1 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what is the intended duration of the Free Morning Off-Peak Rail Rides scheme on the North East Line (NEL); (b) whether the Government is committed to making the scheme permanent in order to drive a sustained shift in travel patterns; and (c) if so, whether that commitment is contingent on plans to further increase NEL peak-hour capacity, if any.
\tThe Acting Minister for Transport (Mr Jeffrey Siow): Mr Speaker, this reply also addresses related questions filed by Ms Poh Li San, Ms He Ting Ru as well as Ms Elysa Chen for subsequent Sittings.
The new free morning off-peak travel programme is intended to reduce peak hour crowding. We are piloting the free off-peak travel programme on the North East Line (NEL) and Sengkang-Punggol Light Rail Transit (LRT), which is currently the most well-used section of our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network. By shifting a small proportion of peak hour commuters who are able and willing to travel off-peak, we improve the commuting experience for those who still have to travel when it is most crowded. Redistributing the peak load also enables the overall capacity of the train line to be more efficiently used. Furthermore, a smaller peak load will reduce the impact of a train delay or disruption, if it happens.
When we introduced a similar free travel programme in 2013, about 7% of commuters shifted out of the morning peak. If we are able to achieve a similar and sustained result, we will not need to have additional resources to support higher commuter traffic before 7.30 am. The free morning off-peak travel programme will be fully funded by the Government. The level of Government funding required will depend on the eventual take-up rate and therefore, the effectiveness of the scheme. We will assess after a year before deciding whether to extend the scheme further.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Chua.
\tMr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Thank you, Speaker. Two supplementary questions for the Acting Minister. First, I understand from the CNA article that when speaking to the reporters back then, the Minister shared that the peak hour passenger load on the NEL is not close to the Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) operating performance standards. I was wondering if the Minister can elaborate on this, because in relation to an earlier Parliamentary Question I filed in September, I had asked about the maximum passengers per hour per direction and capacity utilisation during peak hours. So, if the Acting Minister can give us a sense of these numbers to understand where it is today and where is the ideal level that LTA is looking at.
The second supplementary question is in relation to the NEL today. Are there any technical limitations to increasing the frequency further in terms of reducing the time between trains or even, let us say, increasing it from the current six cars to seven or eight, depending on the possibilities?
\tMr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, on the hon Member's question on the peak hour passenger load, today, our operating performance standards are five passengers per square metre (sqm), which translates to about roughly 1,600 people per train on the NEL. In practice, the trains are not filled to the maximum because commuters decide not to board the train if it gets too crowded. But today, when we track the loading of the trains, it is in and around four passengers per sqm, which is not anywhere near the operating performance standard.
In terms of the technical limitations of improving the capacity of the train lines, the free off-peak travel programme is one of a suite of measures that we have to try to manage the overall capacity of the train in terms of optimising it, but also to reduce the peak level crowding.
Beyond that, we have been adding new trains to the NEL over the years. We have improved the signalling systems so that the headways between the trains have come down significantly. Outside of the train system, we have also added City Direct buses to bring people from their residence in the North East to the city centre.
As for whether or not we can add more train carriages, that is often suggested. In Singapore, we have not taken this step because most of our train lines are underground and if we have trains that are longer than the station length, firstly, you either have to shut down the line to expand the station or there would be fire safety considerations because the carriages that do not have the exit doors, passengers would have to come through a longer way to get out and typically, that is not recommended for us to do that. So, we have not taken that step yet.
What we have done is, for future lines, going forward, to see if we can budget for stations that are longer, in advance, and then, perhaps, in future, to only have smaller capacity trains and to extend the capacity of those trains when we need to.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Poh Li San.
\tMs Poh Li San (Sembawang West): Thank you, Speaker. And thank you, Minister. I would like to understand with this shift of travel patterns to an earlier timing, would there be more resources required of the operator, SBS Transit? The other question is, what is the expected revenue leakage and is this sustainable in the long run?
\tMr Jeffrey Siow: I thank the hon Member for her question. In terms of more resources, as I had mentioned in my reply, if the outcome of the programme is around what we expect, which is hopefully about 7% of the peak hour load shifted to off-peak, then there is enough capacity during the off-peak and we will not need additional resources before 7.30 am.
The programme as of now, as a pilot, is fully funded by the Government. So, there are no additional resources that are needed. The revenue loss to the system is entirely covered by the Government. But what actually will be the Government expenditure on the scheme really depends on the take-up of the scheme.
\tMr Speaker: Ms He Ting Ru.
\tMs He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Thank you, Sir. I have got two supplemental questions for the Minister. The first is, whether the programme is expected to result in net positive movement in congestion and what are the considerations? Taking into account that there is a quite a number of Build-To-Order (BTO) and condominium projects coming up, will that be taken into account when deciding whether to continue this programme?
The second supplemental question is, earlier, my colleague Mr Chua said about the 7% shift from when we did a similar project in 2013. I am just wondering what happens if we hit or we do not hit that 7%? What is the decision going to be either way?
\tMr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, the scheme that we have proposed is a series of continuous adjustments that we make to the public transport system in response to travel demand. On the whole, in the longer term, what agencies do is they do plan the transport infrastructure and the capacity of the transport infrastructure in tandem with housing developments. The time frames are long for an MRT line – it takes about 15 years to build. And housing is about five years for a new BTO estate. So, they try to make sure that is synchronised.
But in the short term, on a year-to-year basis, we also make continuous adjustments, whether it is adding new buses or in this case, proposing this free off-peak travel scheme. And I think overall the objective is to optimise the capacity of the train network, in particular, of specific trains during peak hours and to make for a better travel experience for our commuters.
So, we should see the free travel scheme as part of that series of continuous adjustments. As for whether or not, we will proceed with the scheme after a year, let us evaluate the scheme. The 7% was based off a previous scheme which had very different parameters. But roughly, if we hit something like that, I think we can think about whether or not to either continue with the scheme, extend it in its current form or adjust the parameters further or even fold it as a permanent feature into the system. That is really up for debate.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Elysa Chen.
\tMs Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to ask two supplementary questions. First, whether the Ministry can shed light on the thought processes and data types selecting only the NEL and Sengkang-Punggol LRT for the free off-peak pilot – as you know, Bishan is a very crowded station with two lines as well – rather than other high congestion interchange stations.
My second question is to ask the Acting Minister for Transport whether the Ministry has conducted an accessibility impact assessment to determine whether the free off-peak scheme will disproportionately benefit able-bodied commuters who can flexibly adjust their travel timing, while vulnerable commuters such as persons with disabilities, elderly commuters and parents with young children who may have inflexible schedules due to work, school, medical appointments, or childcare constraints, will gain minimal benefit? And whether the Ministry will consider alternative subsidy mechanisms targeting vulnerable commuters with fixed schedules?
\tMr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon Member for her questions. The scheme applies to the NEL for two reasons. The first is that this is the most well used part of our MRT network at present and we think we want to see whether we can optimise the off-peak crowding on that line.
The second reason is that for parts of the NEL that are above Kovan station at the moment, they do not have an alternative route to the MRT network, until the Cross Island Line is built in five years time. And so, should there be a disruption and when there is a disruption, actually, the impact is quite significant to manage. Therefore, it is in our interest to try to reduce the peak hour crowding as much as we can.
Bishan, in relative terms, is slightly less crowded, more well-connected. So, for the moment, we have decided to keep the pilot to the NEL.
On the second question on accessibility, I fully understand the Member's concerns. Our objective with the scheme is to move a small proportion of those who are able and willing to move from peak hour travel to off-peak. And we are giving them a little incentive to do so. This will not only benefit these commuters, but it will also benefit the commuters who have no choice but to travel during the more crowded periods. It will benefit them through having less crowded trains, hopefully shorter waiting times for the trains and generally a better commuter experience for them. So, it is a win-win situation for all. And more broadly, beyond that, accessibility considerations are very much top of our priority when it comes to public transport. We will be very sure to focus on that.
\tMr Speaker: Last supplementary question. Mr Ng Chee Meng.
\tMr Ng Chee Meng (Jalan Kayu): I thank the Minister for this initiative. I thank the colleagues in LTA, SBS Transit for doing this good initiative.
Nevertheless, when you look at the loading in the North East area, I think this good initiative is but a interim measure – whether it is the buses where in the previous question, Senior Minister of State Sun Xueling told me that the buses loading versus MRT capacity is a great difference. So, my simple supplementary question is, with this good initiative, would the Seletar Line be accelerated?
Because, ultimately, with all the housing density being built up in the North East region, whether in Punggol or in Jalan Kayu, including Sengkang, I think fundamentally, a new MRT line would be needed. And if you can consider accelerating the Seletar Line, it would be very much appreciated by many residents in the North East region.
\tMr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon Member Mr Ng Chee Meng for his question on the Seletar Line, which is not the first time he has asked this. As I explained earlier, the planning of an MRT line is in tandem with housing developments and travel demand. These are longer-term plans which the agencies work together very closely and we try to make sure that there is enough travel capacity to accommodate the demand for the long term. In the short term, we do make adjustments in terms of continual improvements, whether it is adding new buses to the transport corridor, whether it is introducing the free off-peak travel scheme. These are short-term adjustments that we try to make, to make sure that the commuters' travel demands can be adequately catered for.
The Seletar Line is being studied. I hope to have an update on this sometime across the turn of the year and most probably during the Committee of Supply period. But we will take a look at it and let LTA do its work to study the line.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Addressing Teachers' Stress Levels and Supporting Their Mental Well-being","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"2 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education what additional measures are being considered to address the high stress levels reported by teachers in the recent OECD TALIS 2024 study, particularly regarding support for their mental health and well-being.
3 Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Education given the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey 2024 finding that only 12% of teachers are aged under 30, with 40% of this group intending to leave within the next five years (a) whether the low proportion of younger teachers is an intended policy outcome; and (b) how are beginning teachers supported to manage the increasing demands of this noble profession.
4 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry is taking any specific steps to further reduce non-instructional duties for teachers, especially marking and administrative work; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider employing full-time employees to assist teachers in communications and event management, amongst other duties, in order to allow teachers to focus on teaching and coaching our children.
5 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Education in light of the findings by the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 dated 7 October 2025 about the increasing complexity of the teaching profession, what are the specific aspects of the teaching profession in Singapore identified by the Ministry with potential for immediate improvement, especially for teachers' welfare.
\tThe Minister for Education (Mr Desmond Lee): Mr Speaker, my response will address the questions raised by Members to understand the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 findings and the current support systems and measures in place to manage teacher workload and well-being. May I have Mr Speaker's permission to answer oral Question Nos 2 to 5 and written Questions Nos 45 to 47 on today's Order Paper?
Mr Speaker: Please proceed.
\tMr Desmond Lee: Thank you, Sir. My response will also cover related oral and written Parliamentary Questions set down for today and subsequent Sittings.
Sir, let me begin by affirming what our teachers believe in – that teaching is, at its heart, a profoundly human endeavour. A teacher's responsibility is significant, as it involves nurturing students and shaping their futures. Our teachers take great pride in their work and demonstrate a strong sense of professionalism and dedication.
Our educators often go far beyond their formal duties because they see their students' growth and well-being as their responsibility. While we appreciate and applaud their passion, we also want to ensure that such commitment does not result in unsustainable workload for our teachers.
Members asked about the teachers' role and how the Ministry intends to support teachers with their non-teaching workload. Members also asked about the use of independent or externally verified studies to validate reported teacher workload hours and if the Ministry conducts regular checks of teacher workload.
We recognise that teaching, like many professions, comes with its own set of challenges and stressors. The 2024 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), which is a study run independently by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), found that Singapore teachers reported longer working hours per week compared to the OECD average. These longer hours are reported because Singapore teachers spend their time differently from many of their OECD peers. While classroom teaching hours are shorter, our teachers spend time on other important activities such as lesson preparation, co-curricular activities (CCAs) and professional development. These activities are critical to their effectiveness in providing holistic education for our students.
TALIS, being the largest international teacher survey, is a useful benchmarking tool, but it has its limitations. It is conducted once every six years and surveys a representative sample of only our lower-secondary teachers. In contrast, the Ministry of Education (MOE) internally monitors the workload of our teachers more regularly – across all grade levels: primary, secondary, junior college and centralised institute – through surveys, polls and various forms of staff engagement. This allows us to track closely and develop a more holistic understanding of teacher workload trends and issues, so that we can adjust our policies and programmes, as necessary. As we had said in a written Parliamentary Question reply to this House on 14 October this year, our data shows that, over the years, teacher workload has remained stable in terms of total hours, at an average of 53 hours. However, we recognise that the complexity of a teacher's work has increased over the years.
Members asked how MOE aims to address the longer working hours and stresses faced by our teachers. MOE adopts a range of measures to manage teachers' workload and to support their well-being, which we review regularly. First, MOE's Teacher Work Management Framework provides our school leaders with a common set of principles and measures to guide equitable workload allocation, considering teachers' competencies and preferences. It emphasises transparency, trust and open communication in workload deployment. This is reviewed regularly in response to new developments.
Second, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. MOE is tapping on AI to help teachers work more efficiently and effectively. New AI and other tech tools in the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) for example, support teachers to plan lessons, as well as to mark, provide customised feedback and analyse students' responses. Digital platforms, like Parents Gateway, have reduced time spent on administrative tasks, such as collecting consent forms and medical certificates. And while Singapore has one of the highest adoption rates among OECD education systems for using AI, we recognise that it does not immediately translate to reduced work hours. Teachers need time to be trained to use these tools, be comfortable using them and to fully integrate these tools into their work practices.
Third, enhanced staffing support. On average, each school has about 85 teachers. In addition, each school is resourced with a team of allied educators performing functions, such as counselling and working with students with special educational needs. All schools have a dedicated administrative team overseeing general administrative matters, procurement, financial operations and logistics support. We have been increasing such support. Over the last 10 years, we have doubled the number of allied educators across all schools, from about 800 to 1,600, and also increased the number of administrative staff in each school, from six then, to around nine today. Furthermore, schools have the flexibility to procure manpower services such as coaches, CCA administrators and allied support for student well-being; as well as vendors to assist with administrative work, events management and student programmes. We will continue to review the number of non-teaching staff needed in schools to effectively support our teachers and our students.
Fourth, system-level adjustments. When we introduce new policies and initiatives, or make policy changes, it increases workload for a season, as schools and teachers need to be briefed, trained and need time to adjust. Good change management is therefore key. MOE has given schools greater flexibility to pace the implementation of new system-wide initiatives, including deferring them if necessary, in order to manage staff workload. Hence, schools could decide when they would implement major changes, such as Full Subject-Based Banding as well as the EdTech Masterplan 2030.
Fifth, protected time policies. All schools provide protected vacation time during school holidays to ensure that our teachers can rest and recharge. Across the four blocks of school holidays, teachers can get around six to seven weeks of protected time and can take their vacation leave beyond the protected time, if they do not have any work in school. MOE also refreshed the School-Home Partnership guidelines at the end of 2024 to avoid parent-staff communication after school hours, except for critical emergencies. It also states clearly that teachers do not need to give their personal mobile phone numbers to parents and students. This is to minimise the blurring of lines between work and personal time.
Sixth, flexible work arrangements (FWAs). Since 2022, MOE has also provided guidelines on FWA for School-based Officers, while maintaining the duty of care towards our students. These include allowing teachers to report later at the start of the school day or leaving earlier before the end of the school day if they have no lessons or duties. Teachers are also allowed to work from home on a day where they have no classes or duties requiring their presence in school. Teachers who are unable to take on the full workload can apply for part-time working arrangements.
Seventh, well-being support. All schools have Staff Well-being Committees that are resourced with Staff Welfare Funds. Teachers have access to a range of resources such as well-being workshops, talks, webinars and online self-care materials. If they have well-being concerns, they are encouraged to raise them with their supervisors, school leaders or superintendents. They also have access to peer support, such as their school's wellness ambassadors and to free professional counselling through MOE's in-house counsellors or the whole-of-Government Employee Wellness Programme.
Members asked if the reduction of workload will be a key priority with key performance indicators set, and how well-being data informs staffing, performance evaluation and retention policies. MOE takes a holistic approach to monitoring teacher well-being rather than using singular metrics like work hours. We regularly track a range of indicators including job satisfaction, retention rates and stress levels and also, engage with MOE teachers' unions to get feedback and suggestions. This approach allows us to ensure timely interventions to support teacher well-being. Apart from broad-based measures to support the profession, when we receive school-specific feedback, we will also implement targeted measures to address these issues in those schools.
We are encouraged by the commitment shown by our teachers over the years, in spite of the growing complexity of the role. The mean annual resignation rates of teachers have remained stable at around 2% to 3% over the past few decades. TALIS 2024 also found that many of our teachers felt valued by society and see teaching as an attractive career choice. Based on the results from MOE's staff engagement survey last year, teachers' perceptions of work-life balance support were comparable to those across the wider Public Service.
I thank Members of this House as well as members of the public, for their concern for our educators. Indeed, our individual and collective attitude towards educators will determine whether we can continue to attract and retain good educators.
Beyond MOE and our schools, parents and other stakeholders also play an important role in supporting our teachers' well-being. By working collaboratively with schools, respecting educators and maintaining realistic expectations about the responsibilities of teachers, parents can also help create an environment where our teachers can focus on what they do best – educating and nurturing our children.
I would like to encourage parents and in fact, all of us to recognise and appreciate our educators who dedicate themselves daily to nurture young minds. As a society, let us cherish our educators' contributions each and every day. For when we honour those who teach our children, we strengthen the foundation upon which our nation's progress rests.
Let me close by saying this: having highly professional and caring educators, who are deeply committed to shaping the lives of our children and youths, is one of Singapore's reservoirs of strength. I thank all our teachers and allied educators for the good work you have done – seen and unseen. And I thank all parents and members of the public for your support for our schools and our teachers. We appreciate our teachers and we are committed to working with you to nurture and guide our next generation.
Mr Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal.
\tDr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Mr Speaker, I would like to get your permission to ask beyond two supplementary questions, because I have asked quite a number of questions.
Mr Speaker: Yes. Go ahead, but keep it short.
\tDr Wan Rizal: Thank you, Sir. So, I want to first appreciate the Minister for sharing the efforts taken by the Ministry to protect our teachers, for their well-being, and of course, how they have been treated in schools all this while. I have gotten a number of on-the-ground feedback, including those with dialogues through the Singapore Teachers' Union (STU), where I am an advisor for, and we have had very good conversations about how we want to improve teachers' well-being and how we can protect them further.
And while many support and welcome the efforts done by the Ministry, one pain point that keeps cropping up is the workload. And we have heard from Minister on how we have continued to monitor. But they have shared progressively that, although things have changed, it is similar still, because you move the pieces around, but the plate is still as much. So, there are some concerns, and I would like to ask further.
The Minister talked earlier about how he has done some research and we know OECD's survey is not ours, but we have continually done more, to check on our teachers. Has the Ministry conducted any recent workload audits, so that we can pinpoint exactly where this pressure of workload really comes from? They have mentioned that the bulk is the non-teaching part, so can we work on something to maybe reduce that further?
The Minister also mentioned the use of AI, which I believe has helped teachers a lot, but it has also added a layer of complexity to how they do things. And I wonder whether this could also be considered in us trying to reduce the workload.
Going forward, can we explore a white space, where we put a fixed guideline throughout the different schools to protect core teaching time. The Minister mentioned earlier, they teach a certain amount of hours, but it is the bulk of whatever happens after that, that is the one that really needs some protection. And I hope that the Minister could find some model to help them in that regard.
\t
I think the STU has certain considerations too, so I think it is wonderful if we can work further on this.
And the Minister mentioned earlier how we have decentralised, such that different schools will have different approaches. I think that is necessary, given the demographics of the different schools. But would you consider in this regard certain schools with slightly different needs? For example, they have a higher number of need for counselling, they need more para educators to be on board. Would the Ministry consider giving some schools a lot more support in this regard?
So, I thank the Minister again, for sharing the efforts in protecting teachers' well-being and I want to appreciate the teachers too. We are coming towards the end of the year and I want to appreciate the good work they have done over the whole year.
\tMr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member for his series of questions, which reflects his deep engagement with the union, with educators and with members of the public on the state of teaching in Singapore. Indeed, as I said, we do not just rely on TALIS, which is an OECD study. We have our own internal reviews on a regular basis on a whole variety of issues, including teacher workload, and the various measures that were outlined earlier – and I would not repeat all of them – are in reality, a response to the identified areas of workload which we can moderate or adjust.
So, some of it involves hiring more and we have announced in July this year that we are going to ramp up the recruitment of teachers. I mentioned that over the years we have moved some responsibilities away from teachers towards allied educators, like counsellors, special educational needs (SEN) officers, administrators, vendors and others. We have given schools resources to be able to bring in more vendors, if necessary, to help them to organise the activities.
So, those are the measures that are in response to a deeper understanding of the issues that the teachers face. And we are committed to continue this work and continue to implement new measures to help to allow our teachers that space to teach.
I would say that teaching today, if you ask any teacher, is a lot more holistic. It is not just about in-classroom teaching of a core subject or a hard subject. Even in the teaching of a hard subject, I think the Member will recognise that we are infusing 21st Century Competencies through the way that the teaching is carried out – through field trips, through studies, in subjects where appropriate, we infuse even values education, and Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) into some of these subjects.
And so, teaching being more holistic, is no longer just found in the classroom, but also in CCA and CCE, and in a whole range of other activities that enable our teachers to mould and nurture our students holistically – not just cognitively, but affectively, in terms of their emotional well-being, in terms of their skillsets, in terms of their executive functioning, in terms of their core values that help them to navigate society and the uncertain future world.
That is one. And of course, by helping our teachers with tools to prepare their material – standardised material in SLS – so they do not always have to prepare their own material, they can use some of that and adjust. We also provide AI tools, not just administratively to help them with administrative workload, but also to help them augment their teaching, augment their marking, augment their ability to give feedback to their students.
I just want to refer the Member back again to the various measures I articulated earlier. The Member asked whether we give our schools more resources based on needs. I think, absolutely. There was a Parliamentary Question sometime back where Members asked if schools can get more allied educators based on the profile of their students. For example, if they need more SEN officers or more counsellors, we are able to redeploy the existing pool and steer them towards schools that may have a greater need, whether secular or for a season.
\tMr Speaker: I see many hands. I am only going to call Members who have filed questions on this. So, for those who did not, you do not need to raise your hands. Mr Shawn Loh.
\tMr Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar): Thank you, Mr Speaker. My supplementary questions will be shorter than Dr Wan Rizal's.
\tMr Speaker: I would appreciate that. Dr Wan's supplementary questions were pretty long.
\tMr Shawn Loh: Thank you. I thank the Minister for Education for his response, and I also want to declare that I am the new advisor to the STU, as well as the Education Services Union.
It is a common refrain from many teachers that one hour in the classroom is more tiring than one hour in the office. I would venture to extend that to say that one hour in the classroom is much more tiring than one hour in Parliament. And that is important. Because it is very concerning when TALIS, not just notes that teachers on average work 47 hours a week, but that the number has not gone down over the last two seasons of the survey over the last decade. Whereas across Singapore, for full-time workers, the average hours worked went down from about 47 hours to about 44 hours. So, we should all be rightfully concerned about our teachers.
To that end, I have two supplementary questions. The first one is for beginning teachers. For beginning teachers, the survey noted that the proportion of teachers was low and that many were intending to leave. So, my question to the Minister is whether the low proportion is a feature of MOE's hiring policy. Is it because it is about low recruitment or is it about high attrition? And if it is the latter, what is the Ministry doing about it?
The second and last question is about non-teaching workload. I fully agree with the Minister that non-teaching workload that leads to educational outcomes are important. Our teachers should do that, like for CCAs. Because teachers do not just teach, they educate. But there are also non-teaching workloads that do not necessarily lead directly to educational outcomes – procurement, for example, and other administrative work. It seems like a perennial bugbear, notwithstanding the Minister's assurance, that the amount of resources to each school has gone up. I would like to ask the Minister, why is this so? Is it because the workload has gone up more than the resources given to the schools?
\tMr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member for his questions and for his concern for our teachers. I said earlier in my speech that both TALIS, as well as our surveys show that while teachers' workload is high – it is indeed so and working hours are long – they have been stable over the past number of years, and we are working hard to focus our teachers' precious time on teaching holistically. Where possible, we help them to be more productive and effective, help them to shed some of the administrative tasks and what the Member calls, non-core teaching functions to allied educators and others. So, that work continues.
So, why is it that the number of working hours remains at this level and remain stable over the past number of years? I think Members will also need to look at the context. Over the past few years, we have made a number of policy changes. Teaching, as I said today, is a lot more holistic. There is a lot more teaching beyond the classroom. There is CCA, through which we teach leadership, sportsmanship, empathy and so on, the 21st Century Competencies. And in short, we have made many education-related moves over the years to strengthen our education system.
So, Full Subject-Based Banding only recently kicked in and there are a lot of things to be done in order to allow our students at secondary level to be able to learn at their pace. Indeed, it creates more work, but one which teachers recognise benefits our students.
We implemented an EdTech Masterplan 2030 to help support our teachers and our students in learning using technology. Not just learning using technology, but learning with technology. We have been talking about AI in education as well, so that will of course, create additional workload in terms of briefing, understanding, tinkering, learning, workshopping, practising, mastering and then we start to reap the results.
We made changes to the PSLE system. That, of course, creates additional work, but again for a purpose that supports the education system.
We made changes to refresh our 21st Century Competencies and how it is infused into our lesson plans and in our curriculum and in holistic education. That, of course, also requires all our schools, all our teachers and all our departments, not just in the headquarters (HQ), but particularly in our schools, to make changes.
And I can go on and on about all these things that have been done over the last few years that will increase the workload for a season, or some may also increase workload secularly. This is because education is more holistic and our teachers also have to contend with a changing demographic of parents and the different aspirations of our students.
So, all in, being able to keep workload at that level, despite doing all these important things, I think is a reflection of how these measures have worked. But we need to do more in order to make further improvements to the workload and stress on our teachers.
On beginning teachers, the Member asked why the proportion of beginning teachers has fallen through the TALIS report; he cites that. Well, in 2018 to 2024, with falling cohorts and a maturing workforce, we had reduced recruitment to some 650 to 700 teachers a year, in order to fill in the gaps in certain subjects and to replace retiring teachers. But in July this year, we announced that we will ramp up recruitment of teachers going forward to some 1,000 teachers or more per year.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Valerie Lee.
\tMs Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi): I thank the Minister. I have two supplementary questions. Has the Ministry actively conducted studies on other countries on how they manage this topic of time management for teachers? If so, which countries are they, and have there been anything that is implemented in Singapore? The second question is, what targeted initiatives are there being planned to reduce teacher attrition rates, particularly among our younger educators who may feel overwhelmed by workload and pressure?
\tMr Desmond Lee: Through TALIS, we have a very useful comprehensive teacher survey study across a large number of OECD countries and that is a very useful benchmarking tool. It is not just survey results, but they also go into some qualitative understanding of each jurisdiction. That, of course, complements our comparative study of other jurisdictions to continually improve. So, that is the response to her first question.
To the Member's second question about beginning teachers' attrition, we support them through inductions, through mentoring in the first few years, through more supportive environments in school culture, focusing on professional development to enable our beginning teachers to be able to navigate, what will inevitably be a steep learning curve in teaching and in fact, in all professions.
We also need to accommodate, adjust and respond to a changing demographic with different aspirations of work and life, and so, in that regard, having more flexible work arrangements, including part-time teaching, having various options for teachers to adjust their school day, specific to their own responsibilities and specific to the school environment. I mentioned quite a number of them earlier, for example, coming to school a little later, if there is nothing right up in the morning, leaving once their teaching and other duties are done, and so on. So, we will continue to find ways to make sure that our scheme of service continues to respond to a changing demographic.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Hany Soh.
\tMs Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Speaker. The TALIS findings underscore our Singapore teaching profession as innovative and respected, yet burdened by the demands that could potentially erode long-term sustainability, particularly our early career educators. In this aspect, I have three supplementary questions for the Minister.
\t
First, do teachers appraisal and progression factor in non-teaching duties, such as projects and CCAs? The second supplementary question concerns whether the Ministry has sought teachers' feedback on the demands that they face from students' parents and whether the situation has improved with the introduction of the Parents Gateway communication platform, as shared by the Minister earlier? And finally, I am not sure if I caught it, in the various measures that the Minister shared earlier, in relation to supporting the young, budding teachers, whether we are prepared to consider to include a scheme like a mentorship between senior and more junior teachers, as a form of buddy system, encouraging and providing the necessary support and guidance to the young educators?
\tMr Desmond Lee: I think I will address the Member's third question first. I did mention earlier that mentoring, on top of induction programmes and other professional development programmes, are in place for beginning teachers – or what she mentions as novice teachers.
In response to her first question on appraisal, we do take into account the teachers' holistic work as well as performance – teaching, CCAs, projects and so on.
In terms of whether we do surveys of teachers or engage teachers to better understand the relationship between them and parents, the answer is yes – through dialogues, through feedback from STU and other teachers' unions, through our well-being surveys, we get a better understanding of the changing demographic of parents today and their expectations of their children and teachers in school and out of school.
Hence, as a result, you see changes such as the Parents Gateway, implemented a number of years ago, School-Home Partnership as well as MOE's Engagement Charter, which sets out clearer boundaries and expectations, and draws clearer lines between teachers and parents – so that we can have a good productive, holistic relationship and partnership for the benefit of our children.
Mr Speaker: Mr Kenneth Tiong, I know you have filed a Parliamentary Question for this tomorrow.
\tMr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat (Aljunied): Thank you, Speaker. Two supplementary questions for the Minister. Firstly, what are MOE's target operational outcomes for AI adoption? Surely, the Ministry must have a direction or goals, whether it is fewer hours, better allocation of time from administrative duties to teaching, or something else. Without that, how do we measure whether AI adoption is achieving the desired outcomes?
The second supplementary question: the Minister said that the workload has been stable at 53 hours per week. Does MOE believe that this is sustainable in the long term? And if not, what is the target number of hours that MOE is working towards?
\tMr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member for his questions on AI. I mentioned earlier that AI tools, once you introduce them, there is work created when you introduce AI tools. In fact, there is work created when you introduce any productivity tool. At the NIE70 conference, we also had AI experts from abroad who cautioned that when you introduce AI tools, there is hidden work that is created. Some of it is seasonal. Some of it may be secular. But if these are tools that are productive in nature that help save effort, reduce time spent on certain things in order for the teacher or the worker to be able to do more higher value-added things and divert the time to things that they feel are more important, then the necessary pre-condition is that one gets familiar, understands and then gradually masters and gets familiar with the tools, and then you start to reap the benefits.
So, there is a learning curve. There is an implementation curve and an operationalisation curve before we can reap the benefits. And it is still early days. We are infusing AI into teaching, not just as a productivity tool, but in order for us as an Education Service to be able to teach our children what is AI, teach them how to use AI, teach them or enable them to learn with AI, and also to learn beyond AI. So, all this does requires change management, over and on top of the School Cockpit and suite of tools, AI and tech in nature that enable our teachers to do more with limited time.
In terms of the workload, I mentioned in response to another Member earlier that the stability of our working hours – not that we crow about it; certainly, those are long hours and we need to continue to work collectively at it and I think, on both sides of this House, we all recognise and appreciate our teachers putting in all this effort for the benefit of holistic education of our children – but there has been a whole series of education reforms and changes over the years. A number of measures I mentioned earlier have helped to moderate the increase in working hours. But we are at it, we keep at it and continue to roll out reviews and changes that will help to moderate our teachers' overall working hours and their work-life balance.
Mr Speaker: Dr Choo Pei Ling, I know you had a question for tomorrow's Sitting as well.
\tDr Choo Pei Ling (Chua Chu Kang): I have three supplementary questions. One, as schools differ in size and profile, how does MOE ensure that requests for additional support staff, such as administrative assistants or counsellors, are prioritised fairly and matched to the unique needs of each school? Two, are best practices from schools that have successfully reduced teacher workload being shared so that other schools can learn and adopt these methods? Three, how are insights from these regular workload reviews translated into practical adjustments at the school level, so that teachers feel the impact directly in their day-to-day work?
\tMr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member for her three questions. The first, I think I have addressed that in a reply to one of the Members earlier that, based on the specific needs and the profile of each school, if there are additional resource requirements, they can raise them to their superintendents, zonal directors and to HQ, and we will see how to provide support to help them address those needs.
The second is best practices. Certainly, through the Schools Division, our principals, school leaders and our superintendents share best practices, not just in terms of workload reducing measures, but also pedagogical and teaching methods as well. We have network communities of practice that enable our educators in different fields, as well as our administrators, to be able to share ideas and best practices with one another. So, collectively, we improve as a system.
And lastly, the Member, I believe, asked how we ensure that these measures are properly implemented. Again, there are a range of supervisory measures, but ultimately, we give our school leaders autonomy and discretion to apply these measures to address needs and circumstances in their institutions.
Mr Speaker: Mr Jackson Lam, did you raise your hand earlier? No. Okay, Dr Hamid Razak.
\tDr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West): Thank you, Speaker. I really appreciate the Minister setting the boundaries for clearer parent-teacher communication. However, boundaries can only do so much when it comes to behavioural change. I am wondering if the Ministry would consider perhaps setting up frameworks to engage parents to set clearer communication guidelines as well as perhaps shared communication platforms, which parents can then engage with should they have concerns about their children? This is because practices may vary between teachers and that might incite some degree of peer influence in terms of responding to parents, especially with their own personal phones for teachers, and parents might have overt concerns about their children, which may also vary between parent groups. So, more than boundaries, my question is whether the Ministry has further measures or frameworks that can be useful to engage parents to enhance this parent-teacher communication?
\tMr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member for his concern about the anxiety of parents as well as the stressors on our teachers. Indeed, parents are the first teachers of our children, and our teachers really work closely and seek to have a close partnership with our parents in order to ensure more holistic education of our children.
I mentioned earlier that we have an MOE Engagement Charter, together with the School-Home Partnership framework. It is not just an internal document, it is also shared, particularly with parents as well as with the public, so that we understand how to navigate that relationship. All of us are concerned about our children but we also need to enable our teachers to perform their tasks and to be able to support their children in the class.
And therefore, apart from these two guidelines and frameworks, we also have parent support groups. We have regular communication. It may vary from school to school, between school leaders, level heads with parents, either en masse, face to face, person to person, in a group, or virtually as well. So, these are ways that enable a constant relationship, a constant communication between our schools and our parents.
Mr Speaker: Ms Elysa Chen, I know, like Dr Hamid Razak, you also filed a Parliamentary Question for Thursday's Sitting. So, go ahead.
\tMs Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh): I did, thank you Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister also for acknowledging the increasing complexity of a teacher's work. And to follow up, I would like to ask the Minister what safeguards are in place to ensure that internal workload surveys capture the full range of non-teaching duties, including event planning, meetings and administrative work.
And second question: would MOE clarify whether teachers on the teaching track can achieve promotion to General Education Officer 5A and beyond, based solely on classroom teaching excellence, pedagogical innovation and student mentorship, without needing to chair committees or lead school-wide events and nationwide initiatives.
Last question: of the teachers promoted to senior teacher or lead teacher positions at the schools, what proportion held non-teaching administrative portfolios, such as committee chairmanships, non-subject Head of Department positions or Year Head roles prior to the appointments, as opposed to solely professional development portfolios?
\tMr Desmond Lee: The Member asked three questions. For the second and third question, they are HR- and statistics-related. I would just encourage the Member to file a written Parliamentary Question and we will give her that data.
The Member's first question is about safeguards to ensure that our MOE surveys capture accurate data. We have a large teaching workforce – primary, secondary, junior college, centralised institute – and the surveys have a very high response rate. Something like more than 90% of our teachers respond because they know that if they give us accurate information, it will enable our policy-makers to better roll out measures that support them.
And so, to help do this, in our surveys, we have clear guidelines and instructions on how to itemise the workload for different kinds of work, both in classroom and outside classroom, pedagogical as well as administrative. We also provide worked examples that enable our teachers, particularly those who are doing surveys for the first time, to better understand what we are trying to capture. And of course, as with many surveys, there is also a catch-all – that means, anything else, please let us know so that we do not risk missing anything out. And of course, when you average it out, when you then look at it specifically, you then have a very good set of data that enable policy-makers to work.
Mr Speaker: We are moving on. We have already spent an hour and we are only at Question No 5.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Full-time NSFs Declaring Psychological or Mental Health Conditions Prior to Enlistment and Support Provided","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"6 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence (a) what have been the recent trends in the number of full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) declaring psychological or mental health conditions prior to enlistment or seeking support while in service; and (b) what measures are in place to ensure appropriate support for those with real needs.
\tThe Minister of State for Defence (Mr Desmond Choo) (for the Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has an established mental health support system for its National Servicemen (NSmen). Then Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr Heng Chee How, provided a comprehensive description of the system in his response to Parliamentary Questions from Mr Desmond Choo and Dr Wan Rizal on 7 March 2024. The Member can refer to that reply for the comprehensive system.
That said, let me provide some updated figures. The proportion of pre-enlistees detected to have mental health issues was 9% in 2024. For our Full-time NSF, 11% sought help for some form of mental health-related issues in 2024. While the figures vary year to year, there has been a general upward trend over time, similar to our national youth mental health trend.
The SAF will continue to work closely with families and relevant agencies to support our servicemen's mental well-being and health.
\t
\tMr Speaker: Ms Gho Sze Kee.
\tMs Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten): One supplementary question, please. Because the Central Manpower Base is administratively under the Ministry of Defence and handles the pre-enlistment of all uniformed services, I would like to ask the Minister of State, in light of the recent suicide attempt of a Singapore Police Force NSF using his own service arms, are there any plans to include psychological screening as part of the battery of pre-enlistment procedures?
\tMr Desmond Choo: I thank the Member for her question, and her care and concern for our NSFs. Today, the medical examination of pre-enlistees already includes screening for mental health conditions. Those with mental health conditions will be reviewed by our in-house psychiatrists. If it is assessed that they may pose harm to themselves or others, they will be deferred from NS until their conditions have improved and they pose no other risk to themselves or to their fellow NSFs.
These assessments are made by our in-house professionals, guided by our SAF Psychiatry Specialist Advisory Board. They are made up of experts from our hospitals. NSFs with mental health issues who are able to serve will receive additional monitoring while in service.
We recognise that mental health issues can surface later after the pre-enlistment stage. The SAF has a mental health support system in place to detect and support service personnel with mental health issues. This may include psychological first aid training for recruits to provide support for their buddies and training for our commanders. Likewise, the Home Team has a similar system.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Delayed or Missing CPF Contributions when Platform Workers Switch Platforms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"7 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Government has received any information from platform workers about delayed or missing CPF contributions when they join a new platform operator; and (b) if so, whether the Ministry will consider reviewing its operational processes and introduce measures to ensure that CPF contributions are properly made.
\tThe Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Manpower (Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, since the enactment of the Platform Workers Act this year, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) has been closely monitoring the implementation of CPF contributions for platform workers. There were some teething issues as platform operators adjusted to the new requirements. This included instances where platform operators declared inaccurate earnings that resulted in platform workers receiving incorrect CPF contributions, due to administrative errors. Where such cases arose, they were promptly resolved and platform workers received their correct CPF contributions.
Overall, the CPF collection for platform workers has been smooth due to the extensive pre-implementation engagements with platform operators and platform associations to iron out operational details. We will continue to monitor the timeliness and accuracy of CPF contributions made by platform operators and work closely with our tripartite partners to ensure platform operators' interests are always protected. [Please refer to \"Clarification by Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Manpower\", Official Report, 04 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 9, Correction By Written Statement section.]
\tMr Speaker: Ms Yeo.
\tMs Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol): Thank you, Speaker. I declare that I am the advisor to the Platform Work Associations of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). We are grateful that the Government had taken into account, with the passing of the Platform Workers Bill, our platform workers' feedback on the need for retirement adequacy through fair platform worker contributions to CPF. I, too, appreciate that the roll-out process for CPF is a complex one, given the difference in work conditions between a full-time employee receiving one monthly set of wages from one employer, to that of a platform worker receiving multiple sets of daily or even weekly wages due to the multi-homing nature of platform work.
In the current CPF process, workers have given the feedback that they do not enjoy CPF contributions for up to two months when they first join a new platform operator. They are also doubly penalised, as most platforms provide special sign-on incentives in the first month of work. I appreciate that the Ministry recognises this gap and is remedying the current operational processes. In recognising this gap, will the Ministry, too, also consider introducing measures to mandate CPF contributions from their first month of work and to provide joint back payments with platform operators to those affected platform workers who had missed out on their rightful CPF contributions for their work done?
\tMr Speaker: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Shawn Huang.
\tMr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: Mr Speaker, when an existing platform worker chooses to join or switch to another platform operator, the platform operator would not know the platform worker's opt-in status during onboarding. And given different join dates and opt-in statuses, platform operators will need some lead time to query the opt-in information, update their database and update their contribution rates in their system accordingly.
A cut-off date on the 15th of each month is applied, which balances between the operational ease of platform operators and ensuring sufficient time for accurate contributions, while minimising this particular impact to platform workers in building up their CPF savings. This also means that if an opt-in platform worker onboard a new platform operator on 16 February, that platform operator will apply the higher CPF contribution rate from 1 April. All earnings payable from 16 February to 31 March would continue to attract CPF contributions at the non-opt-in rate. This payment does not constitute the delayed CPF contributions as the cut-off date, which is the 15th of the month, is currently legislated under the Fourth Schedule of the CPF Act.
The Ministry of Manpower has also considered requiring back payment of the CPF contributions. However, we assessed that this might not be favourable for the platform workers who experience inconsistent monthly earnings. Those who do not set aside enough cash savings might find themselves cash strapped when platform workers deduct the platform workers' share of the CPF contributions from their back pay. [Please refer to \"Clarification by Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Manpower\", Official Report, 04 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 9, Correction By Written Statement section.]
Nonetheless, following the feedback, we have started engaging platform operators to assess whether the existing arrangement could be made more efficient while balancing the operational requirements. In doing so, it is important to strike a balance between the platform workers' interest and what is practical for the platform operators to administer, as any arrangement must ultimately be workable in practice.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Challenging Questions in 2025 PSLE Main Subject Papers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"8 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Education (a) what percentage of questions in the 2025 PSLE papers for each of the four main subjects were classified as challenging questions; (b) whether such questions require application of knowledge beyond the school syllabus; and (c) what measures the Ministry has in place to ensure that students who cannot afford private tuition are not disadvantaged by such examination questions.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) contains questions of varying difficulty levels to allow students with different abilities to demonstrate their understanding. Challenging questions make up approximately 15% of total marks in each subject.
All questions, including challenging ones, are based entirely on the primary school syllabus and do not require knowledge beyond the curriculum. However, challenging questions do require students to apply the concepts in novel or authentic contexts.
To ensure accessibility, all questions use age-appropriate language and contexts. In addition, challenging questions are often structured with scaffolding to help students attempt them progressively. These measures help to ensure that the PSLE remains accessible to all students, including those without private tuition.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. Sir, I understand that answering challenging questions require a higher order application of knowledge that is taught in the school syllabus. This refers to the ability to use foundational concepts to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and create solutions to complex problems. Are these higher order application skills even taught in schools? Is there sufficient curriculum time to do that without overloading our teachers or are students expected to acquire them through private tuition?
Secondly, what is the larger purpose of including these challenging questions in national exams, if students are not taught in school how to answer them? Could it, inadvertently, become a sorting mechanism to identify students with the most resources to get the best tuition? It should be noted that missing all the challenging questions in the PSLE paper would cap the student's grade at Achievement Level 3 (AL3) for that exam, which will impact their ability to gain admission to many competitive secondary schools.
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank Mr Giam for the questions. The higher order questions, the challenging questions, are included partly because there are students who can deal with them and who then need their cognitive abilities, their academic abilities assessed correctly. And if we did not include the higher order questions, the more challenging questions, those students who would be able to cope with these questions would not have their abilities adequately assessed and then, would not be adequately served by PSLE.
He asked if the students were taught how to address challenging questions, or whether they were expected to only learn how to address them through the use of private tuition. The answer to the second part of that question is no. There is not an expectation that the only way to deal with challenging questions is through private tuition. Indeed, throughout the approach within our formal education system in the schools, the students are taught repeatedly how to take a concept and apply it to a question that they have not previously encountered.
This requires taking a concept that one knows about, addressing it to a novel situation, or addressing it in a way in combination with other concepts. This requires creativity, some imagination and an application of problem-solving skills. These skills – higher order thinking, problem solving, creativity and imagination – are applied repeatedly over the course of the formal education system using the concepts within the curriculum and they are similarly tested a combination of the concepts as well as the higher order thinking within the framework of PSLE. This entirely reflects the curriculum and the syllabus, and not any requirement for private tuition.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. But can I clarify that what he means is that the 15% of challenging questions, the ability to take those foundational concepts, and apply them and be able to answer those questions, those techniques are being taught in schools to all students?
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank Mr Giam for the question. He used the word \"techniques\", implying that these are things that one just has to follow a checklist. These are skills, and a skill is not quite the same as a technique. So, indeed, the consideration of the development of these skills is a part of the formal curriculum and the syllabus that all students will go through.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Balancing Academic Rigour Required to Excel at PSLE With Skills to Thrive in AI-driven Economy","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"9 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry considers that the academic rigour required to excel in the PSLE, such as rote memorisation and test-taking abilities (i) reflects the skills our youths need to thrive in the AI-driven economy, (ii) nurtures a lifelong love of learning and (iii) compares favourably with inquiry-based and collaborative learning approaches more common in other internationally recognised primary school curricula.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) serves as a useful checkpoint on students' mastery of the primary school curriculum. It is designed to assess core concepts and skills in the primary school curriculum, including the ability to think critically and apply concepts in different contexts. PSLE does not emphasise rote learning or test-taking skills.
To prepare students for the future, schools also design co-curricular programmes, applied learning programmes, Character and Citizenship Education lessons and leadership opportunities to nurture students' 21st Century Competencies. While not all of these competencies, such as collaboration skills and inventive thinking, can be measured through a single exam, they are developed in the course of learning the curriculum. Our teachers use a range of pedagogies, such as inquiry-based, collaborative and experiential learning, to facilitate students' learning.
We are heartened that international benchmarking studies, like the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, have found that our primary school students are adept in reasoning, and applying concepts and skills to navigate non-routine situations and solve more complex problems.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Speaker, I have two supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State. One, how does the Ministry ensure that inquiry-based and collaborative learning approaches are not only present in the curriculum, but meaningfully integrated into classroom practice across all schools, including those serving lower-income or higher needs communities?
My second supplementary question, has the Ministry recently conducted comparative studies of other primary school education systems, particularly, any that have successfully balanced academic rigour with creativity and collaborations, and what lessons, if any, have been drawn from these systems?
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank Mr Dennis Tan for the two questions. Indeed, collaboration and inquiry-based learning is integrated into all of the schools. These are core skillsets for our educators. This is something that our professionals as part of their training in the National Institute of Education, whether they are doing it as part of their original practicum or they go on to become specialists in particular areas of education.
These are core skillsets for our educators and they integrate them into the curriculum, into the syllabus on a regular basis; and they do so for every school and they give every child the opportunity to do so.
What collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning looks like will change, depending on whether it is talking about a mathematics class, a language class, a social studies class, and it will also change depending on the level of confidence and maturity of the students. What happens in the early primary years is going to look quite different from the later primary years.
And so, the core skillset to ensure that this type of pedagogy is available, used and integrated into our teaching methodologies, into all our classrooms, is there and is something that is at the heart of the teaching profession.
Sir, his second question was about studies of other systems. The short answer is yes, our educators are regularly and consistently looking at other education systems. There is a very robust community of practice amongst the educators within Singapore, and with our region and internationally. They are constantly and consistently comparing notes on a practical level, on a personal level. And there is also a robust community of practice in education research, which our educators and our education researchers participate in, and they are also comparing notes. So, we are always learning from one another.
To answer the second part of his second question, I think, would take me a Committee of Supply speech – to identify all the different components of pedagogy, learning methodology and faculty development. But I would assure Mr Tan and Members of the House that our education fraternity does not assume that we have solved all the problems, all the challenges within the education space, notwithstanding the ranking and grading, and external view, we have to consistently and regularly make sure that what we do in our schools and in our classrooms meets the needs, not just of the system, not just our general population of students, but the individual students that the educators hand-hold through their learning and development journey. That is an ongoing process.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Police Efforts to Tackle Bullying and Assault Incidents Outside Temples along Waterloo Mall","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"10 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry can provide an update on the police efforts to patrol and effectively eradicate the bullying and assault incidents outside the temples along Waterloo Mall where illegal hawking is rife.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) conducts regular patrols in the vicinity of the temples along Waterloo Street, especially during high congregation periods such as religious festivals. If they come across cases of bullying or assault, they will take action accordingly.
The SPF has also participated in joint operations with agencies like the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and Singapore Food Agency. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) are also involved when there are incidents involving charitable organisations or vulnerable individuals.
The regular presence of these agencies in the area has helped to largely maintain order in the area.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Phua.
\tMs Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response. I first want to thank all the agencies' officers on the ground, from the Police from SLA, from the National Environment Agency (NEA), from MSF, and even the grassroots who look after the ground there. Because indeed the area that is along the Waterloo Mall, where lots of temples are, is a very popular place for peddling, legal or not legal, and also for begging as well. But because of the bullying and assault episodes, they often involve the vulnerable, both bullies and the bullied. SPF tends to adopt a light touch, I guess for worry of public criticisms. I just want to know what can the Ministry do more of to support these officers so that we can protect the interests of especially those who are bullied, and also seek the understanding of the public, even if the bullies are themselves vulnerable or disabled.
Bullying is bullying. Assault is assault. So, I wonder if more support and understanding for things that can be done to seek more support from the public so that the police officers can do their job even more effectively.
\tMs Sim Ann: I thank the Member for her supplementary questions. Please allow me to be clear. On behalf of the Police, public disorder cannot be tolerated or condoned and indeed, if crimes have been committed, then investigation and enforcement has to follow.
In this case, there are different dimensions of what is happening in the Waterloo Street area and the Member herself is also very familiar. And for the cases of conduct where there is no outright crime being committed, but nevertheless may attract some attention, they could be vulnerable individuals involved. And in this case, it is important for us to work closely with our sister agencies. This includes the MSF and also the other agencies that I have mentioned.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Outcomes of Efforts to Preserve Orderliness in and around Waterloo Mall Given Illegal Hawking","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"11 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Law whether the Ministry can provide an update on the outcomes of the Singapore Land Authority's coordination efforts to preserve orderliness of the Waterloo Mall especially outside the temples where illegal hawking is rife.
\tThe Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Law (Mr Eric Chua) (for the Minister for Law): Mr Speaker, in 2020, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Singapore Food Agency (SFA), and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) carried out a street enhancement exercise at the pedestrianised Waterloo Mall. The objective was to improve public health and safety, as well as to enhance the streetscape. As part of this exercise, SLA issued Temporary Occupation Licences (TOLs) to existing street vendors to enable and require that they ply their trades within designated spaces.
From time to time, there are incidences of unlicensed street hawkers such as tissue paper vendors or individuals soliciting donations in the area. To preserve orderliness, agencies regularly conduct joint operations, especially during peak periods, to enforce licensing conditions and maintain order in the area.
Agencies are mindful that the unlicensed street hawkers in the area are of a mixed profile. Some are elderly and some appear to have medical conditions. Some also may face more complex challenges such as social isolation. While these in any combination, may form their motivation for illegal hawking, it may not always be the case. For those who may be vulnerable, agencies work with the Ministry of Social and Family Development to refer them to the Vulnerable-In-Community Network, comprising volunteer groups and Government agencies. Those requiring assistance will be linked to relevant agencies, so that the root causes can be addressed.
These joint operations are supported by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), which maintains a balanced enforcement approach in the vicinity of the temples along Waterloo Street, that considers both community sensitivities and public safety needs. SPF will intervene as necessary when law-and-order issues arise.
The regular presence of Government agencies has generally helped in maintaining order among the unlicensed street hawkers and other groups, and minimised incidents. The agencies will continue to monitor the situation closely.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assistance Given to Caregivers of Persons with Dementia","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"12 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health in light of a recent survey findings that caregivers of persons with dementia spend on average over 200 hours and $2,000 monthly on care after subsidies (a) whether existing assistance adequately offsets the financial and psychological strain on the caregivers; (b) whether subsidies and allowance for dementia care will be reviewed; and (c) how pathways to access support can be improved.
\tThe Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, an ageing population will drive up national healthcare expenses significantly. We have to ensure that Government healthcare expenditure remains sustainable. The Government recognises the challenges that caregivers face and provides a range of support to help them, including those caring for persons living with dementia.
This is why the Government is enhancing long-term care subsidies including for Dementia Day Care and grants like the Home Caregiving Grant in 2026.
To support the mental well-being of caregivers and equip them with coping skills, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) connects caregivers to relevant services such as the Caregiver Support Network Community Outreach Teams (CREST-CSN) and the Post-Diagnostic Support Community Outreach Teams (CREST-PDS). Caregivers can approach AIC Link offices, which are located nationwide, call the AIC hotline, or use the digital Care Services Recommender to access these services, which are provided free of charge.
The Government will continue to look into how we can further strengthen support for caregivers of persons living with dementia.
\tMr Speaker: Dr Chen.
\tDr Charlene Chen (Tampines): I thank the Minister of State for her response. I have actually met some caregivers of loved ones with dementia in Tampines and they have shared how difficult the early stages can be. One caregiver told me that she did not know where to access support, what resources were available or even how to manage her mother's behavioural symptoms that were associated with dementia. So, I have three supplementary questions.
First, how can the Ministry ensure that the information about available resources is systematically shared with all caregivers upon diagnosis, especially those who may be less digitally savvy? Second, will there be more support for caregiver respite, given the emotional and mental toll of caring for persons with dementia? And my third question is, as dementia cases rise within our communities, how will the Ministry ensure that both caregiving resources and manpower keep pace and remain sustainable in the long term?
\tMs Rahayu Mahzam: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for the questions. With regard to her first question on access to information and resources, the post diagnostic support community outreach team that I mentioned earlier, CREST-PDS, is designed in a way to catch caregivers and patients at the time that first diagnosis was made. It aims to provide timely support and support is given during a six-month period. The teams partner with selected hospitals and polyclinics to reach out to and support these clients. This programme provides the education on the condition, coordinates community resources, and facilitates early planning and management of the condition. As of December 2024, seven teams have been set up and it has reached out to over 800 persons living with dementia and their caregivers. So, I suppose as this programme continues to be rolled out, more and more caregivers and their dementia patients will benefit from this.
Her second question was on respite care. At the moment, the caregivers who require subsidised respite care can tap on a few options. If they need respite care for say, a few hours, they can have the elderly put up at one of over 130 senior care centres that provide dementia day care services. Those caring for seniors with higher care needs can tap on respite care in nursing homes, for up to a month for a year. There are over 60 nursing homes offering nursing home respite care.
Caregivers of homebound dementia seniors or homebound seniors can tap on the Home Personal Care Services (HPC) for respite. These can help the caregivers with the activities of daily living. In fact, there was an announcement recently about how the HPC has been enhanced. So, there is HPC+, which would be rolled out and be available to caregivers as well.
The Member's last question is in relation to sustainability of resources. Indeed, this is of concern. As the number of people living with dementia increases, this is something that we will have to be concerned about and the Government will have to continue to monitor and manage our healthcare expenditure to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. But at the same time, ensuring that those who need help, people living with dementia and their caregivers, actually receive the support they need.
So, we do different things to ensure that there is sufficient support, but we also look at preventive health. There is a need to continue with our population health efforts to ensure and manage the factors of dementia, such as high blood pressure. That is something that we will continue working on.
Mr Speaker: Unfortunately, I think we are at the end of Question Time. Order. End of Question Time. Minister Indranee.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Need for Clarification on Statements made by the Leader of the Opposition","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I wish to make a Ministerial Statement on the need for clarification on statements made by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
Mr Speaker, I am making this Ministerial Statement because there were some statements made in Parliament which appear to have been contradicted by statements made outside of this House. Hence, I think it is important that I make this Statement, so that I can highlight what these contradictions are and give the Member concerned an opportunity to state his position clearly for the record, as this relates to an important issue.
During the Ministerial Statement on Race and Religion by Minister Shanmugam on 14 October 2025, Mr Singh clarified by stating that: \"I think the Minister started by referring to meeting Deros and I mentioned quite clearly during the elections that he gate-crashed the meeting that Mr Faisal Manap was having with someone else. My understanding from Mr Faisal Manap is that there was no arrangement to meet him specifically.\"
So, Mr Singh's position was that Mr Deros had \"gate-crashed\" Mr Faisal's meeting. The Workers' Party (WP) Malay/Muslim candidates attended this meeting.
Mr Singh also referred to an earlier statement he had made during the elections in the following terms: \"There was no indication that this individual\", meaning Mr Deros, \"would be joining in the meeting\".
Sir, Mr Deros has released a YouTube video on 18 October 2025, in which he said he \"did not gate-crash the meeting as some have irresponsibly claimed\". He also said that this could be verified with Mr Faisal Manap himself. Thus, Mr Deros says that Mr Singh's claim that Mr Deros had gate-crashed was \"irresponsible\". He does not refer to Mr Singh by name, but refers to the point made that he had gate-crashed.
Mr Deros has been publicly asked whether he had really been invited and if so, whether he had been invited by Mr Faisal Manap or someone else. Mr Deros has replied publicly that the names of the asatizahs who would be present at the meeting had been sent to Mr Faisal Manap before the meeting. Thus, Mr Deros has suggested that Mr Faisal, at least, would have known that Mr Deros would be attending the meeting.
On the face of things, it would appear that: either, one, Mr Faisal has told an untruth, which has been repeated by Mr Singh during the General Elections (GE) and now in Parliament; or two, Mr Deros is lying.
Sir, this is serious. And so, may I seek some clarifications from Mr Singh?
First, can Mr Singh reconfirm that his position is that Mr Deros had \"gate-crashed\" the meeting?
Second, can he confirm it is also Mr Faisal's position that Mr Deros had \"gate-crashed\" the meeting? Mr Faisal would know his answers to Mr Singh would be for this House.
Third, has Mr Singh confirmed with Mr Faisal whether the names of the asatizahs attending the meeting was sent in advance to Mr Faisal? If the names of the asatizahs attending the meeting were not sent in advance, was Mr Faisal nevertheless aware that Mr Deros would be attending the meeting?
I will now move onto my next set of clarifications.
During the proceedings on the Ministerial Statement on Race and Religion, Mr Singh clarified that: \"my own view on this is, when a nobody claims that there is a set of demands that he has of a political party, one has to think of a number of factors.\"
He added that, \"So, by dealing with it on 23 or 24 April, points made by a certain Noor Deros, who really, no one knows. I certainly did not know of him.\"
Mr Singh's statement that Mr Deros was a \"nobody\" whom \"really, no one knows\" gives the impression that Mr Deros was not known to the WP, to Mr Faisal, or to any of the other WP candidates who attended the meeting.
However, it has been publicly stated that:
(a) Mr Deros founded the Wear White movement in 2014.
(b) Mr Faisal said publicly then that he backed the movement.
