1 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current policy when charging a patient who chooses to stay at different classes of a general ward during each period of stay at a public hospital; and (b) whether a patient can choose to stay at different classes of a general ward when admitted to a public hospital and be charged the respective fee of each type of class.
\tThe Minister for Health (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Mr Speaker, Sir, my response today will also address the oral question filed by Mr Leong Mun Wai, on retroactive charging for upgrading wards, for a subsequent Sitting.
When patients stay in a higher ward class and then downgrade to a lower ward class towards the end of their stay, they will receive subsidies based on the respective ward class. This is fair. In fact, where the request to downgrade is due to unaffordability because of complications or unexpected additional costs, public hospitals will find ways to support these patients financially. This is for downgrading of wards. For upgrading of wards, there is a different consideration.
We have to discourage patients from selecting lower ward classes to secure more subsidies for more costly treatments, such as surgery and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the beginning of their stay, and then switch to higher ward classes once these treatments are completed. Many of these patients are not of lower income and could have chosen the higher ward class from the outset. That is why if a patient upgrades, the level of subsidies will be adjusted retroactively.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Ang Wei Neng.
\tMr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for the reply. For cases where some of the patients who upgrade, but they are not financially very strong, is it possible for them to appeal not to pay for the entire duration at the higher ward class, if they select just after the operation?
The second supplementary question is, many a time, my residents tell me, when they are in the higher ward class in the previous hospitalisation period, and when they get to the next round of hospitalisation and they request a downgrade, they are often not allowed to. The only time they can escape this is when they are admitted to the Accident and Emergency (A&E), then they can go to a lower ward class. Can the Minister clarify these two points?
\tMr Ong Ye Kung: The Member asked, for those who upgrade, later on in their stay, can they appeal. Of course, everyone has the right to appeal, but having said that we are trying to stop a certain behaviour, which we do not think is right. At the beginning of every hospital stay, patients will be counselled financially and they will make those decisions with their eyes open. When a patient medically requires isolation, we will isolate them. And if they have chosen a lower ward class to start with and then require isolation, they will be given higher subsidies, not withstanding being in the isolation ward.
As for those who come back later and wish to downgrade and are not allowed, actually there is a very established process of means testing. So long as they meet the means testing criteria, they can downgrade.
I think the specific cases the Member might have come across, might be a case where they did not manage to meet the means testing criteria. Having said that, for anyone with affordability issues, there is always MediFund as a last line of defence, a last safety net, so that they can always afford a hospital stay in the public health institutions.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
\tMr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like the Minister to confirm – because I have gotten feedback from some residents that when they want to downgrade from a higher ward class to a lower ward class, they are told that even after the downgrade, they will have to pay the price for the medicine of the higher ward class. Is that correct?
\tMr Ong Ye Kung: Mr Speaker, the answer is yes. It was covered in my reply just now.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Improve Safety on the Roads and Increase Penalties following Recent Spate of Fatal Accidents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"2 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry will consider requiring all drivers, both local and foreign, to attend periodic refresher courses; (b) whether the Ministry will consider enhancing preventive measures, such as but not limited to, the installation of speed limiters on all motor vehicles including passenger cars; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider imposing stricter non-financial criteria for ownership of vehicles and vehicle rentals.
3 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent spate of major road traffic fatal accidents (a) what are the typical causes of such accidents; (b) what mitigation plans will the Ministry implement; and (c) whether there is a need to raise the relevant penalties under the Road Traffic Act 1961.
4 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) over the past five years, how many fatal accidents have occurred due to reckless driving and speeding; (b) whether there is a need to review the existing penalties under the Road Traffic Act 1961; (c) whether the Ministry and LTA will consider stricter enforcement measures or legislative changes to ensure greater accountability and discourage dangerous driving; and (d) whether there are plans to intensify campaigns or programmes in educating drivers on speeding and reckless driving and increase road safety awareness.
5 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs what measures are being taken to improve road safety education for both new and experienced drivers.
6 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs how is the Singapore Police Force ensuring the enforcement of traffic laws, particularly against reckless driving.
7 Mr Derrick Goh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Government will consider imposing stiffer penalties on risky driving conduct; and (b) whether a major media campaign can be conducted to increase public awareness of responsible driving habits along with the new measures being put in place to curtail fatal road accidents.
8 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs what support systems are in place for families of road accident victims, especially when the victim is a minor.
9 Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the significant increase of traffic accidents resulting in fatalities in 2023 and the recent road accident in Tampines that claimed lives, what measures can be taken to improve road safety for users.
10 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent fatal traffic accidents (a) how will enforcement of road safety for both motorists and pedestrians be further enhanced; (b) whether the reporting of drivers' infringement of traffic rules by the public can be made easier; and (c) whether smart enforcement cameras can be installed at all major traffic junctions and zebra crossings.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to address Question Nos 2 to 10 in today's Order Paper through a combined reply?
\tMr Speaker: Please proceed.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: The recent Tampines accident which took two lives shocked and angered many Singaporeans. I am sure I speak for all of us in saying we were all deeply saddened as well. Members have asked many questions, centred on: firstly, our road safety situation; secondly, adequacy of penalties to deter dangerous driving; thirdly, enforcement efforts; and fourthly, measures to improve road safety.
First, Members asked for data on fatal accidents and their causes. In the last five years, the number of accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities has fallen by about 10%, from 7,822 in 2019, to 7,075 in 2023. By this measure, our roads have become safer.
However, if we look at the number of accidents resulting in fatalities, this has increased by about 12%, from 117 in 2019, to 131 in 2023. There were 71 fatal accidents in the first half of 2023 and 60 in the second half of the year.
The top causes of the fatal accidents between 2019 and 2023 were: firstly, failure to keep a proper lookout; and secondly, failure to have proper control of one's vehicle. An average of three fatal accidents per year, or about 2.4% of fatal accidents annually, were investigated under the offence of reckless or dangerous driving causing death. An average of 29 fatal accidents per year, or 27% of fatal accidents annually, were speeding-related. Members may wish to refer to the Annual Road Traffic Situation Report on the Police's website, for more details on the situation in 2023.
Second, Members asked whether we intend to review and increase the penalties under the Road Traffic Act, or RTA. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had raised the penalties significantly in 2019. Under the RTA, for an offence of dangerous driving causing death, a first-time offender is liable for imprisonment of two to eight years. A repeat offender will be liable for up to 15 years. In addition, an offender could face a minimum 10 years of disqualification from driving, which begins only from the time that the offender is released from prison. Thus a first offender in a serious case could be jailed for a maximum of eight years and not drive for 18 years.
What the laws provide today are already quite stiff. We do regularly review different aspects of the framework. In this context, we have been studying the adequacy of composition amounts and the demerit points framework.
Third, Members asked about our enforcement efforts. Most people know about the regular enforcements that we have. The Traffic Police (TP) has in the last six weeks, also intensified ad hoc enforcements, which has detected close to 1,400 violations and arrested 29 motorists for traffic-related and other offences.
In addition, since last month, TP has progressively activated the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras across the island, especially at locations that are more accident-prone or violation-prone. More than 800 speeding violations have been detected by these cameras thus far.
Whilst enforcement cameras are useful for deterrence, it is not feasible to install them at all traffic junctions and zebra crossings, given terrain limitations and other constraints.
Ms Tin Pei Ling asked whether the reporting of traffic violations by the public can be made easier. The public may conveniently report traffic violations online via the Police's E-Services or Police@SG app, with supporting evidence such as video footage. TP has been taking enforcement action based on such evidence.
Fourth, Members asked about our plans to improve road safety and raised several suggestions. To incentivise safe driving behaviour, eligible motorists may attend the Safe Driving Course and have four demerit points expunged from their record after completing the course. The course aims to re-educate and correct the poor driving behaviours of motorists who have accumulated a significant number of demerit points.
Mr Speaker: Order. Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, can I request for you to take a seat first. I have an announcement to make.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Visit by King of Malaysia, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim ","subTitle":"Presence in Gallery","sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Speaker: Order. On behalf of hon Members, I would like to extend a warm welcome to His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim and his delegation, who are present in our Gallery.
His Majesty is a man of many talents. He was trained across all the branches of the military and is an army, naval and air force officer. Few may be aware that he is also a certified helicopter pilot and a commando. A statesman, His Majesty pursued his studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy where he took courses on Southeast Asian Strategic Studies and the International Law of the Sea.
These diverse experiences, both at home and abroad, have put His Majesty in good stead to lead Johor and now Malaysia. His Majesty was formally proclaimed the Sultan of Johor in 2010 and the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia earlier this year.
His Majesty is no stranger to Singapore and has always been an ardent supporter of bringing our peoples closer together. Under his reign as the Sultan of Johor, our partnership with Johor has strengthened. This was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we worked closely together to keep supply lines across the land borders open. In recognition of his achievements, the National University of Singapore conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws on His Majesty during his official visit to Singapore in 2022.
His Majesty's visit today is timely. Our bilateral relations with Malaysia are strong and robust. Exchanges at the political and official levels are regular. As some of the hon Members of this House will recall, just last May, we hosted a visit by some members of the Johor Climate Change and Disaster Management Committee.
We have many exciting projects in the pipeline, such as the Rapid Transit System Link project and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. We are also looking to expand our cooperation with Malaysia to new areas, like energy.
This year we will celebrate the centennial of the Causeway and next year we will commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations with Malaysia. I am confident that His Majesty's visit today is a precursor to even stronger ties between Singapore and Malaysia.
We are honoured to have His Majesty with us. Please join me in welcoming His Majesty to our Parliament. [Applause.]
We will continue with Question Time now. Order, order.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Improve Safety on the Roads and Increase Penalties following Recent Spate of Fatal Accidents","subTitle":"Continuation of answer and clarification for questions moved","sectionType":"OA","content":"The following questions were moved earlier –
Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry will consider requiring all drivers, both local and foreign, to attend periodic refresher courses; (b) whether the Ministry will consider enhancing preventive measures, such as but not limited to, the installation of speed limiters on all motor vehicles including passenger cars; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider imposing stricter non-financial criteria for ownership of vehicles and vehicle rentals.
Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent spate of major road traffic fatal accidents (a) what are the typical causes of such accidents; (b) what mitigation plans will the Ministry implement; and (c) whether there is a need to raise the relevant penalties under the Road Traffic Act 1961.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) over the past five years, how many fatal accidents have occurred due to reckless driving and speeding; (b) whether there is a need to review the existing penalties under the Road Traffic Act 1961; (c) whether the Ministry and LTA will consider stricter enforcement measures or legislative changes to ensure greater accountability and discourage dangerous driving; and (d) whether there are plans to intensify campaigns or programmes in educating drivers on speeding and reckless driving and increase road safety awareness.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs what measures are being taken to improve road safety education for both new and experienced drivers.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs how is the Singapore Police Force ensuring the enforcement of traffic laws, particularly against reckless driving.
Mr Derrick Goh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Government will consider imposing stiffer penalties on risky driving conduct; and (b) whether a major media campaign can be conducted to increase public awareness of responsible driving habits along with the new measures being put in place to curtail fatal road accidents.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs what support systems are in place for families of road accident victims, especially when the victim is a minor.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the significant increase of traffic accidents resulting in fatalities in 2023 and the recent road accident in Tampines that claimed lives, what measures can be taken to improve road safety for users.
Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent fatal traffic accidents (a) how will enforcement of road safety for both motorists and pedestrians be further enhanced; (b) whether the reporting of drivers' infringement of traffic rules by the public can be made easier; and (c) whether smart enforcement cameras can be installed at all major traffic junctions and zebra crossings.
Mr Speaker: We will continue with Question Time now. Order, order. Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Welcome to Singapore Parliament, Your Majesty.
Mr Speaker, Sir, may I continue?
Mr Speaker: Please do.
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: The Traffic Police (TP) has also been intensifying its education and engagement efforts. It works with various partners and stakeholders, including the Singapore Road Safety Council, SBS Transit and Grab, to organise events and campaigns to promote road safety. TP will be publishing a series of road safety videos in the second half of 2024. We welcome more partners and stakeholders to join our road safety initiatives to develop a culture of responsible road usage.
\t
Members asked how road infrastructure can be modified or improved to enhance safety. TP works closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on this. The Ministry of Transport will provide details in its reply later.
Ms Pereira asked whether we will require all drivers to attend periodic refresher courses. The refresher course is optional today. It caters to drivers who have not driven for several years. We do not think it is useful to mandate the refresher course for all motorists. Only a minority of motorists are involved in accidents. The very large majority of motorists stay offence-free for many years, if not, the entire period of their driving history. Most accidents happen because of poor road behaviour, rather than inexperience.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
Ms Pereira asked if we should mandate speed limiters on all vehicles. We have to balance the benefits with the costs. For now, we assess that it would suffice to mandate installation of speed limiters for lorries. This is ongoing and will be completed by June 2027.
Mr Patrick Tay asked about support for families of accident victims. The Police refer families who require support to Social Service Offices or Family Service Centres, depending on their circumstances and needs. Those requiring mental health support are referred to mental health helplines and counselling services, which are run by trained professionals or the Institute of Mental Health.
Madam, the Government is strongly committed to doing all we can to keep our roads safe. However, I would like to re-emphasise that we cannot succeed alone. Road safety is necessarily a shared responsibility and we urge all road users to play their part.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
\tMs Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I have one supplementary question. Would the Ministry consider requiring the installation of speed limiters on vehicles or drivers new to Singapore roads? For example, within two years of obtaining a driving licence, or maybe for foreigners, within two years of converting a driving licence to drive in Singapore?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. As I have shared in my answer, we feel that it is not necessary at this moment. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor the situation.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
\tMr Desmond Choo (Tampines): I thank the Minister of State for his reply. This is with reference to the most tragic accident in Tampines. Many of our colleagues in Tampines and Pasir Ris have received many comments from our residents, seeking answers on how we can prevent this similar incident from happening.
Without prejudicing the investigation, can the Minister of State share further with regard to this particular case, what are the steps taken to mitigate against such potential accidents and prevent such tragic cases from happening again?
