any upstream measures that are implemented in the workplace.
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I think going upstream to prevent consequences of disease is something that we do in a very broad-based manner at MOH. I think if the Member remembers, we do have a War on Diabetes and the Diabetic Task Force has been formed a couple of years back, at least to really look at comprehensively engaging people through lifestyle changes, through exercise, through stakeholders in the community as well as in the medical fraternity, to make sure we target the management and treatment of diabetes to prevent the downstream consequences of renal impairment and kidney failure.
So, engaging employers and employees at the workplace to continue to adopt healthy lifestyle is part of the work of educating the public and we will continue to do so through many of our partners and stakeholders as well as through the Labour Movement.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Sharael Taha.
Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I thank Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon for his reply. Sir, I would like to ask a question: can the Ministry also consider how it can work together with companies to encourage the employment of our dialysis patients through flexible work arrangements? For example, can the Ministry consider a scheme for call centres to hire dialysis patients as work-from-home call operators?
In Pasir Ris, I have a few residents who are dialysis patients in their late 30s and early 40s. They are still able to work but they struggled to find employment as their dialysis is usually three or four times a week. So, can we encourage more employment for abled, less fortunate residents by leveraging on flexible work arrangements?
\t
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I thank the Member for his question. I think it is quite clear that we all desire to make sure that we help the vulnerable amongst us, whether it is a person on kidney dialysis or a person with physical disability, to continue to remain in the workforce. But I think we do understand that there are very diverse workplace arrangements and different job roles and requirements . Legislating a requirement like this would probably be challenging to implement because different businesses and operating models may have different needs.
What we should do though is to continue to engage with our employers through the Singapore National Employers Federation as well as our Labour Movement, to continue that conversation and helping employers to look at redesigning their jobs, so that more people with disability, or even those who need flexible arrangement for dialysis treatment, can continue to be meaningfully engaged and contribute to the workforce and also to the companies' operations as well. This is an ongoing effort. We will continue to engage our stakeholders.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Next question, Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Special Leave Beyond Usual Childcare Leave for Parents when Schools and Childcare Centres Close for COVID-19-related Reasons","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"17 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Manpower when a childcare centre or a school is officially ordered to be closed because of links to COVID-19 cases (a) whether the Ministry can consider granting the parents special leave that is beyond the normal childcare leave so as to take care of the child under such circumstances; and (b) if so, whether the leave can cover the period that the childcare centre or school is closed.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower): Sir, we recognise that working parents may have additional challenges when childcare centres or schools have to close temporarily due to links to COVID-19 cases.
Today, each working parent of a Singaporean child is eligible for up to six days of paid childcare leave if their child is under the age of seven years, or two days of paid extended childcare leave if their child is between seven and 12 years old. In addition, almost half of all employees in Singapore have more than 14 days of annual leave. Parents may wish to tap on these leave entitlements to cope with closures.
Any enhancements to leave, even if time-limited, will need to take into account the manpower and operational needs of the employers. A more sustainable way to support parents would be through providing more flexible work arrangements. Together with our tripartite partners, we have introduced Tripartite Standards on Flexible Work Arrangements, on Work-Life Harmony and on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs, to encourage and guide employers in creating a work environment that helps parents manage their work and family responsibilities.
In the past year, more employers have also adopted flexible work arrangements such as flexible hours or remote work. These go a long way in helping parents and we encourage more employers to do so.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
\t
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. I have one supplementary question and I think I should give the context about why I am asking the question.
I have a few residents who have asked in relation to some of the childcare centre closures because of COVID-19. They have been affected and the main reasons are varied. First, it affects a large number of parents at one go. Second, if we do face an endemic scenario, going forward, and we do see start-stop scenarios, there will be multiple childcare centre closures, particularly because of the third point I am going to mention, because childcare centres cover a segment of the population which are parents with children below 12 years of age and they are not vaccinated. So, the possibility or probability will be higher that the closures would be there.
Fourthly, some of the parents that came to me highlighted situations where the employers are not enlightened with regard to flexible work arrangements. In those type of scenarios, it does matter. My question to Senior Minister of State in relation to my Parliamentary Question is if we do see starts-stop endemic scenarios for the next one to two years, is it a possibility that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or multi-agencies will look into the fact we could provide special parents' leave or special childcare leave on top of the annual leave or childcare leave that is already in existence, because the centre closure might cover beyond 14 days or maybe up to a month?
\t
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I thank the Member for highlighting some of the practical challenges that working parents face, especially in the situation of the pandemic where some childcare centres may have to be affected and the child may have to be kept at home as a result of some clusters that may have developed in the childcare centres.
I must say that in the international space, at least as of this moment, not many countries that I know of would have introduced any additional leave or parental leave entitlement as a result of the pandemic. More often than not, there is a dependence more on flexible work arrangements because the situation evolves rapidly and also, different work arrangements may already be possible.
We must bear in mind that in the background, as of this point in time, about 93% of employers already have adopted some form of flexible work arrangements as a way to ensure business continuity, as part of the pandemic preparedness response. In the context of many employers already having some form of flexible work arrangements, it really is about having that thinking to work together to get past this particular hurdle. It is also in the employers' interests to make sure that any employee who may have a family member, even if it is a child, who may be at risk of transmitting or be in contact with a COVID-19 case, to also keep the employee away from work to make sure that he or she does not bring any potential infection into the workplace. And that is part of business continuity planning as well.
So, I do urge employers to adopt that flexible attitude to be enlightened, as the Member has said, that this is really a hump that we all got to get through together. If we take a very legalistic approach and only wait to act when there is guidance given, then I think we may be behind the curve in trying to deal with workplace transmission.
This is something that we hope that we will continue to be able to convince employers to do so. And if any employee feels that they are unfairly victimised or unfairly treated or discriminated as a result of their need to care for their child or their family, do highlight to MOM or the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices and we will take a look and engage the employer accordingly.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ex-offenders Hired under Jobs Growth Incentive ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"18 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Manpower (a) to date, how many ex-offenders have been hired under the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI); (b) what sectors have they been employed in, in percentage terms; and (c) what steps will be taken to ensure that the ex-offenders will be fairly treated as employees after the end of the 18-month salary support period under the JGI.
\tThe Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, good afternoon. Based on the latest available data, the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) has supported the hiring of more than 270,000 locals from September 2020 to February 2021 by 42,000 employers. Employers who have hired ex-offenders through the Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG), Industrial and Services Co-operative Society (ISCOS), or halfway houses engaged by the Singapore Prison Service will automatically receive the JGI of up to $54,000 for these hires. The JGI has supported around 780 ex-offender hires between September 2020 and February 2021.
Environmental Services, Food Services, Logistics, Wholesale Trade and Construction were among the top five hiring sectors. They collectively accounted for almost eight in 10 of JGI-supported ex-offenders.
The Member asked how we will ensure that ex-offenders will be fairly treated after the wage support of 18 months ends. The JGI is designed such that employers have to shoulder part of the cost of hiring of the worker. If the worker, whether an ex-offender or not, proves his value to the company, it serves and it is in the best interest of the employer to keep him on its workforce even after the JGI support has ended. Otherwise, the employer would have wasted expense and months of effort in training the new hire and risk losing a skilled worker to competitors.
Programmes are available to support employers to train their new hires. With respect to ex-offenders placed by YRSG, YRSG provides additional support to them and their employers to facilitate their transition from prison to the work environment. A career coach is assigned to the ex-offender for up to 12 months. The career coaches work closely with ex-offenders and their employers to provide work-related support and resolve issues together.
However, employers’ business circumstances and manpower needs are constantly changing. Not all employers will be able to retain every single worker. Workers who need assistance can approach Workforce Singapore for career matching services. Ex-offenders can also reach out to YRSG, regardless of whether they are currently receiving YRSG’s assistance.
I would like to give all workers the assurance that unfair treatment will be taken seriously. Any employee that experiences unfair treatment can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), which will investigate into such complaints.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Murali Pillai.
\tMr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Sir, a quick supplementary question, please. May I ask the hon Minister how the JGI has enhanced the employability of ex-offenders in this pandemic, as compared to the situation before the JGI was announced?
\tDr Tan See Leng: I would like to thank Mr Murali Pillai for his supplementary question. Some additional statistics would demonstrate that. From the period from September 2020 to February 2021, the YRSG has assisted more than a third of the ex-offenders who have been released from Prison, out of which 96% of those assisted by YRSG have been placed in a job. Out of this number, 56% were eligible for JGI.
The balance of about 40% of these ex-offenders who were placed in jobs but were not eligible for JGI was because the employers themselves did not meet the requirement of having increased their local headcount compared to the August 2020 baseline.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Order of the Day and Notice of Motions.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos 19, 21-25 and 29 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix. Question Nos \t20, 26-28 and 30 have been postponed to the next available sitting of Parliament.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Police Force (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [2 August 2021], (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That the Bill be now read a second time.\" – [Minister for Home Affairs]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question again proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, this afternoon, Mr Murali Pillai, Mr Patrick Tay and yourself will be delivering a Motion to commemorate 200 years of the Singapore Police Force (SPF). They will honour the contributions of SPF and its officers for keeping Singapore one of the safest countries in the world.
I echo your sentiment. In addition, I wish to commend SPF for not only keeping our country safe but also for taking steps to make their investigations a fairer process.
I previously spoke up to support the video-recording of Police interviews. It makes Police interviews more transparent. I am glad SPF is making efforts to ensure its investigations provide due process to those interviewed by the Police.
Sir, I have three points to make on this Bill.
My first point is about equipping Police with life-saving skills. The new section 26E will allow a Police officer to force entry into a place on reasonable suspicion that assistance may be required for injury or poor health to protect the life, health or safety of the person. This is similar to the powers the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers currently have under the Civil Defence Act to break into any place to protect the life, health or safety of individuals.
Providing the powers of forced entry gives the officers access to the individual in need of assistance. However, just as important is equipping the officer with the skills to provide the assistance required. SCDF has a clear mandate to protect life, health and safety and its officers are appropriately trained. Can the Minister of State share if Police officers are already receiving training or will receive training to equip them with the skills needed to protect life, health or safety, once they have gained entry?
My second point is about preparing Police officers to appropriately use their new powers. The amendments in this Bill expand the Police powers of the Special Police Officers and Commercial Affairs Officers. In particular, it gives Special Police Officers the same powers as regular Police officers. It gives Commercial Affairs Officers who currently only have investigation powers more powers, such as the power to arrest persons who possess stolen items.
However, a Police officer's powers also come with specific safeguards, including requirements and restrictions under the Criminal Procedure Code and Police General Orders. Can the Minister of State confirm that the new powers given to Special Police Officers and Commercial Affairs Officers also mean that all the accompanying safeguards apply to them? Can the Minister of State also share what plans there are to provide training for Special Police Officers and Commercial Affairs Officers on their new powers and their accompanying safeguards?
My third point is about maintaining proper staffing during a crisis period. The new section 13A provides that a notice to resign from SPF given by a Police officer may be refused by the Commissioner of Police during a crisis period.
I understand that in times of crisis, it may be important to retain the services of Police officers. But does it make sense to have Police officers stay in the force when they have clearly indicated their unwillingness to do so? Is there a risk that uncommitted Police officers hinder rather than help their comrades during times of crisis?
Can the Minister of State share in what extreme circumstances do we envision the Police Commissioner refusing such notices to resign? In addition, can the Minister of State share what plans he has to ensure that the SPF will be adequately staffed to withstand times of crisis, apart from forcing uncommitted Police officers to stay?
Sir, notwithstanding my clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill and I again thank our Police officers for keeping all of us safe.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Mr Deputy Speaker, as a Police officer for 20 years, I have seen first-hand how the risks and threats to our domestic safety and security have evolved over the years and how our Singapore Police Force has strived to constantly keep themselves a step ahead of the criminals and those who wish to cause harm to us. The proposed amendments to enhance SPF's operational capabilities and readiness are, therefore, timely as they will enable the Force to better keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe and secure.
My speech today seeks to gain clarity on why we are increasing the penalties for evading roadblocks and to better understand the rationale for increasing the Police powers for some of our civilian officers, and whether we can better deploy our Police National Service personnel.
[Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
The Bill proposes to increase the penalties for evading roadblocks from the current maximum jail term of 12 months and/or fine of S$5,000 to a maximum jail term of seven years and/or fine of S$10,000.
While I understand that the new penalties take reference from the offence of voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duties, this is a seven-times increase in maximum jail term. I would like to raise several questions to better understand the need for such a steep increase.
How many cases of drivers evading a police roadblock have been recorded in the past five years? Are we seeing a significant upward trend, which has necessitated this sharp increase in penalties to send a deterrent message? How many incidents of roadblock evasion have left our Police officers seriously injured?
A scan through our mainstream media articles found that the last publicised case of Police officers injured by a person evading a roadblock was in June 2017 when Lianhe Wanbao reported that a driver had dashed through a roadblock and injured two Police officers in a violent struggle when being arrested. This could be the same case cited by the Minister of State yesterday in his opening speech.
In the event where the actions of the driver result in injury, the Police could consider and would probably have done so in the past to serve a charge of voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty or voluntarily causing grievous hurt if the injuries are serious. Is it, therefore, necessary to raise the penalties for evading a roadblock by seven times?
Next, I would like to better understand the need to confer more Police powers to civilian Commercial Affairs Officers (CAOs).
I was the primary staff officer who coordinated the reconstitution of the Commercial Affairs Department to become a part of the Singapore Police Force back in 2000. In the process, I helped to put up the paper to establish the CAO scheme of service.
CAOs are meant to be specialists who perform an important role in combating white collar crime and their good work is vital in helping to maintain Singapore's status as the region's premier financial and commercial hub. When establishing the CAO scheme, we knew that we had to look beyond the profile of typical Police officers and attract local talents in law, finance and economics to fight the ever-evolving complex financial crimes ranging from investment and securities fraud to transnational scams.
The Bill proposes to provide CAOs with more Police powers, such as the power to arrest, to enter a place to investigate an arrestable offence and requiring suspects to attend Court, among others. This is a significant extension of Police powers to civilian officers and possibly unprecedented.
CAOs are civilian officers, not Police officers, and there were reasons why they were given only certain Police powers restricted to investigating offences under the Criminal Procedure Code when the CAO scheme was first established. These were deemed then to be sufficient for the CAOs to carry out their investigation duties effectively, supported by trained and armed Police colleagues. With this amendment, will CAOs be deemed as Police officers henceforth?
The additional powers also come with increased risks. Would CAOs need to be armed to protect themselves? To exercise the power of arrest, should we require CAOs to learn defence tactics and pass a yearly Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), much like what regular Police officers are required to do today? Would a CAO candidate's Physical Employment Standards (PES) status be now factored into the hiring process?
We established the CAO scheme in 2000 to attract a special group of individuals to join the Police to fight complex white-collar crime. I recall we started with around 30 CAOs back in 2000. I believe the number would have grown over the past 20 years. But is that number sufficient to sustain the scheme of service? What is the attrition rate of CAOs, especially in their first three years of service?
Rather than mould civilian CAOs into pseudo-Police officers, why not consider posting trained, experienced Police officers with the requisite law, finance and economics backgrounds to the Commercial Affairs Department to supplement its current investigative resources? I strongly believe the Force has today many qualified uniformed men and women capable of handling white-collar crime investigations.
The Bill also proposes to expand the powers of our Police full-time National Servicemen (PNSFs) and Police reservists (PNSmen). I support this and I have a few suggestions on how we could better empower them so that they have a fulfilling time serving their National Service obligation.
During my time in the Force, I observed that PNSFs and PNSmen were more motivated when deployed to perform tasks that were relevant and related to either their area of study or their work experience. Beyond expanding their powers as proposed in the Bill, can we create a more structured deployment scheme to better leverage the talents of both our PNSFs and PNSmen?
One good example is the MINDEF's Cyber NSF Scheme, which I believe the Minister of State would be familiar with. It allows those with cybersecurity and computer science backgrounds to apply for a vocation as a Cyber Operator during their National Service.
Perhaps those with law or finance backgrounds can be deployed to the Commercial Affairs Department while those with computer science training can be deployed to help strengthen the SPF's cybersecurity teams.
We should strive to leverage the strengths and talents of our PNSFs and PNSmen to augment the good work of our regular Police officers.
In conclusion, the proposed amendments to the Police Force Act are timely as they would allow the SPF to keep up with new threats and continue keeping Singapore safe and secure. But as we expand the powers of various categories of officers, we must ensure that we are able to continue to attract the best candidates to perform the specialist roles in SPF.
We can and should also better deploy our PNSFs and PNSmen to maximise their fullest potential because every Police officer matters. Notwithstanding the above, I support the Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Minister of State Desmond Tan.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Members for their views and for their support for the Bill. Please allow me to address their questions in turn.
First, on roadblock evasion. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked if the enhanced regime against roadblock evasion will apply to motorcyclists. The short answer is yes. The enhanced regime applies to all modalities of roadblock evasion and will cover all types of vehicles.
Mr Gan also asked how many roadblocks were conducted in the past five years. Mr Gan and Mr Melvin Yong also asked how many cases of roadblock evasion were detected, resulted in serious injuries for Police officers, and whether it is necessary to raise the penalties for roadblock evasion when the offender can be charged for other offences like voluntarily causing hurt when their actions result in injury.
From 2016 to 2020, SPF conducted about 8,000 roadblocks per year. There were 33 cases of roadblock evasion where the offender was convicted or issued with a stern warning. Of these, there were two cases where the roadblock evasion directly resulted in injury for Police officers. Motorists who deliberately evade roadblocks seriously endanger the lives of the Police officers as well as other road users in the vicinity of the roadblock.
In instances where hurt is caused to Police officers, it is true that we can take action using general application provisions like voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty, or voluntarily causing grievous hurt. However, the action of roadblock evasion, by itself, is a serious and risky behaviour. We should not rely on the offender also committing other offences to be able to take the person to task. Given the high risks, the Bill increases the penalties significantly to strengthen the deterrence against roadblock evasion.
Mr Desmond Choo suggested to introduce a mandatory minimum jail sentence for the offence of roadblock evasion. We agree with Mr Choo that motorists who evade roadblocks not only obstruct the course of justice, but also show disregard for the safety of other road users. That said, we reserve mandatory minimum jail sentences for the most egregious offences. For driving-related offences, those that attract mandatory minimum jail sentences are dangerous driving causing death or grievous hurt. Those offences involve death or serious injuries.
While we agree with Mr Choo that evasion of roadblock can result in dire consequences, we do not think it warrants mandatory minimum jail sentences, at least for now. We will monitor the situation after the increase in penalties takes effect.
Mr Gan shared his concerns about the safety of Police officers deployed at roadblocks and asked how many motorists at these roadblocks were detected for driving under the influence or having illegally modified vehicles.
On driving under the influence, SPF detected an average of 700 cases per year from 2018 to 2020. On illegally modified vehicles, LTA does not have a breakdown of the number of cases detected at roadblocks, as they do not conduct roadblocks per se.
Mr Gan also asked if SPF would look into introducing barriers made of hardier material to minimise the risk to Police officers. The safety of our Police officers is of paramount importance. For this reason, Police officers deployed to roadblock operations are equipped with reflective vests and traffic wands. Emergency light beacons are also set up in the area to ensure they are highly visible.
We also train our Police officers to react to situations where errant motorists might endanger the officers' safety. Our officers will take into consideration factors such as prevailing traffic conditions and perform risk assessments when conducting roadblock operations.
On Mr Gan's suggestion to use hardier barriers, SPF will continue to review its procedures and processes to carry out roadblock operations in a safe and effective manner.
Mr Gan also suggested that Auxiliary Police Officers, or APOs, can help to support SPF's roadblock operations, to better detect motorists who speed or drive in illegally modified vehicles.
Currently, the SPF only deploys Police officers to roadblock operations. Roadblock operations are inherently riskier, as officers may come across crimes such as possession of weapons or drugs. Hence, it requires Police officers who have undergone the appropriate training to handle such serious cases.
Next, Ms Sylvia Lim asked about the new offence which targets pedestrians near barriers in section 26 of the PFA. We would like to clarify that this provision is not meant to target pedestrians in relation to a roadblock. Rather, section 26(7) targets members of the public who fail to proceed and stop before reaching barriers or cordons meant to control human traffic and remain there until permitted to continue. This refers to cordons that are used to ensure the safety of bystanders or control human traffic near crime scenes or high security areas, rather than roadblocks for motorists.
Next, on providing Police officers with the power to make forced entry in medical emergencies – a number of Members brought this up.
Mr Sharael Taha raised questions regarding what constitutes a medical emergency and how Police officers assess a medical emergency behind locked doors. Dr Shahira Abdullah also suggested having clear guidelines on when Police officers should reasonably suspect that a medical emergency has taken place, before making forced entry.
Clause 7 of the Bill makes clear that a Police officer can make forced entry when he reasonably suspects that a person requires assistance because of any injury or poor state of health; that he is unable to enter the place; and is of the view that entry is necessary to protect the person's life, health or safety. This allows Police officers to make forced entry for a variety of medical emergencies, ranging from a stroke to a serious fall.
Given that each case of medical emergency is unique and time-sensitive, instead of having prescriptive conditions, Police officers will take into consideration a variety of factors before making forced entry. For example, they look out for signs of distress such as audible shouts for help and seek more information from next-of-kin and neighbours to get a clearer picture of the situation.
Mr Louis Ng and Dr Shahira asked if Police officers already receive training to equip them with the skills needed to attend to medical emergencies. The answer is yes. All frontline Police officers are equipped with basic first aid and CPR skills and are required to undergo regular recertification to ensure their skills remain up-to-date and relevant. Police officers are also instructed to immediately activate SCDF's emergency medical services where necessary.
In cases where Police officers make forced entry and it turns out to be unwarranted, Dr Shahira asked if there would be proper recourse for the owner. There may, indeed, be instances when SPF will provide compensation for damage to property. However, such situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case.
Dr Shahira also spoke on whether Police officers should make forced entry in cases of attempted suicide and asked if these officers are given protection.
We would like to clarify that Police officers already have the power to make forced entry for attempted suicide under sections 26A and 26B of the PFA. We share Dr Shahira's concern that such cases are highly complex. For this reason, SPF has officers who are specially trained to intervene in attempted suicide cases, to prevent harm and prevent the loss of life. Where necessary, the Crisis Negotiation Unit will be activated to render assistance.
Police officers who make forced entry in cases of attempted suicide are already protected from liability under the common law defence of necessity and will continue to be protected in future for acts done in good faith and with reasonable care, when the new section 114A of the PFA comes into effect.
Moving on, I will address Members' questions on according SPOs and CAOs with more necessary powers.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked why we are providing CAOs with full policing powers. Mr Melvin Yong asked if CAOs will be deemed as Police officers and be armed, given that the Bill accords CAOs with more policing powers which come with additional risks. Mr Yong also asked about the number of CAOs in SPF and the attrition rate for new CAOs and suggested deploying Police officers in the Commercial Affairs Department to supplement CAOs.
Before I answer Ms Lim's and Mr Yong's questions, I would like to clarify that we are not providing CAOs with full policing powers. While CAOs will be given more powers of arrest, search and other administrative powers, they will not be given powers not relevant to their work, such as the power to seize offensive weapons.
To elaborate on why we are according CAOs with more powers, I would like to provide a backdrop of our crime trend. In recent years, commercial and financial crimes have increasingly become an area of concern. Not only has there been an uptick in such crimes, they have also become more complex in nature. Therefore, it is necessary to equip our CAOs with more powers that are required to perform their duties, to enhance their operational efficiency.
On Mr Yong's suggestion to deploy regular Police officers, CAD already comprises a mix of CAOs and regular Police officers, as Ms Lim has also pointed out.
There are currently about 130 CAOs and 90 regular Police officers in CAD. These figures have remained stable in the last five years and the attrition rate for new CAOs has generally been low.
Having both CAOs and regular Police officers in CAD better allows us to bring perpetrators of white-collar crime to justice, as SPF can leverage on CAOs' specialised knowledge in the areas of accounting and finance while tapping on the broader investigation skills that regular Police officers have acquired from investigating into a wide range of crimes.
Given that CAOs have the mandate to deal with white-collar crimes that are typically not violent or confrontational in nature, we assess that there is currently no operational need to deem them as full-fledged Police officers. Hence, we will not be providing them with arms or with the full suite of policing powers, as I earlier mentioned. Furthermore, should the Commercial Affairs Department encounter the need to use a higher level of force, they can leverage on regular Police officers in the Commercial Affairs Department who work alongside CAOs, as Mr Melvin Yong has suggested.
Mr Yong also asked if CAOs will be required to undergo physical tests such as the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) and be of a minimum Physical Employment Standard (PES), to exercise their new powers of arrest.
The answer is no. We would like to clarify that the power of arrest is not new to CAOs. For example, they already have the power to arrest suspects of an arrestable offence under the Criminal Procedure Code. This Bill provides them with more powers of arrest which are relevant in their work, such as to arrest a person reasonably suspected to possess something which is fraudulently obtained.
In any case, I would like to assure Mr Yong that CAOs are required to undergo rigorous training and tests on safely conducting arrests and self-defence before they are allowed to exercise this power on the frontline. For now, we assess that the training is adequate to meet our operational needs and it is not necessary to set an IPPT or PES requirement for CAOs.
We would also like to share that this approach is consistent with other non-uniformed officers who already have similar powers to investigate white-collar crimes. For example, authorised IRAS officers, whose core duty is to investigate tax crimes, are empowered to arrest suspects of serious tax crimes.
Mr Louis Ng asked if there will be safeguards and training for SPOs and CAOs. The SPF has multiple safeguards in place to ensure SPOs and CAOs exercise their new powers safely and in accordance with the law.
First, SPOs and CAOs will be required to undergo rigorous training and tests before they can exercise policing powers. For example, SPOs and CAOs will have to undergo modules on legal knowledge, self-defence and scenario-based training before they are deployed to the frontline.
Second, SPOs and CAOs will be subject to similar safeguards which Police officers are already subject to, such as those under the Criminal Procedure Code. For example, when SPOs and CAOs arrest a suspect, the suspect must not be restrained more than is necessary to prevent his escape, in accordance with section 76 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Third, SPF has zero tolerance for persons who misuse or abuse their policing powers. SPOs and CAOs who were found to have done so will be subject to strict disciplinary action. For serious cases, they may be subject to criminal proceedings.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked if SPF will equip all officers with body-worn cameras to mitigate the risk of wrongful accusations and misuse of powers and if such video footage will be kept safely to prevent cyber attacks and misuse. Currently, our frontline Police officers, including SPOs, are equipped with body-worn cameras to facilitate investigations and the gathering of evidence. Video footages from these cameras are also useful to address allegations of wrongdoing, such as the recent case where our Police officers were falsely accused of abusing their authority to confront an elderly lady in May 2021, when they actually were telling her domestic helper to remind her to wear a mask and even bought her a packet of food. For CAOs, we are reviewing the need to equip them with body-worn cameras, similarly, to aid investigations and prevent allegations.
I would like to assure Mr Gan Thiam Poh that we take the safeguarding of video footages seriously. SPF has in place strict protocols governing the use and access to such data. Typically, SPF only shares data with other Government agencies if provided for under the law. These security measures help to guard against data breaches and the misuse of data.
We note Mr Melvin Yong’s suggestion for SPF to have a more structured deployment scheme to better leverage the talents of our full-time and operationally-ready NSmen. When deploying officers to NS vocations, SPF already takes into consideration factors such as the officer’s skills and aptitude. To better leverage the talents of our NSmen, these officers are provided with multiple pathways within SPF. For example, officers with background in nautical studies may be deployed to the Police Coast Guard, while officers with expertise in photography may be deployed to the Public Affairs Department to create media content. When officers transit to become operationally-ready NSmen, they may be provided with the option to change their vocation based on their skill sets. For example, officers with a background in psychology may serve as counsellors in the Police Psychological Services Department. We will continuously review the deployment process to further improve the NS experience and to optimise our manpower.
On empowering the Commissioner to delegate powers to civilian officers in leadership positions, Mr Sharael Taha, Ms Sylvia Lim and Dr Shahira Abdullah asked what type of powers the Commissioner will and will not be able to delegate to civilian officers. Mr Sharael Taha also asked about the circumstances under which the Commissioner will delegate such powers.
The current intent behind clause 5 of the Bill is to allow the Commissioner to delegate more administrative powers, such as that to issue internal orders to civilian officers in leadership positions. To illustrate, the Director of the Commercial Affairs Department, who is a civilian officer, will be able to directly issue SOPs on managing suspects of commercial and financial crimes. Currently, he will need to ask a Police officer to do so on his behalf. Once this provision comes into force, he will no longer need to do so, thus improving operational efficiency. We want to assure the House that the delegation of powers will be carefully considered in the best way possible to achieve our desired outcomes.
It is provided in law that highly sensitive powers which should only be exercised by the Commissioner himself will be non-delegable to either Police officers or even civilian officers. Clause 5 makes explicit that the list of non-delegable powers are those in section 18 and 110A of the PFA, as well as under the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Act (POSSPA). For example, this includes the power to give special authorisations to Police officers to impose curfew under POSSPA.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked if SPF intends to allow civilian officers to take over command duties and if civilian officers will have the relevant expertise and credibility to do so. We would like to clarify that SPF already has civilian officers in leadership positions who assume command duties. For example, the current Director of the Commercial Affairs Department is a non-Police officer.
The benefit of civilianising more leadership posts is that SPF can draw from a wider range of experiences, competencies and perspectives, beyond the pool of uniformed officers. This enables SPF to be more diverse, agile and open to transformation and to better achieve its mission of ensuring the safety and security of Singapore.
That said, I would like to assure Ms Sylvia Lim that the intent of clause 5 of the Bill is not to allow civilian officers to exercise the Commissioner's powers of command at the frontline. We recognise that there are powers which require the specialised knowledge of a Police officer who has had years of experience with policing, such as the power to disperse an unlawful assembly by military force. These powers are best exercised by the Commissioner or the Police officers in leadership positions and will remain that way.
Mr Sharael Taha also asked if the Commissioner will delegate the power to investigate commercial, financial and cybercrimes to civilian officers, given the recent uptick in such crimes. I want to clarify that SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department already has civilian officers who have the powers to investigate such commercial and financial crimes. This allows the SPF to draw from a wider pool of skillsets, in order to bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice.
Many Members raised questions about retaining the employment of regular officers during major crises. Mr Louis Ng asked under what circumstances the Commissioner may refuse notices of resignation. To recap, as set out in the Bill, notices of resignation can be refused only under two situations.
First, when the President has issued a Proclamation of Emergency under the Constitution, when she is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security or economic life of Singapore is threatened.
Second, when the Minister for Home Affairs has given an activation order under the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Act. Activation orders are only given when a serious incident has occurred, such as a terrorist attack.
Police officers may decide to resign during a crisis for a variety of reasons. In assessing whether to accept or reject a notice of resignation, the Commissioner may take into consideration the reason behind the resignation. For example, if it is due to the Police officer having a medical condition that does not allow him to serve in SPF, the Commissioner will likely accept this resignation.
Mr Louis Ng also asked if Police officers who have indicated their unwillingness to stay in SPF should be retained.
First, I would like to assure the House that our Police officers are extremely dedicated to their duties and I have no doubt that they will rise to the challenge, especially during a crisis. While we do not wish to retain anybody who does not want to serve, we also have to balance against the needs of the society during times of emergency. This is especially important to prevent a scenario where there could be mass resignations that would compromise SPF's operational efficiency in responding to the crisis.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh suggested creating an appeal board to preside over appeals against rejections of notices of resignation and to be redeployed to perform other duties. Given the fast-paced, uncertain and dynamic nature of a crisis, it may not be prudent or even feasible for appeal boards to convene in the thick of the crisis. But that said, we recognise that there may be Police officers who desire to serve the nation and support the efforts to overcome a crisis in other ways, such as in the healthcare sector instead. The Commissioner may take this into consideration when assessing the notice of resignation, along with other factors, such as SPF’s manpower situation and needs.
Should a Police officer’s notice of resignation be rejected, SPF will internally assess his ability to serve in the roles assigned to him. If need be, he may be redeployed in other roles within SPF to more effectively carry out duties.
Mr Louis Ng also asked about SPF’s plans to ensure that SPF will be adequately staffed to withstand crises. During major crises which require more frontline officers, SPF may redeploy more regular Police officers and full-time NSmen from back-end roles to serve at the frontline. SPF may also recall and mobilise operationally-ready NSmen, Volunteer Ex-NSmen and Volunteer Special Constabulary Officers. The wealth of experience these officers have acquired over years of NS and volunteering will help SPF in its efforts to effectively overcome the crisis.
Moving on, I will touch on protecting officers from liability for acts done in good faith and with reasonable care. Mr Desmond Choo asked about the regulations that the Minister for Home Affairs may prescribe in determining what constitutes \"good faith and reasonable care\". Such matters and circumstances may include the operating environment in which the officer is acting, the standards and practices the officer has to follow and the resources to which the officer has access to.
MHA will be prescribing these in subsidiary legislation to allow for greater flexibility to make refinements over time, given our officers’ constantly changing operating environment and standards in response to the ever-evolving security landscape and threats. More details will be ready in due course, when the subsidiary legislation is formulated.
Mr Desmond Choo also asked for examples where officers did not act in good faith and with reasonable care. In general, such cases are few and far between. But that said, I can give two hypothetical examples. First, if Police officers receive a tip-off that a suspect of a crime is in a building and immediately effect forced entry to arrest him without even first attempting to verify if he was actually inside, the Police officers would not have acted in good faith and with reasonable care. Another example is if a Police officer fails to respond to and investigate a 999 distress call by an individual known to SPF as being the target of repeated physical domestic violence and the individual dies from injuries from the abuser.
I want to emphasise that the protection that we will be according to officers is not unconditional and is subject to them acting in good faith and with reasonable care. Making explicit this protection in law will allow our officers to more effectively carry out their duties, such as preventing crime or saving lives, without the distractions and the constant concerns about getting sued or being held liable for injuries or damage to property.
To address Mr Desmond Choo’s question on whether superiors will be held liable if their subordinates did not act in good faith and with reasonable care, this will very much depend on the facts and circumstances of the case, such as whether the superior had knowledge or control over his subordinate’s actions at that point in time or could reasonably be expected to be able to stop or influence his actions.
Mr Sharael Taha asked if this protection will be extended to Prison officers and other Home Team officers. To clarify, many of our Home Team officers already have protections from liability under other legislation. For example, SCDF officers are protected from liability for acts done in good faith and with reasonable care in the execution of the Civil Defence Act and the Fire Safety Act.
For Prison officers, they are currently not explicitly protected in legislation although they are already covered under the common law defence of necessity. MHA will likewise consider making explicit this protection for Prison officers and other Home Team officers in their relevant legislation where opportune, just as we have done so in the PFA for Police officers and the Civil Defence Act for SCDF officers in 2018.
Next, Dr Shahira Abdullah had suggested that persons who manufacture Police uniforms or insignia should seek the Commissioner’s written permission. To clarify, SPF already has in place a transparent framework to regulate the market for Police uniforms or insignia. None of these permissions are given verbally and all are written in black and white. For example, persons who wish to manufacture Police uniforms are required to bid for an open tender. Those who are successful are subject to conditions in the contract, which include the specifications of the uniforms they are allowed to manufacture. Should a person manufacture Police uniforms without the Commissioner’s permission, he will be liable for a fine not exceeding $10,000 or jailed for up to three years, or both.
Next, Mr Desmond Choo asked about legal liabilities for Auxiliary Police Force (APF) employers that infringe sections 87(5), (7) and (8) in clause 21 of the Bill. The existing section 90 already allows the Commissioner to take certain actions if an APF employer infringes any provision in Part IX of the Police Force Act (PFA), which includes clause 21 of the Bill. These actions include suspending or revoking the authorisation for the creation of an APF as well as the imposition of financial penalties on the APF employer.
Mr Desmond Choo also asked if section 88 in clause 22 of the Bill applies to entities and persons with indirect control over the board of the APF employer. I stated earlier that clause 22 will require a person to seek the Minister's approval before becoming an indirect controller as defined in clause 17 of the Bill.
As Mr Raj Joshua Thomas has also commented on the controller requirements, I would like to reiterate that the requirements are for a person to notify the Commissioner after becoming a 5% controller of an APF employer and to seek the Minister's approval before becoming a 25%, 50% or indirect controller or ceasing to be a 50% or 75% controller.
Mr Desmond Choo cited the example of a company with a controlling stake in the parent company owning the APF employer. If such control involves the holding of equity interest or control of voting power in the APF employer, then, depending on the facts, this may fall under the definition of a 5%, 25%, 50% or 75% controller in clause 17.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas commented on clause 20 of the Bill, which makes it an offence for a person, who is not an employer of an authorised APF, to carry out any security activity in the course of any business. I would like to clarify that this is not new. Such a provision is currently covered under the existing section 86(9), but we have updated the penalties. I would also like to assure Mr Raj Joshua Thomas that SPF will continue to work closely with the APFs to prevent any infringement of the PFA and Private Security Industry Act (PSIA) in advertising their armed and unarmed services.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Bill is an important piece of legislation which allows the SPF to continue to keep Singapore safe and secure. That the vast majority of residents in Singapore feel assured that they can walk home safe at night is not a matter of chance or coincidence. It is a result of decades of effective policing, supported by robust laws.
I thank Members for their strong support for the Bill. Let us continue to keep Singapore safe and secure. Madam, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Desmond Tan]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Commemorating 200 Years of the Singapore Police Force","subTitle":"Motion","sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Madam, I beg to move*, \"That this House commemorates and honours the important contributions of the Singapore Police Force and its officers to nation building and to keeping Singapore as one of the safest countries in the world\".
[(proc text) *The Motion also stood in the names of Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Patrick Tay. (proc text)]
I would like to express my thanks to Mr Murali Pillai for his partnership in putting up this Motion and to Mr Patrick Tay for so willingly supporting it.
I also thank all Members who have expressed their desire to voice supporting speeches. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to the Minister for Home Affairs who was very supportive of the idea of this Motion when Mr Murali Pillai and I broached the idea of it and also for agreeing to speak on it.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has come a long way since its beginnings in 1820. Mr Francis James Bernard led Singapore's first Police force with just 12 officers. Just 12 officers. SPF has grown to a force of 45,000 regular officers, full-time National Servicemen, civilian officers, volunteers and operationally-ready National Servicemen.
SPF has done a lot for Singapore over the last 200 years. In the early colonial times, Singapore faced many challenges in law and order, such as gambling, prostitution, opium abuse and secret society activities.
There were conflicts and unrest between the different communities. Faction fighting, robberies, murders and the use of firearms were so rampant in the 1920s that some nicknamed Singapore the \"Chicago of the East\".
After World War Two, there was social disorder and conflict between people of different backgrounds and ideologies. Unions and schools were infiltrated by communists and their supporters who instigated riots and public unrest in the Chinese middle schools. Discontent and distrust brewed between different races, resulting in racially-charged riots.
The capabilities of the Police grew to meet these new challenges. For example, in 1952, after the Maria Hertogh riots, the Riot Squad in SPF – now known as the Special Operations Command – was formed so that it can respond more effectively to public order incidents.
Post-Independence, SPF achieved a few major milestones. Part-time National Service was operationalised in SPF in 1967 to augment manpower resources. Two years later, the Government expanded the recruitment of Police officers and reorganised the Police Academy in 1969 to equip recruits with the skills for effective policing.
In the 1980s, SPF explored new ways to directly engage residents in fighting crime. Besides the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, we also formed the National Crime Prevention Council. Neighbourhood Police Posts and Neighbourhood Police Centres were set up to bring policing to the heartlands. This transformed the image of the Police officer, not just as a person enforcing the law, but to also being a trusted member of the community.
Over the last two decades, SPF has enhanced its capabilities to meet new and complex challenges beyond neighbourhood crime, such as terrorism, cybercrime, commercial crime and scams.
For example, SPF established the Anti-Scam Centre in 2019 to work with stakeholders, such as banks, telephone companies and online marketplaces to disrupt scammers' operations and mitigate victims' monetary losses.
All these efforts brought about the low crime rates that we enjoy today. This safety and security underpinned Singapore's remarkable growth and progress.
Over the years, SPF has successfully upheld safety and security at several major events hosted by Singapore. These are complex security operations that require close coordination across different SPF teams covering various aspects of security, including patrols, monitoring the ground and being prepared to stop any threats that may arise. At the same time, SPF has to ensure that daily operational needs were not compromised even as it dedicated resources to the smooth running of these events.
For example, the security operations for our National Day Parades require extensive planning and seamless execution by many SPF ground units.
Members would also recall the Trump-Kim Summit which Singapore hosted in June 2018. The short lead time and volatility of plans made planning for the security operations extremely challenging. SPF made meticulous and detailed plans for the security operations in coordination with Home Team agencies and other public agencies, with many – I should emphasise \"many\" – different security contingency plans worked out. More than 6,900 SPF officers were deployed over a span of three days to ensure that the historic Summit proceeded smoothly without incident.
SPF has also effectively managed complex security operations at many other events that bring together international guests to Singapore, such as the Shangri-La Dialogues, Formula One races and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC meetings. For each of these events, SPF assesses the security risks, crafts detailed security plans and executes these plans effectively in close coordination with other agencies, if required.
SPF's tireless efforts have contributed to the successful hosting of these events, boosting the Republic of Singapore's reputation globally.
SPF has also contributed significantly to combatting transnational crime through international policing work in cooperation with its foreign counterparts. SPF has mounted many successful operations in collaboration with its foreign counterparts over the years.