(c) Members of the Wear White team gathered for the first Terawih, which are evening prayers during Ramadan at Masjid Ar-Raudhah on 28 June 2014. Members of the public were invited to join in the prayers.
(d) It is also a matter of public record that Mr Faisal attended that event.
Sir, in light of this, does it remain Mr Singh's position that Mr Deros was not known to Mr Faisal or any of the other WP candidates, before this meeting on 20 April 2025?
Mr Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you to the Leader of the House. Just for a matter of record, before the Ministerial Statement was made, I communicated with Speaker, to inform Speaker last night that I would seek to make a clarification on certain representations that I had made in the House which were incorrect and they had to be clarified for the record.
So, just to be clear, I am responding through Standing Order No 25. Standing Order No 25 requires me to send to the Speaker in advance what I am going to share with this House and I will stick to that, notwithstanding Leader's questions. But apart from one point, I think all the questions that she has asked in her Ministerial Statement will be dealt with in the Personal Explanation.
Mr Speaker: I can confirm that, yes. Mr Pritam Singh, please go on.
Mr Pritam Singh: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to make a clarification pertaining to my response to a clarification from Member of Parliament (MP) Mr Saktiandi Supaat that arose from the Coordinating Minister for National Security's Ministerial Statement on 11 October, last month. I had stated, referencing my remarks at the WP's 26 April 2025 doorstop interview with the press that, I quote: \"There was no indication that this individual would be joining in the meeting.\" By this individual I am referring to a Singaporean Citizen one Noor Deros.
On 21 October 2025, about a week after the Ministerial Statement, Mr Faisal Manap shared with me a WhatsApp message that he received on his mobile device at the material time. The WhatsApp message showed that the ustaz who had invited Mr Noor Deros to a meeting with Mr Faisal had sent a WhatsApp message to Mr Faisal on 20 April, about one hour before the meeting in question, indicating that Noor Deros would be present. I was not aware of this detail in April this year, nor was I aware of it last month during the exchange on the Ministerial Statement.
In view of this, I asked Mr Faisal to provide context for the meeting where Mr Noor Deros was present in view of the Ministerial Statement and the Parliamentary consensus that race and religion should not be used for political gain. I said in Parliament last month that the meeting in question was arranged by an ustaz who was known to Mr Faisal. The meeting took place on 20 April this year. I said, quoting Mr Deros's Facebook post of 3 May 2025 that he attended the meeting at the invitation of an ustaz who was delegated by Mr Faisal. This is correct and consistent with the facts of the meeting. Neither Mr Faisal nor the Malay WP candidates arranged to meet Mr Noor Deros or specifically sought him out for his views.
Mr Faisal shared that after GE 2011, he had approached an ustaz who was involved in inter-faith discourse to seek guidance on how he, being a minority Malay/Muslim MP could perform his role in a way that would best fit Singapore's multi-religious and multi-cultural society. He found the guidance helpful and meaningful, and hence, prior to GE 2015, he arranged for a similar session with an ustaz for himself and the WP Malay candidates to seek guidance and advice. Mr Faisal confirms that the motives behind the meeting prior to GE 2025, which was attended by Mr Noor Deros, were the same.
On 12 April 2025, before Parliament was dissolved and Nomination Day announced, the ustaz who invited Mr Noor Deros, reached out to Mr Faisal informing him that he was planning to engage with the group of his asatizah friends to meet Mr Faisal to exchange ideas and thoughts. In response, Mr Faisal said that he planned to engage with the ustaz for a sharing session with other WP Malay candidates in the lead-up to GE 2025.
When the meeting took place on 20 April, I can reconfirm that no promises or undertakings were made by Mr Faisal or the WP Malay/Muslim candidates present, in exchange for political support from Mr Noor Deros during the elections. This has been reconfirmed to me by Mr Faisal and the WP Malay/Muslim candidates who were present at the meeting.
During the Parliamentary exchange last month, I also said that Mr Noor Deros gate-crashed the meeting. In using the word \"gate-crashed\", I may have created an impression that Mr Noor Deros was not invited by anyone. This would be an incorrect impression since I had confirmed later in the course of my response in this House to Member Saktiandi that Mr Noor Deros's presence at the meeting was at the invitation of an ustaz delegated by Mr Faisal.
I would like to put this clarification on the record, Mr Speaker. I believe that deals with the Personal Explanation that I am obliged to share with Speaker, as per the Standing Orders.
There was an additional question from the Leader that pertained to Mr Noor Deros being a nobody. I have confirmed in the statement that the WP Malay/Muslim candidates confirmed that there were no promises or undertakings made. They also confirmed that they did not know who Mr Noor Deros was. That is the position.
Mr Faisal, as the Leader of the House shares, must have been known to Mr Deros because he was present at this Wear White event. So, Mr Faisal Manap would have known of who Mr Noor Deros was.
I hope that clarifies the query that the Leader put. And if I have not addressed any point, I would be grateful if Leader could repeat the question.
Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee.
Ms Indranee Rajah: I am grateful to Mr Singh for his clarification. Let me just deal with his clarifications one by one.
First, on the second point, the point that Mr Deros was a \"nobody\" and really, nobody knows of him. If I understand Mr Singh's explanation correctly, you said Mr Faisal Manap would have known Mr Deros? I just want to make sure that I get that correct. In other words, is it correct to say that Mr Faisal Manap knew who Mr Deros was or knew Mr Deros before that meeting in April? [Inaudible.]
So, he did. Right. In other words, the statement that Mr Deros is somebody who really nobody knows, is not accurate. Would you like to clarify that?
Mr Speaker: Mr Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Well, Mr Faisal may have known of him, but the other Malay/Muslim candidates did not know of him. On my personal basis, I did not know who Mr Noor Deros was as well. So, in that context, that is what I mean when I say Mr Noor Deros is a nobody.
Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee.
Ms Indranee Rajah: I thank Mr Singh for his clarification. So, we are clear on one thing. I think Mr Singh says he himself does not know Mr Deros – that, we are clear. I think Mr Singh has also said that the other Malay/Muslim candidates, other than Mr Faisal, did not know Mr Deros – that one, we are clear.
The thing that Mr Singh has just said is that Mr Faisal Manap would have \"known of\" Mr Deros. There is a distinction between saying Mr Faisal Manap would have \"known of\" him; for example, I know of many other world leaders, but I do not know them personally. So, there is a distinction between saying Mr Faisal Manap would have \"known of\" Mr Deros and Mr Faisal Manap would have \"known\" Mr Deros.
So, what I am trying to understand here is whether Mr Faisal Manap just would have \"known of\", which means you hear of this person, but you do not know them, or whether he knew him.
Mr Speaker: Mr Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: Mr Speaker, I want to be careful in not trying to import Mr Faisal's knowledge and make a representation which may not be correct as to the degree of which he knew him. Did he know of him or did know of him as an individual? I think the Leader shared a particular occasion where both of them were at a common platform.
To the extent of how much Mr Faisal Manap knew of Mr Deros, I am not in a position to relay any information in that regard. But I have seen pictures to that effect of both Mr Faisal and Mr Noor Deros being at that event that the Leader mentioned. But I cannot stand here and suggest or even imply the extent of how well they knew each other.
Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee.
Ms Indranee Rajah: I thank Mr Singh for his clarifications.
So, now I move to the first point on this question of gate-crashing. And I was not sure that I quite understood Mr Singh's clarification here.
In light of the clarification, because I think it is important to go back to the original statement. The original statement, which was stated in Mr Singh's clarification on 14 October, he said, \"I mentioned quite clearly during the elections that he had gate-crashed the meeting that Mr Faisal Manap was having with someone else.\"
So, \"gate-crashed\" actually implies that you are not invited and that really, you are not supposed to be there. But I think we have heard – firstly, today, that in fact, there was a WhatsApp message and the ustaz had shared with Mr Faisal Manap one hour before the meeting that Mr Deros would be present. So, would it be fair to say that it is wrong to say that Mr Deros gate-crashed that meeting?
Mr Speaker: Mr Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: Mr Speaker, I believe this was clear in my Personal Explanation that by using the word \"gate-crashed\", I would have created an impression that Mr Noor Deros was not invited by anyone. So, that would be wrong. It would not be right to leave that impression on the record. Hence, my decision to make a Personal Explanation, on my own volition, today.
The position, of course, is not known to me that he was — based on what I had said in April was based on the knowledge I had in April and the knowledge that I had in October. The revelation of this message that Mr Noor Deros was attending the meeting which was sent to Mr Faisal one hour before the meeting was only made known to me, I believe I mentioned it, on 21 October.
So, it is knowledge that I received after the fact. I have made certain statements in Parliament about it. I have this knowledge. So, I come to Parliament and I correct the impression that I have left with Parliament.
Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee.
Ms Indranee Rajah: I thank Mr Singh for that clarification.
It is quite clear that – Mr Singh has clarified it now – because he says the knowledge that Mr Deros was included in the group was given to him on 21 October.
What I want to know is, because Mr Singh had said during the elections that Mr Deros had gate-crashed the meeting, and Mr Singh had said the same thing on 14 October 2025; because on 14 October what Mr Singh said was, \"I mentioned quite clearly during the elections that he had gate-crashed the meeting\", I just want to know during the elections in April and on 14 October, on what basis does Mr Singh say that Mr Deros had gate-crashed the meeting?
Mr Speaker: Mr Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: The basis is the fact that Mr Deros was not invited by Mr Faisal. So, my impression based on what had transpired at the elections and also, in the course of the Ministerial Statement was, there was no WP member who specifically sought out Mr Noor Deros. That is how I phrased — or that understanding led me to use the word \"gate-crashed\".
But on reflection, that would not be a correct word to use, because it is quite clear that, and by Mr Deros' own statements in public that he was invited by the ustaz who Mr Faisal was in contact with. That also has been stated in my Personal Explanation.
Mr Speaker: Minister indranee.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will not belabour the point, but I just want to wrap it up by saying this.
There is actually a difference between saying that Mr Deros was not specifically sought out. Not specifically sought out is one thing, but \"gate-crashed\" really implies – not even supposed to be there, not invited. And what the facts do show now is that he was invited by the ustaz, and that the ustaz had informed Mr Faisal.
So, I think, in short, had this been known in April during the elections and made known to the voters, I think it might have put a different colour on the circumstances then.
And also, it is an odd word to use – \"gate-crashed\" – if you have not actually verified that. I am not sure that the statement that \"gate-crashed\" means \"did not seek out\", actually makes sense. But I leave it there.
Mr Speaker: Mr Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: Mr Speaker, that is precisely why I am making the Personal Explanation: to put on record what the circumstances were, with regard to the statements that I made on 14 October in Parliament and to correct the impression that would have logically flowed from the use of that word. So, I can understand where the Leader is coming from. Hence, the clarification.
I do not believe there are any other outstanding matters. Leader can correct me if that is not the case.
Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Nothing further.
Mr Speaker: Order. Introduction of Government Bill. Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore Sports Council (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to amend the Singapore Sports Council Act 1973\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr David Neo) read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, I move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time\".
Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been reviewing and amending the Penal Code over the years to ensure that the law remains fit for purpose. We made major amendments in 2019 and 2021. We have since completed another round of review, which has culminated in this Bill. The amendments in the Bill cover six themes.
First, increase deterrence against scams by introducing caning as a punishment, while re-calibrating its use in other offences.
Second, enhance measures to address the increasing misuse of technology to produce and circulate abusive materials.
Third, enhance protection for minors and vulnerable victims.
Fourth, better protect public servants and public service workers.
Fifth, ensure adequate penalties for older youth offenders.
Sixth, recalibrate the requirements on workers and dealers of precious metals.
The first category of amendments will enhance deterrence against scams by introducing caning for scammers and scam mules, while re-calibrating its use in other offences. With your permission, Mr Speaker, may I ask the Clerks to distribute an Annex?
Mr Speaker: Go ahead. [A handout was distributed to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]
Ms Sim Ann: Members may also access these materials through the MP@SGPARL app.
Sir, scams are by far the most prevalent crime type in Singapore today. Between 2020 and the first half of 2025, there were about 190,000 cases reported, with losses amounting to about $3.7 billion. These are staggering numbers. They constitute 60% of all reported crimes, and the losses are more than three and a half times the cost of building Woodlands Health Campus.
MHA has been working with other agencies and the private sector on measures to counter the scourge of scams. Earlier this year, Dr Tan Wu Meng suggested in this House that MHA also consider introducing caning for scams, to better deter and punish those who commit scams or facilitate the commission of scams.
We have reviewed the suggestion and agree with it. Members may refer to Part A of the Annex for the proposed amendments.
We will introduce mandatory caning for scammers. Clause 64 of the Bill amends section 420 of the Penal Code so that offenders who commit scams, defined as cheating mainly by means of remote communication, will be punished with at least six strokes of the cane. We will also introduce discretionary caning in section 420 of the Penal Code for serious cases of cheating.
We will take an equally firm stance against scam syndicates. These syndicates mobilise significant resources to conduct and profit from scams and have the highest level of culpability. Clauses 37 and 38 of the Bill introduce new offences in the Organised Crime Act so that members of and recruiters for scam syndicates will be subject to mandatory caning of at least six strokes, if they knew that the organised criminal group was a scam syndicate.
Beyond dealing with scammers and scam syndicates, another key strategy is to deny them the tools that enable them to conduct scams. These scam enablers include SIM cards, Singpass credentials and payment accounts. Crippling the supply of scam enablers would significantly increase the difficulty for scammers to successfully conduct or profit from scams in Singapore.
We will therefore introduce discretionary caning for those who facilitate scams. These are offenders who either knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that the scam enabler they provide, would be used in the commission of, or would be used in the facilitation of, a crime. Clauses 10, 11, 19, 20 and 30 to 34 of the Bill introduce discretionary caning for certain offences under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act, the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, and the Computer Misuse Act, in this regard.
For upstream enablers such as Singpass credentials and SIM cards, discretionary caning will broadly apply to two categories of cases.
The first category is where the offender intended or knew, depending on the offence, that the enabler would be used to commit or facilitate the commission of a scam.
The second category covers cases where the enabler is actually used to commit or facilitate the commission of a scam, even if the offender did not intend or know this. For the second category of offenders, discretionary caning will apply if the offender fails to prove that he or she had taken reasonable steps to ensure that the enabler would not be used to commit or to facilitate the commission of a scam.
For downstream enablers such as payment accounts, discretionary caning will apply if the criminal proceeds laundered involve benefits from a scam and the offender had failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that the account is not used to launder scam proceeds.
Let me assure Members that genuine victims who are found to have been deceived into providing a scam enabler would not be affected by the introduction of caning as a punishment. The existing offences do not penalise genuine victims in the first place. The Ministry will continue monitoring the scams situation closely and will further increase our penalties if needed. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Government continues to place strong emphasis on combating scams. In the first half of 2025, there were almost 20,000 cases and almost half a billion dollars lost. While these numbers have decreased compared with the first half of 2024, they are still significant.
In this Bill, we are proposing to introduce mandatory caning for scammers, as well as members and recruiters of scam syndicates. We will also introduce discretionary caning for those who facilitate scams through providing enablers, such as their Singpass credentials, SIM cards or bank accounts. If we can deny scammers access to such enablers, it will be much more difficult for them to carry out successful scams and we can better protect Singaporeans.
(In English): Sir, even as we introduce caning for scams, we also intend to recalibrate the use of caning in other offences.
Today, there are 96 offences that attract discretionary caning and 65 which attract mandatory caning. My Ministry has conducted a review, to ensure that caning is only applied where there is a need. As Members can see from Part B of the Annex, we are proposing to amend eight provisions to remove caning entirely and in the case of vandalism, to remove caning for a subset of the offence.
As our societal context and crime situation have evolved, caning may no longer be necessary in some offences. These are generally offences that do not involve intentional harm to a person nor cause significant harm to the public and for which we assess that the other penalties are adequate. Clauses 41, 61, 67 and 69 to 76 of the Bill make the necessary amendments.
For 15 provisions reflected in Part C of the Annex, we propose to give the Courts the discretion to decide whether to impose caning, rather than to require caning in all cases. These are given effect by clauses 15 to 17, 40, 54 to 60, 62, 65, 66 and 72 to 74 of the Bill.
For avoidance of doubt, more serious cases should still result in caning, even as we make these amendments to change mandatory caning to discretionary caning.
Let me illustrate with vandalism. Clauses 72 to 74 of the Bill amend the Vandalism Act so that mandatory caning is replaced with discretionary caning for vandalism of public property and designated private property. The latter category includes private property that is of national, cultural or religious significance and any other private property that the Minister may prescribe – in short, primarily property that has public significance or serves a public function. For these vandalism offences, we will leave it to the Court to decide whether caning should be imposed on a case-by-case basis.
This approach maintains a firm stance against vandalism generally, while allowing the punishment to be calibrated based on the facts of each case. The Court may consider factors like the extent of property damage, the vandal's motivations, the degree of premeditation, and the impact on public services and functions.
Similarly, in other offences which only involve preparatory acts or do not require an element of harm to be present before the offence is made out, we have assessed that discretionary caning is adequate. The Courts can still impose caning in serious cases where real harm results or there are other aggravating factors. This includes certain offences under the Corrosive, Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act, as well as attempted robbery and making preparation for gang-robbery under sections 393 and 399 of the Penal Code.
Let me be clear. The amendments do not signal any softening in our stance against crime. The large majority of offences which attract caning today, including serious sexual and violence offences, will continue to attract caning as a punishment.
Sir, the second category of amendments ensures that our criminal laws keep pace with technology.
First, we are introducing amendments to deal with large-scale circulation of obscene objects, which include sexual images or videos. Members will recall the case of the chat group SG Nasi Lemak, in which over 44,000 members circulated and shared obscene materials involving women and girls.
The Government's view is that the current penalties are not adequate. Technology allows obscene materials to be shared with tens of thousands of recipients, through a single key stroke. The harm is amplified, many times over. We cannot begin to imagine the distress suffered by a young girl whose images are sent to thousands of prying eyes. And because these materials can be sent to so many people, it is impossible to take them out of circulation entirely. They will always be lurking somewhere, threatening to resurface. These victims may never have peace of mind again.
Clause 42 of the Bill therefore introduces enhanced penalties for offences under section 292(1) of the Penal Code where obscene materials are circulated by electronic means to 10 or more persons. This threshold takes reference from other provisions where the involvement of 10 or more persons introduces a public dimension. For example, under the Societies Act, the threshold size of a group that must be registered as a society is 10 persons. The maximum imprisonment term for such offences will be increased from three months to two years. If the obscene material depicts a minor below the age of 18, the penalty will be mandatory imprisonment of up to four years, a doubling of the current maximum of two years' imprisonment. These enhanced penalties will also apply to cumulative transmissions to 10 or more persons in total, to close the potential loophole of accused persons sending separate messages to single individuals, but to a large number of individuals.
In addition, clause 43 of the Bill introduces a new offence to target those who set up or manage online locations where obscene materials are circulated, including administrators of chat groups or channels, blogs, or accounts on video-sharing platforms. The offence is scoped to offenders who intend that the online location be used to circulate obscene materials. It will not cover, for example, platforms whose online locations are used in this way contrary to their original intent or administrators whose chat groups are spammed by bad actors.
Given the seriousness of such conduct, the offence is punishable with a fine and mandatory imprisonment of up to five years, or seven years if the obscene material circulated depicts a minor below the age of 18.
Second, we also intend to deal with the problem of images and videos generated by the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Let me begin with intimate images or recordings. By virtue of section 377BE(5) of the Penal Code, our criminal laws already cover sexually explicit deepfakes, where an image or recording is altered to depict the victim. It is already an offence to possess or gain access to, or to distribute or threaten to distribute such sexual deepfakes without consent.
However, generative AI now makes it possible to generate entirely synthetic images or videos of a person, without making use of a pre-existing image or recording. Clauses 50(a) and (b) of the Bill update the relevant provision to get ahead of this development.
Clause 49(d) makes clear that it is an offence to produce any intimate image without consent. Today, such offenders would already be liable for the offence of possessing or gaining access to an intimate image, but we want to make criminal liability clearer as far as production of the intimate image is concerned.
Clause 50(c) makes explicit what has always been our intent that for the offence of threatening to distribute an intimate image, it is not necessary to prove that the intimate image exists. Such threats can cause serious harm even if the intimate image does not exist, especially now that it is easier to generate such images using AI.
Sir, let me turn to child abuse materials. When the relevant offences were introduced in 2019, it was always the Government's intention to criminalise realistic computer-generated child abuse material, even if the material depicts a fictional child. The offences should not require proof that an actual child was involved, for example, that an image of an actual child was used as part of the training data for the AI used to generate the material. This is both to reduce the roadblocks to enforcement and to reduce the supply of such materials, which contributes to a vicious cycle of abuse. Clause 53 of the Bill amends the relevant definitions to put these points beyond doubt.
Mr Speaker, the third category of amendments builds on past efforts to protect minors and vulnerable victims.
First, clause 42 of the Bill extends enhanced penalties for offences relating to obscene materials under section 292 of the Penal Code to obscene materials depicting minors below the age of 18, up from the current threshold of 16. This will also bring us in line with the United Nations' Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.
Second, we propose to strengthen the sexual grooming offences under sections 376E and 376EA of the Penal Code. Today, the offences generally only apply if the groomer and victim meet or intend to meet in Singapore for the sexual acts. There have, however, been cases where sexual grooming charges could not be preferred because the sexual acts were done or intended to be done overseas.
Clauses 47 and 48 of the Bill will amend the sexual grooming offences so that they will also apply to sexual acts intended to be done overseas, as long as the acts would constitute an offence if done in Singapore. To prevent overreach, this will only apply where either the groomer or victim travels from a location in Singapore to meet overseas. The amendments also increase the penalties for sexual grooming offences.
Third, clauses 45 and 46 of the Bill will increase the penalties for fatal abuse of vulnerable persons under sections 304B and 304C of the Penal Code to life imprisonment, or up to 30 years' imprisonment if life imprisonment is not imposed.
We are introducing life imprisonment because there is strong public interest to deter abuse of vulnerable persons. Often, they are voiceless, they cannot protect themselves, and they depend on others for even their basic needs. And so, when they are abused to the point of death, it is especially heinous and must be met with the full force of the law.
Take the tragic case of the young boy who was scalded to death by his parents a few years ago. In 2022, his mother was convicted of murder while his father was convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by means of a heated substance. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment. Although the father's charge was not for causing death but only endangering life, the Court of Appeal found that life imprisonment was justified given the cruelty and severity of the abuse. The Government agrees with the Court's decision. Moving forward, similar cases may be prosecuted under sections 304B and 304C of the Penal Code instead as these provisions were specifically introduced to overcome certain hurdles in prosecuting cases of fatal abuse. The amendments will ensure that life imprisonment will be available as a sentencing option in such cases.
The fourth category of amendments addresses protections for public servants and public service workers.
Many public servants and public service workers are at risk of being doxed in the course of performing their duties, that is, having their identity information published with the intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Doxxing can impede or deter them from discharging their duties objectively and impartially, and when accompanied by falsehoods, can also undermine public confidence in our institutions.
First, we will strengthen the protections for public servants and public service workers under section 6 of the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA). Today, this offence requires proof that the victim actually suffered harm, alarm or distress. Clause 68 of the Bill removes this requirement. All harassment of public servants or public service workers in the line of duty is unacceptable. For the purposes of securing a conviction, it should not matter whether or to what degree the victim experienced harassment, alarm or distress.
The extent of harm experienced by the victim should, of course, still be a factor for sentencing.
Second, clause 25 of the Bill introduces a new offence in the Miscellaneous Offences Act to criminalise the doxxing of a public servant, when accompanied by a falsehood about the public servant that the offender knows or has reason to believe is false. Such conduct is especially harmful because not only are the individual public servants adversely affected, but trust in our public institutions is undermined. Section 7 of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) today already criminalises the publishing of a falsehood if that specific falsehood diminishes public confidence, but this new offence will not have that requirement of needing to show diminution of public confidence.
To be clear, neither of these amendments prevents members of the public from expressing legitimate feedback or criticism, including publicly. Such feedback, expressed constructively and through the appropriate channels, can help us improve our service delivery and staff training. There will also not be any offence disclosed if the feedback is based on genuinely mistaken facts, since the offence requires that the person know or have reason to believe that a statement of fact is false.
Mr Speaker, the next category of amendments in this Bill ensures that adequate penalties, including reformative training, imprisonment and caning, can continue to be imposed on older youth offenders who are repeat offenders or who commit serious crimes, and whose cases are heard outside the Youth Court.
In 2019, the Government moved the amendments to the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) to expand the jurisdiction of the Youth Court to all offenders below the age of 18, up from the previous age of 16. The policy intent, however, was to ensure that if youth offenders between the ages of 16 and 18 commit serious offences or repeat offences, their cases could be transferred out of the Youth Court to the High Court and State Courts. In those cases, it was always intended that the High Court and State Courts will continue to have the full suite of powers to deal with the offenders. However, when preparing to operationalise the CYPA amendments, we identified certain provisions in the earlier round of amendments which are not fully aligned with the policy intent.
Clauses 3 to 7, and 23 of the Bill straighten out these provisions and ensure that the policy intent is given its full effect. In particular, it ensures that reformative training, imprisonment and caning are available in such cases. To be clear, the amendments will not require the Court to impose these penalties, nor otherwise limit the Court's discretion in sentencing. The Court can still, upon a close examination of the facts, impose a rehabilitative sentence.
The final set of amendments, Sir, in clauses 26 to 28 of the Bill pertains to workers and dealers of precious metals. The amendments to the Miscellaneous Offences Act will increase the waiting period before such workers or dealers can work on or deal with goods sold to them, from three days to five. This will give the Police more time to trace and recover stolen goods.
At the same time, we are reducing the scope of the requirement. This waiting period will only apply to the worker or dealer who first receives goods from a customer; and not the worker or dealer who receives the goods from another dealer. Stolen goods usually come from a customer, rather than from another dealer.
The overall intent of the amendments is to improve law enforcement's ability to trace stolen goods and the criminals, while minimising the burden on businesses in a risk-calibrated manner.
Sir, the amendments in the Bill are part of MHA's regular efforts to make our criminal laws clearer, fairer and more responsive to the prevailing operating environment. They will help MHA carry out our mission of keeping Singapore safe and secure more effectively. We seek the support of Members for the amendments. Mr Speaker, I seek to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Mr Xie Yao Quan.
Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong Central): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to weigh in on two categories of amendments. First, the amendments regarding the large-scale electronic circulation of obscene objects; and second, the amendments regarding scams and scam-related offences.
First, on the large-scale electronic circulation of obscene objects. I fully agree with and applaud the Government for creating a new offence to target administrators who set up or manage online locations to facilitate the large-scale circulation of obscene material. I believe this will allow the Government to better go after the source of the problem and deal with the problem at its source and hopefully, deter the problem at its source as well.
I also agree with the Government that such administrators who set up or manage online locations to facilitate the large-scale circulation of obscene material have a higher level of culpability compared to members of the online location who share obscene content.
But I wish to suggest even stiffer penalties for such administrators. The current amendments introduce mandatory imprisonment of up to five years, with a higher maximum if the obscene materials circulated depict minors. We can and should go further, to introduce discretionary caning for administrators of online locations circulating obscene material, to bring the penalties for such offences in line with those for assault or use of criminal force to a person with the intent to outrage modesty, under section 354 of the Penal Code.
Because the criminal force inflicted through electronic means by administrators of online locations on their victims is certainly no less severe than the criminal force inflicted in person by a physical perpetrator. And many a times, the criminal force inflicted is probably even more severe, due to the multiplicity and simultaneity of the outrage on modesty made possible by electronic means to assault a victim at scale and at speed.
Discretionary caning for administrators of online locations circulating obscene material is, therefore, proportionate and fits the crime. Given the prevalence and extreme ease to become an administrator of such online locations, discretionary caning is also needed as a deterrent. Therefore, the nature of the offence of administering online locations to circulate obscene materials fits both the functions of proportionality and deterrence that judicial caning today serves.
Sir, I move on to my second point, on scams and scam-related offences, and I start with the following premise – that scams are a national law-and-order priority, like drugs. Scams are operated in a way, basically, like drugs are. Scams are perpetrated by organised crime syndicates, like drugs. And scams are masterminded and commandeered remotely, from overseas, with the most downstream part of the production chain of criminal activities sited onshore, in Singapore – just like drugs are.
Scams cause immense harm to society, just like drugs. If drugs destroy lives, scams destroy life savings. Scams harm both the young and old. And because scammers often impersonate Government agencies, scams can also erode the trust of our society at-large, in our key institutions, like the Police, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and so on. In other words, scams do not just affect victims, they impact the whole of society.
Our key institutions have to react, put up defences and these defences come at a cost. So, scams extract a cost on the whole of our society, every day. Scams cause immense harm to society, just like drugs. And so, our criminal laws should deal with scams just like they deal with drugs.
I suggest that penalties for scams and scam-related offences should be brought more in line with those for drug-related offences, at three levels.
At the first level, the scammers. In other words, the masterminds, the key operators, the most culpable, those at the highest level in the chain. Scammers manufacture schemes on an industrial level to cheat victims of their life savings. In my mind, scammers are, therefore, no less harmful to our society than manufacturers of controlled Class A drugs.
The amendments before us today introduce mandatory caning for scammers, minimum six strokes, which I fully support. But the law also provides for maximum imprisonment of only 10 years for scammers. I would like to suggest much stiffer penalties: a minimum of six strokes and 10 years; and a maximum of 15 strokes and 30 years or life imprisonment for scammers, to bring these penalties in line with those for illegal manufacturers of controlled Class A drugs, including New Psychoactive Substances.
I will stop short of calling for capital punishment for the most egregious scammers, which should be in line with the penalty for manufacturers of specific Class A drugs, like morphine, cocaine and methamphetamine.
We know the scammers, masterminds and key operators, are mostly based overseas; just like the masterminds and key manufacturers of illicit drugs. But having very stiff penalties for scammers is an important and necessary marker, in my view.
Sir, the second level, members and recruiters of scam syndicates. Many of these members and recruiters of scam syndicates are based in, or come through, Singapore, unlike the scammers. If scammers are as harmful to our society as manufacturers of Class A drugs, in my mind, scam syndicate members and recruiters are as harmful as traffickers of Class A drugs.
The amendments before us today introduce, again, mandatory caning for such scam syndicate members and recruiters, minimum six strokes. But the law also provides for maximum imprisonment of only five years. So, for scam syndicate members and recruiters, I would like to suggest much stiffer penalties, again: a minimum of six strokes and five years; and the maximum of 15 strokes and 20 years, to bring these penalties in line with those for traffickers of Class A drugs in most instances.
Sir, the third level, scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds, providing SIM cards and/or providing Singpass credentials. To my mind, these are the lowest levels of the scam crime production chain. Yes, they do harm, they have culpability, but they are the lowest levels. I will peg them closer to traffickers of Class C drugs.
And therefore, in my view, the penalties introduced by the amendments before us today for scam mules appear somewhat disproportionately harsh, compared to the penalties being introduced for scammers and scam syndicate members and recruiters higher up the scam crime chain.
For example, if the Bill today is passed, a mule who provides accounts or arrangements to launder scam proceeds, in particular, will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes and also maximum imprisonment of 10 years, compared to, as I said before, maximum imprisonment of five years for being a scam syndicate member or recruiter.
So, I suggest more proportionate penalties for all types of scam mules: discretionary caning with a maximum of six strokes instead of 12 and maximum imprisonment of five years but, also, I would like to suggest a minimum of two years, to bring these penalties more in line with those for trafficking Class C drugs. I believe these suggested penalties, especially the minimum imprisonment of two years, will sufficiently deter specific offenders and would-be offenders from offending in future.
Sir, notwithstanding the above suggestions, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, this Bill makes significant changes to 17 of our criminal statutes. Overall, I am supportive of the Bill.
I wish to speak today on two matters that I find most significant: first, on tackling scams; second, on the reduction in the use of caning for other offences. I also have some queries on the new offence of doxxing of public servants. My party colleague, Member Fadli Fawzi, will speak later on related issues and other aspects of the Bill.
First, on tackling scams. It is clear that despite significant efforts poured into anti-scam measures, Singaporeans are still falling prey to scams and losing significant sums. Banks have made efforts to strengthen digital banking to detect and delay unusual transactions. Public education has intensified: there is now even an anti-scam warning on the Parliament website. But scammers, too, have raised their game.
Scam organisations are brilliant at social engineering and tailoring their ruses to suit the intended victim. Scammers are going further. In one case I came across, the scammers even coached the victim as to what to tell Police if she was questioned, which she dutifully complied with, as if under some sort of spell. Clearly, we are dealing with highly sophisticated operators.
Sir, the Bill has 19 provisions that are targeted at scam offences. Although there are existing laws to cover these situations, the new provisions create new specific offences or enhance the punishment if they are committed through scams.
For instance, the Organised Crime Act is being amended to create two new offences; of being a member of a locally linked organised scam group and being a recruiter for organised scam groups, whether locally linked or not. Besides setting high fines and jail time of up to five years, mandatory caning of at least six strokes is to be imposed.
How effective the provisions will be will depend on how tightly they can be enforced – no point having strict laws if offenders are not pursued. It is also likely that even if persons are caught, offender displacement will occur – meaning that there will be no shortage of persons willing to replace them, if the rewards are lucrative enough.
For organised scams, effective enforcement will require agencies across borders to share information and conduct joint operations as well.
At this point, it is not clear to me how committed every government in Southeast Asia is towards combatting scams. In the past week, there was extensive media coverage on a scam ring in Cambodia, apparently led by a Singaporean and staffed by scores of compatriots. It was reported that the Cambodian police conducted a joint operation with Singapore Police on 9 September, after which 15 suspects, including 12 Singaporeans, were arrested and charged here. It was further reported that Cambodian police found evidence of the involvement of other suspects and this evidence formed the basis for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to issue INTERPOL Red Notices against them. While the handling of this case so far shows strong cross-border cooperation, I wonder if such extensive cooperation happens on a regular basis. Further, does the Ministry expect in future to utilise the expanded powers under the Extradition Act to request the Association for Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) neighbours to hand over such suspects to Singapore through extradition?
Sir, it is public knowledge that Southeast Asia is a hotbed for organised scam groups and some ASEAN countries are reported to be where the main operations are located. To respond to this, some governments are using other tools besides the criminal law. Two months ago, the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, issued a statement highlighting that \"criminal actors across Southeast Asia\" had, and I quote, \"increasingly exploited the vulnerabilities of Americans online\", resulting in an estimated loss of US$10 billion last year. He announced that the American government would impose sanctions on various persons and entities involved in running a scam centre in Myanmar and forced labour compounds in Cambodia. He opined that the sanctions would have the effect of disrupting the ability of the criminal networks to perpetuate their fraudulent and abusive activities.
To that end, it would be useful to know to what extent the Singapore Government will also consider other tools outside the criminal law to disrupt such organised scam groups.
The Bill also introduces caning as an additional option in scam cases involving the misuse of Singpass credentials under the Computer Misuse Act. The same is being done under the Miscellaneous Offences Act for scams involving the misuse of SIM cards. As for cheating under the Penal Code, there will be mandatory caning if done through remote communications, such as the Internet, telephone or electronic or other technology.
Sir, the most significant aspect of all the scam-related amendments is the introduction of caning as a punishment. Given the tremendous material loss and psychological harm caused to scam victims, I have little sympathy for those who perpetrate these cruel acts.
That said, the sentence of caning is a harsh punishment. While it is a legacy of our colonial past, it is a punishment where the state inflicts violence and physical pain on a prisoner. From reported accounts of some who underwent the punishment, caning led them to bleed and by some accounts, to suffer such pain that it led them to go into a state of shock.
Sir, I accept that there is a strong imperative to curb scams and it could well be at the stage now when we have to pull out all the stops. In that light, could the Ministry elaborate on why it has assessed that caning will be effective to reduce scam activity? Did the Ministry consider alternatives, such as providing for longer jail terms and heavier fines?
This brings me to my second point which is related. I strongly welcome the reduction in the use of caning for other offences.
The Bill proposes the total removal of caning as a punishment for certain offences and for others, making caning optional instead of mandatory. In its press release on 14 October, the Ministry stated that it made these moves considering factors such as whether the offences were still of significant public concern and whether other punishments sufficed. This review – to remove unnecessary punishments – brings important balance to this Bill.
The amendments proposed to the Vandalism Act are particularly significant and welcome. The Bill removes the rigidity of the current Act, where mandatory caning of between three to eight strokes must be imposed on vandalism of both public and private property, except in limited circumstances. The Bill instead proposes that mandatory caning be removed for all vandalism offences. Instead, caning will exist as an option for the Court, in cases where the vandalism is deemed more serious.
Sir, even after the Bill is passed, I hope the Government will, from time to time, review offences which currently attract caning to see if caning is still warranted. Social conditions change over time, and our laws should be fit for purpose. Singapore is currently on a short list of about 30 countries that still have corporal punishment on its criminal statutes. Of course, we must decide for ourselves what is appropriate for our criminal justice system. That said, I believe Singaporeans will support a criminal justice system that is effective and at the same time, humane.
Finally, doxxing of public servants. Clause 25 creates a new offence in the Miscellaneous Offences Act of doxxing of public servants. Under the proposed section 14E, it will be an offence for anyone to publish identity information and false statements about public servants, if connected to the discharge of their duties. I have three questions related to this.
First, the section will apply to protect public servants. As to who would be considered a public servant, the proposed definition refers to the definition of public servant in the Penal Code, as well as any person who, under other written laws, is deemed a public servant for the purposes of the Penal Code. If so, would someone holding a political position, such as a Minister or Member of Parliament (MP), be covered under the section?
Second, the section prohibits the publication of identity information, not just about the public servant but also a \"related person\". The definition of \"related person\" is stated as \"another person about whose safety or well-being the (public servant) would reasonably be expected to be seriously concerned\". This definition is inexact and potentially includes almost everyone, including family members, colleagues and acquaintances. What is the intended ambit of the definition of \"related person\"?
Sir, the third query relates to the use of illustrations to clarify the law. There is an illustration clarifying that the doxxing offence would be made out where the false statement and the identity information were carried in two separate online posts. However, this illustration is found in the Explanatory Statement to the Bill and is not part of the text of the law. I would like to know why the illustration is not legislated together with section 14E but instead is relegated to the Explanatory Statement. It would seem to me to be more appropriate to carry the illustration upfront in the law itself, to make it clearly visible to anyone looking up the law in the future. Instead, having it in the Explanatory Statement makes it harder to locate and may lead to unnecessary arguments down the road.
Sir, let me conclude. The Bill confronts us with decisions about the use of caning as a judicial punishment. In view of the devastating harms scammers have caused and continue to cause to Singaporean families, I believe the public supports the amendments regarding scam offences. At the same time, there is a concerted effort in the Bill to remove or reduce the use of caning for various other offences. This is a move I fully endorse, as we work to scope our criminal laws more tightly and appropriately. Finally, I look forward to the answers to the questions I have posed regarding regional cooperation and other approaches to disrupt scam organisations and on the offence of doxxing of public servants.
Mr Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill which seeks to future-proof and strengthen our criminal justice framework, particularly in response to emerging threats involving technology, public safety and organised crime. I would like to speak on three areas today: sexual offences, protection of public servants and the revision of caning penalties, including for scams.
First, I applaud the Ministry's move to update sexual offences to protect our people, especially the young and the vulnerable, in an ever-evolving digital landscape. The amendments proposed have been designed to be able to factor in future developments and trends in technology and social media.
The Bill proposes enhanced penalties for the sale, distribution or large-scale electronic circulation of obscene objects, particularly those depicting minors, with the age threshold also being raised from 16 to 18. These amendments bring us in line with international standards and are crucial to allow us to respond to cases like the SG Nasi Lemak Telegram group, which saw thousands exposed to such harmful material. Importantly, the amendments make it clear that consensual and private sharing of intimate images between adults will not be criminalised, reaffirming the law's focus on protecting, but not policing citizens' private lives. While this is the case, I hope that people continue to be careful about who they share their intimate content with, especially in the face of potential love scams or even blackmail, amongst other possibilities for abuse or misuse. I would also like to suggest that such potential harms are addressed in sex education classes in schools.
The amendments also seek to deal with the risks of synthetic, AI-generated intimate images, including \"deepfakes\" and computer-generated child abuse materials under our criminal laws. These images, though not constructed from real photographs, are equally harmful and can devastate reputations and cause emotional damage. The law must remain ahead of technology and this amendment sends a strong deterrent message to would-be offenders that \"virtual\" crimes are, in fact, very real, with equally real and painful penalties. It would also reinforce what our society considers to be obscene.
While these are laudable steps, I would urge the Government to pay closer attention to bullying cases, in situations where it could entail the distribution of intimate images of minors, which can be weaponised as a form of sexualised bullying. While legal deterrence is very important, the penalties imposed on the perpetrators are by themselves not able to help support the recovery of the victims or to cope with the aftermath of the bullying attacks. Therefore, I hope that there will be clear guidelines and robust victim support systems to protect the vulnerable young victims.
The Bill introduces stronger measures to deter harassment, doxxing and the making of false allegations against public servants, recognising the negative impact these acts have on public officers and, by extension, public confidence in our institutions.
No longer must the victim prove harassment, alarm or distress. Intent to harass is enough and this is a much needed strengthening of deterrence without placing undue burden on the doxxing victim to prove that they had suffered. A new offence targets the disclosure of a public servant's identity accompanied by a falsehood, when intended to prevent or deter the discharge of their duties. This recognises that false narratives can rapidly undermine confidence in public institutions and make it difficult for public servants to perform their jobs.
Finally, I support the revision of caning penalties, especially the landmark move to introduce caning for scams and scam-related offences. In the past five years, scams have shattered lives and torn families apart, with Singaporeans losing billions of dollars. This pain extends far beyond financial loss. Some victims feel so desperate that they resort to tragic ends. Families are broken by trust betrayed, and savings painstakingly built over lifetimes are wiped out in a moment.
Mandatory caning for scammers and syndicate members, and discretionary caning for so-called \"mules\" will send an unequivocal signal: Singapore will not tolerate those who prey on our people, be it from behind a keyboard or through sophisticated networks. Deterrence must be robust and, as past experience with loan shark harassment shows, caning is effective in reducing recalcitrant crime. While the punishment is severe, the harm caused to victims, whose lives are often ruined, justifies the tough response.
However, cross-border cooperation is still very important in the enforcement of these laws, in order to bring the criminals to justice. Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mandatory caning for scammers and syndicate members, and discretionary caning for so-called \"mules\" will send an unequivocal signal: Singapore will not tolerate those who prey on our people, be it from behind a keyboard or through sophisticated networks. Deterrence must be robust and past experience with loan shark harassment shows – caning is effective in reducing recalcitrant crime. While the punishment is severe, the harm caused to victims – whose lives are often ruined – justifies the tough response. However, cross-border cooperation is still very important in the enforcement of these laws, in order to bring the criminals to justice.
(In English): Mr Speaker, the amendments before us today make our laws more relevant, responsive and robust in the face of new threats. I support the Bill, even as I urge for continued vigilance, including in victim support, clarity for bullying cases and stronger protection for public servants, in the age of ease of doxxing.
Mr Speaker: Mr Fadli Fawzi.
Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, I am declaring my interest as a lawyer in private practice and I have been a defence counsel in criminal cases. Sir, the Bill advances some timely updates to our criminal laws. I am supportive of the Bill's intentions, especially the changes which allow us to keep pace with the ever-evolving nature of crimes.
The Bill addresses important lacunae in the law that have emerged as a result of technological advances, some of which may have extra territorial implications. For instance, I support the provisions to explicitly penalise the production of computer-generated obscene images to strengthen penalties for obscene objects involving minors below the age of 18 and to expand the scope of sexual grooming offences to cover meetings outside of Singapore.
The Bill also affords public servants better protections from harassment. As an MP overseeing the running of a Town Council, I fully understand the need for these amendments. I have seen how our hardworking Town Council staff have been unfairly targeted with their names and identities spread around by some unhappy residents. The Bill provides our public servants with the necessary assurance that they can safely and securely discharge their duties without the threat of public harassment.
I support how the Bill increases prison terms for causing or allowing the fatal abuse of vulnerable victims. This includes children and domestic workers who are often defenceless and cannot fight back. We are sending the right message by increasing the sentences, which can go up to 30 years or life imprisonment to ensure that the vulnerable are protected.
Mr Speaker, the Bill also revises our penal policy with respect to caning. On one hand, caning has been introduced for certain categories of scam- and fraud-related offences. On the other hand, caning has been removed or made discretionary for other offences, such as specific vandalism offences. I mentioned the Vandalism Act, in particular, because there were some disquiet, both in public and in Parliament, when caning was first mooted as a penalty.
For instance, the Vandalism Act has been described by legal academic Jothie Rajah as a significant departure from penal practises in prescribing a violent punishment for a property offence when it was introduced in 1966. It is worth noting that the then-Law Minister EW Barker recognised the unique nature of Singapore's caning policy on vandalism. He said, \"At the outset, it must be considered that the present day penological trends are against the infliction of caning as punishment, and that legal opinion is, in general, against the imposition of corporal punishment in cases not involving violence or brutality.\"
In the same debate, then-People's Action Party (PAP) backbencher, Mr Tang See Chim, also warned, and here I am quoting him, \"That the severity of the punishment may not, in fact, necessarily be a deterrent. The way to deter any crime, I submit, is to impress on the wrongdoer the certainty of his being found out if he commits one.\"
Sir, we seem to have come full circle from 1966. Now, we are about to cease mandatory caning as punishment for vandalism. At the same time, however, we are introducing corporal punishment for a new class of offences related to frauds and scams. It goes without saying that we need to protect Singaporeans from scammers. Their modus operandi grows ever more sophisticated and multifarious, and it can seem as though we are trying to fight a hydra. Of course, we would want to use all the weapons we have at our disposal to confront this hydra-headed challenge.
As we consider caning as punishment against scammers, I do believe the points raised in the debate on the Vandalism Act in 1966 can still be relevant. In particular, they were concerned about whether caning is an appropriate deterrence against crime. I do not wish to understate the severity of the monetary losses as a result of scams: it can run up to life-changing amounts or even the entirety of an elderly person's retirement funds.
Many of us in the House, myself included, will have encountered scam victims seeking assistance at our meet-the-people sessions. The scale of their losses can be heartbreaking.
The question still remains. How should we fight the hydra of these scam networks? Would caning be effective and is it appropriate?
As many of us are aware, scams are now increasingly being perpetrated by organised crime networks. These groups often operate transnationally. It is quite likely that the ringleaders would be cocooned safely somewhere, far from Singapore, in countries that may not have extradition treaties with us. Meanwhile, the lower-level operatives are the ones on the frontlines and liable to be caught. Would caning the latter group of individuals cause a dent on their criminal operations? Furthermore, would introducing the prospect of being caned substantially change the calculus for the ringleaders?
From the perspective of disrupting these scam operations, it may actually make more of a difference if we strengthen cross-border law enforcement cooperation and extradition arrangements. I acknowledge that this is being done by the Government. My point, however, is that we can better deter the ringleaders by increasing the likelihood of them being caught, rather than the prospect of more severe punishment.
Another possibility is to offer leniency to lower-level operatives who assist the authorities in dismantling these crime networks. Many of these lower-level operatives, including the mules, may be unwilling participants who have been, themselves, tricked into working for these criminal networks.
On another note, I want to ask whether there is the possibility of the Government imposing sanctions against criminal organisations involved in scamming Singaporeans, similar to what has been done in other jurisdictions, like the United States (US). Can financial sanctions or asset confiscation be viable options to pursue with a view of, perhaps, using the recovered funds to finance a scam victim restitution fund of sorts? I am aware of the operational details of something like a victim restitution fund, would have to be worked out carefully. However, unlike caning, this offers a more tangible benefit to the victims.
Mr Speaker, I wish to emphasise again that I am not speaking out of some misplaced sympathy for the potential scammers who might be caned. I fervently believe that scam victims deserve justice for the psychological and material losses they have to endure. I can also understand the appeal of bringing the full force of the law onto these scammers who have left so much misery and pain in their wake. But, Sir, the law is not a blunt instrument, but something to be used with precision.
It is worth reiterating that this is not a question of whether scammers should be harshly punished; of course, they should be. However, the pertinent question is whether the marginal deterrent value of a longer prison sentence matches or even exceeds the marginal deterrent value of imposing caning as a penalty.
Mr Speaker, I do not doubt that the Government sincerely wants to do the right thing for Singaporeans. I hope my reservations about caning for scam-related offences are also seen in the right way – that is, as a constructive intervention to ask whether caning is truly the most effective means of protecting Singaporeans from the scourge of scams.
Mr Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal.
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. Our laws must keep pace with the way harm is spread today through closed chats, fast moving platforms and AI tools that can humiliate in seconds. This Bill makes targeted amendments across several key acts, including the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Computer Misuse Act, Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes Act, and the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
This Bill makes updates in six key areas. It strengthens deterrence against scams and tech-enabled crimes, increasing penalties for abuse of vulnerable victims and update laws on sexual offences, including AI-generated intimate images. It introduces a new offence for spreading false statements or doxxing public officers, align scanning and sentencing provisions for greater consistency and refines procedures for youth offenders to balance rehabilitation and accountability.
Together, these changes modernise our criminal laws, ensuring firm deterrence, comprehensive protection and a justice system that remains fair and trusted. Given the breadth of this Bill, I will focus my remarks on two key areas.
First, the measures to deter scams and technology-enabled crimes, particularly, how they protect vulnerable residents, including seniors in older estates, such as mine in Kolam Ayer, and across the Jalan Besar group representation constituency (GRC). Second, the protection of our frontline public service officers, our teachers, our healthcare workers, our Home Team officers, among others who serve with dedication, but are increasingly vulnerable to online harassments and false allegations.
As a labour MP, I will also touch on how these changes strengthen workplace protection and mental well-being for those who serve the public every day.
Mr Speaker, scams continue to be a scourge in our society. They prey on trust, create financial pain and leave victims, especially seniors, feeling ashamed or helpless. In Kolam Ayer and across Jalan Besar, I have met elderly residents who have fallen prey to scams. Some were tricked into disclosing their bank details, others believed they were helping a family member in distress. For many, it was their life's saving, painstakingly build over decades, that vanish in mere minutes. The emotional trauma often outlasts the financial loss.
This Bill introduces caning as an additional penalty for scam syndicates and their enablers: those who knowingly Singpass credentials provide SIM cards or launder criminal proceeds. These acts are not trivial. They enable syndicates to prey on the unsuspecting and amplify harm across the community. This is appropriate because behind every scammer or mule stands a victim who loses not just money, but confidence and dignity. However, deterrence must be matched with precision and prevention.
To that end, I seek two clarifications from the Ministry.
Firstly, on role indicators, will sentencing guidance clearly define the markers of key roles, such as recruiters and organisers. For example, when they procure SIMs, multi-wallet control, profit shares and script coaching, so that the Courts can distinguish mastermind from the low-level participants. I ask this because clearer distinctions help to ensure that penalties fall proportionately on those who profit most, while preventing unfair outcomes for those who have limited involvement.
Second is on reasonable steps. Will there be positive checklists defining what counts as reasonable steps for first-time offenders or mules? This will prevent sham compliance and give fair notice to those tempted by easy money. I ask this because clear guidance can deter borderline cases before they can actually occur, especially among the young or financially desperate individuals who may not grasp the full consequence of aiding a scam.
Sir, beyond punishment, I do believe prevention remains critical. Our laws are strongest when our people are informed. Many seniors and low-income residents remain vulnerable to scams because of their limited digital literacy. So, I hope with this enforcement, we continue to be complemented by sustained public education through our digital ambassadors, our community volunteers, so that every resident can navigate the digital world with confidence. Strong deterrent must be matched by proactive education so that no Singaporean feels unprotected in this increasingly digital landscape.
My second point, Sir, is on protecting frontline public service officers. Sir, the Bill also strengthens protection for those who serve the public – our officers, our educators, healthcare workers and enforcement personnel – by criminalising doxxing and false allegations against them. This is a timely and necessary step.
In recent years, we have seen public officers unfairly targeted online, their names and photos circulated with false claims. At Tan Tock Seng Hospital, a patient uploaded a police report online and falsely named a doctor as being involved in an alleged mistreatment. The hospital later clarified that the named doctor was not involved, but by then, the harm to his reputation and peace of mind was already done.
The Ministry of Education has also acknowledged that educators and even students, had been doxed and attacked online, following the Sengkang Green Primary School incident. Teachers, who dedicate their life nurturing our children, should never have to fear harassment simply for doing their jobs.
Our Home Team officers, who enforce laws and respond to emergencies, have at times, been filmed, misrepresented and vilified online, such as the 2021 Yishun case, where a video falsely accused Police Officers of bullying an elderly woman. Investigations later showed that the Police were actually helping the woman, not harassing her, and a POFMA correction was issued.
These incidents illustrate how misinformation can quickly erode trust and endanger the morale of those who serve the public. This Bill rightly introduces a new offence under the Miscellaneous Offences, Public Order and Nuisance Act for publishing an officer's identity, together with a falsehood, when done to deter or punish them for carrying out their duties.
It also amends POHA to remove the need to prove that the officer suffered harassment or distress. This shifts the focus where it belongs on the offenders' intent, not the victim's reaction. However, three clarifications may help strengthen this protection further.
Firstly, on falsehood threshold, will the Government confirm that material falsehoods suffice and that offenders cannot escape liability by claiming the lie was minor or disguised in humour, sarcasm or emojis? I ask this because such tongue-in-cheek posts can still mislead the public and incite, ridicule or harass our officers who are carrying out their duties.
Second is on policy distinction. When will agencies invoke POFMA to correct misinformation and when will they use the new doxxing with falsehood offence to protect individual officers? A short policy note would be helpful to agencies, employers and even unions, who can help to apply the law consistently. I ask this because operational clarity prevents hesitation. Agencies and unions must know which legal route to take swiftly to safeguard their officers and restore public confidence.
My third point is on coverage clarity. Will protection also extend to outsourced essential workers, such as cleaners, healthcare assistants, or transport enforcement officers, who perform public duties, but are not statutory officers. I ask this because similarly, these workers will face some public exposure – same risk as civil servants – yet they lack the institutional protection or recourse channels available to them.
As a labour MP, I am heartened that this Bill recognises both public servants and public service workers. The latter includes nurses, our Town Council staff and contract personnel who keep Singapore running every day. Their service deserves the same protection and respect.
Unions, such as the Healthcare Services Employees Union and the Singapore Teachers' Union, have long advocated these protections, standing beside our workers who face harassment or stigma during the course of duty.
We must ensure that every person who serves the public, regardless of employer, can do so safely and with dignity. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, this Bill strengthens justice and safety in our society. It does not merely punish the perpetrators; it also protects those who are vulnerable and safeguards the dignity of public officers who have shown total dedication in performing their duty. Through these amendments, we enhance penalties for cyber scams, extend protection to public officers and frontline workers, and ensure that our laws remain relevant in this digital era. In short, justice is not just about meting out punishment – it is about preserving trust, safety and humanity.
(In English): Mr Speaker, this Bill represents an important step in strengthening both justice and trust. By deterring scams, we protect our seniors, our workers and our families. By protecting our officers and public service workers, we safeguard those who uphold the values of duty, care and compassion.
Good law leaves no easy exits for bad actors and gives confidence to those who protect us. With this Bill, we will send a clear signal that Singapore stands firm against harm and stands with those who protect and serve our people. Notwithstanding the clarifications I sought, I support this Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Henry Kwek.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru): Mr Speaker, I support this Bill and the suite of changes it makes. Given its breadth, I will focus my remarks on three areas: one, tackling global scams and online crimes while protecting innovation; two, a calibrated approach to accountability for 14-to-17-year-olds; and three, improving proportionality by resolving the inflexibility of mandatory caning.
Let me first talk about our efforts to target operators of crime. I support forward-looking legislation that go after the operators – scam networks, credential abuse, deepfakes, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) creators – without impeding technological progress.
Indeed, the impact of such crimes is immense. Just take scams. Since 2019, Singaporeans have lost over S$3 billion to scams. In 2024 alone, losses were over S$1.1 billion. In the first half of this year, government-official impersonation scams almost reach 1,800, nearly triple year-on-year. Victims, like many of my fellow Members have mentioned, are disproportionately elderly, vulnerable or desperate. Many lose their life savings and suffer deep hardship.
Mr Speaker, technology is like the wind: swift, powerful and unstoppable. But when a forest fire breaks out, we do not try to stop the wind; we go after the arsonists of that forest fire.
This Bill does just that. It focuses on those who exploit technology for harm – organised crime networks, scam operators and credential traffickers.
Criminalising the misuse of another's identity or SIM registration cuts off the pathways in which scams spread. Each stolen credential is a spark, each mule account, a dry branch. Therefore, this Bill builds the firebreaks we need while keeping the wind free so that legitimate innovation can grow.
Let me next turn to calibrated charging for 14- to 17-year-olds. This Bill implements and clarifies the 2019 Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) changes to treat ages 14 to below 18 as young persons and expands Youth Court coverage while preserving the ability to transmit serious or repeat cases to the State Courts or the High Court, so that adequate penalties can be imposed where warranted.
Many teenagers today are better informed and more mature, compared to youths decades ago. For very serious crimes, we should hold them responsible. But maturity is a continuum; one does not gain wisdom and fortitude at a precise birthday.
To avoid the cliff effect, where the full weight of adult liability falls on, say, a 14-year-old, I urge the Government, led by the Ministry of Law, to adopt a graduated, age-sensitive charging approach for those from 14 to18, which means calibrating charging positions and legal submissions based on age, maturity and context, and reserving adult-style positions for truly serious crimes.
Lastly, I welcome the calibrated caning penalties for 22 offences while introducing caning as a penalty for scamming. Today, multiple statutes impose minimum strokes and leave the Court with no room to calibrate punishment. It is a one-size-fits-all penalties for those laws.
But justice can be tempered with mercy. The new flexibility from this Bill for 22 offences provides judicial discretion to weigh mitigation factors on a case-by-case basis, for example, first-offender status, coercion or duress, genuine remorse, or early plea.
Proportionality is not leniency. It is the law taking full account of both harm and human circumstances. At the same time, given the severe impact of scamming, I fully support the inclusion of caning penalties for scamming crimes.
Let me conclude, this Bill goes after the operators of technology scams and online scams – the arsonists – without stifling the impact of technology. It also aligns accountability with maturity, and it restores judicial discretion when it is due. It protects our people and our progress while keeping justice fair and firm. With that, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr David Hoe.
Mr David Hoe (Jurong East-Bukit Batok): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of this Bill. This Bill does a few important things. It strengthens our laws against scams, amends sexual offences, raises penalties for causing or allowing fatal abuse to vulnerable victims, revises sentencing for young offenders and updates older provisions to fit today's realities.
At its core, it defines new offences, allowing caning for some scam-related crimes, removes caning from others, and refines how we deal with youths and vulnerable persons.
In this response, I will focus on deterring scams through tougher and more targeted measures. This is close to my heart. In Clementi, I have walked the ground and sought help for my residents who fell into victims of scams. Their stories are heartbreaking and even more painful when I learnt how their families are affected.