And secondly, can the Minister of State also share, compared to 10 to 15 years ago, especially in those particular areas, are our roads safer today?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. I will answer the second question first. If you look back and you look at the trend of the accidents, in fact, today, our roads are safer compared to 10 or 15 years ago. The number of fatalities last year was lower, compared to 10 years ago, in 2013, for example, and the number of injury accidents last year was also lower than pre-pandemic years.
With regard to the first question, I have also answered some parts of it in my main answer. As I also shared, we are looking further at the demerit points and the composition framework, to further enhance the road safety ecosystem. That is one part. The other part is, I think, as I have shared earlier, road safety is necessarily a shared responsibility. I am very happy to see that over the years, more and more Community Partners have come on board to join in this effort.
Just yesterday morning, I was with Senior Minister of State Sim Ann to launch a very meaningful programme undertaken by her grassroots organisations, as well as with the stakeholders. She and her grassroots' leaders noticed that the traffic situation in the Watten Estate and Hillcrest area would require some localised touch in regards to road safety. So, what they have done is, they have worked with the agencies to install reminders to motorists to say, \"You will take one minute to arrive at the junction of Dunearn Road\", for example. So, this gives that opportunity for the riders to internalise the time, so they do not have to rush, especially in areas where there are many other stakeholders who are vulnerable, like school children. Yesterday, I saw many young children there.
I am happy that such local initiatives would help us. TP continues to work with the ground. For example, we have published a book for preschool students and we have been going around to preschools to engage the students, their parents and the teachers. We also recently launched the \"Reward the Sensible Motorists\" campaign. Yesterday, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann and I rewarded a motorist, who was pleasantly surprised that he was stopped by TP to give commendation to him.
So, these are things that I hope we can work together on, to really make the term \"Road Safety is Necessarily a Shared Responsibility\" alive for our people, so that we can help to save lives and bring goodness to people around us.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
\tMr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. First of all, I would like to share my condolences to the families that were affected by the tragic events in Tampines. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of State two supplementary questions. The first supplementary question is, in his reply, he mentioned that almost 27% of the cases were from speeding, or almost one-third of it. May I ask the Minister of State, since the RTA review was done in 2019, which was almost five years ago, can he share whether the incidences or cases have actually been reduced?
And a related question to that is, I had asked in my original Parliamentary Question, whether there will be stricter enforcements or legislative changes and from that, to what extent or thresholds would the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and LTA look at to enhance the RTA going forward, in terms of threshold levels?
My second supplementary question is in relation to road rage handling. The Minister of State mentioned that there will be enhanced road safety efforts, but can there be efforts to ensure that there is an embedding of how we handle road rage – as motorists, drivers or pedestrians. So, dealing with road rage and whether this can form a part of educating new and experienced drivers going forward?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the supplementary question. We will take the feedback in his second supplementary question. Road rage is serious. We not only work with the stakeholders' agencies, we also work with the trade associations, like the Motor Traders Association of Singapore, and see how we can make things better and how to address it well.
With regard to speeding related issues, in fact, if you look at the statistics, we publish some of them in TP's annual reports. The 2023 figure for speeding related accidents is lowest between 2017 and 2023. The post-pandemic average figure is higher than the pre-pandemic figure, mostly driven by high numbers in 2021, if you look at the figure. However, from the average perspective, it is lower. So, it may go up and down, depending on the years. However, 2023 is the lowest that we have.
For example, the number of speeding related accidents in 2020 was 757. In 2021, 984. In 2022, it went up to 1,138. However, in 2023, it went down to 624. So, essentially, it has gone down.
The number of red-light running accidents as well – these are sometimes related to speeding – from 2020, we have 119; in 2021, 136; in 2022, we have 137; in 2023, we have 112. So, you can see from there.
So, that is how the situation is. Essentially, we are seeing a reduction in the number of speeding related accidents. So, we continue to do this and with the new device that we have started on 1 April – the red-light cameras that can detect the speeding element – we hope that will provide additional deterrence so that people will be mindful before they speed.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
\tMr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Thank you, Madam. I would like to ask the Minister of State, these days, we do often see the public uploading videos of near misses or dangerous driving on the roads on social media platforms, like the SG Road Vigilantes and other platforms. So, can I ask the Minister of State, how does TP treat these videos, whether these are considered sufficient evidence for TP to take enforcement actions on possible violations?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: With the era of social media and also online platforms, TP embraces them. We look at some of this evidence and also, we are often being tagged whenever there are posts. This is in addition to the platforms that we have, which I had shared earlier, in reply to Ms Tin Pei Ling's queries.
So, on average, we receive around 30,000 traffic violation reports such as these every year, which shows many members of the public are already able to access the e-services. We constantly try to look at how we can improve our platforms. Ms Tin has shared some feedback and we have taken it back.
As for posting on social media, some of these platforms that we are familiar with, we look at it and we take that seriously, to investigate. But it does not mean we will just take on board everything that we see, what we want to see is part of the investigation process, so that we can enhance the evidential part of it, as well as we want to make sure that we navigate today's landscape together, with what we can find in technology.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: There are still quite a few hands up. I would ask Members to keep your questions brief and also your answers brief. Mr Patrick Tay.
\tMr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): I thank the Minister of State for the response. I just have two supplementary questions. Firstly, in the case where there is a traffic accident, when there is a rash, negligent or careless driving causing death, how does TP or the Prosecution handle this? Because you can either proceed under RTA as careless driving, or you proceed under section 304A in the Penal Code. So, I see a disparity in some of these and so, how do we go about that, to decide the eventual punishment as meted out?
The second question, we also see, at some of these major junctions and areas that are a bit more vulnerable to accidents, this point of presence by TP, I was just wondering whether these days, is there a shortfall of TP officers or enforcement on the ground?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. For the first question, of course, we have to look at all the evidence. At the end of the day, the Courts' system is such that the Judges will have the different levers to look at.
However, from our point of view, when we find there is an accident, we will look at the evidence and then we will relate the evidence to which part of the Act that we want to take on. Similarly, for the case that we have, for the Tampines case.
For the numbers of TP officers, in fact, the numbers have been going up since 2022. So, the number of TP officers has gone up. Also, we deploy our officers based on the operational needs and they can only go out after they have received the necessary training. It is not easy to ride the bike. You need skills and you need to be able to develop this experience. I must say, because I work very closely with TP, we have very good officers. We know our weather is very hot and, sometimes, it rains heavily. Sometimes, when I meet them after they come back from their operations, they are all sweating. And, sometimes, when I visit, we see that there are TP officers conducting some speed camera operations. But when I get there and I speak to them, I find they have stood there for hours and sometimes under the hot sun. So, it is not easy work, but it is necessary so that we can keep our roads safe.
In addition to that, we also augment processes with technology. So, today, we see a lot more use of cameras and also devices that will help them in their work.
\tMdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Vikram Nair.
\tMr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Two questions for the Minister of State. First, I think the Minister of State indicated there will be more use of cameras at traffic light junctions. But how about stretches of roads where there are no traffic lights? In this House, I had asked about Woodlands Avenue 5 previously, where I have had residents post a lot of videos of what they believe to be speeding. We had asked for cameras because we know that TP are short on manpower. But I think, at that time, they said the incidence rate was not above the average. So, in line with rolling out more cameras at junctions, will they also roll out more along roads?
The second supplementary question is whether or not the Minister of State would consider having more serious penalties for dangerous or careless driving where there is death or grievous bodily harm. Currently, I think for careless driving, if it causes death, it is up to three years in jail for the first offence and double for repeat offences. For grievous bodily harm, it is up to two years in jail or double for repeat offences. This is for careless driving. For causing death, it is two to eight years, and one to five years for causing grievous hurt. This seems a little low for the seriousness of the injuries and so, whether we can consider increasing the penalties for that.
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: As I have shared in my answer, we feel that our penalties and punishment framework is already stiff. If you compare it with other parts of the world, our road safety situation is actually much better than in many parts of the world. And I have also shared that we regularly review the framework that we have.
The other thing about the area that the Member has shared with us, the process is that when we receive feedback, our TP officers will monitor the situation. We work with grassroots organisations and then we assess whether it is really that serious. If we find that something that can be managed, we will make our presence there. And we will also try other levers to address the issue.
So, I thank the Member for sharing this with us. We will continue to monitor. I understand that the area, the road that the Member was sharing about, if there are no reminders, there are no enforcement efforts, those with no road safety behaviour may speed and may cause danger to the public.
\t
\tMdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I have two supplementary questions. The first question relates to the earlier question that my hon friend Mr Vikram has asked. And I hear the Minister of State on the answer he gave that the Government intends to keep to the same punishments as per the current law. Can I ask whether in light of the recent serious accidents, would the Government look into the possibility of refining the application of the sentencing guidelines, for example, the two to eight years, but perhaps applying more stringently as compared to the past, but still keeping within the punishment legislated?
My second supplementary question is: would TP or MHA look into enhancing the current public education drive to promote safe driving, including more patience among drivers, to be more considerate to other road users?
And let me elaborate on more patience. I think all of us here would have frequently experienced that whenever the light changes to green, there will be immediately somebody pressing their honk. It is almost like they want to press the honk as soon as the light turns to green. That, to me, reflects on a very general symptom of impatience among drivers, perhaps not just at the traffic junction, but generally. And I believe that this impatience is a frequent cause of accidents. Also, in terms of being considerate to the users, for example, to encourage more heavy vehicles and goods vehicles not to keep right, but to try to keep left whenever possible. Just an example.
\t
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the question. With regard to the first supplementary question, we look at the facts of the case. I assure the Member that we will exercise what we are provided for under the law to commensurate with the culpability of the person who caused the accident. And this is something that we want to ensure that we have – a fair and just system. I want to assure the Member this.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
Second, about the road safety education effort, yes, I am happy that the Member also supports what we have been doing to promote education among our populace. We start from young. As I have shared earlier, we have published a book and we will be going around to the different communities or schools and to share with them such initiatives and the books. We have received very good support from the parents, the children as well as the teachers.
Yesterday, as I have shared, I joined Senior Minister of State Sim Ann. The values that we want to promote are kindness, driving safely and we work together with the Singapore Kindness Movement on it. They came, they helped us to design the platforms that we used. This is one way where we can work together to make things better. However, every one of us has to play a part.
TP can do this, LTA can do the different infrastructure and grassroots organisations like those in Senior Minister of State Sim Ann's area can do that. But if we do not play our part, then nothing will change. So, we want every one of us to play a part because that helps to save the lives of our families, including ourselves.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
\tMr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, I just want to check whether there is a study on the timing when most accidents occur and then the TP can pay attention to those certain timings of the day. That is my question.
\t
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Accidents happen not only according to timing. So, even in the hours of the day or night when there are no vehicles, accidents have happened. At times, accidents happen during peak periods. So, the whole idea is not about timing alone. I think it is about the behaviour. So, we want to make sure we enhance the behaviour of people.
We have looked at the various factors of accidents, why accidents happened. Essentially, it is about the lack of control of their vehicle. They did not look out sufficiently for traffic or their own presence along that road.
So, it is beyond timing. There are many other factors that affect why accidents happen.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
\tMs Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Thank you, Speaker. One supplementary question for the Minister of State. I wonder whether the Minister of State will agree with me that the public education efforts that the Government is undertaking could also focus a bit more on some aspects of the driving culture which I detect has a certain permissive attitude towards speed. I will just give an example.
On any given day, if you are driving on the highway in lane one at the speed limit, cars will blow their horns at you and overtake you from the left. Whereas in some other countries that I have been to, you will see other motorists, the moment you exceed the speed limit, other motorists honk at you to slow down.
So, I wonder whether TP could look into this aspect and see how society, as a whole, we can help one another to make the road safer because, after all, it is not about cameras and about TP being everywhere, but it is really about a broad-based safety culture that we all want to have.
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\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Yes, indeed, it is something that we need to develop holistically as a society. So, we work together with the Singapore Kindness Movement, the Singapore Road Safety Council, as well as organisations around.
At the end of the day, we need to internalise this whole element within each of us that there are people around us who are also using the road; it is not only us alone. And these people or road users have families and they are going to do their activities, the more care will be applied in the way we use our devices on the road. So, this is an ongoing journey that we want to continue.
I am very heartened, like what I shared, over the years, we are seeing more and more people coming on board to support this effort. And if we look back, as I shared earlier, 10 or 15 years before till today, our roads are safer.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Carrie Tan.
\tMs Carrie Tan (Nee Soon): Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of State whether they will consider a joint campaign or some joint trainings together with our recently set up mental well-being department. Because a lot of these examples of road rage, inability to give way, anxiety and impatience on the roads are actually stemming from a lot of emotional and mental stresses that people may not be able to regulate themselves. So, does the Minister of State see opportunities to collaborate with the Mental Well-being Taskforce on such matters?
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\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, the short answer is we welcome any form of collaboration to save lives.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Prevent Speeding and Reckless Driving Especially at Accident-prone Junctions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"11 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport in light of the recent fatal accident in Tampines (a) how can LTA deter the occurrence of similar accidents in high traffic areas; (b) how can driver awareness and education on road safety be enhanced, particularly on speeding and reckless driving; (c) how can LTA minimise accident risks in future through road design and traffic management; and (d) whether there are plans to enhance data collection and analysis to better address current and future road safety challenges.
12 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Transport pending investigations into the fatal accident in Tampines that occurred on 22 April 2024 (a) how will LTA improve the traffic safety provisions at this junction; and (b) what are the lessons learnt that can be pre-emptively applied to similar cross junctions islandwide to prevent similar tragic accidents in the future.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for Transport): Mdm Deputy Speaker, may I have your permission to take Oral Question Nos 11 and 12 together?
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Please proceed.
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has addressed several questions raised by Members on road safety. I will focus my response on road design and traffic management.
I would like to begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. I would also like to assure Members and Singaporeans that road safety is and will continue to be a priority for the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Mr Speaker, LTA focuses on safety by ensuring that: one, our roads are designed with safety in mind; and two, our vehicles are safe for use on the roads.