For example, in 2020, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department collaborated with the Hong Kong Police Force to arrest five core members of a transnational online credit card fraud syndicate operating in Hong Kong. In 2020, the Commercial Affairs Department also worked with the Royal Malaysia Police to conduct a joint police operation against a transnational Internet scam syndicated in Kuala Lumpur. I am also told that our SPF has strong ties with Indonesia and its police force.
Internationally, SPF has earned respect for Singapore. It is a key member of INTERPOL. In 2008, then-Commissioner of Police Khoo Boon Hui was elected as President of INTERPOL by an overwhelming majority vote. In 2015, Singapore earned the honour of hosting the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation, through which SPF collaborates with foreign law enforcement counterparts on cross-border crimes and the sharing of knowledge, intelligence and best practices.
In SPF's early history, it would have been unthinkable for Singapore's Police force to be able to contribute anything substantial to international policing. Two centuries on, SPF is one of the leading police forces in the world, playing a significant role in international crime-fighting efforts.
We are proud of SPF and its many achievements over the last 200 years. Thanks to SPF, our people are able to live, work and play in, arguably, the safest city in the world.
I would like to thank all SPF officers – SPF regular officers, civilian staff, National Servicemen and Volunteer Special Constabulary officers, past and present – for their contributions to and sacrifices in safeguarding Singapore.
Today, we are privileged to have in the House, 69 visitors representing the SPF family. They include Singapore's Commissioner of Police, in-service officers, full-time National Servicemen, Operationally Ready National Servicemen, Volunteer Special Constabulary officers, civilian officers, retired Police officers and two family members of a Police officer who was killed in the line of duty.
Your presence here today, allows us to honour, in a special way, the whole of the Singapore Police Force and the families of our officers, past and present.
To commemorate SPF's 200th anniversary and to accord recognition to SPF officers, I would like to suggest that MHA and SPF consider introducing a commemorative award for Police officers.
On a more personal note, I would like to share that I have seen the dedication and courage of our Police officers at close range. In the course of my membership in the Government Parliamentary Committee or GPC for Home Affairs and Law, I have visited the Police on the ground, spoken with many officers and witnessed operational exercises, including anti-terror exercises. What always strikes me are the officers' commitment to their mission and their unwavering loyalty to Singapore. Their loyalty is truly commendable.
Therefore, in conclusion, Madam, may I invite this House to show our sincere appreciation to and strong support for our men and women in the Singapore Police Force. I beg to move. [Applause.]
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mdm Deputy Speaker, it is my honour and privilege to support this Motion filed by hon Member Mr Christopher de Souza.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has, over two centuries since the founding of modern Singapore, made Singapore one of the safest countries in the world. This security which allows us all to walk safe at night, to work without fear in the day, this peace of mind, is a public good without price.
We honour SPF officers, past and present, for their courage and unwavering sense of duty; we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the past and those who walk the streets each day, know that this sacrifice may be demanded of them in the future.
In my speech, I would like to focus on the contributions of our retired SPF officers as well as the sacrifice of officers who gave up their lives in the course of their duties.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, today in this House we have 30 retired officers. Between them, they served, and I calculated this, 1,040 years cumulatively. That is almost 35 years per person. A good number of them joined service in the 1960s and the 1970s. In those days, we had serious issues in enforcing law and order. In particular, we had to contend with the menace of secret societies, a point that hon Member Mr Christopher de Souza made. SPF needed stout-hearted people to deal with these problems. Thankfully, it had a good number of such officers.
Let me tell you the stories of these brave SPF retirees who are present here.
Detective Station Inspector Anthony Low joined SPF in 1962. He is now 78 years young. In 1974, Mr Low, then a detective sergeant, was called to attend to a case of an armed robbery in progress at a finance company. The robber had a revolver. He forced the manager of the company to draw money from a bank and bring it back to her office. The manager tipped off her colleague before leaving for the bank. That was how the Police were alerted. Mr Low laid an ambush in the office. The robber entered the office, but somehow sensed danger and rushed out. Mr Low gave chase.
It is useful for me to pause here and explain the significance of this to hon Members. What I am relating is not a movie scene. This is a case of an officer chasing a robber known to be armed with a gun. Need to have guts to do this! Whilst climbing up the staircase of a building looking for the robber, the robber in turn ambushed Mr Low. He struck Mr Low on his head with the butt of his revolver repeatedly. The robber then relieved Mr Low of his service gun and tucked it into his waist. He then said the chilling words, \"Why do you want to risk your life looking for me? Today is my day or yours.\"
He then asked Mr Low to walk down the stairs. Mr Low seized an opportunity to grab his service gun from the robber's waist. The robber then took a step backward to fire at him. Mr Low thankfully fired first. He survived. The robber died. For his bravery, President Sheares conferred on Mr Low the Police Gallantry Medal. DSI Low went on to have an illustrious career in SPF and retired after 40 years of service.
Mr Lim Siong, who is also in this House, served in Security Branch, now known as the Police Security Command, before retiring as a Station Inspector in 1993. For a good number of years, he was one of the Security Officers in the team assigned to protect Mr Lee Kuan Yew, our founding Prime Minister. These security officers, past and present, are a special breed of people. Their training, their muscle memory is to put themselves in harm's way to protect our nation's leaders, if necessary, with their lives.
Mr Lim Siong joined SPF in 1968 when Police officers still wore khaki shorts. Apparently, the idea was to keep them cool in the day. In 1969, when the then Constable Lim Siong was on duty, he received information that there was a suspicious person lurking around the railway tracks beside the old Chartered Bank along Upper Bukit Timah Road. What was happening was that a communist sympathiser was planting a homemade bomb at the railway tracks.
Mr Lim Siong acted quickly. With his baton, he managed to disarm and handcuff the person by himself. He then recovered the bomb, which was in a Milo tin, and the communist flag from the scene. Today, these items can be seen at ISD's Heritage Centre. Mr Lim Siong's quick thinking and fearlessness saved lives. Just two weeks later, however, sadly, a bomb did explode at Upper Changi Road, Seven Mile, killing a lady. Those were dangerous times.
Hon Members would agree that there has been a sea change in the crime and security situation in Singapore since the 1960s and 1970s. It is our good fortune that SPF could count on its brave and dedicated officers who turned the tide against crime and disorder. There is no doubt in my mind that SPF today stands on the shoulders of these giants. To them, I would like, on behalf of a grateful nation, to express a debt of enduring thanks. [Applause.]
I now wish to pay tribute to our Police officers killed in the line of duty and their families.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, SPF kept records of fallen officers only from 1901. Based on these records, 125 officers have been killed in the line of duty to date. But I would imagine more officers would have perished in SPF's 200-year history. I am indebted to the Commissioner of Police for providing me with a list of the officers who have been killed in the line of duty and I seek your permission to annex this list to my speech, please.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Yes, please. [Please refer to Annex 1.]
Mr Murali Pillai: Obliged, Madam. One of the officers in the list was the late Inspector Allan Lim Kim Sai. He was a second generation Police officer, following the footsteps of his father who joined the Police force when we were still part of the Straits Settlement.
On 5 August 1965, Inspector Lim co-led a pre-dawn operation to capture a notorious gangster and his men who were responsible for several kidnappings in Siang Lim Park at Geylang. A fierce gun battle ensued. The gangster even lobbed hand grenades which exploded, causing injuries. Inspector Lim perished from the wounds he suffered in the gun fight at the age of only 28.
At the time when Inspector Lim died, his only son, David Lim, was just nine months old. The responsibility to take care of David fell fully on his mother. Raised by his mother, he too, like his grandfather and his father before him, joined the Singapore Police Force in 1992. When he reported for duty, after nine months of Police training, in 1993 at Tanglin Police Division, he asked Mr Peter Lim, his head of department who was a colleague of the late Inspector Allan Lim and present in this House today, \"Tell me, how did my father die?\"
Mdm Deputy Speaker, Mr David Lim is in this House today. He retired as a Superintendent of Police two years ago. I extended an invitation to his mother, who is now 84, to attend Parliament. Unfortunately, she is not fit enough to travel.
One other person's name that appears in the list of 125 officers is the late SI Boo Tiang Huat. In November last year, I spoke in this House about his case. I related how, at the age of 47 in 1994, he was killed in the line of duty by an axe-wielding person at Newton Road. I was his colleague then and I was at the scene several minutes after he perished. I spoke about the anguish his widow and three young children felt when I accompanied them to the location he passed away to pray for his soul later that day.
SI Boo Tiang Huat's widow, Mdm Chew Tuan Jong, is present in this House. So is her son, Mr Boo Jia Liang. I remembered Jia Liang as a seven-year-old boy with spiky hair. He is now 34 years old. Mdm Chew, a clerk, single-handedly raised her three children – Jia Liang and his two elder sisters. All three graduated from University; two of them, including Jia Liang, became teachers. The other is an engineer. Jia Liang shared with me that, knowing how hard his mother worked to raise him and his siblings, all three siblings decided that she should retire 10 years ago and just enjoy life whilst they take full care of her.
For the officers who died in the line of duty, their spouses, parents, children and siblings bore the brunt of the loss. Widows of fallen officers like Mrs Lim and Mdm Chew would have to dig deep to raise their children. Children of the fallen officers like David and Jia Liang would forever wonder how life would have been for them if only their fathers had come home.
As a nation, we should never forget the ultimate sacrifices made by our fallen SPF officers in the line of duty. The Commemorative Gallery at the Police Heritage Centre was created as a permanent tribute to them. But we should also not forget the extraordinary courage of the families of the these fallen officers too. The sacrifice is theirs too.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, on the occasion of SPF 200, I would like to urge the hon Minister for Home Affairs to consider honouring both our retired officers as well as the families of our fallen officers by providing them each with a meaningful token of some form that will forever symbolise our nation's indebtedness to them. They deserve not just our appreciation, but to be remembered and honoured too. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Patrick Tay.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion. In the past five decades, since as a little boy, I have had the honour of seeing, witnessing, working in, serving in and partnering many in the Singapore Police Force.
During the first 10 years of my life, my late cousin, who lived with me, served in SPF in Team Policing and in Criminal Investigations. I saw for myself, as a young boy, the dedication and service to the nation of our Police officers. Oftentimes, the work involves long shifts, sudden recalls and chasing criminals until they are apprehended. He rose through the ranks as a Constable to a senior Police officer before he retired from SPF. Through him, I saw how every Police officer, regardless of rank, unit or type of work, plays an important role in ensuring the safety and security of our country.
During the second 10 years of my life, my encounter with SPF came in the form of my extra-curricular activity in school in the National Police Cadet Corp (NPCC) for four years from Secondary 1 to Secondary 4. Little known, the NPCC under the auspices of SPF, commemorating their 62nd anniversary this year, has impacted many youths and young people like me. Besides having the opportunity to fire a 0.22 Smith & Wesson Revolver, the NPCC imparted many useful experiences, knowledge and life skills to many young people and youths. I was at their 62nd virtual anniversary celebrations on 7 May this year and want to congratulate the NPCC movement and everyone who has been and is part of this movement for leaving an indelible mark on many who have been through the NPCC journey in Singapore.
During the third 10 years of my life, in my 20s, I spent six years of it with the SPF as a full-time Police officer. As someone fresh from school, these six years have left a lasting impression on my life, my values and impacted me in more ways than one. I spent four of these six years with the Special Tactics and Rescue or STAR unit, a little known and highly secretive and clandestine unit within the SPF's Special Operations Command. During my service with the STAR unit, I had the honour to work and train with officers in the STAR unit, and almost all the specialist units within SPF. I cannot divulge more of the highly secretive, dangerous and risky training and operations which these units have been involved in, but you can watch subtle snippets of it in archived episodes of Crimewatch.
I know many of my fellow officers put our lives at risk undergoing very intense, gruelling training in the operations. In fact, not just putting their lives at risk but also affecting lots of family life and time with family. Two very impressionable ones were when I had to stand my wife up in the midst of a midnight movie, because I had a pager call for an activation. Another time, over a dinner date, I had to walk out in the middle of the dinner; both for important criminal operations.
I think the efforts and contributions of our SPF cannot be understated. In fact, in the course of my career in SPF, there were a few officers who left a very lasting impression on me; both whom I reported to and worked with: Mr Lim Soo Gee, then Commander, Special Operations Command, and Director Operations SPF then, Mr Leo Yip, as well as current Commissioner of Police, Hoong Wee Teck, whom we used to, in colloquial terms, \"chiong sua\" together, when he was then AD Major Crime of the Criminal Investigation Department. I recall those memorable days when he hunted down the criminals, and my team and I had to storm and arrest the criminals. Those were really memorable days.
This draws me to then appreciate and thank all the past and present officers who have served in our specialist units within SPF, from officers of the Special Operations Command, such as those in the well-known red-coloured vehicles colloquially known as the \"ang chia\", including the STAR unit which handles high-risk and highly armed criminals and criminal hostage situations, and the little known but important SPF K-9 unit to provide specialised capabilities for a whole host of tracking, detection and support to prevent and detect crime. Other specialist units to make special mention are the Police Security Command, Police Coast Guard, Protective Security Command, Operations Command Centre, Public Transport Security Command, Airport Police, Traffic Police, Training Command, School of Criminal Investigation and the Gurkha contingent.
Oftentimes, their work may go unnoticed but I can assure you these units are highly trained and provide SPF with specialised tactical support and the highest armed response, a plethora of operational capabilities, and operational readiness to stand ready for the unexpected and overcome any unplanned contingencies.
During my 30s, after leaving SPF, I was in active service as a NSman in the Police Training Command. I met and interacted with many SPF NSmen during my annual recall for about a decade. I want to, therefore, use this opportunity to thank and appreciate them and their families and employers, as they complement and support SPF especially during major national events, critical operations and deployments.
An often-forgotten group will be the VSC officers who are civilian volunteers, who also dedicate their personal time to serve and patrol alongside our SPF officers on the ground.
In the last 10 years as a Member of Parliament, I have had the chance to also partner and work with the SPF line units to see to the safety and security of the constituency and our residents. With strong community engagement and partnership, the Police has responded to various incidents from crime cases to handling major accidents and incidents to keep the peace in our towns and estates. They also partner with the grassroots and community to effectively prevent and detect crime.
These days, with a more digitalised and virtual operating environment, SPF has also reinvented and innovated to keep pace with new forms of online crimes and scams.
To conclude, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks, appreciation, respect and honour to the many members of SPF, past and present, young and not so young, enlisting, entering or have retired or left us, NS or regular or VSC, Uniformed or Non-Uniformed, including the many families, wives, children, parents and loved ones of each of them for their dedicated service, working tirelessly, upholding the law, often putting their lives at risk and at stake to nation building and to keeping Singapore one of the safest countries in the world.
The work of SPF will continue, and if I may use my favourite quotation from George Orwell: \"People sleep peaceably at night because rough men\" – well, and women – \"stand ready to do battle on their behalf.\" Happy SPF 200. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Motion today calls for Parliament to commend the Singapore Police Force on its 200th anniversary for keeping Singapore safe. The three Members of the House who have filed the Motion and supported it, understand what Police work entails; being a former prosecutor and two former Police officers respectively.
Madam, there is no doubt that crime and security threats have become more complex and unconventional. The Force and its officers have had to continually adapt and raise their game to be equal to these challenges. It is also not easy to manage the ever-increasing expectations of the public who, in this digital age, expect quick turnaround times and instant answers from investigators through WhatsApp.
My Party colleague, Mr Dennis Tan, will speak more about the work of SPF in the community. That said, we should also be mindful that there are other police forces working in, arguably, even tougher conditions, perhaps, because the police are unarmed as in the UK or because the public has the right to carry firearms, as in the US.
In my speech today, I shall resist the temptation to reminisce about my late father's involvement in the Operation in 1965, just described by Member of Parliament, Mr Murali, where Inspector Allan Lim was fatally shot, nor shall I dwell on my experiences as a law enforcement officer in the 1990s. Indeed, several Members of this House are former officers with longer and deeper insights.
Instead, I will make two points. First, that we should not forget the co-equal contributions made by other agencies and, second, that effective policing is not just about safety and security alone.
First, the co-equal contributions of other agencies. At the outset, I acknowledge that it is quite natural to focus on the Police as the pre-eminent law enforcement agency. However, keeping Singapore safe is also done every day by many other agencies as well as private sector organisations, whom I feel are often not acknowledged enough.
Take, for instance, the Central Narcotics Bureau. CNB is often engaged in very high stakes and dangerous operations, where the offences involve the death penalty and having to battle crime syndicates with significant resources. Another example is the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, whose officers are tasked with preventing the entry of undesirable foreigners.
Yet another is the Prison Service, which is charged with the safe custody of offenders, their rehabilitation and their re-integration into society. These agencies should also occupy the public mind share as co-equal contributors to the state of Singapore security.
Madam, Singapore's relatively safe living environment is an asset. It gives comfort to citizens and makes it attractive to foreigners to come here to live and work. Despite this strength, I wish to emphasise that effective policing should not be measured only by this metric of law and order. I now turn to the second point of my speech.
Imagine, hypothetically, if one were to be confronted with the statistic, that every arrest by law enforcement officers resulted in a conviction in Court. On the one hand, a 100% success rate may seem truly impressive, but on further reflection, a reasonable person would want to drill further down into the reasons for this. Questions such as the following would be asked: how did the law enforcement officers get it right every single time? Were they so careful to only arrest suspects when the evidence was overwhelming? Did every suspect plead guilty? Did nobody claim trial? And if trials were conducted, how did the judges assess the evidence? And so on.
Madam, I use this hypothetical example to illustrate that safety is not the only metric that counts. If a society were to be absolutely safe, one could go overboard and lock up as many people as possible. This is not as ridiculous as it sounds, as it is an accepted dilemma faced by governments and law enforcement all over the world.
Students of Criminal Justice learn very early about Herbert Packer's two models of criminal justice developed in the 1960s: the crime control model and the due process model.
A crime control model focuses on efficiency and crime suppression, seeing crime control as more important than individual freedom. On the other hand, a due process model focuses on having a just and fair criminal justice system for all and upholding constitutional rights. Every criminal justice system worth its salt will have to find its balance between the two models.
While it seems to me that many Singaporeans would prioritise crime control, fair-minded Singaporeans would also want a system where law enforcement agencies must produce evidence of a high standard before anyone is convicted and punished.
To that end, I would urge the Government to look into finding the resources to enable law enforcement to perform their roles more effectively. For today, I will take just two aspects: recording of statements and supporting crime victims.
During the debate on the Justice Motion last November, my party colleagues and I pointed to certain aspects of the justice system where more could be done to ensure its fairness, accessibility and independence. In the main, the Government did not disagree with us, stating that we were \"pushing an open door.\"
To that end, it seems to me that some review of priorities should be considered. For instance, on the way statements are recorded from suspects, we know that video-recording is a good safeguard to ensure that statements are not coerced. It also protects officers from false accusations.
We heard from the Minister then that video-recording was the gold standard but resources were a constraint. When I suggested recording statements in other languages for suspects not fluent in English, I was told that it was not possible. But these are being done in other countries. So, is it a case of priorities?
As for our response towards crime victims, my assessment is that we lag behind other countries in our measures. To be fair, there have been some steps in this direction to recognise crime victims as stakeholders. For instance, the Police Service Pledge requires officers to give victims an interim update within seven days of reporting a case.
Where offenders are charged in Court, victims may be heard in certain cases through the use of Victim Impact Statements, and there are higher chances of them receiving compensation from offenders at the time of sentencing. However, I believe these measures are not used in the vast majority of Court cases.
Madam, we can do a thorough review of how to involve the victim at critical stages of the case such as during pre-trial hearings on bail and explaining to them the reasons for prosecutorial decisions, such as what charges are being preferred or when there is a decision not to prosecute. I had spoken about this last November and will not repeat further here.
More recently, the murder that took place at River Valley High School makes me wonder if every frontline officer has been adequately trained in the people-to-people skills necessary to handle traumatised victims and, in particular, minors.
Suffice to say, victims are stakeholders and their cooperation can make or break a case. To this end, we must not neglect the training of law enforcement officers in critical soft skills that will make them more effective.
Madam, let me summarise. I have highlighted today that even as the Police has indeed been at the forefront of keeping Singapore safe, other agencies have as well. In addition and, more importantly, we must never think that safety is the only metric by which to judge the quality of law enforcement agencies. The need to do justice and to act fairly is equally critical. Having more inclusive case processes would also be in order.
Madam, I wish SPF and all law enforcement agencies success. While I support the Motion, we should not think that we have arrived but strive for even higher standards. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, it is often easy to overlook the fact that SPF and its officers are responsible for an incredibly wide range of responsibilities beyond its most stereotyped role of solving crime cases and bringing offenders to justice.
In recent years, much efforts have also been expanded in the area of public security and anti-terrorism. Cyber crimes and online scamming have also taken up much attention of our SPF officers.
We are also living at a time when the public's expectation of Police standard is increasing. For example, the video-recorded interview of suspects has been introduced a few years ago and many hope that it will be extensively used.
Today, I wish to spend a little time on the Police work in our neighbourhoods and community. Since I became the Member of Parliament for Hougang, I have had many opportunities to see our SPF officers doing their work in my constituency. I also heard much from my residents of their own experience with our Police officers when they have had the need to contact them.
Recently, one of my elderly residents passed away suddenly. Officers from the Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) and Ang Mo Kio Police Division had to attend onsite to do the necessary investigation before helping staff of a casket company to remove the body.
I had a great view of their professional efforts on display that evening as I witnessed the Police officers going about the grim but necessary work competently, meticulously and coolly even as it was not the most pleasant vocation. The officers, including a young NSF officer, handled the grieving relatives onsite professionally and calmly and yet, empathetically, patiently making sure that the next-of-kin knew what was going on and what the relatives had to do next.
Police officers in our NPC attend to many calls every day. I am sure they deal with all types of crime reporting. But they also deal with noisy or unruly behaviour at void decks, fights, families' or neighbours' disputes, suicides or unnatural deaths, fires in HDB flats or common spaces and many others. In recent times, they also had to handle many scamming cases.
I am often amazed by the range of cases for which people make Police reports. Many reports probably involve issues which do not come under Police jurisdiction. But one can just imagine the amount of time taken by our Police officers in NPCs, Police stations and Police posts, helping members of the public to patiently record their Police reports.
During the COVID-19 period, with circuit breaker and work-from-home, Police officers probably have to contend with more cases of neighbours' disputes and complaints on the breach of safe distancing or other prevailing restrictions by groups of people hanging out in our common spaces such as void decks, ball courts, sitting areas or neighbourhood parks.
A lot of such work can be mundane, dreary and thankless. It may not be as exciting or headline grabbing as cyber crimes, fraud or other white-collar crimes, drugs and vice-related offences or even checking on KTVs or gambling dens but a large number of our Police officers have to do such unglamorous but necessary bread and butter community policing work.
The work they do in a community is necessary and help to keep things in the right equilibrium and will help to make our homes, neighbourhoods and towns feel safer, more secure and peaceful.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, SPF and its officers have over the years helped to keep our homes and neighbourhoods safer and more secure but I would also agree with the point made by the hon Member for Aljunied, Ms Sylvia Lim, that effective policing is not just about safety alone but justice too.
Save for a few isolated incidents, by and large, we do not usually feel unsafe when we walk around any part of Singapore at any time of the day. Many people, both locally and abroad, have pointed to Singapore having fewer violent crimes on our streets. This is, of course, not something which we can ever take for granted and SPF must continue to work on this.
We are also one of the few countries where many of our Police officers are NSF officers freshly enlisted from school at the cusp of adulthood. The different challenges that our young NSF Police officers may have to face every day cannot be underestimated and can be daunting. I hope that our young NSF Police officers are given sufficient psychological support as they go about their work.
In Committee of Supply debates for MHA in recent years, Members of Parliament have brought up the issue of manpower constraints in SPF. The use of different technologies is one way of making up for such constraints in an era of declining birth rates and population.
More use of technology, while necessary, can never make up for the human touch, the need for a good relationship with the community as well as for more empathy when handling members of the public. Good relationships between Police officers and residents in the community will promote mutual trust, which is essential for effective policing.
We should also be mindful that – and I quote from an article from a US Department of Justice community relations services toolkit for policing entitled \"The Importance of Police-Community Relationships and Resources for Further Reading\" – \"the community members' willingness to trust the police depends on whether they believe that police actions reflect community values and incorporate the principles of procedural justice and legitimacy\".
Good relationships and trust will enhance officers' efforts on the ground when they engage residents and will also encourage provision of information important for solving of crimes or non-crime matters handled by the Police.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, in closing, I wish to thank our SPF officers for their service and contributions. In particular, I commend SPF for the good work which its officers do in its community policing efforts on an everyday basis. I support the Motion. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Mdm Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on this Motion to honour the important contributions of the Singapore Police Force and its many officers.
Madam, I first joined SPF in 1995 and served 20 wonderful years before retiring in 2015. Police work is challenging, not simply because the job of keeping Singapore safe and secure never ends, but also because most of the work that our Police officers do daily goes unseen, often unknown and, hence, unrecognised.
Today, I would like to join my Parliamentary colleagues in honouring the tireless efforts made by our Police officers, particularly, the invisible work that is done to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe every day and every night.
Let me start by thanking our Police intelligence officers, a role which is never meant to be thrust into the spotlight.
As the name suggests, the primary role of an intelligence officer is to provide intelligence: critical information that can help solve a case or prevent a harm from happening. But this is not as simple as it sounds. Intelligence work can mean poring through large amounts of data, analysing heaps of spreadsheets and documents, and reviewing long hours of CCTV footages or it could mean going undercover for weeks or laying in ambush for days, sometimes to no avail.
As a former Police commander, I valued very much the hard work and contributions of our Police intelligence officers. For obvious reasons, I cannot say more on what they do but their efforts are tremendous and often unknown to the public. So, today, in this House, I would like to extend my appreciation to all the dedicated men and women in our Police intelligence service who work quietly behind the scenes all these years.
Next, I would like to highlight another vital but often unseen policing unit, the Police Coast Guard (PCG). They patrol and protect Singapore's territorial waters, a job that is often confused with our more famous Navy counterparts.
As an island state, threats from our territorial waters are plentiful and our PCG officers deal with a variety of challenges every day, and especially so in the darkness of night, ranging from piracy attacks to detecting and deterring illegal persons from swimming across the sea to enter or leave Singapore. No matter how choppy the waters are, we can always count on the Singapore Police Coast Guard to keep our waters safe.
Moving inland, I would like to commend the work of another important Police unit which has kept a low-profile presence since it was established in 1949, the Gurkha Contingent.
The first batch of Gurkha officers arrived in Singapore in March 1949. Known for their courage, loyalty and paramilitary prowess, they guard our vital installations and provide security coverage for major events held in Singapore.
The Gurkhas were first called to the frontlines in the 1950s to deal with several major civil unrest such as the Maria Hertogh riots and the Hock Lee Bus riots. They were also deployed during Konfrontasi in the 1960s. More recently, the Gurkhas were featured widely for helping to secure the historic meeting in Singapore between US President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim in 2018.
Our Gurkha officers continue to be an important part of the SPF family and I would like to pay a special tribute here for their contributions in keeping Singapore safe for more than 70 years.
Madam, that same year in 1949, then-Commissioner of Police RE Foulger recruited the first batch of women Police officers. Before this, it was recorded in books that the untrained wives of Police constables were employed to help check women accused and were paid a dollar for conducting each search. It was a dollar per search.
In the initial years, the women officers were trained to handle female offenders, record statements from victims of sexual offences and help counsel female juvenile delinquents. Since their entry into the Force, our women Police officers have constantly pushed against boundaries to reach greater heights in what used to be a male-dominated profession.
Today, we have close to 2,000 women officers in SPF, with many serving in leadership positions, taking command of specialist units and leading crucial staff and operational departments.
Madam, our policewomen hold multifaceted roles at home too. They are mothers, wives and daughters. In addition to coping with the heavy workload that comes as a Police officer, many of our policewomen must cope with a second shift when they go home. Despite these challenges, they continue to serve and lead with distinction, and keep Singapore safe and secure.
Incidentally, there is a Motion after this on Empowering Women. Our women Police officers have been excellent role model of breaking barriers and I ask the House to join me in thanking and honouring all our passionate women Police officers, both past and present. [Applause.]
Madam, the contributions of our volunteer Police officers cannot be neglected too. The Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) scheme was formed in 1946 to augment the ranks of regular Police officers after the end of World War II. It started with only 150 volunteers and the VSC has since grown to over 1,000 volunteer Police officers, supporting SPF in various operational roles.
It is virtually impossible today to tell a VSC officer apart from a regular Police officer from the uniform he wears or the equipment he carries because they are dressed and equipped the same as their regular counterparts.
Unknown to many, most of our VSC officers have regular day jobs and volunteer for Police duties at night and during the weekends. They juggle their full-time job and family commitments, on top of patrolling our streets and our territorial waters. The sacrifices of our volunteer Police officers have helped to keep Singapore’s crime rate low over the decades.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, I have spoken at length about the various roles within the Police Force that might be invisible to members of the public. Let me now highlight the need to safeguard the invisible trust that Singaporeans have in SPF.
According to the Gallup 2020 Global Law and Order Report, Singapore has topped an index of public perceptions of law and order for the sixth year in a row. An extraordinary 97% of us feel safe walking alone at night, an activity that cannot be taken for granted in many countries.
Minister Shanmugam once noted in 2017 that many law enforcement agencies around the world envy the level of faith and trust that Singaporeans have in our Police Force. I agree fully.
And the high levels of trust have stood the test of time. A 2020 survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies also found that 87% of respondents were confident or very confident with SPF, the highest level of confidence in police globally.
But we must not take this for granted. Malicious actors have and will continue to engage in efforts to damage the image and credibility of SPF. Policing work is no longer just about fighting crimes. The Police must do all it can to always safeguard the trust that Singaporeans have placed on our men and women in blue.
Madam, I have spent more than half my working life serving as a Police officer. I know how tough, difficult and exhausting the work can be. But I have also benefited immensely from the training, the experiences and the many great friendships that I have made throughout my time in the Force, and I can see so many of them here with us today in the Gallery.
The values that SPF has ingrained in me – Courage, Loyalty, Integrity and Fairness – continue to guide me as I serve the community in a different role today. As the saying goes, once a Police officer, always a Police officer. It has truly been an honour to have worked alongside so many dedicated Policemen and Policewomen.
Madam, the Singapore Police Force has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a 12-man team more than 200 years ago. As one of Singapore’s oldest institutions, it has met and overcome many great difficulties throughout its long history. No matter what challenges the future may bring, I know that SPF will continue to keep Singapore and all of us safe and secure for many more years to come. To SPF, thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Heng Swee Keat): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank Member Mr Christopher de Souza for tabling this Motion to commemorate and honour the important contributions of the Singapore Police Force and its officers.
Mr Christopher de Souza has given an excellent overview of how policing has evolved in Singapore since 1820. It is a story of growth and transformation that has enabled the Police to contribute to nation building and keep Singapore one of the safest cities in the world.
Mr Murali recounted acts of bravery of our officers – DSI Low, DSI Lim Siong – and paid tribute to the 125 officers who were killed in the line of duty as well as their families, and Mr Melvin Yong just highlighted the important role that many different officers played.
I rise to speak in support of this Motion and to add a personal perspective as someone who has served in the Singapore Police Force for 17 years, including five when I was on course or seconded to MOE.
Listening to Mr Patrick Tay recount how his pager sounded when he was in the cinema with his then-girlfriend reminded me of how my own dates with my girlfriend were also interrupted very often that way. [Laughter.]
But I am sure that many of our officers today will be interrupted by more than just a pager. I was telling my children about this pager story and they said, \"Dad, what is a pager?\"
I joined SPF 15 years after our Independence. The old problems of street crimes, rioting and secret society activities had been brought under control, thanks to the excellent work of many of our veteran officers, including many of them with us here today. They were really in the rough and tumble in those early years when things were very difficult.
But back in 1980, the problem of street crimes and secret society activities were still there. But new problems like commercial crimes were on the rise as our economy took off. Our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew had tasked Dr Goh Keng Swee to review our policing approach to keep up with the times.
The result was one of the most significant changes in policing strategy, where we adopted the Neighbourhood Police Post system, modelled after the Japanese Koban system. I was very excited to be part of this effort to implement this new way in my second year of service. I will share why.
As a fresh officer, our first assignment was to do investigation and I was posted to the Central Police Division at that time. On duty one day, I was deeply disturbed to attend to a case of a badly decomposing body. The old lady had been dead for several days in a rental cubicle in Chinatown, but no one knew until the stench was unbearable, as she was living all alone.
As part of investigations, I uncovered a sum of cash and gold jewellery that she had saved up. I tried to trace her next-of-kin to return these valuables. What was very sad was that several \"relatives\" turned up to make the claim but in order to verify this, I had to take statements from them. None could say what they had done with her or for her.
It taught me that when members of the society are isolated and relationships were not built over time, we will run into long-term problems, and when people do not care for the people around them, the Police would have a hard time trying to maintain law and order.
And just the year before this, I spent some time in Tokyo with Mr Heng Chee How, a fellow Police officer, to study the Koban system as Dr Goh Keng Swee had decided to adopt this community policing system. When we were in our second year of service, after we finished our investigation stint, we are part of this effort to set up Neighbourhood Police Posts or NPPs all over the island, one in each constituency. NPP officers conducted house visits, checked on the well-being of citizens, gave crime prevention advice and encouraged neighbours to form Neighbourhood Watch Group, to look out for strangers and report suspicious activities.
Special efforts were made to nurture the community spirit. In the kampungs, people knew each other well. But when relocated to HDB flats, they needed time to get to know one another and to adjust to a new way of life. It was critical to build that community spirit among neighbours, to look out for one another, to look out for criminals on the prowl. Besides their own efforts, the NPP officers also worked closely with grassroots advisors and volunteers, joining them to give crime prevention advice and helping to build the community spirit.
For many officers, especially detectives, it was a huge cultural change. Police officers were traditionally seen as macho gun-toting officers. The friendly Policeman, out to make friends with the public, was seen as a step backward and, in fact, the NPP system was derided by some as \"No Power Police\". \"NPP\" equals to \"No Power Police\". I see many of the seniors here smiling because that was the term that we used all the time at that time. But the Police Commissioner then, Goh Yong Hong, persisted.
At the same time, the Government was also enhancing punishment for some crimes. We had strict minimum sentences and death penalty for offences like trafficking of drugs above a certain quantity, robbery with firearms and kidnapping. The message was simple: in Singapore, crime does not pay.
I was later interviewed by an American professor when applying for my postgraduate studies. His question was simple: you had low crime rates in Singapore because of harsh punishment? I took some time to explain to him that the Singapore Police had a holistic approach in dealing with law and order.
First, everyone is a potential victim of crime, so Police officers spent a great deal of effort encouraging everyone to take prevention seriously. Prevention is better than cure. And the Police worked with agencies to optimise the design of public spaces, especially with the HDB, to provide protection for the most vulnerable.
Second, it is not punishment alone, but the probability of being caught. So, it depends critically on whether you can solve a crime. Again, after several years of the NPP system, the Police have built up enough trust and confidence for the public to come forward to do their part. Each of us is a potential witness.
Third, it is how our criminal justice system is organised to ensure fairness and justice. We have due processes and a public who supports taking action. And later on, as the system evolved, the different agencies, first within MHA, the Home Team, was one that worked closely together, Central Narcotics Bureau, the Prisons and SCDF. In fact, Mr Tee Tua Ba, the Commissioner whom I served under, was the Director of Prisons. He was a Policeman seconded to become Director of Prisons and when he came back, he came back with a new perspective about how we can help to reform those criminals who can be reformed.
So, I was glad that the professor agreed with me and told me years later when we met again that he learnt a lot about our policing approach, and not to take just a broad brush approach and come to conclusions.
In fact, the main insight of our NPP system, which is part of the broader community policing approach is this: 99% or more of the public are law-abiding. In many communities, unfortunately, the Police treated most members of the public or segments of them as potential criminals. This sets up an antagonistic relationship, the very exact opposite of what the Police needs to rally the 99% against the 1% or less.
We made the right choices in adopting the soft policing approach of building the community to partner one another and taking action to protect one another, so as to deal with potential criminals. And this soft approach is complemented by investing in cutting edge capabilities, whether it is in intelligence or in dealing with extreme stresses and hardened criminals.
So, while we can speak of policing approaches, the heart of it is in the trust and confidence of the public in the Police. This trust and confidence rest critically on the values and attributes of our officers.
Over the years, we have selected and developed officers with integrity and to keep out corruption. The Commissioner I first served under, Mr Goh Yong Hong, had stories of him arresting those who tried to bribe him. Implementing community policing was a big change in culture for a policeman who grew up in the 1960s, and he gave full support to this very major change.
When I was serving as Commander of a Police Division, the then Commissioner Tee Tua Ba initiated an empowerment movement. He saw that as the situation that officers had to handle were becoming more complex, and that was over 20 years ago, they could not just rely on PGO, the Police General Order.
The PGO sets out what you could or could not do. But Mr Tee felt that every situation is different and you cannot just rely on instructions. Rather, you have to know the ambit of the law, assess each situation on the ground that you encounter, exercise discretion and take the right course of action. This was another huge cultural change, built on the earlier changes to community policing.
Personally, I have learnt much over the years and particularly enjoyed my final stint in the Police as Commander of the Jurong Police Division. The camaraderie among officers was strong and the level of dedication was outstanding. And the public, and Members of Parliament and grassroots leaders in the Jurong area were most supportive. Every few weeks, I had the pleasure of presenting a pewter plaque to members of the public for their acts of bravery in helping us arrest criminals, including snatch thieves and molesters. In fact, about 30% of our crime then was solved with the help of the public. Today, I am glad that this ratio remains high, between 20% and 30%, even as our policing capabilities have risen.
Mr Christopher de Souza's recount of the journey of the Police over the 200 years has one key element: that we must constantly adapt and innovate. So, I am glad that Minister Shanmugam has set up the HTX – the Home Team Science and Technology Agency – to invest in building new capabilities, especially in the digital area, while Commissioner Hoong Wee Teck is building the frontline capabilities of officers to tackle new and complex crimes, including those in cyberspace.
Above all, it is critical that we continue to invest in our officers the values that underpin their work: integrity, fairness, discipline, dedication. As crimes become more cross-border and sophisticated, our officers would need to become even more skilled.
Let me take this opportunity to thank the officers who have served over the years, including many in this House, officers who were Regulars, men and women, NSmen, volunteers as well as civilians supporting our officers. I especially thank those who served together with me during my years in the Police.
I am confident that the Singapore Police Force will continue to scale new heights and keep Singapore safe and secure.
So, let us, as members of the public, support our frontline officers, and as Members of this House, support legislation to strengthen the capabilities of the Police and our law enforcement agencies. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Leader.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Time Limit for Minister's Speech","subTitle":"Suspension of Standing Orders","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mdm Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of hon Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of the Minister for Home Affair's speech?
Mdm Deputy Speaker: I give my consent. Does the Leader of the House have the general assent of the hon Members present to so move?
[(proc text) Hon Members indicated assent. (proc text)]
[(proc text) With the consent of Mdm Deputy Speaker and the general assent of Members present, question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order 48(8) in respect of the Minister's speech. – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Mdm Deputy Speaker, last year, the SPF marked its 200th anniversary, a significant milestone.
We had Sir Stamford Raffles landing in 1819 and the Police force was set up in 1820; essentially set up from the very first beginnings of modern Singapore.
I thank Mr Christopher de Souza for moving this Motion for this House to recognise the essential contributions of SPF over 200 years and for creating this occasion. Mr de Souza outlined SPF's journey over the years and its contributions to Singapore's development.
SPF started as a 12-men team in 1820. It is today a 45,000-strong force with regular Police officers, full-time National Servicemen (NSmen) and supported by civilian officers who are NSmen and volunteers.
SPF is now a respected force with a high standard of operational excellence. Its success has to be tested by looking at the lived experiences of Singaporeans. And what are the lived experiences? I have, over the years, shared with Members, probably every year, what Singaporeans feel about their surroundings, safety and security.
Mr Melvin Yong referred to the latest Gallup Report 2020 which shows that 97% of residents in Singapore feel safe when they are walking alone in their neighbourhoods at night. The global average is 69%.
I will come back to this point later, but I think on no account will Singaporeans want to give that up.
That is a fundamental human right: to be able to walk where you wish and where you feel, man or woman, at any time of the day or night, without fear, and to allow your child to take public transport without fear.
Singaporeans' confidence in SPF is also extremely high. Mr Yong also made this point. This has been so for many years. The latest 2020 Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) study shows that 87% of respondents were confident or very confident in SPF. It is the highest level of confidence amongst all state institutions surveyed in Singapore and also the highest globally across other police forces in the study.
What we have, this level of safety and security, and confidence in the force, did not just happen as the natural course of events. It is a result of paths taken; and also paths avoided, not taken. I will, in the speech: first, highlight some of the factors that have made SPF successful and have helped it keep law and order in Singapore; second, pay tribute to the contributions of SPF officers; and third, outline some of SPF's plans for the future.
Let me start with some of the factors that have led to SPF's success and its remarkable progress over the years since Independence.
There are many factors which can help or impede the performance of our Police force. For example, the levels of governance in society, the levels of equity and inequity, inequality, many factors like that. For the purposes of this Motion, I will not speak about these larger factors. Instead, I will take a slightly narrower focus and deal with the factors that are more closely connected with Police work and the Police as an institution.
The three factors I will touch on are: first, our criminal justice system; second, the quality of leadership in SPF; and third, maintaining trust with the community. Let me deal with each one.