Let me place on record by saying that I agree with the direction to introduce caning for scam-related offences. However, I would like to highlight four clarifications and considerations.
The first is on discretionary caning and proportionality. For scam-related offences such as offenders who facilitate scams such as the misuse of SIM cards, disclosing access credentials such as Singpass account, this Bill allows for up to 12 strokes of the cane under discretionary caning. I support this direction.
You see, scams can wipe out the life savings of many and shatter families. A strong deterrence is justified. However, I would like to better understand how the upper limit of 12 strokes was set. For instance, was the upper limit of 12 strokes benchmarked against other offences with similar harm and culpability? Were the existing caning-eligible offences considered and used as comparisons when setting this upper limit and if so, what was the principle for alignment?
I am glad to hear earlier that the upper limit has room for review. On this note, we should be clear what caning is not. It is not a silver bullet.
This brings me to my second point on the economics of deterrence. As someone who had spent years teaching economics, I tend to think of deterrence as a simple equation. Does the expected cost outweigh the expected benefit?
In my view, the expected cost of committing a crime depends on three things. One, severity – how harsh that punishment is. Two, certainty – how likely you are to be caught and punished. And three, speed – how fast the punishment happens.
In short, deterrence, in my view, mentions three things: severity, certainty and speed. Because if scammers believe they never will, or are unlikely to be caught, perhaps because they are hiding behind a fake or an anonymous account, or operate outside of Singapore, then harsher penalties might not make much of a difference. So, beyond raising penalties, we should raise the certainty, visibility and speed of enforcement and punishment.
At the end of the day, we measure what is important to us. In this regard, the Government should consider publishing regular updates on scam activities – how many were reported, caught, and continue amplifying public communications. Why? Because this sends a clear signal that Singapore does not just punish harshly, but we also catch swiftly, in this context of scam activities.
My third point is cross-border scams. Many scams that hit Singapore are not run from here. They are operated overseas, layered through syndicates. In late October, Police named 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians suspected of running a Cambodian-based syndicate scam ring targeting Singapore believed to be behind at least 438 cases and $41 million in losses. Police said that they are working with Interpol to issue red notices because these suspects are out of Singapore.
This fact underlines a simple point. The threat of caning here may not deter someone who sits overseas or never plans to set foot in Singapore. The answer then, in my view, has to be stronger and faster cross-border cooperation, coordination and enforcement. Singapore already works with partners within ASEAN, INTERPOL and other countries. My point is, there needs to be a continued deepening of mutual legal assistance channel bilaterally and multilaterally. This may involve a memorandum of understanding between authorities and their counterparts abroad on things like digital evidence requests, standard operating timelines, as well as having dedicated offices to oversee and expedite such cross-border coordination and collaboration.
My last point, beyond strengthening our laws against scammers, we must continue to build a scam-resilient society. This is because the law cannot carry full load. We have to build habits, skills, systems that help Singaporeans to determine scams early and act fast. We want a vigilant public not a fearful one. Singapore must never become a place that we suspect every single message and live in constant anxiety. We can teach this balance from young. Pause, check, then decide when encountering something suspicious. In this regard, we should consider incorporating more practical scam education within our schools and community to enable our ability to detect scam activities.
Today, our Character and Citizenship Education classes teach students to evaluate and verify credibility of online information sources to recognise and report different types of online scams, including phishing, online purchase scams and Internet love scams. However, as scams continue to evolve, we must continue to do more to educate or being able to identify deepfakes. We have made progress through Police Anti-Scam Command ScamShield, but I think we can go further. Just as from time to time at work, we have to take cybersecurity quizzes, I wonder if we can have scam quizzes built into ScamShield. And perhaps users who complete the quizzes could also earn some reward or incentive. For example, if you can get 20 or 30 questions right, a pretty high bar, it could entail you to have additional Community Development Council vouchers. The goal, it is really just to be more scam resilient.
On another note, I also just want to mention that part of scam resilience is also fighting the stigma associated with the person falling prey to scams. Speak to scam victims, you know that often times they feel shame and fear, viewed as silly or naive by their loved ones or others or even being blamed for their own troubles. Therefore, many may choose to stay silent and not even report being scammed; and scammers will rejoice in their silence. So, we must, hence, fight this stigma, make early help the norm.
Our public message must be simple: report quickly, you are not alone, every minute counts. Also, a \"report once\" pathway would give each victim a single case reference, would spare them from repeating the painful details from agencies to agencies or bank to bank. Just one reference number, find the details all there. Giving scam victims discretion and privacy is equally important as well, including ensuring private spaces for conversations and the option to bring someone else along.
We should also consider inviting those who wish to step forward to tell their stories in a safe and respectful setting. Because I have learned that sharing stories is powerful, because then survivors choose to share, even anonymously, they show others it is okay to seek help. It reduces the shame that keeps many silent and turn painful experiences into lessons that protect and empower others.
In my view, if we pair strong laws and with early help, empathy at the front line and survival voices that breaks the stigma, we reduce shame, shorten response time and improve recovery. This is how we stay vigilant without becoming fearful, keep trust alive while protecting one another.
I would like to close by noting that the Bill strengthens our hand against scammers and I welcome it. But deterrence or true deterrence does not just come from harsher punishment alone. It comes from a system that is swift, certain and smart. Swift in catching offenders, certain in delivering justice and smart in building public awareness. Because at the end of day, the best deterrence is not fear of punishment. It is a society that is alert, resilient and one step ahead of scammers.
Mr Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Sir, I stand in support of the Bill which seeks to amend the Penal Code and other related legislation to update our criminal laws. Sir, the scope of this Bill is vast, I will focus my speech today on scam-related crimes and the proposal to revise caning penalties for certain offences, including introducing caning for scams and scams-related offences.
I read with great concern about the recent media coverage of Singaporeans being involved in scam syndicate operations in Cambodia. In one of the reported cases, a Singaporean was alleged to be the leader of the crime ring, targeting Singaporeans in government impersonation scams. Their use of the Singaporean accent was meant to reassure the victims that the calls were genuine.
Scams are a major source of crime in Singapore. Today, we are far more likely to get scammed online than to be robbed in the streets. In the first half of 2025, victims lost $456 million, with almost 20,000 cases reported. These figures are a representation that scam cases continue to plague our country. According to statistics by the Police, scam victims lost $1.1 billion in 2024 and more than $651 million in 2023.
When I first joined the Police in 1995, cheating cases were common but limited largely to face-to-face interactions. Over time, as Singapore's digital penetration grew, scam archetypes evolved to love scams on WeChat to the current situation, where so many variants of scams affect different segments of our population. The Bill's proposal to introduce mandatory caning for offenders of scams is, therefore, highly welcomed and timely, as we need to send a clear signal that our legal system has no tolerance for those who scam and prey on others. However, when it comes to enforcement, it is often the most vulnerable who are recruited as mules, who are caught. Syndicate bosses are often based offshore and it can be tough for our local law enforcement to take them to task. I would, therefore, like to ask how the SPF are working with the foreign enforcement agencies, including with Interpol and member agencies of the Anti-Money Laundering Case Coordination and Collaboration Network (AC3N) to take these criminal masterminds to task.
For offences with proposed discretionary caning, such as those involving individuals who launder scam proceeds, supply SIM cards or provide Singpass credentials, I would like to ask whether sentencing guidelines will be made available to the Courts and, if so, what would these sentencing guidelines be? Would vulnerable offenders, such as youths and those with mild intellectual disabilities, be given greater leniency if they are preyed upon and roped into scam operations? How can we do more to protect these vulnerable individuals from being taken advantage of by the scam syndicates?
Sir, let me next talk about a small but growing variant of scams that threaten Singapore's ambition to become a live entertainment hub. Between 2023 and 2024, 1,500 people lost about $1.1 million in scams due to the sale of concert tickets by online third-party resellers. Ticket scams pertaining to live entertainment events have been a growing concern for the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). Consumers tell us that ticket scams are a particular area of concern as many event goers try to get tickets to A-list events at all costs. Many of them simply cannot buy tickets on the primary market due to the presence of bots. They try all means possible to attend the events by their favourite artiste, even at the risk of purchasing fake tickets.
Members would recall reading news articles about ticket scams whenever an A-list event takes place in Singapore, from Taylor Swift to Coldplay to Andy Lau. The Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert that was held in Singapore in March 2024, became an unfortunate incident where many locals and international consumers became scam victims. The Consumer Protection Review Panel, which I co-chair, is looking into this issue deeply.
For example, the Panel is actively engaging ticket service platforms to explore establishing authorised ticket sales platforms to provide consumers with greater certainty that tickets resold on proper platforms are legitimate. Other suggestions, include phasing out paper tickets and to only have digital tickets with dynamic QR codes. But while the industry players and CASE do our best to tackle the issue, we cannot succeed in eradicating the problem of ticket scams without support from the Government. Some overseas jurisdictions with thriving entertainment industries, such as in Japan and in Taiwan, have already rolled out anti-ticketing scam laws to tackle this issue, something which I hope the Government would also consider adopting.
Sir, we must address the variant of ticketing scams more seriously, despite its relatively smaller losses when compared to the other scams. Because if left unaddressed, these scams could threaten to derail Singapore's efforts to anchor ourselves as the region's entertainment hub.
In closing, the amendments proposed under the Bill are timely, as it will send a strong signal that tackling scams continue to be a national priority. We must continue to act firmly against scam syndicates, while having a care on how we treat vulnerable citizens who are roped into scam operations. I also urge the Ministry to also look into how we can deal with ticketing scams more decisively, as it affects a large number of consumers. Mr Speaker, with that, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Foo Cexiang.
Mr Foo Cexiang (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Speaker, my speech will focus on the introduction of caning for scams-related offences. It is an understatement today that scams are the scourge of societies. According to the SPF's Mid-Year Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2025, there were 22,476 scam and cybercrime cases from January to June this year and the amount lost to scams was about $456 million. So, to put this into perspective, this averages out to be about more than 120 of such cases each day, more than five cases an hour. In terms of losses, an average of $2.5 million lost each day to scams.
These figures are astonishing to say the least. In fact, the monies lost to scams are not representative of the entire cost of such criminal enterprises for society because if we tabulate the man-hours and other valuable resources deployed to combat scams, then the total amount would be many times that, just the loss quantum.
The motivation of scammers is clear, their ill-gotten rewards are enormous, vis-à-vis the risks. All these, at the expense of their victims. I believe all of us have met scam victims at our meet-the-people sessions and have heard their pleas for help, as many Members have pointed out. It is heartbreaking to hear of Singaporeans having their honest and hard-earned monies despicably stolen from them.
In fact, just two weeks ago, a family member of mine almost fell victim to one such scam. I do not know whether the scammer knew that I was going to make a speech in Parliament so soon. So, she received a call from someone claiming to be a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) officer, who told her that her bank account had been compromised for illegal transactions and then, assured her that he would help her to resolve the issue. He then told her to lock herself in the room as he guided her through the process via video call and he told her many times not to let anyone know in the family. So, flustered and helpless, my family member ended up spending several hours on the call with this scammer. And in this time, she set up a crypto-currency account, she has never learned about crypto before. She terminated an investment savings account and transferred the funds from the investment savings account to her savings account. But fortunately for her, she informed my wife after the call, who then informed me and we were able to stop any losses in time.
But this is a very common modus operandi of scammers now. They get into the minds of their victims by first sending them into a panic mode and then, assure them that they can help by impersonating themselves as public officials. Very sinister. And I told my family member: I said when they told you to lock yourself in a room and not tell anyone, alarm bells should have started ringing in your head! But she told me that during the entire process she was almost in a trance-like state. I think similar to what some of the other Members have shared. So, my family member was fortunate to have family members around. But I worry very much for my residents who are seniors, who stay alone and I have also met residents who are even younger than me all preyed to the similar tactics that I have just shared.
So, no condemnation leveled against scams and scammers to me would be considered unjust. And clearly, the existing sanctions are not adequate and do not effectively deter scammers and potential scammers.
So, it is, therefore, timely that this Bill seeks to enhance the penalties for scams offences. With this as context, I would like to raise several points and clarifications for the Senior Minister of State's response.
First, clause 63 of the Bill inserts a new section 416B in the Penal Code. In this new section, with respect to the element of deceit by way of remote communications, the operative threshold is \"mainly\", mainly via digital or remote means. But in this current day and age, almost all our daily communications are arguably \"mainly\" done through digital and remote means, whether it is emails, social media, text messaging. So, I want to find out what is the rationale for this statutory requirement and how should the word \"mainly\" be legally interpreted?
Second, the Bill introduces \"mandatory\" and \"discretionary\" caning. Scammers, members and recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, while scam mules who enable scammers in certain ways will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
Recently, in The Straits Times, 17 July 2025, 15 people were reportedly being investigated for sharing their Singpass credentials, some used to open bank accounts and register for mobile phone lines for scam purposes. Over the weekend, CNA also reported that the Police had arrested 38 people acting as money mules for scammers, having sold or rented their YouTrip accounts for monetary gains. The same article also reports a \"surge in such scam cases\" in the months of September and October.
So, in light of what I have shared, my question is: why is caning not made mandatory for scam mules as well, in particular, the mules who know that they are enabling or likely to enable scrams? Because Mr Speaker, scammers, members and recruiters of scam syndicates and the scam mules, all these participants are essential to the operations of the scam enterprise. So, what is the rationale for such a distinction between caning to be meted out to these various players in the ecosystem?
Third, impersonation of public officials. SPF's Mid-Year Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2025 also reported that \"Government officials impersonation scams have almost tripled\" in the first six months of 2025. And recently, on 26 October 2025, the Police shared that they had arrested 24 persons, investigating another nine for their suspected involvement in a case of government officials' impersonation scam. The impersonation of government officials is probably the most deplorable of the various types of scams we have discussed today because it carries the very real danger of also undermining the public's confidence in the Government and the integrity and security of our services.
We have all heard feedback that in a bid to avoid scammers, many Singaporeans have chosen either not to answer any calls from unknown or private numbers. When they receive SMS-es that are sent by official sources, they read it with apprehension and suspicion. So, the fear of being scammed has affected us all. In this vein, would the Ministry consider imposing even more severe penalties for scam-related offences, when there is an element of Government impersonation, such as by doubling the mandatory number of strokes, for example?
Mr Speaker, I heard Mr Fadli Fawzi's concern earlier with the use of caning as a punishment and he raised how we are moving away from mandatory caning for vandalism offences in this same Bill. Instead, he suggested that we strengthen enforcement bite to be more effective.
I would argue that we need both effective enforcement and deterrent in the form of caning to deal with the scourge of scams. I will go further to say that we are able to remove mandatory caning for vandalism today and discussing it in this Bill because we have successfully deterred the act of vandalism from taking root in society in Singapore where there was a very threat several decades ago. So, we should do the same now for scams and if we are similarly successful as we were or we are with vandalism, we can review this in the future as well.
Mr Speaker, the amendments in this Bill demonstrate the Government's practical and hard-nosed approach to be more effective in protecting our people while also reviewing policies in keeping with the times. We enact harsh laws but not after deep and careful consideration to protect the everyday Singaporean – honest, hardworking, resilient and really just doing his or her best for their families.
So, Mr Speaker, notwithstanding my clarifications, I support of the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Cai Yinzhou.
Mr Cai Yinzhou (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, the Bill updates the Penal Code and other legislations, strengthening the legal framework for urgent issues, like scams, and serious crimes, like abuse. This aligns with Singapore's history of strengthening laws against trends in crime.
I support the Bill but seek clarification firstly on complementary social and support measures to tackle the scourge of scams between deterrence and dialogue. The Bill distinguishes money mules from scam syndicate leaders, introducing mandatory caning for scammers and discretionary caning for money mules. This toughens measures against scams, addressing a national issue. The message is clear, \"If you dare to scam Singaporeans, this is the price you pay.\"
This move is crucial due to devastating losses: over $3.4 billion since 2019, with a record $1.1 billion in 2024. But beyond financial figures, victims have experienced ruined family relationships, depression and some even turned to suicide.
Caning is, therefore, an effective deterrent in reducing loan shark harassment, but I have two clarifications on this.
First is for those above 50 years old where caning is unsuitable, how will alternative penalties be applied? And whether these enhanced penalties will immediately apply to the 27 Singaporeans allegedly found to be part of the Cambodian scam syndicate, if found guilty?
While the Bill assigns lower culpability to money mules, their punishment is still significant. I support the new offences but suggest new ways to augment the effectiveness. As criminal lawyers note, deterrence is not the only crime control method; focusing solely on increased penalties might ignore root issues.
Mules might be financially disadvantaged, incentivised by financial hardship to sell Singpass details or personal access. A worrying trend involves youths becoming scam mules; and a misconception that only elderly are victims when those in the 21 to 59 age group, who might be digitally native and overconfident, thereby constituting most victims. Greater deterrence therefore may not address economic hardship or coercion, but our approach needs to be balanced, focusing on financial literacy and legitimate employment.
Given the heavy penalties for potential money mules, public education on offence severity is needed, especially demographics of those less aware. We must also incorporate these messaging, using technology, like the ScamShield app, a powerful intelligence network against scam trends. Another suggestion includes encouraging money mules to become informants, aligning with Government efforts against local scam enablers, where those actively cooperating with authorities by providing information on scam operations could receive reduced sentencing.
But often the investigation of potential money mules might be complex and lengthy. It is hard to distinguish those who participate as a mule versus those whose personal information might have been misused and compromised.
During investigation, these individuals might face strict restrictions, including frozen bank accounts, affected credit ratings, making it hard to receive salaries, to pay bills or to receive Government benefits. This significantly impacts those already struggling financially. Can the Minister, therefore, clarify interim measures and collaborations with banks to support the increasing number of Singaporeans implicated in scam-related investigations but might not be convicted?
Next, I will speak about strengthening protections for vulnerable victims against abuse.
The Bill proposes increasing maximum jail term for fatal abuse of vulnerable victims from 20 years to life imprisonment of up to 30 years. This tool ensures penalties for the \"worst of the worst\" egregious cases. Despite serious penalties for abuse, advocates for vulnerable groups, like domestic helpers, highlight root causes lie in power disparity and victims' fear-driven difficulty in seeking help, sometimes due to social isolation.
Increased abuse penalties also need to come with complementary protection and empowerment for potential victims, especially for early intervention. For example, migrant domestic worker abuse averaged 320 reports annually from 2020 to 2024. Existing support measures can be expanded through awareness of help avenues and increased checks on these foreign domestic workers.
Enhanced penalties also apply to abuse of children under 14 and vulnerable persons. Beyond age, if I may suggest stipulating definitions of vulnerable persons for seniors or even those with disabilities using metrics, like the Activities of Daily Living score, which is an established tool for measuring functional ability.
In conclusion, I strongly support this Bill's decisive move to address crime threats and introduce tougher penalties. Notwithstanding these clarifications, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Lee Hui Ying.
Ms Lee Hui Ying (Nee Soon): Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. The nature of crime is rapidly changing and I am glad the Government is taking steps to update our laws to keep pace. The legislative amendments protect our people both by enhancing deterrence and ensuring that, where deterrence is met with recalcitrance, the offenders receive rehabilitation and a chance to mend their ways.
In supporting this Bill, I would like to expand upon two areas for the Government's consideration. First, the reach of penalties for scam-related offences. Second, the revision of caning penalties. In chess, the king is the most important piece, it can determine victory or defeat and is the most strategic centre of the game. Like the chess king, the kingpin is crucial to the overall strategy. The kingpin is the one that defines the game.
First, can I ask the Minister, what steps are we taking to target the leaders of scam syndicates, in other words, the kingpin? The new penalties currently apply to three categories of offenders. First, those who perpetrate scams or other forms of cheating; those who are members of or recruit members for scam syndicates; and those who facilitate the scams, such as through mule activities, by supplying the scammers with bank accounts, Singpass accounts and SIM cards.
These persons who should be charged with these penalties are likely to be low-level operatives. While this would improve deterrence and disrupt scam networks, we would not be rid of scams until we apprehend the principals and the financiers, and demolish scam networks entirely. Scams today, are intricate supply chains, which include clearly defined functions of data acquisition, scripting, operations and even technology. The key to sustaining such operations are the key decision makers, in other words, the kingpin, to put the supply chain together. May I ask if the new penalties are intended to also target the kingpins for a more comprehensive approach or if the Organised Crime Act may be invoked here for investigative powers?
For a solution to be sustainable, it must lower the incentive for scammers by cancelling out the profitability. Scams have grown increasingly sophisticated and transnational, exploiting digital platforms and encrypted communication channels that make enforcement challenging. May I ask what plans does the Government have in terms of implementing more robust industry safeguards, disrupting communication channels for syndicates, especially intractable ones, like Telegram and the Dark Web, and strengthening cross-border collaborations to tackle the globalisation of scams?
How are we handling the transnational nature of scam offences? While local laws have their place, many cyber-enabled scams cross international boundaries such that the lines in jurisdictions are blurred. Scam centres are based in other countries, such as Cambodia and Myanmar, but their victims are our Singaporeans. Does the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill apply or are we using our diplomatic channels to motivate enforcement? Are we able to send the SPF to those countries to provide support or technical assistance?
While we fight to support Singaporeans from scams, it is worrying to hear that there are Singaporeans being involved in leading scam networks. For example, three Singaporeans and 17 Singapore-registered entities were recently sanctioned by the US for alleged involvement in transnational crypto scam activities linked to a Cambodian conglomerate. Why were these links not discovered by us earlier? What action is our Government taking and are there checks being done to ensure no other Singaporeans are implicated? There may also be a need to implement sufficient safeguards for persons based in Singapore vis-à-vis foreign law risks.
Beyond the legal aspect, the importance of public education cannot be understated as each individual is his/her own first line of defence against scams. How can we detect and respond more quickly to new modalities of scams? How do we then shorten the time and respond quicker between detection and public education efforts? What plans are in place to monitor the impact of current outreach and education efforts and to increase their effectiveness amid the evolving nature of scams?
On the flipside, it is critical that these measures avoid a chilling effect, whereby people cross the threshold from reasonable caution to pervasive distrust of all online activity, even the legitimate ones. In this ever-evolving digital world, we must empower our people to be prudent without pulling back unnecessarily. Similarly, security measures should be carefully assessed before implementation to ensure that they do not make legitimate online processes unjustifiably onerous for users.
Second, our approach to exclude caning penalties based on age. Currently, Singapore's maximum age for caning is 50 years old. If age was intended to be a proxy of physical suitability, we should review if it is appropriate to increase the maximum age to 60, in view of our lengthening health-spans. Our average health-span, defined as years of good health, is now at 75, as shared by the Prime Minister, at the National Day Rally. Revising the caning age limit upwards would align with the trend towards an ageing society whereby, assuming status quo in crime rates, the average age of offenders is expected to increase year on year. This ensures that deterrence stays relevant and effective even as the age profile of our population changes. This also avoids situations that may seem unjust where offenders may be spared simply because they are caught and sentenced after they pass the age of 50. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, I support this Bill. It strengthens the deterrent effect of penalties whilst simultaneously ensuring that offenders have opportunities for rehabilitation, achieving both objectives.
Scam cases are emerging constantly. The new penalties target scam perpetrators, gang members and recruiters, as well as those who provide SIM cards or Singpass credentials to criminals. These individuals may not hold high positions within scam syndicates.
As the saying goes, \"to catch bandits, first catch their leader.\" I hope the Minister can clarify whether, from a more comprehensive perspective, the new penalties are also targeting the masterminds behind criminal syndicates.
The Bill also covers caning. Currently, the age limit for caning is at 50 years old. However, with longer healthy lifespan and society ageing, should we consider reviewing and raising this limit to 60 years old? I believe this would better reflect the current situation in our society and would be more effective as a deterrent.
(In English): Mr Speaker, notwithstanding these points for clarification and consideration, I express my full support for this Bill. These amendments are timely, not just in offering tangible protection to Singaporeans, but also in inspiring public confidence that our criminal justice system is sensitive to emerging needs, especially in the realm of scams, it sends a clear signal that new ways to commit old crimes will be met with new penalties.
Mr Speaker: Senior Minister of State Sim Ann.
Ms Sim Ann: Mr Speaker, let me thank Members for their questions and their strong support for the amendments.
Let me first touch on the amendments to sexual offences. Ms Joan Pereira highlighted bullying cases which involve the distribution of intimate images of minors. We agree that a firm stance should be taken against such acts. Let me assure Ms Pereira that this is already an offence under the Penal Code which attracts severe punishment. I also thank Ms Pereira for her suggestions regarding upstream preventive measures and downstream victim support and agree that these are important to complement the proposals in the Bill. Measures have, indeed, been put in place to help victims of sexual offences, including minors, through the criminal justice process.
Mr Xie Yao Quan suggested introducing discretionary caning for administrators of online locations circulating obscene material. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will continue to monitor the situation and assess if there is a need to review the penalties further.
Next, on the enhanced penalties for fatal abuse of vulnerable victims. Mr Cai Yinzhou highlighted that beyond increasing the penalties for abuse of vulnerable victims, it is also important to have upstream preventive measures. We agree. Such measures have been put in place by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Manpower.
Mr Cai also suggested including seniors and persons with disabilities within the definition of vulnerable persons. Under our current laws, a \"vulnerable person\" refers to those who, due to mental or physical infirmity, disability or incapacity, are substantially unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect or self-neglect. Seniors and persons with disabilities who meet this definition will be protected by the enhanced penalties we propose to impose on their abusers.
On the new offence to criminalise the doxxing of a public servant, Dr Wan Rizal asked if offenders could escape liability by claiming that the falsehood was minor or was disguised in humour or sarcasm. The Courts apply an objective standard in determining what constitutes a false statement of fact and will not take such claims at face value.
Dr Wan Rizal sought to clarify when agencies would use levers under POFMA versus the new offence of doxxing accompanied by a falsehood. The POFMA levers focus on the likely impact of the false statement of fact on key public interests, such as Singapore's security, public health, safety, tranquillity or finances, or public confidence in our institutions. On the other hand, the new offence is targeted at protecting public servants and thus, requires that the false statement of fact relate to the public servant. Different cases may require one lever or the other, or even a combination of the two. Such a determination would have to be made on a case-by-case basis.
Dr Wan Rizal and Ms Sylvia Lim had questions regarding the scope of the new offence. Dr Wan Rizal asked if the new offence would extend to public service workers who perform public duties, but are not public servants. The new offence will only cover public servants. False statements against public servants can directly undermine confidence in our public institutions and so, warrant a higher penalty.
That said, doxxing of a public service worker is already an offence under POHA that carries enhanced penalties. Ms Lim asked if the new offence would extend to politicians, such as Ministers and MPs. Political officeholders are covered as they are part of the executive. MPs are currently not covered but MHA is separately reviewing this. To be clear, persons who harass MPs are nonetheless still liable for an offence under POHA, or other offences, like criminal intimidation and criminal defamation, depending on the facts of the case.
Ms Lim asked if the definition of a \"related person\" of a public servant could be made more precise. A \"related person\" of a public servant is defined as a person whose safety or well-being the public servant would reasonably be expected to be seriously concerned about. The rationale for extending the offence to cover doxxing of \"related persons\" of a public servant is because offenders may target persons close to a public servant to get to the public servant. The question of whether a person falls within the definition of a \"related person\" is an objective one that the Courts will determine based on the facts of the case. The concept of a \"related person\" is not new and already exists within POHA.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked about the placement of the illustration in the Explanatory Note instead of within the provision. We assess that the provision is clear enough. Not all offence provisions need to have illustrations. In any case, the Explanatory Note is available in the public domain and can be referred to by all stakeholders, including Counsel and the Courts, if necessary.
Let me now move on to comments on the scam caning proposals. Comments from Members are largely divided into three categories: the Government's general anti-scam measures, adequacy of the proposed penalties and clarifications on the proposals.
First, on the Government's general anti-scam measures. Ms Lee Hui Ying asked about the Government's plans to implement more robust industry safeguards to disrupt the communication channels used by scam syndicates to approach victims. In the first half of 2025, scammers used online platforms to approach victims in about 82% of all scam cases. To address this, the Government has worked with online platforms to implement anti-scam safeguards and remove scam-tainted content and accounts. For example, in September 2025, the Online Criminal Harms Act Competent Authority issued an implementation directive to Meta to put in place measures to target scam advertisements, accounts, profiles and/or business pages impersonating Government Office Holders on Facebook. The Government will consider further legislative levers as necessary.
Given the transnational nature of scams, Mr David Hoe asked if Singapore can establish a permanent joint disruption cell bringing together both governments and private entities in different jurisdictions. Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Lee Hui Ying asked if Singapore takes action against overseas scam syndicates. I agree with Mr Hoe, Mr Yong and Ms Lee that it is critical for governments to work together to disrupt scams and recover assets. To cite one example, in October 2024, the Police formalised FRONTIER+, an initiative to strengthen real-time intelligence sharing, improve asset recovery and coordinate joint operations among the anti-scam units of several jurisdictions. FRONTIER+ now covers 13 jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. We are actively encouraging other jurisdictions to join FRONTIER+. Between May and June this year, SPF conducted one of the biggest anti-scam operations with six other jurisdictions under FRONTIER+, which led to the arrest of 1,800 persons and the recovery of more than $26 million.
Mr Hoe also asked if the Ministry publishes regular updates on the number of scammers caught and their penalties, for deterrence. SPF regularly publishes its enforcement efforts through press releases following key operations, and via the biannual Scams and Cybercrime Briefs. For example, in the Scams and Cybercrime Brief for the first half of 2025, the Police reported that more than 3,500 suspected money mules and scammers were investigated, of whom more than 500 were charged. The Police also arrested 93 persons and investigated another 119 persons for their suspected involvement in providing fraudulently registered SIM cards for monetary gain. The message is clear – if you enable scams, even indirectly, you will face the full force of the law.
Mr Yong asked if we could do more to prevent vulnerable individuals, such as youths, from becoming scam mules. The Government has been running many public education initiatives to educate youths about the consequences of facilitating scams. For example, MHA has worked with MOE to conduct school talks and insert anti-scam messaging into advisories, which are disseminated to students in primary and secondary schools, as well as Institutes of Higher Learning.
Mr Hoe asked if more could be done to support scam victims and encourage them to come forward and make reports. The Police have developed a resource guide on what victims should do and the community support that they can seek. The guide is available in all four official languages and has been delivered to all households, with online copies available on the SPF and ScamShield websites. Where necessary, the Police may also refer victims to a Victim Care Officer for psychological first aid and crisis intervention.
Mr Hoe also highlighted the need to build a resilient public, and suggested gamification and making scam quizzes more accessible. I thank Mr Hoe for raising these ideas, which my colleagues will look into. I agree with him that we should consider new and creative ways to get the message across. I hope businesses too will consider these ideas and proactively help shore up their employees' digital defence against online threats including scams.
Ms Lee also asked about the Government's efforts to monitor the effectiveness of anti-scam public education tools. SPF periodically commissions surveys on the outreach and engagement performance of the Government's scam education initiatives. A recent survey to measure the effectiveness of Singapore's \"I can ACT against scams\" campaign found that 89% of the respondents felt that the campaign messages were easy to understand, while 84% said that the campaign motivated them to adopt anti-scam protective measures.
Mr Yong also asked if the Government would consider introducing anti-ticketing scam laws to tackle concert ticket scams. I thank the Member for his concerns and passionate advocacy on this issue. Over the past year, MHA and the Police have worked with secondary resale platforms, like Carousell and Facebook Marketplace, to disallow listings of resale tickets for high-demand concerts. MHA is also working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to explore other measures to address concert ticket scams, including the establishment of authorised ticket resale platforms and consumer education campaigns. More details will be announced when ready.
Mr Cai Yinzhou highlighted that stiffer penalties alone will not be effective in dealing with the scams problem. Ms Sylvia Lim asked if the Government had considered other measures outside the criminal law to disrupt scam syndicates. I would like to assure the Members that introducing stiff penalties is not the only anti-scam measure that the Government employs. The Government adopts a whole-of-society approach to deal with scams, ranging from upstream measures to prevent scammers from approaching victims to the usage of technology to scale up disruption efforts. The Members may wish to refer to the Mid-Year Scams and Cybercrime brief published by the SPF for an overview of these measures.
Second, on the adequacy of the proposed penalties.
Mr Hoe asked if we relied on any benchmark in deciding the maximum number of strokes for scam-related offenders and if a ceiling of 12 strokes provides sufficient deterrence. In deciding the maximum number of strokes, the Ministry considered factors including the existing penalty regime for offences of a similar nature, such as unlicensed moneylending. We assess that 12 strokes is sufficient for now but will monitor the situation closely. The Courts will have discretion to decide the actual number of strokes, and will take into account the principle of proportionality that Mr Hoe talked about.
Mr Foo Cexiang asked if caning should be made mandatory for scam mules as well given that mules are essential to the scam enterprise. Mr Foo also asked if caning should be mandatory for scam-related offenders with a nexus to government official impersonation scams. Mr Xie Yao Quan suggested for the penalties for scams and scam-related offences to be increased and aligned with drug offences. I thank the Members for their suggestions and for their recognition of the severity of the problem. Scammers indeed rely heavily on the enablers provided by scam mules to deceive victims and profit from their scams. Dismantling this local ecosystem of enablers is essential to addressing the scams situation. Notwithstanding the need to deter scam mules, MHA recognises the need to be calibrated in our approach. In reality, scam mules have a range of culpability. Therefore, we have proposed for caning to be discretionary to allow the Courts to decide if the facts of the case warrant the application of caning. MHA will monitor the situation and adjust the penalties further if necessary.
Mr Fadli Fawzi and Mr Cai asked if leniency could be shown for mules who step forward as informants. An offender's degree of cooperation with the authorities and degree of remorse are already mitigating factors that the Courts may consider.
Mr Cai made the point that scam mules are often from vulnerable backgrounds and are incentivised to facilitate scams because of financial hardships. Perhaps, he has seen a recent The Straits Times article on crime gangs quoting an expert drawing connections between economic inequality and family-linked crime. The Government has many measures in place to uplift and support families and individuals in financial need. MHA's view on this matter, therefore, is that financial hardship cannot be used as a justification to facilitate or commit scams, or any crime for that matter. And as many Members have pointed out, scams are not victimless crimes. The victims can suffer permanent, irreparable harm, not just financial harm, but also severe psychological and in some cases, physical harm. To reduce such harm, we must be prepared to deter potential scam mules with sufficiently stiff penalties.
Third, Sir, on clarifications on the proposals.
Dr Wan Rizal asked if there would be sentencing guidance to clearly define the key roles in a scam to aid the Courts in distinguishing between the masterminds and low-level participants. Mr Yong asked if the sentencing guidelines would accord leniency for youths and those with intellectual disabilities. Today, the various scam-related offences already differentiate penalties based on the fault element. In general, the higher the level of culpability, the higher the maximum penalty for that offence. Where an offender has been charged for a particular offence, the legal burden will be on the Public Prosecutor to prove that all the elements of the offence, including the fault element, have been met. In sentencing, the Courts will consider all the facts and circumstances of the case, including mitigating factors, such as the offender's young age or intellectual capabilities. In August 2024, the inter-agency Sentencing Advisory Panel, chaired by Justice Tay Yong Kwang, issued sentencing guidelines for scams-related offences.
Dr Wan Rizal also asked if there was a checklist defining what counts as reasonable steps that an individual can take to ensure that an enabler would not be used to commit or to facilitate the commission of a scam. It would not be practical to provide an exhaustive checklist. It will be for the Courts to decide whether the steps taken, if any, meet the legal threshold, based on the totality of the facts and circumstances of the case. That said, all individuals should protect their Singpass credentials, payment accounts and SIM cards, and should not provide them to unknown individuals no matter what the unknown individuals claim they would be used for.
Mr Cai asked if the enhanced penalties can apply retrospectively to the 27 Singaporeans who are alleged to be part of the scam syndicate in Cambodia, if found guilty. The proposed penalties will apply prospectively. In other words, only those who commit offences after the enhanced criminal penalties come into force can be liable for them. This is provided for under the Constitution.
Mr Foo asked about the need to scope scam offences to deceit mainly by way of remote communication. A defining characteristic of scams is the substantial use of remote communications to reach and engage victims. Using remote communication allows scammers to significantly scale up their operations and frustrate law enforcement efforts by allowing them to reach victims without entering Singapore. They can, therefore, be far more insidious than traditional cheating cases and warrant the application of the enhanced penalties. We have been careful in the choice of words; in particular, we have chosen not to scope scam offences to deceit only by way of remote communication, as we cannot rule out the possibility of scammers making some form of physical outreach to victims as part of their modus operandi. Such scammers should not escape liability for caning because of this technicality. It will be for the Courts to decide whether each case meets the definition of scams as set out in law.
Ms Lim asked what led MHA to decide on tightening the penalties for scam and scam-related offences. MHA periodically reviews the adequacy of our criminal penalties. Specific to scams, MHA needed time to examine the deterrence effect of the new money laundering and Singpass offences that were operationalised in February 2024 and the new SIM card offences that were operationalised in January this year. We think there is strong public interest to tighten the penalties further now, and caning would be commensurate with the severity of the scam problem.
Mr Fadli suggested using recovered funds to finance scam victim restitution fund. As we stated in Parliament on 28 February 2025, we are studying various proposals, including the return of seized scam assets. However, there are significant difficulties with returning recovered assets through a restitution fund, and any such approach has to be carefully considered, as Mr Fadli himself has also pointed out.
Lastly, there were also some comments from Members that go beyond the scope of this Bill. Let me touch on these briefly.
Ms Lee raised the ongoing case involving Prince Holding Group. As this is beyond the scope of the Bill, I invite Ms Lee to file a separate Parliamentary Question with her detailed questions. But I will say that this case demonstrates the Police's ability to advance investigations against highly complex, large-scale transnational criminal networks. We will continue to work with our foreign law enforcement counterparts and financial intelligence units, as well as leverage domestic coordination platforms like the AC3N, which Mr Yong had earlier highlighted, to act against such organised crime groups and money laundering networks.
Ms Lim asked if the Extradition Act can be used in future to transfer suspects from foreign jurisdictions to Singapore and whether joint operations with foreign jurisdictions would occur more frequently. I invite Ms Sylvia Lim to file a separate Parliamentary Question on the usage of the Extradition Act as it goes beyond the scope of this Bill. But I would like to highlight that SPF regularly collaborates with their foreign counterparts to enforce against transnational criminal syndicates and in the first half of 2025, eight scam syndicates were dismantled through such joint collaboration. The syndicates must know that they cannot take refuge anywhere. The law will eventually catch up with them.
Mr Cai asked about the application of caning to offenders who are above 50 years old. And Ms Lee also suggested reviewing the maximum age limit for caning. The Government has previously explained that we do not intend to do so. First, the number of men above the age of 50 at the point of arrest for serious offences that attract the punishment of caning is significantly lower than that for men aged 50 years and younger. Second, an additional imprisonment term of up to 12 months can be imposed in lieu of caning.
Finally, on the amendments regarding young offenders. Mr Henry Kwek suggested the adoption of an age-sensitive charging approach for younger offenders. This is already the case today. Cases involving offenders below the age of 16 will generally continue to be heard in the Youth Court. The amended Children and Young Persons Act only provides that cases involving offenders aged 16 to below 18 may be transmitted to the State Court or High Court if they have committed serious or repeat offences. Even for such offenders, I would highlight that the prosecution retains discretion in deciding on the appropriate charge and whether to apply for these cases to be transmitted out of the Youth Court. In exercising this discretion, the Public Prosecutor will consider the full facts and circumstances of the case including the age of the offender.
Sir, the Government regularly reviews our criminal laws to ensure that they remain effective, fair and responsive to the changing environment. The proposed amendments enhance our efforts to maintain a safe and secure Singapore and I thank Members for their support. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker: Are there clarifications for the Senior Minister of State Ms Sylvia Lim?
Ms Sylvia Lim: Thank you, Sir. I have one clarification for the Senior Minister of State. Earlier she mentioned Operation FRONTIER+, which is supposed to be a cross-border collaboration across jurisdictions for joint intel sharing as well as joint ops. My question is that she mentioned there are 13 jurisdictions under the platform. For the recent joint operation with Cambodia in September which I mentioned in my speech, it was not mentioned that it is under FRONTIER+. So, does this mean that Cambodia has actually not signed on to FRONTIER+?
Ms Sim Ann: At the moment, Cambodia is not part of FRONTIER+. However, we have both plurilateral as well as bilateral means of engaging our counterparts. So, even as we expand networks with different jurisdictions, it also does not prevent us from working bilaterally with them.
Mr Speaker: Any other clarifications for the Senior Minister of State? None.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Ms Sim Ann]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.10 pm. Order. Order.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.52 pm until 4.10 pm.
Sitting resumed at 4.10 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
Mr Deputy Speaker: The Minister for Manpower.
The Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
Earlier this year, we passed the Workplace Fairness Bill. This was a significant milestone in our journey towards fair and merit-based workplaces. The new Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) is a landmark legislation that strengthens protections for jobseekers and employees against workplace discrimination. It complements the existing Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP), by:
First, prohibiting employers from making adverse employment decisions based on protected characteristics. These are: nationality; age; sex, marital status, pregnancy, caregiving responsibilities; race, religion and language ability; and disability and mental health conditions.
Second, it requires firms to have grievance handling processes to promote better communication and amicable resolution of workplace issues.
Third, increasing the range of calibrated enforcement levers to strongly deter against unfair employment practices.
As I had explained to this House when passing the Workplace Fairness Bill, we want to take a sure-footed and prudent approach, to maintain the hard-earned harmony we have today in our workplaces and society. This is why the WFA focuses on strengthening protections against the most encountered forms of discrimination, covering more than 95% of all the complaints received by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP).
We had extensive debates in this House over the scope of the law and how it meets the needs of various stakeholders. Ultimately, I am glad that the House was in unanimous agreement that the Workplace Fairness Bill passed in January is the right move to ensure that employees and jobseekers in Singapore continue to be assured of fair treatment in the workplace.
As mentioned in this House previously, the WFA will be introduced in two Bills. The first Bill covered the substantive rights and obligations under the WFA that I have just summarised, and the second Bill before us pertains to how individuals can make private claims under the Act. We have taken considerable time to work closely with our tripartite partners, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), as well as the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the Judiciary, on the multi-faceted processes involved. I would also like to thank the many stakeholders who gave feedback, ranging from human resources (HR) and legal professionals, to non-governmental organisations as well as members of the public. We have considered your views carefully, and the resulting dispute resolution process strikes a judicious balance between the needs of workers and employers.
Fundamentally, we aim to provide an amicable, accessible and expeditious dispute resolution process for parties in workplace discrimination claims, while preserving our workplace and social harmony. I will now cover how the Bill will: first, encourage parties to resolve disputes amicably amongst themselves, including through mediation; second, provide more workers with access to an affordable and expeditious forum to adjudicate workplace discrimination claims as a last resort; and third, include safeguards to deter and deal with frivolous claims, so as to ensure a fair and just adjudication process.
Finally, I will also cover how we will support stakeholders in understanding and implementing this new law.
Let me begin first by taking Members through the dispute resolution process, which we have designed to bring about amicable resolution of workplace discrimination claims. Parties are encouraged to resolve disputes amongst themselves, through the firm's internal grievance handling process. If that is unsuccessful, the individual must attempt mediation, with adjudication only as a last resort.
The first Bill passed in January introduced the requirement for all firms to put in place a grievance handling process for workplace discrimination. This allows employees and employers to settle their differences amicably while preserving the employment relationship.
Notwithstanding this, we are mindful that not every instance of grievance handling within the firm will be successful. The next step in the dispute resolution process is for parties to attempt mediation. The new section 36D of the Act sets out the requirement that claimants must attempt mediation before they can bring a claim to adjudication in the Court. Mediation allows parties to have open conversations in a safe space to arrive at a mutually agreeable outcome, tailored to their respective needs.
We have heard feedback that workplace discrimination cases could involve complicated situations that are not as straightforward. So, the mediator managing such disputes would need to be well-trained to facilitate the process sensitively. We agree with the feedback, and I want to assure Members that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will do its utmost to build up the capabilities of our mediators so that they have the requisite skillsets to mediate workplace discrimination disputes fairly and professionally.
We have already started the work to uplift the capabilities of mediators at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) to prepare for the WFA. Today, TADM mediators handle a range of employment disputes up to $30,000. We will further strengthen the capabilities of TADM mediators so that they will have the skillsets and the competencies to navigate workplace discrimination claims when the Act comes into force. This includes customised training programmes to equip them with varied mediation approaches to deal with complex workplace discrimination disputes; and coverage of inclusivity and sensitivity training to better serve a range of individuals, including persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions.
We will also appoint other mediation service providers such as the Singapore Mediation Centre to mediate higher value claims above $30,000. We will set more stringent requirements on mediators for higher value claims, including possessing legal qualifications or having relevant experience mediating employment disputes. These measures I believe are crucial so that the mediation process is robust and effectively resolves disputes.
Finally, the option of last resort. If parties are still unable to come to a resolution amongst themselves after mediation, an individual can commence a workplace discrimination claim at the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) or the High Court, as stipulated in the new section 36A.
Let me now set out how we have designed the adjudication of workplace discrimination claims. We want to avoid workers and employers being embroiled in lengthy litigation, often associated with high legal costs for both sides. We have therefore designated the ECT to be the main forum to hear workplace discrimination claims. This provides more workers with access to an affordable and expeditious dispute resolution forum to seek redress.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the benefit of Members who may be unfamiliar, let me elaborate on how the ECT works. The ECT was established in 2017 to hear employment claims up to a claim value of $30,000. It adopts a judge-led approach with simplified rules and procedures, and legal representation is not allowed. Parties should find it easier to navigate the ECT's simplified process with the Judge's proactive approach, compared to the process in the Civil Courts that is governed by formal procedural rules and where parties have to take the lead in proceedings. Without the need for lawyers in the ECT, the ECT itself is also more accessible to individuals who might otherwise be unable to pursue legitimate claims due to financial constraints.
With these unique features, the ECT provides a more affordable, expeditious and easier-to-navigate alternative to the Civil Courts. For instance, most cases at the ECT are resolved within six months, while employment-related cases in the State Courts are resolved within 18 months, about three times more.
Let me explain what the claims process looks like in practice. Judges will actively lead the proceedings by directing parties to speak, asking questions to gather relevant facts, and making it clear when issues raised by parties are out of line and irrelevant. After each party has presented their case, the judge will consider all the facts and relevant evidence given by the parties before making the judgment. Overall, this is a far more outcome-oriented and expeditious process.
To make the ECT's affordable and expeditious adjudication process accessible to more workers, we will expand the ECT's jurisdiction to hear workplace discrimination claims up to and including $250,000. This mirrors the limit for civil claims heard at the District Courts.
The expansion of the ECT's monetary jurisdiction does not mean that we expect workplace discrimination claims to be of higher value than other employment claims today. Instead, the intent is to allow for the vast majority of workplace discrimination claims to be heard in the ECT. The higher limit ensures that the majority of workers, including professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) who earn higher salaries, can access the ECT's more affordable and expeditious process for workplace discrimination claims.
The higher claims limit will only apply to workplace fairness disputes and not other types of employment claims, such as salary-related claims and wrongful dismissal. Workplace discrimination issues are inherently sensitive and can be socially divisive, especially when they concern matters such as race and religion. Designating the ECT as the main forum to hear workplace discrimination disputes will provide a less adversarial setting for such claims to be resolved, preserving our workplace and social harmony.
While we have strived to make the dispute resolution process accessible, we recognise that some parties may still require guidance through the process. I would like to assure our workers and employers that additional support is available for parties who may need it.
First and foremost, TAFEP remains the first port of call for workers and employers who need advice and assistance on workplace discrimination. For instance, TAFEP can guide claimants on the criteria for a WFA claim, direct them to the relevant guides and resources, and outline their options for them.
In addition to TAFEP's advice, unions can also help their members – both workers and employers. Union representatives can represent parties at mediation sessions and ECT hearings.
Workers may be represented by their union per the status quo for ECT proceedings today. Unionised companies can now also be represented by their unions such as SNEF, for claims between $30,000 and $250,000, and if the worker filing the claim can also be represented. So, in other words, the union for the employers can represent them if it is above $30,000, up to $250,000, but only if the worker filing the claim can be represented. This is a new feature for employers, who currently cannot be represented by their unions in the ECT, as they may need support for higher value claims.
I have outlined how claims up to and including $250,000 will be managed at the ECT. For higher value claims above $250,000, these are better heard by senior judges on the High Court bench, with legal representation. This is also the case for other types of high-value employment claims today. I do not expect many workplace discrimination claims to be commenced in the High Court.
Given the inherently sensitive nature of workplace discrimination disputes, all workplace discrimination claims, whether in the ECT or the High Court, will be heard in private. This means that the media or members of the public cannot attend the hearings. Private forums create a safe environment where parties can share their honest views and focus on the ongoing case, without third parties present who may publicly misrepresent and sensationalise issues, resulting in inflamed social tensions. This protects the reputations of both the workers as well as the employers.
Finally, the new section 36E also sets out specific time bars or specified time bars within which individuals must submit the mediation request to initiate their claim. These time limits typically vary from one to 12 months depending on the claimant's circumstances. Time bars encourage individuals to come forward earlier before the evidence degrades over time and it also provides our employers with some certainty that incidents from the past will not be dredged up years later. We believe this is a balanced approach as it is practised for other employment disputes and in other jurisdictions as well.
Let me move on to the third part of my speech, which covers the safeguards to ensure a fair and just adjudication process. In our public engagements, we heard a concern, particularly from employers and HR professionals, about the risk of frivolous and vexatious claims and of unreasonable inflation of claim values. Let me take some time to address these concerns.
To be clear, individuals with genuine cases of workplace discrimination should be able to seek redress. However, frivolous and vexatious claims weaken our workplace harmony and employers should not be burdened by such claims.
Employers will be able to apply to the judge for frivolous claims to be struck out. Judges will also be empowered to strike out claims on their own motion and can award costs against an individual who pursues a claim that is without merit. In addition, individuals filing such claims can be investigated by the Police for abusing the Court's processes. If they persist in raising unmeritorious claims, they can be restricted from commencing further legal proceedings.
We also heard feedback that with the increase in the ECT's jurisdiction, there is a risk of claim amounts not being pegged appropriately. Workers may not know how to go about justifying their claim amounts and employers may be concerned about unnecessary inflation of claim values. MOM will work with tripartite partners to explore ways to address this in the implementation. Claimants will still need to prove their losses to justify the damages claimed; and judges will also make a fair and balanced assessment of the reasonableness of the claim amount.
Let me move to the final issue – which is the implementation of the WFA. When we moved the Workplace Fairness Bill in January this year, I had at the time said that the Act was expected to come into force in 2026 or 2027. We have considered and we have heard feedback from various stakeholders.
MOM recognises that ample preparation is critical for successful implementation. Employers need to review their HR processes and workers need to know their protections and what constitutes a legitimate discrimination claim. We will also need time to ensure our mediators are well trained to effectively facilitate workplace discrimination cases. As such, we currently target to implement the Act in end-2027, but we will continue to monitor readiness of all parties and adjust this timeline as necessary.
In the meantime, we will step up our education and outreach efforts. TAFEP is working closely with partners, such as SNEF, the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP), the Singapore Human Resources Institute, and trade associations and chambers, such as the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, to educate employers on the new legislation. TAFEP will also proactively reach out to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities.
In addition, TAFEP is also designing step-by-step guides and templates that SMEs can easily access, understand and customise for their needs. There are also resources, such as briefings, clinics, a webpage housing information on fair employment practices and HR e-learning modules that companies can incorporate into their own in-house corporate training, just to name a few.
It is just as important that individuals are also aware of their rights and where to seek help. So, we will provide guidance to jobseekers and employees on what matters can be raised as a workplace discrimination claim. This includes ensuring individuals know where to turn to for help, for instance, within their firm, their unions or to TAFEP. To make the Act simple to understand and apply, we will also develop a handbook to capture the legal provisions and key principles behind the law, for instance, through illustrations and case studies. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] This Second Bill is an important step in implementing the Workplace Fairness Act (WFA). It outlines how disputes between employers and workers should be resolved fairly.
Our goal is to create a fairer and more harmonious workplace, maintaining trust between employers and workers while also safeguarding the interests of both. We encourage all parties to resolve their disputes internally, then seek third-party mediation if necessary, with adjudication as the last resort.
We have also designated the ECT to be the main forum for workplace discrimination disputes and increased the claim limits to allow more workers, including PMEs, to benefit from the ECT.
At the same time, we will put in place multiple safeguards to prevent frivolous claims and to ensure the process is fair to law-abiding employers.
MOM, together with TAFEP, SNEF and NTUC, will help to prepare the employers and workers for the WFA's implementation at the end of 2027.
(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a landmark Bill. Please also allow me to say a few words in Malay. Please forgive my pronunciation if I get it wrong, but it is very, very important.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] This Second Bill sets out the process for workers who faced discrimination to seek redress from employers. The process encourages employers and workers to resolve disputes among themselves, which helps keep our workplaces harmonious.
An employee should first go through the firm's own grievance handling process, and failing which, both parties should attempt mediation. Adjudication at the ECT or the High Court should be a last resort.
We want to provide more workers with access to a forum that is affordable and that can expeditiously resolves their claims. This is why we are increasing the limit at the ECT for workplace discrimination claims.\tWe also put in place safeguards to deter and deal with frivolous claims.
(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Workplace Fairness Act, as I have shared in the past Bill is not a panacea to resolving workplace discrimination. Notwithstanding, this is a significant step in our ongoing journey towards fairer and more harmonious workplaces.
There is no room for discrimination in our workplaces. When such cases unfortunately arise, we want the parties involved to be equipped with the necessary tools and resources which will then allow them to resolve the issue amicably and expeditiously. The model that we have carefully designed enables workplace discrimination issues to be discussed and to be resolved quickly while ensuring just outcomes. In doing so, we aim to preserve, reinforce and improve all of our existing norms on fair and harmonious workplaces for all. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Ng Chee Meng.
Mr Ng Chee Meng (Jalan Kayu): Mr Deputy Speaker, I stand in support of the Bill. And I declare my interest as the Secretary-General of the NTUC.
At NTUC, we believe that every worker deserves a fair chance to succeed. Fairness must rest on skills, performance and potential, and not on personal traits that have no bearing on a person's ability to do a job. That is why NTUC has long championed for stronger, clearer and more enforceable protections against workplace discrimination for all workers, including our PMEs who have told us that they want greater assurance of fair and equal opportunity.
For instance, in 2020 to 2021, as part of the SNEF-NTUC PME Taskforce, we spoke with over 10,000 PMEs, employers and stakeholders. We heard many stories of workers, especially our mature PMEs over 40, about being passed over due to their age or nationality. After a while, they doubted their own value, and this chipped away their confidence.
I am heartened that through NTUC and our tripartite partners' efforts over the many years, the Workplace Fairness Act was passed in January to strengthen protection against the most common forms of discrimination faced by our workers.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill today, which represents a significant step forward in ensuring that workers can seek redress when they suffer discrimination.
For the first time, workers who face discrimination – whether in hiring, promotion or dismissal – will be able to obtain individual recourse, including compensation for losses suffered. For workers, including PMEs, the process must be fair, accessible and expeditious, while preserving the trust and harmony between workers and employers.
That is why NTUC supports the mediation-first, judge-led approach to resolving workplace fairness disputes under this Bill. A mediation-first process opens the space for workers and employers to understand each other's perspectives and fully explore the possibilities for amicable settlement at the earliest possible stage.
The ECT's judge-led approach will help workers to navigate the claims process, without the need for costly legal representation, which often places the workers at a disadvantaged position vis-à-vis employers. This claims process has worked well for other employment claims, such as salary and wrongful dismissal. And according to MOM's 2024 Employment Standards Report, more than 80% of employment claims were resolved at TADM within two months, with more than 90% of claimants fully recovering their salaries and payments at TADM and the ECT. In other words, many workers, including PMEs whose claims are not likely to exceed $250,000, will have access to a tried and tested process to resolve workplace fairness claims fairly and quickly without the need to incur legal costs.
This is therefore not only about giving each worker fair recourse, but it is also a clear and trusted system that encourages employers to reflect on their own practices and uphold fairness at every stage of employment. When workers know that they can raise issues safely and employers know what fairness requires, workplace culture improves for all.
At the end of the day, all of us want a fairer Singapore, where workers are valued for their skills and contributions, not penalised for traits that have nothing to do with their workplace performance.
Mr Deputy Speaker, even within a fair system, many workers may still feel anxious about facing this process alone. It can be daunting. Laws are complex. And while firms are required to have fair grievance handling processes, workers want that assurance that they will be treated fairly and protected against retaliation.
So, if you are a union member, you would not have to face this alone. NTUC and our unions are here to guide you every step of the way – from the moment a dispute arises, through mediation and if needed, all the way to the ECT.
For many years, unions have been quietly supporting our workers, drawing on deep industrial relations experience and established relationships with employers. Around 95% of workplace disputes surfaced to NTUC-affiliated unions are resolved at the company level, avoiding the need for further escalation.
I am glad that the Bill recognises and affirms the vital roles played by our unions. And with the ECT claims limit being raised to $250,000 for workplace fairness claims, our unions now can support and represent even more members, including more of the PMEs.
Like MOM, NTUC is also stepping up training for our union and NTUC officers. NTUC's Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute is working with TAFEP on courses for our union leaders and industrial relations officers to equip them to handle workplace fairness claims. We are also actively exploring mediation training provided by the Singapore Mediation Centre for our union leaders and industrial relations officers. In addition, we will be looking at how to provide legal support for complex cases. For NTUC members in non-unionised companies, our staff team of industrial relations experts and Tripartite Mediation Advisors at NTUC stand ready to support and advise you on any claims.
Mr Speaker, Sir, this is a new piece of legislation, and ground awareness and understanding among workers and employers are key. I am glad to hear the Minister's speech about how Government with tripartite partners will plan to see how we can help workers and employers navigate this process. I had wanted to ask that question, but thanks to Minister Tan See Leng's speech, I have clarity that tripartite partners will follow through with the implementation and up our game in supporting a fair resolution of any disputes.
But I do have a couple of questions that I would pose to the Minister.
For workers, I know that the time limits to file claims – while broadly in line with the time-bars for other employment claims today – still can be quite tight. Workers have one month, six months, and one month respectively to file claims for pre-, in- and end-employment claims.
Could the Government consider a little bit more flexibility in exceptional cases – for example, if a worker did not reasonably know that they were being discriminated against, the ground can be very uneven, and some of our workers may not have access even to the English language, and may face many difficulties in understanding that they have been discriminated against, so it will be appreciated if the Government can consider a little bit of flexibility in such exceptional cases.
Finally, as workplaces evolve, new challenges will emerge. AI-based hiring tools could be used for efficiency, but could also unintentionally favour certain groups over others. I hope that together with tripartite partners, we can study how to ensure that such AI systems are fairly used, transparent and accountable – so that technology helps workers, rather than hinder them. Mr Deputy Speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] NTUC firmly believes that every worker, regardless of age or background, should have fair opportunities for success based on their skills, performance and potential.
This Bill represents an important step forward for us and affirms the crucial role of trade unions in promoting workplace fairness.