We enhance road designs in three ways.
First, our roads are designed in accordance with international safety requirements. Ms Poh asked about the safety provisions at the Tampines junction. This junction is also designed in accordance with international safety standards, which includes sufficient line of sight for road users to see each other clearly, and appropriate road kerbs, lane and arrow markings installed conspicuously.
Second, LTA continues to review, develop and implement programmes that enhance road safety. Let me share a few examples.
Since 2018, LTA has progressively implemented Red-Amber-Green (RAG) arrows to replace discretionary right turns at over 1,200 traffic junctions. Junctions with RAG arrows have shown a 40% reduction in traffic accidents. The work is ongoing and will extend to more traffic junctions.
As of 2023, we have implemented 371 School Zones and 40 Silver Zones in areas near schools and where there are higher proportions of senior residents. For School Zones, features include designated crossing facilities, coloured pavements, as well as traffic signs and markings. At primary schools, the speed limit is also lowered to 40 kilometres per hour. For Silver Zones, we implemented reduced speed limits and road safety measures such as narrower and meandering lanes, road markings, additional crossings and speed humps. The Silver Zone initiative has proven effective in reducing the accident rate among senior pedestrians within the zones by about 80%.
More recently, we have rolled out the Friendly Streets initiative to make daily journeys to key amenities in neighbourhoods safer, more convenient and comfortable. Besides the usual traffic calming measures, there will also be more frequent Green Man activations and longer crossing time to allow pedestrians, especially the elderly, to cross the road safely at these areas. We started with five pilot sites in 2023 and will begin engagements on a further 10 sites in 2024, with the aim of bringing Friendly Streets to all towns by 2030.
Third, LTA leverages data from sources such as traffic accident reports from the Traffic Police (TP), as well as feedback from local communities and road users to design and implement localised road safety enhancements. Annually, LTA introduces about 1,000 of such enhancements across different parts of Singapore, including speed humps and three-dimensional road markings.
Beyond road design and infrastructure, LTA also conducts checks to ensure that the vehicles on our roads are roadworthy. They need to meet internationally recognised vehicle safety standards as well as undergo periodic inspections. Enforcement will be carried out against errant vehicles. From 2021 to 2023, on average each year, LTA issued about 7,000 notices of offences for common illegal modification offences, conducted around 1,600 additional inspections and charged more than five workshops for violations. We have also increased the penalties for illegal modification of vehicles.
Finally, a critical factor, besides safe roads and safe vehicles, is safe motorists. We support MHA to educate and engage motorists on road safety practices. As MHA said in the earlier reply, road safety is a shared responsibility, and we urge all road users to play their part, even as we do more to make our infrastructure safer for everyone. Enhancing road safety involves safe roads, safe vehicles and safe road users.
Mr Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
\tMr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank Senior Minister of State for her very detailed responses to our Parliamentary Questions. I have a few supplementary questions.
The first supplementary question, Mr Speaker, is: I know MHA and LTA have done a lot of work to enhance the safety of our roads, but we want to make sure we do even more to save lives of students and school-going children, and of course our elderly. I think most of us in this Chamber have primary schools, secondary schools or even junior colleges and polytechnics in our areas. My first supplementary question is with regard to the use of data to assess riskier roads and accident-prone areas. I would want to know if LTA can share whether there could be possibilities for the radius of the School Zones to be expanded; and whether there is any data to show that some of the accidents of our Singaporean parents who send their kids to school or who let their kids go to school every morning and come back from school by themselves, whether there are incidences of such accidents happening beyond the School Zones that we have designated. The Senior Minister of State mentioned a number of those cases.
The second is in regard to car modifications. The Senior Minister of State mentioned car modifications or speed enhancements, so whether she can share if these measures that LTA has introduced has led to, possibly, reduction in any of the speeding cases.
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Regarding the expansion of the radius of the School Zones, this is something we will continue to monitor and review. I do not think that there is a fixed one-size-fits-all kind of zone radius. But having said that, it all depends on the local conditions – where the school is and so on. So, it is something that we will continue to review.
With regard to vehicle modifications, I do not have the numbers. But the thing is, you probably cannot directly correlate enforcement to illegal modifications with speeding and traffic accidents. Having said that, an example will be that illegal exhaust modification poses a high risk and therefore, is a serious offence. And we do want to minimise or prevent such illegal modifications. That is why we have been stepping up the enforcement. We have stepped up the penalties since July 2021. The first composition fine, even for the first offence, has increased from $500 to $1,000. And even for first offenders, if they are egregious violations, they can be charged in court.
Mr Speaker: Ms Poh Li San.
\tMs Poh Li San (Sembawang): Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State. I have a supplementary question and I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State what the proportion of fatal accidents is occurring at road junctions; and out of these fatalities, what is the proportion of pedestrians versus cyclists versus passengers and motorists?
I thank LTA for installing more of the RAG arrows; they are very good. Following a very tragic fatal accident in Sembawang West last year, we have two of our junctions installed with the RAG arrows. I would like to ask LTA, other than these features, are there other further improvements that can be made to improve the road safety of cross traffic junctions?
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for her supplementary questions. As regards the first question on accident statistics, I do not have the numbers. I will have to refer to MHA to get the numbers, with regard to the Member's question.
In relation to the second question, besides RAG, what else are we doing to enhance safety of cross junctions? First, let me say that for RAGs, as I have said, we have implemented this for more than 1,200 signalised junctions. There are a total of 1,700 signalised junctions, of which for 200, there is no discretionary right turn. So, we are left with 1,500. Of these 1,500, we have implemented RAG in more than 1,200. We are in the process of looking into implementing RAG for another 200 junctions, though this depends on technical feasibility as well as traffic impact assessment studies.
Effectively, we are left with about 50. These are generally single right turn lanes, as well as turning onto one lane of oncoming traffic. And therefore, we have not prioritised them. But after we have done the 200, we will continue to monitor and assess.
Beyond the RAGs, at cross junctions, there are a few things we have done or are still in the process of doing. For instance, at traffic pockets, we put up \"Give Way\" signs to remind the turning motorists to look out for pedestrians. There are also adjustments to Green Men timings to give pedestrians a headstart in crossing the road. And then, of course, we have the Green Man Plus scheme where the elderly and persons with disabilities can have a longer time to cross the road. In addition, we have recently started installing safety bollards at some signalised junctions where we assess there is a higher pedestrian risk, at selected corners of these junctions. These safety bollards are what we call crashworthy bollards and they prevent errant vehicles from veering onto the footpath.
So, we will continue to look at ways to strengthen measures to enhance safety.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State. Does LTA have any plans to build more underground walkways, for example, from Tampines West MRT to Tampines Green Gem estate in my ward, so that pedestrians have a safer alternative to crossing busy junctions, like the junction where this horrific accident happened?
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for his supplementary question. First, let me say that for the junction at Tampines Avenues 1 and 4, which is the location of the accident, actually, there has been no feedback in relation to safety issues at that junction. Between 2019 and 2023, there were also no accidents with serious injuries or fatalities at that junction. As I have said, we have designed such junctions in accordance with international standards.
We have also reviewed the junction after the accident and we do not think that there is a need to further enhance or implement measures to enhance safety at that junction. But having said that, we will also await TP's investigation, for the results of the investigation, and will review again if measures have to be implemented to enhance road safety. This is the similar approach that we take for all locations where serious accidents have occurred.
Having said that, we always take into account the data we have, whether it is traffic accident reports from TP, data of incidents, whether it is injury-related or non-injury-related incidents on our expressways from the LTA monitoring team, as well as even data on road infrastructure which are frequently damaged or hit, which will give us some insights to the measures that we could put in place before any accidents happen. And, of course, feedback from the local community, road users, the public, online and offline. We do data analytics and then identify locations where there are higher risks, to implement measures to enhance road safety.
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With regard to the Member's specific question about underground walkways, it is the same with pedestrian overhead bridges (POBs). We need to look at whether it is relevant and useful before we can implement them. And if at-grade signalised traffic crossings are possible, then that is something we will go for because it is really a lot more effective and efficient. But in certain areas where you cannot do at-grade signalised traffic crossings, say, because of the terrain or developments in the area, then we will do underground paths or POBs, for instance.
\tMr Speaker: Last supplementary question, Mr Alex Yam.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have a Parliamentary Question slated for tomorrow, which is similar and largely covered. I thank the Senior Minister of State, especially, for LTA's efforts in promoting the Silver Zones.
But I was hoping to ask if LTA would consider a comprehensive study of how we plan high-traffic areas, high-risk areas, especially around School Zones. I am sure many Members of this House, in our own constituencies, we face daily issues at the peak in the morning as well as at dismissal time, where traffic is hindered because the ingress and egress to some of our schools are in smaller lanes, creating inconveniences to residents as well as bottlenecks further upstream.
I have seen some in my own estate, for example, where the cars would have to queue up into the bus spaces, creating additional difficulty for our transport operators. In addition, these driver behaviours have been exacerbated, for example, this year, with a lack of bus drivers, earlier in the year, that has increased the number of parents who are sending their kids to school. And secondly, because of the queues, it creates dangerous driver behaviour elsewhere as drivers are unable to turn, for example, into their housing estate, and they drive against traffic. And in my own constituency as well, again —
\tMr Speaker: Mr Yam, get to your supplementary question, please.
\tMr Alex Yam: — we have seen a number of near misses. So, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State if LTA would be able to study this and also review the measures around School Zones?
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Let me say that LTA works with planning agencies for developments. And when there are School Zones, they also work very closely with the planning agencies, be it the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and so on, to look at the traffic. So, traffic studies are actually conducted for such developments.
Having said that, yes, in certain school areas, for instance, you would experience congestion and so on. The reason for these issues may be a combination of many factors. LTA works very closely with the school, with the Ministry of Education also, to address such issues at the ground level, because every School Zone area may be different and there are specific local conditions that we have to take into account.
Some of the things we do is: we will work with the school and they will have, for instance, traffic marshals, traffic wardens that we work with; we give advisory to parents for gracious and good road safety behaviour. As well as, if needed, we will have enforcement for illegal parking; create wider footpaths; or even direct students to specially created, signalised pedestrian crossings, and put up railings in some schools as mitigation measures.
We also work with the schools to make sure that there are alternative parking or lay-by for the waiting vehicles, and to tell the parents not to wait along the roads illegally before dismissal time.
So, these are various things that we do. As regards whether we will do a study, actually we do continue to study this; and as I have said, we do traffic impact studies too.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support for Employers and Employees Affected by Requirement for Companies to Fairly Consider Flexi-work Requests","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"13 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Manpower in line with the implementation of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, what initiatives are being planned to support small and medium enterprises in offering flexible work arrangements to their employees and enhance workplace productivity.
14 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Manpower what additional measures are being considered to support Singaporean workers whose employer offer flexible work arrangements and remote work from potential job displacement, considering the increasing trend of companies hiring workers located overseas.
15 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Manpower whether the recent guidelines mandating the need for employers to consider requests for flexible work arrangements will make Singapore a less attractive place for companies to do business.
16 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower with regard to the new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests coming into effect, whether the Ministry has considered mandating a shorter timeframe for employers to communicate their decision on a request for flexible work arrangements instead of the two months' timeframe.
17 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what likely impact will the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests have on senior PMETs aged 45 and above; (b) which sectors may be more impacted by the implementation of the guidelines; and (c) what is the positive impact on the Singapore economy in adopting the guidelines.
18 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Manpower in view that all employers in Singapore must fairly consider requests for flexible work arrangements from 1 December 2024 under the new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (a) whether the Ministry can clarify what constitutes a \"fair consideration\"; and (b) how are employers held accountable for their decisions to accept or reject such requests.
19 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how has the Ministry ensured that employers are prepared to implement the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, particularly regarding timelines and considerations for rejecting requests; (b) whether the Ministry can elaborate on the support and resources available, including any training initiatives, to assist businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises, in adapting to these new guidelines; and (c) how can we mitigate against employers turning towards outsourcing of work to overseas workers.
20 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Manpower with the introduction of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWAs) Requests from December 2024 (a) whether there is any target or expected percentage of (i) firms that offer and (ii) employees that are covered by, formal FWAs; and (b) whether there are any legal ramifications for firms that do not adequately implement the guidelines.
21 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Manpower following the acceptance of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests by the Government (a) what supportive measures will the Ministry be introducing to assist more companies during their transition in adopting these guidelines; and (b) whether there will be more resources made available to strengthen trust and harmonious workplace culture, including more avenues for mediation and dispute resolutions.
\tThe Minister of State for Manpower (Ms Gan Siow Huang) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to address Oral Parliamentary Question Nos 13 to 21 together? My response will also cover today's Questions for Written Answer Parliamentary Question No 53 by Mr Yip Hon Weng, as well as four Questions for Written Answer by Mr Sharael Taha and Dr Wan Rizal scheduled for the Sitting on or after 8 May 2024.
\tMr Speaker: Please proceed.
\tMs Gan Siow Huang: I thank Members for their questions on flexible work arrangements (FWAs) and the recently launched tripartite guidelines on FWA requests. In the past few years, many Members in this House and the Labour Movement have called the Government to do more to encourage FWAs.
We have a rapidly ageing population. One in four Singaporeans will be above 65 years old by 2030. More of us will have to juggle caregiving responsibilities while working. There will also be more seniors who want to continue working, but in a more flexible manner. FWAs are, therefore, another important initiative to help us optimise our local workforce potential in the long term.
Employers who implement FWAs well will also benefit, as they will be able to hire from a larger local manpower pool. Hence, we formed a Tripartite Workgroup last year to develop a set of tripartite guidelines on FWA requests. The guidelines will take effect on 1 December this year. The Workgroup consulted extensively with employees, the unions, employers and human resource (HR) professionals.
The consensus was that we should not mandate FWAs or set hard targets. There are a myriad and spectrum of businesses, service types and sector-specific needs which vary widely and serve different segments of the economy, including essential services. For FWAs to be successful, it must make businesses sustainable for the employers.