First, our criminal justice system. No police force operates in a vacuum. Its operations are fundamentally influenced by the criminal justice system within the framework of which the force operates. If the criminal justice system does not work, if there is no proper due process and crimes go unpunished, then it is difficult for a police force to be effective.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, with your permission, may I display some slides on the screen as I make my points?
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Please proceed. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: In this context, I have often referred to a speech by the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew who said this in 1962: \"In a settled and established society, law appears to be a precursor of order. Good laws lead to good order, that is the form that you will learn. But the hard realities of keeping the peace between man and man, and between authority and the individual, can be more accurately described, if the phrase were inverted to 'order and law', for without order the operation of law is impossible.\"
Members will notice that he said, \"order and law\", not \"law and order\". He reversed, or inverted, the phrase. You have to establish order first, then laws can work. Otherwise, laws will not work.
I think it is fair to say Mr Lee sometimes took a view similar to that which Hobbes had put out, about man in society. That philosophy underpins the changes we made to the criminal justice system which we had inherited from the British.
A lot of it, I would say, is primarily due to what Mr Lee himself believed, thought through and brought about, with a deep understanding of how people actually behave, how societies work and how laws actually work. The criminal justice system we inherited has a long history, evolving over many centuries in England; we adapted, changed and, in some respects, we changed quite fundamentally. That helped create a framework for the Police to be effective.
Let me give three examples as to what I mean.
We changed our laws, for example, to allow the Courts to draw an adverse inference if an accused person puts up a defence that he did not mention when he was first interviewed by the Police.
This position was based on the UK Criminal Law Revision Committee's recommendation which had then not been put into practice in the United Kingdom (UK). The committee had said that hardened criminals could greatly hamper investigations by refusing to answer any questions; so, put the onus on them to answer the questions.
It runs against a basic principle, some might say, the golden thread, as it were, of the right to remain silent. But we made the major change in 1976. It encouraged suspects to be forthcoming during investigations. Accused persons have to tell the Police the truth when interviewed, or adverse inferences can be drawn.
Members would have seen, perhaps in TV dramas, the police will tell the suspect that he or she has a right to remain silent and if the police officers did not do so, that could become, a procedural problem and the suspect may walk free on a technicality.
Our position: it is in the public interest that persons under investigations by the Police tell the truth when interviewed. The change has had a big impact on how suspects behave and the entire criminal process.
In this context, maybe I can take the opportunity of dealing with or responding to some points that Ms Lim made. I think she made the following points about video-recording of interviews (VRI), translation to other languages, resource allocation, as well as helping victims and victim impact statements. Steps have been taken and further the steps will be taken.
I responded on these previously. Since today's Motion is on SPF and 200 years, and celebrating SPF, I will not go into detail on those points. We can discuss those on another occasion.
There is another point that, coincidentally, forms a big part of my speech too. Ms Lim made reference to Prof Herbert Packer's work on due process and crime control. While it is not so clear, I think Ms Lim would probably fall on the side of the due process model.
The approach we have taken is not ideological. It is to see what is suitable, what works in Singapore. As I said, in 1976, the steps we took would probably be described as more akin to the crime control model.
And as Ms Lim was speaking, I remembered a speech by our former Chief Justice Mr Chan Sek Keong. This was a lecture in 2008 – I think Justice Chan was Chief Justice at that point – at the centenary of Mr David Marshall's birth.
This is what he had to say and I can do no better than what perhaps the greatest jurist Singapore has seen, said about this process. He said, from paragraph 13 onwards:
\"Before I discuss some of these amendments, let me now sketch out for you the features of the criminal justice process that was in place in Singapore before 1976. We then had an investigative and trial process regulated by the Criminal Procedure Code and the Evidence Act which basically provided the framework for a common law trial process which was highly admired, if not revered, in England at that time.\"
I make a point to take Members through this in some detail because if you want a safe and secure Singapore, with due process for all of us, it is important to get this fundamental principle right. Because there is and there will always be a tendency to move towards much more of putting hurdles and processes in the way of the Police. The point is to strike the right balance and I would emphasise that all Members and all Ministers for Home Affairs and Law remember these fundamental principles.
That is why I said in my speech paths taken and paths avoided. If we had not taken this path in 1976, neither the Police nor Singapore would have today's crime control system.
Let me read a little bit more about what Chief Justice Chan, as he then was, said:
\"The fundamental principle was the presumption of innocence. This meant that (a) the prosecution must prove every ingredient of the offence against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt; (b) the accused had the right to remain silent at any stage of the criminal justice process, from investigation to trial; (c) the accused had the right not to incriminate himself, except in restricted circumstances; (d) the accused's statements to the police were not admissible except in restricted circumstances; (e) he had the right to give an unsworn statement from the dock; (f) all evidence, even if true, was not admissible if it might have a prejudicial effect on the jury; and (g) the practice of the courts was to require strict compliance with the rules of evidence and procedure and (h) to have strict oversight of jury directions on accomplice evidence and corroboration.”
“In a paper published in 1964 on the criminal justice process in the USA, Professor Herbert Packer of Stanford University described two models of criminal justice process, namely, due process and crime control. This paper has since been regarded as one of the most important contributions to systematic thought about criminal justice.”
“The basic features are those I have just described of our criminal justice process before 1976.\"
That means, very much, due process.
\"Because of the presumption of innocence, priority must be given to the protection of the accused's rights in a fair manner. Police powers of arrest and investigation should be limited to prevent potential official oppression of the individual. Procedural rights are not mere technicalities. Law enforcement officers and the prosecution should be held accountable to rules, procedures and guidelines to ensure fairness and consistency.\"
And he goes on; I will skip a little bit. At paragraph 15, he said:
\"Marshall achieved great success under this system. Many other lesser lights also shone. But it was inevitable that the prosecution would sooner or later take note of the defects (from its point of view) of the existing process which had been so ably and amply demonstrated by Marshall. It must have led the Government to rethink seriously about the objectives of the criminal justice process and how to achieve those objectives.”
“Let me now introduce the other model of criminal justice process that Professor Packer had identified in his paper, viz, the crime control model.\"
And he sets out the features.
\"The repression of crime should be the most important function of criminal justice because order is a necessary condition for a free society. Criminal justice should concentrate on vindicating victims' rights rather than on protecting defendants' rights. Police powers should be expanded to make it easier to investigate, arrest, search, seize and convict. Legal technicalities that handcuff the police should be eliminated. If the police make an arrest and a prosecutor files criminal charges, the accused should be presumed guilty because the fact-finding of police and prosecutors is highly reliable.\"
I am setting these out, I am not saying that I agree with them. This is what Prof Packer had identified.
\"The main objective of the criminal justice process should be to discover the truth or to establish the factual guilt of the accused.\"
And he has a few other factors too.
\"The 1976 amendments introduced many features of the crime control model. Ironically, these amendments were based on the recommendations of the 1972 Eleventh Report of the UK Criminal Law Revision Committee which the UK government had rejected.\"
For Members' reference, those who are not lawyers, the UK Criminal Law Revision Committee comprised eminent jurists and lawyers. They looked at the system in the UK and they came up with a set of recommendations but it was not doable in the UK. In Singapore, many of the recommendations were passed into law.
Chief Justice Chan, as he was, set out the two major changes.
“All statements made by an accused to a police officer in the course of investigation would be admissible in evidence… And second, the trial process. If the accused is called upon to enter his defence, he has no right to make an unsworn statement from the dock.\"
“These two broad changes led to an increase in the conviction of the factually guilty through pleas of guilt or at trials. Crime control was strengthened with the use of rebuttable and irrebuttable resumptions in substantive offences. These developments, together with better and more dedicated and efficient law enforcement have reduced the crime rate over the years and have made Singapore a safer place to live in. You might think that this statement is somewhat simplistic, but many people would agree that law enforcement in Singapore, although not perfect, is among the best in the world.\"
That is the view of the Chief Justice, as he was, in 2008. That is not to say that therefore crime control becomes the be-all and end-all. Of course, you must have fairness in the system. So, it is a question of finding the right balance. I would ask Members to carefully consider what is suitable for our society when seeking to strike the right balance. The right balance should not be guided by pure ideology. It should be guided by what works, what is fair, what is right.
We have a system today: trained judges, a defence bar, rules of process, procedure, presumption of innocence except in the context of, say, drug trials where presumption of innocence is there but the accused has got to go and prove specific factors because those are within his knowledge. And in corruption trials, also a reversal of onus of proof.
We do not say we have arrived. That will be not only inaccurate, it will be hubris. But we are constantly refining, constantly trying to find the right balance. And the right balance also changes when society changes.
Our philosophy is that the Police investigations should not be made into a series of technical hurdles which have to be cleared. But it must be a clear and fair process that helps to arrive at the truth.
I think all Members will agree that it is a question of balance and it is really a question of how you strike that balance.
We have, for example, talked about, implemented, in some cases, initiatives like VRI, the Appropriate Adult Scheme, other initiatives. All of these will help in the fairness in the process.
Another example that I would put forward in going back to my point about the law enforcement framework within which the Police operate, is that tough penalties that have been introduced to deal with serious crimes.
I spoke about drugs, corruption and many other offences. The penalties were changed and, where necessary, onus of proof was reversed. If you have wealth, you are a public servant, you have wealth which is not explained, the onus is on you to prove.
We also have preventive detention, the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act adapted from British laws.
Jury trials were abolished. Instead, we have trials presided over by professional judges, who are better able to handle the complex issues for a more reliable fact-finding process. It lessens the theatrics, reduces the risk of injustice.
And we have the institutions required for an effective judicial justice system: the judiciary, the public prosecution service, the bar associations. They have all been built up.
As a result, we have a criminal justice system which has worked well for us. But it is constant work, constant refining, constant tending and it will continue to have to be so.
If the system does not work well and criminals walk away because the system is corrupt or weak, then Police morale and discipline will go down. Police will not be effective. We have avoided that.
I have only given a few examples of this framework but Members can assume that there have been many changes that have been very substantive that has led to the system we have today. But let me now move to this context of SPF 200.
The second key factor behind SPF's success is the quality of officers in SPF and the quality of its leadership.
The focus by Mr Lee and his team was on building not just the size of the Police force upon Independence but also the quality of officers and leadership in SPF.
High quality does not only mean educational qualifications. You need qualities of character, a sense of purpose and you must be able to handle the pressure and perform on the job.
In 1972, seven years after Independence, and again I quote Mr Lee addressing Police officers at the Police Dining-in, I quote, \"There are certain virtues in the force which never changes. It must have high morals, it must be proud of itself and it cannot be proud of itself if it has not got the right leadership. It must have that sense of purpose that comes out of men trained on a common doctrine. And it must have a sense of continuity.\"
Almost 40 years later, in 2011, that his final Police Dining-in, Mr Lee said, \"We cannot have a situation where the criminals are smarter and better resourced than you. If we do not recruit strong officers with the moral fibre and a sense of purpose, you will go downhill very fast.\"
In the 40 years in between and before, these lessons were taken to heart and applied. Today, there is rigour in who gets to become a Police officer. Less than one out of every 10 applicants to SPF is accepted as direct Sergeants or Inspectors. The emphasis is on quality.
SPF also tries to ensure that good officers move up, regardless of their entry rank. It implemented the unified rank structure in 2016, went beyond academic qualifications.
It provides faster progression through the ranks for officers who perform well. Once you are in service, how you perform should matter more than your qualifications when you first came in.
SPF also has a scholarship scheme – prestigious, competitive, highly sought after. Some who spoke earlier on this Motion – Members of Parliament Murali Pillai, Melvin Yong, Patrick Tay – were all scholars, and of course, the Deputy Prime Minister. SPF sent him on his first trip overseas to Cambridge.
As a side note, if I may say so, one of the problems that SPF is finding is that other services are increasingly looking at SPF. Because apart from the Deputy Prime Minister, the Head of Civil Service and various other officers, Permanent Secretaries and those in other Ministries have come from SPF. I suppose the approach we have to take is that we spot, we groom, we invest, we train and then, we should be glad that they are taken by others.
SPF is also becoming more gender diverse. Today, we have 1,800 women in SPF making up 20%, one-fifth of the force. They serve in every division, including Specialist Divisions.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, Senior Staff Sergeant Siti Aisyah is from the Emergency Response Team (ERT), which is, Members would know, our dedicated fast-response Police unit; and in the event of a terrorist incident, she and her colleagues will be on the ground immediately. The other photo is that of Sergeant Anna Anthony from the Community Policing Unit.
Going back to Siti Aisyah, she is 30 years old. Her childhood dream was to be a Police officer. She volunteered for the ERT Conversion Course which is tough and she is the first ERT Officer in Woodlands Division.
ERT officers like her are trained in tactical and counter-assault skills. She patrols in public places with her gear which is up to 17 kilogrammes and she maintains her IPPT Gold and Marksman qualifications. She is also a Physical Training Instructor, a Police Defence Tactics Instructor and a Range Safety Officer and highly regarded among her peers.
Gender is no barrier in the Police force even for the physically and mentally demanding roles like the ERT. SPF actively grooms its officers for leadership positions in the SPF. They will undergo postings in ground units, Patrols and Operations, Investigations and Intelligence. They may spend some time in MHA getting policy experience and the wider Public Service; sharpen their policy understanding; make them think whole-of-Government. Some of the younger officers may spend some time with me, assisting me directly. And if they perform well, prove they can do the job, they will be appointed to Command positions in SPF.
SPF today is led by Police Commissioner Hoong Wee Teck. Rose from the ground, highly respected by the rank-and-file, because he is both operationally very good and at the same time, understands his men and women, so they respect him.
Below him, the Deputy Commissioners: Jerry See, Florence Chua, Tan Hung Hooi. All in their early to mid-50s. They and the next echelons, you will get an example of SPF's approach to grooming leaders and I would illustrate by referring to three officers who are a little bit younger.
How Kwang Hwee, age 42, Oxford, Stanford. Started as Investigation Officer (IO) in Operations, moved on to various positions, then Commander, G Division, spent some time in policy work in MHA, then Director of Operations and now Director in Criminal Investigation Division (CID), which is one of the most senior positions in SPF, at the age of 42.
Lian Ghim Hua, 41, started again as an Investigation Officer; before that, on scholarship to Cornell and then, Stanford, moved up eventually to become Commander, F Division, which is a stressful position because in terms of crime, it is not the highest, but it covers Prime Minister's ward and coincidentally my ward as well. So, it is a high stress job. He is now Director of Operations and a high performing officer.
Alvin Moh, age 40, again started as an Investigation officer, Commanding Officer (CO) of Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC), of which Deputy Prime Minister said something, Commander, G Division, spent time at MHA, now Director of Police Intel Department (PID).
All three and others, and the Deputy Commissioners, the Commissioner and people below them, exemplify the SPF leadership today. As I said, we also voluntarily gave up various other officers to the wider public sector. If we go down the ranks, I will mention three officers with whom I worked directly, again more to illustrate how SPF grooms its leadership.
One of them is 37, two others are 33 each, spent about 18 months working with me closely: Teo Zi-Ming, 37; Sergius, 33; Lee Huan Ting, 33. They went through various ground postings – IOs, CO NPCs and so on – came up to MHA and worked with me. Zi-Ming is now Assistant Commissioner Commander, F Division at 37. Sergius is now a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commander, J Division. Huan Ting is now a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commander, A Division.
I have mentioned the senior leadership because leadership is vital. Leadership also needs our committed ground officers. During this Motion, we recognise all of them: the officer on Coast Patrol, off our waters; the officer in the NPC on ground patrol; officers doing their Emergency Response (ER) patrol, Transport command, Traffic Police, Police Operations Command Centre (POCC) command, Investigation Officers, Gurkha Contingent and many others. Our Volunteer Constabulary, they are our heroes, unsung, doing their work, day in, day out. They are all together, integral to the Singapore that we have today. And SPF knows that it must take care of every officer appropriately.
The SPF today is an institution that is confident and forward-looking. Officers have a strong sense of purpose, integrity and professionalism. Morale is high, there is high public trust and confidence in SPF. This is the remarkable state of affairs, even more remarkable when you look at the situation of police forces in other cities.
In the US, police officers nationwide have faced years of protests, there have been calls to defund the police. Gun violence against police officers have also increased. According to data collected by one of the non-profits, number of officers killed or injured by firearms in the USA, 346 last year, in 2020. About one every day.
Against this backdrop, morale of officers is affected. Retirements are up by 45%. Resignations are up 18% from a year ago. Many police departments have trouble finding new recruits.
The difference between Singapore and these places are not the officers. Our officers are neither superior or worse. We make it a point to choose very good officers but people for people, Singaporeans, I have said, quality wise, it is difficult to say, draw conclusions.
The US police force in some states, we learn much from them. They are very good. But the difference is the wider criminal justice system, the laws that can have an impact on the police force and the entire approach of society to the police. For example, if you have lax gun control laws, you will get more homicides and more police officers killed. And if you are a police officer in the US, as one officer described quite graphically, every time you get a call, whether it is a cat on a tree that is stuck or a baby that has been abandoned, or a neighbourhood call, any call, you go there thinking that someone might shoot you, you go prepared for all eventualities. You can see why.
If we move to another example, London. I will illustrate my point by referencing a report by an independent panel called the Report of Daniel Morgan Independent Panel which was released in June this year and received substantial coverage, including in the Financial Times.
It relates to a person by the name of Daniel Morgan who was a private investigator. He was murdered in southeast London in 1987. Five criminal investigations and, I think, five unsuccessful prosecutions. In 2013, finally an independent panel was set up to consider what happened and the independent panel found that the family of Daniel Morgan was failed by police corruption. This is about London Metropolitan Police. For example, the police officer who had searched Morgan's office was a business associate and later, a colleague of the chief suspect. In 2011, the London Metropolitan Police acknowledged, and I quote, \"police corruption in our original investigation was a significant factor in this failure\".
London now has more than 100 murders reported every year since 2015. A June 2021 survey shows that only 36% of the population in London have confidence in the police, vis-a-vis 48% nationwide in the UK.
Morale is also low. In a survey of police officers in England and Wales, 85% reported that police service morale was low, 90% cited public treatment of the police had the highest negative impact on morale, amongst other factors including pay and workload.
Why this state of affairs? It is not because the London police officers are, man-for-man, worse. It is all these other factors.
So, I would say to Members, have a care when we look at parts which we have avoided and which we now may feel tempted to go back to.
The London Met is a highly professional outfit and we learn much from them as well. But it is the criminal justice system, the pay of police officers, many other factors. It is political will to make sure that the criminal justice system works, that the police officers are protected as long as they have not done wrong and that the system allows for proper investigation and prosecution, while making sure that innocent people can go free. Therefore, the entire system works properly with the right balance.
Every police force, including ours, will have errant officers and we have to be most strict, the strictest with our own officers. That is a way to make sure that morale is up, integrity is up, public trust and confidence is up. So, our officers know, any officer caught wanting will be treated more severely than any member of the public. That has been our approach. When an allegation is made against any officer, the Internal Affairs Office conducts the investigation. If wrongdoing is uncovered, SPF, or in appropriate cases, the Public Service Commission will take disciplinary action against the officer.
Where crimes are perceived to have been committed, there will be charging in Court and the Courts often take into account the fact that this is a Police officer who is charged with upholding the laws, and therefore, the punishment is usually stricter.
If a further review is necessary, there is an Independent Review Panel, comprising persons of standing, who can review the findings of SPF's own internal investigations. As a result, we have been able to maintain public trust, keep up morale and a strong sense of mission within our Police force.
Consistently over the years, a large majority of our officers say that the work they do is meaningful and these are anonymised surveys. The work they do is meaningful, they feel engaged with SPF, they identify with SPF's mission, vision and core values.
Internally, Employee Engagement Survey results show very high morale over the last few years. Average scores for engagement across SPF has increased from 76% in 2018, to 78% last year. Half-yearly, surveys conducted over the last three years consistently showed that more than four out of five SPF officers found their work to be meaningful.
But workload remains an issue. Members will know, SPF's manpower strength is very lean compared to police forces in other major cities such as London, New York and Hong Kong. There is a limit to how much our officers can do with the resources that they have. We are studying this closely and we will come back on this.
The third factor that I want to touch on in explaining SPF's success is the strong trust between the community and the Police. Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Dennis Tan spoke about this. Sir Robert Peel, known as the father of Modern Policing said: \"The Police are the Public, and the Public are the Police\".
We recognised early on the importance of building trust between the community and the Police.
Over the years, many different community initiatives – the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system, the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) and Community Policing System (COPs) system, the Community Watch groups, Citizens on Patrol, to name a few – have contributed to the high level of trust between community and the Police. The public trust in the Police sets the tone for the everyday interactions between the Police and the community.
When a Police officer arrives on a scene, people cooperate with his directions, they accept that the officer has a right to investigate and manage the incident in the interests of the public. And members of the public largely trust SPF. Many help SPF by sharing crime-prevention messages, providing information on crimes. Yet others have risked their own safety assisting Police during arrests and live incidents and we make it a point to recognise, honour, praise them and give them an award.
This level of public trust cannot be taken for granted. SPF has to continue to maintain a high level of trust with the community.
Let me now move on to paying tribute to our officers.
As we reflect on SPF’s progress, we want to pay tribute to SPF officers, past and present, for their contributions and sacrifices.
I thank Mr Murali Pillai for inviting to the House today some of our retired SPF officers and SPF officer representatives and leadership group led by our Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck. They are up there in the Gallery.
Our SPF officers across the generations – regular officers, civilian staff, National Servicemen, Volunteer Special Constabulary officers, retired officers – they have served Singapore faithfully and with utmost commitment.
Mr Murali Pillai spoke of 125 SPF officers who have given their lives, and definitely, more than the 125 that you see, in the line of duty. He has listed their names in the annex to his speech, to be recorded in the Hansard.
I will mention six.
Detective Corporal Yuen Yen Pang and VSC officer Andrew Teo Bock Lan, who were attacked and killed by rioting mobs during the 1955 Hock Lee Bus Riots.
Inspector Allan Lim Kim Sai, who died in a shoot-out with a notorious kidnapper in 1965 – Mr Murali Pillai spoke about him – and his son is here.
Sergeant Mohd Saad bin Omar, who died after being shot by a drug suspect in 1979.
Station Inspector Boo Tiang Huat, who died while on anti-housebreaking rounds in 1994.
And Staff Sergeant Nadzrie who was involved in a traffic accident while on patrol duties in 2017, four years ago, and I went to his wake.
These officers and others gave up their lives while trying to keep us safe and secure. We remember what they have done for SPF and for Singapore.
We are privileged to have the families of two of our fallen officers with us in the House today. Mr David Lim, as you have heard, is a retired Police Superintendent, son of the late-Inspector Allan Lim; and his grandfather was also a Police officer.
We also have Mdm Chew Tuan Jong and Mr Boo Jia Liang, widow and son of the late Station Inspector Boo Tiang Huat.
They are sitting in the Gallery. Can I invite them to stand? [Applause.] Thank you.
As we commemorate SPF’s bicentennial, we want to recognise the important contributions of SPF and accord recognition to its officers. Members asked for it, so, I will set out how we will recognise them.
A commemorative Singapore Police Bicentennial 2020 Medal will be awarded to SPF officers who were in service for any period between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020. This includes regular Police officers, volunteer Police officers, full-time National Servicemen and Operationally Ready National Servicemen. The medal will be worn on their uniform.
We will also award a Medallion to former Police officers who had retired or completed their National Service liabilities before 1 January 2020, to recognise their contributions. This Medallion will also be given to civilian officers who were in service with SPF in 2020. The families of SPF officers who had given their lives in the line of duty will also receive the Medallion in honour of their contributions and sacrifice.
The Singapore Police Bicentennial 2020 Medal and Medallion are a reminder of SPF’s proud history and of the country’s appreciation of their steadfast commitment in safeguarding our everyday lives.
From the past to the present and, now, to the future.
The third part of my speech is that as SPF commemorates its bicentennial, we are looking ahead. How can the SPF strengthen itself for the future? Better equipment, training and more technology.
Let me explain by giving Members the perspective of a Police officer responding to a hypothetical incident four years from now, in 2025.
First, before the Police officer reports for duty, information on his work assignments for the day will be available through his Police smartphone. He will be notified of his patrol sector and partner.
Once in the station, he collects his equipment from the automated systems. The systems use RFID technology. Seamless. At the touch of a button, he will instantly draw his communication sets, firearms and taser, his other patrol equipment, such as his riot shield, ballistic-resistant vest. His body-worn camera comes equipped with live-streaming capabilities for enhanced sense-making during incidents. And his Glock 19 Gen 5 pistol provides higher firepower and ammunition capacity.
The officer and his partner then get to their Next-Gen Fast Response Car (FRC) equipped with RFID technology as well, which enables them to keep track of the equipment within the FRC. They perform a visual check, drive off in the FRC for duties. So, no more stock-taking, checking everything. Each FRC is equipped with improved safety features and cameras with live-streaming capabilities, feeding back to Police Operations Command Centre (POCC).
Assume a homicide is reported. The victim’s body is found burnt and disposed in a car parked in a secluded location. No witnesses.
POCC will push the case information to the officers in real time. And as officers rush to the scene, SPF investigators will make enquiries.
At POCC, the extensive network of Police Cameras will allow investigators to quickly narrow down a prime suspect, based on movements caught on camera and also help trace his current movements and whereabouts. This sounds hypothetical, but I have based it on a real incident that a body was burnt in a remote location and Police did find the culprit based on cameras and other information.
Investigators access a digitised and automated screening platform. The system combs through multiple Police databases, provides case information on the culprit, taking maybe 75% less time to do so than before. Very powerful. Brings all the databases together, information at fingertips.
Crime scene specialists process the murder scene with advanced technology. And through forensics, the victim is identified. DNA evidence places the culprit at the scene of the murder. The officers then locate the suspect and arrest him.
This is an SPF that will use technology quite extensively to enhance its operational capabilities and streamline its processes. In particular, we will continue to enhance our sensor networks.
We have installed more than 90,000 Police Cameras since 2012, as I have told this House a number of times. Surveillance cameras deployed by governments, whether in Singapore or other countries, are sometimes criticised as being an invasion of privacy. These claims overlook a couple of basic point that most people want to live in an environment which is safe and secure. And, conceptually, having cameras in public spaces is no different from police interviewing eye witnesses to establish what happened. The camera is a constant, ever-present eye witness whose memory would not be suspect. It is, literally, black and white evidence.
Surveys also show that people feel safer with the prominent placement of Police Cameras in their own neighbourhoods. They want them. People want these cameras in their neighbourhoods. And they have been very effective in helping Police deter, detect and solve crimes.
For example, in April this year, there was an armed robbery. It was solved within five hours. The suspect was an AETOS Auxiliary Police Officer. He had drawn his firearm, changed his uniform, left headquarters without authorisation. Visited a moneylender in Jurong, told staff to hand over the cash as he had a firearm, made away with more than $24,000. With the help of cameras and other tech and investigative techniques, he was identified, traced, tracked and arrested in a safe manner within five hours. The potential harm he could have caused was great.
So, we will install more cameras across the island. As I have told Members, we aim to have 200,000 Police Cameras, at least, by 2030. They help our Police officers to deter, detect and solve crimes, as I have said earlier.
SPF will also continue to prioritise community policing and step up partnerships with individuals, grassroots organisations, businesses and other public agencies in keeping our Singapore safe.
Some key initiatives include the Safety and Security Watch Group and the upcoming Community Watch Scheme, which will go beyond geographical-based approaches to interest-based engagements with the community.
Mdm Deputy Speaker and Members, the SPF story has been an inspiring one. Let me conclude with a quote from Mr Lee Kuan Yew again in 1972, when addressing Police officers at the Dining-in. The various quotes from Minister Mentor Lee will give a sense to Members. He was a key architect, if not the key architect, of modern SPF; and a lot of the philosophy, the approach and the legal system of SPF work came from him. So, let me quote:
“You need integrity, you need a sense of purpose, you have got to have that mark which others recognise to be special. You are upholding the state. Without you, without the quiet civil servant who gets the things done, all the young executives who can wine and dine in Shangri-La, they will be down the drain.”
As SPF writes its next chapter, I am confident that SPF will continue to uphold its tradition of excellence and stay anchored on its core values: courage, loyalty, integrity, fairness, even as it charts its way through a more complex operating environment. In doing so, SPF must continue to hold its officers to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, in order to maintain the trust of Singaporeans whom it serves.
I ask all Members to join me in congratulating and thanking SPF for its 200 years of exemplary service in keeping Singapore safe and secure. And long may this continue for many generations to come. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza: Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the Members, including the Minister for Home Affairs as well as the Deputy Prime Minister, for speaking on this Motion and for their support.
I fully support the introduction of the Singapore Police Bicentennial 2020 Medal and Medallion for Police officers and other officers serving with SPF to honour SPF's contributions on the occasion of its bicentennial. It is a meaningful way to honour SPF's contributions and strengthen the sense of pride and identity amongst Police officers on this significant occasion. It expresses the collective appreciation of the House for all that our Police officers have done.
Before I move on with my planned speech, I would like to just make reference to Ms Sylvia Lim's comments that the CNB and the ICA were not mentioned.
The reason for that, really, is when Mr Murali and I proposed this Motion, it was to commemorate SPF's 200th anniversary, its bicentennial. I did a check: CNB was formed in 1971 and ICA was consolidated into the ICA in 2003.
So, nothing in this Motion dilutes our appreciation to CNB and ICA. In fact, in 2017, the House debated a Motion, which I moved, on strengthening Singapore's fight against drugs. And I quote from a speech that I gave that, \"the CNB and the Singapore Prisons Services are sterling institutions, staffed with dedicated and committed officers. Their effort in the fight against drugs is courageous. But the fight is not only theirs to bear. All Singaporeans have a role to play.\"
So, nothing in this debate should be misinterpreted as being diluted appreciation to CNB and ICA. In fact, we hold them also in high esteem.
Looking to the future, over the last 200 years, SPF has displayed an unwavering commitment to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe and secure. Our SPF officers have served with integrity, professionalism and courage. We are proud of SPF's reputation as a world-class Police Force, trusted by Singaporeans.
As we look to the next 200 years, I am glad to hear from the Minister for Home Affairs that SPF is already enhancing its capabilities to meet the emerging challenges. However, even as SPF continues its transformation and capabilities, it is crucial that SPF and its officers continue to be anchored by the core values of courage, loyalty, integrity and fairness. If this is achieved, I am sure that SPF will continue to grow from strength to strength and Singaporeans will get to enjoy many more years of safety and security.
Therefore, in conclusion, Madam, I invite this House to resolve to commemorate and honour the important contributions of the Singapore Police Force and its officers to nation building and to keeping Singapore as one of the safest countries in the world. [Applause.]
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, (proc text)]
[(proc text) \"That this House commemorates and honours the important contributions of the Singapore Police Force and its officers to nation building and to keeping Singapore as one of the safest countries in the world.\" (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Order. I propose that we take a break now and I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.53 pm. [Laughter.] Okay, 4.00 pm!
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.33 pm until 4.00 pm.
Sitting resumed at 4.00 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Order.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move*, \"That this House affirms that gender equality requires a whole of society effort to remove all barriers in order to empower every woman to freely realise her full potential and participation in society.\"
[(proc text) *The Motion also stood in the name of Mr Leon Perera. (proc text)]
As a little girl, I remember listening to stories told by my maternal grandmother about how she moved with her mother to \"nanyang\", a term used to describe Southeast Asia by the Chinese diaspora. As the eldest child and being a daughter, her childhood was often a battle between herself and her parents who felt that it was unseemly for girls to not only be seen running around outdoors but for them to be educated. She was allowed to start Primary school but was pulled out two years later when it was deemed this was more than enough education a girl would need. The next three years were a battle, which she obviously won, as she was allowed to attend another two years of school before being banished to the upper floor of their house to look after the household and her younger siblings.
I would imagine how she would sneak books upstairs and hide in dark corners poring through them, as she painstakingly taught herself how to read. This learning was to be a lifelong journey for her, for even into her 90s, she would carry around a battered old dictionary with her, which she would use to look up words she came across in the newspapers that she did not know.
I know that it was a bitter regret of Popo's that she was born a girl and that she was not allowed to further her education as a result. But by the time she passed away five years ago, aged 99, her nine granddaughters have led hugely different lives from being the first Singaporean woman on Everest, authoring best-selling cookbooks, studying, living and working on five continents and speaking here today in this House. She would also marvel at how Singapore's legislative chamber would now comprise 30% women and that there would even be a year officially dedicated to women.
But while we applaud the efforts of all that have made progress for women possible, true gender equality is yet to be obtained. It is something that we still have to work towards. We must make sure that the strides that we have taken do not suffer any reversals, as it is indeed threatening to be the case in a post-COVID-19 world.
Some of the issues faced by my grandmother may seem extreme to us with modern eyes. But I believe we women still feel the vestiges of such issues, whether it is the promotion or pay raise being held off because we have taken or are about to take maternity leave, or the perception that men should continue to play a secondary role in caring for our loved ones.
Just after the General Election last year, the Government announced that 2021 would be designated as the Year to SG Celebrate Women. I noted that the Government is due to publish its White Paper imminently to review women's issues. And the Government has also been carrying out a series of feedback and recommendation sessions through various organisations, ranging from the NTUC Women Committee to the People's Association Women Integration Network, and many more.
I also noticed that eight days after the notice for this Motion was filed, the PAP Women Wing and Youth Wing released its Joint Paper on Women's Development. I am heartened to see that this flurry of activity indicates that we are not alone in believing that much remains to be done to advance gender equality and to remove barriers to empowering women.
Coming back to the reasons for filing this Motion, we at the Workers' Party also believe that it is more important than ever that we talk about the lived experience of our Singaporean women, to identify the areas for improvement and to have a discussion about empowering women to carve out our own roles in Singapore and the world.
It is why our manifesto for the 2020 General Election contains concrete proposals that address issues relating to improving gender equality. The ideas and topics we will bring up today represents the Workers' Party's contributions to the discussion, based on our own policy proposals, lived experiences and our engagement with fellow Singaporeans and our constituents over the years. It is with this in mind that my colleagues and I will today share our thoughts and vision for gender equality in Singapore.
We believe that it is a good thing that the Government has, over the last 12 months, put in much time and effort into understanding the issues relating to gender equality. This Private Member's Motion is our contribution to this national discourse. We look forward to seeing the results of the consultations and conversations held, and hope to see substantive legislative action taken to fully enshrine the changes we want to see into law.
The UN Development Report in 2020 ranked Singapore 12th in the world for the Gender Inequality Index, behind countries such as Switzerland, Denmark and South Korea. Clearly, we can and must do more to improve gender equality in Singapore. The promise of a society in which every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality, where all legal, social and economic barriers to empowerment have been removed, remains unfulfilled.
When speaking about gender equality, I am often asked – as someone who only has sons – why is this an issue which I feel is important? Why would I want to disadvantage my sons by speaking about empowering women and girls to achieve equality with their male peers?
My answer is simple: gender equality benefits all of society. We must stop thinking about gender equality as being gender wars. This is especially the case in Singapore, where we have been told since a tender age, that our people are our only natural resource. Women and girls represent half our population, and any form of gender inequality means that we, as a society, are not able to fulfil our full potential. My sons, along with other boys and men, will and should not be threatened by a more gender equal society. Instead, I believe that they too will benefit when we remove all barriers for both sexes to achieve their full potential and to freely decide whatever role in society each of us chooses to play.
Gender equality should be an aim for all of us and, as we will see during today's debate, men are an integral part of the conversation and must do their part to bring it about. But before we get carried away slapping ourselves on our back and congratulating ourselves for managing to recruit many allies, we should also pause and ask whether it is helpful to conflate this with the attitude that women need \"champions\" and \"rescuing\" by some white knight in shining armour, or if women can be empowered to choose for ourselves the best path forward, noting that my best path may or may not be what the next woman needs or desires.
Of course, we must not forget that there are vulnerable groups of women who do need the protection of the law and wider society, and our suggested approach does not take anything away from that protection. Our concern is when we approach gender equality with preconceived ideas of what is right and wrong for a woman's place in society and how we can help them. This is not helpful because women are not victims, and to treat us as such only continues to reinforce some of the patriarchal prejudices that have held women back from achieving our fullest potential for too long.
Another question we get is why we are focusing so much on this topic while the country is battling a new wave of COVID-19 infections, and there are bigger issues which we need to contend with, instead of opening a debate on gender equality. Again, the answer is that across all societies, women make up the bulk of those in the caring professions such as nursing and social care, who have been stretched to their limits in the last 18 months, and at home it is often mothers who have taken on the burden as we juggled home-based work, home-schooling, childcare and housework. It is only right that we address these issues now, as we emerge into a post-pandemic world, to ensure that we do not fall behind in the progress made thus far.
And for those who feel that gender equality is a largely philosophical exercise, perhaps speak to a woman who is denied a pay increment or job offer because of her gender or status as a mother. For us, it does not get any closer to bread and butter issues than this.
How to achieve gender equality is a wide topic that comprises many areas, ranging from the gendered impact of ageing, care responsibilities, and our economic and social contributions. My colleagues and I will today elaborate on each of these and share our thoughts on how we can remove barriers to gender equality, and what support and infrastructure we feel is necessary to better empower women to fulfil their potential.
I would like to focus on a few topics today. First, the systemic and cultural impediments to gender equality, and what can be done about it. Second, the adverse effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to women in particular. Third, the challenges faced by women as we age.
Starting with the biggest impediment to gender equality, it is our view that if we persist in thinking of \"women's issues\" and \"women's success and progress\" through the lens of traditional measures, such as climbing the career ladder and economic earning power, gender equality will be hard to obtain.
Work traditionally done by women such as caring, running households and looking after our families, continue to be seen as being inferior or merely ancillary to the \"real work\" of earning wages. Ask parents of young children during lockdown whether they truly understand how essential and difficult the job of teaching and caring for children is, and we would tell you that we do not understand why such crucial labour is generally seen as being low status and is not well paid.
Conversely, the issue cuts both ways: it is a shame that the worth of a man is also often based so much on his ability to earn wages to support his family, with little acknowledgement given to his wish to also participate in the unpaid labour of the household and the care of his loved ones should he choose to do so.
We should also strive to respect choices that women make and leave room for women to choose non-conventional paths in life. A woman should not be defined by her relationship status, nor should we judge her for deciding not to have children. Instead of jumping to conclusions and assuming that there must be something wrong if someone, especially a woman, is unmarried or does not have children. Perhaps it is time we accept these as one of life's outcomes and move on, instead of constantly questioning what went wrong to lead to it. This approach would also mean much to women – and men – who may be single or childless not by choice, but because of the hand that life has dealt them.
In this, our media also needs to play its part. Notably, in a CNA article dated 30 June 2021, which attempted to explore the trend of highly educated women remaining single, the questions asked were, I quote, \"are they too picky, too busy, too independent, too intimidating?\" I am just not sure if we will ever see questions like these being asked if a highly educated unmarried man in his 40s were to be presented as the same.
Now that we have laid out the problem, what can we do about it? There have been many studies that have shown that having enough female leaders is important for any society or organisation to ensure that female perspectives are taken into account, and to give rise to a diversity of views and experiences.
As women, we too need to lead by example in accepting and supporting other women, and to show how this can be done, regardless of the choices we wish to make in life. These range from striving to be corporate or political leaders, to deciding to take time off work to concentrate on starting a family or other interests. Easily accessible and widely known support and mentorship networks need to be continued to be built up along with formal mentorship programmes, with both female and male mentors, at various levels to support women.
Policymakers can help, and should work together with employers and other stakeholders to put in place the right policies. For example, we must remove barriers to women who wish to re-enter the workforce by targeted job-matching and paid re-entry schemes.
Our 2020 manifesto's specific proposal was for tax reliefs to be granted to employers to run successful re-entry programmes for mothers and informal carers who have taken time off to fulfil their caring responsibilities. These schemes could range from mentorships to skills updating and should offer a permanent position at the completion. Participants would benefit from not having to accept a lower pay or a lower-skilled position. This is also a proposal which I spoke on during the 2015 General Election campaign. It is also one which the Workers' Party has had in our manifesto since at least 2015.
Beyond this, I am happy to see that there have been calls from all sides for the introduction of anti-discrimination laws to better protect women, especially in the workplace. This is a crucial yet missing part of our legislative framework. Mandating the obligation of a harassment-free workplace that is imposed on employers sends a strong message to our business community that we, as a society, will not accept discriminatory practices against any of our workers. The current TAFEP regime does not go far enough in providing a framework for accountability for perpetrators and neglects the nuances of such situations by placing the burden of reporting the incident on the victim. It has been more than 50 years since the Women's Charter was passed in Singapore. We must make more progress.
Likewise, when we consider that not all women tread or should be expected to tread the same path in life, we should consider the aspirations of women and their partners of when and how to start a family. It is why we have, in our last manifesto, a call for the formation of a not-for-profit National Fertility Centre, to provide assisted conception procedures along with advice. This centre should also look to offering preservation of eggs and sperm to benefit married couples for whom this option may be necessary.
There should also be a wider conversation about re-looking the laws that currently ban egg freezing for non-medical reasons, with any proposed amendments or solutions bearing in mind not only the concerns raised by some of us, but also whether such procedures will be accessible to different socio-economic groups.
More generally, considering the gender angle for any policy being proposed or implemented should also become second nature, and perhaps a national gender scorecard can be created and published in this regard. This scorecard would track progress – or not, as the case may be – that we have made for matters such as the gender wage gap and contain a regular time use study which quantifies the amount of unpaid work being performed in Singapore on an annual basis, particularly as the bulk of care work is undertaken by women. The scorecard can also profile companies that are leading the way in efforts to increase women's participation in leadership positions and decision-making processes to encourage greater adoption of these best practices.