Our unions have consistently provided quiet assistance to workers facing discrimination. Approximately 95% of workplace dispute cases are resolved at the enterprise level with union assistance.
With the amendments to this Bill, our unions will be able to help and represent more workers – including Professionals, Managers, and Executives (PMEs) – providing them with a fair and viable avenue for grievances.
NTUC and our unions will continue to stand together with workers, providing them with guidance, advice and support when facing challenges.
We also encourage employers to use this opportunity to thoroughly review their company culture and human resource practices, ensuring that fairness and meritocracy are not merely slogans on the wall, but genuinely implemented principles.
We will also work hand in hand with our tripartite partners to collectively build a workplace environment where every worker is valued, respected and has opportunities for growth.
(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have come a long way in strengthening protection against workplace discrimination. NTUC and our unions are heartened by the progress made, together with our tripartite partners through the Workplace Fairness Act. But laws alone cannot create fairness. There is still work to be done to shift mindsets, raise HR standards and nurture strong labour-management cooperation, so that fairness becomes part of our workplace culture.
NTUC and our unions will keep working steadfastly with employers and Government to make fairness a lived reality – where every worker is valued for their contribution, treated with dignity and given a fair chance to progress. Because Every Worker Matters. Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Mr Deputy Speaker, earlier this year, I spoke during the debate on the introduction of the Workplace Fairness Bill, where together with my fellow Workers' Party (WP) Members of Parliament (MPs), we raised several proposals to strengthen the Bill, such as prohibiting indirect discrimination, plugging the gaps in terms of characteristics which are not currently protected and legislating the right to request for reasonable accommodations, amongst others.
I emphasised then that while the Bill was both timely and necessary, it also posed significant questions: whether the scope of protection is adequate, whether access to justice will be meaningful, and whether the reality of power asymmetries in the employment relationship will be sufficiently addressed.
Today, we turn our attention to the second Bill on this matter, covering dispute resolution. An inclusive and just society demands robust protections against discrimination, not just regulatory compliance. I will address five linked themes: first, a review of claim limits across legislation; second, access to the claims process; third, evidential burden and power imbalance; fourth, transparency and information availability; and fifth, reconsidering the time bars.
Under the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill, which sets out the grievance-handling process for workplace discrimination claims, parties involved in a workplace discrimination claim must first undergo mediation. If a settlement agreement is not reached, the case would be adjudicated at either the ECT for claims up to and inclusive of $250,000, or the High Court for amounts beyond that.
On a tangential point about the claim limits for cases heard before the ECT, the $250,000 benchmark far exceeds the claim limits for salary and wrongful dismissal claims which are $20,000 and $30,000 respectively, depending on whether one attends union-facilitated mediation.
Often, discriminatory practices, salary disputes and wrongful dismissal claims are intertwined and point towards poor workplace culture and hiring practices. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the call made in 2016 by WP MPs during the debate on the Employment Claims Bill, for the claim limits for salary and wrongful dismissal claims heard before the ECT to be reviewed and raised, which is all the more pertinent today, given that the claim limits under the ECT are now raised to $250,000 for discrimination.
Next, on ensuring access to the claims process. The claims process must be accessible to the worker who is already disadvantaged compared to the employer, be it economically or in terms of information and other resources. Many workers with protected characteristics may not have the resources to engage in proceedings that they are unfamiliar with, to gather extensive documentary evidence or to take time off work to pursue claims, given the significant opportunity costs involved.
It is shocking, yet telling, that according to the MOM's Fair Employment Practices Report for 2023, 70.7%, a significant majority of respondents who reported having experienced discrimination at work, did not seek help.
Employers are now required to establish an internal grievance process for discrimination claims, and these serve to resolve issues at the ground level and preserve working relationships where possible. Should these efforts be unsuccessful, parties must attend mediation; currently a mandatory step before adjudication.
The heavy emphasis on mediation for dispute resolution, according to the Tripartite Committee's report, is aimed at preserving workplace harmony and maintaining a non-litigious workplace culture. MOM's 2024 Employment Standards Report does suggest its effectiveness in resolving employment disputes, with over 80% of all employment claims that make it to the TADM resolved through mediation.
However, I am concerned that all is not as it seems. Despite the report highlighting that 94% of employees who lodged salary claims fully recovered their salaries via the TADM and ECT, the fine print also states that the amount agreed between the involved parties during mediation is also considered as the full salary payable, even though this agreement might be reached due to compromise on the part of the claimant, thus resulting in them settling for less on the worry that \"something is better than nothing\".
Further, concerns remain about mandatory mediation, especially after employment termination. Mediation works best when both parties participate in good faith, but claimants may be unwilling or unable to further engage, especially after experiencing psychological distress or toxic environments.
Although the Tripartite Committee's report recommended compulsory mediation for both parties prior to the adjudication stage, it also acknowledged that workplace discrimination cases could be challenging to mediate. This observation is echoed by the Association of Women for Action and Research's (AWARE's) position paper on Discrimination in the Workplace, which highlights that where the claimant suspects that they had been discriminated against, they would prefer seeking redress via adjudication over mediation as they do not wish to settle the matter.
Will the Government reconsider its position or leave the door open on mandatory mediation in future, at least for acute or egregious claims, empowering victims to opt for adjudication instead, if they so choose? In such cases, the ECT may still retain the option to direct the parties for mediation first, if it believes it to be appropriate, or accept the case and hear the case directly.
My third theme is on the evidential burden. In employment discrimination claims, the power lies almost invariably with the employer who controls data, documents, HR decisions, appraisals, records, future opportunities, while the employee may have very limited evidence. This structural imbalance demands that the law provide a fairer evidential structure.
Recommendation 15 of the Tripartite Committee's report notes that when lodging a workplace discrimination claim, the claimant should provide prima facie evidence such as emails, mobile phone messages or signed oral testimonies to support their case that discrimination has occurred. Can the Minister clarify the burden of proof and what would constitute sufficient evidence at the ECT, should a claimant wish to file a claim?
It is often difficult to prove that an employer's adverse employment decision is due to discrimination on the basis of one's protected characteristic. Moreover, Singapore's employment laws do not require any reason to be furnished when terminating the services of an employee. Meanwhile, some errant employers may deploy Performance Improvement Plans as a formality despite already being intent on terminating an employee's services. These actions might obfuscate discrimination beneath a veneer of legitimacy, thus making it harder for claimants to prove their case.
The Disabled Persons Association of Singapore put forth that a victim should be required only to establish a prima facie case by adducing facts from which it may be presumed that the employer had discriminated against them. The burden should then shift to the employer to prove that it did not commit the alleged prohibited action.
As I have shared in my speech earlier this year, the point about circumstantial evidence is an important one, given the colossal task faced by employees in proving discrimination. It is not easy to detect workplace discrimination as employers would attempt to hide it. For example, employers would not indicate in black and white that an employee is being terminated due to their age. But rather, the employee would perhaps hear it via word-of-mouth from a fellow colleague. In fact, they might even hear it directly from their line managers, but have no concrete recording of it, allowing him or her to subsequently deny having said such a thing at all. It would further add insult to injury if the employee were compelled to resign on his or her own accord, at least on paper, when he or she is compelled to do so given the discriminatory workplace environment. Hence, the employee would most likely have, at best, indirect or circumstantial evidence of any wrongdoing by the employer in such cases.
The establishment of a framework for the handling of indirect evidence would be helpful for workers who might be afraid of seeking redress as they feel that they lack substantial evidence.
The fourth theme I wish to touch on is transparency and information availability. While I respect the Government's emphasis on workplace harmony and confidentiality to safeguard all parties involved, secrecy may also undermine public confidence.
One of the requirements regarding workplace discrimination claims is that the claims will be heard in a private setting. According to MOM, this provides a private forum for all the parties involved to air their views freely without \"worrying that third parties may misrepresent or sensationalise issues in the public domain\".
However, Court judgments provide an important reference point for prospective claimants to understand from precedent whether their own case holds water. Moreover, it also educates the general public on the types of behaviour that would be unacceptable under these regulations and provides employers with an opportunity to review their own policies and processes.
In a reply to a Parliamentary Question raised earlier this year by my Sengkang group representation constituency (GRC) colleague Ms He Ting Ru, the Manpower Minister shared that starting from the second half of 2026, the Judiciary would publish selected ECT judgments, while judgments would continue to be made available to individuals upon request and with the Courts' approval. Furthermore, ECT judgments are not subject to a gag order as well.
For High Court judgments, while section 36O of the Bill calls for all proceedings held in the High Court under the Workplace Fairness Act to be conducted in private, section 45 of the Bill empowers the General Division of the High Court or the Registrar of the Supreme Court to publish information regarding a judgment pertaining to the Act.
In the interest of open justice, I hope that the Government will publish all ECT and High Court judgments pertaining to workplace discrimination cases by default on an anonymised basis. This would help enrich the public's understanding of workplace discrimination, while factoring in the need for confidentiality.
Additionally, revealing the company names that are charged under this Bill, as mentioned by Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, would help educate employers and the general public about discriminatory workplace practices, whilst sending a strong signal that this is a matter that should be taken seriously.
Finally, I recognise MOM's rationale on having time bars to encourage individuals to come forward in a timely manner before evidence degrades while providing employers with some certainty that incidents will not be dredged up. The limit is one month after the date of notice for pre-employment, six months after the date of notice for in-employment and one month after the last day of employment for end-employment claims. However, for pre- and post- employment claims, the claimant would also be busy with the job search process, thus leaving them with very little time, energy or mind space to build their case. Hence, would the Government clarify how it determined the duration of the time bars and would they consider extending them, especially for pre- and post- employment cases, in the interest of our workers?
To round up, Mr Deputy Speaker, in my speech I have sought to emphasise five critical themes: the need to review claim limits for salary and wrongful dismissal alongside the new $250,000 cap for discrimination; ensuring access to the claims process for workers who are already disadvantaged; clarifying the evidential burden and establishing protections against the structural power imbalance that favours employers; strengthening transparency through publication of anonymised judgments and company names; and reconsidering time bars that may otherwise exclude workers still navigating job transitions.
The Workplace Fairness Bill represents meaningful progress. Yet, an inclusive and just society demands that we do not rest on our laurels but to constantly ensure that dispute resolution mechanisms serve workers fairly and that our laws reflect not merely regulatory compliance but a genuine commitment by all to worker protection. I hope the Government can remain open to the refinements posed in my speech as well as those of other colleagues as we work towards a fairer and more equitable employment landscape.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill. This Bill builds upon the Workplace Fairness Act passed in January this year, a milestone that made workplace discrimination unlawful in Singapore. Today's Bill at the second pillar, it sets out how fairness is to be applied and resolved. It establishes a clear and compassionate process that encourages internal resolution first, followed by mediation and if necessary adjudication at the employment claims tribunals or at the High Court. Protection and due process now go hand-in-hand, empowering workers to seek redress safely, swiftly and without fear.
Mr Deputy Speaker, fairness at work is not a slogan. For many workers, especially women, caregivers and those in lower-wage roles, it is deeply personal. The Act's protected characteristics, including sex, marital status, pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities matter to real people. I thank the Government and MOM for taking this brave step to give substance and clarity to workers hopes for dignity, respect and protection in the workplace.
Our women workers have written and spoken to me, sharing that even today, bias still shadows their careers. One woman was asked during an interview, whether she planned to start a family, a question that had nothing to do with the job. Another, a manager, found her duties reduced when she returned from maternity leave, and a daughter, who took time off to care for her elderly parent told me her performance appraisal never recovered after she returned.
These stories show why the Workplace Fairness Act is necessary. They send a clear message that no workers should face adverse treatment because of gender, age, or family responsibilities and the law now stands behind them. Yet, Mr Deputy Speaker, while fairness is a noble aspiration, it must be translated into a language and action to mean something for our people. We must empower our workers to name what feels unjust and to stand up for what is right, especially those who may not yet have the words, knowledge or confidence to do so.
Indeed, the quiet feelings I mentioned, the uneasy thought that one's family plans might have cost a job offer, the sense of being sidelined after having a baby, or the discouragement of seeing targets met but promotions withheld are all very real experiences. The question is: how do workers give words to these feelings and how do they know when an act of bias becomes true discrimination?
Between 2024 and the first half of 2025, of over 3,000 individual workplace grievances recorded by the Labour Movement, around 40 involved pregnancy, discrimination, or harassment. Each number represents a worker who found the courage to speak up and perhaps many more who still remain silent. One resident from Punggol told me this: \"Ms Yeo, my boss said he wanted younger people, fresh faces. I never complain. I do not know how to write and I do not want to cause any trouble.\"
Mr Deputy Speaker, these are not isolated cases. They are common experiences of silence of quiet resignation. And that is why it is critical that this Bill requires employers to establish proper grievance handling systems and to protect employees from retaliation when they raise concerns. For the less resource and less articulate, this provides not just a process, but a safe channel to be heard. I appreciate that by requiring mediation first and limiting formal legal representation, the Bill levels the playing field. It prevents David versus Goliath situations where legal resources might otherwise determine the outcome. Still, many workers may not know how to use these rights. They may not know how to file a grievance, record evidence or represent themselves before a tribunal and that is where the Labour Movement and now unions, play a vital role.
Unions help workers frame their cases clearly, mediate early before conflicts escalate and provide protection against power imbalances. Allow me to share Kelly's story. This is not her real name, but it is a real person. She is a resident and by Punggol constituency and an NTUC union member. Kelly had just signed an offer for a full-time job when she discovered that she was pregnant. Out of integrity, she informed her future employer about this. She was told that the offer will change to a two-month contract or made part-time instead.
Kelly felt something was wrong but could not quite put it into words. When she sought NTUC's help, we discovered the employer had attempted to avoid maternity benefits, unaware that part-time employees are equally entitled after three months of service. With union support, Kelly left the arrangement without penalty and later found meaningful work as an educarer near her home in Punggol. Had this Bill been in place, Kelly would have sought further redress for pre-employment discrimination under this law. Mr Deputy speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] This Bill is particularly important for ordinary workers. When many workers face unfair treatment at work, it is not that they do not dare to speak up, but rather they do not know how to articulate their concerns or whom to approach for help.
This is precisely why the role of unions becomes even more critical. Unions can help workers transform that vague feeling that \"something does not seem quite right\" into concrete facts and clear language, making their concerns more articulate and well-reasoned. Unions can also teach workers how to document evidence and how to express themselves during grievance and mediation processes.
Through this Bill, workers' voices will carry more weight, and the channels for raising grievances will be safer and clearer. When workers know how to express themselves and understand how to exercise the rights that this Bill grants them, fairness will no longer remain merely words on paper, but will become genuine protection that they can truly feel and experience.
(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, in English. For union members and unionised workplaces, the presence of union leaders and industrial relations officers gives workers courage to come forward and gives employers confidence that matters will be handled fairly and privately. But not every worker is unionised. For those in between jobs, new to the workforce, or unaware of available help, we must strengthen this ecosystem of representation. And we might look towards having a longer time bar so that our people would be able to get more advice. Through union, branches, tripartite committees, community access to legal clinics and education efforts, we must ensure that every worker, regardless of background or literacy has access to justice at work. I call on the Government to continue to build resources, formal and formal with the tripartite to support our workers through the grievance process.
Mr Deputy Speaker, every worker deserves to work in an environment free from discrimination and unfair practices. But I recognise that implementing new requirements can be challenging for smaller companies especially those without HR teams or resources. Many SME owners have shared with me their concerns that this Bill could open them to frivolous or vexatious complaints, but they remain deeply committed to fairness.
Our SME owners run lean operations, treat staff like family and work side-by-side with their teams. For such employers, an unfounded accusation can cause distress, not just financially, but personally. I therefore welcome the safeguards in this Bill requiring credible evidence from formal investigation, encouraging early mediation and ensuring confidentiality in proceedings. These mechanisms protect both workers and employers, deterring bad faith claims while preserving trust.
However, SME resourcing remains a challenge. In a 2022 survey by the NTUC Women and Family team, and the PAP Women's Wing of 3,000 respondents, just one in three shared that their companies have communicated policies against workplace discrimination and these were more likely to be respondents who worked in companies with more than 200 employees.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I believe that most SMEs want to do right. They simply need the tools to do so. We can support them through HR advisory clinics, templates for fair employment practices and accessible training on inclusive leadership. Compliance should not feel like a burden and it must not add to already increasing business costs. It should be seen as a good business practice and a high ground for companies to attract and retain a quality workforce. And that is why the NTUC's SME Partners, and Women and Family units have been working with SMEs to build capability and promote gender inclusive workplaces. Today, over 2,000 SMEs in our Labour Movement network have already committed to providing fair, progressive and safe workplaces.
Initiatives like the NTUC Better Workplace Programme, which supports wellness and breastfeeding lactation spaces show that fairness can be lived out in everyday ways. I hope that the Government will continue to provide templates, training and resources to help our SMEs operationalise fairness and to recognise firms that adopt these practices early. Again, fairness should not be a compliance burden, it should be a shared standard that uplifts both workers and businesses. Ultimately, fairness benefits everyone. Employers gain loyal and productive teams. Workers feel respected and motivated, and our Singapore society, grows even more cohesive. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Muhaimin Malik.
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik (Sengkang): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill before this House seeks to establish crucial mechanisms for individuals to seek recourse against workplace discrimination. This Bill, together with the Workplace Fairness Act passed on 8 January 2025, represents a significant step forward in protecting Singapore's workers. However, I wish to raise several important questions and concerns regarding the implementation of this dispute resolution framework.
Firstly, on the matter of representation at mediation. Section 36(i) provides that individuals may be represented by persons prescribed under the regulations made under section 44. I seek clarification on whether these regulations will mirror the First Schedule of the Employment Claims Regulations 2017. Under the current framework, trade union members face restrictions. They cannot be represented during settlement discussions and executive employees have even narrower representation rights. While I understand the intent to facilitate direct communication during mediation, we must ask: are these restrictions appropriate for discrimination cases which often involve complex power dynamics and emotional distress?
Moreover, I am even more concerned about vulnerable workers who are not trade union members. What support will be available to them? Will pro bono channels be expanded to ensure all parties can access legal advice about their rights under the WFA? Additionally, the current regulations only mandate parental representation for those below 18 years of age. I urge the Ministry to consider extending support to young workers who have just entered the workforce. Fresh graduates who may be experiencing discrimination but lack the knowledge, resources or union membership to navigate the system effectively, particularly those with less than five years of full-time permanent employment.
My second point concerns the discretion to extend the time limits under section 36E(4). The Bill stipulates that dismissed employees must file for mediation within one month of their last day of employment with special provisions for pregnant employees.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I have encountered residents during my meet-the-people sessions (MPS) who, having just lost their jobs, were overwhelmed by distress, mental health challenges and/or the urgent need to support their families. In such circumstances, one month passes quickly, and by the time they seek help, the deadline has expired.
Section 36F(1A) allows the Commissioner to accept late request if there is a reasonable excuse. However, this term requires greater clarity. I ask the Minister what constitutes a reasonable excuse. Will the Commissioner adopt the broader, just and equitable approach found in the United Kingdom's (UK's) Equality Act 2010, which the Employment Appeals Tribunal has interpreted as requiring a wide discretion based on the factual matrix.
According to a Parliamentary reply by Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon in 2022, approximately 6% of wrongful dismissal claims filed with TADM each year exceeded the time limit. TADM still assisted parties willing to set settle amicably. I would like to know: is this proportion still accurate? How many of such cases actually achieved settlement, and critically in 2024 and 2025, how many appeals for time extensions were filed and how many were granted? These statistics will help us understand whether the current framework adequately serves workers who may need additional time due to genuine hardship.
My third point addresses the implementation of grievance handling processes. Section 36D(2) requires that mediation requests follow internal grievance handling, which section 27 of the WFA mandates employers to establish. While tripartite standards and implementation guides exist, I ask how many TADM claims involve employers who lacked proper grievance handling processes. This data is essential to access compliance and effectiveness.
More importantly, have HR professionals in affected companies receive adequate training on these processes? What support has the Ministry provided for SMEs which may lack dedicated HR teams? Implementation presents particular challenges. I urge the Ministry to work closely with SMEs to boost their HR capabilities. Does the Ministry have a roadmap, perhaps over five years to help companies with fewer than 25 employees implement robust grievance handling processes? Without such support, the dispute resolution framework risks being undermined at its very foundation.
Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, I must address a significant gap in this Bill – the exclusion of outsourced workers. Section 36A limits civil action to alleged discriminatory employment decisions made by employers under section 17(1) of the WFA. An employer is defined as a person who employs another under a contract of service. This excludes workers on contracts for service, platform workers and critically outsourced workers. Outsourced workers are among our most vulnerable, often older workers in lower income jobs.
Currently, the Tripartite Advisory on Outsourced Workers does not cover anti discriminatory practices by service buyers. This creates a troubling situation where service buyers can specify preferred race, age or religion of the workers, forcing service providers to implement discriminatory practices or face contractual penalties. It is unjust to penalise service providers when service buyers are the ones making discriminatory demands. We are, as the saying goes, barking up the wrong tree.
The UK's Equality Act 2010 addresses this through section 41, which defines contract workers and principals. A principal is one who makes work available for individuals employed by another party and contract workers are those supplied in furtherance of such contracts. This framework effectively extends protection to outsourced workers.
May I ask the Minister, will the Tripartite Advisory on Outsourced Workers be updated to cover anti-discriminatory practices by service buyers? Does the Ministry plan to extend WFA protection to outsourced workers in future amendments? And if so, what is the timeline? How is the Ministry currently educating service buyers on fair employment practices and monitoring discriminatory clauses in service contracts? Mr Deputy Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Deputy Speaker, the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill aims to help individuals who face discrimination in the workplace. This Bill, together with the Workplace Fairness Act, represents an important step in protecting workers in Singapore. However, I would like to raise several questions and concerns regarding its implementation.
First, regarding representation during mediation. We need to reconsider some regulatory restrictions placed on workers as they go through this process. Currently, union members cannot be represented during discussions – whilst executives have an even more limited representation.
For workers who are not union members, they will certainly need more support. Additionally, I would also urge that young workers be given more support so that they do not easily suffer discrimination due to lack of experience and knowledge.
Second, on the issue of time limits and extensions. Workers who have been dismissed need to file for mediation within just one month from their last day. Mr Deputy Speaker, I have met with several such individuals during Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS). Typically, they are in desperate situations and they say that the one-month period is too short. Among other things, I urge that a discretionary approach could be considered in accepting late applications, if there are reasonable grounds.
Third, relating to the implementation of the complaint handling process. Since employers need to have internal complaints procedures, we need to ensure that HR officers in companies have adequate training. This is especially important for small and medium enterprises, where their staff may lack the capability to handle the complaint processes properly.
Mr Deputy Speaker, finally, we need to address a significant gap in this Bill, namely outsourced workers.
The Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) does not cover contract workers, platform workers, and outsourced workers. They are the group that is most vulnerable to discrimination. I urge that a framework be established to extend protection to outsourced workers. This will ensure fairer employment practices for all categories of workers.
(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolutions) Bill is a welcome development. However, for it to truly deliver justice, we must ensure that vulnerable workers can access representation, that time limits accommodate genuine hardships, that employers, especially SMEs, have the capacity to implement proper processes, and that our most vulnerable workers, including those outsourced, are not left behind.
I call on the Ministry to address these concerns so that the promise of the workplace fairness becomes a reality for all workers in Singapore. Mr Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding the questions and concerns that I presented earlier, I support this Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Cai Yinzhou.
Mr Cai Yinzhou (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill is a landmark legislation towards creating fairer and more equitable workplaces. I stand in support of this Bill and offer three points for consideration.
First, I acknowledge MOM's rationale for expanding the ECT monetary jurisdiction to S$250,000 for discrimination claims, a positive step for many PMEs. However, non-unionised workers are disadvantaged due to the inability to have legal representation during mediation or ECT proceedings, especially given the complexity of proving discrimination. While union members in non-unionised companies have access to Tripartite Mediation Advisers, a proportion may not and may struggle to understand the discrimination and the experiences or articulate the details of unfair treatment. Can the Minister clarify specific resources to support non-unionised workers through the ECT procedures?
Second, I understand the position that Court proceedings would generally be held in private to foster open discussions without public misrepresentation. However, there is significant public interest in serious workplace discrimination cases and to hold employers accountable, the current Bill appears to offer limited discretion for the High Court to publish this information. Will the Minister confirm that the High Court's discretion to publish is flexible enough to ensure public accountability of employers found to have committed discriminatory acts, even without criminal prosecution, to avoid undermining the deterrence effect of this legislation?
Third, I note that this Bill does not amend the scope of the Workplace Fairness Act, which excludes outsourced workers and freelancers, including platform workers. While the Bill covers about three-quarters of the local workforce, this excludes the 67,600 platform workers recorded in 2024. As the enhanced Bill comes into force, I look forward to seeing the Ministry reviewing these aspects of expanding protections to outsourced workers and freelancers.
I commend the Government and congratulate all stakeholders, including NTUC, TAFEP and SNEF for their efforts in bringing this Bill and its dispute resolution mechanisms to fruition. This Bill is a tripartite win, demonstrating the collaborators' spirit of employers, unions and the Government in establishing clear roles and a robust framework for workplace fairness. Notwithstanding these three clarifications, Deputy Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Deputy Speaker, in August 2016 at the debate during the Second Reading of the Employment Claims Bill then, I had said that employment claims disputes are often mired in the context of contending allegations or breaches of employment contract. An unfair dismissal or discrimination could well be part of the factual matrix in some cases. I also suggested for one tribunal to hear all types of labour disputes, including employment claims and claims for unfair dismissal and discrimination.
Today, I am happy to support and welcome this Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the intent of this Bill which establishes the dispute resolution framework to address workplace discrimination. Employees will have a direct right to seek redress on discrimination through a defined process of mediation and when necessary, adjudication by the ECT or the High Court.
This is a welcome development, especially in the context of our ageing population and changing social landscape which puts the spotlight on fair employment practices.
However, as with many new frameworks, the true test of its effectiveness will lie in how it works in practice where ordinary workers can navigate the process and whether smaller employers can comply without being unduly burdened.
It is therefore important that the Bill's implementation is accessible, balanced and workable for all parties involved.
Accessibility for workers. Mr Deputy Speaker, the Bill, together with other existing legislations, empower affected employees to initiate mediation or claims against employers relating to discrimination claims and discrimination-related disputes and dismissal claims.
However, for many lower-income or less educated workers or employees, they may still not be aware that they have such rights or may be intimidated by the process of filing a claim, as it is often not just the information itself, but the practical process that is challenging.
Understanding what happens next, for example, what to expect after filing a claim, what documents to bring, or how to respond during mediation can be intimidating for those unfamiliar with formal dispute processes. Ensuring that help is not only available, but understandable and useable will make the right to redress truly meaningful.
I would therefore like to ask the Minister: will TADM be publishing information and guidelines on filing discrimination claim, similar to what have been done for salary, salary-related, employment or dismissal claims? Will there be any public education efforts in vernacular languages to ensure that low-wage workers are also aware of their rights pertaining to workplace discrimination and recourse available to them as outlined in this Bill? Will there be practical step-by-step support available, such as assistance with completing claim forms or responding to procedural queries, for workers who may lack the literacy or confidence to file a claim? For instance, the Community Justice Centre currently provides volunteers to assist litigants in person in our Courts. A similar scheme could perhaps be adapted for TADM mediations to ensure that workers who need it can receive practical guidance and reassurance throughout the process.
Mr Deputy Speaker, from my contact with quite a number of my Hougang residents who were embroiled in neighbours disputes, for example, many were deterred by the procedural requirements for the Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT), and would even rather not sought resolution through CDRT, even if the procedure for filing claims at CDRT may have been relatively simplified as compared to civil or criminal procedure for the State and High Courts. Lay people are often not comfortable, even with say, the need to file sworn evidence to start the claims.
So, in this connection, I urge the Government to continue to work towards simplifying claims procedure for lay people across different applications, including for the discrimination claims at ECT or in the High Court.
Next, I would like to seek clarification in respect of work-pass holders. Do they have a right to bring a claim for discrimination? I believe the answer is yes. If so, should we be concerned that employers have the ability to cancel work passes and repatriate their employees upon termination of employment before or in the midst of their pursuing or initiating a claim, and they may not be able to remain in Singapore to attend mediation or hearings, weakening the practical effect of the protections offered under this Bill.
I would like to seek the Minister's assurances that work pass holders will receive adequate protection, but without overtaxing employers, pending the claims outcome. Employers should, of course, not be penalised for unsuccessful claims. For example, they should not be responsible for employees' additional expenses resulting from the unsuccessful claims, including expenses for prolonged stay in Singapore.
Next, impact on smaller employers. Mr Deputy Speaker, I also wish to highlight the impact on SMEs, or even smaller employers amongst the SMEs. Many SMEs operate on lean manpower and limited administrative support. Even though the system is designed to be a lawyer-free process at ECT level, the reality is that such an employer still needs to gather facts, compile documentation and prepare explanations to defend its case. A small enterprise with, say, 25 to 30 employees, for example, is unlikely they have the HR or legal support that a larger company can afford.
Given that this Bill introduces new procedural requirement obligations and the possibility of claims being lodged against employers, how can it be ensured that smaller enterprises are not overwhelmed by the process? What kind of clear guidance or advisory support will be given for SMEs to understand the process and their responsibilities? What safeguards will be in place to identify and dismiss clearly unsubstantiated or frivolous claims early so that small employers are not subject to unnecessary administrative or even reputational burden? This is not to discourage legitimate complaints, as every genuine claim should be heard fairly, but the system should also ensure that smaller employers are protected from disproportionate strain.
Next, accountability through transparency and prevention of repeat offenders. Well, Mr Deputy Speaker, while confidentiality for employees and employers must be respected, complete opacity also limits public learning and deterrence. A people-centred balance will be to keep case details confidential, but at the very least require the publication of anonymised aggregated outcomes and quarterly data. Such data, for instance, the number of cases by sector, the types of discrimination alleged and their outcomes, would help identify trends and systemic issues. If certain sectors consistently show higher proportions of age-related or gender-related claims, the Ministry can then target outreach training or policy interventions more effectively.
Beyond transparency, data can also strengthen accountability by helping to detect repeat offenders. The proposed new section 45 of the Workplace Fairness Bill allows the Commissioner or the Registrar of the High Court to share data to the public agency for the purpose of policy formulation or review, or to a public agency as is necessary in the public interest.
There is room to build on this by establishing a more systematic internal process to monitor and flag repeated breaches by rogue employers. This would enable earlier intervention and signal that the framework is responsive to patterns of behaviour, not just individual disputes. It can also help to study undesirable practices or behaviour on the part of errant employers, or even employees, which MOM can use to consider improvements and revisions to prevailing laws.
Ultimately, Mr Deputy Speaker, the true measure of workplace fairness lies not only in the number of disputes resolved, but in how many are prevented by embedding a capacity for early intervention within this framework. We make fairness not just a recourse, but a shared habit woven into the daily life of our workplaces and the moral fabric of our economy.
New civil course of action and quantum. Mr Deputy Speaker, the new section 3A provides that a new civil action may be brought for a newly created statutory tort of discrimination by an individual who is the subject of an alleged discriminatory employment decision made by an employer under section 17(1). The Bill has provided for the jurisdictional limits of discrimination claims between the ECT and the High Court. I would like to ask the Minister whether there will be new heads of claim peculiar to this new tort.
Aside from possible loss of earnings, possible loss of benefits and even possibly expenses arising from discrimination, such as actual medical expenses to treat stress caused by discrimination, for example, which may arguably be supported under current laws on quantum, would there be other new heads of damage? For example, can losses such as injury to feelings be claimable and if so, how will such claims be quantified?
The Government's answers can provide helpful and important preliminary guidance and reference via the Hansard for the implementation of the new law. I hope the typical quantum of claims arrived by the ECT and the High Court for the new tort will be reasonable for both employers and employees, so that there will be fairness for both employers and employees. Mr Deputy Speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Deputy Speaker, this Workplace Fairness Bill, together with existing regulations, allows employees to seek mediation with their employers or lodge complaints with arbitration bodies when they encounter unfair treatment. Whether they are discriminated against due to age, gender, pregnancy, childbirth, marital status, caregiving responsibilities, nationality, race, religion, language ability or disability, or are wrongfully dismissed, employees can protect their rights according to law.
This is indeed an important step forward. However, having rights does not mean everyone can exercise those rights.
For some employees with lower income or education levels, they may not even know they have such rights. Even if they know, they may not dare to, not know how to, or where to start. Even if they have heard about it, they might think: \"Aiya, these procedures are so complicated, I cannot explain clearly, and I do not understand those forms.\"
Some people will be afraid – afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of offending their boss, afraid of trouble. As a result, even when they are in the right, they dare not speak up; even when they have grievances, they dare not seek redress. For them, lodging a complaint is like walking into an unfamiliar place, completely lost and not knowing where to begin.
So I would like to ask the Minister:
First, will the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) publish appropriate and sufficient materials and guidelines so that workers clearly understand how to lodge complaints about workplace discrimination?
Second, will the Government use multiple languages – including Chinese, Malay and Tamil – so that more employees also know their rights?
Third, will practical assistance be provided to employees with lower education levels, such as teaching them how to fill out forms, prepare documents and answering procedural questions, helping workers with weaker literacy skills or less confidence to take that first step steadily?
Mr Deputy Speaker, I have encountered many residents in neighbourhood disputes who, due to concerns about procedural and evidence requirements, dare not approach the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) or Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal (CDRT). Even though these procedures are already simpler than ordinary Court processes, they still pose challenges for ordinary people.
Therefore, I hope the Government, when implementing this Bill, will not overlook these practical difficulties. Make the complaint procedures as easy to understand as possible, so that employees who are not very familiar with or not very good at writing English can smoothly complete the process.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the direction of the Workplace Fairness Bill is correct. To ensure its success, the key is that we must be committed to ensuring that employees are willing, able and can make use of it, whilst employers can afford it and society can trust in its fairness.
(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, the Workplace Fairness Bill represents an important move towards fairness at work. To ensure its success, we must focus on making the process accessible to ordinary workers and manageable for small employers while maintaining the confidence of all stakeholders through transparency and fairness. I look forward to the Minister's clarifications on the questions I have raised. Notwithstanding the questions and concerns I have raised. I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Mariam Jaafar.
Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang): Mr Deputy Speaker, fairness at work is not an abstract idea. It is what every Singaporean hopes for – when they look for a new job, when they ask for a promotion, or when they return from maternity or hospitalisation leave. I rise in strong support of this Bill.
When this House passed the Workplace Fairness Bill in the last term, it was a milestone in our tripartite journey. It affirmed a simple truth that every worker in Singapore deserves to be judged on their ability, not their age, gender, caregiving responsibility, nationality, race or religion.
But principles mean little if people do not know how to seek redress when those principles are violated. This Bill turns principle into practice, giving both workers and employers a clear, fair and accessible way to resolve disputes.
But Mr Deputy Speaker, the true test of fairness is not only in how the law is written, or how processes are set up. It is in how workers experience it every day. Fairness must not only be fair but must feel fair to the people who live it.
In my maiden speech in this House in 2020, I spoke of residents I met in my first months on the ground in Woodlands: the 50-something PMET was told he was overqualified, the 40-something banker who watched a foreigner take his job, the 30-something Malay accounts clerk who finds that job ads ask for Mandarin speakers only, the 20-something graduate who gets low-ball offers. Since then, I have met many more. Just last night, a resident came to my MPS for help. She had been terminated with notice, just after returning from hospitalisation leave for in-vitro fertilisation treatment.
Employers too, especially SME bosses, have shared their worries that one wrong move or one problem-hire could land them in trouble, even as they face real economic pressure and constant policy changes. All want fairness. All want clarity.
Other countries have grappled with this challenge. In the UK, over 70% of early conciliation cases via the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service are resolved without going to tribunal, usually within four to six weeks. In contrast, the formal Employment Tribunal system, where 100,000 claims are filed yearly, is slow with a one year wait time, costly and legalistic.
Australia's Fair Work Commission resolves around 60% to 70% of discrimination cases at conciliation; quick, informal, inexpensive. In New Zealand, the Human Rights Commission closes 94% of discrimination complaints through mediation or early resolution, with 77% satisfaction.
Sir, the mediation-first model we are adopting – in a three-tiered framework that progresses from internal grievance handling to mandatory mediation to adjudication – is wise. It keeps trust at the centre of justice and allows employees to pursue claims without the need for legal representation if filed under the ECT. But mediation must be real and not ritual. So, mediators must first be professionally trained in employment law, discrimination claims and cross-cultural communication, and they must reflect the diversity of our workforce.
Second, the process should be guided. Seeking redress is already intimidating, as the burden of proof often rests on the worker. The same Woodlands resident I mentioned earlier told me that the mediator she spoke to said she could be liable for the entire claim amount if she pursued it at the ECT. That is not quite what the law provides, so she might have been misunderstood. But you see how even the perception of risk can chill a worker into silence. We must therefore work to make the process clearer for workers.
MOM and TAFEP can provide plain-language templates, sample grievance letters, timelines, Frequently Asked Questions, so that even an elderly auntie cleaning tables at the coffee shop can navigate the process confidently. Workers could also be given confidential pre-mediation advisory, where they can understand their rights and options, through TAFEP or trained resources in the community, so that workers who are unsure or afraid have safe, local places to seek advice before taking action. And crucially, workers must feel protected from retaliatory actions.
The Bill rightly prohibits retaliation – but in practice, fear of retaliation remains the biggest reason people stay silent. In jurisdictions like the UK and Australia, the burden of proof for retaliatory action shifts to the employer once the employee has established a prima facie case.
Could the Minister clarify how retaliatory action claims will be processed under the Workplace Fairness Bill? We should have strong retaliatory protections, so that fairness is not only about the right to be treated fairly, but also the confidence that if you stand up for that right, you will not stand alone.
Mr Deputy Speaker, we cannot build fairness for workers without making it feasible for employers. Our SMEs employ seven in 10 Singaporeans. Many want to comply, but run without HR departments. So, let us make compliance intuitive. MOM could issue sector-specific starter kits – one-page grievances procedures for retail, food and beverage, logistics, care services and other key sectors in multiple languages. And a short certification course for SME supervisors on workplace fairness, grievance handling and mediation would also help, so they know what \"doing the right thing\" looks like in real life.
And for firms that exemplify fairness, we can create a \"Fair Employer Mark\", recognising companies that lead by example. Because compliance by fear is fragile; compliance by pride is lasting.
Sir, we must also guard against over litigation. The Bill rightly channels most cases to the ECT, keeping the process proportionate. But in the initial years, we should review outcomes through a tripartite monitoring panel to check if cases are rising for the right reasons, and to spot sectors where culture, not law, is the root issue. That allows us to adjust early before disillusionment sets in.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to return to a point raised by several Members in the last debate. The Bill rightly protects against discrimination on many important protected characteristics. But there are still Singaporeans who may not see themselves reflected in it. Neurodivergent employees, platform and freelance workers – they form a growing part of our workforce, yet many may not feel fully included, even though TAFEP guidelines apply.
Fairness that feels selective is fairness that can breed resentment. So, I hope that MOM will commit to a phased review of protected characteristics in good time, guided by data from mediation cases and tripartite feedback. Let us evolve protection as our workforce evolves – steady, consultative, but unafraid to broaden the circle of inclusion.
But ultimately, no law can legislate respect. Fairness must live in the daily decisions of our workplaces – who we hire, how we train, how we promote, how we treat one another. Many Singaporeans tell me, \"I do not mind working hard. I just want a fair chance.\" That, Mr Deputy Speaker, is what this Bill helps secure – a fair chance for every worker to show their worth and a clear process when they feel otherwise.
We must keep building workplaces where Singaporeans feel seen, valued and given room to grow; not passed over, not second-guessed. We must keep them engaged in their work, because fairness is not only about protection, it is about participation – giving our people the confidence to stay in the workforce, reskill and take on the next challenge. TAFEP and MOM can play a key role here, by training not just HR managers, but supervisors and team leaders. Because fairness is not a compliance function, it is a leadership habit. And when employers model that habit, they earn something no law can command: the loyalty and trust of their workers.
In closing, Mr Deputy Speaker, this Bill does not just settle disputes; it strengthens our compact as a society. It says to every worker, you will be judged by what you contribute, not by where you come from. And it says to every employer – you will be treated fairly and and given a clear process when disputes arise.
That balance between protection and partnership is what has made Singapore work. If we can keep that balance strong, then every Singaporean, whatever their background, can look at this system and say, \"it is fair, and it works for me.\" That is the promise we renew today. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms He Ting Ru.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Mr Deputy Speaker, following this House's legislating against workplace discrimination earlier this year, the Bill before us provides clear steps for aggrieved employees to seek recourse against errant employers who have wronged them and I support the Bill. However, I would like to raise several issues that we should consider to ensure that the path to justice is kept accessible to all workers.
First, there usually exists a great imbalance between the employer and employee when it comes to employment disputes. While it is encouraging that both parties cannot have external legal representatives before the ECT, this may not be sufficient to level the playing field, especially, as some employers may have legally trained in house legal teams who would be appointed to represent the company.
Will the Minister consider setting up a specialised office to provide legal information and advice to aggrieved workers who require assistance in filing their claims? In this regard, I note that there appears to be no legal clinic focused on workers' rights or employment law. Notably, while the NTUC runs a Law Works Legal Clinic for Union members, the Pro Bono SG website appears to state that this legal clinic excludes employment issues.
The Ministry should also continuously work with civil society and community organisations to ensure that workers are empowered to obtain justice under the Workplace Fairness Act through initiatives like education and awareness campaigns, the development of guidance materials and pro bono referral schemes.
Second, I appreciate the importance for proceedings under the Act, including mediation and ECT hearings to be conducted in private in the interest of workplace harmony. However, as mediation and hearings are formal processes, they will undoubtedly be daunting for workers. It would thus be particularly nerve wracking for a worker to journey through this process alone. Can the Minister confirm if employees will be entitled to have support persons accompanying them in these proceedings? If so, can the Minister confirm if this will be set out in the regulations or guidelines as to who can serve as support persons and proceedings under the Act?
Third, like my colleague, MP for Hougang, Mr Dennis Tan, I would like to ask that the Minister also clarify about the support available to workers who struggle to navigate the various proceedings because they are not so conversant in English or struggle with digital literacy. Such support should at the very least include help to submit claims, file documents and genuinely navigate the procedural parts of the entire process.
All of us have seen residents who find it particularly challenging to commence claims or to continue pursuing claims through the tribunals, because they are either unable to or lack confidence in navigating the system, and this is particularly important since legal representation is not allowed in ECT proceedings.
Four, there are three particular groups of workers whom we should pay particular attention to, in relation to the dispute resolution mechanisms: one, workers with disabilities; two, workers who have suffered both workplace discrimination and workplace harassment; and three, workers who have been traumatised by their workplace experiences.
On workers with disabilities, the dispute resolution mechanisms should be accessible for different types of disabilities. As it currently stands, the SG Courts website contains an accessibility statement stating that a sign language interpreter may be requested only in certain types of cases. This should be expanded to include employment cases before the ECT. It is also not clear whether claimants who are blind or who have low vision will be able to effectively use the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS), to file and manage their claims under this Act.
Can the Minister confirm that accommodations will be made to workers with disabilities at all stages of the dispute resolution process, when they make a claim under this Act, on workers who have suffered both workplace discrimination and workplace harassment? The current framework could create unnecessary barriers as they attempt to seek justice.
First, they must file a claim with the ECT in respect of the discrimination they have experienced. Then they must file a separate claim with the Protection from Harassment Court in respect of the harassment they have been subject to. This imposes another layer for those seeking redress to navigate and may deter a worker from seeking recourse. This, in turn, may contribute to under reporting and allow errant employers to get away with their bad behaviour because workers are not able or willing to meaningfully engage with the legal process.
Would the Minister consider allowing a worker who has experienced both workplace discrimination and workplace harassment to have both their claims under the Workplace Fairness Act and the Protection from Harassment Act heard before the ECT?
Finally, on workers who have been traumatised by their workplace experiences, I have three recommendations.
One, the requirement for mandatory mediation may unnecessarily risk the re-traumatisation of the worker and cause more harm. Instead, the commissioner should be given the discretion to make an exception from the mandatory mediation requirement in serious cases where a worker is able to obtain supporting evidence that participation in the mediation will put their mental emotional well-being at risk.
Two, approved mediators. ECT, tribunal members and judges should be provided with training and support so that they can conduct the dispute resolution process in a trauma informed manner to minimise inflicting further harm on the aggrieved worker who is navigating a complicated legal process to seek justice. In this regard, it is also important that they receive sensitivity training that helps them to understand the lived experiences of workers with the different protected characteristics, so that they can make meaningful and fair decisions.
Third, the timelines for the dispute resolution mechanism should be fast as administratively possible to minimise workers having to deal with the uncertainty and anxiety that come with such legal proceedings. In particular, it will be helpful to provide claimants and employers with clear guidance on the expected timelines. The guidance can also help the Ministry to evaluate whether more resources and manpower need to be dedicated to the dispute resolution mechanisms so that claims can be processed and resolved in accordance with target timelines.
Mr Deputy Speaker, as former President Halimah Yacob said, discrimination of any form and against anyone has no place at all in our society and most certainly not at the workplace. To eradicate workplace discrimination, we must ensure that the processes for workers to seek recourse do not themselves create barriers or cause further harm to the workers who have decided to stand up for themselves.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Gho Sze Kee.
Ms Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten): Mr Deputy Speaker, allow me to first declare my interest as a practising lawyer.
Making the law is, of course, very different from practising the law. When we make laws, we should always consider the broader intent and spirit of the law and how it will be implemented and used. We also have to consider the implications for our society and the lived experience of those it will touch. It especially matters for this Bill, since it will guide us on how sensitive matters involving race, language and religion are dealt with in our workplaces.
We mean for our workplaces to be harmonious, non-litigious and for disputes to be settled without escalation as much as possible. The proposed process is designed to reflect this intent.
I agree that adjudication should be the last resort for any workplace discrimination disputes. I also think we should not become an overly litigious society. Not every issue should be fought in Court and not every grievance should be escalated into a legal arms race. In fact, I advocate for mediation whenever I can in my professional capacity. Justice is best served when it is quick, fair and accessible. And of course, it helps very much if it can be cheap, too, because lawyers can be very expensive.
The ECT was designed precisely for all of that. I welcome the expanded role and scope that this Bill will give.
There were some concerns about the lack of direct legal representation at the ECTs. It was pointed out that this may result in an asymmetry of power between the parties for WFA claims, especially so when some companies do have in-house counsels.
First, I must note that even though direct legal representation is not allowed, there is nothing to stop either side from engaging lawyers to advise and prepare their case. The same scope for legal professionals that exist under the ECTs still exists. In fact, it will get bigger.
The intent of the ECT is to deliver adjudication in a fair, quick and accessible way. Making it cheap makes it more accessible. Allowing direct legal representation makes it more expensive and it will likely make the whole process more adversarial and dragged out more than it has to be. This runs contrary to the intent of the ECT.
Furthermore, I imagine if an employer is big enough to have an in-house counsel, then clearly there is already a stark and wide asymmetry of power – a David and Goliath situation. Allowing legal representation will not do much to alter this inherent imbalance but it will add another layer of cost to both sides, particularly for David. In a real legal arms race, the pockets of David will hurt far more. It is also less clear in real life who is David and who is Goliath. We can imagine a small company being disadvantaged by a sophisticated claimant.
But I do believe that in-house counsels could be a problem. In fact, I did highlight this issue to the Ministry earlier in my capacity as a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee and suggested that in-house counsels should be restricted at the ECT.
True, we typically see in-house counsels only in larger organisations. So, this issue may exist only in a minority of cases, but justice and fairness must not only be done, but it also needs to be seen to be done. Parties coming through the system must have confidence that they are not handicapped, and that the system is fair and equitable to all parties.
More than just optics, I also speak from experience. Many in-house counsels were experienced litigators. I know what the capable ones can do. Allowing them to directly represent companies in the ECT would almost certainly prejudice the employee and lead to unfairness. There are many ways to define the scope of in-house counsels and specifically exclude them. A regulation to that effect could be made by the Minister. I urge the Minister to consider this point again.
Next, Mr Deputy Speaker, I have strong reservations about leaving out smaller firms with fewer than 25 employees from the very start. The reason for doing this does not sit well. There are many laws in place that all employers, big and small, are expected to comply with, including the Workplace Safety and Health Act, the Personal Data Protection Act, the Employment Act, and so on. Thus, I can see no reason why we should assume smaller firms will struggle with compliance, and why they will need more time than bigger ones. In fact, I would argue that it is precisely because the smaller firms lack the competencies to comply with this law that makes their employees more vulnerable to workplace discrimination.
I cannot find the exact numbers but considering that SMEs make up the overwhelming bulk of companies in Singapore, I think it is safe to assume that these smaller firms make up a significant percentage of employers. To exclude their employees from the coverage of the WFA is to do them a great disservice. I suggest that MOM should actually devote more resources to assist these smaller firms with the process of compliance instead of taking the path of least resistance.
Sir, I also welcome the role of unions in this framework. I am glad to see a pathway for unions to directly represent the parties at the ECT. They will be invaluable in representing the interests of the parties without the added baggage and cost of lawyers.
But the requirements are perplexing. Direct union representation can happen only if the company and employee are members of their respective unions and the company itself is unionised. But not in any other scenarios.
Union members cannot tap on their union to represent them if their company is not unionised. This strikes me as an odd segregation of union members. If I were to use the perspective of the unions, I would naturally presume that employees of non-unionised companies are actually more vulnerable. I am thinking of the PMETs in particular, who make up around 63% of our workforce, but their rate of union membership is a lot less, making up about 45% of union members. Many working in such capacities are employed by non-unionised companies. This arrangement leaves out a very significant segment of our workforce.
Will the Minister and/or the union leaders in the House please clarify the reasons for this segregation; why union representation at the ECT cannot be extended to union members at non-unionised companies?
Mr Deputy Speaker, in my maiden speech in this House, I spoke on the issue of trust and the importance of thinking through how each policy and decision lands on the ground. The people derive their trust from their lived experience with the system. The process and implementation of this Bill will matter as much as the Bill itself.
I mentioned at the beginning of my speech I always advocate for mediation as a first resort in my professional capacity. I have worked with many mediators. I have much faith in mediation, in a large part because I was fortunate to have worked with many excellent mediators. For the system to be perceived as fair and just, and for all parties to have confidence in this process, the quality and training of mediators and, by extension, the quality of ECT judges at the ECT will be absolutely critical.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to touch on the point about the effectiveness of mediation in cases of post-employment. I feel that mediation still remains meaningful because it focuses more on resolution rather than reconciliation. Even after someone leaves a toxic workplace, mediation provides a very natural platform to clarify issues, address lingering grievances and negotiating matters like payment. It helps both parties move forward without the weight of conflict. In short, mediation after employment is not about repairing the past. It is also about creating a respectful closure for the future.
At the end of the day, I would like to say this: the proof of this particular pudding is not in the pudding itself, but in the eating. The real test only comes when the first cases go through the process prescribed by this Bill. And I will be watching the process very closely.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the law is by nature both prescriptive and reactive. It tells us what should not be done and sets out what happens if it is done. The two Workplace Fairness Bills make it clear that discrimination has no place in our workplaces, and they provide clear consequences where it occurs.
But we must remember that the law we make is not an end in itself, but only a means to an end. Ideally, the law succeeds when it never has to be used to punish or correct. We must remember that what we really want in our society is not more claims or more cases. We want fewer. We do not want to punish what is wrong, but promote what is right. We want fairness to become second nature in our workplaces. We want respect, inclusion and equality to become embedded in the work culture here in Singapore. And this is what we aspire to see. To get there, we cannot rely on legislation alone. We also need education, awareness and outreach. The different stakeholders must step up. The Ministry, our unions, our employers and our workers.
Only we can make this happen and let us not forget that. Sir, notwithstanding my reservations, I do support this Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Shawn Loh. Hold on, Mr Loh. I understand, Mr Dennis Tan, you have a clarification of a Member that has spoken before you?
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Mr Deputy Speaker, I am sorry to interrupt the proceedings. At the beginning of my speech just now, I did not make a declaration. Can I make a very quick declaration now?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Oh, that you are a practising lawyer?
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Yes, that is right.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Please do.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: That is right, Sir. Yes, sorry about that. Mr Deputy Speaker, at the beginning of my speech just now, I did not, and I wish to make a declaration that I am a practising lawyer, whose work may from time to from time to time include employment.
Mr Deputy Speaker: This is fine. Thank you for the declaration. Mr Loh.
Mr Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill. I thank Mr Dennis Tan for the reminder and I first declare that I am the designated Group Managing Director of Commonwealth Capital Group, a conglomerate stewarding more than 1,000 livelihoods. And thankfully, we do not have much experience with workplace disputes. I am also the advisor to the Singapore Teachers' Union and the Education Services Union, which collectively represent more than 50,000 workers, who mould the future of our nation.
The principles of the broader workplace fairness legislation have been debated earlier this year. I will focus only on the dispute resolution mechanism, which is under discussion today. Specifically, I will share some thoughts from the perspectives of the employer first, and then the worker, and then our overall social compact.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
First, employers should welcome this Bill. It provides clarity over the process and timelines for dispute resolution.
I particularly appreciate the reasonable time bars for mediation. These prevent workers from dredging up incidents that occurred a long time ago, and for which evidence would likely be degraded. At the same time, I support Mr Ng Chee Meng's suggestion for longer time bar on an exceptional basis.
The Bill also protects, or at least seems to protect, employers by providing for confidentiality during the dispute resolution process.
But I have a few concerns.
First and foremost, I am concerned over the possibility of frivolous claims as well as the potential for claim amounts to be inflated, especially since workers would not need to bear legal costs up to a far larger claim amount of $250,000. It is not yet clear how the ECT will impose costs against those who pursue claims without sufficient merit. And I welcome MOM to eventually publish the results of such cases to deter frivolous claims.
MOM should also measure the size of claims, based on the current claim limit of $20,000 or $30,000, and whether this goes up correspondingly when the claim limit is increased to $250,000. If you ask me, speaking to many that I know, I suspect that the claim sizes are going to increase significantly in tandem. And this is not a good thing. It will make it more difficult for the tribunal to come to a reasonable and appropriate decision.
I also agree with Mr Dennis Tan, that amongst all the employers, our SMEs would be the most concerned if claim amounts are inflated.
Second, notwithstanding that the Bill provides for confidentiality, there could be a risk that claimants themselves publicise their cases on social media before the process is concluded. How will the MOM prevent this from taking place?
Third, there will be some increase in compliance costs for employers. For example, employers will need to establish mandatory written grievance procedures with specific commitments to investigate complaints, protect against retaliation and inform outcomes. This requires HR policy development, training, documentation systems and investigation protocols. Large companies can do this quite easily but small companies, not so much.
MOM can make it easier, for example, by publishing standardised free templates for small companies to use. Many Members from both sides of the aisle have spoken about this and so I will not belabour the point. However, I would like to respectfully disagree with Ms Gho Sze Kee's suggestion to cover companies with fewer than 25 workers. I think such companies that are too small will need more time to adjust and I do not think that the implementation timeline will give them enough time.
On the other hand, workers should also welcome this Bill. Workplace disputes are a difficult time for the worker. As Ms Gho said, it often feels like you are David fighting against Goliath. The Bill provides for a clearer, cheaper and faster dispute resolution process for the vast majority of legitimate workplace claims. No expensive lawyers are needed and union members can be supported by Tripartite Mediation Advisors.
My main concern for workers is for those that are not unionised. This echoes Mr Cai Yinzhou's concern. It could actually be the bulk of PMETs that have disputes today. MOM should share with us the proportion of workers with workplace disputes who are not unionised. Such non-unionised workers may not have access to the Tripartite Mediation Advisors. I suggest that the NTUC consider providing the same service to such workers if they agree to sign-up as union members in the future. And is the MOM prepared to increase TADM's and NTUC's resources to handle the possible increase in caseload for Tripartite Mediation Advisers and other case officers?
Finally, low cost does not mean no cost. We need answers to the following questions. What are the total administrative costs of a typical case? I imagine these would include TADM fees, costs for Tripartite Mediation Advisors, ECT fees, and so on. How will these administrative costs be distributed between workers and employers? Particularly in different scenarios, for example, when non-unionised worker loses the case, and separately, for a company which loses the case?
Finally, how long would a typical case take to be resolved? This would impact the total costs and the length of time that workers and employers alike have to prepare themselves for.
Mr Speaker, as you can see, I agree with the good intent of the Bill. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions and the devil will be in the Bill's implementation. A policy's objectives can easily be negated or even subverted by poor implementation and a lack of resources. I fully agree with the Minister's commitment for the implementation timeline to be in 2027. It is better to ensure adequate training for our officers, our advisors and our judges, as opposed to rushing through the implementation of a Bill which would lead to reduction in public confidence if the process is not done right.
The drafters and stakeholders have thought carefully about the dispute resolution process. And I hope that this commitment to a better paradigm for Singapore's workplaces, can be backed by an ecosystem of affordable and accessible professional advisers, easy-to-understand processes and well-resourced mediation and Court officers. These would make fighting for fairness in the workplace a matter of due process rather than an asymmetric battle of resources that has sometimes been foregone by the weaker party to the detriment of a more robust and united society, and a more productive economy.
Mr Speaker, allow me to conclude by saying that I support the Bill. Perhaps for a more fundamental reason. And that is that it reflects the values we want to see in Singapore and our social compact.
This includes the emphasis on preserving harmony and the nudge towards the amicable resolution of disputes. I am glad that we are not moving towards a litigious society. It also reflects a fair balance between protecting workers as well as their employers, while providing for greater access to justice. And finally, a reliance on tripartism – one of the ingredients that makes Singapore so special – to achieve productive and reasonable outcomes for all parties. I am glad that tripartism is at the core of this Bill and not an afterthought.
With that, Mr Speaker, I support the Bill and wish the Ministry and our unions the very best in its implementation.
Mr Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal.
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Mr Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill. It is an important step towards making our workplaces fair for every worker. The process of seeking redress must not only be fair, but also feel safe, especially for those going through difficult life circumstances or personal challenges. Every worker deserves to feel that if something goes wrong, the system will hear them not haunt them. And for union members, we will go further – we will assist them.
As part of the NTUC family, I see daily how fairness at work changes lives, from jobseekers rebuilding confidence after rejection, to workers finding understanding employers who give them a second chance. For these workers, fairness is not an abstract principle. It is deeply personal. It restores dignity, trust and hope.
Mr Speaker, while awareness of workplace fairness has grown, many workers still fear speaking up. MOM's Fair Employment Practices Report in 2023 found that only about 30% of employees who experienced discrimination sought help, a decrease from 35% of the year before. Most who stayed silent cited fear of being marginalised or harming their careers.
And that is why this Bill is important. It assures both workers and jobseekers that redress can be sought safely and confidentially and of course, fairly. They must know that they will be heard without fear of retaliation and that their dignity will be protected. Take for example a worker who feels sidelined after returning from maternity leave, uncertain if raising her concerns will affect her standing at work. Under this Bill, she can first raise the matter through her company's grievance process. If unresolved, she can turn to mediation at the TADM and if necessary, to the ECT. If she is a union member in a unionised company, her union can support her at every step of the journey, even to represent her at the ECT.