It does not make sense to require businesses to offer FWAs even when it negatively impacts business and affects employment prospects for Singaporeans. Employers should, therefore, continue to have the prerogative to determine work arrangements that work for the team, the business and the clients.
What the guideline does is to require employers to properly consider employees' formal FWA requests. The aim is to establish the right norms, and enable employees and employers to have constructive discussions, so that both sides can work out FWAs that are mutually beneficial.
Employers must therefore consider FWAs based on business grounds, such as job requirements and impact to business productivity. Tripartite partners agree that this is a reasonable and practical approach which balances the needs of both employees and employers.
In the same spirit, the Workgroup felt that employers should be given sufficient time to discuss with employees their FWA requests and also consider how they can adjust workplace practices to accommodate FWAs. Otherwise, employers may decide to reject the request outright. The Workgroup landed on two months which is similar to other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom.
Employees who feel that the employers have not considered the FWA request based on proper process should first discuss and try to resolve disagreements internally through their company's grievance handling process. Unionised employees can also seek advice from their respective unions. Thereafter, if the dispute is still not resolved, they may seek help from the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP).
TAFEP would take up an educational approach and engage the employers to help them comply with the guidelines. Employers who are recalcitrant may be issued a warning by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and be asked to attend mandatory HR training.
Several Members have asked about the impact of the guidelines on employers in different sectors and how we can help employers comply. I must emphasise that FWAs do not equate to work-from-home only. There is a variety of FWAs that employers can adopt depending on the industry context and the specific job role, while still maintaining productivity and ensuring that business needs are met.
For instance, those in sectors and jobs where the work must be done on-site may not be able to work from home, but employers can still explore options, such as flexi-time and flexi-load. To be clear, the formal process for requesting FWAs, as recommended in the guidelines, will be useful mainly for organisations that do not have any process yet for their employees to request for FWAs.
Where there is an existing process, whether formal or informal, and it is working well for both employers and employees, the employer should use the process stipulated by the company to request for FWAs. What is most important is for the employees and employers to be able to discuss and land on arrangements that address their respective needs and constraints and maintain harmonious working relationships.
To help employers, TAFEP and the Institute for HR Professionals (IHRP) will be rolling out a range of resources this year. Besides self-help resources, such as case studies, templates and e-learning modules, which are already available on TAFEP's website, TAFEP will be conducting monthly briefings for employers starting from May. The first few runs have already been fully subscribed.
TAFEP will provide more guidance to help employers understand the types of\tFWAs they can offer to employees with different needs, such as senior employees who may prefer flexi-load or mobility-challenged workers who may need telecommuting arrangements. The resources and briefings will guide employers on how to comply with the guidelines. But, more importantly, how to implement FWAs well, such that it supports business needs.
Employers can also tap on grants, such as the Productivity Solutions Grant, to offset the cost of adopting FWAs, such as consultancy services, to redesign jobs or business processes and upgrade the IT system to support FWAs. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may require more targeted support.
TAFEP and IHRP will work closely with the Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) and the SME Centres, to organise briefings and training workshops to help SMEs in FWA implementation.
Members have also asked about the potential impact of the guidelines on Singaporeans' employment prospects, be it through increased outsourcing to remote workers elsewhere or greater reliance on foreign manpower. With or without these guidelines, remote work and outsourcing are already global trends, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether the trend will continue depends on whether employers feel that it makes business sense and employers will need to weigh the pros and cons. Similarly, even if the foreigners are not working in Singapore, they will still be competing with us when working in companies overseas. What is more important is for our workers to continually upskill, sharpen our competitive edge and stay productive. We will, then, be able to compete effectively for jobs, not just in Singapore, but globally.
Mr Speaker, to conclude, I would like to emphasise a few key points. FWAs are an increasingly important tool for employers to attract and retain talent. The guidelines specify the need for a process for requesting and considering FWA requests, but do not mandate that every FWA request must be approved. The guidelines allow employers to decide on the FWA request, depending on what works for the team, the business and the clients. The guidelines aim to shape the right norms and expectations around FWAs.
Employees ought to use FWAs responsibly, even as their employers develop HR capabilities and processes to implement FWAs well and productively. Finally, we will continue to provide resources and tools to support this and hope that employers and employees will both do their part to achieve win-win outcomes and ultimately more inclusive workplaces in Singapore.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Edward Chia.
\tMr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Speaker, in considering FWA requests, I think HR professionals play a pivotal role in aligning management's perspective and, importantly, achieve a harmonious outcome. So, I would like to ask the Minister of State, how will the Ministry facilitate and ensure HR professionals are equipped with the right framework and tools in implementing FWAs effectively in the workplace?
\tMs Gan Siow Huang: HR professionals, indeed, are a key node in the successful implementation of FWAs and, hence, the Tripartite Work Group involved IHRP in the consultation and also drafting of the guidelines. In our various consultations leading up to the development of the guidelines, HR professionals were involved in various sessions to give us inputs on what sort of help and resources they might need.
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Yesterday, I attended an engagement session with HR professionals facilitated by IHRP to share the tools, the courses and the resources available for HR professionals to tap on. We welcome HR professionals to continue to give feedback to the Tripartite Workgroup and to IHRP as well as TAFEP on what are the other resources and help that HR professionals might need for them to do their job well.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, it is important for workers to have the right to ask for flexibility in their work arrangements. However, would MOM agree that this should be left to employers and employees to negotiate and settle? If the worker is valued by the company, surely, the company would accede to that request. Why is there this need to have guidelines to make it mandatory for companies to consider such requests from employees?
The feedback I have is that many companies have told me that this is making it more onerous for a large company with many staff and for their HR team to have to deal with so many requests, especially for the staff that they feel that are on the borderline, that they may not want to keep. So, are we pushing the companies to say, \"Let us get rid of the less performing staff?\"
At the end of the day, my concern is whether this will make Singapore a less attractive place for companies to come to invest in, if they feel that the manpower policies are too onerous on the companies.
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\tMs Gan Siow Huang: Prior to the guidelines, there had already been a lot of feedback from both employers and employees about expectations and requests on FWAs. First of all, let me clarify that FWAs do not mean work from home only. FWAs also do not mean work less. FWAs also do not mean reduced productivity. And the final one: the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements, which take effect from 1 December, would not mean that come December, every workplace must have FWAs.
So, let us be clear upfront. These guidelines are meant to help employers manage also the expectations of their employees. We know that, coming out of COVID-19, there are some employees continually asking their employers and their supervisors, why can they not continue to work from home? And some of the employers find it quite troubling and difficult to manage expectations of the employees. At the same time, we also hear anecdotal feedback from some employees that their employers are not receptive at all and not even responding to their request for FWAs.
To make sure workplaces continue to be productive and have harmonious workplace relationships, these guidelines actually are for both parties – as what hon Member, Ms Lim Biow Chuan suggested – to have a way, a process to negotiate and also to discuss what works for the individual, what works for the team, the business and the clients.
There is no intention whatsoever for these guidelines to intervene on how companies should decide on the FWA requests coming from the employees, as long as the employers apply a proper process in evaluating and responding to the FWA requests.
Just for your information, there are also many calls from the Members of the House, some of you might remember, for legislation, for the right to request and which we have seen in quite a few other countries. Instead of going the way of legislation, the tripartite partners, after a lot of consultation with various groups, felt that legislation would not be helpful. Instead, guidelines to guide the conversation and implementation of FWA requests would be more practical and a balanced approach. We hope that employers and employees will make win-win outcomes out of these guidelines.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
\tMr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Speaker, just two supplementary questions for the Minister of State. The first is that I understand that based on the guidelines, cost, productivity and feasibility concerns are possible grounds for rejection of FWA requests. But I am also concerned that this could give employers a lot of leeway to actually not consider the FWA requests, where these are actually possible.
So, on the part of the employees, should there be concerns that their FWA requests are not adequately considered, beyond mediation and follow-up discussions with management, what are some of their recourse? The second part is I also understand that the Civil Service will be taking up these guidelines, so, just to understand what sort of percentage of civil servants will be able to access some form of formal FWAs after this is adopted?
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\tMs Gan Siow Huang: Employees who feel that their employers have not considered their requests properly, not based on business grounds but perhaps personal bias, can approach the union members or the union leaders if they are unionised companies. If not, they can go to TAFEP. TAFEP will be very happy to walk through with the employers on their responsibilities under the guidelines.
The Civil Service embraces FWAs. Just like the private sector, we have a very big Civil Service and there are different job roles, different working environments. We similarly need to give flexibility for the supervisors, managers to discuss with the staff on what sort of FWAs would work, not just for that one person asking for the FWA, but also how it affects the rest of the co-workers, and the services and the output that need to be delivered as well.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, could I ask the Minister of State what are the penalties for employers that continuously refuse to comply with the tripartite guidelines? For example, again, refusing that their request for FWAs on unreasonable grounds. Second, if the penalties are similar to the other tripartite guidelines, which is the curtailment of work pass privileges, for companies who do not employ foreigners, what then are the penalties for them?
\t
\tMs Gan Siow Huang: Singapore has a very tight labour market and there is always a shortage of skilled workers and talent. That, I think, everyone agrees. When we spoke to our counterparts overseas, countries that are in a very advanced stage of implementing FWAs and even with legislation, our key takeaway was that if the labour market is tight, employers who want to be able to attract and retain staff, they will actually be flexible themselves, even without the legislation.
In Singapore, we similarly have a very tight labour market. We know that last year alone, job vacancies that were advertised with FWA provisions attracted two to three times more applicants than those that did not. So, employers, HR, people out there, by now, they already know the value of FWAs, how it is helping them as well.
\tMr Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal.
\tDr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Sir, I thank the Minister of State for sharing on FWAs. Like many, I welcome FWAs, especially from the mental health perspective. But I do have concerns from employees who want to step forward. I think they are fearing this idea of being discriminated against. They fear that their personal issues may be resurfaced now and then, it will be used against them in terms of career progression and so on and so forth. What considerations would the Ministry take to provide clear assurances to such employees?
\t
\tMs Gan Siow Huang: Firstly, the guidelines do not really differentiate whether a person has mental health or well-being conditions. I would like to make that clear. Actually, FWAs can benefit anyone, everyone.
For workers who have certain health conditions, whether it is mental or other sorts of health issues, employers have to assess, evaluate their performance and pay them fairly based on the work that is done by them and not discriminate them based on conditions such as health that do not affect their performance.
\tMr Speaker: Miss Cheryl Chan.
\tMiss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (East Coast): Speaker. I have got two supplementary questions for the Minister of State. The first one is, as the Minister of State has pointed out, the labour market is tight and corporates are also finding ways to adjust with how to cope with the labour supply. Does Minister of State think that we will likely see an increase of offshoring of jobs as a result of this implementation of the guidelines?
The second supplementary question is with regard to the union. Today, we are seeing an increasing trend of having more professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) as your union members as well. Would the Minister of State think that, especially in my Parliamentary Question, the Minister of State has not answered the part, with PMETs in the middle age group, between 45 and 60s, would the Minister of State think that this implementation of guidelines and the redesign of job scope would disadvantage them and make Singapore uncompetitive as a market to retain these PMETs?
\t
\tMs Gan Siow Huang: I just want to reiterate that the guidelines which promote FWAs and tell employers they need to have a proper process to consider the request, do not mean that the only form of FWA is work from home and it also does not mean work less nor does it mean reduced productivity.
For Singaporeans to stay competitive and be desirable in terms of jobs and employability, we need to have the relevant skills, we need to be productive, we need to have the competitive edge. Offshoring, outsourcing, post-COVID, companies that found that remote work worked well for the business, they would have continued to do so, even without these guidelines. In fact, businesses are driven by their own bottom lines, what works well in terms of them being able to access talent and also cost. We should not pretend that without FWAs, there will be less offshoring.
I would also point out that elsewhere, in the United States, for example, we are also seeing some tech companies putting out statements that remote work does not work for them. There seems to be some suggestion that for certain sectors and for certain types of work, physical, on-site presence, teamwork, all these are still very key. Some of the companies that we have engaged in Singapore have shared similar feedback. And for those, offshoring may not be a natural choice and certainly, would not be affected by these guidelines.
As for middle-aged workers, PMETs, our focus must be on preparing them well for jobs for life, upskilling them, making sure there are enough job opportunities in various sectors so that whether you are PMET or non-PMET, you will continue to enjoy good career prospects. Career health is another strategy that we are working on to help middle-aged workers stay employable. There are many schemes at the Government level to support the middle-aged workers. I hope Members will support us in these initiatives.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Raj Thomas.
\tMr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State how will FWAs interface with the Progressive Wage Model (PWM)? For flexi-load, for example, where a worker in one of these sectors requests to work less days, that may bring his gross wage to below the PWM prescribed wage floor. Would the employer then be required to immediately reject this, so that he remains compliant with the PWM?
\t
\tMs Gan Siow Huang: I would say that employers have to pay competitively in order to be able to attract good people to join them and to retain them. For workers who are on FWAs, if their work output and productivity are not affected, actually, there is no basis for employers to reduce their pay.
\tMr Speaker: Minister Tan, you wanted to jump in?
\tThe Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Speaker, I thank the Member of Parliament for his supplementary question. I also wanted to set the context. The PWM was a carefully crafted, sectoral based wage which helps uplift the wages of our low-wage workers. In the implementation, in terms of any form of guidelines, particularly the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, the spirit of the PWM should really lead the entire thinking behind this.
FWAs do not equate just as flexi-time. It could be flexi-load. Flexi-time is one other aspect, and there is flexi-place. Hence, in terms of the Tripartite Guidelines, it embodies a spirit of collaboration. It has taken into account the underlying basis of tripartism and how we work with all of our tripartite partners to come to a very nuanced approach.
We are moving into newer waters. I would seek and appeal to the understanding, the support and also the patience of all of us together as one united society, to come together to make this work for the betterment of all of our future generations of workers.
Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Introduction of Government Bills. Second Minister for Finance.
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The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Communications and Information, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time\".