Another partner in our quest to change mindsets relating to prejudice and stereotypes would be our schools. Education is a key way for us to encourage a change in prejudicial mindsets from an early age. Teachers should be empowered to host frank discussions on gender inequality, the impact of discrimination, and a rethink of gender roles and expectations. An independent review of our school curriculum should also be held, as it can help to propose measures to be applied consistently across all schools to make progress on our gender equality efforts.
Moving on to why we need to take action now. Why must we act immediately to put in place the appropriate policies and any legislative amendments while Singapore is still feeling its way out of the pandemic?
It has been found that while men are more likely to suffer ill effects from COVID-19 infections, women across different societies around the world have been disproportionately affected – economically, mentally and physically – by the changes and disruption brought about by COVID-19.
For example, a study by Ipsos in May this year here in Singapore found that household and care responsibilities were sources of strain for more than half of mothers, with similar figures reporting not having the time to look after their physical, mental and emotional well-being. The adverse impact on women stretches across all spheres in a woman's life, from the workplace to the home, as it has been found across all socio-economic classes and societies.
On the economic front, women in the labour market have suffered more than men in the economic slump that has followed the pandemic. A Politico article published last month cited expert opinions that women in low-wage jobs are most at risk of leaving the workforce permanently, which in turn would have a detrimental effect on our economy.
Singapore too is no exception. A study published in the European Societies journal in September 2020 included women in Singapore in their data and found that across the board, changes in working status to unemployment, reductions in working hours and transitions to working from home have been more frequent for women than for men. The consequent loss in income or the adverse impact on careers could be irreversible for us who have been so affected.
For women who do manage to hold on to our employment status despite the ever-changing, challenging environment, study after study has found that the transition to alternative working arrangements and the shutting of schools and care support structures have affected women more than men. In fact, UN Women has estimated that while women were doing three times as much unpaid work as men before the pandemic, the figure has at least doubled since the pandemic hit. Warnings were also sounded that any gains of the last 25 years could be wiped out and there are also many concerns about the impact on the well-being of women who already bear so much mental load of running households.
Having myself come through the circuit breaker last year with a very active three- and two-year-old cooped up at home, locking my study door so that I could answer emails and get on Zoom calls while nursing first trimester morning exhaustion and morning sickness, with our usual main support network in my parents cut off, I often wonder how I managed to survive. I know that I only managed to juggle my full-time job due to an extremely understanding boss. I can only imagine how much worse this would have been for other women such as single mothers and families who do not have access to help at home or a support network.
These challenges are further exacerbated by how gender-based violence too has increased since the beginning of the pandemic. Indeed, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) reported increases of 137% in the number of family violence calls during our lockdown last year.
These developments are worrying and tell us that addressing gender equality must be done even as we continue to tackle the effects of COVID-19.
What is equally alarming is that there appears to be a limited number of Singapore-specific studies available, which leaves us in the dark as to the true impact of COVID-19 on women here.
I, therefore, believe that the Government has to study and publish its data and statistics to measure the adverse impact COVID-19 has had on women, and also to carry out longitudinal studies to measure the different spheres in which women have been adversely affected, and to catch any trends before these reversals become hard-baked into our economy and society.
The fragility of progress in gender equality itself is also a matter for consideration as we build further policies to ensure that future shocks to society do not result in such reversals in the future. My colleagues will continue to set out our proposals to address this.
Finally, to conclude, I would like to touch on the issues that women face when we age. Singapore is ageing and by 2030, 25% of our population is expected to be aged 65 and above. This means that more Singaporeans would need help to perform day-to-day tasks and will cease to be active members of the workforce. The informal caring burden will grow. It is, therefore, essential that we put in place sustainable policies to address these concerns.
As a first step, we repeat our previous call for better recognition of those who carry out these informal caring responsibilities. It is only by measuring the contributions of unpaid workers and publishing it as a supplement to our GDP data that we can start developing policies to guard against these workers, who tend to be overwhelmingly female, from becoming destitute in what should be their golden years.
To add to the challenges women face, the life expectancy at birth in 2020 for women was 86.1, compared with 81.5 for men. Yet, women are more likely to take on a disproportionate role in providing informal care, be it for their children, husbands or elders, often at an economic cost as we often have to scale back on the type or amount of paid employment taken on. Coupled with the gender wage gap, this is something that has serious implications on women's financial resources and, in particular, retirement adequacy.
Indeed, it was found that women have more difficulty than men when it comes to meeting the Basic Retirement Sum in their CPF accounts, with only 56% of women meeting the amount compared to 67% for men in 2018. Clearly, the various top-up schemes available have not addressed this gap between the genders, hence our call to relax rules on the transfer of CPF funds before the age of 55 after the Minimum Sum has been met, to allow transfers to older relatives. While I note there are more top-up schemes available now, it is not yet clear what the impact is on women's retirement adequacy.
We need to continue to question gender norms that view informal caring as primarily a job for women, and instead encourage a more equal distribution of such responsibilities. But the problem will, of course, not be solved overnight. At the same time, it is also key that women who currently shoulder the responsibilities of informal care do not end up being further penalised by our policies.
In this regard, the Workers' Party has spoken up against the Government's current policy of requiring higher CareShield Life premiums to be paid by women as this, at best, causes a double penalty on many women who are already struggling with a gender wage gap and taking on less paid work due to their caring responsibilities.
In 2018, when CareShield Life was introduced, my colleague Sylvia Lim and Pritam Singh, the Members for Aljunied GRC, pointed out not only the devastating impact this would have on women's participation in the labour force, but also fundamentally how this difference in treatment along gender lines directly contradicts the scheme's intended features of \"universality\" and \"risk-pooling\".
Apart from being unfair to women, this sets a dangerous precedent where we differentiate policy application within society. For example, if life expectancy differs between races and socio-economic groups, would different premiums then be justifiable between these groups, depending on how we splice the population?
Creating this heavier burden on women, therefore, does not move us in the right direction. National policies such as CareShield Life should pool risk across differences and instead share the burden of care, especially as our population ages.
To conclude, yes, we can be proud of the progress that we have made for gender equality so far. But as has already been acknowledged by many in this House, much work needs to be done. We should not get so carried away by our perceived successes and with patting ourselves on our backs that we miss this key moment to effect sustainable change for gender equality.
I have outlined some of the key areas of concern in this speech and my colleagues in the Workers' Party will continue to do so. I also believe that all of us here do want to ensure that we work together to engender a whole-of-society effort to empower every woman to freely realise her full potential and participation in society.
In that spirit, I look forward to a collegial, frank and honest debate on the Motion. [Applause.]
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Mdm Deputy Speaker, it is my honour to rise in support of this Motion.
Madam, this Motion calls for a whole-of-society effort to further gender equality. The choice of words in today's Motion, led by my Parliamentary colleague Ms He Ting Ru, is significant and deliberate. The Motion refers to each woman freely realising her full potential and participation in society. The word \"freely\" refers to how different women may choose different pathways at different stages in their lives, without facing significant disadvantages for the decisions they make.
Why does our Motion speak of the need to strive for gender equality? Because obstacles bar the way to that today.
These obstacles lie in our ecosystem of laws and regulations, which present challenges in terms of discrimination in the workplace and insurance premiums, for example. My Parliamentary colleagues and I from the Workers' Party will cite more examples and offer proposals to address these.
These obstacles also lie in cultural norms, the unspoken assumption that a woman should bear more of the burden of housework even if she has a career like her husband; or the assumption that the mother has to be the one responsible for the child’s academic progress in school and liaising with teachers more than the father.
The obstacles to gender equality also lie in our minds; in the mind of the woman who hesitates to speak up at company meetings such that her male colleagues hog the air-time; or in the mind of the man who believes he can sexually harass a female co-worker with impunity.
In debating this important Motion, let us address ourselves to these three types of impediments to full gender equality: the structural, the cultural and the psychological.
All of society will gain if we succeed in that. Because every woman freely realising her full potential will mean that every woman can give of her best in the workplace and in the home, assured of an environment where she is given opportunities and support that are not less than any man. It means that every woman can strive for new heights in her professional field and contribute fully to leadership. This would mean a better, stronger society, which benefits men too.
The obstacles outlined above underscore the need for us to review the challenges facing the diversity of roles women take on in society. For this speech, Madam, I will take reference from the three most important women in my life: my wife, my mother and my daughter. It is with that reference that I shall touch on three segments of women today: the homemaker, the career women and the young woman who is our hope for tomorrow.
Firstly, Madam, the homemaker. In today’s world and with Singapore’s high cost of living, the decision to be a homemaker is not made lightly by either wife or husband.
My wife was an executive in the fields of public service, communications and academic administration before becoming a full-time homemaker, transitioning via a period of flexible working. Her day is packed as she makes many decisions, while providing a great deal of parenting attention to our teenage children.
In my wife’s case, she sacrificed a dynamic professional career in the media industry for the sake of focusing on our two young children. Many women make this choice knowing that they would have enjoyed more lucrative outcomes if they had stayed on in their careers.
Some women who make this choice find themselves struggling economically in later life, as Ms He Ting Ru referred to. Many women outlive their husbands – life expectancies being what they are – and many have insufficient funds in their CPF, or an insufficient inheritance from their late husbands or support from their children. Older women have 12% to 25% less in their CPF compared to older men, depending on the age bracket.
The Government currently encourages husbands to voluntarily transfer funds to their wife’s CPF. Fifteen thousand persons topped up their spouses’ CPF in 2020, up from 11,000 in 2018. But this is still a drop in the ocean and does not fully address the problem, if you consider the numbers of women who find themselves in this position.
Can quantifying the economic contribution that a homemaker makes help us design policy solutions? An ILO study from 2018 of 60 countries found that men spend 83 minutes a day on unpaid household work whereas women spend three times that, at 265 minutes. Academic studies have been conducted to attempt to quantify the commercial value of the work a homemaker does in other countries, yielding various dollar figures.
It is not fair that women who sacrifice to build a home and support their children should have to struggle later in life because of an inequitable sharing of family earnings. As a start, I would suggest that research be undertaken on the commercial value of a homemaker’s contribution and that this be used as a reference point in determining if there is a need to raise the Government quantum or ceiling for dollar-for-dollar matching of husband’s CPF transfers to their wives or the tax reliefs to the husbands for the same; or other policy interventions.
Next, many women who become homemakers would like to have the choice of going into part-time, flexible work or job sharing. Employers should strive to make more of such options available, as many more progressive employers already do. My colleague Assoc Prof Jamus Lim will speak more on this.
Rather than focusing on consulting work for companies to create more flexible work arrangements, rather than supporting that in Government schemes as a focus, I would urge the Government to consider more schemes that directly financially support, during the transition period, mothers and fathers who want to transition from a homemaker role to part-time work, nudging people to make such a choice and, thus, helping to use local talent to boost our Labour Force Participation Rate.
As the largest employer, the Public Service should set an example here. In 2016, I asked a Parliamentary Question on job sharing and flexible work in the Public Service, revealing that there were 2,000 public officers on part-time arrangements. If the Public Service takes a proactive approach to designing and offering part-time jobs or job sharing rather than only reactively considering applications for such from their full-time officers, it could well find that it is able to tap on a broader field of talent, as well as help ex-officers transition back to full-time work at their own pace.
Next, Madam, many homemakers these days are experimenting with becoming home-based entrepreneurs, working flexibly and often using digital platforms like YouTube videos, virtual meeting providers and e-commerce enabling platforms. Some have become quite good at this.
I hope that such home-based entrepreneurs can obtain the same access to startup grants as other kinds of startups. I would urge our social enterprises and trade associations and chambers to support such micro-entrepreneurship and publicise good case studies. Supporting home-based micro-businesses enriches the ecosystem of options that women, and, indeed, men, have.
As I think back to my wife, I would want her to live in a society which respects and recognises the work she does and gives her many meaningful choices for her future.
Secondly, Madam, I turn to working women. My lodestar when I think about working women is my own mother, who was an excellent, recognised Primary school teacher in a neighbourhood school, and who held up more than her fair share of the work at home.
Many women, like my mother did, toil in the workplace and also, bear an unequal share of housework and parenting work at home. Many also face a non-level playing field at work. How can we make things better?
Madam, we do continue to hear stories of women who feel that they have been denied promotions or pay raises because of their maternity leave, or the expectation of the same, or worse.
According to the answer to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) I filed in March this year, TAFEP handled an average of around 400 discrimination cases each year for the past three years, about a third of which related to gender or age discrimination. In about 50 cases each year, or 13% of cases, the employers were found to be in breach of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices and had their foreign work pass privileges suspended.
These numbers seem small. However, surveys show that perceptions of discrimination are not small. From the reply to a PQ I filed in February last year and a report released in November, the percentage of Singaporeans who perceived discrimination during their job search process has increased from 10% in 2014 to 15% in 2018. This 15% figure does not seem to me to gel with only 400 discrimination cases a year and only 13% of that 400 leading to actual findings of discrimination.
There could be under-reporting by those who have concerns, by those who feel that they may be on the receiving end of discrimination but have concerns about confidentiality, or are unclear about what is discrimination, or are pessimistic of the odds of success. In fact, some of my constituents have shared such concerns with the current discrimination complaints handling regime.
Currently, from my experience, there is a perception also on the other side among firms, employers, that TAFEP guidelines are not sufficiently clear as to what constitutes a breach. There is also a perception among potential complainants that the burden of proof is on them and the odds of success are not high, which the 13% figure seems to be consistent with.
The advantage of anti-discrimination laws, which the Workers’ Party called for in its 2020 GE manifesto, is that there is necessarily clarity on what constitutes an offence; and a clear line of investigative and prosecutorial responsibility for enforcing the law against offenders. Also, the prospect of an offence by a company would have a stronger deterrent effect than that of merely being found in breach of non-mandatory guidelines and, if you are in the 13%, merely being subject to curtailment of work pass privileges, which is not a publicly known demerit, as it were. Moreover, not every company would be equally dependent on foreign work passes, so that lever of control would have variable efficacy and deterrent effects.
There is an argument, Madam, that anti-discrimination laws would deter investment into Singapore and be anti-business. I disagree. In fact, many companies would benefit from the greater clarity and stronger penalties that such laws provide, as it would enable them to pressure their middle managers more effectively to stop discriminatory practices and, thus, protect their companies from reputational risk, like if an ex-employee takes to social media to allege discrimination. These are things that damage brands.
A 2007 UNESCO study found that much talent is being wasted as women turn away from science and technology careers as a result of discrimination. A World Bank study also found that gender gaps in education and employment considerably reduce economic growth in countries.
Madam, a few days ago, in this House, the Government said that it would review the viability of anti-discrimination laws, a shift in the position that it had previously held and defended inside and outside this House. We in the Workers’ Party welcome this change and look forward to the outcome of this review.
There is more that companies can do to level the playing field for working women. For example, promoting shared paternity and maternity leave, another Workers’ Party manifesto point which my colleague Mr Louis Chua will expand on; countering sexual harassment in the workplace which my colleague Ms Raeesah Khan will speak on; and making available pump rooms and enabling parents to bring children to work under certain circumstances, where practicable.
It is important for us to remember what is at stake in ensuring a level playing field for women. A fairer workplace will bring more women into the workforce and enhance our labour force participation. It promises to unlock female talent.
Ultimately, giving women a fair deal in the workplace is not just about the workplace. It is about ensuring that women have a fair deal at home and across society. Which brings me to the third and last part of my speech, on young women and how we bring about a change in culture and mindsets.
I speak passionately about this because I am thinking about my daughter. She loves debate, literature, current affairs. She is the only extrovert in the family. She has far more friends than I had at her age, maybe even at my age right now. We have raised her to choose her own path freely and to never feel less than anyone else because of her gender or the colour of her skin; and I am proud that she lives and breathes those values.
Madam, gender equality is more than the sum of Government policies. It has to be rooted in our culture and our mindsets.
Too many men, and even women, still feel that the man should be the dominant partner at home; that men have the right to dominate the air-time and the rewards at work; and that \"men will be men\" socially and standing up to sexual harassment is futile, or worse. What we need is a culture where men, and women, openly acknowledge and shift social mores against non-gender-neutral policies, practices, behaviours and assumptions.
In an Adjournment Motion, my colleague Ms Raeesah Khan spoke about the need for the education system to teach the notion of consent. I would urge the Government to also ensure that Secondary school students are taught the principles of gender equality, as Ms He Ting Ru referred to: what it is, why it is important and what laws and provisions buttress this principle in Singapore. I would like to ask if this is being consistently done through the Social Studies curriculum in Secondary schools right now, and whether this curriculum has been updated to reflect the general understanding of things like harassment that has evolved since the #metoo movement emerged in 2017.
Lastly, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak about men. Men need to reflect on our own mindset towards gender equality. From my experience, I do not believe that most men want their wives, mothers, daughters and female friends to live in a gender-unequal society. Having said that, some men continue to harbour sexist attitudes when it comes to things like the notion of consent and when it comes to parenting and housekeeping at home. We need to continue to shine the light on this.
Whole-of-society efforts – from Government, business, NGOs and ordinary citizens – are needed to banish these attitudes into the rubbish bin of history. We cannot adopt the dangerous assumption that these anachronistic attitudes will naturally disappear over time. They would not. The process needs nudging and accelerating.
Madam, I wonder whether National Service can be a platform to convey training, in an engaging way, about how sexist attitudes and behaviour, including domestic violence and harassment, harm everyone. This should be looked into. I made a similar argument when speaking on the Aspirations of Singapore Women Motion in 2017. Efforts should also be made to ensure that most batches of NSFs train under at least one or a few female instructors.
I would also like to address the concerns of some men who have opined that too much talk about sexism against women is in itself sexist and equivalent to misandry or the hatred of men. I had to look this word up, and I do not know if I am pronouncing it correctly.
Madam, it saddened me to see some such comments on the social media platforms of the Workers' Party, Ms He Ting Ru and myself, after we announced the filing of this Motion. The argument used here is that men are placed at a disadvantage due to having to serve National Service and Reservist duty and due to the effect of the Women's Charter on events like divorce.
I do not disagree that there are men who need help and may face unequal treatment in certain contexts. Some men experience abuse from the women in their lives or, as stay-at-home fathers, may face difficulties collecting maintenance payments, for example. Many men struggle to balance Reservist obligations with the demands of their career.
The Workers' Party will always stand up for workers that are facing problems with unequal treatment, whether male or female. But I would urge men to reflect on the fact that while there has been progress, sexism and gender inequality also harm men.
Diminished opportunities or discrimination at work against women mean that men have to step up and bear more of the income-earning burden in the household. Sexist expectations in the workplace and at home can deprive men of the opportunity to be equal co-parents with their wives.
Gender stereotypes also hurt men, for example, the social stigma against men who earn less, who are caregivers and who make non-mainstream career choices.
Moreover, women still face unequal challenges on the whole. Sexist discrimination at work still exists; sexual harassment and assault against women by men still exists, the unequal effect of COVID-19 on women exists, a gender wage gap and unequal CareShield Life premiums still exist, working women bearing an unequal burden of housework and parenting and losing out in their career still happens, along with many other aspects of the gender equality problem that we shall touch on.
Bridging the gap on these issues help the mother, daughters and wife of every man. A shift in the perception of these issues would also signal to men that they have the freedom not to conform to existing stereotypes and expectations placed on them. Therefore, remedying these issues is, ultimately, in the interest of every man.
My wife and I are doing our best to raise our 13-year-old son to deeply internalise these values. The progress he has made thus far gives me cause for pride.
In conclusion, Mdm Deputy Speaker, usually for most policy outcomes, we have quantifiable measures and hard targets we want to achieve. This is a good way to measure the success of any policy we adopt, and that should be continued. But I would like to add that in the case of gender equality, the biggest indicator of success will be when we, as a society, stop boxing women into long-held stereotypes.
When we think of engineers and scientists, will we be gender-blind? Instead of the term \"girl boss\", why not just \"boss\"?
Instead of struggling between being a stay-at-home mom and giving up one's career, on the one hand, or being a working mum and facing certain disadvantages and losing out while facing \"mom guilt\", is it too much of an ideal to expect that one day, women will, by and large, have the tools and means to combine both roles comfortably?
Achieving that balance will go far in benefiting not just women, but the progress of Singapore as a whole. Madam, I support the Motion.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Minister of State Sun Xueling.
The Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Ms Sun Xueling): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Members, Ms He Ting Ru and Mr Leon Perera, for moving the Motion. Since the Government launched the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development in September 2020, we have held 160 conversations involving more than 5,700 participants from all walks of life. Participants include men and women, young and old, homemakers, professionals, executives, social workers, students and many more. And they have provided many suggestions and feedback.
Women organisations such as the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO), NTUC Women and Family Unit and the People's Association (PA) Women's Integration Network hosted many of these conversations. Other women organisations including PAP Women's Wing, AWARE, trade association women sub-groups and student union groups have submitted their recommendations before the stipulated deadline of 31 July 2021.
The Government had said at the onset of the Conversations that it would consolidate views from the conversations and present action plans for the future in the form of a White Paper. The White Paper would form the basis for a full debate in Parliament as it would have taken the range of views expressed by all participants throughout the process into account. I thank the Members for their views and inputs shared today and I would like to assure them that their views today will feed into this process.
For today, I will focus on the historical context for women's development in Singapore and also provide an update on the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, a discussion on women's development in Singapore needs to take into account global developments, our history, the socio-economic conditions we are in and the values and aspirations of our society. We cannot look at issues in silos, at a point in time, without understanding where they sit, relative to the bigger picture.
The past 130 years has been a time of great awakening and great progress for women in many parts of the world. Women's suffrage gained momentum in the early 1900s in the Western world. From the 1930s, there were more jobs for women in the developed world as the services industry grew.
Singapore found itself in these worldwide winds of change as we moved towards Independence in the 1950s. But what was the status of our women then and what path did we set ourselves on?
In the census of 1957, the general literacy rate of women in Singapore was 29% and only 21.6% of the total female population aged 15 years and above were economically active.
The early PAP party leaders had a vision for the women of Singapore and they believed in women's advancement and gender equality. I have with me the original copy of the People's Action Party's (PAP) manifesto for the Legislative Assembly Elections in 1959. Under its proposed programme, item 10 states: \"To raise the status of women by introducing a monogamous marriage law\". This was further elaborated in the PAP's five-year plan for 1959 to1964 titled \"The Tasks Ahead\" where there is a specific section on the emancipation of women and I read: \"Women who form nearly half of our population have an important part to play in our national construction. In the first instance, in order to emancipate them from the bonds of feudalism and conservatism, a monogamous marriage law will be passed.\" Further down in the paragraph, \"We shall foster the principle, if necessary by legislation, that there shall be equality of women with men in all spheres and we shall encourage them to come forward to play a leading role in politics, administration, business and industry, education and in other spheres.\"
Faithful to its publicly declared goals, the PAP took action when it formed the Government in 1959. The Minister for Labour and Law Mr KM Bryne presented the Women's Charter Bill to the First Session of the First Legislative Assembly of the State of Singapore on 2 March 1960. At the Second Reading of the Bill, he said, \"The Government is carrying out its promise... that it will enact legislation which... will make it an offence to contract other than monogamous marriages... and to consolidate the existing laws relating to marriage, divorce, the rights and duties of married persons, the maintenance of wives and children, and the punishment of offences against women and girls.\"
This paved the way for the passage of the Women's Charter in 1961, which was significant, as it raised the social standing of women by institutionalising the equal standing of men and women in marriage and ensuring the welfare and protection of women in Singapore.
It is most apt then, that 60 years later, in September 2020, to advance the trajectory of women's progress and to provide them with enhanced protection, that our current Minister for Law, Mr K Shanmugam, would initiate the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development. This is the PAP Government's continued commitment to the advancement of our Singapore women, in partnership with the whole of society, to continue to support, enable and empower our women.
Between the passing of the Women's Charter in 1961 till today, Singapore underwent rapid transformation and the status of women improved. The political leaders rightly reasoned that for Singapore to be lifted from its fairly low economic status in the 1950s, it needed its entire population to be as highly educated and economically productive as possible.
The Singapore Government systematically introduced and improved legislation, policies and initiatives to advance the progress of Singapore women and worked in close partnership with the community over the years. Forty-one ruling party women Members of Parliament, seven Opposition women Members of Parliament and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, and 34 female Nominated Members of Parliament have sat in this House to vote on legislation which empowers our women.
First on the agenda was the need to make quality education freely accessible to both boys and girls. Universal education for children of all races, gender and backgrounds was implemented. Boys and girls were equally valued and given as much opportunity as possible to pursue education and skills-based training. Female literacy rate went from 29% in 1957, to 54.3% in 1970 and crossed 80% in 1988. The female share of University intake has remained at about 50% since around 1980.
Healthcare services for women and girls were improved. Did you know that in 1966, KK Women's and Children's Hospital entered the world records for delivering the highest number of newborns within a single medical facility for that year and continued to hold the record for the next 10 years? And we continue to care for the physical and mental well-being of our women and girls. My colleague, Ms Rahayu Mahzam, will touch on this later.
Female employment was encouraged. Female labour force participation rate for those aged 15 and above went up from around 21.6% in 1957, to 29.5% in 1970. In 1991, the female labour force participation rate for those aged 25 to 64 was 51.5%, and stands at 76.6% now. Current programmes such as Career Trial and Jobs Growth Incentive also encourage women who have left the workforce to re-enter the workforce, and tripartite partners work with employers to promote pro-family work environments.
The community had also been active to promote women's advancement. In the 1970s to 1980s, several women's organisations such as SCWO, NTUC Women's Committee, PAP Women's Wing, AWARE and AWWA were formed. In 1978, the first Family Service Centre opened to support vulnerable women and families in need. In 1996, the National Family Violence Networking System, which involved various community partners, was set up to address the problem of family violence.
The Government also knew that women needed to be supported as they strived to balance caregiving and work-life harmony. In 2001, the first Marriage and Parenthood Package was launched, followed by subsequent Packages in 2004, 2008 and beyond. Leave provisions for mothers and fathers were increased over the years and additional support was provided for families via subsidies for maternity-related medical costs and other expenses. Separately, subsidies for childcare and infant care were also provided to families.
As Singapore went from mudflats to metropolis, the Singapore women similarly made significant strides over the years and their contributions are integral to our Singapore story.
Exactly 60 years later from the passing of the Women's Charter Bill, the Government of Singapore launched the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development to chart the next lap forward for our women's progress. Our efforts are consistent and unwavering. There was an open call to the public to participate in the Conversations and we heard from more than 5,700 participants.
Let me now update Members on the key themes that have emerged from the Conversations. And I hope that the Members who have spoken before me would be pleased to note that many of their inputs have been reflected in the key themes.
We heard Singaporeans' aspirations and hopes for Singapore women: (a) that women and men are equally empowered to achieve their career aspirations, and women would not be denied opportunities on the basis of gender and/or family commitments; (b) that caregivers' contributions to society are better recognised, and there is more sharing of caregiving responsibilities between men and women; (c) that stronger protection will be provided to women; (d) that support be strengthened for vulnerable groups of women; (e) undergirding these aspirations, participants hoped that we could overcome traditional mindsets and stereotypes about gender roles in our society.
My colleagues and I were greatly inspired by participants' vision of a Singapore where women and men work as close partners so that real choices are enabled for women, and where whole of society works together, so that everyone can achieve their fullest potential. We thank everyone for participating actively and for sharing your personal stories, challenges, aspirations and ideas.
While the 31 July deadline for submission of feedback has passed, we understand that many Singaporeans and local organisations are still brimming with ideas for Singapore women's progress. Any new ideas from today's session will also feed into the overall process.
We continue to welcome your feedback, so please send them to us before end-August.
Even as we are reviewing the feedback and preparing the White Paper for debate in Parliament, we have begun work to address some of the feedback that we have received, building on what we have already been doing to support Singapore women.
To enhance protection for women, MHA has reviewed the sentencing framework for sexual and hurt offences and increased the penalties for three specific sexual offences. The inter-agency Task Force on Family Violence will release its recommendations later this year. MCI launched a Singapore Together Alliance for Action to tackle online harms, especially those targeted at women and girls.
To cultivate a shift in mindsets, MOE has enhanced its Character and Citizenship Education curriculum to build an appreciation of the equity of roles in the family, respect for both genders and the importance of not ascribing to gender stereotypes when considering education and career pathways.
To review how we can stamp out discrimination in the workplace, MOM announced that it was setting up a tripartite committee to study whether legislation should be pursued and its appropriate scope.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, as the saying goes, \"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.\" In the past 60 years, we have made significant progress because of partnership at all levels of society. This year, through the Conversations launched by the Government, we will have outlined and united around a common vision for Singapore women's progress.
Given the importance of Singapore women's progress to our nation, the Prime Minister will be attending the final session of the Conversations in September and he will be sharing our plans for the future, taking into consideration the feedback received from the Conversations.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the good intentions of the Motion. Individuals, families, employers and the community have all played important roles in this partnership. In the next lap of our journey, let us all work even more closely together, towards a fairer and more inclusive society where our Singapore women can realise their fullest potential. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In the past 50 years, the status of Singapore women has improved significantly. The female labour force participation rate has risen steadily, about half of Singapore’s University graduates each year are women, and Singapore consistently ranks amongst the top internationally on indices related to women’s development.
The development of Singapore women has benefited from economic development, social progress and the tireless efforts of the PAP Government over the years.
In 1961, the Women's Charter, which was spearheaded by Ms Chan Choy Siong and others from the PAP, came into effect. This was a major breakthrough at the time and signalled a big step forward for Singapore women. The Charter legislates monogamy, emancipating women from the bonds of feudalism and conservatism. It also protects the rights of women in marriage and divorce, provides for the maintenance of wives and children, and punishes crimes against women and girls.
Since then, the PAP Government has remained steadfast in its commitment to further the advancement of women. This includes improving childcare and healthcare services, prioritising the development of children, making universal education available, promoting equality between women and men, encouraging women to pursue higher education, protecting workers' rights and encouraging women to work. Our efforts paid off and together we went through the changes of times.
In order to provide care for women of all ages, the Government has introduced a series of policies to address their different needs. For example, older women may worry about not having enough retirement funds. They worry about what happens if they fall ill or if their husband falls ill.
In recent years, the Government has introduced the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme to increase their CPF savings and also, increased subsidies through the Silver Support Scheme. In addition, the Government has also introduced the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation packages to reduce the burden of medical expenses for the elderly. In 2019, MOH also introduced the Caregiver Support Action Plan to strengthen support for caregivers.
All these policies benefit older women.
For the new generation of Singaporean women, they want to pursue their dreams and hope that they can take good care of their families and children.
On the one hand, the Government provides equal education opportunities for women. Schools now have an Education and Career Guidance programme to encourage girls to choose science, engineering, mathematics and other courses to facilitate their participation in a wider range of industries in future.
On the other hand, the Government has been investing heavily in early childhood education and infant care services in recent years, to reassure mothers and provide children with accessible, affordable and quality education.
At the same time, we have been listening closely to women’s voices and the community’s feedback.
In September last year, the Government launched the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development to better understand the current development of women and their concerns. Over the past 10 months, together with community partners, we have organised 160 Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development, with a total of 5,700 participants.
I am glad to note that the participants have responded enthusiastically and shared their ideas and suggestions. We will also collect any new suggestions from Members of Parliament today.
After the series of conversations, we will consolidate the feedback and draw up a White Paper to submit to Parliament. We look forward to more in-depth discussion on women’s issues, to provide solutions to outline a common vision for the advancement of Singapore women.
The PAP Government has always been a strong advocate of women's development, in the past and at present. Looking ahead, we will continue to work tirelessly for the development of Singapore women, with community partners and organisations, building on the hard work of our predecessors.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, gender inequality manifests itself in a number of forms here in Singapore: unequal pay for equal work, unpaid care work and lower-wage work choices available to women, to name a few.
My speech today will touch on the unequal distribution of care responsibilities and how this is linked to discriminatory social institutions and stereotypes about gender roles.
The changes in working patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the spotlight on gender inequality that exists at home and, in particular, the difficulties women face in being both caregivers and breadwinners.
Strong societal recognition of shared responsibilities helps reduce the disadvantages women face in the workplace, including the \"motherhood penalty\", \"mom guilt\" and stigma that they face when they want to return to the workforce. Women would have more time for themselves to rest, to pursue their aspirations freely and to contribute even more to the community at large. Similarly, men too will be able to put aside their fears of being discriminated against at the workplace, facing backlash for their lack of perceived work commitment, in trying to take on greater responsibility for caregiving roles at home.
Sad to say, we are not quite there yet and the idea of equal, shared responsibilities remains an ideal.
Earlier this year, I recall watching a documentary series produced by CNA, \"Give Mum A Break!\", which documents three Singaporean households and what happens at home when moms are shipped off to a four-day, three-night staycation, leaving dads to hold the fort at home.
They struggled, to say the least, and while it was amusing to watch, truth be told, I have doubts in my mind whether I can survive being at home on a one-to-one basis with my two-year-old toddler and for three nights straight.
Based on a study by market research firm Ipos and United Women Singapore (UWS), close to nine in 10 agree that household chores can be equally shared by husband and wife. However, fewer women, or about 54%, than men, or about 75%, say that they are happy about their household and caring responsibilities, with wider gap between mothers and fathers at 47% and 78% respectively.
We need not look further than Singapore's official manpower statistics to see such effects play out. Based on MOM's Labour Force in Singapore 2020 report, women represented 63% of residents outside the labour force as of June 2020 or 689,400 out of the total of 1.1 million residents. Of the men reported to be outside the labour force, a mere 0.2% cited housework as the main reason for not working, which is the least common reason among men.
This is in stark contrast for women where housework was the most common reason for not working, coming in at 21.5% of women outside the labour force.
Meanwhile, only 2.5% of men were outside the labour force due to care responsibilities for their own children and family members, which is, again, significantly different from that of women at 15.9%.
This echoes an MSF survey on social attitudes of Singaporeans, where 96% of married working women indicated that they were equally or primarily responsible for caregiving responsibilities, compared to 53% of married working men. While this survey was from 2013, this reinforces the societal standards that have been placed on women to take on the larger responsibility in their households.
Statistics aside, few would disagree that much of today's unpaid care work is still done by women as it is largely considered a female responsibility. While there is an increased awareness of shared responsibility within and between households today, there is much work that remains invisible and unpaid. This needs to be urgently addressed if we are to advance women's development in Singapore because such work, if it remains unpaid and unnoticed, has effects on the female labour force participation.
Recognising unpaid labour, whether carried out by men or women, must, therefore, be the first step in addressing the disadvantages faced by those that take on the bulk of unpaid labour for a household. There should be annual measures of the amount of unpaid work undertaken by Singaporeans and this should be published as a supplement to national GDP data, as shared by my colleague, Ms He Ting Ru.
An International Labour Organization report published in 2018 estimated that women in APEC countries do four times more unpaid care work than men. In the local context, the study by Ipsos and UWS I referred to earlier highlighted that women are doing more unpaid domestic work than men think they are. The study notes that while gender-defined roles still exist in the Singaporean household and are held by both men and women, the younger generation holds these views less. Entrenched patriarchal views can and are shifting. Society is moving towards acceptance and being supportive of equal caring responsibilities and this is encouraging. But we can do more as we create our roadmap towards gender equality.
It is often suggested that to address the unequal distribution of caring responsibilities, we must begin by addressing internalised gender norms and stereotypes in redistributing responsibilities for care and housework between women and men.
In today's context, we need to be mindful that gender norms and stereotypes may be internalised differently for different groups. As suggested by AWARE, a review should be conducted via an intersectional lens to understand the differential impact it has on not just men and women, but those with disabilities, ethnic minority women, migrant women and so on.
As a starting point, as lawmakers, it is important for us to do a stock-take on our existing policies, to ensure that our care-related policies do not ironically perpetuate stereotypes and reinforce notions on gender roles. At the same time, we need to provide adequate support to all caregivers in Singapore to enable all caregivers, whether women or men, to freely realise their full potential in society.
My fellow Sengkang Member of Parliament Assoc Prof Jamus Lim has asked about instituting different tiers of childcare leave such that those with more children will be entitled to comparatively more days of leave. In my MOM Committee of Supply (COS) speech earlier this year, I too called for childcare leave to be extended on a per child basis and up to the age of 12, as our Primary school-going children would still need a degree of care if they fell ill, or simply to allow families to spend more time together. The COVID-19 pandemic over the last one and a half years has also compounded the problem, where a Stay-Home Notice issued to children who are down with respiratory symptoms would effectively wipe out five days of leave for working parents, making it extremely challenging for parents to balance their work commitments.
With an increasingly ageing society, we also have a moral duty to take care of our parents. And as of June 2020, the population of children between age zero and four is at 183,000 as compared to 611,000 elderly citizens aged 65 and above, with our population continuing to age. Many companies have started to offer eldercare leave as an Employee Value Proposition and I have asked if this could be considered as statutory leave.
The Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO) has advocated to make childcare leave and eldercare leave interchangeable. AWARE too has suggested that the Government could implement the statutory right to request for flexible work arrangements, as well as making paid eldercare leave and family care leave mandatory for sandwiched caregivers. Similarly, the Singapore Alliance for Women in Ageing (SAWA) has called for the conversion of childcare leave to family care leave, which could allow other members of the family to help provide the necessary care for persons who need it. These are worthy suggestions to improve the ecosystem of support for women caregivers in Singapore.
Additionally, changing family structures require more flexible guidelines for support, such as expanding the definitions of leave and subsidies, to ensure that all caregivers are supported. For example, extended families providing care on a regular basis for children of our frontline workers during this pandemic, or grandparents who provide care to the grandchildren, whom the MOH recognises as essential and would not be counted towards the prevailing permissible visitor cap per household, or to the number of social gatherings per day. These caregivers are currently not entitled to caregiving or childcare leave, unlike their peers who have children.
The reality is, caregiving responsibilities between parents of children go beyond the couple. It takes a village to raise a child and our policies should provide new recognition to the village and to go beyond merely adopting a so-called \"practical approach to calibrating childcare leave provisions\".
More broadly, despite the release of the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements in 2017, true flexible work arrangements only became commonplace in Singapore due to COVID-19.
In 2019, it was said that about 85% of employers offered some form of formal or ad hoc FWAs in the workplace. However, FWAs come in a spectrum and, clearly, the level of flexibility that was in place pre-COVID-19 is dramatically different from what we have seen in 2020, or even today with Work-from-Home being the default work arrangement.
As I have shared in my MOM COS speech, it is now time for the Government to reflect the needs of today's employees and employers, and legislate a baseline level of flexible work arrangement, so that we do not have to make the false choice of choosing between work or family.
Calling on employers to implement good practices and foster more family-friendly work environments may not be enough, particularly when much of caregiving right now is narrowly defined as childcare, care for disabled persons or for the elderly. Even if eldercare leave is available, it is currently not a legislative requirement, some in Singapore may not be eligible for it if they are caring for a spouse and are elderly themselves.
Caregiving should be as broad, gender-neutral and norm-free as possible if we are to ensure greater equality for women in Singapore.
If we do not address unequal care responsibilities, caring can become a drain on Singapore's workforce. Caring tends to be overlooked in the workplace, leading to some having to choose between gainful employment and their families. In the near future, this could apply not only to women, but to men as well. This is pertinent because with life expectancy increasing and slower population growth, we must begin to make changes so that employers can better support workers that have work and care responsibilities.
One way is to ensure that managers are adequately trained to overcome unconscious gender-bias towards employees. This should be a mandatory part of workplace training if workplaces are to become more inclusive. Male-dominated industries should also review their diversity policy and enhance support in the workplace, including recognising men as caregivers. Indeed, men are also sons, fathers, brothers and more.
Men may be concerned about being discriminated against professionally, missing out on promotions and pay increases, marginalised, or even laughed at for taking time off. Gender norms and stereotypes are also damaging for men, and while cultural and mindset shifts are important, institutional changes are also going to be necessary if we are to move towards equal care responsibilities.
This brings me to my next point on the role of fathers in a child's development.
As a father to a two-year-old toddler, I am thankful to have witnessed his various development milestones over the past two years, and partake in the joys of parenthood, while continuing to stay productive at work.
Psychological research across families from different ethnic backgrounds suggests that fathers' affection and increased family involvement help promote children's social and emotional development. However, according to research by Dads for Life, there has been a continued lag in terms of fathers' involvement compared to mothers, in Singapore.
Some of these, as discussed earlier, is due to entrenched gender norms. Teachers may call up the child's mothers instead of their fathers, as fathers may be perceived as \"too busy working\". A Dads for Life Fatherhood Perception Survey in 2010 highlighted that 39% of fathers surveyed said that society's views on how men should behave also posed challenges to them.
There must be more attention given to fatherhood and to the diverse range of fathering practices and for further local research to understand and support fathers' involvement as the times change. We should not blame women's education and careers leading to calls for more equal parenting, and instead be channelling more time and effort to understanding and overcoming the challenges men's roles in care-giving, including fatherhood. The last Fatherhood Perception Survey was done more than 10 years ago and is long overdue.
What can we do as lawmakers to make this change? This is where our existing care-related policies covering Government-paid maternity and paternity leave run the danger of further reinforcing gender roles and stereotypes. When my son was born, as much as I would like to be alongside my wife on our parenthood journey as first-time parents, the mere two weeks of paternity leave was not even sufficient to last throughout my wife's confinement period.