Each step is designed to be fair, affordable and private – helping both sides find resolution without hostility or fear. Workers are protected from retaliation throughout. This protection is for all workers regardless of ability or disability, including those managing mental health conditions. For them, assurances on confidentiality and empathy are especially important. And for those who are union members, our unions stand ready to walk with them through mediation, to represent them if needed and to ensure their voices are heard with dignity.
Consider a jobseeker who discovers that a potential employer withdrew an interview after learning her age or disability. Under this Bill, she too can bring her case to TADM and if unresolved, to the ECT for resolution. If she is a union member, NTUC will be on hand to support her during her negotiations with the company, the mediation process and even at the ECT. This ensures that fairness begins not only in the workplace, but from the very start of one's employment journey. These examples remind us that fairness is not just a concept, it is a process that protects dignity and trust, whether a person is seeking work or already working.
Even with good laws, fairness is ultimately delivered by people. Frontline officers, mediators and tribunal staff must be trained to handle cases with care and empathy. Our union leaders and industrial relations officers have deep experience in handling workplace disputes and will also go further, training to be equipped to handle workplace fairness cases so that they can recognise distress, manage sensitive conversations and uphold confidentiality in every interaction.
A fair system must not only be efficient but also humane. Sir, this Bill rightly provides private proceedings for workplace fairness claims, whether before the ECT or the High Court. This protects confidentiality, reduces reputational harm and ensures sensitive disputes can be resolved respectfully away from the public glare. The judge-led ECT model, without the need for lawyers, levels the playing field for workers, including those who are PMEs, and the expanded claim limit of up to $250,000 means more PMEs can seek accessible and affordable justice.
For serious breaches, especially those that undermine our shared values of race and religion, I note that MOM can also pursue state enforcement action against employers where public intent requires it. This balanced approach protects individual dignity while maintaining public confidence in the system. Workers and the public alike must have confidence that serious misconduct will not be hidden behind closed doors. How will MOM calibrate when to exercise discretion to name and sanction employers, while still preserving fairness and confidentiality for individuals involved?
Sir, even with a proper process in place, workers and employers need more guidance to navigate claims. I have three clarifications to ask from the Minister. First, a common query I have heard is how the claims amounts will be determined. Will the Ministry be providing guidelines so that workers and employers will know what to expect when faced with a claim?
Second, while it is important for ECT proceedings to remain private, published judgments are useful to provide guidance to workers and employers alike on what to expect from claims. Will the Ministry consider publishing ECT judgments on an anonymised basis?
Third, even with judges playing an active role in ECT proceedings, it can be very daunting and challenging for workers, especially those who are less educated, to understand what is going on. While NTUC and our unions will play our part for all our members, what more can be done to assist and guide claimants who need more help?
Mr Speaker, fairness at work should not begin at the tribunal. It should begin in the way we treat each other every day. The best dispute resolution system is one that workers rarely need to use, because trust and understanding are built early. Our unions work hard to ensure employers have fair workplace practices and grievance handling processes in place, as this builds confidence amongst managers to administer employment, promotion and training decisions meritoriously; and transparency and mutual trust in how grievances are to be handled respectfully. When employers take steps to handle grievances promptly and respectfully, conflicts can be settled before they even escalate. This is especially important for smaller companies, where a timely conversation, a listening ear, or a fair explanation can prevent tension from mounting and turning into a claim.
I am encouraged that MOM and TAFEP will continue to guide employers in setting a fair, simple and confidential grievance channels, especially for SMEs with limited HR capabilities. When these systems are clear and trusted, workers feel safe to raise issues early and managers gain confidence in addressing them calmly. Employers and employees should also be encouraged to discuss adjustments or concerns constructively, especially when workers have unique needs or face new challenges.
Such understanding does more than promote inclusion, it prevents misunderstanding and mistrust, because when workplaces are empathetic, transparent and fair, issues are resolved through conversation and not through confrontation. This is how we move from compliance to culture, from managing disputes to preventing them.
Mr Speaker, tripartism remains the cornerstone of our workplace harmony. Our unions, working alongside MOM and employers, help to make fairness felt, not feared, guiding workers and companies through challenges with calm, respect and trust. This Bill reflects that partnership in action: workers assured of fair redress, employers confident of clear processes and a society strengthened by mutual respect. It is truly a Bill that is pro-worker, pro-employer and pro-Singapore. Mr Speaker, in Malay please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, we often speak about fairness in the workplace. But fairness is not merely about laws, it is about dignity, humanity and mutual respect for one another.
This law ensures that every worker, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, or those with disabilities or mental health condition, are treated fairly and with compassion.
We know that when discrimination occurs, it is not only the individual who is affected, but the entire community feels the impact. For workers who lack the confidence to lodge complaints or do not know how to begin the process, I encourage them to become NTUC members. NTUC will guide and walk with them throughout the journey of seeking fairness — so that no worker feels alone in facing workplace challenges.
Sir, being marginalised or undervalued can lead to division and loss of trust. That is why the spirit of this law is important, not only to protect workers' rights, but to strengthen unity and harmony in our multiracial and multi-religious society.
When we act fairly, we are actually preserving Singapore's core values: trust, cohesion and shared hope.
Workplace fairness reflects fairness in our society. Every action based on empathy and compassion, however small, contributes to the peace and harmony of our nation.
(In English): Mr Speaker, fairness at work strengthens the very fabric of our society. When every worker, regardless of race, religion, or background, feels respected and valued, we build not just stronger workplaces, but a stronger, more united Singapore.
This is a landmark Bill: fair, forward-looking and rooted in trust. It shows how tripartism turns values into action, and how fairness, when practised with empathy, becomes a shared strength. Fairness that is not only written in law but lived out in every workplace and in every act of respect between us. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Denise Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Thank you, Sir, for allowing the third Jalan Besar MP to speak consecutively.
Speaker, Sir, the Workplace Fairness Bill 2025 provides a more robust shield against discrimination than what previously existed. For many, the Bill's greatest gift is clarity and a structured, state-supported initial pathway for dispute resolution. The anti-retaliation clause and the focus on mediation are foundational steps that can genuinely encourage more individuals to step forward.
I would like to speak up for the vulnerable. The proposed law, while empowering in theory, however, does pose significant challenges for employees who are vulnerable; such as those with disabilities, those who are of advanced age, or with low education. There are challenges that could prevent some of these vulnerable employees or potential employees from accessing its protections. For the law to be truly effective, it must be made accessible, enforceable and empathetic.
Let me list a few key concerns here and propose four pillars for improvement.
Concern one: inaccessible process for some. Under this Bill, the grievance system may be complex and inaccessible for some. Vulnerable employees may struggle to navigate procedures, articulate complaints, or understand their rights, creating a gap between the law's existence and its practical use.
Concern two: the tribunal hurdle. The ECT is meant to be simple and accessible but still remains a legal forum. Legal representation, already often costly, is not allowed, and only union members can be represented by their unions. For many, handling their own cases is unrealistic. Tasks such as preparing claims, collecting evidence, digital or otherwise, conducting cross-examinations can be overwhelming for those without legal knowledge or digital skills.
Mediation is also a high-pressure process. Vulnerable workers who lack independent advice are at a clear disadvantage. They may feel compelled to accept unfair settlements or give up valid claims because the process feels too difficult or intimidating.
Concern number three: the burden of proof. It is the employee's responsibility to prove that discrimination occurred. This is often quite difficult, especially for vulnerable workers who may not have the resources or skills to collect evidence – such as emails or witness statements – when facing a well-resourced, more resourced employer.
Next, let me propose four pillars for improvement, for a truly accessible Workplace Fairness Act.
Sir, to ensure this Bill is a transformative tool for justice and not just a procedural formality, we must build it upon four foundational pillars.
Pillar 1: simplify the path – make the grievance process truly accessible. Today, the grievance process remains a maze of complex forms and legalistic language. For a vulnerable worker, this maze can feel like a solid wall standing in the way of justice. We must tear down this wall and make the path to redress more accessible.
To do so, employers should be required to provide grievance procedures written in plain and simple language and made available in needed multiple languages and accessible formats – including large print, braille, and audio versions. MOM and TAFEP should also work together to design clear, user-friendly complaint forms and visual flowcharts that guide workers step by step, helping them answer a fundamental question: \"Have I been treated unfairly, and what should I do next?\"
By simplifying the process, we can transform what is now an intimidating and legalistic system into one that is clear, compassionate, and navigable – empowering every worker, especially the most vulnerable, to take that first step towards fairness and dignity with confidence.
Pillar 2 for improvement: empower the voice – introduce an \"Appropriate Adult\" scheme in the process. No vulnerable worker should ever have to face their employer alone in a formal setting. The imbalance of power in such situations can silence even the most legitimate claims. We must give them a voice and ensure that their dignity and rights are protected throughout the process.
To achieve this, we should legally entrench the right for vulnerable workers to have a trained, independent advocate present during all proceedings – from internal meetings and mediations to hearings throughout the resolution process. This advocate, modelled after the successful \"Appropriate Adult\" scheme in the UK and in a sense, also implemented already in Singapore for the disabled could be a union officer, a social worker, or disability specialist equipped to support the worker appropriately.
The advocate's role is not to speak on behalf of the worker, but to ensure that the worker is heard. The advocate helps prevent coercion, translate complex language and provide emotional and procedural support. In doing so, we balance the scales of power and make the process fairer, more humane and more inclusive for all.
Pillar 3 for improvement: mandate inclusion – legislate the duty for reasonable accommodation. Merely banning discrimination is not enough. That is a passive act. True inclusion requires proactive effort. Yet today, the burden still falls on the employee to request reasonable accommodation – and for many, that very burden becomes the barrier that excludes them.
Sir, the current response by Government to call for a clear roadmap on mandating reasonable accommodation has been to \"focus on education – to strengthen understanding and support first.\" But education has already been ongoing for nearly two decades. The Open Door Fund, for example – now the Open Door Programme – was established as early as 2007. SG Enable and the Enabling Employment Credit have done extensive work to educate and support employers to hire persons with disabilities.
Singapore has had years of employer education. It is now time to take the next step – to legislate the duty to provide reasonable accommodation. Many employers have already demonstrated what inclusion in action looks like.
At the Art Bar, a collaboration with Starbucks, two employees with autism, Salihin and Caleb, have worked as skilled baristas for almost a decade. Clear signage, visual support, structured routines help them carry out their tasks confidently and independently. Some of you here, including our Senior Minister, was already a customer had witnessed their skills.
Another example, Siew Leng, who is deaf and blind, has been with her organisation SG Enable for over 12 years. She uses a refreshable braille display to read documents and emails, and her colleagues assist with phone calls when needed. These same accommodations enable her to remain productive and valued.
There are many, many more examples – across both blue, white new collar jobs, silver jobs – documented by the various organisations such as SG Enable and their Job Placement and Job Support agencies, partners such as SPD, ARC and MINDS.
It is timely, therefore, to explicitly codify into law the employer's positive duty to provide reasonable accommodation – and to recognise that failure to do so is an act of discrimination. Employers should also be guided by a clear, illustrative list of accommodations: for a wheelchair user, not just a ramp, but also an adjustable desk; for a worker with visual impairment, screen-reading software and braille safety signs.
By legislating this duty, we move the workplace culture from a defensive \"Why should I?\" to a collaborative \"How can we?\" – unlocking the full potential of our diverse and capable workforce.
Lastly, Pillar 4 for improvement: prevent harm – conduct proactive fairness audits. A fair system should stop discrimination before it happens – not fix it after people are hurt.
We should ask all medium and large employers to carry out regular Workplace Fairness Audits. These audits should look at how employees are hired, promoted, retained and developed across groups such as age, gender and disability, and publish anonymised findings.
The purpose of this is to build a culture of transparency and trust, not fear. It helps companies spot and correct hidden biases early, so disputes become a last resort instead of the only way to seek fairness. It shifts our approach from punishing unfairness to building fairness right from the start.
In conclusion, Sir, the Workplace Fairness Bill represents a historic step toward a fairer Singaporean labour landscape. By consolidating dispute resolution into a single, statutory pathway, it aims to provide clarity and accessibility.
However, Bill does not fully level the playing field; it merely provides a better-defined one on which the inherent disadvantages of the vulnerable employee still play out. The journey from experiencing discrimination to securing redress is a marathon. The system, while improved, still places a significant onus on the individual to navigate complex processes against a typically well-resourced opponent.
The ultimate success of this Bill for Singapore's most vulnerable workers will therefore depend not just on the letter of the law, but on the ecosystem that supports it. This includes robust funding for truly accessible legal aid and support such as the Appropriate Adult scheme, community outreach programmes to educate workers on their rights and the importance of documentation, and ongoing training for mediators and even judges to identify and protect against power imbalances.
Without these complementary measures, the Bill risks being a well-intentioned channel that only the most resilient and resourceful vulnerable employees can successfully pass through. Notwithstanding this and looking forward to MOM's consideration of my four proposals, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Deputy Leader.
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Mr Speaker: Senior Minister of State Desmond Tan.
Mr Desmond Tan (Pasir Ris-Changi): Mr Speaker, Sir, I declare my interest as the Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the executive secretary of the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union (SISEU), as well as the co-chair for the Tripartite Workgroup for Senior Employment (TWG-SE).
During the debate on the Workplace Fairness Bill earlier this year, brother Heng Chee How emphasised how an ageing population is a major challenge for global economies. Beyond affecting individual workers, age discrimination can reduce our economy's overall competitiveness and productivity. Through my engagements with union leaders as well as individuals and workers of different segments and in particular, recently, of senior workers, I have also heard concerns from our seniors about ageism in hiring, in training and in promotion. I have covered some of these topics in the Motion of Thanks debate this year.
Globally, we also see that age discrimination at workplaces has led to significant legal consequences. In the United States, IBM faced lawsuits over layoffs since 2016 that allegedly targeted older workers. More recently, IKEA settled five lawsuits for passing over older workers for promotions and unfairly labelling them as lacking potential.
These cases show how age discrimination, if unaddressed, can lead to costly legal battles and a fractured workplace culture. This is why the Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) is an important step that prohibits workplace discrimination based on protected characteristics, including age.
Today, I welcome the introduction of the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill, which sets out the process for individuals to make claims against firms if they experience workplace discrimination. These are timely measures as Singapore is expected to become a super-aged society in 2026. For senior workers, discrimination often compounds existing anxieties, including their job security, re-employment or their skills relevance. It is therefore vital to provide a trusted and accessible avenue for redress, giving them confidence and dignity at work.
Therefore, I want to thank the Government for working closely with the tripartite partners to design the dispute resolution process that ensures that workers, including our senior workers, have a fair, accessible and effective pathway to their WFA claims.
Mr Speaker, Sir, beyond formal mediation and tribunals, NTUC and our unions play a critical role in supporting our members to obtain fair and early resolution for workplace disputes. As the executive secretary of SISEU, I see our union leaders and our industrial relations officers working tirelessly to support our members.
Last year, SISEU handled over 100 individual grievances, including professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) and members from non-unionised firms. Most were resolved amicably, at the union level, through mediation.
Let me share an example. SISEU supported a wrongful dismissal case involving a PME in his mid-40s, terminated with one month's notice, despite a satisfactory performance and without clear explanation. Through union mediation, he secured approximately $55,000 in compensation more than if he had escalated to the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT).
Age discrimination in the workplace is often subtle and difficult to detect, as it can take the form of indirect practices. On the ground, it is not uncommon to hear that when companies downsize, older workers are often the first to be let go.
SISEU highlighted a case where a company asked employees nearing retirement age to resign voluntarily or risk losing medical benefits, only to replace them with new younger workers. With union intervention, the company eventually recognised the violation and took corrective actions. While this may have stemmed from a new management unfamiliar with local norms, it underscores how similar cases and practices could be adopted elsewhere, whether they are intentional or otherwise.
As Mr Lee Kuan Yew puts it, \"Self-respect is what our trade unions have and will give to our workers, that protection for a man's right to his own dignity.\" This Bill puts that principle into action. Senior workers now have stronger legal protection against disguised bias, where NTUC and our unions can better represent workers in resolving disputes and restoring this important dignity.
Before any dispute escalates to ECT, NTUC also provides accessible support for our members. Our LawWorks legal clinics, through our partnership with Pro Bono SG and the network of volunteer lawyers, offer complementary basic legal advice to members, including for employment- and workplace-related matters. I know that Member He Ting Ru mentioned that the website of Pro Bono SG did not indicate that. We will check on the website, but in practice, on the ground, we see the majority of cases coming to LawWorks are personal workplace- and employment-related cases. We will similarly extend this support and this legal claim to provide advice to members for discrimination cases under the WFA as well.
For members in unionised companies, they can, in addition to the legal clinics, continue to rely on our industrial relation officers who are well-versed with the Industrial Relations Act and workplace matters and equipped to represent our workers to the best of our ability.
I also want to respond to Member Shawn Loh's question whether NTUC will support non-members of NTUC to join NTUC in order to obtain support from us. My response is that all workers should join NTUC today and not wait until they need support from us, because we are here to support every worker and every worker is important to us.
Beyond discrimination at work, many senior workers report applying for numerous jobs but receiving silent rejection. In my earlier Motion of Thanks speech, I shared one such real-life story and also urged employers to better recognise their expertise accumulated from years of experience of our senior workers.
As recruitment becomes increasingly digital, we must also guard against age bias in artificial intelligence (AI)-based hiring tools. In the United States, for instance, Workday, Inc., one of the world's largest HR software provider, is facing a collective action lawsuit based on claims that its AI-powered recruitment system discriminated against candidates above 40 years old. This shows that even well-established platforms are not immune to bias and that algorithm discrimination is a real and emerging risk.
So, NTUC asks for stronger guidance and governance standards for AI-powered HR systems to ensure that technology promotes fairness, not perpetuate hidden discrimination. These include working with tripartite partners to develop fair hiring standards for the use of AI and to equip our HR practitioners with the right skills and tools to detect and mitigate algorithmic bias.
Given the varied nature of grievance cases, the Government should actively collect data and conduct regular review of the legislation in collaboration with tripartite partners to ensure that it remains responsive to the evolving societal norms and workforce demographics. And one suggestion I want to offer here is to review the ECT limit for all other workforce or workplace claims.
Given the advantages of ECT in granting more workers, including our PMEs, access to justice, we ask that the Ministry do consider expanding the ECT claims limit for other workplace claims beyond workplace discrimination, including salary dispute and unfair dismissal. This is especially if the expanded ECT for WFA claims works well going forward. Mr Speaker, I will now speak in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, the Workplace Fairness Act is crucial for safeguarding the rights and dignity of senior workers. Singapore will enter a super-aged society in 2026, and our senior workers often face anxieties regarding job security, re-employment and skills retraining. This Act will ensure that senior workers have an avenue for redress, helping them regain dignity and confidence in the workplace.
The Workplace Fairness Act and the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill, through the Judge-led Employment Claims Tribunal with its mediation-first approach without high legal costs, ensure that all workers, including seniors, have a fair, accessible and effective pathway for their WFA claims.
Here, I would like to thank MOM and our tripartite partners for their attention to maintaining workplace fairness, particularly their focus on seniors. As the saying goes: \"The seniors are like jade; they are treasures of the nation.\" In this digital age, we need to continue supporting seniors to remain actively engaged in work and social environments, enabling them to enjoy their golden years with dignity and confidence.
(In English): In closing, Mr Speaker, this Bill gives senior workers stronger protection, along with better access to union representation through the expanded claims framework. This is a significant step forward in ensuring fair treatment. Beyond legal protections, we must build workplace cultures that respect and empower workers of all ages, where experience is seen as an asset, not a liability. This is a key priority of tripartite partners under the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment, which I co-chair. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Elysa Chen.
Ms Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill represents a vital step for employment rights in Singapore. But as I reviewed this Bill, I found myself thinking not just about the legal frameworks and tribunal procedures outlined in its pages, but also people from all walks of life who will need to navigate these systems to seek justice. Among these will be persons with disabilities and special needs, who most often draw the shortest end of the stick.
Today, I rise in strong support of this Bill. But I also rise to ask four questions that might help this legislation truly deliver fairness for persons with disabilities.
Sir, the Bill before us establishes a comprehensive three-step dispute resolution process: internal grievance handling, mediation at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and as a last resort, adjudication at the ECT or the High Court. This is sound policy architecture. But architecture must be accompanied with the frameworks to ensure that those who need access to its protection can enter.
Let me share a story from a resident who came to see me. My resident is autistic. He had been working in a professional services firm when he began experiencing what he believed was discrimination related to his disability. When he tried to raise his concerns through his company's grievance process, he found the procedures overwhelming. The internal HR process required him to navigate dense policy documents he found difficult to understand. When he attended meetings with HR representatives, they spoke rapidly using corporate jargon and expected immediate verbal responses: something extremely challenging for him as an autistic person who needs time to process information. The sensory environment of the meetings, the bright fluorescent lights, the hum of the air-conditioning and the unpredictability of the discussion, left him feeling psychologically unsafe and unable to articulate his case clearly.
Mr Speaker, Sir, my resident's experience is not unique. This is why my first and most urgent clarification is this: is it possible for HR professionals, TADM mediators, ECT staff and High Court personnel involved in employment disputes, to undergo mandatory disability awareness training.
Secondly, can we do more to ensure informed representation? My second recommendation addresses a fundamental asymmetry of power that persons with disabilities face in dispute resolution. The Bill wisely provides for representation at mediation sessions. Employers who are corporate bodies may be represented by officers or employees. In turn, parties may be represented by advocates and solicitors if claims exceed certain thresholds. These provisions are sound.
But Sir, is there space for the provisions under the Bill to go further by allowing social service agencies or non-profit organisations working with such groups of people to represent persons with disabilities during mediation sessions and tribunal proceedings?
Why is this so critical? Let me illustrate with another story from the same resident. During a particularly stressful period at work, my resident was required to participate in work calls with IT colleagues that his autism job coach from the Autism Resource Centre had explicitly recommended he be excluded from, or at minimum, that someone always accompany him during such interactions. These calls were neurologically incompatible for him – they were complex, unstructured, unpredictable, filled with incomplete information and confusing technical jargon. They triggered intense stress and made him feel psychologically unsafe.
Despite this professional recommendation for a reasonable accommodation, business needs overrode the advice. During one exceptionally traumatic call that pushed him near to an autistic meltdown, my resident made a comment expressing his extreme distress. He did not use vulgarities. He did not make personal attacks. He was simply overwhelmed. But in the debrief meeting that followed, his managers ignored his distress entirely and focused solely on what they deemed \"unprofessional behaviour\". His managers even threatened to negatively impact his performance appraisal, a form of indirect discrimination since his reactions were directly related to his disability, until a more senior leader intervened.
Sir, if my resident had tried to challenge this treatment through mediation or tribunal proceedings on his own, he would have struggled immensely. Sitting across from corporate representatives, he would have difficulty articulating the nuanced context of his disability – why being corrected and reprimanded for a disability-related reaction constitutes harassment, why the denial of recommended accommodations created the conditions for the incident and why threatening his performance appraisal for needing accommodations is discriminatory.
Sir, this is why organisations who are trained at working with persons with disabilities must be present at mediations and tribunals. These organisations understand the unique challenges persons with disabilities face. They can help persons with disabilities prepare their cases, organise their evidence and communicate their experiences differently. They can identify when workplace \"performance issues\" are actually disability discrimination disguised as legitimate business decisions. The Bill already contemplates that unions can represent parties in dispute resolution but union representatives, while skilled in employment matters, may not have specialised training in disability issues. Disability organisations bring that expertise.
Sir, my third clarification concerns accessibility for the frameworks surrounding the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill. Would it be possible to ensure that all materials, guidelines and submission portals related to workplace fairness disputes comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines are not aspirational. They are already mandatory for high-traffic Government websites under our Digital Service Standards, with full compliance expected by 2030.
Compliance with WCAG means ensuring that online portals work with screen readers for persons with visual impairments. It means providing text alternatives for all images and charts. It means ensuring sufficient colour contrast for persons with low vision or colour blindness. It means designing forms that are navigable by keyboard for persons with mobility limitations. It means using clear, simple language for persons with intellectual or cognitive disabilities. It would go a long, long way in ensuring that the information and protection provided by the Bill and its guidelines are available to all.
Mr Speaker, in this House, we have spoken much about a society of compassion. The Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill is a commendable, intentional and balanced step to building a system that truly serves everyone. I am deeply grateful to the Minister and the entire Ministry team for their dedication in crafting this landmark piece of legislation, and call on all of us to deliberately and intentionally ensure that the provisions made in this Bill continue to build a system that is accessible and fair for all workers.
When we train our mediators and tribunal officers in disability awareness, we ensure that persons with disabilities are treated with dignity and understanding. When we enable disability organisations to represent persons with disabilities, we level the playing field and ensure that power imbalances do not predetermine outcomes. When we make our systems accessible – our portals, forms, hearing rooms – we remove barriers that exclude persons with disabilities from seeking justice. And when we design evidence rules that account for the realities of how discrimination operates, we ensure that persons with disabilities do not face impossible burdens when asserting their rights.
A workplace fairness system that works for persons with disabilities is a system that works for everyone. It is like a ramp. We build it for those who need it most – persons who use wheelchairs – but once it is there, it helps everyone: parents with strollers, delivery riders, the elderly. Likewise, when we design our workplace systems to include persons with disabilities, we build a Singapore that is more humane and ultimately, more just for all. And when Singapore proves that every person, regardless of ability, can access justice with dignity, we will have built not just fairer workplaces, but a more compassionate nation. Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Speaker, Sir, this Bill is an important development in our workplace management framework. In today's context, whereby labour is globally mobile and the workplace has essentially become borderless, the competition between economies for jobs is now much more intense. It is now far harder to strike a balance between the needs and interests of employers and employees, especially for a small country with a globally-connected economy like Singapore.
I am standing in support of this Bill because it is an important Bill that aligns Singapore's labour legislation with that of global peers and provides much-needed clarity for companies that choose to operate here. As a business-friendly environment, we have to understand that employers need clarity, flexibility and certainty so that they can continue to innovate and compete without undue fear of litigation or disruption.
The Bill sends an important message: that discrimination has never been and will never be tolerated in our workplaces. Employees will have more certainty and confidence that decisions around hiring, promotion, training and termination will be based on merit. Those who believe they have been unfairly treated now have clearer and more accessible recourse avenues. The internal grievance process helps ensure that matters can be raised within the firm. The mediation-first approach means that disputes can be resolved in a less adversarial manner and allows for the possibility that some semblance of relationship can be preserved. This is also in line with what is commonly known as \"not burning bridges\".
I hope that employers will view this new development positively and understand that the legislation is helping them to build stronger teams and healthier, more engaged workplaces. With the certainty offered by this piece of legislation, employers now have a clearer framework for setting up grievance mechanisms, conducting fair employment practices, understanding what constitutes adverse employment decisions. As the Bill prioritises internal resolution and mediation, employers have the opportunity to resolve disputes internally or at early stages rather than getting right into expensive, possibly protracted litigation. This helps preserve employer-employee relationships, maintain morale and reduce the risk of reputational damage.
I wanted to just highlight some potential practicalities that may be faced by employees and employers as this is being rolled out. To realise the full potential of this Bill, we need to address the following issues.
First, employees and jobseekers should be aware of their rights and the processes available to them and feel empowered to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Employees may not be aware of their rights or may be unfamiliar with the process. Will the Ministry be planning to raise their awareness and educate them on the steps they need to take, such as keeping records and evidence of discriminatory practices? Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Employees and jobseekers should be aware of their rights and the processes available to them, and feel empowered to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Employees may not be aware of their rights or may be unfamiliar with the process. Will the Ministry be planning to raise their awareness and educate them on the steps they need to take, such as keeping records and evidence of discriminatory practices?
(In English): Second, tripartite partners, unions, employer associations, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), TAFEP should continue their education and outreach to ensure that the transition is smooth and that smaller firms are supported.
Third, employers should proactively review and strengthen their internal grievance handling procedures, provide training for managers and staff, and encourage a culture of openness and fairness. I know that this does not happen overnight, but it is in the interests of the company to do so.
Fourth, I hope that the Government devotes some resources to monitor how the entire regime works in practice: examining the average time to resolution, cost to parties, outcomes and whether the mediation-first approach is achieving the harmony and fairness objectives intended.
In addition, while the Bill aims to prevent abuse of the system, the safeguards for employers against unmerited claims could be a barrier to employees seeking redress. Some employees may be worried that they will have to go through a longer and more onerous process than simply sending a complaint to the authorities. What is the Ministry's assessment of this issue? I urge businesses to view this legislation as an opportunity, not simply as a compliance burden, but as a catalyst for better workplaces, where employees feel respected and empowered, where both sides can focus on what matters most and that is doing good work together.
Mr Speaker: Mr Edward Chia.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill, which marks an important step in resolving employment disputes fairly, quickly and transparently. By giving statutory force to fair employment principles, this Bill reinforces Singapore's commitment to an inclusive, rules-based labour market where both employers and employees can operate with confidence.
As we implement this framework, I would like to raise several points for clarification and recommendations. First, this Bill introduces mandatory mediation before adjudication. This aligns with our tripartite approach of resolving conflicts through dialogue and conciliation rather than confrontation. But access to mediation is key. Workers without HR support or legal literacy must feel safe in coming forward. How will we ensure that mediation is not just available, but also accessible and impartial, especially for our lower-wage workers? As TAFEP transitions from advisory to enforcement, clear communication is critical so that everyone understands where to go, what to do and what to expect when a dispute arises.
Second, while the Bill emphasises the importance of internal resolution, we must recognise that unequal power dynamics persist in the workplace. Employees may feel intimidated, uncertain, or afraid of retaliation. Could the Ministry share what safeguards and training will be in place to ensure employees can resolve grievances without fear or duress? And where harm or undue pressure is likely, could the Bill allow employees to proceed directly to mediation? This would protect vulnerable workers while preserving fair and proportionate resolution.
Third, employers bear the responsibility to uphold fair practices and cooperate fully with investigations. Yet, many SMEs may lack the HR capacity to meet these new statutory expectations. Our collective goal must be to prevent disputes before they even arise. To achieve this, we need to strengthen HR capabilities across all enterprises, ensuring practices are professional, transparent and consistently applied.
In this regard, promotion and appraisal process deserves special attention. These decisions are often subjective and yet they have profound implications for employee morale, retention and progression. To reduce misunderstanding and build trust, companies, especially SMEs, should be encouraged to review and clarify their performance appraisal and promotion criteria, ensuring that they are fair, evidence-based and relevant to their business context.
May I ask the Minister for an update on efforts to professionalise and certify the HR industry and how the Ministry can further support employers, particularly smaller firms, in strengthening their internal HR systems? For example, could TAFEP or MOM provide advisory resources, templates or capability programmes to help companies design fair and defensible HR frameworks aligned with the intent and spirit of this Bill?
Fourth, we must also guard against frivolous claims. For example, some employees may allege discrimination over return-to-office policies. The system must remain balanced, protecting genuine cases, but preventing misuse. Clear definitions and examples of discrimination will give both employers and employees the confidence to act fairly and reasonably. May I ask the Minister what safeguards are in place to prevent against frivolous claims?
Fifth, where discrimination is proven, tribunals may order compensation or reinstatement. To clarify, can the Minister share how compensation will be determined and whether guidelines, similar to those at the ECT, will apply? This Bill will expand the roles of MOM and TAFEP in mediation and enforcement. What resources will be provided to ensure timely resolution and consistent outcomes, because predictability builds confidence for both employers and employees?
Lastly, legislation can set the rules, but it cannot change culture alone. Education and outreach are vital. Workers must know their rights. Employers, especially SMEs, need guidance to put these new requirements into practice. Our tripartite partners play a key role. Through workshops, toolkits and real examples, they can help both employers and employees understand their responsibilities. Because fairness should not just be a legal requirement, it should be a shared workplace value.
Mr Speaker, Sir, this Bill sends a clear message that fairness, respect and dignity are non-negotiable in our workplaces. My clarifications are made in the spirit of strengthening its implementation, ensuring that both employers and employees can operate in a system that is fair, balanced and trusted by all.
Mr Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to declare my interest as a member of the TAFEP Committee.
The Bill marks a landmark first for Singapore – the establishment of a comprehensive, statutory framework for workplace fairness and anti-discrimination. It represents one of the most structured and progressive statutory frameworks of its kind in our region in past.
For me personally, this has been a long-awaited milestone. Ten years ago, in my maiden speech, I spoke about fair employment practices and the need for enhanced anti-discrimination protections. Other MPs have also spoken about it over the years. After we passed the first part of the WFA in January this year, this Bill now stands between us and finally having statutory anti-discrimination protections that employees can avail themselves of.
This is more than a legal reform; it is a social compact for the future of work in Singapore, one that balances fairness, accountability and economic competitiveness. Singapore's approach, grounded in tripartism and trust between Government, unions and employers, makes this framework uniquely Singaporean and regionally possibly distinctive.
Mr Speaker, Sir, I actually wanted to ask a few questions about the implementation of the timeline and the role of TAFEP, but I think Minister Tan, in his opening speech, already answered my question. He mentioned about it being scheduled by end of 2027. But what I want to reiterate here is the fact that for employers to plan ahead, a clear timeline and transparent update ahead of implementation will be useful, especially in the current economic and trading environment that we are seeing globally.
My question, therefore, on TAFEP, would be, as Minister Tan has shared earlier, he has elaborated in his opening speech about the role that TAFEP will play. My question is, after hearing what Minister Tan has asked, is given the range of work to be done by TAFEP, would TAFEP's budget and resources be scaled up or down, or maintained, following the implementation of the WFA? I think TAFEP will play a significant role, going forward, from what I have heard from Minister Tan, given the expectations also from the Members in the Chamber, especially in the need to simplify things and in particular, possibly making things in vernacular so that our employees can understand it further, including employers.
Second point, Mr Speaker, is on the claims procedure and internal grievance handling processes. As I understand it, an aggrieved individual would need to go through three sequential stages to pursue a claim against an employer or firm.
First, the employee must resort to the firm's internal grievance handling process at the first instance. Would there be minimum standards that such internal processes would have to meet and would they be subject to audit by supervising agencies? I think this is the first hurdle before things get progressive. This is important, especially if you are also subjecting an individual who is complaining about a discriminatory decision not to hire him or her under section 5 of the WFA.
Unlike individuals complaining about discriminatory employment decisions during employment, or in respect of dismissal, retrenchment or termination, such an individual would not have signed a contract with the firm where he or she might have agreed to the firm's internal grievance handling process.
In a similar vein, would the Ministry and/or its agencies roll out training on how to institute or improve an acceptable grievance handling process before the WFA goes live, and as mentioned, end 2027 – so, we still have a few years to go before then. So, when will this be done?
Next, Mr Speaker, claims, procedure and mediation. I think many in this room have shared about their concerns on the mediation front. Second, an aggrieved individual would have to attempt mediation as a precondition to filing a claim against the employer or firm. The Bill provides that this will be evidenced by a \"claim referral certificate\", issued by an approved mediator if the dispute cannot be settled by mediation. What is the duration that the individual has to commence a claim after receiving a \"claim referral certificate\"? Will each certificate stipulate a bespoke time limit for that particular claim to be brought in the High Court or the ECT? If so, what should an individual claimant do if his or her \"claim referral certificate\" lapses or expires? A bit of a technical question that I have.
So, we must have mediators, if other Members have spoken, mediators who are sensitive to the context of our unique system, emphasising tripartism and harmonious labour relations. What is the size of the pool of approved mediators that will be maintained? Where will they be drawn from? Practising lawyers, HR specialists or Public Service officers?
The new section 36E to be introduced by this Bill, provides that a mediation request must be made within one, two or six months of the alleged discriminatory employment decision, depending on the nature of the claim and whether the employer gave notice of the employment decision or not. What is the consequence if a claimant is out of time? Is any and all recourse precluded, such that the claimant cannot pursue the workplace fairness claim in mediation or in Court? I believe this has been raised by others as well before me.
It also appears difficult for a claimant to determine the expiry of the time bar if the employer does not give notice of the employment decision. In the new section 36E, how does the Ministry expect the time bars in limbs (2)(b) and (3)(b) to work? Where a claim for a discriminatory hiring decision is concerned, is section 36E(2)(b) even meaningful since there are express provisions on deemed notice and implied notice where a prospective employer has \"ghosted\" the employee after the employment application, interview or test?
The prescribed time bars also make reasonable concessions for pregnant individuals. In relation to the new section 36E(4)(a) of the Bill, must there be formal certification of pregnancy or is a clinical diagnosis by a registered medical practitioner enough? Is it truly the intent to subject pregnant women, for example, to dispute resolution under the WFA, prior to the end of their confinement, just because they only got their pregnancy confirmed by a doctor after the employer's alleged discriminatory dismissal or termination?
Mr Speaker, my next point on claims procedure on ECT or High Court, but will be made in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to state for the record my appreciation to the Government for the amendments to the Workplace Fairness Act that aim to protect Singapore workers from any form of discrimination. However, I have a few questions. At the third and final stage, any workplace fairness claims that cannot be resolved through the company's internal processes or through mediation may be brought to the General Division of the High Court, or to the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) if the claim amount is S$250,000 or less.
For cases brought to the ECT, individuals are not permitted to be represented by lawyers, whether during mediation or during tribunal proceedings. This is in line with the ECT's objective to maintain a simple, personal and judge-led process.
However, I would like to ask — has any satisfaction survey or study ever been conducted on individuals and employers regarding the process and outcomes of ECT proceedings, given that legal representation is generally not permitted?
This situation could create an inequality of opportunity, as companies, partnerships or organisations can still be represented by in-house counsel who are their full-time officers or employees. I understand that this is the current rule for ECT proceedings. However, does the Ministry have data on how many cases involve employers being represented by full-time in-house lawyers?
To maintain the principle of equality of arms, could aggrieved individuals be permitted to be accompanied by lawyer friends during mediation sessions or tribunal proceedings — provided that the lawyer does not act as their legal representative? If so, I hope this matter can be clarified in the subsidiary legislation to be introduced under Section 36I(3) in this Bill.
This principle of equality also exists in other regulations, where employers may only be represented by trade union representatives if workers are also represented by their own union. Hence, I would like to seek a clarification — must workers actually have union representation, or is it enough that they are eligible for union representation in order to allow employers to also have union representatives?
Finally, what is the rationale of the policy allowing representation by trade unions, but not allowing representation by lawyers for claims amounting to S$250,000 or less?
(In English): The need for legal representation is underscored by the need to navigate alternative avenues of recourse for unfair dismissal, such as bringing a claim in the Industrial Arbitration Court or making representations to the Minister under the Industrial Relations Act 1960 or the Retirement and Re-employment Act 1993.
The new sections 36L and 36M deal with this. From my layman reading, it appears that you cannot commence a WFA claim after making representations to the Minister, but you can maintain both if you commence the WFA claim first before making representations to the Minister. That seems complicated and confusing for an individual to navigate without a lawyer.
And in terms of remedies, Mr Speaker, the new clause 36N to be introduced in the WFA, as well as the new section 12A to be introduced in the Employment Claims Act 2016, stipulate the remedies that an individual can obtain in a WFA claim. In essence, the general relief that the claimant can obtain is damages and for discriminatory dismissal claims, there is an additional option of ordering reinstatement of the claimant in his or her previous employment.
How practical is such an option for reinstatement, especially when trust and confidence would have broken down between the employer and the employee? From past cases which have been determined by the ECT or dealt with by the TADM, may I know how many cases actually saw the reinstatement and re-establishment of the employer-employee relationship at the end of the process? And what proportion of these were voluntarily agreed by the parties and how many were foisted on the parties by an order?
The proposed additions to the WFA and the Employment Claims Act 2016 also suggest, but do not detail, that a monetary limit will be set for claims of discriminatory hiring under section 5(1) of WFA. What is the rationale for such a claim limit when no similar limit is suggested for discriminatory employment decisions during employment or in respect of termination? How will such a limit be calculated? Will there be one limit or multiple limits for different scenarios? Another concern is that it may be difficult to quantify the precise loss or damages that flow from a discriminatory employment decision. For example, what would be the precise loss for someone who was passed over for a promotion because of a protected characteristic, besides any bonus or pay increment that he or she should have gotten?
Even for the pay increment, what is the number of months or years that should be used to calculate the total loss? There are a few ways that we can possibly fill this gap, based on existing solutions used elsewhere. One, we can stipulate a default amount or rate of statutory damages where actual loss need not be proven, as already done for intellectual property infringement under the Trade Marks Act or Copyright Act. Two, we can allow the ECT or Court to appoint a single joint expert to determine damages if a discriminatory decision is established. Three, we can publish simple illustrations and infographics to educate workers on how to calculate their claimed losses, all centralised in one accessible location.
Related to this is another suggestion that I raised when we debated the first part of WFA back in January 2025. Would the Ministry publish and consolidate WFA decisions on a publicly accessible website, as done by the Personal Data Protection Commission? This would help employees understand how damages have been assessed and serve the goals of deterrence and open justice as errant employers are named and taken to task.
Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, as the Minister had stated when we passed the first part of WFA, he mentioned, \"we have only just begun\", and I am sure we will continue to fine-tune and strengthen our workplace fairness legislation as we put it in place and practice. But for now, I thank MOM for their immense work in giving Singapore our own version of anti-discrimination laws which have been promulgated in most developed countries and which I have had to cite in my 2019 and 2021 Adjournment Motions on fair employment practices. Today, we have our own, if passed, to operate and improve in years to come for the benefit of Singaporeans.
Notwithstanding the clarifications sought, I fully support the Bill, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker: Mr Sharael Taha.
Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Changi): Mr Speaker, in January this year, this House debated the first part of the resolution process on the Workplace Fairness Bill. In that debate, I shared my own personal experience of encountering racial prejudice in the workplace and how, while the situation has improved significantly over the years, workplace discrimination remains a concern for many Singaporeans.
Discrimination today may not always be overt. It can be subtle, in hiring decisions, in career progression opportunities or in the way performance feedback is given. It can appear in informal networks, in workplace culture or in the unconscious biasness that shape decisions. These experiences may not always make the news, but for the individuals involved, they can be deeply painful and affect their dignity and confidence. That is why the Workplace Fairness Legislation is important. Together with the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill before us today, it sends a strong signal of our national commitment to fairness, respect and equal opportunity for all workers in Singapore.
Mr Speaker, I support this Bill because it establishes a clear, fair and balanced process for resolving discrimination disputes, one that seeks to balance justice with harmony in our workplaces. The framework recognises that while legal redress is important, the best outcome is not always found in the courtroom. It is often better for both worker and employer to resolve disputes early through open communication, internal processes and mediation rather than escalation and litigation.
This Bill, therefore, introduces a three-step framework for handling discrimination grievances and this staged approach is consistent with Singapore's long-standing tripartite model: one built on trust, mutual respect and the shared responsibility between the Government, employers and workers. However, for the legislation to be truly effective, most disputes should ideally be resolved within the first two steps: the internal grievances process and mediation. If every case goes straight to adjudication, we risk fracturing workplaces, relationships and creating an adversarial climate that benefits no one. Hence, my clarifications today will focus on how we can strengthen these first two steps to make them more accessible, fair and effective for both employers and employees.
Firstly, may I seek clarification on the total number of workplace discrimination grievances that have been raised since the passage of the first part of the Bill earlier this year. Having such data, even in aggregate, would allow us to monitor trends, identify common types of discrimination and understand which industries or sectors are most affected. For instance, are most cases related to gender, age, race or disability? Are they concentrated in certain job functions or company sizes? Having this insight will help us to fine-tune future policies and training resources. It would also be useful to understand how many of these cases were successfully resolved at the internal or mediation stage before, now, queuing up for adjudication. This would give us a clear sense of whether the grievance handling process is working as intended.
Second, how can we better assist companies, especially small and medium enterprises, to manage the internal grievance handling process effectively? Many large firms already have HR departments or diversity leads who can manage such cases. But for smaller organisations, HR may be one person juggling multiple roles or the business owner themselves. Without clear procedures or adequately trained staff to manage discrimination complaints, employees may be reluctant to raise concerns, either out of fear of retaliation, a perception that nothing will change or concern that a poorly handled process could further strain relationships at the workplace.
Hence, I would like to ask the Ministry: how will it support firms in developing fair and transparent internal processes for handling grievances on discrimination? Will there be standard templates or model grievance frameworks provided to guide companies, which many in the House have talked about so I will not belabour on such an approach. Will TAFEP or Workforce Singapore offer training and certification for HR personnel or line managers in managing discrimination complaints sensitively and fairly? And how will the Ministry ensure that outcomes of internal grievance handling are properly documented so that employer and employee are protected from misunderstanding or misuse? Beyond compliance, grievance handling must be done with empathy and professionalism. It should not be seen as a box-ticking exercise, but as a way to rebuild trust, heal relationships and strengthen the workplace culture.
Thirdly, I note that the Workplace Fairness Legislation currently applies to employers with more than 25 employees. While this covers the majority of workers, about close to 18% of companies in Singapore employ fewer than 25 people. This includes many start-ups, family-run firms, social enterprises and small contractors. These are often the most vulnerable workplaces where HR structures are informal and power dynamics can be more pronounced.
I, therefore, seek clarification on how workers in these smaller companies will be protected. For example, can these workers still seek recourse through TAFEP or mediation if they experience discrimination? Will there be a transitional assistance or advisory services to help smaller employers adopt fair practices without the same administrative burden as large firms? Something which was shared by many Members. Could the Ministry consider a phased approach or incentives, such as grants or toolkits, to help businesses build fair employment systems over time? And will there be plans to include these smaller businesses into the legislation?
It is important that our national commitment to fairness is not dependent on company size. Every worker, regardless of where they work, should feel protected from discrimination and be treated with dignity and with respect.
Mr Speaker, laws can mandate fairness but they cannot create inclusion alone. That requires culture, requires leadership and requires empathy. Our goal must be not just to punish discrimination after it occurs, but to prevent it from taking root. We can do so by helping employers and workers to recognise unconscious bias, to build inclusive hiring practices and to foster workplaces where diversity is seen as a strength.
In this regard, I am heartened that the tripartite partners of MOM, NTUC and SNEF have consistently worked together to promote fair employment through TAFEP. The success of this legislation will depend greatly on how well we continue that partnership and how effectively we communicate to both employers and workers that fairness benefits everyone. It builds trust, it attracts talent and strengthens social cohesion. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, last January, this House debated the first part of the Workplace Fairness Bill. In that debate, I shared my personal experience of encountering racial prejudice in the workplace. Although the situation today has changed and improved significantly, workplace discrimination remains a concern for many Singaporeans.
Sometimes, such discrimination is not overt. It can happen subtly — during promotion opportunities, or the way performance appraisal is conducted. Some also occurs through work culture or subconsciously, such as conversing in a foreign language that is not inclusive. Although not always visible, its effects can be deeply painful and affect a worker's dignity and confidence.
That is why the Workplace Fairness Bill is so important. Together with the Dispute Resolution Bill presented today, it demonstrates our nation's commitment to ensuring every worker is treated fairly, respected and given equal opportunities.
However, for the legislation to be truly effective, most disputes should be resolved at an early stage — through internal grievance processes and joint discussions. If all cases continue to be brought to tribunals, workplace relationships could become tense and unhealthy.
Therefore, my clarification today focuses on how we can strengthen these first two stages — so that every worker feels protected and safe to speak up, and every employer has a fair way to resolve discrimination issues.
Mr Speaker, laws can establish fairness, but laws alone cannot build a sense of togetherness. That requires culture, leadership and empathy.
Our goal is not merely to penalise discrimination after it occurs, but to prevent it from taking root; so that we can build workplaces that are fair and inclusive for all.
(In English): Mr Speaker, the two Bills that bring the Workplace Fairness Legislation together marks a significant milestone in Singapore's journey towards a more equitable workplace. They show that while we value competitiveness and meritocracy, we also value compassion and justice. They affirm that every worker regardless of race, gender, age, religion, disability, family status or any of the protected characteristics deserves to be treated fairly and have equal opportunities to thrive. As we implement these Bills, let us focus not only on the enforcement, but also on the education, the empowerment and the empathy, for fairness is not just a rule to be followed. It is a value to be lived every day in the workplace. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Minister Tan See Leng.
Dr Tan See Leng: Mr Speaker, let me begin first by thanking Members for their support for the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill and the questions raised. Perhaps, just one clarification, I am not sure whether Mr Louis Chua supported the Bill because he did not specifically state. Just a point of clarification – so, you support the Bill? [Inaudible.] Okay. Thank you.
So, we have heard a wide spectrum of views from Members. There have been calls to make the claims process more supportive and favourable to workers. On the other hand, there are also Members who have expressed the need to strengthen safeguards so that employers are not dragged through claims without merit, to the detriment of workplace harmony and economic progress.
What we can all agree, what we all agreed on is the need to ensure that workplace discrimination disputes are resolved in an amicable and in an expeditious manner.
This Bill seeks to do that through a careful balance of the interests of the various stakeholders to achieve this objective.
I will now address Members' specific clarifications.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked whether this Bill signals the Government's intent for workplace discrimination to be addressed through private claims rather than state enforcement. This is not the case – the WFA provides for both and each serves different purposes.
This Bill covers the right of individuals who faced workplace discrimination to lodge private claims to obtain redress and closure.
The state enforcement framework was part of the first Bill passed in January this year and it empowers the state to adopt a range of penalties against errant employers, such as issuing directions and imposing financial penalties.
Mr Saktiandi, Mr Edward Chia, Ms Denise Phua, Mr Shawn Loh, Dr Wan Rizal, Mr Muhaimin Malik and Mr Sharael Taha asked about supporting employers, including SMEs, to put in place grievance handling processes and imposing minimum standards on such processes. The WFA will set baseline requirements such as requiring employers to have a written grievance handling process in place.
Given the diversity of firms, differing HR capabilities and their unique operational considerations, we refrained from being overly prescriptive so that each firm will be able to develop a process which is suited to its needs. TAFEP will support firms with practical resources, such as the Grievance Handling Handbook which will provide sample procedures for employers, including SMEs, to reference.
Mr Chia, Ms Mariam Jaafar and Ms Joan Pereira also spoke about empowering workers to raise grievances without fear of retaliation. Mr Dennis Tan asked how work pass holders would be protected from having their work pass cancelled for filing a claim for workplace discrimination.
The first Bill prohibits employers from retaliating against those who have raised a workplace grievance, including by cancelling their work passes. Employers who retaliate could be subject to penalties imposed by MOM.
To Mr Louis Chua and Ms He Ting Ru's suggestions to allow workers to bypass the mediation and go straight to adjudication in certain circumstances, let me recap the intent of mandatory mediation. Mediation allows parties to have open conversations to arrive at a mutually agreeable outcome, tailored to their respective needs. Litigation leads to a zero-sum outcome where parties either win or lose, and it should always be a last resort. Our mediators are trained to provide a safe space for parties to share their views honestly and support the parties to come to an amicable agreement amongst themselves. That said, under circumstances in new sections 36H(2) and 36K(2) of the Act, certain claims may proceed to adjudication without mediation sessions being conducted.
I will move on to address Members' comments on the time bars for mediation requests and claims.
Mr Saktiandi sought clarification on how the time bars will work in certain scenarios, and labour MP and NTUC Secretary-General Mr Ng Chee Meng, Mr Louis Chua and Mr Muhaimin Malik called for flexibility in enforcing the time bars when there are exceptional circumstances.
Let me recap the intent of the time bars. These time bars represent what tripartite partners agree are reasonable for both employers and employees in different scenarios, including where employers do not give notice of their decisions, but employees have evidence that they were discriminated against. The time bars are designed to encourage timely filing of valid claims before evidence degrades over time, while also providing reassurance to employers that old claims will not be dredged up many years later.
At the same time, the time bars also account for extenuating circumstances.
For example, the new section 36E(4) of the WFA is intended to give employees who are dismissed when certified pregnant more time to come forward. MOM also has the discretion to accept late mediation requests and where there are reasonable grounds to do so, such as when the worker is incapacitated or seriously ill. This discretion is broad to accommodate various circumstances, and we do not intend to be prescriptive. We will monitor the implementation of the time bars and we will make adjustments, where necessary.
I should also add that regardless of which time bar is applicable, the worker is still required to provide prima facie evidence of being discriminate against.
Mr Saktiandi asked about the duration claimants would have to file their claims to the courts when the dispute cannot be resolved by mediation. This duration will be prescribed in subsidiary legislation, referencing the current duration of four weeks from the issuance of the claim referral certificate for other ECT claims.
Members have also sought clarification on the support for workers in the dispute resolution process, including those who are not union members.
Let me start with the support for union members. As mentioned by NTUC Secretary-General Mr Ng in his speech earlier, union members can turn to NTUC and their unions for support, every step of the way.
From the moment a dispute arises, members can turn to unions for assistance, and unions can represent members at mediation and at the ECT hearing. To Mr Muhaimin Malik's question, I wish to clarify that PMEs who are unionised can be represented by their unions in mediation and at the ECT. As we have expanded the ECT's threshold to $250,000 for workplace discrimination claims, this means that even more PMEs can file claims.
Next, I move to union members working in companies that are non-unionised. Ms Gho Sze Kee asked why unions cannot represent their members in non-unionised companies in mediation sessions and ECT hearings. To explain, union representation is premised on mutual recognition and trust between the employer and the union. This is why our laws provide for a process of recognition of a union by the employer.
Allowing unions to represent workers when they have not been recognised by their employer would undermine this fundamental tenet of tripartism and seed an adversarial relationship between unions and employers, to the detriment of industrial peace and workplace harmony in Singapore.
Notwithstanding this, as mentioned by Mr Ng, NTUC members in non-unionised companies can turn to NTUC's team of industrial relations experts and Tripartite Mediation Advisors for their support and advice on their claims.
Last but not least, workers who are not union members. Mr Cai Yinzhou, Mr Shawn Loh, Mr Muhaimin Malik and Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked about the support for this group of workers.
As I had mentioned when moving the Bill, TAFEP should be their first port of call when they face workplace discrimination. Such workers can approach TAFEP for advice and assistance. Ms Mariam Jaafar suggested that TAFEP help workers understand their rights and options.
I would like to reassure Members that TAFEP will provide advice on the provisions of the WFA, including an initial assessment of their claims and guidance on the WFA claims criteria. TAFEP will also help them with filing the mediation request as the next step of the claim process.
And I am glad that Mr Saktiandi Supaat realises how much resourcing we would have to fundamentally provide TAFEP with. I thank him for that support, and I certainly hope that when I put up for next year's Budget, Committee of Supply, we would get the support of the House. I believe that in the first Bill, Leader of the Opposition also asked me the same point and I registered that. Thank you very much for that appreciation of TAFEP.
Additionally, we note that vulnerable workers may need additional support, such as persons with disabilities, fresh graduates who may not be familiar with the law and employment norms, and low-wage workers with fewer resources, as Ms Elysa Chen, Mr Muhaimin, Ms Denise Phua and Ms He Ting Ru have pointed out. Mr Saktiandi and Ms Phua suggested having a friend or an independent advocate accompany the worker in the dispute resolution process.
I would like to mention that the Judiciary already has a Community Courts and Tribunals Friend Scheme where parties can apply for someone to provide administrative or emotional support during proceedings. Beyond this scheme, we will consider how we can help these vulnerable workers to better navigate the dispute resolution framework.
We note Mr Louis Chua's comment on the inherent difficulties for workers to prove workplace discrimination. We have to strike a balance between helping workers seek redress and, at the same time, safeguarding employers from frivolous accusations. So, for this reason, a worker alleging workplace discrimination must support his claim with evidence such as documents or oral accounts. Further, under the ECT's judge-led process, the Court will proactively manage the fact-finding process and can direct the employer to disclose relevant documents or information.
Mr Loh has asked about the costs of commencing a workplace discrimination claim. We are still working out the relevant fees for the various stages of the dispute resolution process, but I can share our general approach.
Overall, while fees should be kept affordable so that the dispute resolution process is accessible to genuine claimants, they should also reflect the complexity and the efforts needed to resolve higher value claims and deter frivolous claimants and unnecessary inflation of claims.
Mr Saktiandi asked why there were claim limits for discriminatory hiring decisions but not for other types of decisions. To clarify, clause 14 of the Bill actually provides MOM with the discretion to set claim limits for all types of workplace discrimination claims in the ECT, including for in- and end-employment claims.
To Mr Dennis Tan's question on whether this Bill introduces new heads of claim for damages, such as injury to feelings, emotions, this is not prescribed in the Bill. But I thank Mr Saktiandi and Mr Dennis Tan for their suggestions on quantifying damages arising from discriminatory decisions. We had considered this, and we are still considering it. We will work on it during the implementation.
We agree with Mr Saktiandi's observation that reinstatement is often not a practical remedy given that the employment relationship would likely have broken down. From our experience with wrongful dismissal claims, compensation is generally preferred to reinstatement, precisely for that reason.
Nonetheless, we have provided for reinstatement as a possible remedy, since we do not preclude the possibility that there could be situations where a claimant may desire reinstatement, and the relationship can still be mended.
To Mr Loh's question on how the courts would award costs against the parties, this is a matter for the Judge hearing the claim to decide based on the facts of the case. The Judge may consider factors such as the conduct of the parties during the proceedings and the efforts made by the parties at amicable resolution.
Mr Saktiandi, Mr Cai Yinzhou, Ms Gho Sze Kee, Mr Louis Chua and Dr Wan Rizal called for WFA judgments to be published for transparency. I thank them all for the suggestion and would like to assure them that the requirement for hearings to be private does not mean judgments will be kept private.
The point they make is an important one, we agree. Making WFA judgments publicly accessible will help employers and workers better understand how the law is applied. We are working with the courts on making ECT judgments publicly accessible and this will include WFA judgments.
So, it is a work in progress, we have to work with the Courts.
Mr Shawn Loh also highlighted the risk of an individual publicising a claim in social media even while it is being heard by the Courts. Such an act may contravene the sub judice rule, if it risks prejudicing or interfering with the proceedings. Such individuals may be subject to a fine, imprisonment or both.
Dr Wan Rizal and Mr Cai Yinzhou spoke about naming errant employers. I would like to assure them that if the state pursues enforcement action against discriminatory employers in Court, the proceedings would be conducted in open Court and accessible to the public.
So, the first Bill that we passed was on state-led enforcement. This is a private claim.
Mr Desmond Tan asked whether the ECT's jurisdiction should similarly be expanded for other types of employment disputes. Mr Louis Chua also suggested reviewing the limit for these claims. I do not think we should conflate the dispute resolution process for wrongful dismissal and salary disputes, with workplace discrimination disputes. There is an existing process for wrongful dismissal and salary claims above $30,000 to be pursued in the civil Courts. We are prepared to consider Mr Tan's proposal, and we would have to discuss this further with our tripartite partners, but I seek Mr Desmond Tan's understanding that this is a discussion for another day.
Members of the House, let us focus on this Bill, which is to strengthen protections for jobseekers and employees against workplace discrimination.
We are working towards the timeline of end-2027 because we recognise the significant scale of the work that lies ahead. As I have shared earlier, extensive groundwork is needed to prepare both employers and workers for the WFA.