Sir, the Cybersecurity Act was enacted in 2018. At that time, we explained that the Act had three key objectives.
First, to strengthen the protection of Singapore's Critical Information Infrastructure, or CIIs, against cyber-attacks. Our CIIs are core computer systems that, if disrupted, could affect our national security and survival and were thus important to secure first. Second, to authorise the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, or CSA, to lead in the prevention and response to cybersecurity threats and incidents. And third, to establish a licensing framework to regulate cybersecurity service providers.
In 2018, we saw that there was a need for stronger regulatory levers to safeguard our national cybersecurity. At that time, we were one of the first jurisdictions in the world to introduce cybersecurity legislation. The Cybersecurity Act has now been in force for six years. The core objectives continue to be relevant today. We have reviewed the Act, learning from our experiences and taking into account changes in technology.
We have made progress and, in certain areas, we lead in cybersecurity. This has allowed us to play a useful role in international efforts to address cybersecurity challenges. For example, Singapore has been chairing the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on Security of and in the Use of Information and Communications Technologies since 2021. The five-year OEWG is the only UN forum for discussions on cybersecurity and norms for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. OEWG is also part of the reason why Minister Josephine Teo cannot be here today. She is currently in the US to participate in and lend her support to OEWG-related discussions, amongst other engagements.
In order to continue to ensure Singapore's cybersecurity, a review and an update to the Act is needed as several aspects of our operating context have changed.
Technology has evolved and, as a result, business models have changed.
Cloud computing, as a service, has become widely available and widely used. Approximately 60% of all businesses in Singapore now use some form of cloud computing technology in their operations. When the Act was first written, it was the norm for CII to be physical systems held on premises and entirely owned or controlled by the CII owner. But the advent of cloud services has challenged this model.
Key benefits of digitalisation are scale and aggregation. Today, it is possible to aggregate and share common digital services and functions across borders to deliver essential services in different countries. This has likewise challenged us to review how we can safeguard the cybersecurity of our essential services.
The cyber threat landscape has also evolved. Malicious actors are increasingly finding new ways to their target, such as through supply chain attacks or starting with adjacent systems. One example Members may be familiar with is the SolarWinds cybersecurity breach in 2020, where a network management software that was widely used by major companies worldwide was compromised. The attacker used the software's regular updates to implant a backdoor and gain a foothold in the networks of organisations that downloaded and installed the malicious update, and then this provided the attacker with privileged access to internal networks.
Our relationship with technology has also evolved. Digital technology is now an integral part of our lives. In Singapore, over 90% of residents now communicate online. Firms use digital technologies intensively. Their technology adoption rate has grown from 74% in 2018 to 94% in 2022. More of us are now online for longer and online for more varied purposes. This means that we are exposed to more cyber risks, as every digital technology we use, every transaction we make and every connection made between computers, is a possible route for attack. The cybersecurity professionals refer to this as an increased \"attack surface\". To cause significant disruption to the way we work and live, those who mean us harm can take down the digital infrastructure we depend on, or the institutions and entities that hold our sensitive information or perform functions of national interest. Hence, when it comes to securing Singapore in cyberspace, regulating the cybersecurity or CIIs is no longer sufficient.
It is vital that we update our cybersecurity laws to continue to stay ahead of the curve.
We are not alone in doing so. Other jurisdictions like Australia, the European Union (EU), Malaysia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have also been grappling with these developments and the ensuing implications on how to do cybersecurity. These jurisdictions have also recently introduced or announced plans to have new cybersecurity legislation to address these same concerns.
Additionally, having had the experience of operationalising the Act and engaging with multiple stakeholders over the last six years, we have received feedback and we have learnt many lessons on how we can better implement and enforce the Act.
In developing the Bill before the House today, CSA has consulted extensively with stakeholders over two years. These included our CII owners, cybersecurity and legal professionals, academic experts, sector regulators, industry players, trade associations and chambers, and members of the public. Stakeholders have generally been supportive of our proposed Bill. They understand the need for stronger cybersecurity regulation and are supportive of the policy objectives of the Bill. Our stakeholders have also provided useful feedback that has helped CSA refine the Bill. I would like to thank all who participated for their feedback and for their suggestions.
The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill seeks to update the Act to address the shifts in the operating context in cybersecurity and strengthen the administration of the Act to address operational challenges CSA has faced.
Mr Speaker, Sir, before I go through the key provisions proposed in the Bill, allow me to explain that I will not disclose in this opening speech, nor in answer to Members' clarifications, any specific real-life examples of the critical systems and entities that we regulate or seek to regulate for cybersecurity. It is not in Singapore's national security interests to do so, as public disclosure of these systems and entities may expose them to more risks. The list of CIIs is not made public. Similarly, systems and entities regulated pursuant to the proposed amendments will also not be made public.
Sir, the Bill seeks to create new regulatory frameworks to keep up with the changes in our operating context.
We will update CII-related provisions. The 2018 Act was developed to regulate CIIs that were physical systems, but new technology and business models have emerged since. Hence, we need to update the Act to allow us to better regulate CIIs so that they continue to be secure and resilient against cyber threats, whatever technology or business model they run on. The Bill will do this in the following ways.
Clause 3(j) extends the meaning of \"computer\" and \"computer system\" in specified portions of the Act to include \"virtual computers\" and \"virtual computer systems\" which, in turn, are defined in new definitions inserted by clause 3(i). Clause 3(j) also introduces provisions setting out what \"ownership\" means in relation to virtual computers or computer systems.
Currently, the Act's definitions of \"computer\" and \"computer system\" are predicated on them being physical computers that are built out of dedicated physical hardware, such as hard disk drives, memory and processor chips. This was suitable in 2018, as CIIs were physical systems. However, given recent technological advancements, it is now possible that a CII could be a virtual computer system.
Our interest is in the computer or computer system that is necessary for the continuous delivery of the essential service, whether it is physical or virtual. However, in the case of a virtual CII, such as in a cloud environment, the underlying physical infrastructure could be shared or easily replace, and, therefore, it would not be sensible or meaningful to regulate the underlying hardware.
The new definitions we are introducing allow us to make it clear that the CII owner is responsible for the cybersecurity of its virtualised CII, and not other parties that supply the underlying physical infrastructure.
Clause 14 seeks to introduce a new Part 3A which will regulate providers of essential services who rely on CII owned by third parties for the continuous delivery of essential services. This will deal with situations where a provider of an essential service could leverage a computer system owned by a third party because it would be more effective or efficient to do so.
For example, hypothetically, a third-party vendor could own, operate and supply a critical Operations Management system that is used by multiple providers of a given essential service. The third-party vendor could have greater expertise operating such a system and is able to do so at a lower cost, due to demand aggregation.
The principal Act did not provide for such business models because it was the norm then for providers of essential services to own and operate their critical systems. Business models may be changing but the fundamental principle remains the same. Providers of essential services must remain responsible for the cybersecurity and cyber resilience of the computer systems relied upon to deliver essential services that they provide. The new Part 3A will ensure that they cannot outsource this responsibility even if they rely on a third party's computer system for the continuous delivery of the essential service.
Under the new Part 3A, the responsibility rests with the provider of essential service. To be clear, CSA does not seek to regulate the owners of these systems under Part 3A, who are the third-party vendors. However, the providers of essential services must ensure that the systems they rely on can meet comparable cybersecurity standards and requirements of a CII through legally binding commitments, such as contracts. Third-party vendors that seek to work with providers of essential services will need to have the necessary expertise and capability to own and operate a CII in a manner that meets the cybersecurity standards we hold a CII to. It is a specialised area and a considered business decision to operate in this space. Members will appreciate that not many businesses will be, nor can be, in this space.
Clause 8 allows CSA to deal with situations where a CII is supporting an essential service from overseas. The Act currently only allows CSA to designate computers or computer systems as CII if the entire or part of the computer or computer system is in Singapore. However, this has also meant that CSA is currently unable to regulate a CII that is wholly located overseas. Clause 8 inserts a new section 7(1)(a) which will allow CSA to designate and regulate such CIIs that are wholly located outside of Singapore, so long as its owner is in Singapore and the computer system would have been designated as a CII under section 7(1) had it been located wholly or partly in Singapore.
We will also be updating CII-related provisions to address the inventiveness of malicious cyber actors.
Under the principal Act, a CII owner is generally only obliged to report cybersecurity incidents relating to the CII, or computers or computer systems that are interconnected with or communicate with the CII. CSA needs such incident reporting so that it can intervene early if necessary and gain better situational awareness so that it can proactively alert other sectors and prevent the spread of similar attacks. Such reports serve to sound the alarm.
As the tactics and techniques of malicious actors evolve to target systems at the periphery or along the supply chains, we must also start placing our alarms at those places. Clause 12 will therefore amend section 14 to require CII owners under Part 3 to additionally report incidents that affect: one, other computers under the owner's control; and two, computers under the control of a supplier that are interconnected with or communicates with the CII.
The former requirement will help us be better prepared should any of our essential services be targeted in the same manner as in the SolarWinds case. The latter requirement will enable us to take proactive steps to protect our CIIs, if CII owners' immediate suppliers are compromised, to pre-empt potential disruptions to our essential services. The requirement to report on incidents affecting immediate suppliers will apply only if the CII is owned by the provider of essential service. This is a practical approach. In situations where a third party owns the CII, the provider of essential service is unlikely to have visibility of the third party's suppliers to be able to report any incident to CSA.
We will also expand the Act to regulate a new type of system called Systems of Temporary Cybersecurity Concern, or STCC, so as to address the evolution of our threat landscape.
Clause 15 inserts a new Part 3B to regulate the cybersecurity of STCCs, which are systems that for a time-limited period, are at high risk of cyber-attacks and if comprised, would have a serious detrimental effect on Singapore's national interests.
The COVID-19 pandemic drove home the importance of being able to secure such systems. During the pandemic, many governments around the world developed temporary systems to support the tracking and distribution of vaccinations and many of these systems were targeted by malicious actors seeking to exploit the urgency of the situation. Should we be faced with another national pandemic, we need to be in the position to secure the systems critical to our crisis response.
Another potential group of STCCs could include systems supporting high-key international events in Singapore, such as the Trump-Kim Summit in 2018, or the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Such international events could be attractive targets for cyber-malicious actors seeking a global stage. The Tokyo Olympics of 2021, for example, was reported to have encountered 450 million cyber-attacks. We need to take the cybersecurity of such events seriously to maintain Singapore's reputation as a safe and reliable place to host such events.
Before the Commissioner of Cybersecurity can designate a system as an STCC, the Commissioner must be satisfied that, for a limited period, the system is at high risk of a cybersecurity threat or incident; and the loss or compromise of the system will have a serious detrimental effect on the national security, defence, foreign relations, economy, public health, public safety, or public order of Singapore. In other words, this is intended to apply to systems that are critical to Singapore.
Given that STCCs are critical systems when they are set up, Part 3B will impose on STCC owners' cybersecurity obligations similar to those for CII owners, where practicable. Part 3B will allow CSA to be proactive in raising the cybersecurity posture of the STCC, depending on the operating context and the time period for which the STCC is needed.
Finally, provisions will be introduced to expand the ambit of the Act to other new entities beyond the current CII regulatory regime.
Clause 16 introduces a new Part 3C, that will allow CSA to regulate entities that could be particularly attractive targets for malicious threat actors because of the disruption of the function they perform, or the disclosure of sensitive information their computer systems contain, will have a significant detrimental effect on Singapore's defence, foreign relations, economy, public health, public safety, or public order. These entities will be referred to as Entities of Special Cybersecurity Interest, or ESCIs.
One example of potential ESCIs could be universities. Universities are popular targets of malicious actors, given their standing in society, the sensitive research they may do, and the data they may possess. For instance, in 2019, the Australian National University detected a database breach, reportedly by a state actor, which resulted in unauthorised access to extensive personal information, including bank records, tax details and passport information of students and staff dating back almost two decades. Senior Australian officials feared that such data could be used to exploit or recruit students and alumni as informants.
Our own universities have also been targets of cyber-attacks in the past. The Ministry of Education and the universities have since taken steps to strengthen their cybersecurity defences. The proposed amendments in this Bill could further strengthen our universities' defences and enable CSA to take stronger action to secure them as well as other entities of special cybersecurity interest if they are designated.
However, the specific list of entities designated as ESCIs should not be disclosed publicly. This is to avoid inadvertently advertising these entities as worthy targets to malicious actors.
CSA will be able to issue or approve cybersecurity standards of performance and codes of practice to stipulate the cybersecurity measures ESCIs should have in place. ESCIs will be required to report prescribed cybersecurity incidents that result in a breach of the availability, confidentiality, or integrity of the entities' data, or have a significant impact on the business operations of the entities. CSA will also be empowered to issue written directions to ESCIs, if necessary or expedient, for ensuring the cybersecurity of the ESCIs or the effective administration of the Act.
The obligations we impose on ESCIs will be moderated when compared to those imposed on CIIs or STCCs, in recognition that the impact on our national interest resulting from cyber-attacks on ESCIs may not be as severe compared to the impact from cyber-attacks on CIIs or STCCs. This ensures that regulatory obligations are commensurate with the cybersecurity risks posed.
Clause 17 introduces a new Part 3D, to cover the last new category of entities that CSA proposes to regulate for cybersecurity – providers of Foundational Digital Infrastructure service, or FDI service. Our ability to operate normally and to enable citizens to meet their day-to-day needs has become increasingly dependent on the good functioning of the digital infrastructure that powers our digital economy. The more foundational the digital infrastructure is to systems central to our work and lives, the more attractive it is to malicious actors. Infrastructural vulnerabilities can be exploited to compromise many systems and can cause widespread disruption.
The new Part 3D will allow CSA to regulate major providers of FDI service for cybersecurity. This refers to entities that serve a large number of businesses or organisations. This reflects our interest in securing ourselves against the risk of widespread disruption or deterioration of activities that rely on or are enabled by the FDI service. This also means that smaller players, who are more sensitive to regulatory costs, will not be regulated.