The Workers' Party has in our manifesto called for a shared parental leave scheme that entitles parents to 24 weeks of Government-paid leave, to be shared between mothers and fathers as they choose, but with a minimum of 12 weeks to be granted to the mother and four weeks to the father. This scheme would replace the existing 16-week maternity and two-week paternity leave entitlements. So, we are looking at 24 weeks instead of 18 weeks in total, of gender-neutral parental leave.
This would encourage closer parental bonds with children while having positive effects on the relationship between the parents. Shared parental leave supports fathers who want to partake in the joys of parenthood and allows them the flexibility to take on greater responsibilities in childcare to support their wives.
In addition, the Workers' Party also shared in our manifesto the need to increase the number of infant care centres to better serve the needs of young families and the motivation behind this is manifold. Having adequate infant and childcare places will allow caregivers, both men and women, to free up some of their time in the day and play the necessary roles of a parent, employee and individual, without having to sacrifice their career or retirement adequacy.
In my MSF COS speech earlier this year, I noted that while the Government has increased the number of infant care and childcare places over the last five years, this is still woefully inadequate in towns such as Sengkang, which has the highest number of young children across Singapore by planning area. There are 16,380 zero- to four-year-olds and 17,600 five- to nine-year-olds as of June 2020. As such, while there may be vacancies in the system as a whole today, this may not be so for particular areas with a higher concentration of young families.
Meanwhile, the Workers' Party also called for childcare subsidies to be equalised for all children, regardless of the employment status of their mothers. At present, mothers of Singaporean children working at least 56 hours a month are entitled to additional childcare subsidies. This, however, does not take into account the unpaid care or voluntary work that other mothers take on, or those who are engaged in part-time work due to their care commitments.
All these, ultimately, shows the importance of state policies in enabling women, and men, who are key members of our families and society, to be supported in their efforts as a parent, individual and employee. Building strong families and societies must start with supporting parents with young children to achieve their fullest potential, all whilst becoming a more involved parent.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, there is arguably still a long road ahead of us before we can proudly say that there is strong societal recognition of equal and shared care responsibilities between men and women. Post-pandemic, companies should consider making flexible work arrangements a norm at workplaces, as many forward-thinking companies have already done so to boost employee productivity and promote talent retention. As individuals, we should not be afraid to challenge archaic gender stereotypes and to support our own families to the best of our abilities.
But, more importantly, as lawmakers today, we have an opportunity to set the right tone on gender equality in Singapore and it is imperative for the Government to demonstrate leadership on this matter by setting right our current care-related policies today.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, the progress of women's rights has been long drawn and hard fought in many parts of the world. Even in developed countries like the UK and the US, women obtained only basic legal rights such as the right to vote in 1918 and 1919 respectively, thanks to the efforts of early women's rights activists like the suffragettes, the century before that.
Around the 1960s and 1970s, women's movements started taking off again in the Western world as the movement focused on political and economic rights, and substantive equality. Helen Reddy's famous song, \"I am woman\" was from this era, in 1971, topping the charts in 1972.
Singapore had a jump start in women's rights with the Women's Charter in 1961, which was focused on legal equality for women. This included making polygamy an offence, prohibiting marriages between close relations and including a minimum age for marriage. So, we can imagine some of the issues that were present at that time. Consent of the married couple was also made a requirement. Rights and duties of husbands were legislated for and protections were put in place in the event marriages broke down. This legislation was ground-breaking at the time, forcing many established practices to change.
Since then, women have made leaps and strides in the journey to equality. I have seen this in my own family. Both my grandmothers had their education cut short in Primary school as a result of World War II. After the war, neither returned to school. One was told that being too educated would make it more difficult to get married. The other, who was the eldest child in her family, had lost her own mother and had to take care of her younger siblings, so she took on a caregiving role as a young teenager.
Their children, my parents' generation, were born during the post-war baby boom. The daughters of that generation, unlike their mothers, had the opportunity to attend and complete school. In fact, Primary school was mandatory for many of them. My maternal grandmother, who was an excellent cook, refused to allow any of her four daughters to assist in the kitchen, insisting they study instead.
This generation of women who joined the workforce in the 1970s and 1980s were more economically independent than the generation before them. This period also saw women become global leaders. Leaders of this era included Golda Meir in Israel, Margaret Thatcher in the UK, Indira Gandhi in India and Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. It was quite clear that women were capable of leadership at the highest levels.
In my household, my father and mother both supported each other in caregiving and providing, and they also had support from our grandparents. In contrast to my mother who was kept out of the kitchen by her own mother, my mother actually got me my very first cookbook back when I was in Primary school and encouraged me to try out the recipes.
When my mother went off to further her studies for three years while my brother and I were in Primary school, my father and his parents played the main caregiving role.
Essentially, I grew up without too many stereotypes on male and female roles and believing that women could do and achieve anything men could and, likewise, that men could also play a part in the household. In Primary school, I was fortunate to be in the top class in my Primary school, but boys were outnumbered by girls, two to one. I went to an all-boys Secondary school, but in Junior College, again I was outnumbered in class, boys to girls, two to one. In University, all around me, women were very well represented and the law faculty had around equal numbers of men and women.
However, after entering the workforce and starting my own family, I realised that women still face obstacles to attaining substantive equality. There are not as many women as men in leadership positions in organisations and women still end up being the primary caregivers for children and the elderly. Usually, because they are the primary caregivers, they will drop out of the workforce or work part-time at some stage of their working lives, which in turn feeds into more difficulties getting back into the workforce.
These issues are often more difficult to solve as they involve changing not just laws but social attitudes and \"invisible\" barriers or \"glass\" ceilings. These have been matters that the Government has continued to focus on over the years. Last year, for example, the Government started conducting a series of dialogues called \"Conversations on Women Development\". As Ms Sun Xueling mentioned earlier, there were 160 such talks. I attended one of these dialogues, along with Minister Indranee Rajah with Indian and Sikh women, organised by SINDA, REACH and the Young Sikh Association. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I will now continue in Tamil.
(In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In this dialogue with Indian women that Ms Indranee Rajah and I participated in, we broke up into smaller groups, each focused on different issues women face in achieving equality. One set of issues raised by women was that although the laws were in place for equality, family and societal expectations had not changed to a large extent.
One woman, who was a scientist in her 30s, mentioned that her family members still keep pressurising her about marriage. She also mentioned that many of the men she meets are intimidated when they find out she has a PhD and is engaged in research.
A number of women echoed issues related to discrimination at the workplace. The law is clear that pregnant women cannot be discriminated against. However, some women indicated that notwithstanding this, employers sometimes express displeasure when a woman is pregnant, especially in the case of smaller companies, which puts them under pressure with bosses and colleagues.
Older women who have taken several years to be out of the workforce for caregiving duties, have challenges finding jobs again, even though they may have relevant skills and qualifications.
In relation to caregiving, some mentioned that the availability of childcare and senior care facilities have been helpful in allowing them to minimise time out of the workforce in order to care for loved ones. However, they also mentioned that support for those caring for seniors is still lagging behind the extensive support that there is already for childcare. Senior care leave is not provided for and senior activity and daycare centres are not as readily accessible. There is also a tremendous emotional burden when caring for loved ones in their twilight years.
In addition, another topic that was raised was the stigma women faced when in unconventional living situations. These include single unwed mothers who are unable to get many of the benefits that married mothers could, even though they are usually in a worse-off situation. Divorce also carried stigma and some continued to remain in abusive marriages because of this.
Despite all the issues raised though, almost all the women acknowledged that tremendous strides have been made in relation to women's issues in the course of their lifetimes and almost all had better opportunities than their mothers and grandmothers. However, there is still much to do.
(In English): Deputy Speaker, in English. The journey to get more equal outcomes for women is ongoing and one that our Government has been pushing hard since Independence. I thank my colleagues from the Workers' Party for their support in this important journey. As the Motion rightly acknowledges, this is a whole-of-society effort to remove the barriers, both visible and invisible, to help women achieve their full potential. I would, however, like to go a little further and would like to see action and concrete steps to help remove these barriers.
In relation to this, the Government had announced in September last year that it would be presenting a White Paper arising from its findings from the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development. Many conversations with different groups of women had been taking place, similar to the one I had mentioned earlier, and I expect there will be interesting insights from these Conversations. What I hope is that the findings in these dialogues can be converted to action plans.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, in line with the above, with your permission, I would like to propose to amend the Motion.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Can I have a copy of the amendment? [A copy of the amendment was handed to Mdm Deputy Speaker.]
The amendment is in order. Are copies available for Members?
Mr Vikram Nair: Yes, I have given copies to the Clerks for distribution.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Right, we will distribute the amendment to the Members. [Copies of the amendment were distributed to hon Members.] Please move your amendment.
Mr Vikram Nair: Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move in line 3 after the word \"society\", to add the following words: \"and looks forward to action plans in the upcoming Government White Paper arising out of the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development\".
The Motion as proposed by the Workers' Party is one that I think everyone in this House agrees with and as my colleague, Ms Sun Xueling set out, has been in line with the Government's efforts since inception and over the last year. The additional words I am proposing are to tie the spirit of the Motion with concrete action, which I hope the Government will put forward in its White Paper.
I propose that the debate of this amendment take place concurrently with the debate on the main topic. I look forward to support for this amendment from my colleagues in the Workers' Party too. I am sure they too would want to see what plans the Government has in store as well for these issues being raised. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: It has been proposed as an amendment, in line 3 after the word \"society\", to add the following words: \"and looks forward to action plans in the upcoming Government White Paper arising out of the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development\".
It may be convenient that the debate on the original Motion and on any other amendments moved by Members be proceeded with simultaneously as a debate on a single Question. Do I have hon Members' agreement to this?
[(proc text) Hon Members indicated assent. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: The question is, \"That the words proposed to be added, be there added.\" Ms Raeesah Khan.
Ms Raeesah Khan (Sengkang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, my speech today is about women. I want to focus on four main areas: sexual violence, female genital cutting, polygamy and the hijab.
Last month, I spoke about sexuality education. I shared that underaged cases made up 37% of sexual violence cases between 2017 and 2019. Yet, our sexuality education programmes only teach consent explicitly at the University level and sexuality education at lower levels happens just once or twice a year. Without consent-focused sexuality education from a young age, our children remain vulnerable to sexual violence – a trauma that can hurt a person for a lifetime.
Sexuality education is a lifelong journey that starts at home and in school. Open, non-judgmental discussions about consent and respect under a standardised and compulsory national curriculum are essential, as are safe spaces and bystander training from an early age. This will help our children grow up to be responsible, aware adults and make Singapore a safe and nurturing home for all.
The PAP Women's Wing and Young PAP released a Joint Paper last week on Women's Development that includes a review of sexuality education. I am glad to see this consensus on our need to update sexuality education and look forward to more conversations on such updates.
Persons with intellectual disabilities, too, have often been victims of sexual violence. In the US, a study on sex crimes data found that persons with intellectual disabilities of all genders were victims of sexual assault at rates over seven times higher than those of persons without intellectual disabilities. Closer to home, a man was charged in November last year for sexually assaulting his 17-year-old intellectually disabled daughter when her mother was not home. This March, a woman was jailed for sexually assaulting her daughter's intellectually disabled schoolmate on several occasions. These cases surfaced as the first victim's teacher had noticed something was amiss and the second victim had reported the incidents to social workers.
As with all sexual assault cases, it is likely that many more go unreported. I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs, out of the total number of sexual assault cases reported and prosecuted in the past five years, how many cases involved individuals with intellectual disabilities? I hope that studies can be done on this issue so we can better protect our Singaporeans with intellectual disabilities from violence and its resulting trauma.
Where possible, we should also seek to improve training for teachers, social workers and others who may interact with these vulnerable individuals, to help them better identify potential cases of abuse and sexual violence.
As we improve our policies targeted at preventing sexual violence, it is just as important for us to improve support for survivors. The suicide of a South Korean female air force officer, three months after she had been sexually assaulted and pressured to cover it up, is a powerful reminder of the cost of turning a blind eye to survivors and their needs.
In the case of Nicholas Lim, who filmed a fellow female student while she was showering, the survivor shared with the public that she did not receive much support.
While many institutions have since moved to improve their support structures for survivors of sexual violence, this has likely varied among institutions. It is incredible to see the emergence of more ground-up initiatives, including safe spaces and support groups for victims of sexual assault. Could the Minister for Social and Family Development share on current work done by the Ministry and other Government agencies to offer robust and accessible survivor support in the medium to longer term, including but not limited to psychologists, therapists and support group linkages?
In my line of work, I have accompanied people to Police stations to make reports on sexual violence. It is already incredibly difficult for survivors to feel comfortable making a report in the first place, but sometimes the responses from those called to protect us can be disheartening. Three years ago, I accompanied a 25-year-old survivor to make a Police report against a rape that was committed against her. She came out crying. The Police officer had allegedly made comments about her dressing and the fact that she was drinking.
We need better treatment of survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment by law enforcement. In recent years, we have seen training rolled out for judges and regulations for how lawyers argue sexual assault cases – all steps in the right direction to prevent re-victimisation. I would like to call on MHA to provide more Police officers with specific sexual violence training to handle sexual assault and harassment cases with sensitivity and care towards victims during the reporting and investigation process. Survivor-centered care is a crucial step in addressing sexual violence and our Police officers can also be supported by counsellors or trained mental health personnel at Police stations other than the Onesafe Centre in Police Cantonment Complex.
Assuring survivors that they can be taken seriously and not blamed for the horrors that they have faced is an important step of making our law enforcement system more just. This will help build confidence in the sensitivity and capacity of law enforcement to handle difficult issues delicately, and will encourage more victims of sexual violence to come forward. While I acknowledge that providing more victim support and increased reporting will require more resources on the part of law enforcement, I believe that this is something we must commit to.
No victim should ever feel like those with the power to safeguard them have disregarded their needs.
I move on to the topic of female genital cutting or FGC, defined by UNICEF as the injury, partial, or total removal of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
This practice – Sunat Perempuan, as it is known in Malay – continues in Singapore, quiet though it may be. It has not escaped the notice of the foreign press, such as Reuters and the BBC, or even local activists working on this issue. Many of my friends in the Malay/Muslim community have gone through this practice themselves.
While there are many facets to this complex issue, I wish today to solely focus on the medical and health implications of the practice.
As recently as 20 years ago, FGC was performed by traditional midwives in homes with no sterilisation or anaesthesia. Today, I understand that the procedure is mostly performed by doctors in private clinics. The cut ranges from a symbolic placement of scissors or a penknife on the intended organ, or a nick, but the most common form of cutting in Singapore still involves some removal of genital tissue.
The effects of FGC are wide-ranging. Anecdotal experiences reveal an over-cutting or laceration of other parts of the vulva. Considering that the typical size of a baby girl’s vulva is a mere 1.5 centimetre, this may lead to a disproportionate loss of nerve endings and the creation of scar tissue. Additionally, as with any invasive medical procedure, there is always a chance of infection.
Female genital cutting may also hurt a baby’s attachment to her caregiver. A study by the Washington University School of Medicine found that a common defence mechanism of the nervous system to pain is to shut down, which negatively affects interactions with the caregiver. A second potential negative mental health impact is on childhood brain development. Exposure to acute pain in babies and children activates biological stress responses, which may hinder optimal development.
In essence, babies feel pain. Even if they process it differently from adults, babies still face the risk of long-term physical and mental health implications – as well as strained bonds with their parents – with female genital cutting.
In a reply to the BBC article, a representative of MUIS said it \"does not condone any procedures which bring harm to the individual\", adding that the Council has \"always held the position that female genital cutting should be avoided\". Noting the pain that such acts can bring to females undergoing such practices, I strongly urge the MOH to conduct a thorough review of female genital cutting procedures done in private clinics. We should aim to standardise and make transparent the amount of skin cut during the procedure, or enforce that the practice should be purely symbolic, ensure that the proper instrumentation is used, and, as with similar types of medical procedures, require medical counselling for those who seek to carry it out.
The counselling process will allow for doctors to first assess if a baby is medically fit to undergo the procedure, as well as to educate parents on the potential risks. The counselling can also serve to make sure neither parent is being coerced to comply with the practice, either by their spouse, relatives or external parties. After counselling, there should be a mandatory 48-hour period, after which, if the parents still wish to proceed with the cutting, they may arrange another appointment.
The decision to proceed should be unanimous and there should be measures in place to ensure that the procedure is being done with the knowledge of both parents.
Finally, I hope that the Ministry can commission a study to find out the prevalence of the practice and evaluate the accompanying medical risks that may follow. This will help us understand the potential medical risks faced by those who undergo the procedure.
In Singapore, only in marriages under the Registry of Muslim Marriages (RMM) are men allowed to marry more than one wife, and even up to four wives at one time. Our regulations stipulate that each application is rigorously reviewed by the RMM, and that it is only approved if \"there’s an urgent reason or necessity\" or a \"good reason\" for the subsequent marriages.
Recently, a community initiative called Lepak Conversations did a survey on multiple issues pertaining to gender equality. Their survey found that even though regulations here may be stricter than in other countries, many men still marry their subsequent wives abroad, ignoring the need for an approval letter from the state. In 2014, it was reported that more than 100 Singaporean men underwent a second, unregistered marriage in Indonesia.
Growing up, I remember having a conversation with one of my classmates in Primary school about how her father had decided to marry another wife in Batam against her mother’s wishes. This caused a huge financial strain on her family and her home environment grew increasingly unstable. She would come to school crying and found it difficult to concentrate on her studies.
Polygamy does not only affect the man in the relationship, it also affects women and children. In Islam, the desired outcomes to teachings are generally for us to bring good to society. However, we see that some effects of polygamy are clearly negative. While the Government cannot do much about individuals who leave Singapore to marry additional wives, the fact that polygamy is allowed under the law reinforces its cultural acceptance, serving as a justification for those who skirt the regulations.
In countries like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia and Turkey, polygamy is banned. But if banning polygamy outright is too much for now, perhaps we can begin with some first steps. We can make the consent of the existing wife mandatory for second marriages, as is done in Indonesia. Measures must be taken to ensure that this consent is given willingly rather than under coercion.
Alternatively, we can adopt a rebuttable legal presumption that an applicant cannot be fair and/or provide equally for both his existing and potential wives. This leaves the law in place, but ends polygamy in practice.
Another option is to include an additional clause in the \"automatic\" standard and printed clauses in the marriage certificate, stipulating in the marriage contract that a husband cannot take another wife.
In these ways, the Government can discourage the practice more intentionally before prohibiting it completely. On top of this, measures should be put in place that discourage men from attempting to skirt the law by registering marriages abroad.
There are many contributors to gender equality and one of them is financial liberation. How do we ensure that gender does not hamper each of us from being able to support ourselves? The lack of inclusive workplaces, especially for women who wear the hijab, remains a powerful barrier to women today. The hijab, to many women, is sacred and represents a deeply personal relationship that they have with their religion. Though there are many schools of thought in Islam on the necessity of various degrees of modesty, for some, covering the head is an essential part of their Muslim identity and practice.
Earlier this year, in this House, my colleague Mr Faisal Manap brought up the very important point that COVID-19 has made it a tough time for many. People have lost their jobs or have difficulty finding employment, especially women who wear the hijab. Ms He Ting Ru rightly points out that women are disproportionately affected by this pandemic. Indeed, one resident, a nurse, approached me sharing that she felt torn that she had to choose between her faith and providing for her family.
I am glad to hear that the Government will be reviewing their position on nurses donning the hijab. There are many workplaces that still discriminate against the hijab, such as other uniformed groups. Recently, New Zealand’s police force introduced the hijab as part of its uniform. In the Royal Derby Hospital in the UK, staff receive disposable sterile headscarves, and the US army has made hijabs part of its uniform in 2017. I would like to ask the Minister when the ruling on hijabs in these spaces will be reviewed.
Why is the Government’s stance so important? The government of the day sets the tone on acceptance and tolerance at times. If our uniformed services do not pledge to create inclusive spaces, it shows Singaporeans, especially those in the private sector, that they too can discriminate. Indeed, we have evidence of this happening, such as the Tangs employee who was asked to remove her hijab to be hired as a promoter.
I understand that for some Singaporeans, the hijab may be a divisive topic. To combat this, we need to educate our society on the various forms of religious expression. Instead of hiding or pushing them aside, we must encourage Singaporeans to embrace our differences. We must interrogate our preconceived notions and stereotypes against minority races, so that we do not judge each other superficially. Only this will truly lead to the unity in diversity that we strive for as a multicultural nation.
I wish to conclude with a story that touched me while I was on one of my house visits. I met a young five-year-old girl being cared for by her grandmother whilst her parents got a much-needed break. The grandmother invited me in and made me some delicious bandung, while the girl chatted away to me, sharing with me her many interests, including her obsession with planes! She told me that one day she would like to be a pilot and fly planes high in the sky.
When I think about gender equality, I think about her and the barriers being broken down even now. Not so long ago, female pilots were non-existent and even now they are rare. But how wonderful is it to think that we have the opportunity to continue breaking down these barriers, so girls like her too can have limitless dreams.
This is what I feel is the crux of this Motion. I call all of us in this House to work towards fulfilling the aspirations of Singapore women. I support this Motion.
Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I come from a family full of women. Out of five children, only one is a boy. Needless to say, I grew up in an environment of outspoken females who never feared making their opinions known. Sometimes, I wonder how my brother feels being sandwiched between all these female voices.
My mother was the pillar of our family, a homemaker running a tight ship at home. She made sure we ate, did well in school, but also that we had fun. More importantly, she also instilled in us that the Malay/Muslim woman was a capable woman. She is someone who is independent, courageous and who is of value to the world.
In Islamic history, we have countless examples of inspiring women such as Khadijah, who was both a successful businesswoman and mother. Or Amra bin Al-Rahman, a well-known jurist who tutored many famous scholars and was described as a boundless ocean of knowledge.
Closer to home, according to Population Census 2020, females, in general, have advanced more rapidly in educational attainment. In addition, more Malay females are attending University as compared to Malay males. This is an encouraging development.
However, there is more that can be done to encourage and enable the success of young Malay/Muslim women. This is a cause that I feel strongly about.
In many Asian countries, women are traditionally seen to be the caregivers of society while the men take the role of the breadwinners. However, this delineation of roles has blurred with the rise of dual-income couples. The Population Census showed that dual-income couples have increased from 52.9% in 2010, to 60% last year. This increase is also reflected in the Malay community.
Nonetheless, an equal share of household responsibilities is ideal. What usually happens, though, is a role overload in which an employed woman is expected to fulfil the traditional role as a homemaker, as well as juggle her career.
In dire situations, when push comes to shove in a family, the female is also expected to sacrifice their career to assume the role of caregiver in society. In 2012, the then MCYS commissioned a survey on informal caregiving. They found more female caregivers, about 60%, as compared to male caregivers, about 40%. More recently, the MOM Report on Labour force in Singapore 2020 saw that for unemployed residents who cited caregiving as the main reason for leaving their jobs, more than two times of them are female.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our economic and social activities. With more of the workforce working from home, traditional gender stereotypes have resulted in women taking on added responsibilities at home, such as taking charge of their children's home-based learning. According to McKinsey, women's jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable in this crisis than men's jobs.
With these dire statistics, how do we ensure that our Malay/Muslim female youths are able to get the support they need to overcome these difficulties?
Firstly, I feel we should encourage mentoring for women, by women. Women should be encouraged to mentor the younger generation and support them in their endeavours. The mentoring scheme can be organised through the community self-help groups where several initiatives are already in place to create safe spaces for women, or even informal networks. The Singapore Muslim Women's Association is also embarking on its journey to create a one-stop resource space to enable women to increase their knowledge and skills in various domains: legal, religious, workforce skills and so on.
Secondly, there is a need to showcase the strong Malay/Muslim women who are already in our midst. For example, through my work with the Young Women in Leadership Dialogue (YWILD), I have met many inspiring Malay/Muslim female youths. Being a woman, much less from a minority community, may bring about its own set of challenges, but these women have shown courage and grace in the face of adversity. They also embody success in many forms, whether in academics, sports or activism.
Take Aida Saad, an artist whose art exhibitions and installations raise awareness of individuals with Down's Syndrome and allows the public to see the world through their lenses. She is feted as a rising artist by the National Arts Council. Or Nur Aziemah Azman, a former madrasah student and a graduate of the prestigious Al-Azhar University. She is currently an Associate Research Fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). Today, her mastery in multiple languages, as well as her research expertise in the domains of online extremism, international terrorism, religion and identity has given her team an edge in safeguarding Singapore's security.
YWILD also aims to provide a platform for young women in our community to have those difficult conversations regarding gender and apply it within the context and value system of the Malay/Muslim community.
Lastly, we need a whole-of-society and community mindset shift to re-educate the society on shared responsibilities in the home. Gendered expectations start from young. Therefore, we need to involve the young and old, our boys and their caregivers in this conversation too.
Just this year, The Straits Times produced a video called InstaSex that delved into the stories of teens who encountered sexual harassment and physical assault as a result of interactions on social media.
Separately, there was an online poll sexualising ustazah, or female Islamic religious teachers, with a view to committing sexual violence against them. The Internet has added a layer of anonymity that may embolden some to use it as a platform to denigrate women. These incidents should not be chalked up to people being oversensitive. These incidents should never be overlooked. This underscores the relevance and significance of the work of the Alliance for Action Committee formed to tackle online harms.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, our boys will grow up to be colleagues, husbands and fathers, and we will raise them to treat women with dignity, honour and respect. Teach them to be our allies. Teach them to not make light of casual remarks that belittle women so that it does not become normalised, and teach them to stand up to those who do. Treat the boys with compassion so that they may become compassionate boys too. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We need a whole-of-society and community mindset shift to re-educate the society on shared responsibilities in the home. Gendered expectations start from young. Therefore, we need to involve the young and old, our boys and their caregivers in this conversation too.
Our boys will grow up to be colleagues, husbands and fathers, and we will raise them to treat women with dignity, honour and respect. Teach them to be our allies. Teach them to not make light of casual remarks that belittle women, so it does not become normalised and teach them to stand up to those who do. Treat the boys with compassion so they may become compassionate boys too.
And women, we are allies of each other too. To raise each other up, we should also act in solidarity with the women from marginalised groups: the old, the differently-abled, the poor or the single mother trying her best to raise strong confident daughters of her own.
(In English): And women, we are allies of each other too. To raise each other up, we should also act in solidarity with the women from marginalised groups: the old, the differently-abled, the poor, or the single mother trying her best to raise strong confident daughters of her own.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, the mindset shift will take time. However, I am confident that the results of such efforts will be far-reaching and worthwhile, and I look forward to it. In closing, let me thank the Singapore Muslim Women's Association for their contributions to this speech.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mdm Deputy Speaker, there have been movements around the world throughout the decades that have sought to elevate and empower women. Yet, even then, there are certain ridges and differences within these very movements. Some invoke race; others invoke class; and sometimes, these movements discount, if not cannibalise one another. Indeed, a house divided against itself cannot stand, and this cannot be for the case of elevating and empowering women, especially in a year we have declared the Year of Celebrating SG Women.
I know even as I stand here speaking in Parliament today about a Motion on women's interests, submitted also by a woman, that we are all standing on the shoulders of giants. Broad are the shoulders of the sisters who have gone before us and there is always space for more. We welcome the solidarity the Workers' Party has shown, picking up arms to join our ongoing ascent to elevating and empowering women.
Willing to listen, willing to put in the hard work and willing to look ahead. These are principles on which the Labour Movement has moved to organise our society's resources and shake up cultural mindsets to elevate and empower our Singaporean women in the workplace. In this movement for women workers we have forged, I would like to remind us of its decades-long importance as we look to chart the next few decades to come for our women in the workplace.
On being willing to listen: the year is 1973, and women are stepping up in full force to work in paid employment roles, especially with exciting foreign direct investments flowing into Singapore. Much like today, women were going on the ascent in their own right, and the taste of empowerment gave us the confidence and momentum to traverse through barriers that might have still stood in our way.
Sister Annabella Sim, then just 21, a visionary whose form many of us take after today, became the founding chairperson of the NTUC Women's Committee and, I would say, the first female elected to our Central Committee. She said, \"Through the Central Committee, I hope to bring about parity treatment with equal wage for equal work for women\". Annabella and her team of unionists started their journey with an ear to the ground, consulting with working women to identify their primary concerns. They discovered that after making their first forays into the workforce, women would often leave their jobs after starting a family. This was merely what was expected of us in the household then as women. Our unionists and sisters listened, and they took to heart. This birthed out pioneering efforts by women in the Labour Movement to provide childcare support and helping women rejoin the workforce.
On being willing to put in the hard work: in response to women's waning labour force participation rates after childbirth years, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon and the unions took over and expanded the then Department of Social Welfare's 10 childcare centres. The Labour Movement started NTUC Childcare in 1977 to shoulder the burdens of women who felt the need to leave their jobs early on in their careers without support for childcare. NTUC Childcare scaled the number of these childcare centres to double-digit figures within a couple years. We drove fundraising efforts to establish new centres, as well as contended for Government subsidies to keep childcare fees easily affordable for parents.
The seed Mrs Yu-Foo had sown almost 50 years ago is what is known today as NTUC First Campus, which continues to provide affordable childcare through its 160 preschool centres island-wide and nine Primary-school-based student care centres serving more than 20,000 families.
Pioneering and building our childcare infrastructure was no small feat and this is an ongoing work-in-progress.
In 2019, our Women's Wing put up a position paper titled \"Supporting Parenthood and Young Families\". Our Prime Minister acknowledged the importance of a good preschool and how it provides many long-term benefits in life, and the Government has steadily improved the accessibility, affordability and quality of preschools. Childcare subsidies were further enhanced in 2020 and the number of full-day childcare and infant care centres has risen from 140,000 to 190,000. The long-term plan is to cap our preschool fees so that the full-day childcare will be the same as Primary school fees plus after student care fees.
On being willing to look ahead: in the mid-2000s, Singapore was met with a sustained shortage of labour, as well as an ageing population problem looming around the corner. Not only was this a golden opportunity for us to usher women back into the workforce, but it needed to be delicately balanced with strong support for women to start families. The Labour Movement has helped women re-enter the workplace as early as the 1990s, and through the years, we have evolved our programmes to keep with the zeitgeist of the times. As the Director of the Women’s Programme back then, our President Halimah Yacob and the Women’s Committee started a Back-to-Work (B2W) Programme in 2007 to create new opportunities for women in the workplace. The programme, with a robust strategy, including recruitment, re-adjustment and retention plans for women’s return to the workforce, was intended for the benefit of future generations.
With its introduction, we saw the consolidation of best practices in training, counselling and job placements, as well as the promotion of flexible work arrangements. With these best practices, we fuelled the Employment and Employability Institute to do its good work in matching workers and employers. With this forward-looking vision, we promoted companies to provide facilities for breastfeeding mothers. Over the years, the Back2Work Programme has helped more than 28,000 women return to work and provided training to more than 30,000 women.
Today, building and evolving on the work the Labour Movement has advocated for, flexible work arrangements are the new norm, and we continue to work with our tripartite partners to implement and redesign jobs to enable women to return to work. Companies such as Le Essen, a catering and canteen operator, now have 50% of their workforce comprising women returning to work on redesigned flexible work hours.
Indeed, in the area of workplace harassment, the tripartite partners have also drawn up a tripartite advisory on managing workplace harassment. NTUC has also developed a workplace harassment prevention policy to be adopted and adapted by companies and, indeed, both are promoted by TAFEP. For progressive companies with the Labour Movement family, they are guided by workplace harassment clauses in their collective agreements. Our unions and women leaders represent both women and men in harassment and grievance cases. But the work does not stop here. We continue to listen, work hard and prepare for the new work norms. We are only eating the fruits of the trees planted by those who have come before us and we will continue to plant trees for those to come.
The enterprise, tenacity and vision of our women who had gone before us, indeed, lay the foundation for the work we continue today and we are glad to have reinforcements even across party lines to continue their good work. As we consider the Motion filed for a whole-of-society approach in empowering women, we say \"Let us do it\". And let us continue to do it the way we have been doing it for years – being willing to listen, willing to put in the hard work and willing to look ahead. These core principles will continue to shape our success.
Decades later, though the challenges women face have evolved in form due to the myriad opportunities made available to women, we must continue to put our ears to the ground, be good listeners and be able to roll with the punches. Policy measures that look good on paper sometimes only look good because they are overly convenient and fail to consider repercussions downstream. To this, we say let us continue to innovate solutions and undertake them even if they seem difficult, because that is the diligence our women deserve.
Finally, let us be willing to look ahead together and not be transfixed on the quick-fix, but the long game. While whole societies begin to elevate and empower women, women begin to elevate whole societies to greater heights than before. Welcome to the movement.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I strongly support the Motion moved by Ms He Ting Ru and Mr Leon Perera that this House affirms that gender equality requires a whole-of-society effort to remove all barriers in order to empower every woman to freely realise her full potential and participation in society.
I would like to focus on three areas that I believe will bring us closer towards achieving gender equality in Singapore: residency and benefits for foreign spouses, support for single parents and flexible work arrangements.
According to an answer to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) I asked last September, in the six months from February to July 2020, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) received 8,395 applications for extensions of Short-Term Visit Passes (STVPs) from foreign spouses of Singaporeans. This was an increase of almost 2,000 applications from the year before. These extensions are typically for one to three months, but some are reportedly as short as one or two weeks. While the vast majority of applications are approved, over 250 were rejected during the six-month period last year.
A number of my constituents have sought assistance regarding renewals of STVPs and applications for Long-Term Visit Passes (LTVPs) for their foreign spouses. I am sure many Members would have also submitted such appeals to ICA.
In the majority of cases that I have come across, the foreign spouse is a woman. They face the uncertainty and anxiety of being separated from their Singaporean husbands and, in some cases, their children as well, if their passes are not renewed.
I have also noticed that almost all of the residents who have approached me for assistance with their spouses’ visas are from lower-income households. Applications for STVP extensions cost $40 for every three months of stay. While it might not seem much, this adds up over time. More importantly, their spouses’ immigration worries often add to their daily stresses of life.
To reduce the immigration-related stressors faced by Singapore Citizens and their foreign spouses, I propose the creation of a more streamlined path towards obtaining LTVP, LTVP+ and PR status and, eventually, citizenship for such spouses.
There are strong reasons for such a policy. For example, given that a quarter of marriages here are between a Singaporean and a non-resident, transnational marriages will continue to be an important contributor to family formation in Singapore. As such, fast-tracking parents and potential parents of Singaporean children for citizenship would facilitate the formation of stable family units with a full stake in Singapore.
Towards this end, the primary consideration for PR applications by LTVP holders who have a Singaporean spouse or child, should be their family ties and rootedness in Singapore and not just their income or occupation. Their close family relationship with Singaporeans makes them part of the Singapore Core and we should facilitate, not inhibit, their integration into our society.
I am aware that not all foreign spouses may immediately qualify for PR status. However, foreigners who have entered into a bona fide marriage with a Singapore citizen should be granted LTVP status by default. I have constituents who have been married to foreigners for over a year and are still unable to obtain an LTVP for them. They need to continually renew their spouse’s STVPs, with no certainty of approval each time.
One constituent told me of his desire to have children with his wife but he has shelved those plans because he is worried that his wife may be forced to leave Singapore if her pass is not extended, leading to a separation from any children they might have. Madam, our citizens and their foreign spouses deserve a better assurance of their place in Singapore.
Next, I would like to appeal for the Government to raise the level of support currently given to single parents, so that they and their children are not disadvantaged in our society. In a speech in 2013, I outlined the burdens faced by single parents who have to take on the role of both father and mother and perform caregiving duties while also holding on to a job to pay the bills. Compounding their challenges, they are denied some of the parenthood benefits that married, divorced and widowed parents receive. This could add to their feeling of marginalisation from society.
Since single mothers make up the bulk of single parents, changes to policies to support single parents will disproportionately benefit women. My former Parliamentary colleagues, in particular, Ms Lee Li Lian, as well as Assoc Prof Daniel Goh, Mr Png Eng Huat, and current Members Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap, Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Leon Perera and others, have repeatedly advocated for greater support for single parents over the past eight years.
Government benefits and housing options for single unmarried parents and their children should be the same as for any other family unit. The distinction that the Government often makes between single unmarried parents and divorced parents, in terms of the benefits provided, should be removed.
To be clear, we should not encourage single parenthood or having children outside of marriage, any more than we encourage divorce. It is hard enough raising children with both parents, let alone by oneself. However, once a woman has made the brave choice to carry her child to term despite not having the support of a spouse and likely family disapproval, we, as a society, must do all we can to support her. We should not make things more difficult for her by denying her benefits available to other parents.
We must also be mindful that unequal benefits inadvertently penalise the innocent children of single unmarried parents, who are often in need of greater support. According to a reply to a PQ by Mr Louis Ng, the median monthly income from work of single, unmarried mothers below the age of 35 was just $600 in 2017, which was 86% less than the national median income that year.
Currently, many single parents are not eligible to buy or rent a subsidised HDB flat to live with their children. What this means in practice – and I have seen this among my constituents – is that they and their children have to squeeze into a flat with their parents, close relatives or friends. However, this is an inherently unstable arrangement. If they fall out with their family members or are estranged from their families – as some are – they risk having nowhere to stay. Renting a flat in the open market is seldom a realistic option as it is prohibitively expensive. Singles below the age of 35 do not qualify to purchase HDB flats or rent flats under the Public Rental Scheme.
I note that HDB has said that it will exercise flexibility in allowing unmarried parents to buy a 3-room or smaller flat in a non-mature estate from HDB, or a resale flat, and that those who cannot afford to buy a flat may be considered for public rental flats. I would like to see this made the default for all single parents so that they are not denied a roof over their heads, and their children have a safe and homely environment to grow up in.
Single parents awaiting the construction of their BTO flats should also be allowed to rent a flat under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), which is currently available only to married couples, divorcees or the widowed.
All single parents and their children are a family in every sense of the word and should be considered a family nucleus by HDB for the purpose of purchasing or renting flats.
Some single parents who are divorcees also continue to face difficulties getting their monthly maintenance from their former spouses. The Government introduced the Maintenance Record Office (MRO) scheme in 2016 to assist the Courts in identifying those who refuse to pay even though they have the means to do so, so that the Courts can impose penalties on them. Mr Leon Perera previously asked in 2017 if MSF could provide a mechanism for spouses to request an investigation of the MRO without having to go through the Court process. I hope the Ministry will give consideration to this proposal as it reviews the MRO programme.
I should also mention that we should give single fathers the same benefits as single mothers, as they face very similar challenges as single mothers in raising their children alone. The Women’s Charter was changed in 2016 to allow men to apply for alimony. However, this is only possible if he is incapacitated and, therefore, unable to work. This high bar should be removed. A man should be allowed to apply for maintenance from his ex-wife if he has custody of their children and has a much lower earning power than her.
The final point I wish to raise relates to work arrangements. I call for companies to redouble their efforts to make flexible work arrangements available to employees who can and wish to work from home. The Government can do its part to nudge enterprises in this direction through tax incentives and by leading the way through Civil Service human resource policies.
I recently met an elderly constituent at the wake of her deceased husband. As was my usual practice, I asked if she was in need of any assistance. I was glad to hear that she was doing fine as she was able to continue working from home because of the arrangements made by her enlightened employer.
Her employer couriers her work to her flat daily and picks it up from her the next morning after she has completed it. This way, despite her inability to walk very far unassisted, she can still apply her skills and earn some income to support herself.
I believe that more businesses should explore such flexible work arrangements to meet their manpower needs while providing employment to those who can only work from home. This will empower many women with caregiving responsibilities, not to mention older workers and those with mobility issues. There are many women as well as some men who make the difficult choice to stop work temporarily to care for their young children or elderly parents. Very often, this dilemma could have been avoided if more companies allowed their employees to work from home.
One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has forced many companies to digitalise and make work-from-home arrangements. This has been helpful for many caregivers who need to look after their young children or elderly parents.
However, once Singapore starts to reopen, many companies may start summoning their workers back to the office. I hope companies will not forgo their digital gains this way. Companies should assess which jobs can be performed as productively at home as in the office and give employees a choice of working remotely.
The labour force participation rate of women trails 14% behind men. The gap starts to form for women starting from their mid-20s– the age when they start having children – and continues to increase throughout their childbearing years, with a peak of some 25% behind men of the same age. This could point to what is known as the \"child penalty\", which could have a negative impact on a woman’s earning power and retirement adequacy. Even with work-from-home arrangements, SMU sociologist Aliya Rao found that women bear a greater burden of handling both paid work as well as unpaid work of managing the household. This is a point that Ms He Ting Ru also made earlier.
The key point here is flexibility. We need to promote a work environment that is more understanding of the various roles that mothers and fathers desire to play and avoid forcing them to choose one role over the other. This will enable many more parents to continue pursuing their careers while providing for themselves and caring for their families.
In summary, Madam, I call for the streamlining of immigration procedures for foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens to strengthen the Singapore Core; for more support to be extended to single unmarried parents; and for policies to promote flexible work arrangements, all of which will benefit both women and men. Madam, I support the Motion.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Minister of State Desmond Tan.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan): Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to make a clarification to Member Raeesah Khan, who made a reference during her speech about mishandling in a case by the Police of an investigation involving a sexual victim.
I would like to seek some clarification from her in terms of the details because we take this very seriously. Any form of questions raised about how the Police have handled or mishandled this case should be investigated. I would like to request for her to provide us more details so that we can investigate this issue.
Secondly, we also noticed that she has raised quite a few questions just now about information as well as suggestions about how this case has to be handled and also, even through this one incident, suggested that the Police have to improve their training.
For such questions, we would like to request that she gives us specific details, even through a Parliamentary Question, so that this can be looked into and we can give her a proper answer for these questions.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Raeesah Khan.