In response to Mr Edward Chia, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Dennis Tan and Ms Joan Pereira's questions on educating workers on their claims, MOM, NTUC and TAFEP will do their part to inform workers on the WFA, including what constitutes a legitimate claim and the matters that should be raised in such a claim. The handbook that I spoke about earlier would complement these efforts by educating workers on their rights and obligations under the WFA.
Equally important is the work to put the infrastructure in place before the WFA comes into force. As Mr Loh and Ms Gho pointed out, the devil is in the implementation. And I think, in addition, Mr Loh talked about the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We have to make sure that we will not go on that road to hell. We will need to make sure we get it right the first time.
So, we are developing the necessary systems and processes and ensuring sufficient well-trained personnel to support the mediation and adjudication of workplace discrimination claims. This includes uplifting the capabilities of our mediators and developing the pool of suitably qualified mediators for higher value claims.
On Mr Loh, Mr Saktiandi and Mr Chia's comments again on resourcing the agencies implementing the WFA, I want to assure and reassure Members that we will provide them with the necessary resources to do so. Ensuring their readiness to effectively implement the WFA is our top-most priority.
We also hear Ms Pereira's call to monitor the implementation of the WFA. Today, MOM conducts regular surveys and reports on fair employment practices, including on discrimination-based dismissals and how they have been resolved. We will extend this work to the implementation of the WFA, and we are studying ways to see how we can augment these monitoring efforts.
Ms Gho Sze Kee and Mr Sharael Taha asked if we plan to include small firms with fewer than 25 employees in the scope of the WFA. As mentioned, when moving the Workplace Fairness Bill in January, small firms may not have the resources or expertise to comprehensively implement the new rules. Hence, we decided to exempt small firms with fewer than 25 employees for a start, and we will work with tripartite partners and TAFEP to ramp up the capabilities of these firms. This exemption will be reviewed five years after the law is implemented.
However, to reassure Members, such firms will continue to be subject to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP), and workers can also approach TAFEP should they encounter workplace discrimination.
Mr Cai Yinzhou and Mr Muhaimin Malik also asked for outsourced workers and platform workers to be included in the WFA in the future. I have said it before, a couple of times, we want to take a sure-footed and prudent approach to implement the WFA. Hence, the WFA focuses on protecting workers in employer-employee relationships. Nonetheless, as I had shared in the debate on the Workplace Fairness Bill in January, the TGFEP will be updated to clarify that platform operators and corporate service buyers should not discriminate based on non-job-related characteristics.
Mr Speaker, Sir, to conclude, today is a pivotal moment as we pass the second and final Bill of the WFA. It has been a long journey since the legislation was first announced, I believe, it was during the National Day Rally in 2021. I want to take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation and our gratitude to our tripartite partners, NTUC and SNEF, for journeying hand in hand with us to safeguard fair and harmonious workplaces in Singapore.
I also want to thank the various stakeholders who took the time and the effort to contribute to our engagements, including the employers, our HR professionals, our non-governmental organisations, the legal practitioners and members of the public. I want to thank Members, both from the past, in January, the past term of Government to the current term of Government, for the suggestions raised, and many of which are also ongoing in discussions still with tripartite partners.
But I want to also be clear and like I said, sure-footed, and I also want to humbly put this across to everyone in the House that while this legislation is a new landmark in our journey towards a fair workplace, it is not the end of the journey. In fact, it is not even the beginning of the end, but the end of a beginning. I said before that we have only just begun. The real work starts now, with all of you supporting, as we turn our attention now to the task of implementation.
As I shared earlier, efforts are already underway. These will continue once the Bill is passed so that when the WFA comes into force at the end of 2027, employers will fully understand their duties and workers will clearly know their rights. I invite everyone to continue working with us towards this goal.
I would like to end with a Chinese proverb from Laozi and a Malay pantun.
\"合抱之木，生于毫末；九层之台，起于累土；千里之行，始于足下.\" It means, a tree that can be embraced grows from a tiny sprout. The nine-storey tower rises from a mound of earth. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
\"Bunga cempaka harum mewangi, Disiram embun di waktu pagi. Adil saksama asas harmoni, Tempat kerja makmur dan berseri.\" Just as the cempaka flower flourishes with the morning dew, a workplace thrives when fairness and equality are upheld. Justice ensures trust and respect, nurturing harmony and productivity amongst all employees.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Any clarifications from Members for the Minister? I do not see any hands.
[(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. – [Dr Tan See Leng]. (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":"Strengthening the Mental Resilience of Our Young","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Dr Charlene Chen.
Dr Charlene Chen (Tampines): Mr Speaker, just yesterday it was reported in the news that a teenager who set fire to several pop-up booths at VivoCity and HarbourFront Centre in March this year was found to be experiencing major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The reports also mentioned that he had been facing financial stress at home and that his actions may be a form of coping.
This incident does not mean that every act of mischief stems from mental illness. But it does bring into sharp focus that mental health challenges are faced by some of our youths, challenges that often remain unseen until they manifest in troubling ways.
According to the National Youth Mental Health Study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) between 2022 and 2023, one in three young people reported experiencing severe or extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress. Those who spent more than three hours daily on social media were especially at risk. And perhaps, most concerning of all, nearly a third of youths with severe symptoms do not seek help. They worry about whether treatment will work, fear social stigma or have privacy concerns.
Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for mental illness. So, how do we help our children build psychological immunity? How do we booster them against the stressors of life?
As a parent, I worry whether my own children will be able to cope with challenges that come their way. As a Singaporean, I worry for our children, who will constitute our future workforce, caregivers and leaders.
When mental well-being falters, it affects not just the individual, but also relationships, families, workplaces and even the fabric of our community. If we want a resilient Singapore, we must first nurture resilient Singaporeans.
First, let me clarify what I mean by resilience. Resilience is not merely the absence of mental illness. It is the ability to bounce forward from setbacks. It is a skill, not a trait.
Resilience is not something you build after a crisis; it has to be practised before things go wrong. Just as muscles need to be flexed to grow stronger, resilience must be trained, early, continuously and deliberately. Especially in schools, where children form habits and mindsets that last a lifetime.
Investing early ensures that every child has the opportunity to build, practice and strengthen these skills across each stage of their development.
But lessons alone are not enough. Mental resilience must be lived, not lectured, practiced through repetition, reinforced through experience, until these coping habits become second nature so that when stress inevitably comes, these habits are reflexive, automatic and strong enough to carry them through.
Since 2021, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has strengthened its Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) syllabus to include mental health literacy, emotion regulation, coping strategies, stigma reduction and peer support. Lessons now incorporate breathing and calming exercises, and these are reinforced through Values-in-Action (VIA) projects and co-curricular activities (CCAs).
A broader ecosystem of support has also been built around this effort: the Parenting for Wellness Toolbox for parents; the scope of examinations for non-graduating students has been reduced; more than 1,000 teacher-counsellors are being trained; and termly check-in surveys allow teachers to monitor students' social-emotional well-being more systematically.
Beyond MOE, national initiatives continue to play an important role. The Health Promotion Board's (HPB's) It's OKAY to Reach Out campaign and the National Council of Social Service's Beyond the Label movement help normalise help-seeking. The Agency for Integrated Care's Youth Community Outreach Team (CREST-Youth) and Youth Integrated Teams extend outreach and assessment to at-risk youths.
These are significant and commendable steps forward. But as we scale up these initiatives, two key questions remain: how can we ensure these efforts are truly effective and how do we build a school culture that naturally nurtures mental resilience and not just teaches it?
Mental well-being, like literacy or numeracy, is too important to depend on individual school initiatives alone. We need a systematic and sustained approach. That is why I propose establishing a School Mental Well-being Charter, a developmental accreditation framework that recognises schools embedding mental resilience into their curriculum, culture and community.
We can draw inspiration from the United Kingdom's (UK's) University Mental Health Charter, which brings together universities committed to making mental health a campus-wide priority. It encourages institutions to share best practices, supports one another through networks and training, and recognises those that demonstrate excellence in promoting mental well-being.
A Singapore variant, co-led by MOE, HPB and IMH, could serve a similar purpose: uniting schools and Institutes of Higher Learning that make well-being not just an add-on, but a defining feature of education. This Charter would signal national commitment to nurturing a generation that is mentally strong, emotionally agile and socially compassionate.
What might such a Charter look like in practice?
To make it meaningful, it must go beyond slogans and set out clear dimensions of action, balancing centralised standards with decentralised flexibility. MOE can provide national direction, resources and guardrails, while schools retain the autonomy to adapt approaches to their unique contexts and students' needs.
There are three key dimensions where this partnership can be most impactful.
One, strengthening practice and experiential learning. Resilience, like any skill, must be practised, not preached. While the CCE curriculum teaches coping and emotion regulation skills, its impact depends on how schools and teachers bring it to life. Some schools excel through CCAs, camps or VIA projects, others may struggle, constrained by time and resources. To make resilience second nature, it cannot remain ad hoc or incidental. It must be systematic, scaffolded and sustained, so students repeatedly apply, reflect and internalise what they learn.
At the central level, MOE could define broad developmental milestones for social, emotional learning and guiding principles for experiential education, such as structured reflection after setbacks, opportunities for self-directed projects and feedback that emphasises growth over fear of failure. At the school level, educators could design their own methods through camps, community service, classroom rituals that help students reframe failure as learning.
Micro interventions, when practised consistently, strengthen emotional regulation and self-efficacy over time. Partnerships with community programmes, like Sport Cares, could also help. I recently met youths from Sport Cares' Champion Leadership Programme, who organised a carnival for seniors and persons living with dementia. They were passionate, kind and full of heart, showing how sports and volunteering together can teach grit, empathy and purpose. By tapping on community partners, volunteers and youth networks, schools can enrich experiential learning without overstretching educators, allowing them to focus on guiding rather than carrying the process.
Through the Charter, such practices can be shared, refined and scaled so that no students' exposure to resilience building depends purely on which school they attend, because resilience cannot be downloaded from a PowerPoint slide, it must be lived, rehearsed and reinforced again and again until it becomes part of who our students are.
Two, enhancing measurement, evaluation and continuity. If we are to take mental resilience seriously, we must measure it with the same rigour that we measure academic outcomes. What gets measured, gets improved.
Currently, data on student well-being is often gathered through one-off surveys or teacher observations. Valuable, but inconsistent. Without a coherent system, we cannot tell which approaches work best for whom and why. To strengthen accountability and learning, the charter could establish a national evidence framework for student well-being.
At the central level, MOE could coordinate research using validated measures of subjective well-being, belonging and resilience. Not to diagnose, but to understand growth and guide interventions. At the school level, educators could use this data to refine their programmes, track progress over time and share best practices through MOE's networks of practice.
Beyond timely check-ins, such a framework could track both immediate outcomes, such as knowledge and use of coping strategies, and longer-term effects like sustained resilience and belonging. Crucially, it would shift our focus from identifying problems like anxiety or stress, to measuring strengths, such as happiness, optimism and resilience.
Importantly, this support should extend across every key transition from primary to secondary school, from Institutes of Technical Education, junior colleges, polytechnics to university and eventually into the workforce. These are the stages where stress often peaks, yet structured mental health support can taper off. Like the UK University's Mental Health Charter, Singapore's version could pair measurement with accreditation, where reviews consider indicators, such as the strength of peer support networks, perceive accessibility of counsellors and teacher readiness, to address mental well-being.
This approach ensures we do more than collect data. We also close capability gaps and recognise schools that lead the way. The goal is not to rank or penalise, but to help every school understand its progress and areas for growth. It would also allow MOE to identify exemplary practices that can be scaled nationally, creating a culture of shared accountability and collective uplift, because what we choose to measure signals what we value. And when we value well-being as much as grades, both can thrive together.
Number three, build a supportive and inclusive culture, even with strong programmes and robust data, resilience cannot flourish without the right culture. Data tells us what is happening. Culture determines why it happens and whether change endures.
At the central level, MOE can set the tone through three pillars: wellness, belonging and success. Well, at the school level, these values are expressed through stories, rituals and daily interactions. These pillars are not abstract ideals. They must be felt in the corridors, classrooms and conversations of every school.
Let me begin with the first: a wellness culture, one that makes mental well-being not just taught, but lived. A wellness culture means normalising care through visible practises and spaces, calm corners, reflection, rooms and time-outs that make it acceptable to pause and recharge. Policies, too, signal what we value, how schools handle phones and screen time, or whether they explore later start times to improve sleep, sends a message that rest is not an indulgence, but a necessity. Sleep deprivation is not a badge of diligence. It is a silent threat to mental health.
Encouraging sports and outdoor activities, likewise, reinforces well-being. Exposure to sunlight, physical activity and teamwork all strengthen mental and emotional health. We can also strengthen peer support networks through structured training and recognition, integrating peer helpers into the school system through accreditation or scholarships. When peer support is legitimised, help-seeking becomes normalised.
Finally, language shapes culture. We must move away from labels, like Strawberry Generation or sheltered children. Such words stigmatise rather than strengthen, they close doors instead of opening minds.
But wellness alone is not enough. Students also need to feel that they belong, that they are part of something larger than themselves. This brings me to the second pillar, a school culture of belonging.
Research shows that a strong sense of school belonging is one of the most powerful predictors of resilience. When students feel seen, supported and accepted, they are better able to cope with setbacks. Belonging breeds resilience and resilience deepens belonging.
To nurture belonging, schools can foster kindness as a daily habit, encouraging small acts of care, peer recognition and teacher affirmations. Experiencing kindness, whether online or offline, reinforces connection. Unkindness fractures it. Small everyday gestures of care build the community spirit that sustains well-being.
Yet, belonging alone is not the destination. Our students also need to understand what it truly means to succeed and to redefine success in ways that give meaning, not pressure. This leads to the third pillar: a success culture.
Singapore has long prized success defined by grades and material achievement. But true success should include growth, purpose and contribution.
MOE has taken important steps – through subject-based banding and applied learning pathways – to broaden our definition of success. The next step is to embed this shift in school culture, through stories, symbols and rituals that reflect a fuller picture of excellence.
Schools could highlight diverse pathways in assemblies, tell alumni stories that go beyond grades and celebrate perseverance, creativity and community service as much as academic results.
At the same time, culture change also means addressing the unspoken pressures that erode resilience – the tuition race, excessive comparison and the fear of failure. Reducing rote learning, valuing soft skills and promoting sustainability-oriented values can help students see success as a meaningful living, not mere performance.
Because true resilience is not only about enduring pressure, it is about having the freedom to pursue purpose without being crushed by expectation.
Here again, the Charter can guide this transformation by setting broad cultural benchmarks for schools to interpret locally: do students feel psychological safety and belonging? Is success recognised beyond academics? Are conversations about mental health open and stigma-free?
In essence, practice builds skills and habits, measurement builds accountability and learning, and culture builds meaning and motivation. Together, they form a resilience ecosystem, where each reinforces the other. Practice without culture becomes tokenism; measurement without practice risks bureaucracy; culture without structure leads to inconsistency.
To bring this ecosystem to life, an MOE-led School Mental Well-being Charter could provide the unifying framework. It would serve three purposes: to signal national priority by recognising mental well-being as a core dimension of education; to promote consistency by setting minimum standards of psychological safety and resilience-building; and to encourage innovation, recognising schools that model excellence in student well-being.
This Charter could be co-led by MOE, HPB and IMH, rolled out across all school types, and supported by mentorship and peer-learning networks. Rather than ranking schools, it would celebrate those that lead with care, helping others to learn and grow.
Mr Speaker: Dr Chen, you may want to round up soon.
Dr Charlene Chen: Mr Speaker, as a member of the Young People's Action Party (PAP) and the PAP Mental Health Group, I am committed to working with educators, parents and youth advocates to strengthen the mental resilience of our young. Together, we can bridge policy and practice – supporting the MOE's efforts, sharing ground feedback and developing community-led initiatives that make resilience a lived reality, and not just a lesson plan.
In closing, Mr Speaker, let us remember that resilience is not just about bouncing back to where we were. It is about bouncing forward to become stronger, steadier and more connected. By aligning our children's mental well-being with our broader national ambition, we give meaning to the spirit of Forward Singapore – building a nation that is vibrant, fair, thriving, resilient and united.
Mr Speaker: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi): Mr Speaker, I thank Dr Charlene Chen for her call to strengthen the mental resilience of our young and her proposal to do so by way of establishing a School Mental Well-being Charter.
She mentioned three broad points in relation to strengthening practice and experiential learning. Secondly, enhancing measurement to share best practises and sensing mechanisms, as well as building a supportive and inclusive culture.
Building our students' mental resilience is a key priority for MOE, just as learning is for us; and the CCE curriculum is a key enabler. CCE is guided by developmental milestones, which indicate the requisite knowledge, habits and skills students will need at pertinent junctures in their respective educational journeys. And as our students progress from primary to tertiary levels, they will cumulatively build up their social and emotional capacity, as well as their resilience.
Within the CCE curriculum, Mental Health Education lessons address topics such as the identifying and countering of automatic negative thoughts, emotional regulation, differentiating normal stress from distress and encouraging help-seeking habits. These equip our students with the knowledge and skills to cope with stressors and maintain their mental well-being. Older students also explore relevant topics such as stigmatisations, unhealthy social comparisons, as well as the awareness of potentially negative impact of digital lifestyles, such as poor sleep and overly sedentary habits.
CCE also covers cyber wellness topics that can affect the mental health of our students, including excessive screen use, unhealthy or inappropriate media content, cyberbullying, as well as the fear of missing out (FOMO). Students are taught skills to recognise such risks in the digital space, and identify and discern negative influences, as well as adopt a more balanced use of social media.
Beyond classroom lessons, Mr Speaker, students are encouraged to practise what they have learnt through other student developmental experiences as well, such as the CCAs, sports and games, visual and performing arts, and outdoor education activities, school camps and VIA projects. Teachers and coaches provide guidance to help students apply relevant knowledge and skills in real world context for better internalisation and reinforcement of the lessons learnt.
To help schools better facilitate students learning beyond the classroom, MOE provides guidance on how schools can structure their student development experiences to promote social and emotional learning, including the reinforcement of resilient mindset and skills. Further to this, the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) then build on the CCE efforts in the earlier years, and avail a range of mental well-being programmes and activities to their students, including modules and workshops on topics like positive psychology, to teach students how to manage their setbacks better.
Even as MOE HQ provides the broad guidance and baseline curriculum provisions and guidelines, I would like to reassure Dr Chen that there is no lack of initiatives from our schools, or even the students themselves. For example, schools have designed their own programmes to promote the \"Growth Mindset\" in their students and supported student-led activities, such as the Mental Wellness Day.
Centrally, MOE does provide platforms for schools to share their best practices to others. This is similar to the charter that the Member has raised, and just last week, in fact, CCE key personnel from all secondary schools gathered to hear about the latest developments in CCE and to discuss their school initiatives with others. For example, Pasir Ris Secondary shared about their efforts to build students everyday resilience, not only through CCE lessons, but also through peer support networks, through camps and even after-school programmes.
Recognising that programmes alone are insufficient, the school leadership also build this emphasis into their staff culture, into the school's strategic plans, as well as in the everyday language of communication in school. MOE will continue to tap on the passion, the ideas and the efforts from the ground to complement our efforts as well.
In our schools and IHLs, educators are at the frontline where students' well-being is concerned. They help students feel understood, supported and cared for. And through their daily interactions with students, educators are often the first ones to detect an unhappy student and to offer their first words of support.
There are ongoing efforts to empower educators to provide first-line support to our students, including raising their awareness, confidence and sensitivity to the growing and evolving mental health needs of our students. We will continue to strengthen the mental health literacy of our educators through resources and professional development, including basic counselling skills and the ability to recognise students in distress.
Our educators certainly do not work alone but are part of a larger support system. Students who require more support are referred to school counsellors or community mental health resources, such as the Response Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health (REACH) teams in our hospitals such as the National University Hospital, IMH and KK Women's and Children's Hospital. The IHLs similarly collaborate with social service agencies to expand their range of outreach programmes and promote holistic well-being as well.
Peers are also integral to every school's ecosystem of support. Peer support leaders have been identified in every school and are trained to provide a listening ear to their friends and encourage help-seeking early. All students are also taught about peer support in CCE where they learn to look out for and show care to one another. In our IHLs, some also have institution-wide peer supporter programmes while others have dedicated ones housed within their schools or faculties.
Dr Chen has reminded us that resilience cannot flourish without the right culture. Through empowering our educators, building student peer support networks and strengthening the schools' referral system, we seek to foster a stronger supportive culture as highlighted by the Member.
Dr Chen also spoke about the importance of gathering data on student well-being. We closely monitor the state of youth mental health through various data sources and research studies, including the recent Youth Epidemiology and Resilience Study by the National University of Singapore and the National Youth Mental Health Study by IMH. Besides relying on data, MOE also engages relevant experts, professionals and community partners to regularly receive inputs regarding the mental health needs and challenges of our youths.
I also want to assure the Member that MOE regularly reviews and refreshes our curriculum and strategies to keep up with the students' evolving needs. Our CCE and mental resilience building efforts, including the curation of topics and pedagogical approaches, are evidence-informed and age-appropriate. We also have internal mechanisms to monitor the implementation of our CCE curriculum and programmes, and regularly obtain feedback from stakeholders to ensure that our efforts have the intended and positive desired impact for our students.
Yet another key approach that MOE has introduced is the student well-being check-in surveys conducted termly. These surveys enable teachers to detect students who might be struggling and provide timely support. IHLs also similarly deploy a range of sensing mechanisms, such as well-being surveys, campus walkabouts and town hall sessions.
All our tracking and review efforts, at MOE and the varying school levels, are part of our culture-building endeavour to strengthen awareness of and commitment to student well-being.
Mr Speaker: Dr Syed Harun, you might want to round up.
Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi: Yes, Mr Speaker. Whilst we do not have a Charter-based approach suggested by the Member, we have instituted systemic processes to achieve very similar outcomes, as she has highlighted.
And finally, the Member's call for a strong culture of resilience-building resonates with us. In this, the family plays a critical role, and the best support for our children happens when schools and parents work in close partnership. And in this respect, MOE also supports parents with resources, supporting their child's strengths and interests and regulating emotions. These are shared through our platforms such as the Parents Gateway and parent support groups.
In closing, I want to thank the Member for the very rich ideas proposed in her call for a school mental well-being Charter, and we will study this carefully and explore its feasibility.
In education, we believe that our role is not to remove stressors entirely from the lives of our young nor to rescue them from all of their difficulties. Rather, we seek to build up their skills, strengthen confidence in their knowledge base and develop the ability to form strong relationships so that they can view any difficult or challenging life circumstances through the lens of support, a weighted and healthy perspective as well as hope and optimism. This is only possible with the whole of society onboard – parents, community and educators. Thank you.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 2(3)(a), I wish to inform hon Members that the Sitting tomorrow will commence at 10.30 am. Order, order.
Adjourned accordingly at 8.44 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":"Regulatory Safeguards for Users of E-commerce Platforms Facilitating Consumer-to-consumer Transactions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"15 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs what are the regulatory safeguards for consumers who choose to purchase from e-commerce platforms that facilitate consumer-to-consumer (C2C) transactions, given that a number of such platforms have consistent poor rankings in the E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings.
Mr K Shanmugam: Carousell and Facebook Marketplace have consistently received poor ratings since the Transaction Safety Ratings (TSR) was introduced in 2022.
Both platforms are designated under the E-Commerce Code of the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), which legally requires them to comply with prescribed measures to better protect their users against scams. For example, both platforms implemented enhanced user verification measures in 2024. Thereafter, e-commerce scams on Carousell decreased by 11% between June and December 2024, while those on Facebook Marketplace decreased by 55% between May and November 2024. The Ministry of Home Affairs continues to work Meta and Carousell on additional anti-scam safeguards and will use legal levers where necessary.
While regulatory measures can reduce the risk of scams to some extent, consumers are urged to always exercise care and vigilance when transacting on e-commerce platforms, particularly those with poor TSR ratings.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Companies that Have Retrenched Employees Without Mandatory Retrenchment Notification of Authorities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"16 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Manpower since the start of 2025 (a) how many companies have failed to inform the Ministry before they started retrenching their employees; (b) whether an online travel booking platform is one of such companies that failed to inform the Ministry; and (c) what actions were taken by the Ministry in these cases of non-compliance of the Mandatory Retrenchment Notification.
Dr Tan See Leng: To recap, it was reported in September 2025 that Agoda had carried out a retrenchment exercise in early August 2025.
Agoda complied with the requirement for all employers with 10 or more employees to submit a Mandatory Retrenchment Notification (MRN) to the Ministry of Manpower within five working days after informing affected employees of their retrenchment.
Employers are not required to submit an MRN before retrenching workers. This strikes a balance between allowing employers sufficient time to finalise their decisions and collate the required information for submission, while still allowing for the prompt provision of career facilitation services and programmes to assist the affected workers. Nonetheless, the National Trades Union Congress has proposed for the Government to consider advance notification of retrenchment.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proportion of Hoarding Cases Monitored by NEAT Resulting in Enforcement Actions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"20 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what proportion of cases monitored by the New Environment Action Team (NEAT) have resulted in HDB taking enforcement action against owners to clear the inside of their flats; and (b) how does NEAT work with existing befriending structures and local agencies, such as People's Association and Town Councils.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Agencies do not track the number of hoarding cases that result in enforcement action, because enforcement is only one of several measures to manage hoarding.
The New Environmental Action Team (NEAT) comprises the People's Association (PA) and other Government agencies from the Hoarding Management Core Group, social service agencies, community groups and private organisations. PA's grassroots organisations, social service agencies and community volunteers play a key role in identifying at-risk cases, befriending hoarders and their families and helping address underlying social and personal issues like grief and trauma.
NEAT also works closely with the Town Councils to safely and smoothly dispose of decluttered material from the Housing and Development Board flats.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support for Children Diagnosed with Rare Diseases that Require High-cost or Long-term Treatment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"21 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how many children are currently diagnosed with rare diseases requiring high-cost or long-term treatment; (b) to what extent are their treatment costs supported under subsidy schemes including the Rare Disease Fund; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider expanding support for children with rare diseases to cover related costs, such as home-based medical equipment, transport, nutritional needs or caregiving.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not specifically track the number of children diagnosed with rare diseases.
All clinically- and cost-effective treatments, including those for rare diseases, are subsidised at our public healthcare institutions. MediSave and MediShield Life coverage is also available to further offset costs for selected high-cost drugs, and cell, tissue and gene therapies targeting rare diseases.
The Rare Disease Fund (RDF) provides additional support to patients with rare diseases who may need help to afford their treatments, including instances where the treatments may not be covered by subsidies, MediSave or MediShield Life. For every dollar donated to the RDF, the Government matches with three additional dollars.
Beyond treatments, some rare disease patients may also encounter disabilities for which additional support is required. Such patients can tap on long-term care subsidies and grants, which will be enhanced progressively from 2026, to offset such caregiving and equipment costs. For instance, those with disabilities can tap on monthly payouts of up to $400 from the Home Caregiving Grant to defray their caregiving costs, so long as they are being cared for in the community. They can also tap on the Assistive Technology Fund to offset the costs of any supportive equipment they might require.
Those who still face financial difficulties can approach the medical social workers at their healthcare institutions to explore other forms of support for their needs, such as MediFund.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Efforts at Minimising Practice of Roads being Resurfaced or Re-excavated for Different Works","subTitle":"Feasibility of Common Services Tunnel for New HDB Towns and Major Redevelopment Zones","sectionType":"WANA","content":"22 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) in each of the past three years, how many kilometres of resurfaced roads were re-excavated and what was the estimated cost to taxpayers; (b) what binding powers does the Road Opening Coordination Committee hold to compel a consolidated dig-once schedule; and (c) why is the Common Services Tunnel model not applicable to new HDB towns and major redevelopment zones.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) imposes a “no-opening” moratorium of one year on newly resurfaced roads to minimise abortive works and inconvenience to stakeholders. However, when there are emergency requests from utility service providers to reopen newly resurfaced roads to supply utility services, LTA will exercise flexibility. There is no additional cost to taxpayers for such re-excavation works. The respective utility service providers are responsible for the full cost of the works, including any road resurfacing or re-excavation required to maintain their networks.
At times, due to the extensive and interconnected utility networks beneath the roads, works need to be carried out in stages. The Road Opening Coordination Committee (ROCC), chaired by LTA, does not direct the implementation of road works, but facilitates the coordination of works across government agencies and utility service providers.
Where feasible, we deploy solutions to facilitate maintenance without repeated road excavations. Both Common Services Tunnels (CSTs) and other solutions such as Utilities Specific Ducts (USDs) achieve this purpose by consolidating and allowing easier access to utility infrastructure such as water pipes, electrical cables and telecommunication cables. CSTs are large tunnels which allow inspection and maintenance throughout the tunnel, and are suited for areas with high infrastructure loads, such as the Marina Bay area. USDs are smaller ducts, and are more suitable for the needs of HDB estates. That said, there may be areas where CSTs and USDs cannot be deployed due to cost and site-specific constraints.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Utilisation Rate of SG60 Credit Top-Up for ActiveSG Users","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"23 Ms Poh Li San asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the utilisation rate of the SG60 $100 credit top-up for ActiveSG users; and (b) whether SportSG is implementing more programmes to encourage more Singaporeans to use the ActiveSG facilities and adopt a more active lifestyle.
Mr David Neo: The SG60 ActiveSG Credit Top-Up seeks to encourage broad-based sport participation across all segments of society. The $100 SG60 ActiveSG Credits are given to all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) who log in to MyActiveSG+ from 2 June 2025 up till 31 December 2025. Once claimed, the credits are valid until end-2026 and will be automatically rolled over to the following year, if at least one transaction is made.
These credits can be used to fully cover booking fees for ActiveSG sport facilities, and gym and pool passes. They can also be used to offset ActiveSG programme fees, such as Active Health programmes, Learn-To-Play programmes and ActiveSG Academies and Clubs.
As of 30 September 2025, more than 1.1 million members have logged into MyActiveSG+ and claimed their SG60 credits. Out of these members, about 41% of them have used their credits on at least one transaction.
Sport Singapore will continue to implement more programme offerings to encourage Singaporeans to use ActiveSG facilities and adopt active lifestyles. Some examples include pickleball, street dance as well as workshops that promote muscle fitness, balance and nutrition planning.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statutory Study and Training Leave Policies in Other Countries that May Be Feasible for Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"25 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has studied the impact of statutory study or training leave policies on the upskilling of workers in other countries; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider introducing such leave entitlements in Singapore to support skills upgrading, lifelong learning, and workforce adaptability in a changing economy.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Government regularly reviews various international approaches to workforce development, including statutory training leave entitlements, to draw lessons from their experiences.
In Singapore, instead of mandating training leave, we have built a flexible and comprehensive system to support lifelong learning to cater to the diverse needs of our workforce while addressing business needs. Employers and workers receive support through SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore's initiatives, including Absentee Payroll funding and Training Allowance. We also encourage flexible work arrangements to help workers balance longer-form training with work.
We will continue monitoring international best practices and reviewing our approach to ensure Singapore's workforce remains competitive and ensure that training is accessible.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assessing Adequacy of Heavy Vehicle Parking Lots","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"26 Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Minister for National Development considering that approximately 90% of private Heavy Vehicle (HV) lots are not accessible for public enquiry on lot availability, whether the relevant Government agencies will take this into account in their assessment of the adequacy of HV lots islandwide.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Currently, there are about 40,000 total Heavy Vehicle (HV) lots and 32,000 HVs registered under the Vehicle Parking Certificate (VPC) scheme. Under the VPC scheme, every HV should have a designated overnight parking lot before it is allowed to be registered or have its road tax renewed.
Heavy Vehicle Park (HVP) licence holders have the discretion to allocate VPCs for their HV lots, as the HV lots may be used for their own operating needs. Government agencies will take into consideration the availability of private HV lots open for public enquiry, when working with industry stakeholders such as the Singapore Transport Association to better address HV parking needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Consideration of Attendance at Drug Rehabilitation Centre during Fit and Proper Assessment for Career in Financial Services Industry","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"27 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether an individual who has attended the Drug Rehabilitation Centre will be regarded as not meeting the fit and proper criteria for a career in the financial services industry.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): Admission into the Drug Rehabilitation Centre does not automatically disqualify an individual from a career in the financial services industry.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') \"Guidelines on Fit and Proper Criteria\" sets out what it means to be fit and proper for persons carrying out activities regulated by MAS. Under the guidelines, financial institutions making a hiring decision on an individual with a past record should take into account, among other considerations, the seriousness and circumstances of past conduct, time elapsed as well as the roles and responsibilities to be assumed by the individual. Financial institutions will also include their own selection requirements, such as adequacy of experience, academic qualifications and skillsets for the role being considered.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Finance, Accounting, Human Resources and IT Positions Outsourced or Relocated Overseas","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"28 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Manpower in the past three years (a) what is the number of (i) finance, (ii) accounting, (iii) human resources and (iv) information technology positions outsourced or relocated overseas; (b) how many such positions have been converted to contract arrangements; (c) whether there are measures to safeguard job security and progression for locals in these roles; and (d) if so, what are the measures.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower does not collect data on the number of positions within companies that have been outsourced or relocated overseas, nor on the number of positions within companies that are converted to contract arrangements. Over the last three years, resident employment has grown in (a) IT and Other Information Services, (b) Financial Services and (c) Legal, Accounting and Management Services.
The Government is committed to supporting Singaporeans amid business restructurings. Initiatives like the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, Career Conversion Programmes and the Mid-Career Pathways Programme help Singaporeans stay industry-relevant and pursue new job roles and opportunities, including in finance, accountancy and IT. We also support overseas career development through programmes like the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme for employers. Local professionals and employers should tap on these programmes to invest in upskilling.
As economic change accelerates, we will continue to review our measures to ensure locals are able to upskill and reskill for better prospects. We are studying such measures under the Economic Strategy Review set up earlier this year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Lessons from Overseas Counterparts for Google's Implementation of Age Assurance Measures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"29 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information regarding Google's implementation of age assurance measures in Singapore (a) whether the Ministry has reached out to their counterparts in the USA, the UK, and selected markets in the European Economic Area for relevant learning points; (b) if so, what are they; and (c) whether the Ministry is aware whether similar measures will be implemented by other online portals in the near future.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) has actively engaged our international counterparts, including those in the United States of America, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Australia, on their plans for age assurance, for both sides to cross-share best practices. These learning points are useful as we shape our own age assurance policies.
Designated App Distribution Services, also known as app stores, must implement age assurance measures by 31 March 2026 as required by the Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services. Besides Google Play Store, this includes Apple App Store, Huawei AppGallery, Microsoft Store and Samsung Galaxy Store.
Later this year, MDDI will also begin to engage our six designated Social Media Services on similar age assurance requirements. Other than YouTube, this includes Facebook, HardwareZone, Instagram, TikTok and X.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Feeder Bus Service for Compassvale Crescent Residents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"30 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister for Transport whether LTA will consider introducing a feeder bus service to serve Compassvale Crescent as some residents will need to travel more than 400 metres to reach the nearest bus stop.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: We had addressed similar questions on 12 November 2024 and 4 February 2025. There is no change in our assessment. [Please refer to \"Introduction of Feeder Bus Service to Serve Compassvale Crescent\", Official Report, 12 November 2024, Vol 95, Issue 146, Written Answers to Questions section.] [Please refer to \"Extension of Bus Service 371 Route for Benefit of Elderly Residents in Sengkang and Compassvale\", Official Report, 04 February 2025, Vol 95, Issue 150, Written Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Ensure Singaporeans without Permanent Addresses Are Not Excluded from Government Support Schemes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"31 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what measures are in place to ensure that Singaporeans who are temporarily without a fixed residential address, particularly retirees who rent out their flats to earn income but stay with friends or relatives, are not excluded from Government support schemes like the CDC vouchers and Climate vouchers.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Eligible Singaporeans who are temporarily without fixed residential addresses are not excluded from Government schemes.
Every Singaporean household is eligible for one set of Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers per tranche. This is based on their National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) address. Some Singaporean households might be unable to claim their CDC Vouchers for a variety of reasons. For example, when more than one Singaporean household resides in the same registered address or their registered address is not a residential address. Such households can approach any community centre or club for assistance, bringing along relevant documentation, such as a tenancy agreement, to show that they are from a separate household.
The enhanced Climate Friendly Households Programme aims to encourage households to adopt energy- or water-efficient appliances for the place of residence, by helping to defray part of the cost of eligible products. Each place of residence is entitled to one set of Climate Vouchers. Singaporeans who have rented out their properties will not be entitled to vouchers for those properties, but they will still benefit from the vouchers claimed at their current place of residence.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cost Effectiveness of Electrical Fire Prevention Measures in HDB Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"32 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider commissioning a study to evaluate the costs saved from electrical fire prevention measures in HDB estates, such as costs saved from averted (i) property damage, (ii) healthcare costs and (iii) emergency response costs, to better inform the cost-effectiveness and justification of future regulatory policies.
Mr K Shanmugam: Singapore's fire safety regulations are benchmarked to international standards and best practices, and we also take into account their cost-effectiveness. We thank the Member for his suggestion and will consider it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Addressing Shortage of Licensed Electrical Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"33 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how are the Ministry and the Energy Market Authority addressing the shortage of licensed electrical workers; and (b) what measures are in place to ensure succession planning given the ageing profile of current licence holders.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Licensed Electric Workers (LEWs) perform tasks, such as designing, testing and commissioning of electrical systems. There are around 3,700 LEWs in Singapore today. Among them, 1,400 LEWs are aged 60 and above, and are still actively practising.
To ensure we continue to have sufficient LEWs to meet our needs, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) has been working closely with the Institutes of Higher Learning and industry partners to attract younger persons to join the licensed electrician profession. This involves enhancements to curriculum and internship experiences. For example, EMA has partnered the Institute of Technical Education to launch a Technical Engineer Diploma in Electrical Engineering (Clean Energy), which helps higher NITEC students qualify for a LEW licence. EMA is also introducing an Internship Training Plan, to provide clarity on the work experience requirements for student interns to attain the LEW licence. This plan enhances the internship experience for students from the relevant engineering programmes.
EMA is similarly enhancing its support for mid-career workers with relevant skills to join the LEW workforce, and for existing LEWs who wish to progress to a higher class of licence. For example, there are some workers who lack formal academic qualifications, yet possess the relevant skills and experiences to be a LEW. EMA and the Singapore Institute of Power and Gas are enhancing existing preparatory courses to help such workers qualify for a license.
EMA will monitor the supply and demand for LEWs closely and will develop additional measures to boost supply, if needed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases where MDW's Medical Fees Exceeded $60,000 and Proposal to Enhance Coverage Sums in MDW Insurance Policies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"34 Mr Foo Cexiang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past three years, what is the number of cases where a migrant domestic worker's (MDW) medical fees surpassed $60,000; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider increasing the minimum annual claim limit or encourage insurance providers to increase the optional enhanced coverage sums under MDW's medical insurance policies.
Dr Tan See Leng: Between 2022 and 2024, 99% of inpatient and day surgery bills incurred in public healthcare institutions by Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) fall within $60,000, which is the minimum annual insurance claim limit required after the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) increased it by four times, up from $15,000, just two years ago in 2023. Given that only about 20 bills each year exceed $60,000, there are currently no plans to raise the minimum annual claim limit further.
Nevertheless, MOM continues to make improvements to the MDW insurance system, so as to better protect employers' interests. From 1 July 2025, the list of exclusion clauses has been standardised to give employers clarity on their coverage. Employers who wish to have even better coverage may purchase more comprehensive insurance plans for better peace of mind.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Updating Organ Donation Scheme by Strengthening Legislation and Consolidating Donations under National Registry","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"35 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider updating the organ donation scheme by (a) strengthening legislation for the legal protection and enforceability of organ donors' decisions under the Human Organ Transplant Act 1987, the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act 1972 and for the Brain Bank Singapore; and (b) consolidating organ, body and brain donations under a single national registry.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: There are adequate provisions and safeguards under the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) and the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA) to uphold donor's wishes. Healthcare professionals follow established protocols to ensure the donor's wishes are honoured while supporting families of deceased donors during their grief. In situations where the family members of the potential donor raise strong objections to donation, healthcare teams will speak with family members to address their concerns.
The Ministry of Health has no plans to consolidate organ, body and brain donations. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can already register their organs, body and brain donation decisions through the national Organ Donor Registry portal. Brain donations are also managed separately at Brain Bank Singapore for individuals who cannot pledge under MTERA due to their medical conditions. Despite the separate registries, the National Organ Transplant Unit and BBS have established processes to ensure that donors' registered decisions are honoured upon death.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Curriculum Time Spent on PSLE Preparation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"36 Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Minister for Education (a) what data the Ministry tracks on actual Primary 6 curriculum time spent on PSLE preparation, including studying of past papers and past questions, broken down by subject; (b) whether this has trended upwards or downwards since the removal of mid-year examinations; and (c) if no such data is collected, why not.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not track actual curriculum time spent specifically on PSLE preparation but provides guidance to schools on the curriculum time needed for completing the syllabus. This ensures appropriate pacing and sufficient time for revision and familiarisation of examination formats. Schools plan the revision schedule based on their students' learning needs.
Since the progressive removal of the Mid-Year Examination for all primary levels, schools have used the freed-up time to provide more engaging learning experiences and for strengthening students' 21st Century Competencies. Schools are mindful not to conduct excessive preparation for the national examination, and this is aligned with efforts to reduce the over-emphasis on examination grades.
MOE will continue to guide schools on the use of curriculum time, while allowing local adjustments to better meet their students' needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Expanding Uses of CDA Funds and Applying Means-testing to CDA Top-ups for More Equitable Assistance to Lower-income Households","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"37 Mr David Hoe asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry will consider expanding permissible uses of Child Development Account (CDA) funds to subsidise enrichment classes or programmes beyond preschools; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider applying means-testing to future CDA fund top-ups to uplift lower-income households more equitably.
Ms Indranee Rajah (for the Prime Minister): From May this year, we already expanded the scope of CDA use to cover all preschool incidental charges stipulated in the Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Regulations 2018, including optional enrichment programmes offered in-school. This was to provide more financial support for preschoolers to fully tap on the learning opportunities offered by their preschools. This is similar to how students are able to tap on Edusave for enrichment programmes organised by their schools.
To safeguard the use of CDA funds for preschool fees and incidental charges, it is not advisable to open up CDA funds for enrichment programmes offered outside of preschools.
CDA top-ups are a broad-based measure to help families with their cost of child-raising. Lower-income families may receive further means-tested subsidies, such as additional preschool subsidies. Lower-income households who require additional financial support may also approach Social Service Offices for financial assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of NUS' Five-day Work-from-office Policy on Talent Acquisition","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"38 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry was approached by the National University of Singapore or any affected parties such as faculty or administrative staff for assistance with the new five-day work-from-office policy; (b) if so, what guidance was given; and (c) what is the Ministry's assessment on whether such policies will affect talent acquisition policies of the university and the broader sector.
Mr Desmond Lee: As with other Autonomous Universities, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has autonomy in human resource matters, including workplace arrangements. The Ministry of Education has received feedback from NUS staff on the work-from-office policy, which we have asked NUS to look into and provide appropriate support. NUS has stated that it still offers flexible work arrangements for specific job roles.
Multiple factors affect talent attraction and retention. There is no one-size-fits-all approach as organisations adopt workplace policies that balance operational needs and staff requirements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Safeguarding Sensitive Information when Sharing Classified Threat Intelligence with Critical Sector Organisations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"39 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in light of the Government's decision to share classified threat intelligence with organisations in critical sectors (a) what measures are in place to ensure that sensitive information will remain safeguarded to minimise vulnerability exposures; and (b) whether the Government can share an update on the progress of measures to strengthen our Singaporean core for cybersecurity in critical sectors.
Mrs Josephine Teo: My response will also cover the matters raised in oral questions filed by Ms Poh Li San1 and Mr Yip Hon Weng2, both scheduled for a subsequent sitting. I invite Members to seek clarifications, if need be. If the questions have been addressed, it may not be necessary for the Members to proceed with their questions in a subsequent sitting.
Globally, malicious cyber activity has been increasing. As a digital hub, Singapore is not immune to these threats. Like other countries, we have been experiencing a rise in attacks by cyber criminals as well as state-linked actors. Our critical information infrastructure (CII) is a strategic target. As these systems support essential services, there can be severe consequences if they are compromised.
To safeguard the cybersecurity of our CII, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) holds CII owners to higher cybersecurity standards and obligations under the Cybersecurity Code of Practice. CSA will continue to update these standards and obligations to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape.
We will also partner CII owners by equipping them with tools and capabilities to help them deal with advanced cyber threats. This includes sharing classified threat intelligence with CII owners, which will help them be on the lookout for specific threats. CSA will put in place safeguards to ensure that the information is properly handled. CII owners will also have to comply with the Official Secrets Act. Sensitive information which may affect national security or foreign relations will be appropriately redacted.
Having a strong cybersecurity workforce that can meet Singapore’s needs is critical. CSA has also partnered with associations, industry and academic partners to facilitate the training of fresh and mid-career professionals for the cybersecurity profession. Today, Singapore is home to about 10,000 cybersecurity professionals. This figure has more than doubled compared to just eight years ago.
While the government will partner and support CII owners in cyber defence, CII owners are ultimately accountable for meeting the regulatory obligations under the Cybersecurity Act, and more importantly, for the cybersecurity outcomes of their organisations and systems. This is because they own the systems and networks and are responsible for all decisions relating to their network, including system architecture and the day-to-day operations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Digital Development and Information with regard to the sharing of classified cyber threat intelligence with organisations in critical sectors, (a) how will the Government balance it with potential tensions in foreign relations, particularly where state actors are engaged in threats activities; and (b) whether organisations in critical sectors will be expected to step up cybersecurity protection on top of requirements in the Cybersecurity Code of Practice.","2 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Digital Development and Information in respect of the sharing of classified threat intelligence with organisations in critical sectors, (a) how is the confidentiality of the shared intelligence safeguarded; (b) what will be the role and accountability framework for the private technology partners involved; and (c) how will this new collaborative model integrate with existing regulatory obligations under the Cybersecurity Act."],"footNoteQuestions":["39"],"questionNo":"39"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Study on Lottery Gambling Addiction and Review of Policy of Not Requiring Identification for Lottery Purchases at Singapore Pools Physical Outlets","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"40 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what studies have the Ministry conducted on the extent of lottery gambling addiction in Singapore; (b) whether the Ministry will review the current policy of not requiring identification for lottery purchases at Singapore Pools physical outlets; and (c) whether self exclusions and family exclusion orders can be extended to these outlets.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The gambling addiction rate in Singapore has remained low and stable. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) conducts the Survey on Participation in Gambling Activities among Singapore Residents to assess the extent and pattern of gambling among adult Singapore residents and ascertain the prevalence of problem gambling. Based on the last three surveys in 2017, 2020 and 2023, the overall probable pathological and problem gambling or gambling addiction rate has remained low and stable at about 1% of the local resident population aged 18 and above.
The exclusion regime is a social safeguard put in place for riskier gambling products, such as casinos, gaming machine rooms and Singapore Pools remote gambling. These are riskier because casinos and gaming machine rooms allow for continuous play, whilst remote gambling makes it easier to access gambling from anywhere. Individuals are thus required to provide identification prior to entering casinos or gaming machine rooms or opening a Singapore Pools remote gambling account.
The exclusion regime does not apply to Singapore Pools' physical outlets because lottery purchases at physical outlets pose lower risks. Consequently, individuals are not required to provide identification for lottery purchases at these outlets.
This is reflective of our overall approach that recognises that there will always be some level of gambling, while ensuring that problem gambling remains under control. We will continue to maintain the balance between allowing limited gambling in a controlled environment and protecting individuals, families and society from the harms of problem gambling through our social safeguards.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Addressing Late Payment Practices within Food and Beverage Sector, and Measures to Support Small Suppliers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Ministry is aware of late payment practices to suppliers, particularly in the food and beverage sector; (b) if so, what is the scale of such practices; and (c) what measures are the Government considering to protect small suppliers from late payments by larger buyers.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Government does not have data on late payments between businesses. For disputes involving amounts of up to $30,000, suppliers can file civil claims with the Small Claims Tribunals. Suppliers may also seek recourse through mediation and adjudication services provided by mediation bodies, such as the Singapore Mediation Centre.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tracking Knife Crimes Involving Offenders with Mental Health Issues","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"42 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry will consider tracking incidents of knife crimes involving offenders with mental health issues for further prevention and intervention strategies; and (b) if not, why not.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Ministry of Home Affairs does not track data on which incidents of knife crime involved offenders with mental health issues. We take all knife crimes very seriously.
We have put in place upstream legal levers to regulate and limit the sale of certain types of knives that have limited legitimate use, such as flick knives and switchblades, under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021. In addition, carrying offensive weapons, such as knives, in public places without lawful authority or purpose is a serious offence and offenders face imprisonment and caning upon conviction.
When there is an incident of a knife crime with the threat of violence, the Police are trained and equipped to effectively neutralise the threat and arrest the offender. For such offenders with mental health issues, depending on the circumstances, the Police may subsequently bring them to a medical practitioner to receive treatment. This is to help address the underlying mental health issues that may have caused such offenders to commit the knife crime.
Alternatively, the Police may refer the person to Community Outreach Teams, also known as CREST, which are set up by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), or to AIC itself. CREST or AIC will refer the case to appropriate mental health service providers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Contributing Factors to Rise in Malnutrition among Older Singaporeans","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"43 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health in light of recent reports on a rise in malnutrition among older Singaporeans (a) to what extent are social isolation, mental health and financial constraints contributing factors to such under-nutrition; and (b) how is the Ministry coordinating efforts with community partners to address these factors alongside medical interventions.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: My response will also address the Parliamentary Question for written answer raised by Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye scheduled for today's Sitting and similar questions raised by Dr Charlene Chen, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin and Mr Yip Hon Weng scheduled for subsequent Sittings. [Please refer to \"Proportion of Seniors Screened or Flagged for Malnutrition\", Official Report, 5 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 10, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section; and \"Outcomes of EatWise SG Programme and Nutrition Support Access for Vulnerable Seniors\", Official Report, 5 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 10, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Malnutrition of seniors is not a new issue. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) monitors the energy and nutrition intake of Singapore adults' diets through the National Nutrition Survey (NNS). Based on the 2019 and 2022 surveys, the rates have remained stable with about one in four older adults (aged 50 to 69 years) not meeting their minimum caloric requirement, and about one in two not meeting the recommended protein intake.
Diet is a critical aspect of population health. There are many risk factors for malnutrition including social isolation and low health literacy. This is why the Ministry of Health (MOH) is addressing them comprehensively through national programmes, such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG.
First, MOH and HPB help seniors to understand the importance of a healthy diet through community-based education efforts. For example, HPB's \"Steady Lah\" programme incorporates interactive activities to educate seniors about healthy balanced diet.
Second, primary care and community partners identify at-risk seniors and provide early intervention. Dietary advice will also be provided during the Healthier SG Health Plan and Nurse Counselling sessions. EatWise SG is an effort to enhance the capability of community partners and primary care physicians. MOH will monitor the outcomes of the capability development efforts such as patient satisfaction with nutrition care.
Thirdly, the Government also provides support to ensure that seniors, including those with low income, have access to healthy food. For example, the Community Development Council Voucher Scheme supports Singaporeans in managing daily expenses, such as food costs. HPB also works with supermarket chains to increase the variety of healthier house brand protein sources, which are typically more affordable. HPB also partners food businesses to make healthier meals accessible across different settings and budgets, as well as make healthier choices more obvious.
Vulnerable seniors, such as those with mobility challenges, and those who are unable to prepare or buy their own meals safely, can also receive subsidised, nutritious, home-delivered meals under the Meals-on-Wheels service.
We seek the support of all community partners and grassroots in these initiatives to improve nutrition support for seniors. Members of the public do not need to sign up to participate in EatWise SG. Instead, they may contact their Healthier SG clinics for nutrition advice or to find out more about available nutrition care programmes at Active Ageing Centres.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Managing Usage, Hogging and Cost of EV Charging Stations at Public Car Parks","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"44 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what strategies are in place to manage usage and reduce hogging at public carparks with limited EV charging stations; and (b) whether a cost review is underway, given the disparity between public EV charging rates and home electricity tariffs.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: We monitor the charger utilisation rates closely and where there is growing demand, we will work with charging operators to scale up deployment, electrical capacity permitting. To deter lot hogging, EV charging operators have implemented idle fees at several charging locations, especially those with high demand. The operators determine charging prices, which is dependent on demand, location and charger power rating.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Professionalising Skilled Trades","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how the Ministry defines the professionalisation of skilled trades in providing multiple pathways to success; (b) what measures will ensure their viability as alternatives to university education; (c) what measurable wage growth targets will be set to track the success of this initiative; and (d) whether there are plans to enforce regulations requiring the engagement of licensed tradespersons.
Dr Tan See Leng: Professionalising skilled trades refers to transforming these occupations to adopt the recognised attributes of a profession, including structured career pathways, formal training and certifications. This would improve recognition for these trades and support individuals pursuing these careers.
The Ministry of Manpower is working closely with relevant stakeholders, such as skilled trades associations, to develop new initiatives that address the needs of each skilled trade. These include developing structured career and learning pathways and apprenticeship programmes to help tradespeople deepen their skills and progress along clear progression pathways and encouraging a fair reward to tradespeople who have deepened their skills to provide high quality services. More information on these new initiatives will be announced later. We will also work with these stakeholders on the outcomes and targets for these initiatives.
We are not setting wage growth targets for the professionalisation of trades for now. We will monitor wages closely to ensure they rise in line with the quality of services delivered, and will calibrate our initiatives, if necessary, in view of potential impact to business and consumer costs.
At present, there are regulations in place that require the engagement of licensed tradespersons for specific tasks, such as for electrical works and complex plumbing works. The relevant sector agencies will enforce these regulations accordingly.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support for Smaller Firms to Achieve Workplace Safety and Health Accreditation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"46 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) contractors and sub-contractors have benefitted from the WSH Advocate Programme to date; and (b) what further support can be provided to help smaller firms with limited resources achieve WSH (Workplace Safety and Health) accreditation, such as BizSAFE Level 3.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Advocate Programme brings together major service buyers to champion WSH excellence among their extensive supply chains. This involves taking into consideration the safety records of firms during contract awards and helping to uplift their contractors' safety capability. As at September 2025, there were 37 WSH Advocates, whose initiatives have benefited close to 2,900 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their collective supply chains.
The Government adopts a multi-pronged approach to help SMEs achieve WSH accreditation, such as bizSAFE, which involves fulfilling requirements, such as completing risk management training courses, establishing systematic risk management processes and undergoing independent verification by an auditor. First, StartSAFE is a fully subsidised programme by the WSH Council to help SMEs identify and address WSH risks, with a view to obtaining bizSAFE accreditation. Second, there are government grants to support SMEs in capability building. These include the Productivity Solutions Grant for adopting WSH technology solutions, and the Enhanced Training Support for SMEs that provides higher subsidies for WSH training. Third, the WSH Council partners with SME Centres to guide SMEs in enhancing their WSH capabilities.
The Ministry of Manpower and our partners will continue to encourage SMEs to take advantage of these support measures and monitor their effectiveness.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Unfair Contractual Terms in Career Conversion Programmes that Require Trainees to Pay Compensation for Termination","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"48 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what regulatory safeguards, if any, are in place in Career Conversion Programmes to prevent the inclusion of unfair contractual terms requiring trainees to pay liquidated damages when termination is initiated by the employer; and (b) how will the Government ensure that employers do not recover from trainees more than the actual training costs incurred by them under the programmes.\n
49 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Government will consider (i) establishing clear guidelines on prohibited contractual terms in Career Conversion Programmes to safeguard trainees in employer-initiated terminations, (ii) ensuring that trainees are informed of these guidelines and (iii) providing trainees with access to advice on the fairness of employer-set terms, especially where contractually liquidated damages exceed programme fees or appear disproportionate to training costs.
Dr Tan See Leng: We are committed to safeguarding the interests of Career Conversion Programme (CCP) trainees. Companies that are successfully onboarded to CCPs typically have progressive workplace practices and demonstrate a genuine commitment to supporting individuals in their career transitions. Companies that are found to be engaging in egregious practices will be suspended from participating in CCPs.
While companies may have legitimate reasons to terminate a contract and seek liquidated damages (LD) in certain cases such as those involving misconduct, they should not seek refunds from trainees for costs in excess of what the companies have incurred. Government subsidies should be explicitly excluded from the calculation of LD to ensure that the total amount recovered by the employer will not exceed their actual expenditure, net of Government subsidies.
Trainees who believe that they have been subject to unreasonable employment clauses may seek assistance from their unions, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices, or the Ministry of Manpower.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reliance on A Few Major Cloud Providers and Assessment of Security Risk to Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what proportion of Singapore’s critical digital infrastructure relies on a few major global cloud providers and what is the assessed national security risk from this concentration; and (b) how will the proposed Digital Infrastructure Act mandate higher reliability, contingency planning and transparency standards for these providers to mitigate this risk.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) are computer systems necessary for the provision of essential services in sectors, such as government, telecommunications, and banking and finance. CIIs are required to meet stringent resilience requirements under the Cybersecurity Act and relevant sectoral regulations. For example, they must adopt technology and supplier diversity and cater redundancy for key system components. While CII operators may use the cloud for service delivery, they are required to put in place measures to mitigate the risk of over-dependence on cloud service providers.
CIIs must already conduct exercises and audits to identify potential vulnerabilities and ensure the robustness of these resilience measures. The forthcoming Digital Infrastructure Act will strengthen our regulatory levers for upholding the resilience of systemically important digital infrastructure, such as cloud services and data centres. It will introduce regulatory requirements for major cloud service providers to implement measures, such as security testing, user access controls, proper data governance and planning for disaster recovery. These requirements will reference existing international and industry standards and will be similar to the measures set out in the Advisory Guidelines for the Resilience and Security of Cloud Services, which was developed in consultation with industry stakeholders and released in February 2025.
Even with these efforts, disruptions can be minimised but not completely prevented. We therefore encourage businesses to plan and prepare for contingencies. This includes conducting risk assessments and putting in place appropriate measures, such as diversifying service providers and business continuity plans, to manage risks and reduce the impact should a disruption occur.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Publicising Removal of Criterion of At Least One Local Employee for Energy Efficiency Grant","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in respect of the Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG) (a) whether the removal of the minimum eligibility criterion of at least one local employee at the firm-level was communicated to prospective applicants; (b) if so, when and how; and (c) whether the Ministry has seen an increase in the number of applications as a result.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: I refer to our response to a related question filed by the Member on 15 October 2025, where we shared details on the removal of the minimum eligibility criterion for the Energy Efficiency Grant since June 2025. [Please refer to \"Rationale for Minimum Eligibility Criterion of At Least One Local Employee for Energy Efficiency Grant\", Official Report, 15 October 2025, Vol 96, Issue 8, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
This change was reflected in relevant materials and websites of administering agencies, including the GoBusiness website. The number of applications for the Grant increased in the three months after June 2025.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Expanding Learning Support Programmes to Include all Primary School Subjects and Levels","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"52 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the current learning support programmes sufficiently support students with greater learning needs; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider expanding the learning support programmes to include all primary school subjects and levels.