These major providers must be providers of FDI services specified in the new Third Schedule, which will be introduced by clause 30. The digital world moves quickly, so our approach must allow for quick adaptation and agility. For a start, the Third Schedule will cover cloud computing services and data centre facility services as they are crucial to the functioning of a wide array of digital services that enterprises and consumers use daily. As new types of digital infrastructure grow in importance to our needs, they can be added to the new Third Schedule.
CSA will be able to issue or approve standards of performance and codes of practice to stipulate to the major FDI providers that have been designated, the expected cybersecurity practices that should be in place. These providers will also be required to report prescribed cybersecurity incidents that: one, result in a disruption or degradation of the designated provider's FDI service in Singapore; or two, have a significant impact on the major FDI service provider's business operations in Singapore. Recognising that major FDI service providers provide services to clients across sectors and often across borders, CSA has been consulting closely with industry and sector leads to develop inter-operable standards, codes and operating parameters. We are mindful about compliance costs for these major providers and are committed to keeping them reasonable.
The same appeal avenues available to those designated as CII owners under the Act today will be extended to providers of essential services under Part 3A, STCC owners, ESCI and major FDI service providers that CSA designates. For example, any entity that receives a designation notice may appeal against the designation and regulated entities can appeal CSA's decisions, orders and directions as well. This is encapsulated in the new section 35B introduced by clause 19.
The proposed stop in the Bill is targeted and affects only providers of essential services, owners of STCCs, ESCIs and major FDI providers. There are a known and finite set, and CSA has been and will be working closely with them. The Bill does not impose cybersecurity obligations on the larger business community.
We will also enhance the Act to strengthen the administration of the Act. To improve CSA's ability to enforce the Act against recalcitrant CII owners regulated under Part 3 of the Act, clause 13(b) will amend section 15(4) to empower CSA to inspect the CII if it appears to the Commissioner that the CII owner has not complied with its obligations or has provided information requested under section 10 of the Act that is false, misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete. This is because wilful non-compliance by CII owners could jeopardise our national security and survival.
Currently, Part 5 of the Act regulates persons who provide licensable cybersecurity services. Clause 18 will provide monitoring powers for licensing officers, for the purposes of executing Part 5. In the absence of such powers, CSA could face difficulties in seeking information from uncooperative licensed cybersecurity service providers to verify their compliance with the conditions of their licences. The new provisions will give CSA powers of entry and inspection, and to require the production of records, accounts and documents from licensed cybersecurity service providers. Non-compliance with such requirements without reasonable excuse will be a criminal offence.
While we seek to strengthen CSA's ability to act and enforce the law as the national cybersecurity authority, we recognise that there are criminals looking to exploit this authority through impersonation scams. Clause 7 will make it an offence for any person to use CSA's gazetted symbols or representations without the Commissioner's prior written permission.
Clause 22 allows the Commissioner to grant an extension of time to any person required to do any action under relevant parts of the Act, as long as there are good reasons to do so. This was borne out of our experience where there were valid reasons, at times, for regulated entities to not be able to comply with the obligations of the Act under business-as-usual timelines. With this amendment, we will be able to grant time extensions if regulated entities experience extenuating circumstances.
If these proposed amendments are passed, they will expand the range of cybersecurity obligations placed on CII owners under the existing Part 3 and regulate four new classes of systems and entities for cybersecurity, while accounting for the varying degrees of risk posed to Singapore and Singaporeans. Thus, the Bill also recommends a key revision to the penalties that can be imposed for non-compliance.
In the current Act, non-compliance with statutory obligations in relation to CII is to be enforced through criminal penalties. This was appropriate as the measures imposed on CII in the 2018 Act are needed to ensure their cybersecurity and in turn the undisrupted delivery of our essential services. We needed to underscore the gravity if there was any non-compliance.
This Bill before the House today will introduce more obligations on CII owners under the existing Part 3, such as the new reporting requirements relating to peripheral systems, as well as the proposed provisions covering new classes of systems and entities.
With a wider set of proposed obligations, clause 20 gives the Commissioner the flexibility to bring an action in Court for civil penalties with the Public Prosecutor's consent. In making a recommendation to the Public Prosecutor, CSA will consider a range of factors, including the risks created by the non-compliance, egregiousness and facts of the case.
Mr Speaker, Sir, the Bill is a major update to the Cybersecurity Act given the significant shifts in the digital domain. The amendments will allow CSA to: keep pace with developments in technology and business practices; respond to evolving cybersecurity challenges in our cyber threat landscape; extend its regulatory oversight to other important systems and entities and use a risk-based approach to regulating entities for cybersecurity; and administer the Act more effectively.
This Bill will strengthen our cybersecurity, and increase trust in using online services in Singapore in our highly digitalised nation. It is calibrated to address the risks to the nation, our economy and our way of life while balancing compliance costs. In implementing the proposed new laws, our experience with the 2018 Act will serve us well and we will continue to refine our approach in consultation with stakeholders and consider new international best practices as they emerge. With that, Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Sir, the digital revolution has transformed the way we live and do business, enhancing quality of life and creating opportunities for better efficiency and growth. Major sectors such as finance, healthcare and infocomm underwent significant transformations over the past two decades.
In the 2000s, the world saw a surge in internet usage with more than one billion people on the Internet in 2005. This figure doubled in 2010. Over the two decades, technology continues to advance in many ways. Mobile phone penetration also grew rapidly, with 740 million subscriptions worldwide at the beginning of the 2000s and hitting more than eight billion 20 years later. At the same time, with the proliferation of smart phones and wide range of apps, people essentially carry a mini-computer as they move, signifying technology has become more personal and portable. Work has also become remotely possible. We can get things done anywhere anytime.
Advances in cloud computing also changed the way organisations are structured and how global business operations are carried out. Established enterprises have been harnessing cloud technologies to streamline operations, enhance scalability and reduce costs. Many new startups that are \"born in the cloud\" are basically cloud-enabled by design.
These developments demonstrate how technology touches nearly everything we do and how digitally interconnected we are today. So, unlike in the past when transactions and important activities can be physically siloed, systems are now highly interconnected and workers can access work systems, links and files via their smart phones and consumer grade apps, possibly with lower standards of security safeguards. These present many opportunities or larger attacks surface for bad actors to launch cyber-attacks from anywhere in the world, from different angles and with new sophistication. A moment of carelessness can open up the entire network or system to attacks.
As Singapore continues to progress towards digitalisation, there is imperative in ensuring that our capacity, capability and legislation in cybersecurity keep pace with and, where possible, stay ahead of these threats.
Therefore, I fully concur with the three shifts that the Senior Minister of State highlighted in his opening speech earlier and the need to strengthen the Cybersecurity Act accordingly. I also agree in principle with the consequential amendments set out in this Bill.
However, I do have some clarifications that I would like to seek from the Senior Minister of State.
Firstly, this Bill will introduce new requirements for CIIs to also report incidents related to any computer or system under the control of a supplier that is interconnected or communicates with CII to the CII owner. In the Senior Minister of State's speech earlier, he indicated that the CII owner will only need to report incidents involving immediate suppliers. I would like to ask will the Government consider requiring the CII owner to monitor and report incidents for suppliers further down the supply chain in future, depending on the circumstances?
In view of the highly dynamic operating environment and tight manpower situation, how will the CSA ensure that it is not overly onerous on the CII owners? Conversely, with this expanded coverage, will the CSA be able to cope with the expected increase in incident reports? Mandating incident reports as part of enhancing detection is critical, but the ability to act on the issues and risks presented in a timely manner is just as critical. Otherwise, introducing this new requirement to enhance CSA's situational awareness will defeat its purpose.
Second, this Bill also empowers the CSA to designate a computer or system located overseas as a CII and regulate it as CII, if the owner is in Singapore.
As business operations change and cross-border supply of services is now highly prevalent, I agree fully that the CSA must have the ability to have oversight or certain degree of control over critical computers or systems, even if it is located overseas. But if the \"hardware\" is out of our jurisdiction and systems can operate virtually without physical boundaries, how will the CSA work with international entities and networks to enforce this?
Third, coping with the burden of compliance. Compliance is essential but it comes at a significant cost for all entities, government or non-government. This includes establishing frameworks and processes, investing in and implementing systems, ensuring a workforce that is rightly skilled and potentially high opportunity costs due to extended time-to-market. These costs can be exacerbated by the rapidly changing operating and regulatory environment, leading to anticipated revisions in legal and regulatory obligations.
Whilst there is urgency to proactively secure our critical systems, entities must be granted sufficient time for implementation to fully understand the regulations, grasp their obligations, develop strategies and execute necessary measures. Educating new entities that will now be regulated by this Act and existing entities facing new requirements must therefore also go hand-in-hand with the passing of this amendment Bill. How will the CSA and Government calibrate its implementation approach, drive greater awareness and buy-in amongst stakeholders?
In conclusion, I believe this Bill introduces new or enhances existing legal and operational mechanisms to better secure Singapore's critical systems and enhance our overall cybersecurity posture. It also ensures that the CSA has better situational awareness and stays \"on top of things\". But just as importantly, this is a chance for all stakeholders, directly involved or otherwise, to appreciate the dynamics and risks of our operating environment, be vigilant and take proactive steps to keep Singapore cyber secure. I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, the Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill seeks to extend the regulatory reach of the CSA by updating the existing Cybersecurity Act of 2018. This includes the broadening of oversight across newly classified critical information infrastructure and the introduction of stringent compliance and reporting requirements all aimed at addressing the escalating challenges within our digital environment.
In this age of digitalisation, cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure can pose a significant threat to our national security and well-being. Examples of cyber-attacks abound around the world. In December 2015, Ukraine experienced a significant cyber-attack targeting its power grid which resulted in widespread electricity outages across several regions. This was one of the first known successful cyber-attacks on a power grid. The attackers, who are sophisticated and well-coordinated, used phishing schemes to install malware on the networks of several regional electricity companies. They were able to gain control of the companies' systems and shut down the substations, cutting off power for approximately 230,000 people for several hours. This incident not only disrupted everyday life, but also exposed the vulnerability of essential infrastructure to cyber threats and the potential for state-sponsored cyber warfare.
In May 2017 the UK's National Health Service (NHS) was struck by the WannaCry ransomware, a global cyber-attack that infected over 200,000 computers across 150 countries. The NHS faced significant disruption as the ransomware encrypted data on infected machines, demanding payment to restore access. Approximately, 19,000 appointments and operations were cancelled and patients had to be diverted from emergency rooms, which were unable to access critical digital services. The attack highlighted the importance of cybersecurity hygiene as it exploited a known vulnerability in older Windows operating systems that had not been updated with the available patches.
Here at home, in 2018, hackers infiltrated SingHealth healthcare system stealing personal data of 1.5 million patients. This included information like names addresses and dates of birth. Additionally, medical records of 160,000 patients, including that of the Prime Minister were also compromised. The sophistication of the attack, the type of data targeted and the resources needed for such a breach suggested that this cyber-attack may have been state-sponsored.
Each of these incidents served as a stark reminder of the chaos and danger posed by cyber-attacks. They undermined need for robust cybersecurity measures and the ability to rapidly respond to and manage cybersecurity threats, particularly when critical national infrastructure is at risk.
Sir, under this Bill, the CSA is empowered to regulate, monitor and enforce compliance through penalties and directives. I would like to ask the Minister if the Bill grants the CSA or any other national body explicit authority to take over the operations of critical systems if their owners fail to secure them adequately despite directions from the authority.
The current provision in section 23 allows the Minister to direct organisations to take measures to counter serious and imminent threats but does not explicitly grant the authority to directly take over operations of critical information infrastructure. This explicit authority may be necessary in situations where immediate action must be taken to prevent or mitigate a cybersecurity threat that poses a critical risk.
In contrast, the Bus Services Industry Act of 2015 is more explicit in its wording about operational intervention. Section 30 of that Act grants the Land Transport Authority (LTA) the power to make a step-in order in certain circumstances. This order allows LTA to take over the operations of a licensed bus operator or appoint a step-in operator to do so.
The Bus Services Industry Act also specifies the powers and functions of the step-in operator, such as having the same powers as the original licensee and requiring the licensee to provide access to premises, assets and employees. The Cybersecurity Act is less specific about what the emergency measures and requirements may entail.
Incorporating similar provisions in the Cybersecurity Act could provide a clearer legal framework for CSA to directly intervene and take control of CIIs when necessary to protect national security or the lives of Singaporeans. This would ensure that the Government has the necessary tools to respond swiftly and decisively to imminent cybersecurity threats.
In addition, while the CSA's regulatory and enforcement roles are crucial, in instances where national security is at imminent risk, are there any additional protocols for bringing in the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), to manage the cybersecurity defences of CIIs?
Does the Minister see it necessary to develop a framework that enables either CSA or DIS to respond rapidly and directly to imminent threats to our CIIs, ensuring that operational control can be swiftly transferred in a crisis? Having this operational backstop is desirable precisely because cybersecurity attacks have high potential severity and could unfold very quickly.
This will require the strengthening of public-private collaboration to ensure the seamless integration of state and commercial resources in fortifying our national cybersecurity infrastructure. In addition, CSA will need to ensure it has the necessary expertise to undertake such responsibilities when called to do so.
CSA needs to be adequately staffed and equipped with the requisite skills and technology in order to effectively manage and mitigate cybersecurity threats. Such an arrangement will be in the long-run investment in our own capabilities that is worth making, both in defensive terms but also to enable public-private knowledge diffusion.
Next, regarding sections 7(1)(a) and 16(a)(1), how will the Government enforce its extraterritorial judgements on overseas providers of CIIs if the owner is not in Singapore? Can the Commissioner take enforcement action outside of Singapore? If we are not able to enforce the laws overseas, what purpose do these extraterritorial provisions serve?
Finally, in section 29(a) on monitoring, relying primarily on examining historical records and conducting ad hoc examinations may not be sufficient to provide the real-time, continuous monitoring needed to keep pace with rapidly evolving cyber threats. More proactive oversight measures potentially including direct access to provider systems may be required for effective supervision.