Ms Raeesah Khan: Thank you for those clarifications. Like I mentioned, it was three years ago and I do not wish to re-traumatise the person that I had accompanied. But I have to say that these anecdotes are not isolated. Perhaps, this can start further discussions on how victims or survivors are treated after they make reports. This may not just be when they make reports to the Police but it can also be how they make reports to other institutions.
Sorry, what was your second point?
Mr Desmond Tan: I had requested that if you have specific questions or requests for information, you should file a proper Parliamentary Question so that we can provide the data to you properly.
Ms Raeesah Khan: Okay. Thank you very much.
Mr Desmond Tan: I would also like to say that you have made a very serious allegation of the mishandling by Police in the House through your speech and we take this seriously. We would like to have the details so that we can look into it and not just have this swept aside.
I know that it is not going to be easy for you or even for the victim to go through this. But from the Police's point of view, you have just made a very important allegation and we would like to have the details to look into it further.
Ms Raeesah Khan: Sure. Thanks.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Leader.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Exempted Business","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That the proceedings on the business set down on the Order Paper for today be exempted at this day's sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No 2.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Empowering Women","subTitle":"Motion","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Debate resumed (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Mdm Deputy Speaker, this is a meaningful debate in support of Singapore women and I support the amended Motion.
Since I entered this House in 2011, I have heard many suggestions made by fellow Members of Parliament and have also seen real policy changes being implemented to resolve pain points and provide stronger support to Singapore women.
I was listening intently to the speeches of hon Member Ms He Ting Ru and several of the Workers' Party Members earlier and found their points made to be quite similar to the suggestions made by my fellow PAP Members of Parliament over the years.
For instance, Ms He Ting Ru today asked for greater representation of females at the leadership level for greater diversity of views. Indeed, in 2017, several Members of this House, including Mdm Deputy Speaker yourself, hon Members Mr Vikram Nair, Mr Alex Yam, Mr Louis Ng and several others have called for the same.
Ms He Ting Ru also raised the point on CPF transfers. This was also a point that was raised by several of our Members, including Ms Joan Pereira, former Member of Parliament Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, in 2017 and there were several efforts before that as well.
There was also a suggestion or a call for the gender-neutral CareShield Life premium. I think this one – several Members, including myself – also called for this in 2018 and, again, in 2019.
So, indeed, I am very heartened to observe this because this reinforces the recommendations that we had put forth as well, as we all desire to support Singapore women in realising their fullest potential.
I am also heartened that, so far, nobody has objected to the amendments as moved by hon Member Mr Vikram Nair. I, therefore, take it that it is a recognition that we need to go beyond this debate and have it translated into something that is actionable for the future, as set out in the upcoming White Paper.
Indeed, this House has, over the past six to seven decades, seen many exchanges and recommendations on how we can empower and advance Singapore women. Minister of State Sun Xueling earlier recounted the key milestones in this long journey towards removing barriers and empowering Singapore women.
More recently, in 2017, I, together with fellow PAP women Members of Parliament – Mdm Deputy Speaker Jessica Tan, Miss Cheryl Chan, Ms Joan Pereira and former Member of Parliament Er Dr Lee Bee Wah – moved a Private Members' Motion titled \"Aspirations of Women\".
I was heartened that 18 Members of the House, including me, spoke on this important cause and that our Ministers and Ministers of State gave so much of their time to address our concerns and recommendations, and echoed their support for the aspirations of Singapore women. I certainly appreciated the interest and support from the Workers' Party in the 2017 Motion debate as well.
Through the two-day debate, colleagues and I articulated and elaborated on the four strategies that we believed were critical to supporting Singapore women in their aspirational pursuits. Let me briefly sum up.
The first strategy was to create capacity. We agreed that, as of the current reality, the primary caregiving role was still undertaken by women and, therefore, we called for more support to our caregivers, including enhancing availability and access to care options so as to free up women's capacity to pursue their aspirations, career- or social-wise. Colleagues who called for this included Ms Joan Pereira, Miss Cheryl Chan and Minister of State Sun Xueling.
At the same time, we called for platforms and cogent programmes to refresh and build new capabilities to help back-to-work women because these expand their capacities to pursue the diverse aspirations that they may have. Ms Jessica Tan, Ms Joan Pereira, Mr Darryl David, Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar and Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam spoke very passionately on this in 2017.
The second strategy was to provide options for women so that ladies with career aspirations do not have to feel that they need to sacrifice or feel guilty about having to juggle different roles and feel inadequate at any point in time. A wide range of recommendations, including flexible work arrangements, were raised by almost all the Members of Parliament who spoke. In addition, Miss Cheryl Chan and Mr Darryl David called for progressive human resource policies and practices to complement the many recommendations put forth.
Members of Parliament, such as Ms Joan Pereira, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam, Mr Alex Yam and Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, called for CPF top-ups for women who gave up their careers to stay at home to care for their family members. I should add that this recommendation was also something that the PAP Women's Wing pushed for in 2015 and we called it \"Top Up with Love\".
Also, from this year, the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme was also implemented.
The third strategy was to remove barriers, especially the ones that were often stereotypical and pigeonhole women in Singapore. Members, including Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Vikram Nair, Mr Alex Yam and Mr Louis Ng spoke passionately about how women were under-represented at the board and executive levels and how we should also drive up women's participation and leadership within the community.
But to do so, we need to recognise the stereotypes and biases constraining women in those different roles. Mr Darryl David, Mr Louis Ng, Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar and, certainly, Mr Leon Perera talked about the need to shift the care burden to have a more equal sharing of care duties between men and women, whether it is at the workplace, in the family or even within the social setting.
At the same time, Ms Jessica Tan also reminded everyone to be conscious of our unconscious bias so that women will not be inevitably disadvantaged from the start of recruitment.
The fourth strategy was to be future-ready – to have smart women for a smart nation – something that I felt and continue to be passionate about.
We called for digital fluency, the use of smart solutions to create capacity and empowering women with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education so that they are well-positioned for the job opportunities in growth sectors and leap towards closing that gender pay gap. This recommendation is again reiterated in the paper jointly authored by the PAP Women's Wing and Young PAP submitted this year.
Taken together, the debate demonstrated from both sides of the House our support for the aspirations of Singapore women and the willingness of this Government to support likewise.
Between the debate in 2017 till now, I am encouraged to observe several positive developments. For instance, the number of home care and day care places increased to 10,300 and 9,000 respectively in 2019, exceeding the 2020 targets announced in 2017 back then. Infant care centres increased from 512 in 2017 to 661 in 2020, and childcare centres increased from 1,389 in 2017 to 1,542 in 2020. To facilitate inter-generational bonding, the first inter-generational playground and infant and childcare centre within a nursing home was launched in late 2017. Since then, we have witnessed eldercare and childcare facilities being co-located in new HDB estates. MacPherson Spring in my constituency is an example. I believe such co-location of facilities offers much convenience to caregivers taking care of the young and old in their families.
Of course, in addition to increasing the availability of these care places, subsidies also play a very important role to help making it a lot more accessible to working fathers and mothers. In this respect, I am glad to note that childcare, infant care subsidies have been enhanced in 2020, that is, last year.
On flexible work arrangements, we know from a January 2021 written Parliamentary response to Mr Christopher de Souza that the vast majority of employees today, including caregivers, have access to flexible work arrangements (FWAs). In 2019, about 85% of employers offered some form of FWAs and this number increased during the COVID-19 period. As of end-November 2020, more than 8,000 companies adopted the Tripartite Standard on FWAs, up from under 2,000 companies a year ago.
Could we still do more? Certainly! That is why many colleagues, like Dr Tan Wu Meng, for example, today continue to champion this, as evident by his Parliamentary Questions in this House just earlier today.
In empowering more girls with STEM education, I am encouraged that female representation in Information Technology courses in local Universities has increased from 28% in 2017 to 35% in 2019. Still room for improvement, but making progress. And pushing further to avail Singapore women of good career opportunities, the PAP called for greater help for women to secure jobs in growth sectors as we recognise that there are tech-lite jobs suitable for those without a STEM background within the tech sector, and demand for workers remains strong in the care and green economy.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, please allow me to speak in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Deputy Speaker, I am glad to participate in the debate on this meaningful Motion today. I support the amended Motion. The contributions of Singapore women to the family, community and country are evident to all.
Since I entered Parliament in 2011, I have heard many suggestions from my colleagues on issues related to support for women in Singapore. I have also witnessed the implementation of Government policies to help women in Singapore achieve greater progress.
In 2017, I had the honour to move a Motion with four of my fellow Members of Parliament in Parliament on how to help Singaporean women realise their aspirations. With 13 other Members of Parliament, we engaged in a two-day debate.
The debate in 2017 outlined four key strategies.
First, create and strengthen frameworks and services to share the burden of caregivers and free up time for them to better balance their multiple roles.
Second, to promote flexible work arrangements and give them options to care for their families without sacrificing their careers.
Third, encourage society and businesses to value women's economic potential and contributions.
Fourth, promote skills training for women in science and technology to prepare them for the digital age and the future economy.
Of course, the suggestions put forward were not confined to women. My colleagues and I had hoped to seek your support through the Motion to support our women with concrete actions. This will no doubt strengthen Singapore's foundations and help Singaporeans, both men and women, to develop their potential and prepare for the future together.
Since 2017, we have made progress in many areas, including eldercare, childcare, flexible work arrangements and digital education and training. For example, the number of home care places has increased 30% between 2017 and 2019, while day care and childcare places rose by 80% and 11% respectively in the same period. Childcare subsidy was also raised this year.
For more than 60 years, we have been fighting for more support for women. Today's Motion is built on this solid foundation and is an added effort.
With each wave of industrial revolution, renewal of skills in the workplace, changes in the general environment and societal attitudes, we have to keep up with the changes and make corresponding adjustments. I believe this is why the Government announced last year that it would jointly organise Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development with partners in the private and public sectors, and consolidate the recommendations into a White Paper which will be submitted to Parliament this year.
In response, the PAP submitted 12 recommendations to the Government last week to promote women’s development. AWARE and the Workers' Party have also submitted their proposals.
Clearly, the contributions of Singapore women to the family and society cannot be overlooked. We must press on to support women in realising their potential and aspirations. Hence, I look forward to the release of the White Paper.
(In English): This journey to support Singapore women fulfil their fullest potential and aspirations is not new. Even as I speak of the 2017 debate, there were many others before me in this House who had championed the cause. Likewise, today’s Motion adds to the journey. And I am glad that we are building on this firm foundation.
There are many things we can still do to support Singapore women. As the broader environment changes, as demographics and societal attitudes shift, we need to adjust, too. Hence, our endeavour to support Singapore women must continue. And I believe that it is in this spirit that the Government is tabling a White Paper later this year.
Contributing to this White Paper, the PAP submitted our recommendations to the Government last week. Likewise, AWARE and WP have put forth theirs. But even as we continue to co-create these solutions, I believe it is important that this House affirms the familial, social and economic contributions of Singapore women and our support for them to fulfil their aspirations and societal participation, and we look forward to the White Paper.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Motion calls for a whole-of-society approach to remove barriers that impede women from free participation in society. I would like to focus my speech on female participation in political leadership.
Question: how does Singapore fare right now in women political leadership?
I believe we all accept that women must be a big part of this House. Women must not just be a big part of this House; women should hold leadership positions in Government and in political parties. Over the years, this House has seen progress. For decades before 1984, the House was all male. After the 1984 General Elections, three women were elected on the ruling party ticket – Dr Aline Wong, Dr Dixie Tan and Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon. They made up about 3% of the total number of Members of Parliament. Today, the House is touching 30% women, a 10-fold increase. We have female Ministers, we had a female Speaker, we continue to have female Leaders of the House.
How are we doing if we compare ourselves globally? The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) puts out a country ranking of the percentage of females in national legislatures. Singapore, with its nearly 30% female Members of Parliament, is ranked 54th in the world. When one looks at the countries above Singapore, they are an incredibly diverse mix of countries at different stages of development. Singapore lags significantly behind the Nordic countries as well as Rwanda and the UAE which have between 40% and 61% of women legislators. We are doing slightly better than the USA at 27% and about on par with Germany and Australia which are at 31%.
When one looks at the list of countries with high proportions of women legislators, one will notice that certain countries which are not known for gender equality seem to be high on the list. Therefore, while the numbers matter, we should not have women fill places in Parliaments for its own sake, if they do not play a meaningful role. Let me take an analogy from the corporate world.
The Singapore Government has been advocating that boards of companies should aim to have 30% of women directors. In order to reach 30%, some family-run companies may be tempted to appoint female family members, but that would not be meaningful if these women did not exercise independent decision-making.
To that end, it is somewhat reassuring to see that in Singapore politics, there is an increased presence of women playing influential roles. There are more female Ministers in Cabinet than ever before, helming Ministries. But we want to see more. There are also more female opposition Members of Parliament than ever before. We want to see more of them, too.
But what will it take to increase the pool of able and willing female Singaporeans entering the forefront of politics? Any political leader in Singapore will know that it is more difficult to find women to stand as candidates in Parliamentary elections.
I count myself fortunate that I did not face any family or societal pressures when I decided to join the Workers’ Party 20 years ago. Not having a spouse or children, I did not need to agonise over how the family would cope without me at home at night, or how their lives and morale would be affected by nasty media headlines and the testy exchanges that take place in this House from time to time. As for my parents, they are persons of great fortitude. My mother is a retired nurse who has seen life-and-death emergencies. As for my late father, he simply laughed it off on learning that I had joined the Workers’ Party, saying, and I quote: \"Congratulations. You are one step closer to prison\". I consider myself fortunate.
Other women are not so free. Time and again, we find potential female candidates who are unable to freely decide whether to stand as candidates, compared to males who seem to have fewer inhibitions. I believe the Workers’ Party is not unique in this experience. Women, especially those with young children, are burdened with worry and even guilt, wanting to be there for their families at key moments of their children’s development. The expectations of family members, particularly parents and parents-in-law, add more pressure to mothers. Employers, too, may doubt a working mother’s ability to cope with her work and political responsibilities as well. I do not notice such pressure and apprehension in my dealings with potential male candidates.
I should clarify, at this point, that I am not saying that a woman who decides that her family is the most important thing to her is somehow under-achieving or under-contributing. Far from it. What I am saying is that we should empower women to freely make these choices. Women should be confident that, in their ecosystem, family responsibilities are shared. They should be confident that their contributions to the wider society are cheered and supported, and not seen as derelictions of their duties as mothers, daughters and daughters-in-law.
Some countries have tried to boost female participation in their legislatures through the imposition of legal quotas. I am personally very wary of going down this route, which has led to some perverse outcomes elsewhere. I learned of this a few years ago when I was part of a Commonwealth delegation observing a national election on the African continent. Several female politicians shared that their experience with legal quotas had not been good. Their national elections had proportional representation systems of affirmative action for women. Political parties would put up lists of female candidates, who would be assured of entering Parliament depending on their party’s overall vote share at the polls. Unfortunately, in some instances, women who wished to be prioritised on the list were subjugated to the whimsical decision-making of their male party leaders, including acceding to humiliating demands. We should not go down this route of legal quotas.
On the other hand, more countries seem to have had sustainable success with soft targets or aspirational quotas. These voluntary targets serve as benchmarks to aim towards, without being overly rigid in application. Some countries saw political parties voluntarily setting party quotas, promising the electorate that they would field at least a certain percentage of women candidates. This happened due to political competition, as political parties jostled to gain support from a more demanding electorate and, especially, from female voters.
Although political parties in Singapore have not announced any voluntary quotas of women candidates, my observation is that the parties are, indeed, conscious of the need to field at least a minimum proportion of women. Let me cite some numbers. If we look at the last General Election, on the ruling party side, nearly 27% of the candidates were women, while on the Workers’ Party side, nearly 24% were women. After Polling Day, female PAP Members of Parliament formed about 29% of PAP Members of Parliament, while female WP Members of Parliament formed 30% of WP Members of Parliament. As for the Progress Singapore Party, they fielded about 21% of female candidates and, after Polling Day, two Non-Constituency Members of Parliament were elected – one man and one woman.
At the decision-making levels of the parties, the Central Executive Committees (CECs) of both the PAP and the WP are still male-dominated, but to different degrees at the moment. The PAP has three female CEC members out of 18, making up about 17%. The WP CEC has four women out of 14, making up 29%; though this is a vast improvement from the 14% we had previously, I am most mindful that this gain is precarious and can easily unravel. The PSP has five women out of a 14-member CEC, a healthy 36%. When it comes to the Cabinet, we see three female Ministers out of 20, which is 15%. It seems to me that all political parties can put in more effort to try to raise the levels of female participation in leadership.
I am cautiously optimistic that we may not need to adopt even voluntary quotas to improve the situation. As has happened in other countries, the element of competition amongst political parties in Singapore will also result in the need for parties to field more women candidates and promote women leadership. The electorate will be watching us.
However, given the social context, it will not be an easy slog unless the whole of society embraces policies which make it conducive for women to step up to the political forefront. I now turn to the relevance of gender equality in society to fostering increased female participation in politics.
Madam, the Motion posits that there is a link between gender equality and the empowerment of women to freely realise their full potential. It is thus relevant to ask whether a society that nurtures a gender-neutral culture will organically see more women in politics.
Gender equality assessments across countries are regularly done, and there are reports and rankings of gender gaps worldwide. For instance, in March this year, the World Bank published the Global Gender Gap Report 2021. This report assesses gender gaps in countries across four fields – political empowerment, economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, and health and survival.
Of all the four fields assessed, political empowerment is the one with the largest gender gap worldwide. If one looks at the top 10 countries deemed to be the most gender neutral, one sees that eight out of these 10 are also in the top 25 for female representation in their parliaments. These include the usual suspects such as the Nordic countries, as well as New Zealand, Namibia and Rwanda. According to this gender gap assessment, Singapore was 54th globally, coincidentally the same ranking we received on the percentage of female representation in Parliament.
An academic study of 36 European countries was published last year which attempted to test certain hypotheses as to why countries might have higher or lower percentages of women in their parliaments. The study tested two hypotheses – the first was whether higher percentages of women parliamentarians were found in richer countries measured by GDP per capita; the second was whether the proportion of women parliamentarians was co-related with the country's character as measured on a Masculinity Index.
The Masculinity Index was determined based on a variety of factors such as: the importance of money, high economic growth as a priority, men earning more than women and traditional family structures. Such masculine traits were to be contrasted with the Femininity Index which valued caring for others and the quality of life. Singapore was ranked in the middle of this scale. The study found that a higher proportion of women in parliament was strongly co-related with a country's wealth but also with a low score on the Masculinity Index. Three Nordic countries – Norway, Finland and Sweden – exemplify this.
Madam, it stands to reason that a society with a culture of gender equality will be more conducive to women being empowered to make free choices, including the choice to devote oneself to political service. For instance, more equal sharing of childcare and eldercare responsibilities will ease decision-making for women. Wage levels should be comparable for equivalent work, so that it may make economic sense for husbands to decide to work part-time or not at all. Flexible work arrangements will unlock possibilities. The list goes on.
Singapore should continue in this direction if we wish to see sustained streams of women contributing to their full potential, including those who will step forward to serve as political candidates, Members of Parliament and Ministers.
In order to attract more women into political leadership, we need all segments of society to work together to build a gender-equal ecosystem. Government, employers, employees, business and family must buy-in to this vision, in order that our wives, mothers and daughters can fulfil their aspirations and contribute to public life if they wish to.
Madam, over the weekend, some of us might have been fixated with watching world-class athletes compete at the Tokyo Olympics. One of the moments that moved me greatly was the victory ceremony for a relatively new event in swimming – the four by 100m mixed medley relay. It was so refreshing to see the teams of four swimmers at the victory podium – two men and two women – showing the world the glory that their combined effort had brought to their countries. Each of them, man, and woman, was equally critical in achieving the team's success. That is the spirit in which the whole of society can collaborate in the national interest.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, others in this House have shared about why a society that is not truly gender-neutral is problematic from a political, social and cultural perspective. Allow me, if I may, to contribute to this discussion from the economic point of view.
Unsurprisingly, discrimination of any form, whether on the basis of race, religion or gender, entails not just visible costs to the social and moral fabric of society, it also embeds hidden or, at least, under-appreciated, costs for the functioning of our economy. In this speech, I wish to bring some of these potentially hidden costs to light.
There is now a substantial body of evidence pointing to the importance of gender equality for economic development.
Economic historians have argued that one of the important contributors to the Great Divergence, when European Civilization was able to overtake Qing China, Mughal India and Tokugawa Japan, and the difference was the so-called \"European Marriage Pattern\": a pattern of delayed female marriage, elevated female celibacy and the formation of small, nuclear-family households. The idea is that by improving the position of women, this pattern increases both labour force participation and encourages greater investment in human capital, which serves to promote long-term economic growth.
This argument has since been rigorously tested against data from around the world and the results are clear: greater gender equality tends to be associated with higher growth. Remarkably, the relationship works both ways: not only does empowering women benefit development, but development, in and of itself, can also be a force for suppressing gender inequality, which holds the potential for a virtuous circle of ever-greater empowerment, followed by development.
Remarkably, this insight that gender equality and female empowerment are a force for economic progress was most pithily expressed not by a paragon of capitalism, but by an icon of communism. In encouraging women to pursue education and work outside of home, Chairman Mao Zedong famously proclaimed that, 妇女能顶半边天 or, literally, \"women hold up half the sky\", an allusion to how women can, and do, contribute mightily to the success of the economic endeavours of a nation.
Closer to home, Singapore has, like many Newly Industrialised Economies (NIEs) in East Asia, steadily improved the extent to which women are engaged as productive members of the economy. Between 1990 and 2019, for example, the female labour force participation rate has risen from around 45% in 1990, to around 62% in 2019, the latest year that data are available and, unfortunately, a number that differs from Minister of State Sun Xueling's earlier citation, unless I misheard, of 76%. This represents an increase of a little less than a third, which is notable, nevertheless, for an advanced economy.
It is also significantly higher than rates among our NIE peers, which average closer to 53%, and also surpasses that of developed southern European nations such as Greece and Italy, where participation hovers in the low to mid-forties. Clearly, we have, even in more recent times, managed to encourage the entry of women into formal employment.
Alas, this impressive quantitative success masks some deeper, and possibly more worrisome, pathology.
For starters, participation has trended slightly down over the past five years. To be clear, I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, suggesting that women should always seek to increase their engagement in the workforce, come what may. Indeed, some retreat from working life may well be a calculated choice, reflecting a desire to spend more time in homemaking or the pursuit of other interests, such as hobbies or philanthropy, which may be enabled by higher incomes from the main breadwinner.
But we should not be blind to the possibility that some of the fastest growing sectors, such as technology, finance and data science, are famously male-dominated, and reduced participation could be symptomatic of the difficulty that women face in breaking into such lucrative professions, thereby inhibiting the further expansion of labour market entry by women.
Furthermore, there remains a significant imbalance in the participation rates of men versus women. Over the same period, the male participation rate continued to outstrip that of women, ranging between 78% and 79% over the past three decades. Put another way, the ratio of female-to-male labour force participation is around 0.79, substantially below Scandinavian countries, where the ratio is closer to 0.9. So, we know that greater egalitarianism is eminently possible.
Another reason that constrains further participation by Singaporean women is that they are still often expected to take on the primary responsibilities of caregiving and housework in the family. Hence, asking women to hold down a job and advance in their careers, while also taking on domestic work, effectively consigns women to a double shift, or equivalently, juggling two jobs. Often, the added burden compels them to either leave the workforce or reduce their hours to part-time employment.
The numbers corroborate this story: in Singapore, 83.4% of married men were employed in 2017, while in contrast, only 63.3% of married women stayed in the workforce. By a similar token, women are over-represented in part-time jobs. For that same year, women accounted for 64% of part-time labour force participation, almost twice as many as men, who accounted for the remaining 36%.
This latter statistic underscores the main obstacle preventing greater female labour force participation – time constraints. Of course, working part-time could well be a lifestyle choice I alluded to earlier, which should be available regardless of gender. But with only 47% of firms in Singapore offering full-time, flexible work arrangements, many women find themselves taking on part-time jobs not necessarily by choice, but rather because their employer either refuses or fails to offer alternatives that would allow them to continue working full-time, especially after the birth of the child. In my meetings with residents, I have had many women express difficulty in convincing their employer to agree to more flexible work arrangements, which relegates them effectively to part-time status.
A third force may discourage women from entering the labour force with more vigour: the gender pay gap. In Singapore, this income differential is around average compared to other industrialised economies, at 16.3%. To put this number in context though, this gap implies that, to a worker earning the median salary over a 40-year career, this discount experienced by women amounts to around a little more than a third of $1 million.
Of course, women's career choices and progression paths, based on differences in personality and preferences, along with the values placed on workplace flexibility and societal norms surrounding certain gender roles do affect this difference. To compare durians to durians, it is necessary to account for these observable and explainable differences. Doing so turns out to half the gap to around 6%. This is smaller, but still non-trivial; after all, this is the average annual increment over two to three years, which never goes away.
Furthermore, we do ourselves a disservice if we simply accept that wage differences can be accounted for and, hence, excusable. After all, as I explained above, a desire for flexibility should be regarded as an accommodation to a woman for taking on the additional, unpaid duties at home, not a perk that would engender – no pun intended – a discount to this worker's salary. Similarly, societal norms about the appropriateness of certain jobs for women – such as in tech and finance, as mentioned earlier – can and should be changed, as there is little clear inherent advantage held by those possessing the Y chromosome in performing these jobs.
Clearly, Mdm Deputy Speaker, these subtle forms of gender discrimination in the workplace – expressed in dollars and cents – remain real and present in the contemporary Singaporean economy.
COVID-19 has now presented itself as a genuine opportunity for us to seize upon and rectify this discrimination.
On one hand, the pandemic has hit women harder than men. The need to take on an even greater burden of managing the household as they work from home, has meant lower productivity, higher stress and greater burnout. Such feelings of stress experienced by those working from home even outstripped the amounts reported among frontline workers. If doing double shift as a woman was already stressful pre-pandemic, how much more difficult would this have been when parents also had to take on additional educational and childcare responsibilities during lockdown periods, such as the circuit breaker in 2020, or Phase Two (Heightened Alert) this year. Hence, many women went from a dreaded double shift, to an unbearable triple.
But the pandemic has also starkly revealed how working from home was not just plausible, but more than possible. It strikes me that firms expecting a return to business-as-usual look increasingly misguided. Much like how the Black Death permanently catalysed a dramatic realignment of wages in medieval Europe, COVID-19 will induce a comparable rethinking of employer-employee relationships. The future of work may well be irreversibly flexible.
Will the Government follow this trend, then, in institutionalising clear, flexible work arrangements, starting with the Civil Service? In addition to a four-day work week, which my Sengkang teammate Louis Chua has previously raised in this House, we can consider an alternative work schedule: add an hour to each workday, which adds up to a long weekend every fortnight. I am certain that many working mothers and fathers, for that matter, would value the opportunity to spend an additional day with their children, enjoy a long weekend, or even to attend to more mundane chores that are easiest to perform on a weekday.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, I believe all of us in this House agree that the ultimate goal is straightforward: we strive for a Singaporean workplace where one's gender has no bearing whatsoever on one's ability to succeed.
This, ultimately, requires our leadership – our top administrators in the public sector, our civil society visionaries and our captains of private industry – to fully buy into this vision of a gender-neutral workplace. But in the meantime, to get there from here, we will require policy changes, policy nudges; there remains an insufficient number of female leaders to ensure that diversity and inclusion expand organically. That is why the demonstration effect from Government is so crucial.
There are many practical steps to promote greater gender diversity in corporate leadership. Hurdles for women to participate in high-performance leadership training – such as how heavy travel commitments preclude young mothers, or underweighting certain emotional and social competencies in assessing leadership suitability – should, as much as possible, be removed. We could also consider a limited number of reservations for female representation on board memberships in GLCs, to preclude the possibility of total non-representation. This is especially so since, in contrast to electoral representation – as Aljunied Member of Parliament and my colleague, Ms Sylvia Lim, mentioned earlier – where there is palpable pressure from political competition, similar pressures are often significantly weaker in the corporate world, to the extent that the gender composition of board memberships even matter to the decisive shareholders.
The rank-and-file need support, too. Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan has made enormous strides in increasing the participation of women in its traditionally male-dominated offices, by dramatically expanding childcare facilities for working mothers. In a number of non-mature housing estates, especially Sengkang, the constituency that I represent, the ratio of childcare and Primary schooling facilities to eligible-aged children still lags the national average, because even as the absolute number of such facilities has grown, the number of children has grown even faster, resulting in a relative worsening.
Similarly, we can consider paid re-entry programmes for mothers and informal caregivers, to ease their re-integration into the workforce, post-childbirth or after a period of time as the primary caregiver. Programmes can be designed to refresh and update skills, tax relief can be offered to employers that operate successful re-entry programmes, to strengthen incentives for adoption.
And when these opportunities have been offered, our women have eagerly answered the call. In 2020, more women have taken up board seats in Statutory Boards, companies and institutions of public character. Notably, however, the target of at least a fifth of board seats in the top-100 primary-listed companies was missed.
Finally, going beyond participation, we should look more seriously at ameliorating the gender pay gap. While corporate governance matters are, ultimately, incumbent on the leadership of firms themselves, the Workers' Party has emphasised in its manifesto that employers with 10 or more employees should report their gender wage gaps, for the same job, to the MOM. MOM should then go on to publish aggregated and average pay gap information for each industry sector. Remuneration disclosure guidelines for SGX-listed firms should also be revised to encourage the routine publication of the gender pay gap in their annual reports. The Government should also render support to firms – especially smaller ones – for both the routine collection of such data, as well as offer strategies for how such gaps may be reduced in practice.
The Indian Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen observed that India has as many as 100 million \"missing women\" – as a result, he claimed, of gender-selective abortions – which is a travesty not just on a demographic and economic perspective, but a tragedy from a moral, societal and cultural one. But let us also not be blind to the fact that there are missing women in our workplaces. There are also hundreds of thousands of missing women that is a shortcoming that we can and must collectively resolve.
As Members of this House may know, I have a young daughter. Like every parent, I want her to grow up in the best possible world, one where she is able to pursue her dreams – whatever they may be – independent of whether she happens to possess a Y chromosome or not. I hope that we can all agree that this is why all of us need to work together to realise genuine gender equality in our Singaporean workplaces.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Raeesah Khan, you wish to make a clarification?
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clarification by Member","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Ms Raeesah Khan (Sengkang): Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. My speech earlier should not be construed as casting aspersions on the Police. That was not my intention and should not be interpreted as such. The Police is part of the solution and not the problem. I raised the example because it was my experience with a survivor. The episode I raised in my speech took place three years ago and I have been unsuccessful in getting in touch with them.
I believe that given the topic at hand, consent is imperative, not least to avoid re-victimisation. I will communicate directly with MHA on any episode in the future where a survivor believes she has been processed inappropriately by the Police, even as I will try my best to maintain my relationship of confidentiality with the victim.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Leader.
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for her clarification. I just wanted to take this opportunity to remind all Members of the House that the law confers on Members of Parliament privilege in the House and immunity, which means that it must be exercised responsibly.
And I just wanted to remind Members of the House that when assertions and allegations are made, Members must be prepared to substantiate them. This is just a reminder to Members so that in future they will understand, if they make an assertion, they may be called upon to substantiate it, especially if an assertion is made against an agency which is not in a position to defend itself.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Empowering Women","subTitle":"Motion","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Debate resumed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the spirit of this Motion and the proposed amendment by hon Member from Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Mr Vikram Nair. Given all that has been said by both sides of this House, it is clear that we are all in agreement that this Motion needs to make reference to the action plans that are required.
I think beyond an affirmation, there needs to be an acknowledgement of past contributions; beyond a declaration, there needs to be concrete steps; and beyond a statement of intent, there needs to be a call to action.
I am sure that the Members of this House, like me, are looking forward to the action plans in the upcoming White Paper arising out of the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development.
This year being the Year of Celebrating Singapore Women, it is important for us to remember how far we have come in terms of society and as a nation. Conversations on women's advancement in Singapore have been championed by the PAP Women's Wing since their inception and even before that in 1956 when the PAP Women's League was formed by Mdm Chan Choy Siong, one of the first women to be elected into Parliament in Singapore.
However, it is not to be championed by women alone. In my years of advocating to end domestic violence and championing women empowerment, I strongly believe that men are integral to any conversation regarding women development. I am thus glad that we have seen an overwhelming support from men who also share these same views.
The PAP Women's Wing and Young PAP have consulted diverse groups in our society, including men, and put together a set of recommendations that we hope the Government will consider to help our women and daughters achieve their fullest potential and aspirations. During the collation of ground feedback leading up to these set of recommendations, it is heartening to see men lending their voices and joining in our collective efforts to effect positive change.
Past and present PAP Members in this House have also stood up and spoken up for causes that are close to the hearts of women in Singapore. Mr Alex Yam spoke on the equality of value and treatment of both working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Mr Louis Ng championed the causes of women including breastfeeding mothers, single mothers and foreign spouses. Mr Melvin Yong encouraged men to shoulder the burden that women carry at home to strengthen marriages in Singapore.
Dr Lam Pin Min sought for more flexibility for fathers to take their parental leave entitlement. Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad more than 10 years ago championed steps to empower single mothers and encourage employers to consider flexible work arrangements. There are many others from past and present Parliament in our nation's history who have done so as well. These are not just a \"Few Good Men\"; they represent the goodness in men and there are many more out there. They have not only championed the cause, but they have also taken actionable steps with the Government to help shape policies and laws that benefit the women and daughters of our nation.
But laws and policies are not the be-all and end-all. We have to shape mindsets and shift attitudes.
Recently, we have seen various cases involving the objectification of women and misogynistic views being spread online. We need to address this. Patriarchal and stereotype mindsets alienate and demean the potential of our daughters, wives and women in our lives. In Malay, please, Madam.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] During this pandemic, we see more family conflicts that may lead to an increase in cases of domestic violence. Learning and working from home have become the norm today. Increased interactions at home and limited physical space can trigger more misunderstandings and household discord. This may be due to couples having different perceptions about caregiving and spousal roles at home. This perception may stem from patriarchal thinking or preconceptions about the role of wives, mothers or daughters in the home.
One of the proposals in the paper by the PAP Women’s Wing is about ensuring equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities between men and women. This is done by sharing of parental leave. Fathers now want to be more involved in the upbringing and the lives of their children.
The pandemic situation and working from home have made society become more aware about how we can balance caregiving commitments with our jobs. We also need employers’ cooperation to encourage men to use their parental leave and help to take care of their children at home. Allowing flexibility in sharing parental leave will help families that have their own needs when facing very distinct challenges. This is because not everyone can work from home. With a deeper involvement of fathers, this can potentially change our children’s thinking and at the same the future of our society.
All this is set against the backdrop of our increasingly family-friendly society and national landscape. This cannot be achieved without constant planning and Government policies that have always sought progress for everyone including our women and our daughters.
Here I would also like to laud the efforts of the men in the Malay/Muslim community who have worked together to strengthen our family institution and portray positive values and attitudes as fathers, for example, the Dads For Life movement, which has set up Dads@School to provide opportunities and space to empower fathers and learn best practices to carry out their responsibilities.
Another initiative is the M3 BersamaMu program, led by our Assistant Kadis. It provides strong support to couples in their married life. Recognition by society can also inspire others, such as the Exemplary Father Award, organised by the Ain Society. It highlights examples of fathers in our community who are responsible and possess positive values and attitudes. Our community figures such as Ustaz Mohamad Irwan Shah and Mr Sujimy Mohamed also often participate in online platforms and seminars to provide advice and lessons about family to our community.
These efforts demonstrate the important role that men play to portray a positive attitude in the upbringing of our children, and how women are highly regarded in our community and our faith. Let us not disparage or belittle these noble efforts. Our society, especially men, are not only key partners to women, but they are also advocates and companions who defend the rights of women in our country.
(In English): Beyond caregiving, we must also look at how to provide the best mindset and environment at home for our family members, including our children and partners to flourish and realise their fullest potential. Our children look at us and model our behaviours and learn from our thinking and words.
To me, patriarchal mindset and stereotypes are learned, not inherited. I recall watching an advertisement that sets out a social experiment. Groups of girls of varying age were placed in front of a camera and asked the same set of questions, \"Show me how you run like a girl, how you throw like a girl, how you fight like a girl?\" In the older age girls, they seem to show a weakened state, like running slowly, throwing gently or fighting softly, if there is such a term. But in the younger girls, there was not any difference between what they demonstrated and what the other boys demonstrated; they ran just as fast, threw just as far and fought just as hard, if not faster, further or even better. How did this phrase \"like a girl\" become a derogatory term?
Our children should not believe this. Our boys cannot think of themselves to be superior. Our girls should not feel inferior because of who they are. We can dispel this notion and support our children in our homes. We must take action.
As fathers, how we treat, speak and respect women in our lives would be how our daughters would expect to be treated and what is expected of our sons, as the measure of a man.
We have made great progress as a nation in terms of women's development for several decades and we shall continue to do so. We have to act and build upon the good work and past contributions of the Government, community and social activists. I am happy that the mover of this Motion and all Members who have spoken join in these collective efforts, and I welcome more to come forward to do so.
I also look forward to the action plan and consolidated views in the White Paper to be presented. I hope we can see further promotion of an environment that is both conducive to child caregiving and welcoming for caregivers. We can do this by implementing policies that signal child caregiving as a shared responsibility between parents. I am heartened to hear from Minister of State Sun Xueling about the theme on strengthening support on caregiving.
In addition to sharing of parental leave that is being recommended in the joint Paper by PAP Women's Wing, I have other suggestions as well.
Firstly, to increase the spouse tax relief to better reflect the significant and valuable contribution of a stay-at-home mom or dad. Currently, the spouse tax relief is lower than an active NSman relief, Parent relief, or the Grandparent Caregiver Relief.
Second, encourage working spouses to utilise the Retirement Sum Topping-Up Scheme to top up their non-working spouses' CPF accounts by extending tax reliefs to not only cash top-ups, but also CPF fund transfers as well. And, perhaps, to introduce a tiered basic childcare subsidy for non-working mothers, in increasing amounts in accordance with the number of children that they have, instead of a flat rate right now.
For mothers who are still looking for a job or training for one, perhaps we can have an interim childcare subsidy for a fixed period of time for them. Currently, they need to seek special approval for childcare subsidies on a case-by-case basis.
Lastly, to implement a network of temporary childcare services that can be provided by pre-approved childcare centres. In this age of flexible working arrangements and working from home, such service can provide urgent and temporary respite care so that stay-at-home moms or dads can attend to urgent work or business. I will elaborate on these suggestions and more in the full debate of the White Paper when presented.
In conclusion, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I hope that we can come up with concrete ideas and approaches, and it takes all of us in this House – men, women, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters – to stand up for women's development as a society, and speak up against misogynistic and patriarchal mindset and stereotypes in order for us to progress as a family unit, as a nation; and quoting from a social activist, Desmond Tutu: \"It is by standing up for the rights of girls and women that we truly measure up as men\". [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Miss Cheng Li Hui.
Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines): Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. I refer to Member's Ms He Ting Ru's reference to the Workers' Party 2020 manifesto on enhanced fertility support. Members in this House know that I have been speaking on egg-freezing since I came into this House. I feel that this is an important topic and, along the way, I met with some setbacks. After all, it is not something that everyone can agree with. I am glad that there has been some progress, and this is also part of the PAP Women's Wing's recommendation. I am also glad that the Workers' Party supports this position.
Over the years, I have also raised questions on IVF, PGS and requested MOH for updates on egg freezing and sperm bank.
In July 2019, the PAP Women's Wing also did a survey on journey to parenthood. We had 716 respondents. By then, I have also visited over 400 Tampines families with newborns. I had a chat with them on their journey to parenthood.
We raised the concerns and survey results to MOH. And in late August 2019, Minister Josephine Teo and Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor announced enhancements to the Marriage and Parenthood scheme by removing the age ceiling to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and also, the cap on the number of times a woman can undergo ART. They also added subsidy for couples undergoing Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) at public assistant reproduction centres. I think there is also no need for another national fertility centre, as we already have three public fertility centres in KKH, SGH and NUH. The waiting time for all three clinics has been cut considerably.
In fact, since mid-2019, couples can proceed with fertility treatments the following month, after completing their consultation and counselling. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the many families who shared their stories – some inspiring, some heartbreaking – but it helps us to understand what you are going through, so that we can speak for you and improve on it.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam): Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. It is heartening to see many Members speak very passionately about various aspects of women’s development. We are clearly united by our common desire to see issues facing women being addressed and for women to be truly empowered to realise their aspirations. This topic is not new. It is indeed encouraging to see the evolution and development of efforts to empower, support and protect women over the years, through the relentless pursuit by Members of Parliament (MPs) to build on existing policies, the advocacy and community groups who continue to champion for women and the Government that is willing to listen, consider views and make changes where appropriate.
I have had the opportunity to walk this journey with PPIS before I became MP, working on several papers with the PAP Women’s Wing, participating in debates as a backbencher and now, working together with Minister of State Sun Xueling and Minister of State Low Yen Ling on the Conversations on Women’s Development.
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few examples in the wide-ranging efforts that reflect the evolving developments in this ongoing endeavour. I would refer to three themes: to empower, support and protect women.
We begin with the efforts to empower women to thrive at work and have equal opportunities as men. In Parliament, Ms Tin Pei Ling had asked about the gender wage gap and often called for digital fluency among women as this could open up new career opportunities for them in the digital age. Ms Tin, and yourself, Mdm Deputy Speaker, and Miss Cheryl Chan had raised concerns about the representation of women in the STEM sectors.