Mr Desmond Lee: For students with greater learning needs in primary school, learning support programmes are provided to strengthen their foundation in literacy and numeracy. These programmes include the Learning Support Programme and the Learning Support for Mathematics (LSM) Programme from Primary 1, the Reading Remediation Programme (RRP) for English and the Mother Tongue Support Programme from Primary 3.
To enhance learning support for students who do not meet the milestone learning outcomes at the end of Primary 2, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has extended LSM to Primary 3 and 4 students since 2023. MOE has also enhanced the RRP at Primary 3 and 4 and extended it to Primary 5 students this year.
At Primary 5 and 6, students who cope better with a less demanding curriculum can offer subjects at the Foundation level.
On top of these, schools and teachers also provide targeted support for students in any subject as and when needed.
Our academically weaker students had generally performed better than their international peers in English, Mathematics and Science in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD)'s international benchmarking studies. This suggests that the dedicated and customised support has been effective for many of these students. We will continue to review and refine our learning support programmes as necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Lessons from Recent Spate of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks at Preschools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"
53 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what lessons on gastroenteritis outbreaks at preschools have the Ministry learnt, particularly after a recent spate of cases in the past two months; (b) were these lessons shared with other preschools; and (c) what steps are being taken to ensure that operators maintain high standards of hygiene, if any.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Investigations for recent gastroenteritis cases at preschools are ongoing. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is monitoring the situation and working with relevant preschool operators to ensure the well-being of children and staff.
ECDA and the Singapore Food Agency has issued a joint advisory to remind preschools to exercise vigilance to minimise the risk of gastroenteritis in preschools. Besides conducting daily temperature and health checks for all children, staff and visitors upon arrival, preschools must also follow clear guidelines on the management of infectious diseases if there are suspected or known cases among children, staff or parents. This includes notifying ECDA and complying with disinfection guidelines to limit the spread of disease. Preschools must also adhere to health and hygiene requirements in the Early Childhood Development Centres Regulations and Code of Practice. This includes ensuring that premises are well-ventilated and clean, and that there are proper procedures for food preparation and storage.
To ensure that preschools maintain high standards of hygiene, ECDA conducts unannounced visits to preschools as part of its licensing regime. ECDA's officers will assess preschools' measures and processes to safeguard child health and safety. ECDA will take the necessary regulatory actions against non-compliant preschools, which could include warnings and financial penalties.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints of Employers Failing to Pay Workers Minimum Salaries Stipulated by Progressive Wage Model","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"54 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many validated complaints have been received by the Ministry in the first six months of 2025 regarding employers failing to pay workers the minimum salaries stipulated by the Progressive Wage Model; and (b) how this compares to the same period in previous years.
Dr Tan See Leng: In the first six months of 2025, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received fewer than 20 substantiated complaints regarding employers failing to pay workers the minimum salaries stipulated by the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), comparable to the complaints in the same period in 2024.
MOM will continue its efforts to raise awareness of the PWM among employees and encourage them to use the Progressive Wage Portal to verify their wages against PWM requirements. Employees who detect discrepancies can seek clarification from their employers or 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":"Findings from Crane Incident at HDB Worksite in Sin Ming on 10 October 2025","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"56 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry can share preliminary investigation findings from the crane incident that occurred at the HDB worksite in Sin Ming on 10 October 2025; and (b) whether safety measures will be strengthened to better protect workers in lifting and dismantling operations.
Dr Tan See Leng: The incident involved a worker being hit by a crane boom that broke during the dismantling of a mobile crane. As investigations are ongoing, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is currently unable to provide further details on the root cause of the incident.
Under the existing Workplace Safety and Health (Operation of Cranes) Regulations, the dismantling of a mobile crane must be carried out by an approved crane contractor in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or under the immediate supervision of an authorised examiner. Employers may also refer to the Approved Codes of Practice on the Safe Use of Mobile Cranes and Safe Lifting Operations in the Workplaces for practical guidance on recommended safety measures to implement. MOM will review the existing safety requirements, based on the findings from the investigations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Diplomatic Relations with Syria and Opportunities for Trade, Reconstruction and Humanitarian Engagement","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"57 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is Singapore’s current position on diplomatic relations with Syria's new leadership; and (b) whether the Ministry is exploring opportunities for trade, reconstruction and humanitarian engagement with Syria.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with Syria and has engaged the Syrian Transitional Government. I met with Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan Al Shaibani, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2025. Singapore is open to consider cooperation with Syria in areas where we can be of assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Groups Exempted from Caning for Vaping-related Trafficking Offences","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"58 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in respect of the introduction of caning for vaping-related trafficking offences (a) whether there are any demographic groups, such as juveniles, women or elderly persons, who will be legally exempt from caning under this regime; and (b) what is the Ministry's risk assessment that criminal syndicates will exploit such exempt groups for recruitment as mules.
Mr K Shanmugam: Caning is applicable for the trafficking of controlled drugs listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act, regardless of how the drug is trafficked. Importation or sale of e-vaporisers does not attract caning if there is no controlled drug involved.
Under section 325 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), men who are more than 50 years of age and women are exempted from caning. Juveniles who are sentenced to imprisonment are liable for caning, subject to specific provisions in the CPC.
Criminal syndicates will indeed exploit anyone willing to further their criminal enterprise. For offenders who are exempt from caning, the CPC empowers the Courts to impose an additional imprisonment term of up to 12 months to ensure that the overall sentence is still sufficiently punitive and deterrent.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mental Health Assessments for Police, Police NSFs and Auxiliary Police Officers Handling Firearms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"59 Mr David Hoe asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether Police Full-time police national servicemen (NSFs) authorised to carry firearms undergo mental-health assessments before firearms issuance and at set intervals during National Service; (b) whether peer or supervisor reports can trigger immediate temporary disarmament and review; and (c) whether Police NSFs have the same in-house mental-health resources as regular Home Team officers, or receive dedicated or additional support.
60 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether routine checks are still being conducted on the mental health of police and auxiliary police officers handling firearms; (b) what are the latest measures to ensure that officers are fit to handle the weapons for each assignment; and (c) what are the support and treatment programs currently in place for officers facing challenges.
Mr K Shanmugam: During recruitment and enlistment, Police Officers, which include Full-time Police National Servicemen and Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) undergo security screening and medical evaluation. Psychological assessment is also conducted for Police Officers and most APOs, including those from Certis Cisco, AETOS and SATS. Those who need to carry firearms have to undergo firearms proficiency training and pass an annual shooting test.
After recruitment and enlistment, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Auxiliary Police Forces (APFs) continually observe and evaluate the officers' continued suitability to carry firearms. For example, supervisors monitor the well-being of their officers. Those who are suspected to be suffering from psychological distress will not be allowed to draw firearms. They will be redeployed to duties that do not require them to carry firearms.
The SPF places strong emphasis on the mental well-being of its officers. It has a Psychological Fitness Training Framework which maps out specific psychological fitness competencies for officers in their respective roles and guides their psychological fitness training. For example, resilience and stress management training are provided to all new officers and include detection of personal distress and suicide prevention. Officers also attend workshops and courses on how to cope and adapt when dealing with operational and work stresses. Supervisors are trained to identify and support officers who need help.
All Police Officers have access to a wide range of psychological support. These include in-house psychological services, peer support programmes where they can speak to fellow officers trained as para-counsellors, a 24/7 helpline managed in-house by our psychologists and para-counsellors, as well as external agency-administered psychological services. Officers who require psychological assistance are given prompt attention. In October every year, a month-long campaign is organised to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and self-care. This is to sensitise the officers to common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide, and the helplines that are available.
There are regular staff engagement channels and pulse surveys where officers can give feedback and raise issues faced in the workplace. The SPF takes staff feedback and concerns very seriously.
Within the APFs, APOs are provided with various avenues of support for their mental health as well. These include mental wellness briefings and training sessions, employee assistance programmes, supervisor and peer support networks, self-help resources and access to professional counselling services.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Incorporating Animal Welfare and Anti-cruelty Themes and Modules in School Syllabus","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"62 Ms Lee Hui Ying asked the Minister for Education whether there are plans to expand more animal welfare and anti-cruelty themes and modules in the education syllabus by including them as part of the voluntary learning modules on the Student Learning Space or incorporating them into exam and practice questions in the academic curriculum.
Mr Desmond Lee: The topics of animal welfare and the prevention of animal cruelty are covered in subjects, such as Character and Citizenship Education, Social Studies (Primary) and Science. The contexts used to discuss such issues are regularly refreshed to include contemporary examples. These lessons are available in the Student Learning Space for students to revisit on their own after learning it in class. We will continue to review this as part of our curriculum review and refresh.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Standards to Deter Child Trafficking in Cross-border Adoptions in ASEAN","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"
63 Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what steps have been taken with our ASEAN partners to establish common regional standards to protect against child trafficking in intercountry adoptions.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Child trafficking refers to the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a child for the purpose of exploitation. This includes instances of the child entering into Singapore under false pretences and the unlawful transfer of the child for valuable consideration. Beyond adoption, such transfers could also be for the purpose of sexual exploitation or child labour.
ASEAN member states have established and adopted regional frameworks to protect against child trafficking in general, and in relation to adoption. These include the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children from 2016 to 2025. This Regional Plan of Action includes measures to establish extraterritorial jurisdiction for offences and transnational crimes related to the trafficking and sale of children. Such acts are criminalised under the Adoption of Children Act, Children and Young Persons Act, Penal Code, Prevention of Human Trafficking Act and the Women's Charter.
In addition, the 2015 ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children sets out the objectives and obligations of ASEAN member states for tackling child trafficking through a \"4Ps\" approach – prevention, prosecution, protection and partnership.
Inter-country adoption involves bringing a child into Singapore with the goal of finding the child a permanent home with his or her adopted parents. Our laws and adoption process do not just target child trafficking but also has various proactive safeguards and measures in place. For example, the adoption process includes the verification of the child's identity papers, travel documents and conducting checks with birth parents to ensure they have given valid consent and have not offered the child for adoption for improper financial or material gain.
These measures, together with our criminal laws, work in tandem to prevent and deter the various forms of child trafficking.
Our partnership with ASEAN partners and our Government agencies has worked well to combat child trafficking as a whole. If there are allegations of trafficking, Singapore will render the necessary assistance within the ambit of our laws.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Employers who Voluntarily Adopt National Wages Council 2024/2025 Guidelines","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"67 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry tracks the number of employers who voluntarily adopt the National Wages Council 2024/2025 Guidelines; (b) if so, what percentage of employers have adopted the guidelines for a wage increase of at least 5.5% for workers earning less than $2,500 per month; and (c) how this compares with adoption of previous years' guidelines.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower tracks employers' adoption of the National Wages Council Guidelines via the Survey on Annual Wage Changes.
The adoption rate of the Guidelines for lower-wage workers is published in the Ministry's annual report on \"Wage Practices for Lower-wage Employees and Forward Expectations of Establishments\". The adoption rate of the 2024/2025 Guidelines for lower-wage workers will be published in the upcoming edition of the report.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Potential Impact of Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone on Competitiveness of Singapore's Maritime and Aviation Hubs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"68 Mr Foo Cexiang asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the potential impact of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) on the competitiveness of our maritime and aviation hubs; and (b) what are the strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of these hubs.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone will allow Singapore and Johor to complement each other's strengths. Companies can benefit from Singapore's global networks, connectivity and business ecosystem, and Johor's land and resource advantages. The combined offering presents an attractive value proposition to investors and companies keen to invest in the region and would also open new opportunities that will strengthen our maritime and aviation hubs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Upgrading Costs and Plans for Eunos Community Club","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"69 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the total cost of the upgrading works for the Eunos Community Club; (b) what facilities have been set aside for upgrading at a later date; and (c) when are these deferred works slated to commence.\n
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Mr Speaker, I am answering in my capacity as the Minister charged with the responsibility for the People's Association (PA).
PA maintains a periodic Upgrading and/or Cyclical Maintenance Programme to keep our community clubs well-maintained, functional and fit-for-purpose. Eunos Community Club was selected for upgrading in 2023 under this programme and a tender for upgrading works for Eunos Community Club was called in September 2022.
PA received 11 bids for the tender. Following an investigation by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS), two bids were disqualified and excluded from the tender evaluation. CCCS made public their findings, and this was known.
The remaining nine bids were then evaluated using the Price-Quality Method. Eventually, the tender was not awarded because the assessed bids were substantially higher than the estimated value of the works needed. As previously explained, after an assessment, it was decided that it would not be prudent to proceed with the upgrading works at that time, given the substantial deviation from the estimated value.
Instead, PA decided to scale down to only essential works, at a lower cost of around $3.1 million, to ensure that Eunos Community Club can continue to be well-maintained and fit-for-purpose for residents' use. This includes mechanical and electrical works, such as upgrading of the lift system. Eunos Community Club is currently undergoing these essential works and remains on track to reopen by early 2026. Thereafter, PA will make a progressive assessment on the scope of works that might be needed to be done at the next scheduled upgrading. This will be done in consultation with residents, community stakeholders and relevant authorities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Materials from Unlicensed Financial Advisors Still Accessible Online No Longer Carry Risk of Misleading Consumers","subTitle":"Interim enforcement actions before guidelines on responsible online financial content come into effect in March 2026","sectionType":"WANA","content":"70 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance with regard to the advisory letters from MAS to five content creators for providing unlicensed financial advice (a) how does MAS ensure that past materials left accessible online no longer carry the risk of misleading consumers of financial products; and (b) what interim enforcement actions will MAS conduct before the guidelines on responsible online financial content come into effect in March 2026.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): The letters of advice that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued to the five online content creators informed them that their content and practices might have constituted provision of financial advice, which requires an MAS licence. MAS found that they offered one-on-one coaching on financial related matters. Such coaching may breach MAS' regulations if they constituted recommendations to buy, sell or hold specific investment products or tailored financial advice relating to an individual's circumstances.
The letters also contained advice for the content creators to adjust their content and practices to avoid breaching MAS' regulations. Letters of advice are issued when no regulatory breaches have been established, but MAS has assessed that actions by certain persons are at risk of crossing the line. The identities of these persons are therefore not published. MAS' early intervention aims to mitigate risks to the public and deter any errant actions that may result in regulatory breaches.
Following our letters of advice, the content creators concerned have since deleted and edited the relevant content, including the reference to one-on-one coaching. They have also adjusted their practices.
To build greater awareness among the content creator community, MAS recently published two sets of guidelines: one for content creators and another for financial institutions when they conduct digital advertising activities1 (FI guidelines). These are in addition to existing guidelines published in 2019, which provide examples of activities that would constitute provision of financial advice2.
MAS will continue to monitor developments and provide guidance to content creators, including what may constitute providing financial advice. MAS will also work with financial institutions to implement the FI guidelines to manage risks associated with digital advertising, including the use of content creators. While the FI guidelines take effect on March 2026, MAS expects financial institutions to implement them progressively in the interim to achieve full alignment by the effective date. Even before the FI guidelines come into effect, MAS may still take enforcement action against content creators who provide financial advice without a licence.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Guidelines on Standards of Conduct for Digital Advertising Activities (https://go.gov.sg/gscdaa)","2 : Guidelines on Provision of Financial Advisory Service (https://www.mas.gov.sg/regulation/guidelines/guidelines-on-provision-of-financial-advisory-service)"],"footNoteQuestions":["70"],"questionNo":"70"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assessment of Developments in Myanmar","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"71 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is Singapore's assessment of the developments in Myanmar, in particular the announced plans for elections in late-2025 or early-2026.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Myanmar's situation continues to be dire almost five years since the coup. The country is effectively fragmented as it continues to face widespread conflict and instability. There have been heavy casualties, including civilians, and mass displacements as fighting continues unabated between the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military), the Ethnic Armed Organisations and the People's Defence Forces. Control over many areas remains contested with no side able to secure complete victory. The economic and humanitarian situation is deteriorating. The conflict has hindered recovery and humanitarian efforts following the devastating earthquake on 28 March 2025.
Myanmar's challenges are historical and deep-rooted. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs has previously stated in this House, a durable and genuine national reconciliation can only be achieved through constructive dialogue involving all of Myanmar's key stakeholders. The immediate priority would be the de-escalation of violence, facilitating humanitarian access and creating conditions conducive for dialogue. Peace, security and inclusive participation must be the basis of the upcoming elections so that the outcome is credible and reflects the will of the Myanmar people.
Ultimately, the solution must be Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led. Myanmar remains a member of ASEAN. Singapore will continue to support the efforts of ASEAN and the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, including implementing the Five-Point Consensus.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Singaporean Victims Baited by Scam Syndicates to Work Overseas","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"72 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs since 2022 (a) how many cases involving potential Singaporean victims being baited by scam syndicates to work overseas have been reported to the Police; (b) whether there have been any cases of Singaporeans requesting assistance from the Government to escape overseas scam syndicates; and (c) if so, how many.
Mr K Shanmugam: Since 2022, the Government has offered consular assistance to nine Singaporeans upon receiving information that they might have been exploited in overseas scam centres. Only three of them accepted the Government's offer, including facilitating their return to Singapore and issuing the necessary travel documents to do so.
In all of these cases, there was insufficient evidence to conclude the Singaporeans had been held captive and exploited by overseas scam syndicates.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Governance, Regulatory and Commercial Factors to Address to Enable Smooth and Reliable Wind Power Imports under Vietnam-Malaysia-Singapore Agreement","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"73 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry what are the key governance, regulatory and commercial hurdles that Singapore must overcome to ensure that wind-power imports will come onstream smoothly and reliably in time under the Vietnam-Malaysia-Singapore offshore wind power project.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Vietnam-Malaysia-Singapore wind power project is still at an early stage of development. We are unable to comment on the prospects or the hurdles of the project at this point in time.
74 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for National Development (a) under what conditions will the protected species' status of wildlife animal be reconsidered when it causes repeated economic damage to private property; (b) what criteria are used to classify an animal as a pest animal; and (c) whether otters meet such criteria.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Protected wildlife species listed under the Wildlife Act are identified based on criteria such as their national conservation status, whether they are native to Singapore and international conservation frameworks, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). For instance, otters are designated as protected wildlife species as they are native to Singapore and listed in CITES.
National Parks Board (NParks) also assesses factors, such as the risk to public safety and health and disamenities, to guide its approach to wildlife management. To manage human-otter conflicts, NParks works closely with community partners, like the Otter Working Group, which includes Government agencies, academic experts and members of the nature community. We have jointly developed measures, such as trapping and relocating otters away from areas of intensified human-otter conflict, cordoning off areas where adult otters may display protective behaviour in the presence of young otters and using olfactory irritants to guide otters away from residential areas.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Dealers Bidding up COE Premiums while Keeping Car Prices Stable","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"75 Mr Foo Cexiang asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA has detected any trend of car dealers bidding up COE premiums while keeping vehicle sale prices relatively stable; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider only allowing prospective vehicle buyers to bid for new COEs, rather than dealers.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: Vehicle sale prices generally have risen in tandem with higher Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums, but not to the same extent. Other factors, including lower Open Market Values and Government subsidies on electric cars, have contributed to higher COE bids.
The COE clearing price is set at the highest unsuccessful bid plus $1. Today, car buyers have the option of bidding for their own COEs instead of through their dealers. There is no evidence car dealers are bidding up COE prices beyond what buyers are prepared to pay. Some buyers also prefer car dealers to bid on their behalf for convenience.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of HDB Resale Prices on Process of Valuing Land for BTO Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"76 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Chief Valuer applies a discount or multiplier to resale transactions used as comparables when valuing land for Build-To-Order flats; and (b) if so, what is the average factor for (i) Standard, (ii) Plus and (iii) Prime projects respectively.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The Housing Development Board (HDB) pays fair market value when it purchases State Land for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats. The fair market value is determined by the Chief Valuer, an independent professional office, using established valuation principles no different from that of other professional valuers. This includes referencing relevant resale flat transactions and considering site-specific attributes and resale conditions.
The issue of land cost should not be conflated with the issue of pricing for BTO flats, be they Standard, Plus or Prime flats. The land cost is the amount paid by HDB for the land. This is different from the flat price, which is what the BTO flat buyer pays HDB for the unit. BTO flat pricing is based on affordability, not cost.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Policies on Location, Frequency and Design of Designated Smoking Areas within Municipal Boundaries","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"77 Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will be undertaking a review of the policies on the location, frequency and design of designated smoking areas within municipal boundaries to better protect residents against involuntary exposure to second-hand smoke.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Designated Smoking Points (DSPs) within municipal areas are community-led initiatives set up in places where smoking is not prohibited. Community groups interested in setting up DSPs should ensure that they are appropriately sited and managed to minimise disamenities to the public. The National Environment Agency will continue to advise community groups interested in setting up DSPs accordingly.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Review of Direct School Admission Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"78 Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the review of the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, specifically whether the review remains among the Ministry's 2025 priorities; (b) if so, when the outcomes will be released; and (c) if not, why it has been de-prioritised.
Mr Desmond Lee: The review of the Direct School Admission scheme is ongoing and we will share more details when ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Collecting Sector-specific Data on Employee Stress, Burnout, Anxiety and Depression","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"79 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will put in place a process to collect data on the prevalence of employee stress, burnout, anxiety and depression, according to sector and occupation, so as to better inform targeted prevention and intervention efforts.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) derives some insights into the state of workplace mental health and well-being through anonymised and aggregated data from iWorkHealth, an online assessment tool for employers. As adoption of iWorkHealth is voluntary, MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health Council are working with tripartite partners to encourage more employers to participate.
In addition to voluntary data from iWorkHealth, MOM is working with the Ministry of Health to explore ways to improve the collection and analysis of data on workers' mental health and well-being at the sectoral and occupational levels.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Foreign Participation in Singapore's Commercial and Industrial Property Markets over Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"80 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current levels and trends of foreign participation in Singapore's commercial and industrial property markets over the past five years, including acquisitions and ownership patterns; and (b) to what extent does the Ministry assess such foreign participation to have influenced commercial rent movements over the same period.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Landlords of commercial and industrial properties, both local or foreign, generally price their rents competitively to attract and retain tenants, given the costs and forgone rental income of leaving their properties vacant.
Between 2020 to 2024, foreign buyers accounted for less than 20% of private commercial and industrial property transactions. Therefore, foreign buyers are not the main driver of commercial and industrial rent movements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations for Converting HDB Car Park Space for Alternative Use","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"81 Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current requirements when considering the feasibility of converting HDB carpark spaces for alternative uses, such as sports or recreational spaces; (b) whether exceptions can be considered, relaxing requirements in estates where carpark space utilisation is persistently low; and (c) whether HDB will consider allowing greater flexibility to meet community needs.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: When considering requests to repurpose the Housing Development Board (HDB) multi-storey car parks (MSCPs) to other uses, HDB takes into account various factors, such as the demand for parking spaces over time, potential disamenities to residents and safety considerations. These include fire safety provisions, exit capacity and structural loading.
Where suitable, HDB has supported such requests and converted the upper levels of some MSCPs to greenery and community gardens. HDB will also consider requests to repurpose MSCPs to other uses that benefit the community, subject to site-specific assessment on the technical feasibility and specific needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints of Unsatisfactory or Disputed Insurance Claims","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"82 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) on the number of complaints MAS or the related agencies received with regards to unsatisfactory or disputed insurance claims in each of the last three years; and (b) whether the current dispute resolution framework and mechanism has been adequate to reasonably and fairly resolve insurance claims disputes.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): Insurers are expected to promptly pay all legitimate claims, and to be facilitative and fair to claimants during the claims handling process. This includes providing clear instructions on documents required for claims submission, as well as having sound internal processes to validate the claims.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Guidelines on Fair Dealing sets out how licensed financial institutions, including insurers, are expected to treat customers fairly at various stages of the customer journey. In addition, MAS' Guidelines on Risk Management Practices for Insurance Business sets out supervisory expectations for proper claims handling.
Where insurers fall short of our expectations, MAS will take appropriate action, which could involve requiring the insurer to review its policies and procedures to prevent recurrence, as well as its restitution to the consumer.
Consumers who believe their claims have been unfairly rejected should first contact their insurers, who are required to handle complaints independently, effectively and promptly. If a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached, consumers may file for mediation or adjudication at the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC), which offers independent, impartial and low-cost dispute resolution services.
Over the last three years, FIDReC completed, on average, 246 mediation and adjudication annual insurance claims related to disputes on claim liability and amounts awarded, while MAS received an average of 91 such similar complaints per year. These represent less than 0.01% of claims received by insurers. FIDReC continues to provide an important and effective mechanism for resolving consumer disputes. More than 85% of claims handled by FIDReC were either resolved at mediation or adjudication. Less than 0.1% of claims received by the larger direct insurers, which account for 80% share of the local market, were litigated.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Learning Points from Discontinued Marine Parade Shuttle Bus Trial","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"83 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what are the learning points from the discontinued free Marine Parade shuttle bus trial that will be applied to future assessments of Community Development Council funds disbursements for free or discounted transport offerings.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Mr Speaker, I am answering in my capacity as the Minister charged with the responsibility for the People's Association.
The Community Development Council (CDC) funds support community programmes that help and benefit the community, strengthen the social glue, build a more compassionate society and foster community bonding. In response to feedback from residents for last-mile connectivity, the Marine Parade shuttle bus service was launched as a pilot by the Grassroots Organisations (GROs) of the Marine Parade Town Cluster to address the needs. The majority of the funding for the shuttle bus pilot came from donations raised by the GROs, supplemented by a $200,000 seed grant provided by the South East CDC.
Learning points from the pilot include the fact that some routes experienced higher usage than others across different time periods due to varying needs of residents in different locations. The data collected from the usage patterns were useful. Adjustments were made, taking the usage data and feedback into consideration; bus frequencies were adjusted and one of the routes was discontinued earlier this year. The GROs will continue to adopt this approach of piloting, adapting and reviewing how to deploy resources to best serve resident needs.
Marine Parade GRC Grassroots Advisers have studied the detailed findings from the operations and have decided to terminate the shuttle bus and to deploy resources in a more targeted manner to meet the connectivity needs of residents across Marine Parade. More details will be announced soon.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Mobile Dental Clinics Serving Schools without Dental Clinics","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"84 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how many mobile dental clinics are currently serving those schools without dental clinics; (b) what is the waiting time for (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) Special Education (SPED) schools to secure these mobile dental clinics; and (c) how frequently do the mobile dental clinics visit these schools.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The School Dental Service deploys 30 mobile dental clinics to serve secondary and Special Education schools without static clinics. The mobile clinics are scheduled to visit each of these schools once a year, and there is no need to book and wait for mobile clinics. Most primary schools have dental clinics within their premises and do not require mobile services.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data to Support Move towards Skills-based Hiring in Civil Service","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"86 Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what are the percentages of Public Service jobs posted since January 2024 which (i) waive formal academic qualifications and (ii) employ skills-based assessment as the primary hiring criterion; and (b) what specific measures, targets and timeline has the Public Service established to accelerate the adoption of skills-based hiring across agencies.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): The Public Service supports skills-based hiring and has adopted a competency-based framework to guide key employment decisions, including recruitment. Agencies are guided to specify skills and competencies in their recruitment advertisements. If specific qualifications are required, their relevance should be indicated clearly.
We do not track the number of job postings that do or do not include formal academic requirements in their criteria. Certain jobs, such as those in specialised or technical fields like accountancy, engineering and legal services, require candidates to have the relevant professional qualifications to perform their jobs effectively. In such cases, agencies would explain the need for such requirements.
Regardless of whether formal academic requirements are specified in the job advertisements, recruiters will consider candidates for all roles holistically based on their skills, competencies, work experience and alignment with the job's requirements, and candidates may be put through assessments, such as case studies and practical tasks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Addressing Needs of Workers who Care for Elderly Parents and Young Children and Proposal for \"Sandwich Generation Leave\"","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"87 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether focus studies have been done to assess the specific needs of workers who care for elderly parents and young children; (b) if so, what were the outcomes of such studies; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider a distinct \"Sandwich Generation Leave\" to take into account families with more than one child and/or have elderly parents to tend to.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Government commissions several studies that collect data on caregivers, including the Quality of Life Study and the National Population Health Survey. These studies cover caregivers in general, and do not specifically look at working sandwiched caregivers who care for both elderly parents and young children.
Given the diversity of caregiving needs, it is impractical to introduce various leave types to cater to every need. However, the Government has been progressively enhancing parental leave provisions over the years to support parents in caring for young children. Some employers have also voluntarily provided additional caregiving leave.
We have also implemented the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests to help employers and employees to navigate discussions about flexible work arrangements and arrive at mutually beneficial arrangements. This can help working caregivers to manage work and caregiving responsibilities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations when Allocating Counsellors to Schools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"88 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Education (a) given counsellor allocation relies on reported caseloads, how does the Ministry distinguish genuinely low need from demand suppressed by limited counsellor access; (b) what prospective metrics identify unmet need; and (c) are educators' own mental health needs incorporated in the allocation.
Mr Desmond Lee: The caseloads refer to students engaged by the school counsellors. The mental well-being of school personnel is supported through dedicated programmes separate from school counselling services and hence does not affect school counsellor allocation.
Schools use a number of indicators to assess the counselling needs of students. Besides referrals from students and teachers, they also monitor their students' social-emotional and mental well-being through termly check-ins to identify those requiring support. These indicators are not dependent on the extent of access to school counsellors.
When schools detect increased counselling needs, they can augment their counselling capacity by engaging additional flexi-adjunct school counsellors. Beyond schools, the Ministry of Education also taps on whole-of-Government efforts to support youth mental health, with students having access to community resources such as Response, Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health teams, in-person services like CHAT - Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health, CREST-Youth and community helplines such as the national mindline 1771, Samaritans of Singapore and Tinkle Friend. As part of the Character and Citizenship curriculum, students learn about these avenues of support for their mental well-being.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mental and Emotional Well-being Support for Educators in Special Education Schools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"89 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education what further support will be provided to educators in special education schools in terms of ensuring their mental and emotional well-being.
Mr Desmond Lee: We recognise that the work of Special Education (SPED) teachers is challenging and are thankful for their dedication in working with students with special educational needs. The Ministry of Education (MOE) works with Social Service Agencies (SSAs) operating SPED schools to support the well-being of their teachers. We had shared our initiatives in response to Parliamentary Question 6459 in September 2024. [Please refer to \"Improving Well-being-related Resources for Special Education Teachers\", Official Report, 10 September 2024, Vol 95, Issue 141, Oral Answers to Questions section.] Let me provide some updates.
Teacher well-being is strengthened through a positive culture of peer support and professional collaboration. MOE had facilitated the set-up of two SPED Communities of Practice across the schools.
To ensure that workload remains sustainable, MOE works with SSAs and SPED schools to support teacher recruitment and retention. We also set up recruitment booths at seven job fairs to promote teaching opportunities across the sector.
MOE is working with the SPED schools to study the possibility of introducing common digital solutions that the SPED schools can use to reduce administrative workload.
At the school level, many SPED schools have dedicated staff well-being committees that equip their teachers with practical support to manage stress and to learn how to care for their own well-being.
Collectively, these efforts create a purposeful and sustainable work environment that supports SPED teachers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Students Progressing from Special Education School into ITE Progammes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"90 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the number of students who have progressed from special education (SPED) schools into ITE programmes in the last five years, both as an absolute number and as a percentage of the total number of students from the same cohort; and (b) whether there are plans for more SPED to ITE transitions in the future.
Mr Desmond Lee: Students who attend Special Education (SPED) schools have moderate-to-severe Special Educational Needs. Their needs are diverse as are their strengths, interests and preferences.
In the last five years, there were around 480 SPED graduates each year. Among them, around 90 had accessed the national curriculum. An average of around 70 each year, or around 80% of the SPED graduates from this group, completed the GCE \"N\" or \"O\" levels and progressed to Private Schools for Education and Inclusion, such as Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics.
Other SPED students with higher support needs access the customised SPED curriculum. For those who complete vocational certification in SPED, a small group of around 10 graduates each year also progress to ITE while the majority from this group eventually become employed directly. For those with more diverse needs, we will work with partners under the MOE-SG Enable School-to-Work Transition Programme to facilitate transitions from school to the workplace for them.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Money Laundering Investigations into Cambodia-based Network Designated as Transnational Criminal Organisation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"91 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether MAS has conducted money laundering investigations into the Cambodia-based network designated as a transnational criminal organisation by the US in October 2025, and its related entities; and (b) whether MAS had conducted investigations on the individuals and Singapore-registered entities affiliated with the network before they were named by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): This question will be addressed at the next Sitting on 5 November 2025, together with similar Parliamentary Questions. [Please refer to \"Data on Sanctioned Individuals Operating Tax-exempt Family Offices Locally\", Official Report, 5 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 10, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on whether Two-day Work-from-home Arrangement Remains as Default Policy in Civil Service","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"92 Ms Poh Li San asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view that close to 70% of companies in Singapore have not offered scheduled teleworking arrangements in 2023 (a) whether an update can be provided on whether the two-day work-from-home arrangement remains as the default working arrangements in the Civil Service; and (b) if so, why.\n \n
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Teleworking is one of the forms of flexible work arrangement (FWAs) available to help public officers balance their work and personal responsibilities. This is not the default working arrangement for all public officers.
About half of public officers do not adopt this arrangement because their roles require them to be physically present at the workplace, such as frontline service delivery, security operations or teaching. For these officers, they can access other forms of FWAs, including part-time work or staggered work hours with flexible start and end times.
For officers whose work allows for telecommuting, they still have to return to office whenever their duties require them to do so. While FWAs take into consideration the needs of the officer, work and operational needs take priority. It is not an entitlement.
We are committed to offering a range of FWAs that support our officers' needs without compromising the operational effectiveness of the Public Service.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on \"Cut and Fill\" Approach to Reassign COE Quotas and Further Medium-term Plans to Equalise Supply","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"93 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Acting Minister for Transport with regard to the \"cut-and-fill\" approach to reassign COE quota supply (a) from May 2023 till to date, how many quotas have been reassigned from guaranteed deregistrations of five-year non-extendable COEs and the standard 10-year COEs; and (b) whether the Ministry has any further medium-term plans to equalise the COE supply across years to eliminate the peak-and-trough cycle of COE prices.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: Since May 2023, the Land Transport Authority redistributed and injected a total of 30,813 Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) across the COE categories. We will continue to monitor the COE supply to ensure it is stable.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Increasing Intake for Educational Psychology Master's Programmes to Support Needs and Development of Neurodiverse Children","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"94 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will consider expanding the number of places in educational and developmental psychology master's programmes at Singapore's universities to support the needs of neurodiverse children; and (b) what additional measures are being taken to address the shortage, if any, of educational psychologists needed to support inclusive education and neurodiverse students in Singapore.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Master of Arts (Applied Psychology) by the National Institute of Education (NIE) is presently the only programme in our Autonomous Universities that trains Educational Psychologists (EPs). NIE can increase intake numbers if there is additional demand.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the deployment and training needs of EPs to provide sufficient support for our schools. EPs work with Special Educational Needs Officers and teachers, as well as case management teams in schools to help students with special educational needs develop and learn. MOE continually monitors system capacity to support evolving student and school needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Programmes to Maintain Employment Stability and Attract MNC Investments amidst Staff Cut Announcements","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"
95 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Manpower in light of recent announcement by foreign firms of staff cuts in Singapore (a) what measures are the Government adopting to maintain employment stability and attract or retain multinational investments; and (b) whether there are targeted supports or retraining programmes for affected workers in sectors impacted by such downsizing.
Dr Tan See Leng: While some foreign firms have announced staff cuts recently, overall retrenchments remain within historical ranges, and good jobs continue to be created. In 2024, the number of residents in professional, manager, executive and technician (PMET) jobs grew by about 35,000, mainly in higher-paying growth sectors like financial services, information and communications, and professional services, reflecting continued creation of quality jobs for locals. We continue to attract and retain foreign investments through a pro-business environment, a skilled workforce and strong infrastructure.
Where there is downsizing in certain areas, the Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation makes concerted efforts to reach out to affected retrenched workers and offer career matching services and referrals to our training programmes, helping them move into growth areas. We have put in place a comprehensive suite of programmes to support workers to take on new job roles with good longer-term prospects. These include the Career Conversion Programmes, SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme and Mid-Career Pathways Programme. In addition, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme provides temporary financial support of up to $6,000 over six months to eligible lower- and middle-income retrenched individuals to support them in finding a job that makes better use of their skills and experience.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enforcing Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 to Curb Illegal Freelance Work in Creative Sector","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"96 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Manpower in view of the recent joint advisory by the Ministry and the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) (VICPA) on engaging foreign freelancers without valid work passes, how will the Ministry enforce the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 to effectively curb illegal freelance work in Singapore's creative sector.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) closely monitors the issue of illegal freelancing in the creative sector. We will follow up on tip-offs and investigate complaints of such illegal services. If the complaints involve suspected foreign freelancers advertising their services on social media, we will request that these advertisements be removed.
MOM also works with other stakeholders in the ecosystem to prevent illegal freelance creative work. For example, we work with the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) to educate companies and individuals on work pass requirements and the advantages of engaging local professionals. We also work closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to share information on foreigners suspected of illegal freelancing work and to deny them entry into Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Residents' Concerns that Laundry Rack Designs under Home Improvement Programme may be Impractical and Problematic","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"97 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will look into residents' concerns that laundry rack designs under the Home Improvement Programme may be impractical and problematic; (b) whether residents can opt out of having the new laundry racks; and (c) whether future designs can be developed with inputs from residents to meet their practical needs.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The external retractable clothes drying rack (ER-CDR) was introduced under the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) in 2020. This was in view of past fall from height incidents involving usage of bamboo poles laden with wet laundry, and occurrences of falling bamboo poles due to reasons such as strong winds.
With the ER-CDR, residents no longer need to lift heavy laundry loads on bamboo poles out of their windows and slot them into narrow pipe sockets. This is particularly beneficial for seniors and is increasingly important with our ageing population. Furthermore, as the installation of ER-CDR involves adding an external fixture to HDB flats, it is better for HDB to carry out the works across the board in one exercise. Therefore, the ER-CDR is an essential rather than optional component. Essential improvements under the HIP are fully funded by the Government for Singapore Citizen households.
HDB has actively engaged residents undergoing HIP to explain the benefits of the ER-CDR, conducted demonstrations on its proper usage and gathered user feedback. In response to residents' feedback, HDB has made several improvements to the ER-CDR design, including increasing laundry capacity and improving ergonomics of the pole. HDB has also uploaded an instructional video on YouTube to provide residents with a step-by-step guide on using the rack, tips to maximise laundry capacity and advice on how to quickly collect laundry when it rains.
Recent surveys conducted at selected completed HIP precincts showed that over 80% of residents considered the ER-CDR safe, while close to 70% found it easy to use. Some residents noted that they needed time to adjust to this new method of drying laundry. However, many have since adapted and accepted the ER-CDR's design and its benefits.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Post-graduation Employment Rates of ITE Graduates with Special Educational Needs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"98 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Education (a) for the past five years, what were the post-graduation employment rates of ITE graduates with special educational needs who were employed within (i) six months, (ii) one year and (iii) two years of graduation; and (b) what proportion of these employed graduates are in sectors or job roles directly related to their course of study.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education tracks the ability of graduates to secure employment six months after graduation through the annual Graduate Employment Surveys (GES). Based on the Institute of Technical Education's (ITE's) GES results, the employment rates of fresh ITE graduates have remained broadly stable over the past five years, with some year-to-year fluctuations due to cyclical changes. Apart from 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, about eight in 10 ITE graduates with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the labour force were employed as at six months after graduation. This was similar to ITE graduates without SEN. About seven in 10 of those in full-time permanent employment reported that their job was related to their course of study, for both graduates with SEN and those without.
To further support students with SEN in their transition to employment, ITE has expanded the ITE-SG Enable Internship and Employment Support Programme to provide more students with SEN with training in workplace skills, suitable job placements and job coaching. The Government will continue to closely monitor the employment outcomes of each graduating cohort and provide further support where needed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics for Tours, Educational Visits and Public Engagement Activities at Local Farms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"99 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has data on the total number of local farms that currently offer public tours or educational visits; (b) if so, what is the breakdown between land-based and sea-based farms; and (c) what enhanced steps and incentives are the Ministry taking to encourage more local farms to offer public engagement activities, strengthening community appreciation and boosting demand for local produce.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The public can refer to the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA's) website for a non-exhaustive list of local land-based farms that offer farm tours. For public safety and biosecurity reasons, visits to sea-based farms are not encouraged.
SFA has been focusing on supporting the growth of our local farms and raising their productivity, such as through the adoption of technologies. Nonetheless, SFA collaborates with industry and other agencies, such as the Ministry of Education, to raise awareness on the benefits of local produce among the community, such as through educational initiatives in schools on food security and supporting local produce.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Calculation and Source of Funding for Subsidy to Cover Costs from Deferred 9.4% Increase in Public Transport Fares","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"100 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Acting Minister for Transport in relation to the further additional subsidy of more than $200 million for 2026 to cover the deferred 9.4% fare adjustment quantum for public transportation (a) how was the subsidy quantum derived by the Ministry; and (b) what is the source of such funding.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: \tThe $200 million amount is an estimate based on projected public transport revenue for 2026 and the deferred fare quantum of 9.4%. This will be drawn from the Consolidated Fund.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Protocols for Triaging and Referral of Scam Victims with Signs of Acute Psychological Distress","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"101 Ms Elysa Chen asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there are established protocols for the early triaging and referral of scam victims showing signs of acute psychological distress; and (b) how the Ministry ensures that these individuals are provided with timely access to trained Victim Care Officers, mental health professionals or appropriate community resources.
Mr K Shanmugam: Scam victims who request for psychological support or are assessed to suffer from acute psychological distress will be referred by the Investigation Officer to the Victim Care Cadre Programme.
Under the programme, trained Victim Care Officers (VCOs) provide psychological first aid to the victims. The VCOs may also refer the victims to community and professional resources for longer-term psychological support.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tackling Food Safety Incidence at Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"102 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Education regarding canteen stalls at schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (a) whether there has been a trend of increasing hygiene or food safety quality problems since 2022; (b) how often are the stalls inspected for adherence to hygiene practices; and (c) what are the lessons that can be learnt from recent incidents to prevent mass food poisoning problems.
Mr Desmond Lee: Canteens and stall licensees in schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) are required to comply with the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) regulatory requirements to uphold strict hygiene protocols and food safety standards. For example, all food handlers are required to have the necessary certifications and maintain the cleanliness of canteen premises. Premises with track records of past infringements and feedback on food safety-related issues are subject to stepped-up surveillance by SFA.
Food safety incidents in school and IHL canteens have been isolated and well contained. When an incident occurs, swift interventions are taken. This includes ensuring affected students receive medical support where necessary, notifying SFA and the Ministry of Health for investigations, and seeking the help of parents and guardians to monitor their children's health and well-being.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Suicides and Attempted Suicides among Seniors above 60","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"103 Mr Jackson Lam asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what are the suicide and attempted suicide rates among seniors aged 60 and above over the past five years, disaggregated by age, gender, race and housing type; (b) whether the Ministry has identified common psychosocial factors and if so, what are they; and (c) how existing mental health and social care programmes are tailored for elderly suicide prevention.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: My answer will also address the written Parliament Question raised by Dr Choo Pei Ling1, scheduled for a future Sitting. I would invite the Member to ask supplementary questions, if any. If the Question has been satisfactorily answered, it may not be necessary for the Member to proceed with the Question for future Sitting.
Data on suicide cases by age and gender among those aged 60 and above is publicly released in the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on an annual basis. Breakdown by race and housing type is not available. The annual number of suicide cases for elderly has generally declined over the last five years; male suicide deaths has been about double of female suicide deaths. There is currently no comprehensive data source for suicide attempts.
Suicide is multi-factorial and usually not due to any single cause. A recent study2 on suicide by the Institute of Mental Health had identified a combination of risk factors, such as relationship breakdowns, having a mental health condition as well as prior suicide attempts.
The national mindline 1771 and SOS Hotline 1767 provide 24/7 help and crisis support for those in mental distress, including seniors. The Silver Generation Office under the Agency for Integrated Care proactively identifies vulnerable seniors and connects them to community mental health teams for assessment, emotional support and counselling where needed. For those at risk of loneliness and social isolation, they are referred to Active Ageing Centres for active ageing programmes and befriending services.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what are the number of seniors aged above 60 who had attempted or committed suicide in the last three years; (b) what were the main reasons; and (c) what programmes are in place to address this problem.","2 : Seeking Answers: A Psychological Autopsy of Exploring and Analysing Risk Factors (SPEARS)."],"footNoteQuestions":["103"],"questionNo":"103"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore Sign Language as Elective for Secondary School Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"104 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider offering Singapore Sign Language as a language elective for Singapore students in secondary schools.
Mr Desmond Lee: Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) is currently used in practice by our local deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) community. The Ministry of Education facilitates its use for communication and in-class instruction in designated mainstream schools that support students diagnosed with hearing loss, who require signing. These schools have been specially equipped with resources and trained staff to support our DHH students, allowing them to learn alongside their hearing peers in an inclusive environment.
At the designated schools, Mayflower Primary School and Beatty Secondary School, efforts have also been made to implement initiatives to introduce SgSL to the whole school, such as providing signing interpretation during morning assemblies. At Beatty Secondary School, hearing students who are interested also have opportunities to learn SgSL to facilitate communication with their DHH peers.
Students in other schools who are interested to learn SgSL can approach providers, such as the Singapore Association for the Deaf.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Partnership Arrangements between Special Education and Mainstream Schools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"105 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the partnership arrangements between special education schools and mainstream schools; and (b) whether there are future plans to strengthen such partnerships.
Mr Desmond Lee: Since 2007, partnerships between mainstream and SPED schools have fostered meaningful and sustained interactions between students. The Ministry of Education has worked with schools to establish these partnerships based on shared educational outcomes, complementary interests and geographical proximity, while considering school readiness and staff capacity. All SPED schools – except two new schools, one which began operations in 2024 and another which will commence operations next year – have at least one mainstream partner school, and we are working towards each SPED school having two to three mainstream partner schools for greater impact and sustainability.
We will work on strengthening these partnerships through more sustained student learning experiences and staff professional exchange. These include teacher work attachments, language programmes and joint community service.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tax Incentives Received by Singapore Family Office Associated with Individuals Sanctioned by US in October 2025","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the local single family office associated with individuals sanctioned by the US for alleged transnational criminal activities on 14 October 2025 received tax incentives under the tax incentive scheme for family offices.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): This question will be addressed at the next Sitting on 5 November 2025, together with similar Parliamentary Questions. [Please refer to \"Data on Sanctioned Individuals Operating Tax-exempt Family Offices Locally\", Official Report, 5 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 10, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Safeguards to Ensure Singapore Family Offices are Not Misused to Facilitate Money Laundering","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether family offices are being misused to facilitate money laundering in Singapore; and (b) if so, what steps will the Government take to address it.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): This question will be addressed at the next Sitting on 5 November 2025, together with similar Parliamentary Questions. [Please refer to \"Data on Sanctioned Individuals Operating Tax-exempt Family Offices Locally\", Official Report, 5 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 10, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Monitoring of Cases and Actions Taken against Errant Insurance Companies Preventing Legitimate Claims","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government proactively monitors cases where insurance companies have unreasonably denied or litigated legitimate claims, in addition to acting on complaints; and (b) what actions has the Government taken to penalise errant insurers for such behaviour.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): Insurers are expected to promptly pay all legitimate claims, and to be facilitative and fair to claimants during the claims handling process. This includes providing clear instructions on documents required for claims submission, as well as having sound internal processes to validate the claims.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Guidelines on Fair Dealing sets out how licensed financial institutions, including insurers, are expected to treat customers fairly at various stages of the customer journey. In addition, MAS' Guidelines on Risk Management Practices for Insurance Business sets out supervisory expectations for proper claims handling.
Where insurers fall short of our expectations, MAS will take appropriate action, which could involve requiring the insurer to review its policies and procedures to prevent recurrence, as well as its restitution to the consumer.
Consumers who believe their claims have been unfairly rejected should first contact their insurers, who are required to handle complaints independently, effectively and promptly. If a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached, consumers may file for mediation or adjudication at the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC), which offers independent, impartial and low-cost dispute resolution services.
Over the last three years, FIDReC completed, on average, 246 mediation and adjudication annual insurance claims related to disputes on claim liability and amounts awarded, while MAS received an average of 91 such similar complaints per year. These represent less than 0.01% of claims received by insurers. FIDReC continues to provide an important and effective mechanism for resolving consumer disputes. More than 85% of claims handled by FIDReC were either resolved at mediation or adjudication. Less than 0.1% of claims received by the larger direct insurers, which account for 80% share of the local market, were litigated.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Easement of Anti-Scam Measures by Banks in \"Whitelist\" and/or Considerable Safe Situations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Monetary Authority of Singapore will work with banks to recalibrate anti-scam measures so that friction in transactions is reduced in prescribed \"whitelist\" situations, for example, when account holders are making transfers to themselves or to Government agencies.\n\n
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has worked with banks on additional safeguards to protect account holders against scams that result in large sums being lost from their bank accounts. A recent measure applies to bank accounts1 with at least $50,000 balance that are being rapidly drained of funds. Banks will delay the processing of further transfers to allow consumers time to re-consider if the transaction is indeed legitimate.
We are mindful not to unduly impede legitimate transactions, and there are whitelisted transactions that are not subject to this measure. Examples include: (i) Recurring standing instructions; (ii) Recurring GIRO/eGIRO payments; and (iii) Bill payments to organisations, including Government agencies, that are classified as billing organisations by the bank. Currently, a bank does not have information to determine whether the recipient’s bank account held with another bank is owned by the same customer.
MAS and banks are closely monitoring the implementation of the new measure, and will consider other adjustments as necessary to minimise disruptions to legitimate transactions while offering protection against scams. MAS and the banking industry have introduced various measures, including MoneyLock, and the phasing out of SMS One Time Passwords.
To protect consumers against scams, we need to accept some inconvenience in payments transactions. We also encourage consumers to plan ahead if they need to make large value bank transfers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Refer to: abs.org.sg/sitefinity/status?ReturnUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.abs.org.sg%2fdocs%2flibrary%2fbanks-to-launch-enhanced-safeguards-from-15-oct-2025-to-better-protect-accounts.pdf"],"footNoteQuestions":["4"],"questionNo":"4"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Publishing Updated 2015 Occasional Paper on Income Growth, Inequality and Mobility Trends in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Shawn Loh asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry will consider updating its 2015 Occasional Paper on Income Growth, Inequality, and Mobility Trends in Singapore; and (b) whether the updated paper can also provide insights on the state of wealth inequality in Singapore and its trends.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The Government has plans to update the Occasional Paper. We are working on improving our data collection on wealth and will share the findings when it is ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown of Updates on Companies Investing in Johor-Singapore SEZ by Industry Type and Revenue Size","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry whether an update can be provided on (i) the number of companies which have expressed interest to the Government on investing in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone to date (ii) a breakdown of these companies by industry type and (iii) the number of such companies having an annual revenue of less than $100 million.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: \tSince the Agreement on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) was signed in January 2025, Singapore's JS-SEZ Project Office has received more than 300 enquiries from both Singapore companies and foreign multinational corporations in sectors, such as manufacturing, logistics and digital economy. Singapore's small and medium enterprises account for nearly half of all enquiries.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Implications of China’s Export Curb of Rare Earth Element Materials on Singapore's Trade and Technology Sectors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry given China's recent curbs on the export of rare earth elements and related materials, what are the implications for Singapore's trade and technology sectors.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Chinese government has explained that its latest export controls are not export bans, and licences will be granted for eligible applications to promote legitimate trade. They have also given assurances that the export controls will be implemented in a prudent and moderate manner.
The impact of China's latest export controls on Singapore companies has been minimal thus far. While we acknowledge the efforts of the Chinese government in ensuring minimal disruption to business operations, we also understand that these measures may result in potential delays and increased compliance risk and business uncertainty for companies which depend on Chinese supply chains for raw materials and intermediate products related to the affected rare earths.
To minimise potential disruptions, we encourage all companies to take such regulations into account where the regulations apply to their international business activities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ambulance Accessibility Issues at Private Condominiums and Emergency Response Mitigation Measures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether all SCDF ambulances are able to gain easy access to lift lobbies of private condominiums/apartments, considering the height restrictions of some sheltered/basement carparks; and (b) if not, what are the mitigation measures to ensure emergency services reach the person in distress promptly.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulances require a minimum clearance height of 3.0 metres. Many private residential basement carparks are built up to only 2.2 metres.
In such cases, the ambulance crew will request the condominium management or security officers to provide access through alternative routes. In most of the cases, the ambulance crew had been able to get to the patients in a timely manner.
In March 2024, SCDF and the Building and Construction Authority issued a joint advisory on ambulance access to buildings to the building industry. This included raising the clearance height for ambulance access to a minimum of 3.0 metres.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Notifying Families of Death Row Prisoners on Executions and Permitting of Final Visits or Calls","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) why was Datchinamurthy Kataiah's execution delayed; (b) whether his family was notified of the final execution time and allowed a final visit or telephone call; (c) whether it is the procedure of the Singapore Prison Service to notify families of death row prisoners of the execution time and permit final visits or calls; and (d) if not, why not.
Mr K Shanmugam: The capital sentence of death imposed on Datchinamurthy a/l Kataiah (Datchinamurthy) was scheduled to be carried out on 25 September 2025. Datchinamurthy's family was notified of the execution date in advance and was allowed to visit him daily, and for an extended period at each visit.
In the late evening of 24 September 2025, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) was informed that clemency petitions were submitted to the President on behalf of Datchinamurthy. SPS informed Datchinamurthy and his family accordingly.
On 25 September 2025, SPS was informed by the President’s Office that the petitions were duly considered and rejected by the President. SPS conveyed the outcome to Datchinamurthy and his family. The sentence was subsequently carried out in the afternoon of 25 September 2025, in accordance with the law and as directed by the Court.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Scam Mule Investigations from January to June 2025 and Interim Support Measures for Unknowing Victims","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in respect of persons investigated or charged for scam mule offences (a) from January to June 2025, how many had unknowingly transferred funds or lost control of their accounts; and (b) what interim support will be provided to individuals restricted from banking services under the facilities restriction framework, to ensure they can receive and access their salaries or Government benefits.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Member may refer to the response to Question No 97, which was delivered on 15 October 2025. [Please refer to \"Recruitment of Money Mules by Criminal Syndicates\", Official Report, 15 October 2025, Vol 96, Issue 8, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Effectiveness of Covert versus Overt Cameras in Preventing Speeding Offences","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry has conducted research in Singapore showing if covert cameras are more effective than overt ones at tackling the prevalence of speeding offences.
Mr K Shanmugam: Overt and covert cameras serve different purposes. Overt cameras achieve specific deterrence against speeding in areas where there are higher risks of accidents. Covert cameras achieve general deterrence and reinforce safe driving behaviour. As these cameras are not substitutes one for the other, the research that the Member suggested may not be useful.
12 Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) in each of the last five years, how many cases of (i) child trafficking and (ii) illegal adoptions has the Singapore Police Force investigated; and (b) for each category of offences, how many cases have resulted in prosecutions and convictions, respectively, under the relevant laws including the Adoption of Children Act 2022.
Mr K Shanmugam: Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is generally categorised into sex trafficking and labour trafficking.
Over the past five years, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has investigated 59 alleged sex trafficking cases involving children under the age of 18 under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act (PHTA), the Penal Code 1871, the Women's Charter 1961 or the Children and Young Persons Act 1993.
Of these cases, 34 cases proceeded to prosecution, of which: (a) 27 concluded with convictions, while (b) the remaining seven are under or pending Court proceedings. The other 25 cases are either: (a) still under investigation; (b) concluded and the perpetrators received stern warnings or composition fines; or (c) concluded and no further actions were taken against the initial suspects.
There were no reported cases of labour trafficking involving a child during this period. There were also no reported cases of trafficked children under the Adoption of Children Act 2022 during this period.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Punitive Actions against Individuals Involved in Sale of Bank Accounts for Scam Purposes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs regarding the student who was sentenced for selling her bank account for scam purposes, (a) whether the individuals who provided her with the scammers' contacts been identified, arrested or charged; and (b) what is the enforcement policy and penalties against individuals who do not sell their bank accounts but provide introductions and facilitate the commission of scams.
Mr K Shanmugam: On 1 October 2025, a Sri Lankan student was sentenced to three months and two weeks' imprisonment and fined $1,100, for relinquishing control of her bank account to scammers. Her bank account was found to have received almost $18,000 in scam proceeds, most of which were from fake bulk order scams.
The accused claimed that she faced financial difficulties, and online \"friends\" had given her an unknown person's details to whom she could sell her bank account. The accused had made the acquaintance of these \"friends\" online but had never met them in person. The Police were unable to identify these individuals from the information provided by the accused.
The Police will take tough enforcement action against anyone who facilitates scams, including middlemen who help scammers recruit money mules. Depending on the facts of the case, such middlemen may face imprisonment terms of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Firearm Violations at Police and Auxiliary Police Units for Past 24 Months and Subsequent Enforcement Actions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs regarding oversight and control of firearms at police and auxiliary police units (a) how many instances of violations for the handling of firearms were there in the last 24 months; (b) how does the Ministry currently ensure the appropriate assignment and return of weapons; and (c) whether there are routine surprise audits or spot checks to enforce adherence to standard operating procedures.
Mr K Shanmugam: In the past 24 months, there was one case of misuse of firearms by a Police Officer, and three cases by Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs). The Police Officer involved was a Full-Time National Serviceman. Investigations are ongoing for this case. The three APOs have been charged.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has put in place several measures to manage the risks. All Police officers and APOs need to undergo security vetting before employment. Officers need to be trained and certified to be competent on a yearly basis before they can draw firearms for duty. They may be barred from carrying firearms if they are assessed to be unfit to carry firearms, for whatever reasons.
Firearms for the Police and the Auxiliary Police Forces are kept in secure armouries, and subject to rigorous processes for their issuance and return. For example, there are systems to verify the identity of the officers drawing the firearms, confirm that they are authorised to carry firearms for that particular deployment and track the timely return of the firearms after the deployment. Periodic checks and audits are also carried out.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Follow-up Actions to Rectify Restrictions for Persons Acquitted as Scam Mules","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) in cases where the Courts have acquitted persons accused of being scam mules, whether restrictions under the new facility restriction framework will remain for their bank accounts; (b) what steps will be taken to immediately lift such restrictions, if any; and (c) whether any recourse is provided if the restriction harmed livelihoods.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Member may refer to the response to Question No 97, which was delivered on 15 October 2025. [Please refer to \"Recruitment of Money Mules by Criminal Syndicates\", Official Report, 15 October 2025, Vol 96, Issue 8, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Current Vehicle Licence Classifications for Electric Vehicles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Mr Gabriel Lam asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry will review the current vehicle licence classifications to account for the higher unladen weight of electric trucks caused by battery mass; and (b) whether electric vehicles with an unladen weight of up to 3,000kg may be driven under a Class 3 licence instead of a Class 4 licence.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Traffic Police has been reviewing this and will announce the details shortly.
17 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will review the Public Order Act to define organising an unauthorised gathering of more than five people outside the Istana as a specific chargeable offence.