WannaCry, the global ransomware attack in 2017, rapidly spread across computer systems over seven hours, while the 2015 Ukraine power grid hack led to electricity outages lasting up to six hours. These are events that unfolded in less than one day. If we really want to monitor with a deterrent view in mind, we need to have operational integration and develop our backstop capabilities.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, while the Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill makes important strides towards enhancing our national cybersecurity posture, our approach must remain adaptable to the realities of digital warfare and capable of decisive action in times of emergencies. Sir, I support the Bill, but I look forward to the Minister's responses to my comments.
Mr Speaker: Mr Sharael Taha.
Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, since its inception in 1993, the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act has undergone several crucial revisions to strengthen our national cybersecurity framework.
Notably, in 2013, the Act was first amended to address the emerging cybersecurity concerns. Further enhancements in 2018 introduced the concept of CII, empowering the Commissioner of Cybersecurity with extensive authority to combat and manage cyber threats. The digital landscape has rapidly evolved over the past five years, emphasising the need for our legal framework to keep pace with these technological advancements. The Bill introduces several key changes.
Firstly, in 2018, the mandatory incident reporting for CII only covers systems under the CII owners' control. The amendments to section 14 will require CII owners to also report incidents targeting computer or computer systems under the control of suppliers to the CII owners.
Secondly, amendments to section 2 updates the definition of \"computer\" beyond that of physical systems to give CSA the flexibility to separate virtual systems from the supporting physical infrastructure. The new section 7(1)(a) allows CSA to designate a computer or computer systems located overseas as a CII. This allows CSA to safeguard our essential services, even when CIIs go into cloud and the assets are not in Singapore.
Thirdly, the amendments to Part (3)(a) ensures providers of essential services remain responsible for ensuring the cybersecurity of the service it provides even if the CII is outsourced to a third-party vendor.
Lastly, the Bill seeks to provide wider cybersecurity assurance for Singapore's critical systems and important non-CII systems through the introduction of designating temporary systems as STCC in Part (3)(b) and designating entities as ESCI in Part (3)(c).
These amendments, Mr Speaker, are all vital in a landscape where cyber threats increasingly exploit the interconnected nature of digital systems and the supply chain. They also address the shift towards cloud computing, where many services are moving away from traditional on-premise models.
The Bill enables CSA to extend its protective measures beyond CIIs, encompassing a wider array of systems and entities under the broader umbrella of the Cybersecurity Act.
While I support this Bill, I seek clarifications on several points, mainly focusing on: one, the challenges to its implementation; two, the balance between security enhancements and the compliance burden on businesses; three, how do we manage other technologies that could pose an opportunity and also an equivalent cyber threat, such as the use of deep learning, machine learning and AI within CIIs?
Allow me to elaborate on my first point on challenges to implementation. By expanding the ambit of the Cybersecurity Act from just on-premise CII to CII and systems under the control of suppliers, essential services on cloud – even when it is offshore – and also to include STCC and ESCI, the scope of work for CSA will increase multiple-fold. Will CSA be adequately resourced to manage and implement this, given that a lot of the work requires detailed discussions and working arrangements together with the CIIs?
The requirements for suppliers to report cybersecurity incidents also raise several questions. What type of incidents must be reported and what constitutes sufficient severity? If a breach occurs in a system used by multiple customers, including CIIs, such as a cloud-based ERP system used by a CII like SAP S/4HANA, does the provider need to report breaches for instances outside of Singapore? And considering the complex dynamics and varying bargaining powers between computer vendors and CIIs, can we ensure adequate compliance? Which brings me to my second point.
The broadened reporting obligations could also impose a substantial compliance burden on CIIs, STCCs and ESCIs. The potential for increased costs and the challenge of securing legally-binding commitment from powerful computer vendors must be addressed. How can we strike a balance that ensures robust cybersecurity without overwhelming businesses with regulatory demands?
On my third point, given that these amendments are made to allow CSA to better secure Singapore's most critical systems in light of recent technological advancements, what is the Ministry's principal approach on the use of machine learning, deep learning and generative AI for CII owners? It is not unthinkable that, given the large amounts of data generated and consumed by CII owners, CII owners may have already begun to explore the use of machine learning and deep learning to optimise their processes. How do we ensure that this does not create or open up a potential cybersecurity threat for CIIs?
In conclusion, as the digital environment continues to evolve, the need to fortify our cybersecurity measures become increasingly critical. This Bill is a step forward towards safeguarding Singapore's cyberspace by updating our legal framework to address contemporary challenges. It aims not only to protect our most critical systems, but also to secure a wider spectrum of digital infrastructure and services. Notwithstanding the clarifications above, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Mark Lee.
Mr Mark Lee (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, as a highly digitised nation, Singapore's ability to function effectively has become increasingly dependent on the seamless and secure operation of our digital infrastructure.
The cyber-attack on SingHealth in 2018, which compromised the personal data of 1.5 million patients, serves as a reminder of the severe consequences a cyber breach can have on our nation's well-being and public trust. More recently, the personal information of parents and staff of 127 schools was accessed due to a data breach linked to a device management app installed on personal learning devices used by students.
Based on the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) National Business Survey 2023-2024, cybersecurity concerns, including increase in cyber-attacks, were a top trend that businesses expect to impact them in the next 12 months.
Globally, the World Economic Forum estimates that cyber crimes cost the world economy over US$1 trillion in 2020 alone, underscoring the pressing need for robust cybersecurity measures. In this context, the Government's proactive review of the Cybersecurity Act is a welcome one, which will keep pace with our evolving cyber threat landscape and business environment. However, Singapore businesses have some concerns about the potential impact of these proposed amendments.
First, we seek clarity on the criteria and processes involved in designating entities as FDIs, ESCIs and STCCs. How will businesses be informed about their designation and what is the redress process for companies to review and appeal these designations? This is crucial for businesses to understand their obligations and plan accordingly, as additional processes and resources will have to be committed to comply with the responsibilities of designated entities.
Second, considering the provisions under the Bill's Part 3(c), which detail the designation of ESCI, there is a need for clearer definitions. Many companies in Singapore operate computers that store sensitive information and could potentially fall under the broad criteria for ESCI designation.
This includes concerns about what constitutes sensitive information and what level of disruption might be deemed to significantly impact aspects, such as Singapore's defence, foreign relations, economy, public health, public safety or public order. Given that the list of designated ESCIs will not be published, businesses could be left without clear benchmarks, potentially leading to unease about being designated as an ESCI. It is crucial, therefore, that we refine our definitions and guidelines concerning these designations to prevent undue worry.
Third, while recognising the importance of enhancing cybersecurity, we must also acknowledge the additional compliance burden these new regulations will impose on our CIIs and designated entities. We urge the Government to work closely with businesses to operationalise the incident reporting requirements in a streamlined and cost-effective manner.
Fourth, the Bill does not cover standards for mandatory incident reporting or new duties on CII operators. We should ensure that these standards are developed together with industries before implementation.
Fifth, I would like to clarify if the Bill's intent is to cover personal information only and seek clarification whether the scope of the Bill will be expanded to cover other types of confidential business information?
Lastly, we would like to understand how the proposed monitoring powers for the Commissioner and Licensing Officers will be exercised and what safeguards will be put in place to prevent any misuse or abuse of these powers? While acknowledging the need for regulatory oversight, we must ensure that these monitoring activities do not impede business operations or compromise sensitive data and trade secrets.
In the next part of my speech, I would like to turn to the pressing issue of cybersecurity within our small and medium enterprises (SMEs). According to a 2020 survey by the CSA, only 34% of Singapore SMEs had implemented cybersecurity measures, leaving the majority vulnerable to cyber threats. The survey also revealed that 35% of SMEs experienced at least one cyber incident in the past year, with ransomware and phishing attacks being the most common. These findings highlight that SMEs are particularly vulnerable and that there is an urgent need to help SMEs strengthen their cybersecurity readiness, as they may lack the resources and expertise to do so effectively.
As the amended Cybersecurity Bill comes into effect, businesses, especially SMEs, along the value chain will need to develop resources and capabilities to report incidents while managing their operations effectively, promptly and accurately. We therefore encourage the Government to look into providing funding for qualified SMEs to beef up their cybersecurity posture and capabilities. There is also scope to look into how trade associations and chambers (TACs) can collaborate with SkillsFuture Singapore to encourage and incentivise businesses to equip their employees with basic cybersecurity knowledge.
At the individual level, our Government can also encourage mid-career workers to use the recent top-up in SkillsFuture credits to receive training on cybersecurity to ease the talent crunch in the cybersecurity domain.
In January this year, during the \"Inclusive and Safe Digital Society\" Motion, I spoke in Parliament highlighting in addition to capability building, SMEs also need actual and urgent support in the event of a cybersecurity attack. While time is of the essence in mitigating the impact of such incidents, many SMEs find themselves at a loss with no clear response strategy in such situations. We propose that in addition to the structured reporting framework for incidents, which will be covered by the amended Bill, the Government could also look into structuring centralised support or pooled services for SMEs to turn to for incident response and advisory services.
In conclusion, Singapore's success as a trusted and secure digital hub hinge on our ability to strike a delicate balance between robust cybersecurity measures and operational efficiency for businesses. It is therefore essential for the Government to foster the correct perception of incident reporting from one of compliance and potential fault-finding to a supportive process that provides real assistance. As we have discussed today, the vulnerability of businesses, especially SMEs, to cyber threats, coupled with their often-limited resources, highlights the critical need for a change in approach.
Incident reporting should be seen as a partnership opportunity between the Government and businesses, where each report triggers not just a compliance check but a supportive mechanism to help businesses address and recover from cybersecurity issues responsibly and effectively.
Sir, by providing this assistance, we will reinforce a culture of security and resilience rather than one of penalty and fear. This strategic shift will ensure that responsible businesses and SMEs, view engaging with cybersecurity frameworks not only as a regulatory requirement but as a valuable resource for enhancing their security posture and ensuring their continued prosperity in our digital economy. Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding my clarifications, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Speaker, Sir, today, as we deliberate the critical amendments to the Cybersecurity (Amendment) Act, it is imperative that we recognise the pressing need to fortify our nation's defences against the ever-evolving threats that loom over our Critical Information Infrastructure, or CII for short.
Based on World Bank's statistics, our most recent Internet penetration rate is at 96% in Singapore, as compared to 66.2% average worldwide. Our businesses are also even more interconnected worldwide with data transfers occurring at a click of a button. At the user front, we, of course, have well-known issues of scams and hacking threats and at a wider infrastructure level, there is even greater vulnerability.
Our CIIs are inherently vulnerable and that renders them susceptible to a myriad of cyber threats. Imagine, if you will, the intricate web of interconnected systems that underpin our essential services sector, from energy, water, banking and finance, to healthcare, transport, infocomm, media, security and emergency services and, of course, here, Government.
Envision the catastrophic consequences that could ensue if these systems fall prey to malicious actors. Consider, for instance, the potential ramifications of a cyber-attack targeting our energy grid.
With our reliance on electricity pervading every aspect of our lives, including right here in this Chamber, from powering our homes to fuelling our industries, the disruption that would be wrought by such an attack would be nothing short of devastating for our economy. We need only to look at history for precedents.
With cyber-attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine that various Members have raised and elsewhere, serving as stark reminders of the vulnerabilities that plague our interconnected world today. Likewise, our financial institutions stand as prime targets for cyber criminals, seeking to wreak havoc on our economy. With the click of a mouse, hackers can infiltrate banking systems, syphoning funds and destabilising markets with alarming ease.
The recent spate of ransomware attacks targeting financial institutions worldwide serve as a sobering testament to the gravity of this threat, with billions of dollars at stake and the livelihoods of countless individuals hanging in the balance. But perhaps most concerning of all of this is the potential for cyber-attacks to compromise our healthcare infrastructure.
In an era defined by a global pandemic, our healthcare systems have become more vulnerable than ever to malicious actors seeking to exploit weaknesses for their own gain. From ransomware attacks crippling hospital operations, to the theft of sensitive patient data, the stakes could not be higher when it comes to protecting our healthcare CIIs.
These examples merely scratch the surface of the myriad of threats facing our CIIs. From transportation systems to Government agencies, no sector is immune to the perils of cyber warfare. As we stand on the parapets of a digital age defined by unprecedented connectivity and innovation, the time is now for us to take decisive action to safeguard our nation's future.
These amendments are much needed. Since the introduction of the Cybersecurity Act, the CSA has had time to operationalise and learn and continue to evolve its methods to prevent attacks on our CIIs. And so, with this hindsight, we are able to come before this House to debate the amendments that are before us.
Much of what we are experiencing right now is related to how cloud computing has revolutionised the way organisations operate and is a key driver for digital transformation, bringing with it scalability, flexibility and, of course, cost savings, the most important factors for businesses today.
But a recent study by the Crowd Research Centre, with over 250,000 members on the information security community on LinkedIn and leading cloud security vendors, showed that 90% of companies and organisations are worried about cloud security. For many users, even individuals like ourselves, the ease of access to the cloud makes security challenges even more stark.
Information and data is widely available and, of course, vulnerable. Behind all of this is an alphabet soup of GDPR, HIPAA, PCI, DSS, PKI, DNS, HMSs – many of which the end user is unaware of and perhaps does not even understand. But all these are critical to help to keep our data safe.
So, while the amendments before us today largely require CII organisations to ensure compliance, it is also imperative that we educate end users on the importance of data security.
Secondly, it is also important that even non-CII companies are up-to-date in their data and cybersecurity measures, as each organisation today holds a significant amount of customer data, which may cause widespread damage if lost to malicious actors.
The Bill, as it is read, is also not specific at the moment on how the monitoring of CIIs will be done, which may cause companies to under-report for fear of revealing trade secrets or expertise. It will also be helpful for CSA to assist in creating a clear and standardised reporting structure that all companies, including CIIs, can adhere to.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, the proposed amendments to the Cybersecurity Act represent a pivotal opportunity for us to strengthen our defences against the looming spectre of cyber threats. By bolstering accountability, expanding regulatory frameworks and empowering our CSA, we can pave the way for a safer, more secure future for generations to come. Therefore, Mr Speaker, I support the amendments to the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Jane See.