Mdm Deputy Speaker and former MP Dr Intan Azura have long called for women to be viewed as valuable resources and for employers to leverage on this talent pool.
The Government supports the diverse career aspirations of women. We encourage women to enter occupations of their choice, including in industries that are traditionally male-dominated.
Women now make up 41% of the technology workforce in Singapore. This is well above the global average of 28%. But there are still plenty of opportunities available in the technology sector, and we want more women to benefit from them and take on leadership roles. By entering such growth sectors, women can achieve better career and pay prospects to further close the wage gap.
One meaningful development in creating opportunities for women in the digital sector is the SG Women in Tech initiative, which IMDA launched in 2019 with community and industry partners.
The initiative enhances support for women in the technology sector and attracts more of them to the sector. Through mentorship, leadership development, sponsorship and networking opportunities, the initiative has reached out to more than 117,000 people.
Other MPs like Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Darryl David and Er Dr Lee Bee Wah have made suggestions over the past years on introducing customised packages to help women update their skills and facilitate their return to the workforce after marriage or childbirth. More recently, Ms Poh Li San and Ms Yeo Wan Ling have spoken about challenges women face in caring for their families and pursuing their careers.
The Government, working in collaboration with different agencies, has responded to such calls over the years. We have continued to develop and enhance programmes to support career mobility and help ease the transition for women back into the workforce.
Workforce Singapore (WSG)'s employment facilitation programmes and services provide support to women looking to return to the workforce after a period of absence. They can tap on personalised career coaching and various programmes to facilitate their re-entry. In the last three years, WSG has collectively placed more than 48,000 women across their programmes and services. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Many programmes have been created at the national level to support and help women to continue working and achieve their aspirations. This is also important for our community. Although some still hold stereotypes that a woman’s place is in the kitchen or at home, there are many others who want women to be given opportunities and choices. Society and businesses have much to gain from the valuable contributions of Malay women. Many young Malay women also want a different future, full of opportunities to succeed. Furthermore, having two incomes in each Malay family strengthens their financial stability.
Beyond initiatives to encourage reskilling and employment at the national level, M3 agencies also have programmes that are customised to the needs of Malay women. One example is the Back-to-Work Women programme by MENDAKI SENSE. It prepares women to return to the workforce and connects them to employers who are hiring workers.
I hope Malay women will always be supported in chasing their dreams. This is indeed a continuing effort.
I heard the issues raised by Ms Raeesah Khan earlier. She mentioned the issue of female genital cutting, tudung and polygamy. Her points are similar to the recommendations seen in the Lepak Conversations report which we have also received. I have actually spoken to these activists before and I am indeed proud of these young people who want to stand up for something that they believe is important. But they also understand the complexities of these issues within our community.
The issue of female genital cutting, for instance. The Government does not support practices that cause harm to young women or girls. MUIS also holds the same view and has explained that Islam does not support any procedure that harms individuals. But the fact is, there are different opinions in our community. So, we should resolve this matter, not by prescribing rules, but by understanding and talking or discussing with the community.
The issue of polygamy was also discussed. This is something that ROMM has already noted and there are actually very strict regulations in place. This resulted in the total percentage of polygamous marriages falling from 0.4% in 2010 to 0.07%. So, this shows that ROMM’s efforts have been effective.
There is also the tudung issue. The tudung issue is not new. It was not only raised by Mr Faisal Manap, but by PAP Members of Parliament as well. Mr Zaqy has raised this issue. Dr Intan, Mr Zainal, our President herself raised this issue when she was in Parliament. I have also raised this issue before. The Government recognises and understands the desire of Muslim nurses to wear the tudung at work. This is something that has been discussed and will be given due attention. It is not an easy matter. We should hold discussions with all levels of society, not just with the Muslim community, and this will take time. The Prime Minister has already said that he will make an announcement on this matter at the upcoming National Day Rally.
So, the issues raised are certainly issues that may have been brought up. But in order to resolve these issues properly, I think we need to fully understand and know our community to find the solutions. And we should encourage everyone to be edified and bring them towards a paradigm shift in a judicious manner.
(In English): For women to pursue their aspirations unencumbered, women need to be supported with their caregiving responsibilities. Men can be caregivers too and the Government also supports them in this area. Yet, women are still the primary caregivers in most instances.
There are many reasons for this, including gender bias, stereotypes and pervasive socio-cultural expectations. Many women dedicate their lives to caring for their families and may thus feel compelled to give up formal employment.
To address this, the Government encourages men to share the caregiving load.
We have enhanced parental leave schemes and introduced flexibility for fathers to share a portion of their wives' maternity leave. We also work with community partners such as Families for Life and the Centre for Fathering, which drives the Dads for Life movement, to promote active fatherhood.
Many men are stepping up proactively and we applaud their contributions towards building more supportive and resilient families.
Over the past years, Members have actively flagged the difficulties which some women caregivers experience and called for stronger support for them.
In 2020, Ms Carrie Tan urged the Government to consider valuing the unpaid care work of women and legislating workplace policies to support working caregivers. Since 2017, Mr Louis Ng has been a strong advocate for greater support for single parents, amongst the many things he champions.
Responding to the diverse challenges faced by women caregivers, the Government has made significant efforts to relieve the load they experience.
For childcare, the Government has expanded preschool places and ensured its affordability. Regardless of their working status, all parents of Singapore Citizen children also receive basic subsidies for childcare and infant care services.
For eldercare, the Government has been growing the capacity of community care services and making them more accessible to better meet the needs of our seniors and their caregivers. In 2019, MOH also launched the Caregiver Support Action Plan to strengthen support for senior caregiving in the community. Its measures cover aspects like care navigation, respite care, financial support, workplace support and caregiver empowerment and training.
To support retirement adequacy of those who had low incomes during their working years and now have less in retirement, the Government introduced the Silver Support Scheme. About two-thirds of Silver Support recipients are women, many of whom were probably caregivers. This is one of the many schemes which help to safeguard the continued financial stability and well-being of women as they age.
We will continue to grow such efforts to support women caregivers, no matter the circumstances they face.
As part of this process, we constantly review feedback from Members and the public to propose further action to support women in their caregiving responsibilities.
The issue that had initially sparked off the national discussion on women's development was the concern about violence against women. At that juncture, in July 2020, the PAP Women's Wing immediately came up with a statement strongly denouncing violence against women and shared concerns about the sentencing in that case with the Minister for Home Affairs. Following that, the Review of the Sentencing Framework for Sexual and Hurt Offences was conducted and, consequently, there were inter alia increase in the penalties for specific sexual offences.
We continue to face new and emerging challenges that disproportionately affect women. One such emerging issue is online harms. Technology has caused the proliferation of sexual violence in cyberspace. Many women must deal with unwanted sexual messages and calls, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, voyeurism, sexual harassment and objectification.
This has gotten worse with COVID-19 as people spend more time online. Such behaviour negatively impacts the physical and mental well-being of victims and is unacceptable.
As with many past issues affecting women, the complex task of tackling online harms also requires solutions that extend beyond new legislation from the Government.
During MCI's 2021 COS Debate, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann shared how the Government was collaborating with community partners interested to shape a safe cyberspace for women and girls. We have since followed up with real action.
As Minister of State Sun Xueling earlier mentioned, MCI has formed a Singapore Together Alliance for Action (AfA) to Tackle Online Harms, especially those targeted at women and girls. Dr Shahira Abdullah also made reference to this.
We are fortunate to tap on the expertise of 48 members who come from across the people, public and private sectors, exemplifying the importance of a partnership approach. For instance, under this AfA, MCI is collaborating with DBS and the Singapore judiciary on a community hackathon to generate solutions for safer and kinder online spaces.
As one of its co-chairs, I see the AfA as an important way to rally Singaporeans and spark more initiatives to foster a better digital culture. We must ensure that women and girls enjoy the same freedom and confidence online that they experience in real life.
The Government's work on online harms is an example of how we are working with partners to defend the progress achieved by women amidst nascent threats.
Singapore has consistently ranked well in the United Nation (UN)'s Gender Inequality and Gender Development Indices. Our women have continued to break barriers and achieve new heights across various social indicators, including in literacy, employment rates and leadership in many professional domains.
Our engagements have created space for all stakeholders to share their concerns frankly. Amidst this careful and sensitive approach, Singaporean women have achieved significant progress. However, we are not stopping there. The Government will continue to reach out to women, represent their voices and champion their progress.
Many of the points which Members raised today echo the Government's ongoing efforts to uplift Singaporean women. In particular, we can all look forward to the White Paper which will set out the Government's action plan. I believe there will be a robust debate on the specific plans to move things forward.
I am, therefore, supportive of the amendment proposed by Mr Vikram Nair as that reflects the spirit of having concrete action to support our efforts.
In conclusion, I wish to take the opportunity to thank all those who have worked with us to champion and advocate for women. We continue in this endeavour for we are not just speaking up for women, we are speaking up for the future generation. We are speaking today not because women are weak. We are speaking because men and women are strong and can change the tide of time, challenge unfairness and take action that can meaningfully change lives of future generations.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, I stand in support of the amended Motion. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms He Ting Ru.
Ms He Ting Ru: Mdm Deputy Speaker, we have come to the end of the debate today on a topic that touches on so many aspects of our lives individually and us as a society. The amount of feeling and the long number of speakers are indicative of how important this topic is.
As to the amendment that was proposed, the Workers' Party does not object to the amendment and looks forward to scrutinising the action plans to be proposed. We hope to see concrete steps taken to effect change, whether through legislative amendments or policy overhaul.
Be that as it may, I would again reiterate that when we decided to bring this Private Members' Motion as a party, my colleagues and I felt strongly about how the issues we raised affect both ourselves and also, the women and men in our lives.
Mr Leon Perera spoke about the three women in his life – his mother, his wife and his daughter – and how he wants to see a world where women were no longer boxed into long-held stereotypes. He shared how men and employers have key roles to play in abolishing sexist attitudes, and how we can accelerate progress by having anti-discrimination legislation while working together to teach the principles of gender equality to our children.
I thank Minister of State Sun Xueling and Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam for giving an update on Government policies supporting women in various areas.
My Sengkang GRC colleague Mr Louis Chua shared why it is important that our care-related policies do not ironically perpetuate stereotypes and reinforce notions on gender roles. Both men and women must not be forced to make the false choice of choosing between work or family, and we need to ensure adequate support is granted to our caregivers. He also mentioned the important role of fathers in caring for their children – all the while leading by example as told by the number of times his little two-year-old featured in our Zoom calls while he was on papa duty.
Mr Vikram Nair recounted what participants had shared at a dialogue session he attended, including their experiences of facing discrimination at the workplace during pregnancy or difficulties in re-entering the workforce after devoting several years to caregiving.
Ms Raeesah Khan spoke about sexual violence and survivor care. She noted that we need to ensure that survivors are given adequate support to ensure that they are able to address the trauma they faced. She also touched on three pressing issues in her community: female genital cutting, polygamy and the hijab.
Dr Shahira Abdullah called for a whole-of-society and community mindset shift, including for boys and their caregivers. She said that women should be the allies of each other and act in solidarity with women from marginalised groups.
I thank Ms Yeo Wan Ling for her speech on the contributions of women in the Labour Movement and Ms Tin Pei Ling for reminding us of the Aspirations of Women Motion in 2017 and for supporting the amended Motion. Mr Zhulkarnian Abdul Rahim mentioned the important role of men and fathers in this conversation; and Miss Cheng Li Hui, I thank her for her views as well on egg freezing and fertility support.
Mr Gerald Giam in his speech called for more openness in our immigration and visa policies for foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens to strengthen the Singapore Core, for more support to be extended to single parents and for policies to promote flexible work arrangements, all of which benefit both men and women.
Ms Sylvia Lim focused on the challenge facing political parties in Singapore in finding sufficient numbers of able and willing women to step up to being parliamentary candidates and political leaders. She noted that while Singapore had made progress, greater success was more likely if the social norms supported gender-equal choices. She was cautiously optimistic that the element of political competition would pressure political parties to field more able women, in order to gain support from a more demanding electorate.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim shared how gender equality and female empowerment can be a force for economic progress. He has raised how our female labour force participation rate has actually trended down over the past five years and the male participation rate has consistently outstripped that of women. Moreover, the most lucrative and fastest growing sectors remain male-dominated and reduced participation could be symptomatic of the difficulty that women face in breaking into such jobs. To make matters worse, the gender pay gap in Singapore remains substantial. He also proposed various measures to support women and working mothers, and to address the gender pay gap.
These are just the main topics relating to the barriers to gender equality and there are many more which I have received in the form of comments and emails. These topics range from the concerns raised about fertility challenges that women face and women’s health in the form of the chronic management of common conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome and its associated co-morbidities.
To summarise, it is good to hear that across the aisle, we are in general agreement that gender equality has to be pushed to the forefront of national discourse.
And since it is still Olympic season, it cannot escape our attention that changes are also sweeping through sports as well. It is notable that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics saw attention being given to the outfits of female Olympians, and many commented positively on the choice of the German gymnastics women’s team and Norwegian beach volleyball women’s team to wear attire that they felt most comfortable with. It is also heartening to note that female top athletes such as Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles are the ones who are leading the way in raising issues relating to mental health.
While it is important to make our policy positions and stand clear, we must take tangible action to effect change. This is why we have brought up the various different proposals that we have in our 2020 manifesto and to make a difference, not only for women, but society as a whole. We have to enact real change in our legislation and Government policies to address discrimination directly. This is clearly not a silver bullet, but an important next step to send a signal, to set the tone for the foundational principle of gender equality that we should put at the forefront of all our policies and laws. Mdm Deputy Speaker, if I may, in Chinese.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to reiterate that giving equal treatment to men and women should be a fundamental safeguard of a society. Of course, there are many facets to gender equality. These include adjusting policies to break down stereotypes which are unfair to women, and allow women to gain more leadership positions, such as in Parliament, the Cabinet and Boards of Directors; introducing measures to encourage employers to adopt flexible work arrangements, to narrow the pay gap between men and women, respect and understand employees’ needs to take care of their family and children; expanding sex education so that people are more sensitive in identifying and preventing sexual harassment and abuse, and giving more protection to children and the less privileged who are vulnerable to sexual harassment and abuse.
The Government should also provide more channels to report sexual harassment and abuse. In terms of legislation, the Government can introduce anti-discrimination laws, raise citizens' awareness of gender equality in the workplace and other areas, and strive towards gender equality and fair treatment. Gender equality and anti-discrimination is not only a women issue, but also a national issue that concerns all of us. As a responsible citizen, we must fulfil our duties towards each other.
(In English): I started this debate by speaking about my maternal grandmother. She would be so happy to see how little girls today do not have to fight for a right to get themselves educated in Singapore, and no longer need to hide books to read surreptitiously. But she would be first to say that we must not rest on our laurels and carry on working towards a world of gender equality.
And now, I would also like to close with a big note of thanks to my father. He was born just after the war, the last of 10 children in an extremely traditional family who viewed boys as far superior to girls. After my sister and I were born, my mother told me that she felt a lot of pressure to try for a third child, in the hope that they would have a boy. When she brought this up with my father, his answer was short and sharp, \"What's wrong with my daughters?\" he asked.
I am incredibly grateful that my father has lived his whole life by these words, believing and supporting his daughters with his heart and soul to live our lives in accordance with our own choices – whether or not he agreed with us! – and I know that I would not be here without this commitment that he has given us. I also do not think that he, as a lifelong workaholic at the workplace, would have expected himself to become so involved in the care and nurturing of his beloved grandsons in his 70s, which has been critical in supporting me in my own journey here today. I can only hope that many more of us show our wives, mothers and daughters the same belief and love that I experienced as we move towards greater gender equality.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, gender equality is not a partisan issue. It is not even just a women’s issue. It is a men’s issue. It is a societal issue. We are in this together. I hope our Parliamentary colleagues will address these issues together, especially since our hon colleagues have, by their own admission, said they raised similar issues repeatedly. It is time for Singapore to take the next step. [Applause.]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: We have now come to the conclusion of the debate and I shall put the question to the House for decision. We have an amendment proposed by Mr Vikram Nair. We will deal with the amendment first. The amendment is that the words proposed by Mr Vikram Nair be added in line 3 after the word \"society\".
[(proc text) Question, \"That the words proposed to be added, be there added\" put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: The amendment has been agreed to. The original Motion, as amended, is now before the House.
[(proc text) Original Motion, as amended, put and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That this House affirms that gender equality requires a whole of society effort to remove all barriers in order to empower every woman to freely realise her full potential and participation in society and looks forward to action plans in the upcoming Government White Paper arising out of the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development.\" (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to a date to be fixed.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Mr Deputy Speaker, the deep reservoir of affection and respect that Singaporeans feel for our hawkers has been clearly demonstrated time and time again. In 2018, there was an outpouring of public concern over news of steep charges faced by hawkers in social enterprise hawker centres or SEHCs. In 2020 and 2021, there has huge public sympathy and concern for our hawkers due to dining-in restrictions; and concern over the news that some stalls had their rents raised.
And this affection that Singaporeans have for our hawkers recognises a deep reality. Most hawkers see what they do as a calling, a calling to provide good quality, cooked food that is affordable and which deliciously combines the very best elements of Singaporean heritage and innovation.
Sir, hawkers work hard. Really hard. For those who want to catch the breakfast crowd, they may need to come to work at 3.00 am. They spend hours chopping, slicing, parsing, peeling, boiling and marinating food ingredients before any customer shows up. And they may return home at 4.00 pm. And they work often in non-air-conditioned environments, standing up much of the time. No wonder that attracting new entrants into the industry is an uphill climb.
I recall one story told to me by a hawker industry veteran in preparing this Adjournment Motion. When he asked an elderly hawker why he did not raise his prices when selling to delivery apps so as to offset the app commission, the hawker said, \"哪里可以\", meaning, \"I simply cannot bring myself to do that.\"
Most hawkers feel a deep bond with their customers and we, to them.
Our hawker culture is a heritage stretching back to the mid-1800s when street cooked food first emerged, and to 1923 when the first hawker centre at People's Park Centre was built to widespread acclaim. A milestone in that history, of course, was 16 December 2020 when Singapore's hawker culture was awarded a place in UNESCO's representative list for humanity's intangible cultural heritage.
Sir, Workers' Party Members of this House and Members from the People's Action Party have often spoken about hawker issues. In researching this Motion, I came across a speech made by a then young and new Member of Parliament, one Mr Low Thia Khiang, in 1995 asking MTI whether it foresaw the need to study the impact on hawker costs and food prices after the sale of coffee shops and market stalls in HDB estates.
Sir, in this Motion, I hope to offer ideas to enhance this precious hawker industry. My speech will have three sections, three Ps, centred on the need to Protect, Professionalise and Promote the hawker industry, adapted from one of the mottos once used for the World Street Food Congress.
All of these ideas are centred on one simple assumption: that the hawker industry should not be regulated in the same way as other industries. As a nationally important industry and one that embodies so much of our precious national heritage, the Government and all stakeholders bear a special responsibility to go the extra mile to ensure a thriving hawker industry that retains incumbents and attracts newcomers that innovates and that continues to provide affordable food.
Above all, we have a responsibility to listen to the practitioners of the hawker craft in formulating and refining our public policies.
First of all, Sir, on the theme of \"protect\".
To retain incumbents and attract newcomers, we have to create an ecosystem that allows our hawkers to make a decent living. The policy ecosystem has to instil confidence among hawkers that there is a longer-term commitment from the Government to ensuring stable pro-hawker policies. Policies that seemed to go against this commitment, like raising rents, even if only for a small number of stalls, during a pandemic, have an outsized demonstration effect and do nothing to instil confidence.
The first subject I would like to address is rents.
Of the 20,000 or so hawker stalls in Singapore, around 6,000 are in NEA hawker centres (NEA HCs), several hundred are in social enterprise hawker centres (SEHCs) and the rest are in privately-run coffee shops and food courts.
In its 2020 manifesto, the Workers' Party called on all hawker centres to eventually be brought under NEA control, as that would provide the necessary long-term assurance to hawkers that there are governmental levers of control over rents, not only today but also tomorrow.
Social enterprises are not governmental entities and, hence, are not accountable to the public in the same way that the Government, in theory, in any case, is. Be that as it may, I will discuss what we can do in policy terms for NEA HCs, SEHCs and privately-run HCs together.
Rents are currently negotiated in SEHCs, with an average rental per stall of around $2,000 per month, as revealed in the reply to a Parliamentary Question by my Parliamentary colleague Mr Muhamad Faisal Manap. For NEA hawker centres, non-subsidised rents range from $640 to $3,900.
Currently, apart from a small number of mostly older stalls in NEA HCs who are on subsidised rents, NEA hawkers tender for the rent for an initial period and then the rent is adjusted up or down depending on a professional valuation that considers footfall, location and market conditions, as Senior Minister of State Amy Khor explained in detail very recently in this House.
In setting rents in the public hawker centres, I would like to argue for two principles.
Firstly, we should err on the side of being too low rather than being too high. For Government-controlled properties, we should never fear that some hawkers may \"make too much money\". Top performers making a very decent living is a factor that attracts people into a profession. And it is hard enough – yet vitally important – to attract young Singaporeans to the hawker trade.
In any case, the top hawkers would have put in hard work and talent to get to where they are. This is not an industry where luck plays an outsized role.
Secondly, I want to address the argument that rents are a relatively small component of total costs. That is true, but the Government should use whatever levers of control it has to improve the economic situation of our hawkers and the levers are stronger for rents. Even a small difference is still a difference.
Next and more specifically, we should move away from the principle of tendering for stalls in NEA HCs. While it is said that tendering can result in extremely low rents, it does create uncertainty and can be a barrier to entry.
Very low rents that may occasionally emerge from tendering also subject the hawker to a shock when the rents get raised based on the formula explained above. If the tendering leads to high rents – well, that favours entrants into the industry with cash rather than those with great culinary skills who may have less cash.
I would like to argue for rents being recalibrated and set at lower levels than currently for NEA and SEHCs, namely at levels close to the lowest end of what we see now at NEA HCs and SEHCs, and with reasonable variations based on location, footfall and food type, with the Government using its control over SEHC leases to bring SEHC rents down over time.
Sir, economic theory suggests that lowering prices below a so-called market clearing level tends to induce excess demand, meaning there would be too many hawkers bidding for the same stall.
I would argue here that the solution need not be tendering, which favours those with more cash, nor does it have to be random balloting, the mechanism used to allocate Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and some types of subsidised hawker stalls.
Rather, given the national significance of the hawker industry, allocation of stalls where there are too many bidders can be decided by tasting committees. Such committees can bring together hawker industry veterans, enthusiasts, food critics and ordinary citizens to do blind taste tests, to decide who has the best culinary skills. The independence of these tasting committees could be assured by being organised under the aegis of a hawker academy, a subject to which I will turn later.
Next, I want to address the plight of hawkers who operate outside of the NEA HCs and SEHCs in privately-run food courts and coffee shops.
In my Serangoon ward of Aljunied GRC, there are many hawkers in such coffee shops, many of whom are truly excellent, to the delight of constituents and their Member of Parliament.
Hawkers in such private facilities make up the bulk of hawkers. Yet there is a perception that they do not benefit to the same extent as hawkers in NEA HCs and SEHCs from Government schemes, such as NEA rental waivers. Moreover, the Government has far less influence over the rents that they have to bear.
I hope the Government can study the plight of these so-called private hawkers in more detail, understanding their rents, margins and overall economic situation, and devise tools to nudge private operators towards cheaper rents for their tenants.
Next, Sir, on COVID-19 schemes. Ground feedback suggests that hawkers find the latest COVID-19 schemes, such as the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) and COVID-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary (CRG-T), confusing and not as effective as the earlier schemes such as the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS). This should be looked into.
Specifically, I would also like to ask if the Government would consider providing the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) to hawkers.
Hawkers are directly affected by dining-in restrictions. Most hawkers are micro-businesses surviving on thin profits and JSS support would mean a lot to them.
Not all use and make money from delivery apps, one reason being the reluctance of some hawkers to raise prices to cover the app commissions, as I alluded to earlier. Apps are not a panacea for the hawker industry amidst COVID-19. Also, some stalls find that they have a less compelling value proposition on apps – like drinks and dessert stalls, who depend more on dining-in. Hence, there is a case for JSS for hawkers to cover periods of dining-in restrictions.
Next, many SEHCs ensure that several stalls provide low-cost food. Anecdotally, it would appear that some of these low-priced food stalls struggle with the customer perception that the food is not that attractive.
Rather than requiring some stalls to keep prices low, which may result in lower quality, can we not consider instead providing discount cards to low-income Singaporeans – those living in rental flats, those on ComCare, Public Assistance and other similar schemes – so that they can obtain discounts at SEHC stalls instead? I believe there is such a scheme now in place, which is a special grant card for those on Public Assistance only, which can be used at certain hawker stalls, but the reach appears to be very limited.
This tool of discount cards can be expanded and made into a general policy tool to keep hawker food affordable to those on lower incomes. Such discount cards may be a way in which hawker food can be priced at a level which is fair and economically sustainable for hawkers, while still keeping hawker food affordable for the poor.
Next, Sir, I would like to move to the second part of my speech, which is on professionalising the hawker industry. In framing the matter this way, I do not mean to suggest that hawkers today are not professionals, nor are they or should they be professional employees.
In truth, hawkers are entrepreneurs. So, by professionalising, I mean raising the status and standing of the hawker vocation, which also hinges on maintaining and raising business and culinary effectiveness.
My first suggestion here would be to create a permanent pool of Hawker Ambassadors.
Right now, Digital Ambassadors (DAs) under IMDA's Singapore Digital Office are deployed to hawker centres and they focus on getting hawkers to get onto digital apps and e-payments. Anecdotal feedback suggests that the engagement of DAs with hawkers is not always very deep and is sometimes hindered by language barriers.
My suggestion here is to deploy a staff of permanent Hawker Ambassadors under NEA or, perhaps, MCCY, given the heritage angle, to be deployed to all hawker centres, be they NEA HCs, SEHCs or private hawker centres (HCs). The staffing ratio can be determined and it could be that some ambassadors cover multiple HCs, food courts and coffee shops.
The goal of the ambassadors would be three-fold: firstly, to support hawkers in navigating the evolving digital business ecosystem; secondly, to support them in navigating the plethora of Government schemes; and, thirdly, to help hawkers market themselves online and offline. Help should be focused on those hawkers who need it the most.
On the digital front, ambassadors can work with older and less tech-savvy hawkers to help them adopt innovations, such as voice-activated systems to fulfil digital orders and to consider getting onto apps that do not charge such high commissions.
Hawkers I spoke to have shared that there are too many distinct Government schemes. This is confusing, especially to hawkers who are less literate in the English language. Ambassadors could help them identify and apply for relevant schemes.
Ambassadors should also help our hawkers tell their stories and weave narratives about their history online and via events and promotions, to make their products more appealing to customers, as some larger and more organised local eateries already do. They could also help hawkers to connect with shared service providers who offer services such as food ingredient preparation, for example, which may be advantageous business-wise.
One major obstacle is the mistrust that many, especially older hawkers, have towards outsiders coming along and telling them what to do. Permanent ambassadors who can speak vernacular languages and dialects would fill this gap by building relationships with hawkers and winning their trust over time.
The cost of employing such ambassadors would not be huge – in the context of the national significance of the hawker industry. Ambassador jobs could also be outsourced by the Government to NGOs, social enterprises or community groups with an interest in the well-being of hawkers, of which there are a number now, such as, for example, Hawkers United and Hawker Cart. Over time, as a more digitally savvy generation of hawkers takes over, permanent ambassadors could be phased out if there is no need for them.
I would also like to call for the Competition and Consumer Commission to take pains to act as a good watchdog over the delivery app industry, to ensure fair competition between the big app companies and smaller ones that charge low or no commissions.
My second suggestion here, Sir, is the creation of a national hawker academy that could be linked to an existing think tank or university for infrastructural synergies.
Right now, there is a hawker course run at Temasek Polytechnic and a course at ITE. These could be consolidated under a single hawker academy, which could become a focal point for the hawker vocation.
An independent hawker academy could be a one-stop shop for training of various kinds – culinary and business. It could be a think tank that supports research into hawker-related policies and issues. It could support the efforts of hawkers to innovate and create new dishes or business models. It could also, being seen to be independent, be tasked to convene and supervise the tasting committees to allocate stalls when there are excess bidders.
Such an academy could even aspire to play a leading role in organising events and research for the global street food industry, which could yield soft power and economic benefits to Singapore.
Lastly, Sir, I will move on to the third and last section of my speech on the need to \"promote\". We should do more to support and nurture the best-performing and most innovative hawkers to go global.
Some hawkers are more successful and ambitious, operating multiple stalls across the island. It would be a huge boost for our hawker culture and for Singapore's soft power if these hawkers set up successful eateries abroad. This would raise awareness of and esteem for Singaporean culture abroad, which can only be a good thing. Some of these more ambitious hawkers could also obtain economic benefits from overseas operations, resulting in multiplier benefits back to the Singapore economy.
Why is Singapore food not as widely enjoyed around the world as, say, Japanese or Thai food? Not for any reasons to do with quality, I am sure. In fact, I understand that the late global celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain wanted to bring some Singaporean hawkers and other hawkers from around the world to New York for a global event on street food. And I am told that he felt that the Singaporean hawkers were among the very best practitioners of street food in the world.
There could be other underlying issues about going global, like the supply chain for local ingredients that are hard to obtain abroad. I suggest that economic agencies like Enterprise Singapore make it a priority to identify the more promising organised hawkers and support their move abroad aggressively, helping them to troubleshoot whatever impediments exist.
With the proper support system and with the support of the over 200,000 Singaporeans living abroad, I do not see why we cannot have prata in Paris, lontong in London, bak kut teh in Belgrade or rojak in Rio De Janeiro.
Sir, my next suggestion would be for the Government to make an effort to document traditional recipes that are held in the memory of older Singaporeans. This may come under the purview of NHB and MCCY.
There are dishes that have been created and enjoyed in Singapore that are a part of our Singaporean heritage but are in danger of being forgotten. NHB could work on creating oral histories that document and save these recipes – the recipes for these endangered dishes as it were – and make such recipes publicly available, like open-sourced software, to be used and enjoyed by chefs at home or, who knows, maybe taken up by a hawker one day.
This is currently being done to some extent under the Singapore Memories Project (SMP) and other NHB initiatives, but this needs to be scaled up and more of the recipes thus discovered should be made publicly available, with the consent of the person providing it, of course.
Lastly, Sir, I would like to propose that we designate 16 December, the day we obtained UNESCO recognition for our unique world-class hawker culture, as Singapore's Hawker Day. All of us could make the effort to remind one another on this day to partake of hawker food, especially with younger family members and friends, to help keep this love of hawker culture alive.
In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, our hawker food is a national institution that is much loved by all Singaporeans. It arose organically in the 1800s as micro-entrepreneurs saw a market need and filled it, as entrepreneurs should. It is a deep part of Singapore's heritage and now the world's as well.
In moving this Motion, it is not my intention to say that we have not made progress over the decades in nurturing this industry. We have. It is to point out gaps and offer suggestions for how we can do right by this nationally important industry and the hawkers whom we all care about, who work so hard to bring us incredible, delicious food at affordable prices day after day. [Applause.]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Senior Minister of State Amy Khor.
The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for his Motion of Adjournment, and the many Members of Parliament like Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Joan Pereira, who have filed Parliamentary Questions and spoken in support of our hawkers.
Indeed, our hawker trade is a key part of Singapore's history and identity, very much loved and treasured by Singaporeans. The inscription of our hawker culture by UNESCO is a proud achievement for all hawkers and Singaporeans.
To ensure that the hawker trade and culture continue to thrive for future generations, we have been working closely with hawkers and stakeholders to, as Mr Leon Perera said, professionalise the trade, improve working conditions and keep barriers to entry low. Our policies ensure that rentals remain affordable. We work closely with the hawker community to support new hawkers and encourage existing hawkers to adapt to changes, as we future-proof our hawkers and hawker trade, that is, to protect and to promote them.
To support our hawkers in weathering COVID-19, we have provided eight months' rental waiver and six months' subsidies for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing fees since April 2020. Eligible hawkers also received $9,000 under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) in 2020.
Given the disproportionate impact of recent COVID-19 clusters on some markets and hawker centres, we will provide stallholders in centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators one-off $500 support under the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund in early August. Those who continue to face financial difficulties can reach out to NEA and we will review the case and provide assistance on a case-by-case basis.
Stallholders in other F&B establishments, coffee shops and food courts have also been supported during this pandemic. Stallholders that contribute CPF for their employees from October 2019 would have received 17 months of wage support under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS). During this recent Phase Two (Heightened Alert), eligible stallholders in Government-owned commercial properties will receive one-month rental relief and those in privately-owned commercial properties will receive two weeks' rental relief.
To help F&B operators, Enterprise Singapore has reintroduced the Food Delivery Booster Package for the Phase Two (Heightened Alert) period. Eligible stallholders can also apply for financial support under the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG).
The Government is committed to supporting our hawkers as well as stallholders in other F&B establishments. We will continue to monitor the situation and assess the need for further assistance.
As Mr Perera is well aware, food courts and coffeeshops are operated commercially by private operators. Stallholders and the F&B operators enter willingly into commercial arrangements after assessing the business potential. Regardless, anyone aspiring to become hawkerpreneurs always has the option of securing a stall in NEA centres which are open to all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. As Mr Perera has acknowledged, rentals are more affordable at NEA centres, where median monthly rental of non-subsidised hawker stalls is $1,250. This is because of policies such as doing away with the minimum bid price through tender, which is the most transparent manner of allocation of such stalls, to allow hawker centres to serve as our community dining rooms while ensuring that hawkers can earn a decent livelihood, even as they provide affordable food for Singaporeans.
Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres, or SEHC operators, will ensure, not just a few, but each of every stall in the centres sells at least one item priced $3 and below. This provides affordable options while allowing hawkers to provide diverse food offerings and sell additional items with higher profit margin.
The SEHC model is working well and has benefited hawkers and patrons. Average occupancy rates at SEHCs remained high at 98% in June 2021, with very little turnover. Operating costs, including rentals, are on par with comparable existing centres. During this pandemic, operators have demonstrated their useful role by helping their hawkers adopt online food delivery and curating activities to attract footfall.
Beyond COVID-19, we must ensure our hawker culture and food continue to thrive for future generations.
We have been working closely with hawkers and stakeholders to sustain the hawker trade. Building on veteran hawkers' advice – so we talk to the hawkers constantly – we have taken steps to provide new hawkers with necessary skillsets to boost their chances of succeeding. For example, we started the Hawkers' Development Programme (HDP) last year and 376 participants have completed their classroom training; 96 are currently being mentored by experienced hawker mentors under the HDP's apprenticeship stage.
Aspiring hawkers can also participate in NEA's Incubation Stall Programme (ISP), which provides up to 15 months' rental subsidies and fitted-out stalls to lower start-up costs. SEHC operators have also developed similar programmes. To date, 92 aspiring hawkers have participated in these programmes, with 38 becoming full-fledged hawkers. The median age of these hawkerpreneurs is 36.
To help sustain the hawker trade and heritage, we are piloting the Hawkers Succession Scheme (HSS) to help retiring veteran hawkers pass down culinary skills, recipes as well as stalls to aspiring successors through an apprenticeship and mentorship programme.
I am happy to see many younger hawkerpreneurs contributing to our hawker culture through both traditional and modern hawker fare.
COVID-19 has presented learning points on future-proofing our hawker centres and hawker trade. To make hawker centres cleaner, safer and more productive, we introduced the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme (HTP), which will include improvements such as better aisles and tables spacing to minimise crowding, and high-volume-low-speed fans to improve ventilation.
We also encourage hawker centres to get onto the Productive Hawker Centres (PHC) programme and adopt automated tray return systems and centralised dishwashing.
To help hawkers enhance business resiliency, the Hawkers' Productivity Grant (HPG) co-funds the purchase of equipment to streamline business processes.
The pandemic has brought to the fore online food delivery for hawker food. While this is no silver bullet, it is one way to help hawkers boost their revenue. To help defray costs of onboarding food delivery platforms, NEA provided hawkers with a one-time $500 support last year under the Food Delivery Support Scheme.
There is, however, no easy or one-size-fits-all solution. Hawkers have different needs and preferences, and not all hawker food is suitable for food delivery. Beyond the larger delivery platforms, there are various others that hawkers can work with, such as WhyQ and Bungkus, and each adopts a different business model. Some provide onsite support to manage online orders and some have different fee structures. Some charge hawkers little or no commission, with costs borne by consumers. Each model has its benefits and targets different segments of hawkers and consumers.
Hawker representatives, online food delivery platforms and the community groups have come together with NEA and IMDA to convene an Alliance for Action (AfA) on online ordering for hawker food. This aims to address challenges hawkers face in using delivery services.
The AfA will look at raising hawkers' awareness and understanding of different platforms, facilitate their onboarding and equip them with means to successfully market their food online. It will also explore more sustainable platform costs for both hawkers and patrons by exploring different business models.
Meanwhile, our Digital Ambassadors from SG Digital Office will continue to support hawkers by helping them get onboard e-payment and online delivery platforms. Hawkers can also approach NEA for help, as suggested by Mr Perera. We have made good progress, with about half of cooked-food stallholders in our hawker centres having adopted some form of food delivery and almost 70% of them on e-payment. We aim to develop an ecosystem of support, where all hawkers – tech-savvy or otherwise – can join if they wish.
We can all do our part to keep hawker centres vibrant and safe by patronising our hawker stalls online or offline, and adhering to Safe Management Measures, as well as, of course, clearing our trays and dirty crockeries and litter up when dine-in resumes.
In this regard, let me assure you that you can visit the hawker centres which are open, with peace of mind, as MOH has completed a one-time pre-emptive swab for all working in our hawker centres and placed them on Rostered Routine Testing (RRT). Deep-cleaning and disinfection of affected centres have been carried out, and we have also implemented access control.
The Government will continue to work with stakeholders but, ultimately, it is up to all Singaporeans to support our hawkers to ensure that our hawker trade and culture continue to thrive.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 8.45 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":"Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion","questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Pegging Temasek Holding’s Performance to Performance of Broad-based Market Indices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"19 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government assesses Temasek Holding’s performance in relation to the performance of broad-based market indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the MSCI World Index over the past 10 years; (b) if so, whether it will consider publishing the results of these assessments; (c) if not, how are assessments of performance made by the Government; and (d) whether the Government will consider publishing metrics on the performance of Temasek Holdings and GIC based on risk-adjusted performance metrics such as the Sortino ratio.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Government does not assess Temasek’s performance using a single metric. Instead, we look at a number of indicators, including risk-adjusted returns. Our focus is on its overall long-term performance, not year-to-year.
We also take into consideration a range of factors when assessing Temasek’s performance, including its investment strategy and risk exposure. In particular, Temasek’s investment approach is different from that of a benchmark investor seeking to outperform a broad-based market index. Instead, as an active, bottom-up investor, Temasek will invest in a company based on its business and long-term growth potential. Another important difference is that Temasek invests across listed and unlisted assets. The latter are not covered by broad market indices.
The general market indices, such as MSCI World Index, are very broad indices with a wide range of stocks across different countries and industry sectors. The allocations across sectors and countries are typically based on the market capitalisation of listed stocks. Temasek’s portfolio composition is very different from these indices.
Having said that, market indices provide useful broad reference points as to how the overall market has moved over time. Temasek has presented such comparisons of its performance against various MSCI indices on its website.
Information on the returns and risk performance of GIC and Temasek’s portfolios is available publicly. GIC publishes both returns and volatility of its portfolio over various horizons. Temasek publishes its annual returns from which one can also derive its portfolio volatility and thus relevant risk-return ratios.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reduction of Marine Debris in Regional Action Plan under ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"21 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are the specific targets in reduction of marine debris set out in the Regional Action Plan under the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris; and (b) if no specific targets have been set, whether the Government will work towards setting specific targets with other ASEAN country partners.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Marine litter is a key environmental concern for the ASEAN region and will require collective action by all stakeholders. Singapore, together with our fellow ASEAN Member States, are committed to implementing the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris, which was launched in May 2021.
The Regional Action Plan does not set specific targets for the reduction of marine debris. Instead, the Plan focuses on preventing marine debris pollution through upstream measures to address land-based sources of plastic waste, which is assessed to account for 80% of marine plastic debris in the oceans. To this end, the Plan has identified 14 regional actions to facilitate the development of national-level policies to reduce the use of plastics; enhance plastic waste management and minimise leakage; and create value from plastic waste reuse and recycling, to enable a more sustainable and circular approach to plastics in the region. The implementation of these regional actions will support ASEAN Member States’ efforts to strengthen domestic policies and practices to reduce plastic waste pollution in their respective countries, to the benefit of the shared regional environment.
Singapore welcomes the implementation of the Regional Action Plan. Its goals are closely aligned with our national efforts to better manage, reduce and recycle plastic waste through the adoption of circular economy approaches. While we have no plans to engage ASEAN Member States to set targets to reduce marine debris, Singapore will continue to support their efforts to address marine litter, such as through the sharing of our experiences and expertise in waste management. Last November, Singapore organised a virtual training programme on urban solid waste management for ASEAN Member States, to build regional capacity on sound waste management practices and prevent the leakage of waste into the ocean.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Efforts in De-escalation of Tension in Israel and Palestinian Territories","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"22 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what can the Government do to (i) help de-escalate the tension in Israel and the Palestinian Territories to avoid the loss of innocent lives and protect from damage the UNESCO World Heritage religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem which include the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Wailing Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and (ii) monitor and ensure the safety of all Singapore Citizens who are currently residing in Israel.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: We need to understand the context of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict that led to the tragic loss of many innocent lives in May 2021.