Mr K Shanmugam: It is already an offence under the Public Order Act 2009 for a person to organise or participate in a public assembly within a prohibited area. The Istana and the immediate area around it are gazetted as a prohibited area. Prohibited areas are published in the Schedule of the Public Order (Prohibited Areas) Order 2009.
This law applies regardless of the number of persons involved.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Criteria for Inclusion in Chronic Disease Management Programme and Reasons for Non-inclusion of Eczema","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what criteria does the Clinical Advisory Committee consider for a medical condition to be included in the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP); and (b) what are the reasons for the non-inclusion of eczema in the CDMP at this point in time.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The criteria considered by the Clinical Advisory Committee (CAC) and assessment of eczema-related conditions for the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) inclusion were explained in response to the written Parliamentary Question raised by the Member for the Parliamentary Sitting on 25 September 2025. [Please refer to \"Inclusion of Moderate-to-Severe Ezcema under Chronic Disease Management Programme\", Official Report, 25 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 5, Written Answers to Questions section.]
As indicated previously, assessment of eczema-related conditions for inclusion in CDMP is under way.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Out-of-Pocket Spending for Chronic Diseases by CHAS Card Tier and Income Decile and Plans for Further Subsidies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health for CHAS cardholders with chronic diseases, (a) what is the distribution of annual out-of-pocket spending by card tier and income decile; (b) what are the current utilisation rates and average unused balances; (c) what proportion of common chronic medications are in the Standard Drug List; and (d) whether there are plans to expand subsidies or reference pricing.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not have readily available data on the distribution of annual out-of-pocket costs, that is, after CHAS subsidy and MediSave, at the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) clinics, by income decile and card tier.
The table below shows the annual post-subsidy amount for CHAS cardholders that utilised CHAS chronic subsidies in 2024. These amounts can be further reduced by MediSave through the MediSave 500/700 scheme.
MOH does not have data specifically on the number of CHAS, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation cardholders with chronic conditions. Nonetheless, we observe that around 14% of the 2.7 million cardholders utilised CHAS chronic subsidies in 2024. Not all CHAS cardholders require chronic disease management. Those who require chronic disease management may not tap on CHAS chronic subsidies as they may be managing their care at other settings or may tap on other payment arrangements, such as employee medical benefits.
MOH reviews CHAS subsidies regularly, taking into consideration the out-of-pocket costs for patients after MediSave, to ensure that they are adequate amid rising healthcare costs.
Most common chronic medications are subsidised under the Standard Drug List and Medication Assistance Fund List.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Standardising and Capping Medical Report Fees for Activation of LPA across Different Hospitals to Prevent Disparities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Mr David Hoe asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) why there are significant disparities in medical report fees charged by different restructured hospitals for the activation of a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA); (b) whether the Ministry will consider standardising and capping such fees to avoid undue financial burden on families; and (c) whether means-tested subsidies or financial assistance for LPA activation can be provided to families in need.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Public healthcare institutions set fees for these medical reports on a cost recovery basis for manpower and other administrative costs incurred. Doctors may need to spend more time and effort to review medical records for more complex cases, and hence the charges may vary.
Patients with financial difficulties can approach medical social workers at public healthcare institutions for assistance with their medical report fee.
21 Ms Elysa Chen asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry tracks data on the number of special needs children who have benefited from current healthcare subsidy schemes; (b) if so, what is the number; and (c) whether there are plans to study and identify potential gaps in healthcare subsidy coverage for special needs children.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health does not specifically track the number of children with special needs who have benefited from healthcare subsidy schemes. In general, healthcare subsidies are provided based on the medical needs of the patients and tiered based on household income level, so that more help can go to lower-income families.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prevalence of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Screened among Women Aged 40 to 59 in Public Primary Care over Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health for each of the last five years (a) what is the prevalence of screened anxiety and depressive symptoms among women aged 40 to 59 in public primary care; and (b) what are the wait times for such services.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: A 2021 study by the National Healthcare Group (NHG Health) found that 8.7% and 7.3% of patients who had visited NHG Health polyclinics between December 2021 and April 2022 were screened positive for clinical depression and anxiety symptoms respectively. Of the patients who were screened positive for clinical depression and anxiety, about half were females.
Patients are first assessed at the general clinic and referred, as needed, to the polyclinic's dedicated mental health clinic. Those who need more urgent attention receive earlier appointments or are referred to specialist care. Over the period between 2017 to 2024, the average time between the initial general clinic review and the dedicated mental health clinic is 26 days.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Timeline Updates on Roll-out Plan for Active Ageing Centres within Private Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what is the roll-out plan to establish Active Ageing Centres (AACs) within private estates, yearly over the next five years; (b) how long does it take to establish each AAC; and (c) whether such timeline can be shortened.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: An Active Ageing Centre (AAC) typically takes around two years to set up. From identifying an appropriate site, appointing a provider, constructing the facilities and working out operational issues. Securing a suitable site, in particular, can be challenging in private estates.
The Ministry of Health will continue to work with agencies and Grassroots Advisors to explore different ways to extend AAC services to private estates. In the next three years, we hope to expand AACs in private estates to reach out to another 20,000 seniors. We welcome Grassroots Advisers' suggestions of suitable spaces for AACs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"New Initiatives for Support and Outreach to Senior Caregivers with Dependents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health what new initiatives or enhancements to existing Government programmes are being considered to expand support and outreach to single caregivers, particularly senior citizens who are living alone while caring for their dependents.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Government reviews our support measures periodically to help ease the burden on our caregivers. For example, we will be implementing higher subsidies for long-term care and adult disability services, including for caregiving respite services, next year. To better support those looking after persons with moderate disabilities at home, we will also be raising the quantum for the Home Caregiving Grant.
In addition, the Silver Generation Office will continue to reach out to seniors, including caregivers who live alone and connect them to community resources, such as Active Ageing Centres, for befriending activities or caregiver support as necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Slowdown on Hiring of New Nursing Degree Graduates and/or Early-Career Nurses at Restructured Hospitals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"25 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether our restructured hospitals have been slowing down or reducing the hiring and placement of new nursing degree holders/diploma holders as well as early-career nurses since the start of 2025.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As the public healthcare system expands, there continues to be strong hiring interest across our public healthcare clusters for local nurses. The number of local nurses hired by the public healthcare clusters to date in 2025 is comparable to previous years.
Clusters have provided feedback that some applicants had a preference for certain work locations or shift patterns, which did not meet the needs of the hiring institutions. We encourage nursing graduates to be open to try a wider variety of work conditions to gain a richer work experience.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Expansion of Target Screening and Counselling for Women Aged 40 to 50 in Primary Care and Community Settings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether targeted screening and counselling pathways for women aged 40–59 will be expanded in primary care and community settings, including menopause-informed GP training, and whether MOH will scale menopause support programmes and publish outcomes by age and income band.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: There are already screening and counselling pathways for women aged 40-59, as well as menopause management pathways, in the existing healthcare framework.
As menopause increases the risk of hypertension and hyperlipidemia and their complications, under Healthier SG, women are encouraged to undertake screening for cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension and hyperlipidemia as well as diabetes and for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
Women experiencing menopausal symptoms are encouraged to inform their primary care or Healthier SG doctor, who would assess the symptoms and the patient's needs to make recommendations on further management. Primary care doctors are trained to manage menopause-related health issues.
There are also other sources of support for women undergoing menopause, including public educational resources, and through interest groups, such as \"Dynamite Daisies\" under KK Women's and Children's Hospital, who promote awareness of general women's health and provide support for women undergoing menopause transitions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulatory and Deployment Standards for Use of Vape Detection Sensors in Schools and Public Institutions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Dr Hamid Razak asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether vape detection sensors are used in schools and public institutions; (b) if so, whether there are regulatory and deployment standards governing their use including (i) approval requirements (ii) technical specifications (iii) data and privacy safeguards and (iv) redress for false alerts; and (c) whether such standards will be published and enforced for trials and permanent rollouts.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Vape detection sensors are currently not used in public institutions. Some schools and Institutes of Higher Learning have explored their usage but assessed them to be unsuitable for implementation. Vape detection sensors are not regulated by the Ministry of Health nor the Health Sciences Authority.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Current Training Certification towards Lifestyle Medicine Competencies for Healthcare Professionals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health what training or certification pathways currently exist or are being developed for healthcare professionals to gain competencies in lifestyle medicine.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The promotion of good lifestyle habits, such as encouraging healthy eating habits and regular physical activity, are part of the core learning outcomes for healthcare students in general, such as those in medical and nursing programmes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Possible Integration of Lifestyle Medicine as Preventive Care under Healthier SG","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"29 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry is studying how the principles and practices of lifestyle medicine, such as evidence-based interventions in nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management and social connection, can be more systematically integrated into preventive care under Healthier SG.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Components of lifestyle medicine, such as encouraging healthy eating habits and physical activity, are incorporated in the Healthier SG Care Protocols and lifestyle prescriptions. These guide Healthier SG family doctors in supporting their enrolled residents to develop healthy lifestyles and manage their chronic diseases.
Since the launch of Healthier SG, 22 Care Protocols have been developed and more will be introduced progressively.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reducing Average Waiting Time for Beds in Nursing Homes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"30 Mr Vikram Nair asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what is the current average waiting time for a nursing home bed; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to take any steps to reduce this waiting time.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The median waiting time for a nursing home bed has remained stable at around one month.
The waiting time for a nursing home bed depends on the seniors' care needs, family preferences and available capacity. The Ministry of Health is increasing nursing home capacity from over 20,000 beds today to 31,000 beds in 2030. We will continue to monitor nursing home waiting times and utilisation rates, and adjust our nursing home capacity plans accordingly.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enrolling Persons below 40 with Multiple Chronic Health Conditions in Healthier SG Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will consider allowing younger Singaporeans below the age of 40 who suffer from multiple chronic health conditions to enrol in Healthier SG; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry will explore a mechanism for such exceptional cases to receive similar integrated care support, given the long-term benefits of early intervention and holistic management for chronic diseases.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: While the Healthier SG enrolment programme is focused on residents aged 40 and above, as older age groups are more susceptible to co-morbidities and chronic illnesses, those under 40 and with chronic diseases are cared for through regular follow-ups with their primary care providers. These younger Singaporeans can tap on Community Health Assist Scheme subsidies and MediSave use for the treatment of chronic conditions, under the Chronic Disease Management Programme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"CareShield Life Statistics and Severe Disability Prevention Measures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health regarding CareShield Life (a) how many active claimants are there by (i) 10-year age groups for example 30-40 years and 40-50 years and (ii) by types of major causes, such as accidents, strokes and hereditary diseases; and (b) what preventive healthcare strategies are in place to help reduce the incidence of severe disability in each age and vulnerability group.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As of June 2025, there are 2,179 active CareShield Life claimants. Of which, 6% were aged 80 years and above; 18% were aged 70 to 79; 15% were aged 60 to 69; 17% were aged 50 to 59; 23% were aged 40 to 49; and 21% were aged 30 to 39. As CareShield Life was introduced only in 2020, and optional for those born in 1979 and earlier, the claimant profile tends to be younger for now.
Among claimants, the typical causes of sudden onset of severe disability are stroke and accidents resulting in hip or other fractures. Severe disability can also develop gradually through chronic conditions, like hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, or progressive illnesses, such as dementia and Parkinson's disease.
There are a number of national initiatives to encourage good health and healthy ageing amongst our population. For instance, Healthier SG supports Singaporeans to lead healthier lifestyles and prevent the onset of chronic diseases, which are often precursors for long-term care needs. Age Well SG, our national strategy to support seniors to age well in their homes and communities, helps to prevent, manage and delay frailty, allowing more of us to live without long-term care.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Appeal Cases Annually Since Commencement of CareShield Life and Follow-up Actions for Improvements","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how many appeal cases have been received in each year since CareShield Life started in 2020; (b) what proportion of these appeals were successful; and (c) what were the lessons learned from these appeals to improve on the assessment process.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: CareShield Life policyholders who apply to make a claim will need to undergo an assessment by a Ministry of Health (MOH)-accredited severe disability assessor. Policyholders who disagree with the outcomes of their severe disability assessment can appeal. Each appeal is reviewed by an independent panel of experienced healthcare professionals.
Since CareShield Life was launched in 2020, there have been three appeal cases. None were successful.
MOH and the Agency for Integrated Care continually review our assessment process and scheme administration for improvement. For instance, in response to feedback to improve convenience for applicants, we have been expanding the number of assessors who do house calls and are based at Public Health Institutions. We have also streamlined the claims application process across various disability schemes, to reduce administrative load on care recipients and caregivers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Dementia-afflicted Patients Over Five-Year Period and Future Projections for Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Mr Ng Chee Meng asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how many people have been living with dementia in the past five years; and (b) what is the projected trend for this figure as Singapore becomes a \"super-aged\" society.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: In 2023, there were about 74,000 persons living with dementia, based on the second Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WISE) Study by the Institute of Mental Health. We estimate this will grow to 152,000 by 2030.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tracking of Annual Malnutrition Rates Among Seniors for Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry tracks the prevalence of malnutrition among seniors in Singapore; and (b) if so, whether the Ministry can provide the annual malnutrition rate among seniors for the past five years.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: This question for written answer has been addressed by oral reply to Question No 43 on the Order Paper for 4 November 2025.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Effectiveness of Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services Sandbox and Other Enhanced Caregiving Support Measures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health regarding the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox (a) what are the target objectives used to assess its effectiveness; (b) how effective has the caregiving model been in supporting seniors who live alone and require assisted living; and (c) what other enhanced support will be given to participating service providers.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Shared Stay-in Senior Caregiving Services sandbox was launched in 2023 to test more ways to allow seniors to age within the community and provide alternative caregiving option for families. Thus far, providers, clients and their next-of-kin have shared positive feedback about the effectiveness of the Shared Stay-in Senior Caregiving Services sandbox in these regards. This service can support seniors living alone, as long as they have the cognitive ability to manage their caregiving decisions or have a next-of-kin to make caregiving decisions on the seniors' behalf.
Given the positive response, we will mainstream this service by end-2025 and extend work pass flexibilities, such as additional foreign worker quota and source relaxations, to new operators who intend to deliver this service. We will share more information with interested providers and clients before end-2025.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Expansion Plans on Intergenerational Co-living Models for Next Three to Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how does the intergenerational co-living model align with Singapore's broader senior housing strategy for our ageing population; and (b) what are the Ministry's expansion plans for this model over the next three to five years, including target numbers for sites and residents and criteria that will guide future site selection.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Intergenerational co-living models, such as Commune @ Henderson introduced by the Singapore Land Authority, provide housing options for both the young and seniors. This increases the variety of housing options to meet the diverse needs and preferences of Singapore's current and future seniors.
However, we may not be able to rely on these intergenerational co-living models to be the primary housing model for seniors. We will also need a spectrum of other housing-care options to cater to seniors' care needs and preferences – from Community Care Apartments, Shared Stay-in Senior Caregiving models, Nursing Homes and also Age Well Neighbourhoods.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Collection of Data on Lonely Deaths for Social Support Intervention Planning for Vulnerable Individuals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"38 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider collecting data on lonely deaths and sharing it with social agencies, so they can better plan interventions and improve social support for vulnerable individuals.\n\n
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health does not have the number of residents who die alone in their homes.
Our focus is to reach out to and support seniors, especially those living alone. It is only through effective outreach and befriending that we can prevent such deaths. This requires the collaboration of many community partners – Silver Generation Ambassadors, volunteers of Active Ageing Centres, grassroots and other volunteers. Grassroots advisers are in a unique position to help organise and lead these community resources.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Stance on Maritime Jurisdiction in Light of Interception of Global Sumud Flotilla","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the recent interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in alleged international waters (a) what is Singapore's position under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the limits of a State's sovereignty and enforcement rights beyond its territorial waters; and (b) how may such actions affect coastal states, like Singapore, in upholding the principles of freedom of navigation and the safe passage of civilian or humanitarian vessels.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The political intention of the Global Sumud Flotilla was clear and widely publicised. It has sought to argue that Israel's interception constitutes violations of international law including customary norms as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Israeli government has said that its interception was because it would not allow the flotilla to enter an active combat zone, that is, the Gaza Strip, or breach a lawful naval blockade. This is a matter that would have to be settled at an appropriate forum.
Singapore has consistently called on all parties in the Gaza conflict to comply with relevant rules of international law, including international humanitarian law. This would also include compliance with the law of the sea. These rules apply equally in respect of maritime areas affected by the conflict as well as within the Gaza Strip. Respect for international law is of critical importance to small island states, like Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Non-compliant Noise Levels at HDB BTO Construction Sites in Fernvale between August to October 2025","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"40 Mr Ng Chee Meng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) for the past three months, what is the number of instances of non-compliance with regulatory noise limits detected by noise meters installed at the HDB BTO construction sites in Fernvale; (b) what is the breakdown of these instances by projects; and (c) what penalties have been imposed on such non-compliance.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: There are two Housing and Development Board Build-To-Order projects currently under construction in Fernvale – Fernvale Sails and Fernvale Oasis. From August to October 2025, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received 14 instances of feedback on construction noise from these construction sites, but the on-site noise meters detected only one instance of non-compliance with the regulatory noise limits by the contractor of Fernvale Sails. The contractor was fined for this violation.
NEA will continue to monitor the construction sites and take appropriate enforcement action against any instances of non-compliance with the regulatory noise limits.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assessments to Determine Adequacy of Childcare Capacity within Pasir Ris-Changi GRC","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"41 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether there are assessments done to determine if there is adequate childcare/pre-school capacity within a precinct to serve the population; (b) if so, whether the assessment is refreshed after a set number of years; and (c) whether there has been any such assessment done for Changi within Pasir Ris-Changi GRC.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) closely monitors the current and projected demand for childcare across Planning Areas and localised areas in Singapore. For the latter, we take into consideration factors, such as population size, demographics, enrolment trends and existing preschool supply.
ECDA then works closely with the Housing Development Board to develop new preschools in tandem with new Built-to-Order housing developments. We also work with the Urban Redevelopment Authority to set aside space for preschools in private housing developments through the Government Land Sales programme. Where additional capacity is required to meet demand, ECDA also facilitates the development of preschools in atypical sites, such as co-located integrated developments, and by retrofitting disused State properties.
Changi, within the Pasir Ris-Changi group representation constituency, falls within the Pasir Ris Planning Area. As of September 2025, there are 45 childcare centres in the Pasir Ris Planning Area, providing about 400 infant care places and 5,490 childcare places. These places have not been fully subscribed, with about 65% and 70% of infant care and childcare places respectively taken up.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Utilisation Pattern of Child Development Accounts over Last Five Years During Children's Primary School Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"42 Mr Victor Lye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) over the last five years, what has been the utilisation pattern of Child Development Accounts (CDAs) when children enter primary school; (b) how many CDAs show minimal or no drawdown until transfer to the Post-Secondary Education Account at age 12; and (c) if utilisation rates are not significant, whether a portion of unused CDA funds can be allowed for primary school learning.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: For birth cohorts which turned 12 between 2020 and 2024, the median Child Development Account (CDA) balance at age seven was about $600. About 97% of all CDA expenditure for these five cohorts took place when the child was below age seven and almost all (93%) of such CDA monies used were for preschool expenses.
Between ages seven and 12, the CDA monies were mostly used for healthcare-related expenses or for siblings' preschool expenses. For the child's primary school learning needs, parents can tap on the child's Edusave account, which can be used for miscellaneous fees and approved school enrichment programmes. Parents may also choose to save the CDA monies, which are transferred to the child's Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) at the end of age 12, for the child's post-secondary educational expenses.
The Government will continue to review the CDA usage to ensure that it remains relevant and can meet parents' needs for their children's development.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Staff to Child Ratio in Preschools and Student Care Centres","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"43 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what is the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile of staff to child ratio for (i) the various levels of preschools and (ii) student care centres.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Ministry for Social and Family Development (MSF) sets minimum requirements for staff-to-child ratio for preschools and student care centres to ensure the safety and well-being of children.
Preschools must ensure that they have sufficient staff deployed to care for children in accordance with the ratios as stipulated in the Regulations for the different programme levels. This ranges from one qualified programme staff to five infants at the infant care level, to 25 children at the kindergarten 2 level. MSF-registered student care centres that administer the Student Care Fee Assistance are also required to abide by a programme staff-to-student ratio of at least one staff to 25 students.
Preschools and student care centres have the operational flexibility to respond to the varied needs and demands on the ground. The centres can and do operate with more than the minimum staff requirement, in accordance with the respective centres' programming objectives and available manpower.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Media Coverage of Large Lottery Wins and Managing Problem Gambling","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"44 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry regulates news reporting of large lottery wins to avoid sensationalism and curb the promotion of gambling; (b) if not, how the Ministry reconciles such reporting with the existing framework to minimise problem gambling; and (c) whether the Government has conducted any cost-benefit analysis on the social harm from such reporting against any public interest benefit from the news.
Mrs Josephine Teo: News organisations exercise editorial judgement and discretion when deciding which issues are of interest to their readers, as long as their reporting remains responsible, accurate and within the bounds of the law and applicable content codes. Content on linear television channels and radio must follow content codes that prevent programmes from normalising or encouraging gambling, or providing gambling tips. Members of the public would also give their feedback on the news coverage directly to the relevant news organisations.
For each TOTO draw, the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) allows Singapore Pools to publish on its website the jackpot size, the number of winners and where the jackpot winners had purchased their tickets. This ensures transparency in TOTO draw results.
In addition, GRA regulates gambling advertisements to address the social harms associated with lottery gambling. Singapore Pools is required to seek GRA's approval for every gambling advertisement it intends to publish. In making its decision, GRA will consider whether the content may excessively induce gambling or provide misleading information on the probability of winning.
Besides regulating advertising and promotion, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has put in place other social safeguards to mitigate the social harms of gambling, such as prohibiting betting on credit. The National Council on Problem Gambling also conducts regular public education media campaigns and outreach during peak gambling periods, such as Chinese New Year.
GRA and MSF will continue to monitor the lottery gambling situation and review our social safeguards as necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Improving Work-life Balance and Mental Well-being of Educators in View of OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey 2024 Findings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"45 Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Education given the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey 2024 finding that teachers worked 47.3 hours a week on average (a) whether the Ministry has assessed if the work-life balance of teachers is worse than that of the rest of the public service; and (b) if so, what are new impactful measures being considered to improve work-life balance for teachers.
46 Mr Jackson Lam asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the cumulative effects of sustained seven-day work weeks and after-hours marking on teachers' mental health and family life; (b) how such well-being data inform staffing, performance evaluation and retention policies; and (c) whether the Ministry will pilot protected rest-time policies for educators.
47 Mr Vikram Nair asked the Minister for Education in light of the 2024 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) which found longer working hours of Singapore teachers and the higher stress they face as compared to OECD average, whether the Ministry is taking steps to address these matters.
Mr Desmond Lee: These questions have been addressed as part of the oral reply to Questions Nos 2 to 5 on 4 November 2025. [Please refer to \"Addressing Teachers' Stress Levels and Supporting Their Mental Well-being\", Official Report, 4 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 9, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Expanding SkillsFuture Credit Eligibility for Subscription to AI Productivity Tools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"48 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will expand SkillsFuture Credit eligibility to include subscriptions for curated, high-quality AI productivity tools to facilitate hands-on learning; and (b) if not, why not.
Mr Desmond Lee: Today, individuals can use their SkillsFuture Credit to sign up for artificial intelligence (AI)-related courses. Where relevant to the training, these courses may provide access to suitable AI tools, including premium versions. This approach helps learners to acquire relevant AI skills by applying practical tools to real-world examples or problems in a structured and guided learning environment.
Given that the AI landscape is still rapidly evolving, we will continue to monitor developments and support workers and enterprises in harnessing AI more effectively.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Developing Age-progressive Framework for Responsible Use of GenAI for Students and Parents across Educational Levels","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"49 Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will consider developing and publishing an age-progressive framework for the responsible use of generative AI across primary, secondary and post-secondary education levels; and (b) whether guidance could also be developed and published for parents to support younger students' learning and use of AI at home.
Mr Desmond Lee: The question on guidance to schools and institutes of higher learning on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has been addressed in written answer to Question Nos 41 and 42, taken on 24 September 2025. [Please refer to \"Guidelines Encouraging Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Schools\", Official Report, 24 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 4, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has provided schools with guidance on age-appropriate AI use in education in the Guide to Digital Literacy and Technological Skills.
MOE has also provided parents with resources, such as \"A Parent's Guide to Generative AI tools for Learning\", which can be found on Parents Gateway.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reviewing School Counsellor Reporting Structures and Providing Training on Counselling Ethics to Enhance Confidentiality and Trust","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"50 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will review counsellor reporting structures to enhance confidentiality and trust, including models where counsellors report to a dedicated mental health body rather than solely to principals; (b) whether training on counselling ethics can be provided for school principals; and (c) what steps will increase qualified professional-to-student ratios and safeguard counsellor autonomy.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has established reporting structures for school counsellors that ensure clear professional practice, accountability and coordinated student support. School counsellors abide by MOE's ethical counselling standards to maintain confidentiality of any information shared by students. They also receive regular consultations with Master and Lead school counsellors at MOE headquarters on counselling and case management practices.
School leaders are kept informed of individual student cases to the extent necessary to provide in-school support, or for referral to external agencies. Like school counsellors, school leaders are guided to maintain the confidentiality of student cases where information is shared on a need-to-know basis.
Besides school counsellors and flexi-adjunct counsellors in our schools, severe cases are referred to external professionals including to the Response, Early intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health teams. For schools with higher caseloads and complexities, MOE deploys additional counsellors to help them to maintain manageable workloads that support effective professional practice and quality care for students.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Utilisation Rates of SkillsFuture Credits to Offset Tuition Fees at Autonomous Universities over Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"51 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Minister for Education (MOE), in each of the past five years (a) how many Singaporean students enrolled in postgraduate programmes at the autonomous universities utilised SkillsFuture credits to offset tuition fees; (b) how many were eligible for MOE postgraduate subsidies; and (c) how many were ineligible for such subsidies due to having previously received a Government subsidy or sponsorship for a completed undergraduate degree.
Mr Desmond Lee: Over the past five years, on average, about one in three Singaporeans pursuing postgraduate by coursework full qualification programmes at the autonomous universities received Ministry of Education (MOE) subsidies.
Regardless of whether they receive MOE subsidies, Singaporeans may utilise SkillsFuture Credit to offset fees for these postgraduate programmes. One in three have done so over the past five years.
Singaporeans who previously received Government subsidy or sponsorship for their undergraduate degree remain eligible for postgraduate subsidies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Effectiveness of SkillsFuture-funded Programmes on Job-related Outcomes and Expanding List of Approved Certifications on MySkillsFuture Portal","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"52 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Minister for Education (a) whether impact studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of SkillsFuture-funded programmes in achieving job-related outcomes; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider expanding the approved list of certifications on the MySkillsFuture Portal to include widely recognised international qualifications, such as the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Accountant certifications.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education (MOE) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) track and report the employment outcomes of SkillsFuture-funded programmes through administrative data, programme-specific surveys and econometric studies. In addition, SSG administers the Training Quality and Outcomes Measure (TRAQOM) survey to capture participants' assessment of the quality and outcomes of SkillsFuture-funded programmes. These results are published on the MySkillsFuture portal to guide learners in making informed training decisions.
Singaporeans can use their SkillsFuture Credit (SFC) base tier, comprising the opening credit of $500 and a one-off top-up of $500 in 2020, to offset the fees of examination-only certifications. These certifications must be recognised and supported by the relevant sector agencies to ensure prudent use of SFC. Currently, about 360 such certifications are published on the MySkillsFuture Portal.
International certifications whose certification body is based overseas or has not registered with SSG, are not found in this approved list. Individuals who have completed industry-relevant international certifications can write in to SSG to ask to use their SFC base tier for a reimbursement of their examination fees.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Household Income Distribution of Students Admitted through DSA Scheme and who Participated in Private DSA Preparatory Programmes over Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"53 Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Minister for Education in respect of students admitted to secondary schools through the Direct School Admissions (DSA) scheme over the past five years (a) what is the household income quartile distribution of all admitted students; (b) what percentage participated in private DSA preparatory programmes; and (c) what metrics the Ministry uses to assess whether DSA benefits correlate with early talent identification rather than socioeconomic advantage.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not track the household income distribution of students admitted via the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme.
MOE does not track students' participation in private preparatory programmes for DSA. There is no need for students to receive private preparatory programmes to be considered for DSA.
Our primary schools help students discover and develop their talents and interests through multiple avenues, including through Co-Curricular Activities, the Art, Music and PE curriculum as well as the various Applied Learning and Learning for Life Programmes. MOE also runs the Junior Sports Academy, for primary school students who show sporting potential, with no prior training needed. Our secondary schools adopt a holistic approach to DSA selection and consider factors, such as the student's commitment, strengths, potential and personal qualities, beyond their past achievements and performance.
We will continue to refine the DSA scheme so that it remains accessible for students from all backgrounds.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"School Meal Safety Standards and Continuity Measures with Implementation of Centralised Kitchen Model","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"54 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Education (a) how will the Ministry ensure compliance with food safety standards given that schools will be switching to a central kitchen meal model from January 2026; (b) whether frequency and scope of inspections will be enhanced for these kitchens; and (c) what measures will ensure rapid response and meal continuity in case of food safety incidents.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education's (MOE's) appointed operators for the central kitchen meal model are expected to comply with the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA's) food safety requirements. These operators must ensure that the food is prepared by certified food handlers and put in place temperature-controlled transport and storage conditions. In addition, they must implement accurate food labelling with time-stamps and appoint Food Hygiene Officers to oversee and implement food safety measures.
Beyond regulatory requirements, schools will continue to remind students about personal hygiene, including proper handwashing before meals.
SFA adopts a risk-based inspection approach where food premises of higher regulatory concern are subjected to targeted and stepped-up surveillance. These include central kitchens, due to their high volumes of food preparation for consumption by large numbers of people.
The three central kitchen operators are also required to maintain comprehensive contingency plans for supply disruptions that are due to food safety or other reasons. These include rapid notification protocols to schools and authorities and backup meal arrangements through the operators' other licensed central kitchens. In addition, MOE monitors student health closely and will promptly notify the Ministry of Health and SFA if there are indications of possible food poisoning incidents.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Balancing Employability Preparation with Youths' Well-being and Preventing Excessive Internship Stacking","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"55 Mr Jackson Lam asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has studied the psychological or developmental effects of students taking on multiple internships at increasingly younger ages; (b) how schools are ensuring balance between employability preparation and youth well-being; and (c) whether guidelines exist to prevent excessive internship stacking among secondary and post-secondary students.
Mr Desmond Lee: Internships play an integral part in providing relevant work experience for students in our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), as they transit into the workforce. Based on the Graduate Employment Survey, the average number of internships undertaken by students from the autonomous universities (AUs), polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) have remained largely stable in the past three years. On average, AU students complete two internships during their course of study, while polytechnic and ITE students complete one internship.
Junior colleges offer a variety of programmes, such as career fairs and industry talks, to help students explore potential career pathways. Internships are not compulsory and are one of the modalities available for students to explore their career interests. There is no requirement for secondary school students to undertake internships.
While it may not be practical to set guidelines on the number of internships students should complete given the diverse needs of different industries, students are encouraged to prioritise having meaningful internship experiences, rather than maximising the number of internships. The Ministry of Education, our schools and IHLs remain committed to supporting the well-being of students, including when they are on internships.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Strengthening Engineering Talent Pipelines through Aligning with Emerging Industries and Public Sector Hiring","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"56 Mr Jackson Lam asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has studied why students are turning away from traditional engineering disciplines despite national infrastructure needs; (b) how curricula and pay expectations can be better aligned with emerging industries; and (c) whether public sector hiring and scholarships will be recalibrated to strengthen local engineering talent pipelines.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education (MOE) works closely with economic agencies to ensure that the supply of places in the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), including in engineering, is aligned with industry demand for manpower. Over the past five years, close to three in 10 graduates from IHLs were from engineering courses.
IHLs regularly review and update their course curriculum and offerings, including in emerging fields, like applied and inter-disciplinary engineering. For example, the Singapore University of Technology and Design offers programmes in Engineering Product Development and Engineering Systems and Design. Nanyang Polytechnic's Diploma in Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Data Engineering also incorporates applied engineering with AI, data analytics and Internet of Things applications into its curriculum.
However, students do not just choose a course of study. Their choices are also influenced by the future careers associated with the course of study. Specific to the Built Environment sector, there has been declining interest in Architecture and Civil Engineering programmes in the past few years. The Taskforce of Architectural and Engineering Consultants co-chaired by Ms Indranee Rajah, Second Minister for National Development and Mr Chaly Mah, Chairman of Surbana Jurong Group, identified the following challenges: persistent talent shortage, challenging work experiences, insufficient investments in workforce capabilities and firms' difficulties in offering competitive salaries due to unsustainable price competition in the industry. The Taskforce has recommended measures to improve attraction and retention of talent, including extending outreach efforts to improve the sector's image, enhancing internships, counting the internship duration towards professional registration requirements, offering higher starting salaries for interns who join the same company after graduation and improving human resource practices for better career development.
More generally, to help students make informed decisions about careers in engineering-related fields, IHLs organise career fairs, industry talks and networking events to raise students' awareness of engineering- and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related job opportunities and industries. Students can also access monthly salary ranges of specific jobs on the MySkillsFuture portal.
The Public Service has been actively recruiting science, technology and engineering (STE) officers across a broad range of technology domains to build an engineering talent pool that meets our needs in nation building. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of STE officers in the Public Service grew by 3.4%. The Public Service has also been developing a pipeline of engineering talent through the Public Service Commission Scholarship (Engineering), introduced in 2017, and various scholarships offered by public agencies. Over the past five years, the Public Service has collectively given out 50 to 60 undergraduate scholarships annually for students to pursue engineering disciplines. At the pre-university level, MOE gives out about 200 scholarships each year to pre-university students who have strong foundations in mathematics and science to bolster their interest in engineering and STEM courses and careers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Establishing Collaboration between NIE and ECDA for Brain-based Learning across Learning Profiles and Integrating Adaptive AI in Education System","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"57 Mr Victor Lye asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will advise the National Institute of Education to collaborate with the Early Childhood Development Agency to study how students learn best across diverse learning profiles; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry will consider establishing an interdisciplinary taskforce comprising educators, neuroscientists, psychologists, and technologists to chart a roadmap for integrating brain-based learning and adaptive AI across the education system.
Mr Desmond Lee: There are ongoing education research collaborations involving entities, such as the National Institute of Education, the National Institute of Early Childhood Development, the Early Childhood Development Agency, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and other key partners.
MOE grounds its curriculum design and pedagogies in educational theories which draws from various research fields, including neuroscience and educational psychology and incorporates expert views as appropriate.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Developing Framework for Continuous Professional Development in Brain-based Teaching Approaches for NIE Educators","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"58 Mr Victor Lye asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will advise the National Institute of Education (NIE) to include brain-based learning principles, such as cognitive load management, emotional engagement and spaced retrieval in its curriculum; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry has plans to work with NIE to develop a structured framework for continuous professional development in brain-based teaching approaches for educators.
Mr Desmond Lee: The National Institute of Education (NIE) incorporates brain-based learning principles and teaching approaches in the teacher preparation curriculum for pre-service teachers, and in professional development courses for in-service teachers.
The Science of Learning in Education Centre at NIE conducts research in neuroscience and cognitive science to understand how learning occurs and translates these insights into effective pedagogical practices that promote student learning and development.
The Ministry of Education and NIE will continue to work together so that teachers learn and apply developmentally appropriate pedagogies informed by neuroscience and educational psychology.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reviews and Audits of Course Listings on SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme Portal","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"59 Dr Hamid Razak asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry conducts regular reviews and audits of course listings on the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme portal to ensure that inactive or unavailable courses are promptly removed; (b) if so, how frequently such reviews are conducted and (c) if not, why not.
Mr Desmond Lee: SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) regularly reviews courses that receive SSG funding, including SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes (SCTPs). Courses which have been discontinued, or assessed to be not industry-relevant, will be removed.
Some courses on MySkillsFuture portal do not have scheduled course runs, because training providers make these course runs available only when there is a critical mass of learners. We are working with these providers to avail scheduled course runs earlier. Meanwhile, SSG has recently improved the portal to allow learners to filter courses by course run availability.
SSG also works with approved training providers to launch SCTPs for job roles and sectors with strong hiring demand, in consultation with sector agencies and the industry. For example, over 100 SCTPs were launched this year in high-demand areas, such as artificial intelligence, digital analytics and sustainability. This allows us to continually refresh our course offerings to meet industry needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Eligibility Assessment of Participants under SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"60 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Education under the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance scheme, whether short-term or part-time work that have been undertaken by participants in the latest 12 months before the course start date are taken into account in determining the training allowance, particularly for individuals who have been retrenched or are already undergoing a career transition. \n\n
Mr Desmond Lee: The SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance is computed using the latest 12 months of available earned income data from Government records, such as Central Provident Fund contributions and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore income records. Income earned from short-term or part-time work that is reflected in Government records will be taken into account for the computation of Training Allowance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extending Expiry Date of Unused $500 SkillsFuture Credits","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"61 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Education in view that seven in 10 Singaporeans have yet to use the $500 SkillsFuture credits that will expire at the end of 2025, whether the Ministry will consider extending the expiry date by six months, particularly for courses important for futureproofing, such as artificial intelligence, information technology, communications and healthcare.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education will provide an answer to this Parliamentary Question, together with other Parliamentary Questions which have been filed by Members on this topic, at the next available opportunity. [Please refer to \"Considerations and Efforts Taken to Increase Usage of $500 SkillsFuture Credits Before Its Expiry End-2025\", Official Report, 5 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 10, Written Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Long-term Support and Compensation Available for Teachers Injured or Disabled during Classroom Incidents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"62 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Education what is the extent of Government support or coverage which is made available to compensate teachers who suffer from long-term injuries or disability in the course of managing student incidents in the classroom.
Mr Desmond Lee: We care for our teachers. In the unfortunate event that teachers are injured in the course of their work, they can decide whether to be covered under (a) the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA); or (b) the Civil Service's work injury provisions, which provides coverage for work injury-related medical expenses in public medical institutions for as long as they remain in service. For those who choose to be covered under WICA for work-injury related medical expenses, if they have longer-term treatments beyond the WICA claim limits or duration, they can utilise their yearly medical benefits to cover these expenses.
Regardless of whether teachers choose to cover their medical expenses under WICA or the Civil Service's work injury provisions, they will be eligible for additional paid injury leave up to one year from the incident as provided for under WICA. Beyond this, they can utilise their yearly medical leave entitlement to cover any further work absence arising from the injury. In addition, in the event of permanent incapacity from the work injury, teachers can claim for lump sum compensation under WICA. The compensation limits for total permanent incapacity, that is, 100%, have been revised to range from $116,000 to $346,000 for accidents occurring on or after 1 November 2025. If there is partial permanent incapacity, that is, less than 100%, the actual compensation will be prorated based on the income and age of the teacher.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Outcomes of Bankruptcy Applications and Mandating Mediation between Petitioning Creditor and Bankruptcy Respondent","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"63 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Law (a) for each of the past 10 years, what number and percentage of bankruptcy applications (i) were withdrawn by the petitioning creditor, (ii) were terminated for want of prosecution or (iii) did not culminate in a bankruptcy order for any other reason; and (b) whether the Ministry has considered mandating mediation between the petitioning creditor and the bankruptcy respondent.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) does not capture data on bankruptcy applications that were terminated for want of prosecution.
For the period from 2016 to 2022, 3,741 bankruptcy applications were withdrawn by the petitioning creditor. This was about 17% of all bankruptcy applications made during this period.
For the period from 2016 to 2022, 8,455 bankruptcy applications did not culminate in a bankruptcy order. This was about 39% of all bankruptcy applications made during this period.
The bankruptcy regime already provides a structured process for engagement between the petitioning creditor and the debtor. As part of the assessment process for the Debt Repayment Scheme, a meeting of creditors will be scheduled to allow the debtor and his creditors to express their views or pose questions to the debtor's proposed debt repayment plan before the plan is approved.
Any proposal to mandate a new requirement in the bankruptcy process needs to be studied carefully to ensure that the administration of bankruptcies remains cost-efficient. MinLaw will continue to review the bankruptcy regime and make adjustments as necessary to balance the interests of debtors and creditors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Individuals Adjudicated Bankrupt by Age Group and Repeat Bankruptcies in Past 10 Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"64 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Law (a) for each of the past 10 years, what number and percentage of individuals adjudicated bankrupt were aged (i) 24 and below, (ii) 25 to 40, (iii) 40 to 54 and (iv) 55 and above; and (b) within each of those age bands, how many were not first-time bankrupts.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: For the period from 2016 to September 2025, the number of individuals adjudicated bankrupt aged (a) 24 and below; (b) 25 to 39; (c) 40 to 54; and (d) 55 and above are tabulated in the table below.
65 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Manpower what is the average time required for (i) a final decision and (ii) disbursement after approval, for applications to withdraw Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings under the CPF reduced life expectancy scheme.
Dr Tan See Leng: Upon receipt of a member's application for withdrawal under the Reduced Life Expectancy scheme and the completed Medical Assessment Report from a medical institution, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board will review the medical report and generally inform the member of the outcome or provide a status update1 within 14 working days. For more complex cases, for example, where there is a need to clarify the member's medical condition with the relevant medical institution, the processing time may be longer. Upon approval of the application, the CPF savings will be disbursed to the member's bank account within three working days.
The CPF Board is committed to process these applications expediently to ensure members receive timely financial support and is constantly reviewing our processes to better support members. For example, applications from members certified to have terminal illness or with advanced-stage medical conditions are currently expedited.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : This includes informing members that more time or additional documents are required."],"footNoteQuestions":["65"],"questionNo":"65"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employer Compliance Rates for Local Qualifying Salary and Progressive Wage Requirements","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"66 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower in the past year, what are the compliance rates among employers for the (i) Local Qualifying Salary requirement to all local employees not covered under Progressive Wages (ii) Occupational Progressive Wages for administrators and drivers and (iii) Sectoral Progressive Wage Model.
Dr Tan See Leng: About eight in 10 eligible employees received salaries which met the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and Occupational Progressive Wages' requirements. Among workers not covered by PWM, nine in 10 are paid at least the Local Qualifying Salary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employer Data Submission for Compliance Monitoring of Progressive Wage Model and Local Qualifying Salary Requirements","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"67 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower what proportion of employers have currently submitted the necessary information to the Ministry's Occupational Employment Dataset to assess compliance with Progressive Wage Model and Local Qualifying Salary requirements.\n \n
Dr Tan See Leng: As of June 2025, more than 90% of the employers have submitted the information to the Ministry's Occupational Employment Dataset that is needed to assess compliance with Progressive Wage Model and Local Qualifying Salary requirements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mandating Employers to Notify MOM Prior to Retrenchment Exercises","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"68 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider mandating retrenchment notifications by employers to the Ministry prior to a retrenchment exercise, instead of post-retrenchment.
Dr Tan See Leng: The National Union Congress has proposed for the Government to consider advance notification of retrenchment in specific scenarios. This means submitting the mandatory retrenchment notification before affected employees are informed of their retrenchment instead of within five days of informing the employee.
The Ministry of Manpower is currently reviewing the proposal with tripartite partners and will release more details when appropriate.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Temporary Permit Exhibition Scheme Permits Issued to Firms Lacking Local Employees in Past Two Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"69 Mr Victor Lye asked the Minister for Manpower in the past two years, what is the number and percentage share of Temporary Permit Exhibition Scheme (TPES) permits issued to firms without any local employees or CPF-registered staff.
Dr Tan See Leng: Firms without any local employees or Central Provident Fund (CPF)-registered staff have been issued 1,280 Temporary Permit Exhibition Scheme (TPES) permits over the past two years. This constitutes 10% of the total number of TPES permits issued within the same period.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Jobs Transformation Maps and Support Available for Mid-Career Employees and Sectors Undergoing Restructuring","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"70 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the Jobs Transformation Maps; (b) how these initiatives support mid-career employees adapting to industry shifts; and (c) what assistance is provided to help sectors that are undergoing restructuring to equip affected workers for new or redesigned roles.
Dr Tan See Leng: To date, 19 Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs) have been launched, covering about 1.7 million employed residents.
To support mid-career employees in adapting to industry shifts, Workforce Singapore (WSG) uses the insights from JTMs to shape sectoral workforce interventions, such as the Job Redesign and Reskilling (JRR) Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs). JRR CCPs reskill workers in growth job roles identified in JTMs. For example, the JTM findings have guided the development of CCP for Sustainability Professionals and the training for these roles. In 2024, JRR CCPs enabled more than 400 companies to reskill workers into growth job roles, benefitting around 2,300 individuals.
For sectors undergoing restructuring, JTMs help WSG and sector agencies anticipate future workforce needs and develop appropriate workforce interventions. For example, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Institute of Banking and Finance and WSG are working with several financial institutions to translate the insights from a JTM on Generative AI in the Financial Services Sector to upskilling and reskilling interventions for impacted jobs. WSG and the Singapore Tourism Board have also rolled out an industry playbook and workshops based on insights from the Hotel Industry's JTM to share lessons across the sector.
WSG continuously refines JTM methodologies based on sector agency feedback and industry insights so that JTM recommendations can be translated into actionable plans for industry.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Strategies to Support SMEs Participation in GRaduate Industry Traineeships Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"71 Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Manpower what strategies and support mechanisms is Workforce Singapore implementing to ensure that small and medium enterprises which may lack economies of scale or the necessary training infrastructure are able to successfully host trainees under the GRaduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) Programme.
Dr Tan See Leng: The main purpose of the GRaduate Industry Traineeship (GRIT) programme is to help fresh graduates gain high-quality work experience to support their employability. Hence, we prioritise companies' ability to deliver good training for graduates when selecting host organisations for GRIT. Workforce Singapore has worked with sector agencies to curate host organisations for the programme, based on their track record of hiring and training locals. These could include small and medium enterprises if they can meet the programme requirements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Differentiating Validity Periods of HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) System and Enhancing HFE Letter with Personalised Information and Resources","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"72 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB can consider introducing differentiated validity periods of HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) or grant recalibration mechanisms, to better accommodate young couples with changing incomes, lower-income households or changing market conditions.
73 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider enhancing the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter to include personalised calculations using HDB's affordability tools or simulators based on the demographic and profile of the applicants, to help them better understand the basis of the eligibility assessment and the long-term financial commitments of home ownership and ensure sustainable mortgage planning.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: To apply for a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat, flat buyers must first obtain a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. This letter provides personalised information on their eligibility to buy a new or resale flat, as well as the housing grant and HDB loan amount they may qualify for. For example, the HFE letter presents three personalised loan scenarios – prudent, moderate and maximum – to encourage informed decision-making.
The HFE letter is valid for nine months, which strikes a balance between providing home buyers with greater convenience, while ensuring currency of eligibility assessments. There are no plans to introduce differentiated validity periods.
Buyers can also leverage other planning tools, such as HDB's \"Calculate Housing Budget\" and \"Find a Flat\" e-services. Personalised information from the HFE letter can be auto-populated into these e-services, which, together, provide buyers a holistic understanding and personalised assessment of their housing and financing options.
Recognising that some young couples may wish to settle down earlier before both parties have found stable employment, the Deferred Income Assessment scheme allows eligible couples to apply for a new flat first and defer their income assessment for grant and loan until nearer to key collection.
HDB will continue to enhance its services and schemes to meet the diverse needs of flat buyers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Awareness of Community Relations Unit in Handling Neighbour Disputes and Preventing Noise-related Disputes through New BTO Housing Design","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"74 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the key reasons why some neighbour disputes do not get escalated to the Community Relations Unit (CRU); and (b) what measures are in place to ensure residents are aware of the appropriate dispute resolution pathways.
75 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government has plans to implement upstream engineering interventions in new Build-To-Order (BTO) housing design to mitigate inter-floor noise; and (b) how the current materials used compare against global standards for noise and insulation.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the questions asked by Mr Kenneth Tiong and Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik on 14 October 2025. [Please refer to \"Criteria that Qualify for Intervention by Community Relations Unit and Unit's Effectiveness in Addressing Neighbourly Disputes\", Official Report, 14 October 2025, Vol 96, Issue 7, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Comparison of Public Playground Numbers and by Facility Types over Past 10 Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"76 Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the current number of public playgrounds in Singapore; (b) what is the breakdown of these playgrounds that have (i) swings and (ii) sand play areas; and (c) how these respective figures compare to those from 10 years ago.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: There are currently around 2,800 public playgrounds implemented by the Housing Development Board (HDB) and National Parks Board in HDB estates and parks. The number of playgrounds has increased over the years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Provision of Alternative Shuttle Bus Services for Commuters Affected by Early Closure of Circle Line Train Services","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"77 Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) why alternative shuttle bus services are not provided after 11 pm to meet the needs of evening commuters affected by the early closure of Circle Line train services on some Fridays and Saturdays; (b) whether alternative shuttle bus service can be introduced; and (c) if not, why not.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The early closure of the Circle Line (CCL) is needed to complete the testing for the opening of CCL Stage 6. When service adjustments are required, alternative options like shuttle buses are not provided if the number of commuters affected is small and there are sufficient available alternative routes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing Accountability Measures for Errant Assisted Mobility Device Users Involved in Fire Incidents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"78 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry will prosecute users of non-compliant or illegally modified assisted mobility devices (AMDs) that cause electrical fires leading to death, injury, or property damage, under existing criminal law; and (b) consider introducing measures/legislation to hold such errant AMD users personally liable through civil proceedings for the full extent of financial compensation to affected residents and insurers.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: It is an offence to import, sell and use non-compliant Power-Assisted Bicycles (PABs) and motorised Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs). It is also an offence to keep a non-compliant PAB. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts operations regularly to enforce against these offences. Non-compliant devices are immediately seized and enforcement action is taken.
Under the Penal Code, it is a criminal offence for someone to cause a fire, such as through a rash or negligent act. However, as with any investigation, whether using a non-compliant or illegally modified active mobility device meets the threshold for criminal liability will depend on the facts of each case.
In addition, under the common law, any person who suffers personal injury or property damage caused by another's negligent conduct, including negligent acts that cause fires, may seek damages through civil proceedings. The courts will assess the claim and determine the extent of the financial compensation to be awarded to the affected party.
Current laws can already hold such errant active mobility device users personally liable. We will continue to enforce against such devices using existing rules and engage users on electrical safety and safe device use.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhanced Regulatory Measures for Private Food Delivery Companies on Safety and Traffic Compliance of Delivery Personnel","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"79 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Acting Minister for Transport whether stronger regulatory measures will be introduced to ensure that private food delivery companies are held accountable for the safety and traffic compliance of their delivery personnel, including mandatory training on traffic rules, wearing of visible reflective attire, ensuring that personal mobility aids and other delivery vehicles use lights at night, and penalties for repeated breaches that endanger road users.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Traffic Police (TP) have put in place measures to encourage safe and responsible behaviour on roads and paths. Traffic laws and penalties apply to all road users, including riders from food delivery companies, as do rules on the use of active mobility devices on paths. These rules include requiring mandatory theory test certification to ride a Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) or e-scooter and requiring the use of lights at the front and back of bicycles, PABs and Personal Mobility Devices during hours of darkness when riding on park connectors, public paths and roads.
Platform companies are responsible for ensuring the safety and health of their delivery riders. This includes ensuring that their riders using active mobility devices on public paths have adequate third-party liability insurance coverage during the course of their work.
LTA and TP regularly engage food delivery platforms, rider associations and industry partners to promote safe riding practices. For example, in June 2025, LTA partnered with the Digital Platforms Industry Association, Workplace Safety and Health Council and the National Delivery Champions Association to launch an e-guide for delivery riders, emphasising safe riding and parking practices. LTA and TP also conducted campaigns, such as the Be Safe, Be Seen campaign, to promote safer riding habits with Grab and safety talks and training sessions for delivery riders with foodpanda.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"NEL Morning Peak Hour Commuter Boarding Patterns from Punggol Coast to Kovan MRT for CBD versus non-CBD Destinations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"80 Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Acting Minister for Transport what is the estimated proportion of commuters who board the North-East Line at stations from Punggol Coast to Kovan during weekday morning peak hours and who subsequently alight at stations (i) within the Central Area (ii) outside the Central Area.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: About one-third of commuters who board the North East Line from Punggol Coast to Kovan during weekday morning peak hours alight within the central area.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Public Transport Adequacy and Late-night Transport Services for Attendees of Major Events","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"81 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Acting Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will review the adequacy of public transport arrangements for major events, such as the Singapore Grand Prix concerts and other large-scale performances, to ensure better coordination with organisers and sufficient late-night transport services for attendees.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The Land Transport Authority works closely with the organisers of large-scale events to extend public transport service hours when needed. Event organisers are responsible for adhering to the agreed timings and plans for dispersing large crowds to public transport nodes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown of Total Number of Car Ownership by Housing Type as of 2025","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"82 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Acting Minister for Transport as of 2025, what is the total absolute number of HDB versus non-HDB households that have (a) at least one car; (b) at least two cars; and (c) at least three or more cars.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The breakdown of household car ownership by property type is in Table 1 below.
83 Mr Shawn Loh asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) whether the Land Transport Authority can consider building lifts in the pedestrian overhead bridges across the CTE and PIE connecting Whampoa to Towner, McNair, Boon Keng and Toa Payoh respectively, given that ageing seniors are finding it increasingly difficult to walk up the ramps and are at risk of getting isolated; and (b) if so, whether some lifts can be built by end-2026.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: Lifts will be installed at four pedestrian overhead bridges between Whampoa and adjacent towns, across the Pan Island Expressway and Central Expressway. We are prioritising these bridges ahead of those that already have ramps.
As of October 2025, the pedestrian overhead bridge between Jalan Tenteram and Kim Keat Avenue has been upgraded. Site studies have also commenced for the pedestrian overhead bridges between Jalan Rajah and Toa Payoh Stadium and between Whampoa Drive and Hong Wen School.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Long-term Sustainability of Annual Public Transport Subsidies, Impacts on Future Fare-setting and Transparency Safeguards in Subsidy Allocation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"84 Mr Jackson Lam asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has studied the long-term sustainability of relying on annual subsidies exceeding $2 billion to moderate fare increases; (b) how this approach affects future fare-setting autonomy of the Public Transport Council; and (c) what safeguards exist to ensure transparency in subsidy allocation across operators.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: In deciding the fare adjustment each year, the Public Transport Council (PTC) is guided by a fare adjustment formula, which tracks the general cost drivers of providing public transport services, and considers other factors, such as the state of the economy and cost of living. It makes its decisions independently after considering these factors.
For this year's fare review exercise, PTC decided on a fare increase of 5%, less than the maximum allowable fare adjustment quantum of 14.4%. This means 9.4% of the allowable fare adjustment will be deferred. The Government is providing another $200 million of additional subsidies in the coming year to cover the gap arising from this deferment. This amount is based on projected public transport revenue for 2026 and the deferred fare quantum. The eventual amount of subsidies provided to each operator to cover the deferred fare quantum is calculated by the Land Transport Authority based on the actual ridership for each of their rail lines.
This is distinct from the more than $2 billion in annual subsidies provided by Government to keep bus and train services running. These subsidies allow operators to provide reliable and high-quality service while keeping fares affordable and also covers the cost of replacing and renewing our operating assets like buses and rail systems.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extending Concession Pass Price Reductions beyond Adults, Seniors and PwDs in view of Transport Fare Increase in December 2025","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"85 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Acting Minister for Transport in light of the impending transport fare increase in December 2025 and the reduction in prices of monthly concession pass for adults, seniors and persons with disabilities, whether the Ministry will consider reducing the price of concession passes for other groups, such as students and full-time national servicemen.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: At each Fare Review Exercise, besides determining the overall fare increase, the Public Transport Council (PTC) also determines how much of the adjustment each group of commuters should bear. Higher concessions are ultimately cross-subsidised by other commuters.
PTC reviews the price and utilisation of monthly passes at each Fare Review Exercise. The prices of monthly passes for students and full-time national servicemen were recently lowered in 2023 by up to 10% and the prices of monthly passes for pre-university students remain the lowest among all monthly passes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Expediting Review of Penalty Framework against Sellers and Users of Non-compliant Personal Mobility Devices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"86 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Acting Minister for Transport in view of the sharp increase in fires involving Personal Mobility Devices in the first half of 2025 (a) whether the Ministry can expedite the review of the penalty framework against sellers and users of non-compliant devices; and (b) what is the estimated timeline for the completion of this review.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) takes a firm stance towards the import, sale and use of non-compliant Active Mobility Devices (AMDs), including motorised Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) and Power-Assisted Bicycles (PABs). LTA conducts operations regularly to enforce against non-compliant devices on public paths, as well as targeted operations against retailers that sell such devices. It is also an offence to illegally modify AMDs. Non-compliant devices are seized and enforcement actions are taken, with significant penalties imposed on offenders.
The Ministry of Transport and LTA are considering tougher enforcement action against the keeping, use and sale of non-compliant AMDs. For instance, we are looking to strengthen regulations on online sale of these devices. We target to make the necessary legislative amendments next year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Providing Affordable Vehicle Access for Families with Special Needs and Elderly Dependants in View of Rising COE Prices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"87 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Acting Minister for Transport given the rising COE prices (a) whether the Government will consider providing grants to support families with special needs dependants have affordable access to cars; and (b) how will the Government support (i) car-sharing platforms and (ii) companies that offer short- and long-term car leasing services provide flexible and affordable options for families with special needs dependants, children and elderly.
Mr Jeffrey Siow: It is challenging for the Government to adjudicate among the many compelling needs across society that could merit car ownership, including families with special needs dependants. Our approach is to provide direct subsidies and support to such groups to address their specific needs, rather than through the Certificate of Entitlement system, which would be more complicated and costly to administer and may not achieve the intended outcome of supporting those most in need. For example, Ministry of Social and Family Development offers a means-tested transport subsidy to individuals under the Enabling Transport Subsidy scheme to support eligible Singaporeans and Permanent Residents with disability who need to use dedicated transport.
Apart from investing in quality and inclusive public transport, the Government is also working to broaden point-to-point transport options for commuters who may require occasional access to cars. This includes working with car sharing operators on parking lots in accessible locations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Usage Statistics for Free Marine Parade Shuttle Bus Service and Cost Assessment of Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"88 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what was the actual total passenger load for the free Marine Parade shuttle bus since its launch; (b) whether the initial estimate of $1 million remains accurate to the cost of the programme; and (c) how much of that final cost will be publicly funded, including by Community Development Council funds.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: I am answering in my capacity as the Minister charged with the responsibility for the People's Association.
The Marine Parade shuttle bus service, a local community programme by the Grassroots Organisations (GROs) of the Marine Parade Town Cluster, was started with the aim of trialling a bus service to meet last-mile connectivity needs as a pilot project.
Usage of the bus service varied across routes, locations and time periods. This reflects a need for the bus as a last mile connector which was more pronounced at certain times of the day and in certain geographical locations. In some areas, usage was low whilst at other areas, it was much higher, at varying times of the day.
The initial estimated pilot cost of $1 million remains accurate. The majority of the funding for the shuttle bus pilot came from donations raised by GROs, supplemented by a $200,000 seed grant provided by the South East Community Development Council.