First, the 11-day outbreak of violence in May 2021 was the fifth major military confrontation between Israel and Hamas in the last 15 years. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but retained control over the border crossing and the supply of goods into Gaza from the Israeli side. The Palestinians have accused Israel of imposing a blockade of Gaza. On Israel’s part, it has experienced recurrent indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza and armed border incursions over the years. In this latest round, an unprecedented number of more than 4,000 rockets were fired indiscriminately at civilian areas in Israel. Israel has also accused Hamas of launching rockets from civilian areas in Gaza. Although a majority of rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system, a dozen people were killed, including one child. On the Gaza side, the Palestinian toll was higher, with Palestinian health authorities reporting about 250 deaths, including 60 children. Gaza’s civilian infrastructure was also badly damaged and over 77,000 civilians were displaced according to UN figures. Tragically, the cycle of violence has not been broken over the last 15 years and civilians on both sides have been the victims. We are all deeply saddened by the loss of innocent civilian lives.
Second, this latest episode was related to earlier violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in Jerusalem, including on the Haram al-Sharif / Temple Mount and the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. Clashes in the vicinity of the Haram al-Sharif / Temple Mount are always very sensitive given its sanctity and religious significance for Christianity, Islam and Judaism. That these took place during the holy month of Ramadan only exacerbated tensions. When Hamas decided to launch rocket attacks on Israel on 10 May, it had publicly claimed that it was doing so in the name of \"defending Jerusalem and Islam\". Given Jerusalem’s importance to all the Abrahamic religions, incidents at key religious sites will inflame emotions and be easily exploited by various groups to advance political causes. However, this does not mean that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a religious one. At its core, the conflict has always been about territory, self-determination and identity which has been ensnared by Israeli and intra-Palestinian politics.
Third, the situation in Gaza is partly a reflection of intra-Palestinian political rivalries. The West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and controlled by the Fatah party. However, the PA no longer governs Gaza after Hamas seized unilateral control in 2007. The political divide between the West Bank and Gaza has remained despite past attempts at forging a national unity government between Fatah and Hamas. Unlike Fatah, Hamas does not recognise Israel’s right to exist and believes in armed conflict. In an interview in May 2020, Palestinian academic Dr Khalil Shikaki said that Palestinians in Gaza viewed the use of violence as an effective solution against Israel and that support for armed resistance was notably higher among Palestinian youth compared to the older generation. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that public Palestinian polls have indicated that popular support for Hamas has considerably increased following its latest attacks on Israel, as was the case immediately after the 2014 Gaza War.
Fourth, given the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, achieving a resolution has been extremely difficult. The historic Oslo Accords in 1993 gave rise initially to optimism that a two-state solution and Israel’s right to exist in peace could be realised at some point. Regrettably, there has been limited progress despite attempts by the international community, including the Quartet, to support direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The lack of visible progress has made it even more difficult to realise a peaceful outcome. Public polls show that support for a two-state solution within Israel appears to be waning. Similar polls show that many Palestinians believe a two-state solution to be neither achievable nor viable.
I have first provided some context so that Singaporeans can have a better appreciation of the ground realities in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza beyond the media headlines and polemics. This is also the context for the Singapore Government’s longstanding, consistent and principled position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
First, Singapore’s primary concern has always been the safety and security of civilians on all sides. International law and agreements must be upheld. On 9 May, MFA expressed deep concerns and urged all sides to stop the violence following the clashes on the Haram al-Sharif / Temple Mount. On 12 May, MFA called upon all parties to cease attacks against civilian targets and work towards a durable ceasefire. Gaza is a densely populated area and the risk of civilian casualties is high. On its part, Hamas should not use civilians as shields by launching indiscriminate rocket attacks at Israel from civilian sites. On 21 May, we welcomed the mutual ceasefire and urged both sides to avoid further loss of civilian lives. We also called for the swift and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to affected civilians. As with past conflicts in Gaza in 2009 and 2014, Singapore will continue to support humanitarian assistance efforts for the Palestinians. For example, the Singapore Government donated US$100,000 as seed money to the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) for its fund-raising appeal. I am heartened that Singaporeans have responded generously by contributing almost S$4.5 million to the fund-raising drives by the SRC and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Fund (RLAF), which will be channelled through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Red Crescent in support of their humanitarian and relief efforts. This is a testament to the Singaporean spirit of compassion for others in need.
Second, the cycle of violence in Gaza must stop. While the damaged infrastructure in Gaza can be rebuilt, the cynical view is that it is inevitable that another round of violence would erupt again. This will continue unless all sides are willing to make the necessary compromises and refrain from further violence. In this regard, Singapore welcomes efforts by key regional countries such as Egypt in strengthening the ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating negotiations between the relevant parties.
Third, Singapore will continue to support the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) capacity-building efforts. The Singapore Government has committed S$10 million under the Enhanced Technical Assistance Program (ETAP). Since its inception in 2013, the ETAP has hosted customised study visits and training programmes for over five hundred Palestinian officials in line with the PA’s priorities such as public administration, economic development and urban development. We have also sponsored Palestinian students to pursue post-graduate degrees in our local Universities.
Fourth, Singapore has taken a consistent and principled position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We support a negotiated two-state solution that allows both Israelis and 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. While the international community can help support this process, the Israeli and Palestinian leadership ultimately need to have the political will to resolve this conflict. Concessions have to be made by both sides. We hope that the leaders on both sides will find a way to engage in serious negotiations on the two-state solution in the interest of their peoples and regional stability. In the meantime, we call on all sides to refrain from taking any actions that would further escalate tensions.
MFA continues to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans residing in the region. MFA had reached out early to check on their welfare. MFA reminded them to be vigilant and to take the necessary precautions for their personal safety. MFA will continue to work with our Honorary Consulate-General in Tel Aviv to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans in Israel as necessary. We also urge those who have not e-registered with us to do so immediately so that we can reach out to them in the event of an emergency.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Carbon Emission Targets for Companies Owned by Government Investment Entities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"23 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government is involved in, prescribes or audits, any net carbon emissions target set for 2030 for companies owned by its investment entities and, if so, what are these as broken down into total portfolio emissions versus negative emissions targets.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Government does not prescribe the individual investment actions of our investment entities, which make commercial decisions independent of the Government. GIC and Temasek are already holistically integrating sustainability considerations in their investment processes so as to protect and enhance the long-term value of their portfolios.
Indeed, climate change is one of the most crucial challenges of this era. As long-term investors, both GIC and Temasek see sustainability as core to how they invest, what companies they invest in and how they set their investment strategies. Strong sustainability practices are integral to delivering sustainable investment returns over the long term. Conversely, companies with poor sustainability practices carry increased business, reputational, as well as environmental, social and governance risks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employers Receiving Kickbacks from Migrant Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"24 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower in each of the last five years, in respect of the investigated cases where employers are alleged to have received kickbacks from migrant workers, how many and what percentage involved are found to have received kickbacks (i) prior to or at the point the worker started employment (ii) in the course of employment and (iii) at the point of renewal of work passes.
Dr Tan See Leng: The point at which kickbacks were collected, be it at the start of the migrant worker’s employment or at the point of work pass renewal, does not impact the enforcement action taken against errant parties. As such, although such information could be recorded as part of investigation, MOM does not track data on the point at which kickbacks were collected. Our broad estimate is that the number of kickback cases investigated is about evenly split between those at the start of the worker’s employment and those at the point of renewal of work passes.
The collection of kickbacks as a condition or guarantee of employment is an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). Migrant workers who have paid or been asked to pay kickbacks to anyone for employment should approach MOM for assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Requests for Removal of Bee Hives","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"25 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development (a) in each of the last five years, how many requests for removal of bee hives have been referred to NParks; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider implementing pollinator protection and management measures that ensure that key pollinators in Singapore’s biosphere are protected against and properly managed by pest control methods to minimise ecological impact.
Mr Desmond Lee: From 2016 to 2020, NParks received around 8,400 requests for the removal of bee, wasp and hornet hives.
NParks works closely with stakeholders including agencies and the nature community to conserve key pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, bats and birds, in Singapore’s biosphere. Guided by the Nature Conservation Masterplan, these measures include habitat enhancement at our parks and nature reserves. Specific to bees, NParks has also constructed nest boxes in selected parks and nature reserves, to create conducive habitats for bees. In 2018, NParks launched a bee trail at HortPark to educate visitors on various bee species and their ecological role. NParks also conducts studies on key pollinators to better understand the ecology of these species, such as their movement and distribution.
Public safety is a key priority in the management of key pollinators such as bees. For example, bee hives found in public areas are typically removed, to prevent stinging incidents. This may involve engaging pest control operators to remove these hives quickly, to safeguard public safety. The ecological impact of removing such bee hives is assessed to be relatively low, as most of these hives are used by the honey bee species, which are common and widespread locally. NParks and NEA will continue to work together to manage pest control methods, with public safety and health as a key priority, while safeguarding our native biodiversity.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Distribute Still-functional Fitness Trackers Purchased for National Steps Challenge","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"29 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health whether HPB will consider distributing all the still-functional fitness trackers from among the 341,000 excess fitness trackers purchased for the National Steps Challenge seasons 1 to 5 to members of the public in order to promote exercise and fitness instead of disposing them.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: In planning for the various seasons of the National Steps Challenge, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) would estimate demand based on past seasons’ trend and projected increases in demand due to the new season’s eligibility criteria. However, this resulted in an over-estimation of the demand, and surplus of 341,000 fitness trackers.
Of the excess fitness trackers, 120,000 remain functional. Forty-eight thousand have been used to replace faulty trackers and those with expired warranties. About 3,000 trackers have also been used to support community partners, companies and other Government agencies in their health and wellness initiatives. The remaining 69,000 functional trackers will continue to be used for similar purposes. Unfortunately, the rest of the excess fitness trackers have been disposed of, as they have exceeded the average useful life or were no longer functional.
HPB has conducted a full review of the matter. It has enhanced the processes for central monitoring of the movement and stocks of fitness trackers. HPB now tracks movement across and at all distribution channels closely on a daily basis to detect signs of excesses building up. Audits and physical stock checks will also be done twice a year instead of annually. Excess inventory from previous years will be counted towards providing trackers for the following year’s activity.
Moving forward, HPB will be more conservative in its projections of the number of fitness trackers to be procured. Any additional purchase of trackers will be done only when excess bookings are received from participants. HPB has also broadened the criteria of replacement for the one-to-one exchange and will proactively inform our participants so that they will come forward to exchange the trackers if their trackers are defective.
MOH will closely monitor the implementation of these measures and work with HPB to determine accountability and the prudent use of resources, as we continue with our efforts to encourage Singaporeans to adopt healthier lifestyles.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proportion of Grant Applications Approved by National Research Foundation with Unanimous Agreement by Review Panelists over Past Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Prime Minister with regard to grant applications considered by the National Research Foundation and its subsidiary entities over the past three years, how many and what proportion of grants have been approved with unanimous agreement by the review panellists.
Mr Heng Swee Keat (for the Prime Minister): Under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) plan, grants are provided by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and other Government agencies to strengthen Singapore’s research and scientific capabilities. Panels of independent experts – both international and local – are typically convened to review such grant applications, with multiple panels convened for larger grant awards for added robustness.
As part of the review process, the experts are encouraged to engage in frank and thorough debate on all grant applications. As the experts assess applications using their specialist knowledge, they may differ in their assessments. When this occurs, the experts will discuss their assessments with each other. NRF does not require the experts to be unanimous before awarding funding. Hence, NRF does not track the number or proportion of grants approved unanimously by the experts.
NRF’s robust governance of grant applications is reflected in the Competitive Research Programme (CRP). The CRP funds multi-disciplinary teams to perform cutting-edge research that is relevant to Singapore. Over the past three years, NRF has received 412 CRP applications.
CRP applications first pass through the Whitepaper Stage, where panels of multi-disciplinary international experts shortlist applications for development into full proposals.
Sixteen percent of CRP applications over the past three years were shortlisted. This reflects the selectivity of NRF’s review process.
Shortlisted CRP applications are then sent to subject-matter experts for peer review. The Principal Investigators (PIs) who lead the research teams are invited to respond to the peer reviews. Finally, a separate International Evaluation Panel considers each shortlisted CRP application alongside the peer reviews and PIs’ responses. Sixty-one percent of shortlisted CRP applications over the past three years received NRF funding.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Conducting Joint Patrols with Indonesia in View of Increased Piracy or Armed Sea Robbery Incidents in Eastbound Lane of Traffic Separation Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Defence whether there are discussions with Indonesia on conducting more joint patrols with Indonesia in view of the increase of piracy or armed sea robbery incidents on commercial vessels in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the first half of 2021, such as in waters near Tanjung Pergam of Bintan Island.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: There were 20 sea robbery incidents near to Singapore in 2021. None of these reported incidents occurred within or originated from Singapore territorial waters. The majority of these robberies continue to involve petty theft for items like engine parts and ship stores.
As these incidents took place outside our territorial waters, Singapore agencies do not have the authority to directly intervene or apprehend these perpetrators. While we do not conduct joint patrols with Indonesia, Singapore works with Indonesia to deal with transnational maritime piracy, robbery and other security threats including through coordinated patrols in our respective territorial waters. There are also regular exchanges and platforms to strengthen coordination and operational responses.
Additionally, the RSN’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC) continues to share information of hotspots and locations with higher concentrations of vessels with authorities of neighbouring countries, to aid them in making decisions on the appropriate actions against possible perpetrators, including stepping up of patrols. The IFC and the Maritime Port Authority have also increased engagement of the shipping community on potential sea robbery hotspots and protective security measures they can undertake when passing by hotspots.
We will continue to work with maritime agencies and the neighbouring littoral states to collectively address maritime incidents and threats.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Canings Administered by Singapore Prison Service without Judicial Sentencing over Past 10 Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Home Affairs over the past 10 years (a) how many cases have there been of canings administered by the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) without judicial sentencing; (b) what is the median number of strokes imposed for these cases; and (c) how many times have visiting Justices of the Peace amended the number of strokes imposed by the SPS.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Prisons Act provides for caning as one of the punishments for committing aggravated prison offences that have serious implications for institutional order and discipline. Examples of such offences include taking part in any assault or attack of any officer and aggravated or repeated assault of any other inmate.
There is a framework to ensure that punishments are imposed fairly and appropriately. Upon the receipt of a report that an inmate has committed an offence, Singapore Prison Service’s (SPS) Provost Officers will investigate the case, which includes taking statements from the complainants, witnesses and the accused, as well as reviewing all evidence relevant to the case. Thereafter, as part of the adjudication process, every inmate suspected of having committed an offence will be informed of the charge and evidence against him, and given the opportunity to provide his defence. The adjudicating Superintendent will consider all the facts of the case, including the inmate’s defence and mitigation, before deciding if the inmate is guilty, and if so, the punishments to be imposed.
Every case where an inmate is given corporal punishment by the adjudicating Superintendent will be referred to an Institutional Discipline Advisory Committee. This Committee is an independent body appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs comprising reputable members of the public, including at least a member who is legally trained. The facts of the case will be put before the Committee, which will then advise the Commissioner of Prisons as to whether the corporal punishment to be imposed on an inmate for the aggravated or major offence is, in the Committee’s view, excessive.
The Commissioner of Prisons will review each case involving an aggravated offence and then can confirm the punishments imposed or vary any of them. After the corporal punishment is confirmed, a medical officer will ensure the inmate is in a fit state of health to go through the punishment both prior to and during the execution of the punishment. If, during the execution of the punishment, the medical officer certifies that the inmate is not in a fit state of health, the punishment will be stopped.
From the period of 2011 to 2020, SPS administered 2,875 instances of institutional caning to 2,149 inmates (that is, some inmates were found guilty of multiple aggravated or major offences).
The number of strokes meted out in each case depends on a myriad of factors that are specific to the case. The median number of strokes imposed between 2011 and 2020 inclusive was three, across a variety of aggravated or major offences. The most common offences for which caning was imposed involved aggravated violence against other inmates and violence against staff.
The Prisons Act also provides that where a prisoner is accused of any aggravated prison offence and the Superintendent is of the opinion that, in the circumstances of the case, the power of punishment which the Superintendent possesses is inadequate, the Superintendent may report the matter to the Visiting Justice or Justices. The Visiting Justice or Justices, after investigating the charge, may punish the prisoner found guilty of the offence after due inquiry by imposing a higher corporal punishment.
SPS did not make any such referral to Visiting Justices from 2011 to 2020.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Separate Licences for Family Karaoke Operators from Other Nightlife-oriented Operators","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there are any plans to issue separate licences for family karaoke operators from other nightlife-oriented operators; and (b) whether existing restrictions on karaokes may be relaxed for family-oriented operators, contingent on appropriate safe management measures.
Mr K Shanmugam: Karaoke singing is a high COVID-risk activity because of the singing, the enclosed setting and the potential for droplet transmission. We understand and emphathise with the situation of family-oriented karaoke operators.
MHA, together with the other agencies, is looking into the request by karaoke operators that brand themselves as being more family-oriented and, therefore, less likely to engage in illegal activities, and to be regulated separately from other nightlife establishments during this pandemic. The concern is that the risks associated with singing remain, regardless of whether the karaoke operators are family-oriented or otherwise. This needs to be assessed.
It will be helpful if the Member can clarify if he supports the issuing of separate licences to karaoke operators who state that they are family karaoke operators (distinct from other nightlife-oriented operators) and to relax restrictions on karaokes that brand themselves as family-oriented operators.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Synchronisation of Recent Operation to Shut down F&B Businesses Pivoting from Nightlife Establishments","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Home Affairs in the recent operation to shut down F&B businesses that pivoted from nightlife establishments (a) how many have been mistakenly placed on the list of such businesses when they are, in fact, new owners who merely took over the venue; (b) what is the reason for the lack of data synchronisation; and (c) how will the Police prevent such incidents from happening for future operations.
Mr K Shanmugam: There are currently over 400 nightlife establishments, for example, karaoke outlets and nightclubs, that have temporarily pivoted to food and beverage (F&B) businesses (\"pivoted establishments\"). They were required to suspend operations from 16 July 2021 to break community transmission from the cluster of COVID-19 cases involving these establishments.
On 16 July, after the suspension was announced, Police were conducting regular enforcement operations and had erroneously advised nine F&B establishments to cease their operations. Unknown to the officers at that point in time, these establishments were not considered pivoted establishments as they had permanently changed their land use. Upon realising the error, Police immediately notified the operators and apologised.
Due to the urgency to break community transmission, agencies involved in the administration and enforcement of the pivot scheme had to move quickly to suspend the operations of all pivoted establishments at short notice. This resulted in some miscoordination. Agencies have since tightened coordination to prevent future occurrences.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Reports filed by Public through i-Witness that Aided Ongoing Police Investigations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) since the launch of i-Witness, how many reports have been filed by the public; (b) how many of these have (i) aided ongoing Police investigations and (ii) led to action taken against hitherto unreported crimes including stern warnings; and (c) whether the Ministry can include an option on the i-Witness webpage for a member of the public to choose whether he wishes to be informed about the outcome of their submission to i-Witness upon the completion of investigations.
Mr K Shanmugam: Members of the public have filed more than 150,000 reports via i-Witness since its launch in April 2016.
The Police will follow up on information received via i-Witness about criminal activity, including initiating investigations. The Police do not track the number of i-Witness reports which have aided ongoing investigations or led to action against unreported crimes. As the platform is intended for witnesses to quickly submit information to the Police, victims of crime are encouraged to lodge Police reports where they can provide more detailed information.
For operational reasons, the Police are not able to communicate case outcomes to every person who puts up an i-Witness report. Police will provide case outcomes to persons directly related to the matter under investigation, such as the victims or accused persons.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Male and Female Prison Inmates with Children under Age of Seven and 18 Respectively","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"
7 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Home Affairs of the number of male and female prison inmates respectively in 2020, how many have (i) children under the age of seven and (ii) children under the age of 18.
Mr K Shanmugam: As at 31 December 2020, there were 9,204 male inmates and 1,162 female inmates.1 Based on our records, 2,224 male inmates and 508 female inmates had at least one child under the age of 18; while 869 male inmates and 227 female inmates had at least one child under the age of seven.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Figures are of local in-care inmates and those on Community Based Programmes, and exclude those in remand."],"footNoteQuestions":["7"],"questionNo":"7"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Non-imposition of Death Penalty on Individuals under Age of 16","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Law (a) whether there is any intention to review the law on minors in light of the River Valley High School incident; and (b) whether the current position of not imposing the death penalty on individuals under the age of 16 will be retained.
Mr K Shanmugam: We should be careful not to draw premature conclusions from the tragic River Valley High School incident. It is best to wait for the investigations to be completed and then see if there are specific actions necessary on legislation.
Any decision to lower the age limit for the death penalty is a very serious one and will require careful consideration.
While we continually review our laws, we do not yet see any reason to lower the current age limit; nor do we anticipate that this will change.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adoption Rate of Solar Photovoltaic Systems in Private Residential Estates and Condominiums","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether there has been an increase in the adoption rate of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in private residential estates and condominiums; and (b) whether the Ministry is studying the feasibility of grants or changes to the building code to provide additional incentives for solar PV system usage within private residential estates and condominiums.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in private residential estates and condominiums has increased by over 200% over the past five years, from 5.2MWp in 2016 to 15.7MWp in Q1 2021.
With technological advances, the cost of solar panels has decreased over time. The cost of solar energy is now generally cheaper than the retail electricity price and regulated tariff1. Hence, the Government does not provide grants or subsidies to further incentivise the adoption of solar energy.
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) seeks to encourage solar deployment by making it easier for solar adopters to sell and receive payments for excess solar electricity back to the grid. For example, EMA’s Simplified Credit Treatment Scheme or Enhanced Central Intermediary Scheme allows consumers to register their solar installations with SP Group and be paid directly through their monthly bill.
In addition, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has been encouraging the adoption of solar panels by recognising higher levels of solar deployment under the Green Mark scheme.
Solar energy is the most viable renewable energy in Singapore, and the Government will continue to work with all stakeholders, including residents of private residential estates and condominiums, to maximise solar energy adoption in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Based on estimates from the 2020 \"Update to the Solar PV Roadmap for Singapore\" report by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, the levelised cost of electricity for small-scale rooftop solar PV ranges from $0.11/kWh - $0.15/kWh. In comparison, the regulated tariff, which reflects the cost of electricity sold by SP Group is $0.25/kWh for 3Q2021. This includes the following cost components: (i) market administration and power system operation fee; (ii) market support services fee; (iii) network cost; and (iv) energy cost."],"footNoteQuestions":["9"],"questionNo":"9"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"High-Risk Industries Allowed to Pivot during COVID-19 Situation and Efforts to Mitigate Risks","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what other potentially high-risk industries have been allowed to pivot during the COVID-19 situation; and (b) what is being done to mitigate the risks.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The nightlife industry is the only industry that has not been allowed to operate at all throughout the pandemic. As such, nightlife firms had the option to apply for a grant from Enterprise Singapore to pivot to permitted activities, for example, F&B, fitness gyms, co-working spaces. In comparison, there are no restrictions for firms in other industries to pivot to another industry. However, as other industries generally remained open during the pandemic, the decision to pivot is purely commercial and they will not be eligible for a pivot grant.
Companies that pivot to new sectors are required to adhere to the Safe Management Measures (SMMs) and regulatory requirements of that sector. Enforcement action is taken by the responsible agencies and penalties are meted out to companies that breach these SMMs or regulations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Electric Vehicle Common Charger Grant for Condominiums and Private Apartments with Less than 100 Parking Lots","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport whether the Electric Vehicle Common Charger Grant is applicable for condominiums and private apartments with less than 100 parking lots.
Mr S Iswaran: Yes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"HDB Blocks Found Not Amenable to Deployment of Surveillance Cameras for Detection of High-rise Littering","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether agencies have assessed how many HDB blocks in Singapore are not amenable to existing CCTV methods for investigation of high-rise littering due to the design of the blocks; and (b) what measures are available to detect and deter high-rise littering at such blocks.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: There are more than 12,000 HDB blocks across Singapore, with different designs and layout. When persistent high-rise littering occurs, NEA will assess the feasibility of installing surveillance cameras at the block. NEA has explored and adopted ways to deploy cameras in tight spaces, for example with brackets, to enable surveillance at more HDB blocks. NEA also partners Town Councils for timely information sharing to investigate high-rise littering offences. For HDB blocks where camera deployment is not suitable, NEA will conduct site investigations, including interviews with relevant parties, to collect evidence.
Besides enforcement, NEA adopts complementary strategies such as shaping community norms to deter high-rise littering. Since 2020, NEA has been placing informative standees at public areas with persistent littering, to discourage offences. Town Councils also display posters jointly produced with the Municipal Services Office at HDB blocks, highlighting the environmental and social consequences of high-rise littering.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Profile of Safe Distancing Ambassadors Deployed across Singapore since April 2020 and Venues of Deployment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDAs) have been deployed across Singapore since April 2020 on a monthly basis, broken down by gender; (b) of these, how many are between 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70 and 70-80 years of age respectively; (c) whether SDAs are deployed to former nightlife establishments including KTV lounges that had pivoted to F&B outlets after March 2020; and (d) how extensive are the operations at these pivoted establishments.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Around 3,000 Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDAs) and Enforcement Officers (EOs), currently from 17 Government agencies, have been deployed daily since April 2020 to remind members of the public and premises owners to comply with Safe Management Measures (SMMs). We do not have ready information on the gender and age bands of SDAs as they are engaged by multiple agencies for a range of safe distancing work.
SDAs do not have enforcement powers and are not typically deployed to undertake checks on nightlife establishments which have pivoted to F&B operations. Checks on pivoted nightlife establishments are instead undertaken by Enforcement Officers (EOs) and Auxiliary Police Officers, who are authorised to take enforcement action. The number of EOs deployed to undertake enforcement checks at pivoted nightlife establishments will vary based on the ground situation.
Details on the enforcement operations conducted at the pivoted nightlife establishments, including joint operations by the Police and EOs, were provided by the Minister of Home Affairs at the Parliament Sitting on 26 July 2021.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Eligibility of Nightlife Businesses Pivoting to Other Industries for Jobs Support Scheme and Funds Disbursed","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Finance (a) whether nightlife businesses that pivot to other industries qualify for the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS); (b) how does the Ministry verify the number of eligible workers employed at these businesses; and (c) should nightlife businesses that engage in illegal activities receive grants and payments under COVID-19 assistance schemes, whether these amounts will be rescinded and the owners made to return what they have received.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The objective of the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) is to support employers to retain their local workers. Businesses are eligible for JSS so long as they meet the JSS eligibility criteria (like being classified under the relevant SSIC codes) and pay wages and CPF contributions to bona fide local employees. This includes the pivoted nightlife establishments.
To ensure that the JSS is paid out to bona fide employees, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), as the administrator of the JSS, has instituted a robust antigaming framework to detect phantom employees. Leveraging data from multiple sources, IRAS will identify cases which could indicate fraudulent or dishonest CPF contributions. Identified firms would have to make declarations and IRAS may conduct further checks before the payouts are released. Where warranted, JSS will be denied and egregious cases will be reported to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) for further investigation and prosecution.
Generally, we will not claw back JSS from a company solely on account of breaches of safe management measures. However, we will take tougher action against firms convicted of criminal activities. Any such firm will have its prior payouts clawed back for the period when it was engaging in criminal activities and future payouts denied.
For firms that are undergoing Police investigations for criminal activities, we will withhold their future JSS payouts (if any), as well as payouts for other COVID-19 assistance measures, such as the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI), pending outcome of these investigations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Continued Scrutiny by Auditor-General's Office on Accountant-General's Department's IT Security Controls over Most Privileged Operating System User Account","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Finance whether there will be continued scrutiny by the AGO on AGD's IT security as weak controls over the most privileged operating system user account has been continuously flagged across different systems over the past three years.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) is an independent organ of state that carries out audits on the Government’s management of public finances. The Government does not determine the agencies or areas that AGO chooses to audit.
The IT audits that the AGO conducts of the Accountant-General’s Department (AGD)’s systems are part of AGO’s annual audit of the Government Financial Statements. The IT audits undertaken by AGO covered separate parts of the AGD system: last year, it was on the payroll and claims system, and this year, it was on the accounting and financial transaction system. Separately, AGD itself commissions external IT audits annually to continuously review and strengthen IT security across its systems.
AGD has also proactively taken steps to systematically strengthen IT security over privileged access accounts in the past few years. These include hardening the hosting environment, transiting its in-house IT setup into a GovTech-managed site, implementing privileged access management system, and automating audit logs management to strengthen the controls over privileged access accounts in line with industry standards and best practices.
The AGO observations flagged last year and this year were related and pertained to specific technical configuration gaps in the security software used across various AGD systems. When the technical misconfiguration in one of AGD’s systems was first flagged by AGO in its report last year, AGD had followed up to conduct a comprehensive review to prevent similar technical misconfigurations across other AGD systems. But this work could not be completed in time for the AGO report this year. Hence, as noted by the AGO in its latest report, the specific privileged access configuration identified in the latest AGO observation would have been addressed as part of AGD’s commissioned IT audit which was ongoing when AGO conducted its audit between July and November 2020.
AGD has since fully rectified the technical misconfigurations highlighted by AGO. The rectification has also been verified through an independent IT audit commissioned by AGD. AGD will continue to strengthen and ensure robust and effective IT security controls over privileged access accounts of AGD systems.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Working Parents Using Both Days of Extended Childcare Leave Each Year in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) for each year in the past five years, what percentage of working parents use both days of extended childcare leave; and (b) if such data is not being collected, whether the Ministry will start collecting it.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Since 2013, working parents have been entitled to two days of paid Extended Childcare Leave (ECL) per year if their youngest citizen child is aged seven to 12 years. The percentage of eligible working mothers and fathers who took two days of ECL from 2016 to 2019 are in Table 1 below. Data for 2020 is not available as not all the claims have been submitted – parents can consume ECL within a 12-month period and employers have three months afterwards to submit the claims.
17 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health what are the Government’s plans to (i) increase the take-up rate of the Caregivers Training Grant and (ii) widen the support available for carers supporting elderly or sick family members and those with dementia.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) provides subsidies for caregivers to attend approved courses to better care for their loved ones. To strengthen take-up, we have enhanced the courses so that caregiver training remains relevant and accessible. For example, there are more online training programmes during this COVID-19 period. We have also raised awareness through AIC Links, AIC’s website and social media platforms. Hospitals, community care organisations and employment agencies for foreign domestic workers also share about the CTG to their clients and caregivers.
MOH will continually review our support for caregivers of seniors, including frail senior or those with dementia. For example, MOH launched the Caregiver Support Action Plan in 2019. Key initiatives include the launch of four community outreach teams and seven support networks to support caregivers’ socio-emotional well-being, enhanced respite care options and the introduction of the Home Caregiving Grant, which provides a monthly cash pay-out of $200 to eligible care recipients to help defray the costs of community caregiving. Earlier this year, we launched a new pilot to provide caregivers with a structured support system when their loved ones are first diagnosed with dementia.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reducing Burnout Rates and Ensuring Mental Well-being of Junior Doctors in Public Healthcare System after Unprecedented Public Health Crisis","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Health (a) what policies and programmes are in place to reduce the burnout rates and poor mental health among junior doctors working in the public healthcare system especially after such an unprecedented public health crisis; and (b) what are the processes that ensue, and what support is provided when a medical practitioner or applicant for a medical licence declares to the Singapore Medical Council that he is receiving or have previously received psychiatric care.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: MOH works with the healthcare clusters on various initiatives at the national and cluster levels to improve the well-being of healthcare professionals, including junior doctors.
At the national level, MOH has been working with the Singapore Medical Council (\"SMC\") to monitor the situation in our public healthcare institutions and to ensure that their guidelines on the total allowable work hours per week are complied with and sufficient rest periods are provided in the work schedules of post-graduate year 1 doctors (PGY1s) to ensure that they have adequate rest. There are similar guidelines in place for all junior doctors.
MOH has been working with key stakeholders to review the night call system and to ensure that junior doctors are distributed across the various departments based on their training needs and the clinical service demands. In addition, MOH has started reviewing the job scope and roles of doctors and optimising the system in which they are working in. This includes changes to the team structure and the implementation of alternative manpower coverage systems, both of which aim to balance the work hours and further improve the well-being of junior doctors. We will progressively engage the hospital clusters when implementation details are ready.
At the cluster and institutional level, junior doctors’ wellness workgroups have been formed, to address specific issues related to junior doctors’ wellness. In addition, there are structures and facilities in place in the public healthcare institutions for the welfare of healthcare staff, which include call rooms, rest areas and staff lounges.
Each institution also has specific measures, platforms and dedicated emotional support programmes, for example, feedback sessions with senior management, helplines, anonymous counselling services, resilience workshops and mindfulness training sessions to help address these concerns. There are also confidential communication channels for staff to provide feedback on disruptive workplace behaviour so that timely interventions can be made, in order to bring about a more conducive work environment that promotes mutual respect amongst healthcare workers and their peers. These measures are communicated to the junior doctors through various means including email, orientation programmes, the institution’s intranet, posters within the institution and regular engagement sessions.
To monitor the effectiveness of the measures, MOH works with the public healthcare institutions to conduct regular focus group discussions (FGDs). In the recent FGD involving PGY1s in late 2020, the reported burnout rate has decreased overall from 50% in 2019 to 39 % in 2020. There were less adverse feedback from PGY1s about working hours. Nonetheless, there are still some areas of concerns which MOH is working with the hospitals and specific departments to address.
SMC is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public by ensuring that registered medical practitioners are fit to practise. If a doctor’s mental health condition is declared or reported to SMC, a medical report from his psychiatrist will be required to allow SMC to better assess the impact of the mental health condition on the doctor’s ability to provide safe and appropriate care for patients. While an important concern is to safeguard the safety and welfare of patients, SMC will also consider whether there is a need for a doctor to take time off clinical practice in order to obtain proper care for a mental health condition.
Doctors who have had mental health conditions and have fully recovered can continue to practise independently. For doctors who are still receiving psychiatric care, SMC considers whether he can continue to practise safely, either independently or under supervision by another senior doctor.
Professional support for the doctor is made possible through these processes by the treatment, counselling and therapy provided by psychiatrists, psychologists and medical colleagues who supervise the doctor’s work.
Doctors who are mentally incapacitated by their conditions and, therefore, pose a danger to their patients if they continue to engage in clinical practice will be referred to a Voluntary Insight Committee, Health Committee or an Interim Orders Committee appointed by SMC. These are for serious or severe conditions which require close supervision or the cessation of practice.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress of Planned Rollout of 5G Network to Half of Country by 2022","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what is the percentage completion of the planned rollout of the 5G network to half the country by 2022; and (b) whether the Ministry has set a target for the total number of 5G mobile subscribers and individual user penetration rates.
Mrs Josephine Teo: 5G is a critical enabling infrastructure for the growth of the digital economy. It will facilitate the deployment of innovative applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT) for urban mobility and manufacturing, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, all of which can bring about transformative benefits for consumers and enterprises.
To enjoy its full benefits, Singapore decided that our 5G rollout ought to be based on standalone (SA) rather than non-standalone (NSA) networks. 5G using NSA networks is common elsewhere because they are less costly and faster to implement.
We are on track to meet our target of deploying 5G SA outdoor coverage across half of Singapore by end-2022 and across the nation by end-2025. Trials on 5G applications to drive early adoption are also underway, including trials with PSA Singapore to improve port operations, and trials with Razer and Singtel to deliver higher-quality cloud gaming experiences to consumers.
While the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) does not set targets for the number of mobile subscribers and individual user penetration rates for 5G or other mobile technologies, it facilitates fair and effective market competition in the telecom sector. This in turn promotes adoption among enterprises and penetration rates among consumers. Similar to 3G and 4G technologies, we expect that 5G adoption and penetration rates will be driven by market forces and will take off in good time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Repossession Notices Issued by HDB in Last Five Years for Owners' Non-compliance with Court Orders for Transfer or Sale of Flat upon Divorce","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development in the last five years, how many notices has HDB issued to flat owners to repossess their flats because of owners' refusal to comply with court orders to transfer or sell a flat upon divorce.
Mr Desmond Lee: In the last five years, HDB did not issue any notices to repossess flats due to the owners not complying with divorce court orders regarding the treatment of the flat.
In general, HDB only takes compulsory acquisition action as a last resort. As the divorce court orders are issued to the divorced parties, flat owners who disagree on the treatment of the matrimonial flat set out in the divorce court order can seek further legal recourse with the Court.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Compensation by Government Agencies to Construction Firms for Full Price Fluctuations for Materials Used in Construction Projects","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether and how does the Ministry ensure that all Government agencies compensate construction firms for the full price fluctuations for materials used in construction projects; and (b) whether the Ministry will ensure that any shortfalls in such adjustments will be reimbursed to construction firms.
Mr Desmond Lee: Government agencies are required to use the Public Sector Standard Conditions of Contract (PSSCOC) for their construction contracts. The PSSCOC includes a fluctuation clause that allows contract prices to be adjusted according to the prevailing material price indices of key construction materials, that is, ready-mix concrete and steel rebars. This means that Government agencies are contractually bound to adjust their contract prices according to the changes in these price indices during their projects.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Current Number of Licensed Swimming Pools in Singapore and Those with Lifeguards on Duty","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the current number of licensed swimming pools in Singapore; (b) what is the number of swimming pools with lifeguards on duty; and (c) whether the Government will consider legislating the need for lifeguards on duty or for other on-premise officers to be trained in life-saving techniques.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: NEA licenses about 2,700 swimming pools, ranging from pools in private residences and condominiums, to pools in clubs. Sport Singapore (SportSG) manages 27 ActiveSG pools, all of which deploy lifeguards.
As part of the licensing requirements, all pools must be equipped with first-aid boxes and lifebuoys, and display illustrations of artificial resuscitation procedures all in conspicuous places, but there are no requirements for pools to be manned by lifeguards or trained on-site personnel.
Water safety is a shared responsibility requiring a multi-stakeholder effort, which covers the areas of education, governance, research and surveillance. The deployment of lifeguards or trained on-site personnel comprises part of such a concerted approach in ensuring safety at pools. We encourage everyone to play their part to practise personal responsibility and exercise supervision and vigilance at pools.
On its part, SportSG works with MOE to conduct the SwimSafer programme for all Primary school students, which teaches students swimming, water survival and life-saving skills to react appropriately to various aquatic situations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number Working in COVID-19-related Short-term Roles Taking up Retraining Programmes and Matched to Other Roles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Manpower how many individuals working in COVID-19-related short-term roles have taken up retraining programmes and been subsequently matched to another role.
Dr Tan See Leng: Since the start of COVID-19, over 15,000 workers have been placed into public sector or Government-funded short-term roles under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, to support COVID-19 operations such as swabbing or quarantine operations, implementing safe management measures and providing patient services. At some point, the demand for such roles will taper down. For the moment, however, these roles remain in demand.
About three in 10 of these workers were temporarily redeployed as part of the National Jobs Council’s effort to support workers in hard-hit sectors and most of them are expected to return to their parent companies when demand recovers.
For the remaining workers, as well as those who are not able to return to their previous jobs due to reduced demand or who choose not to, our job matching services and ecosystem stand ready to help them. The SGUnited Traineeships, Mid-Career Pathways and Skills programmes also remain available.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[{"annexureID":1961,"sittingDate":null,"annexureTitle":"Annex 1","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/annex-Annex 1.pdf","fileName":"Annex 1.pdf","sectionType":"OS","file":null}],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":4564,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Sun Xueling","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/vernacular-Sun Xueling Motion 3Aug2021-Chinese(MSF).pdf","fileName":"Sun Xueling Motion 3Aug2021-Chinese(MSF).pdf"},{"vernacularID":4565,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Vikram Nair","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/vernacular-Tamil Transcription of Mr Vikram Nair 3 Aug 2021 5.30 to 5.45pm (002) .pdf","fileName":"Tamil Transcription of Mr Vikram Nair 3 Aug 2021 5.30 to 5.45pm (002) .pdf"},{"vernacularID":4566,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Dr Shahira Abdullah","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/vernacular-3 Aug 2021 - Dr Shahira Abdullah - Motion On Empowering Women.pdf","fileName":"3 Aug 2021 - Dr Shahira Abdullah - Motion On Empowering Women.pdf"},{"vernacularID":4567,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Tin Pei Ling","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/vernacular-Tin Peiling Motion 3Aug2021-Chinese_edited.pdf","fileName":"Tin Peiling Motion 3Aug2021-Chinese_edited.pdf"},{"vernacularID":4570,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/vernacular-3 Aug 2021 - Mr Zhul Rahim - Motion On Empowering Women.pdf","fileName":"3 Aug 2021 - Mr Zhul Rahim - Motion On Empowering Women.pdf"},{"vernacularID":4571,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Rahayu Mahzam","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/vernacular-3 Aug 2021 - Parl Sec Rahayu - Motion On Empowering Women.pdf","fileName":"3 Aug 2021 - Parl Sec Rahayu - Motion On Empowering Women.pdf"},{"vernacularID":4572,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms He Ting Ru","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210803/vernacular-He Ting Ru Motion 3Aug2021-Chinese.pdf","fileName":"He Ting Ru Motion 3Aug2021-Chinese.pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}