Ms See Jinli Jean (Nominated Member): Global communications firm Edelman's Trust Barometer survey in 2023 recorded Singapore respondents as having higher trust in Singapore institutions, particularly the Government as an institution. Nonetheless, the same survey revealed respondents' worries of harm by hackers and/or technology. The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill is thus timely. The Bill holds businesses responsible and accountable to cybersecurity and cyber resilience, especially when the rush to embrace AI and new technologies exposes businesses to new risks.
Owners of CII, such as water, electricity and banking services, are required by the Bill to be responsible for the cybersecurity and cyber resilience of their systems. CII owners must also be prepared to report more types of cybersecurity incidents, including those that happen in their supply chains.
As the requirements appear to only hold CII owners responsible downstream, the Government could also consider articulating efforts upstream, to strengthen trust between the public and CII owners, especially when CII owners race ahead in AI and technology frontiers. Dr Gillian Koh, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies pointed out the trust gap in her response to media outlet TODAY Online's coverage of the Edelman survey. I quote, \"Unless you are younger, more tech-savvy, interested in innovation and have a positive outlook on science and technology, the mass base of people feel threatened by that sort of change.\"
The Bill is in the right direction and can be reinforced by measures that boost CII owners' accountability and transparency to the public. I thus seek the Government's consideration of these measures.
First, the Government could make explicit CII owners' duty to the public. In this regard, the Government could consider requiring CII owners to allocate a reasonable share of expenditure to continual strengthening of cybersecurity and cyber resilience. Such guardrail would raise the public's confidence that CII owners would balance profit motivation and public interest.
Second, the Government could reinforce existing alliances and establish new alliances for cooperation in cybersecurity. This could be at three levels.
One, at the inter-governmental level because security threats can span borders. The ASEAN cybersecurity cooperation strategy is a progressive approach.
Two, at the technology-producer level, because cyber resilience must guide technology product development from the outset. This would reinforce technology producers' duty to buyers that include CIIs as well as end-users like the public.
Three, at the firm level, because regular information sharing between the Government and firms must be part of the efforts to counter cyber threats. Such public-private cooperation could be facilitated by proactive knowledge sharing and innovative collaboration. Allow me to elaborate.
First, proactive public-private knowledge sharing. The Government could stress-test CIIs' systems. Insights gleaned from stress tests could be shared with other CIIs, Institutes of Higher Learning and through public reports. This would set in motion a virtuous cycle for continual uplift in worker training as well as job and research programmes.
Second, innovative public-private collaboration. Innovative public-private collaboration could be modelled after the Singapore Police Force's collaboration with various banks to stem scams. Officers from these banks' anti-scam teams are stationed at the Police Anti-Scam Centre and work quickly and closely with the Police to curb scams.
To conclude, these measures of accountability and transparency would communicate that CII owners, together with the Government and core stakeholders, are active in safeguarding public interest against cyber threats. More important, these measures would reinforce the trust among the public, CII owners and the Government that is core to the Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Bill, which seeks to update the Cybersecurity Act to keep pace with the developments in our cyber threat landscape and allow CSA to better secure our cyberspace and safeguard our digital way of life. However, I have some questions and suggestions.
Sir, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, e-commerce scams have become one of the top scam types in Singapore. In 2021, there were more than 2,700 cases reported, with about $5.8 million in losses. The number of e-commerce scams more than tripled to 9,783 in 2023, with close to $14 million in reported losses by victims.
The rise in e-commerce scams comes despite concerted efforts put in place over the years by various Government agencies to combat this crime. For example, the Singapore Police Force's Anti-Scam Command was established in 2022 to consolidate expertise and resources to combat scams. Shortly after, the Online Criminal Harms Act was passed in July 2023, setting out ex-ante requirements that online platforms must adopt to better protect their consumers. The Act also allows authorities to order the swift blocking of fraudulent accounts or content, to protect other users from falling victim to scams.
The fact that we are still seeing a rise in e-commerce scams shows that criminals online have the resources to update their scam toolkit to stay ahead of law enforcement in conducting their criminal activities. And this is a real concern.
According to the annual complaint statistics by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), the number of consumer complaints relating to e-commerce transactions has been rising year on year. From 2019 to 2020, the number of e-commerce complaints almost doubled from 2,236 to 4,366. This was followed by an increase of about 14.7% from 2021 to 2022, and another spike of 47% in 2023. This trend reflects the change in consumer purchasing behaviour. We now live increasingly digital lives and it is now the norm to work, shop and play online. We must, therefore, better protect consumers in the digital space.
Sir, the Bill proposes to require companies that provide digital infrastructure services that are foundational to our way of life, such as cloud service providers and data centres, to shoulder responsibility for the cybersecurity readiness of such digital infrastructure. Obligations include adhering to cybersecurity codes and standards of practice, as well as reporting prescribed cybersecurity incidents to CSA. I fully support this.
Data centres are a prime target for malicious actors because of the sheer disruption it could cause. According to a 2023 article on CIO World Asia, a cybersecurity breach at data centres can affect major cloud service providers and the customers who use their services. Such an attack can interfere with CIIs, impact our digital society and cause serious consequences.
I would like to ask if the Ministry could share details about the incident reporting parameters and cybersecurity codes of practice or standards for foundational digital infrastructure. Does CSA intend to adopt any international standards to reduce compliance costs to businesses, which would invariably pass such costs to consumers?
In securing our digital infrastructure, we must strike a right balance between cybersecurity requirements and the impact that these requirements have on the usability of our IT systems. Many organisations today incorporate the notion of an air gap in their computer systems, as part of their cybersecurity measures. Air gaps isolate critical systems from unsecured networks, like the Internet, to prevent unauthorised access.
However, such cybersecurity controls will sit at odds with the usability of the IT systems. The greater the control, the less usable the system would be from the user's perspective. Even air gaps are vulnerable to penetration, as it gives users a false sense of security. In fact, a quick online search will reveal many examples of data exfiltration techniques designed to penetrate air-gapped systems.
According to some cybersecurity experts, malicious actors are also increasingly relying on the age-old method of using USB devices infected with malware to attack air-gapped systems, such as operational technology networks.
Without compromising on our cybersecurity measures, I would like to ask how CSA intends to protect our CIIs from such security vulnerabilities while ensuring that cybersecurity requirements are not overly onerous to the point where workers and users find our IT systems unusable.
Sir, it is vital that we protect our critical operational technology (ops-tech) systems from malware and bad actors, as these can have huge ramifications on society. Imagine if a malicious actor messes with the ability of our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train doors to open and shut; worse still, if a cyber-attack on our power grid causes a nationwide blackout.
Such attacks on key ops-tech systems have happened. In the United States, the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021 resulted in a widespread fuel shortage across the entire country. Any successful attack on our ops-tech systems would, without doubt, result in a significant loss of public confidence in our key public infrastructure.
However, the penetration of such systems can be extremely hard to detect. A malicious actor may test its malware by repeatedly causing nuisance, for example, by constantly creating door faults on an MRT train. Today, we would more than likely treat it as a technical issue, possibly checking that all the electrical wiring and sensors for the MRT doors are in order. But what if it was caused by malware? When, if ever, would we realise something like this has occurred? Could the persistent issues faced by our banks and telecommunications companies, pertaining to their reported service outages in recent weeks and months, have been a cyber-attack on their ops-tech systems?
Sir, my point is this: are our agencies geared to view occasional technical glitches with a cybersecurity lens? I hope that CSA could look into this and build up the necessary capabilities to address these threats.
Sir, we are living in an era where there is a greater surface area for cyber-attacks to happen. While remote and flexible work arrangements are a boon to workers, it does create additional cybersecurity penetration points for malicious actors.
The proposed changes in the Bill will help to expand the toolkits in the Cybersecurity Act to allow CSA to keep pace with cyber malicious actors and help secure our digital landscape. Even as we impose more security requirements, we must have a care on the impact that it has on the usability of our IT systems, particularly for those working in our CIIs. We must also build up our capabilities to investigate operational technology faults with a cybersecurity lens. Sir, with that, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Razwana Begum.
Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill 2024. The Cybersecurity Act was enacted in 2018 and established a legal framework for the oversight and maintenance of national cybersecurity in Singapore.
Mr Speaker, since 2018, the digital landscape in Singapore and across the globe has evolved at an unprecedented pace. Businesses are increasingly reliant on digital technology, including cloud-based systems, and cyber threats are becoming more frequent, more sophisticated and of increasing risk to critical industry and infrastructure.
The proposals contained in this Bill will enable us to better keep pace with these changes and will enhance our ability to protect critical infrastructure, strengthen oversight of cybersecurity practices and promote closer collaboration between the public and private sector.
Mr Speaker, the proposed amendments will place additional obligations on providers of CIIs to meet prescribed technical and safety standards with respect to data storage and continuity of service. These obligations will apply to all owner-operated and third party-operated providers, both here and overseas.
The amendments will also introduce additional obligations on providers of CII services to report potential and actual cyber threats, including those that may pose a risk to continuity of service, and will enhance the powers of the Commissioner of Cybersecurity to act against irresponsible providers or those who fail to meet the new obligations.
Both of these proposed amendments are sensible and will enhance our ability to protect ongoing service delivery of CII in Singapore, regardless of whether the provider of that service is locally based or overseas.
Mr Speaker, this Bill also introduces three new classes of regulated entities, in addition to CIIs. These are ESCIs, FDIs and STCCs. By broadening the scope of entities, we are better placed to monitor and protect the provision of important or essential services and to reduce potential threats to these services.
Mr Speaker, I would now like to seek clarification about several issues raised by the Bill. Before I do so, I should declare that I work in a university – Singapore University of Social Sciences.
First, has the Ministry taken into account the capacity of service providers to meet the new obligations? Mr Speaker, it may take time for providers to become aware of the changes, understand the changes and the impact they may have on their businesses and then take the necessary steps to ensure compliance.
There may also be technical challenges and financial implications for some providers. It may be useful for the Ministry to undertake an engagement campaign, alerting providers to the new obligations and offering technical, practical and financial support or advice as needed. It is important that providers move towards full compliance as soon as possible, yet do not jeopardise their business operations in the process or introduce new systems that are unknowingly non-compliant.
It may also assist if the Ministry were to strengthen the existing Cybersecurity Agency toolkit to include a how-to guide that outlines in simple terms what needs to be done and where to obtain further support or advice. Such a guide could also contain information about reporting obligations, including examples of what constitutes a reportable cybersecurity incident and how to report such incidents.
Mr Speaker, I should note that CSA has indicated that regulatory requirements for both ESCIs and FDIs will be light touch. This approach recognises that while these entities are important, they do not carry the same level of risk as CII providers.
While the intention behind these measures is sensible, I am, however, concerned about the ambiguity of terms, such as \"sensitive information\" and \"function of national interest\". Without clear and objective definitions, there is a risk of subjectivity in designating entities as ESCIs. This could lead to inconsistencies in regulatory decisions and create uncertainty for businesses operating in Singapore.
There is also a need to strike a balance between regulatory oversight and fostering innovation in research and development in the digital sphere. While safeguarding critical infrastructure and sensitive data is paramount, overly burdensome regulations may stifle the very innovation Singapore relies on. It is, therefore, important that we remain vigilant to the need to protect our society and economy from cybersecurity threats without hindering the growth and development of the digital economy.
Mr Speaker, this Bill stipulates an Enhanced Incident Reporting Regime beyond those CII systems under the direct control of owners or service providers. I understand that CSA provides a security bulletin based on the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) National Vulnerability Database (NVD). I also understand that the Infocomm Media Development Authority encourages researchers to submit vulnerability reports.
I would welcome advice about whether the Ministry intends to further strengthen this sharing of information with related entities and the general public by promoting the development of a robust vulnerability database contextualised to Singapore.
A local publicly accessible vulnerability database would assist providers in Singapore to report threats that they become aware of and keep up to date on other threats that may impact on their security and service delivery.
Mr Speaker, this Bill also proposes to hold cloud-based service providers accountable for the security of the digital infrastructure they manage. This is sensible and will add another layer of protection of critical personal and commercial information.
I would, however, welcome advice on how the Ministry intends to enforce this obligation. Many cloud-based service providers are based overseas, outside of Singapore's jurisdiction.
Mr Speaker, my final comments relate to the proposal to enhance cybersecurity collaboration between the public and private sectors. Again, this is a sensible proposal. However, I would welcome advice about what strategies are in place to enable such collaboration without compromising the confidentiality and proprietary interests of businesses and agencies, and without imposing a financial or practical burden on businesses.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, the Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill is essential for Singapore's future. By updating our cybersecurity laws, we can better protect our critical infrastructure, enhance oversight of cybersecurity practices and promote collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The Minister has rightly emphasised that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. It requires the active participation of all sectors of society, from the Government to businesses to individuals. That is why transparency, clear communication and a commitment to getting the details right are so crucial.
By updating and strengthening our cybersecurity framework, we can better defend Singapore against cyber-attacks and ensure the resilience of our nation in the digital age. This Bill is a testament to Singapore's forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity and its commitment to the safety and prosperity of our people. Mr Speaker, clarifications notwithstanding, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.25 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.03 pm until 3.25 pm.
Sitting resumed at 3.25 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
CYBERSECURITY (AMENDMENT) BILL
[(proc text) Debate resumed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): With rapid and widespread digitalisation changing how almost every sector operates, from logistics to utilities, healthcare to finance, we see unprecedented opportunities for growth, innovation and progress. However, such hyperconnectivity also exposes us to pervasive and malicious cyber threats.
In 2018, we laid the foundations to safeguard Singapore's cyberspace and protect Singaporeans online with the Cybersecurity Act. A year later, in 2019, digital defence was introduced as the sixth pillar of Total Defence.
Following up on these, the amendments in this Bill will update and boost current provisions, while expanding oversight by CSA to include Systems of Temporary Cybersecurity Concern and newly created ESCIs and FDI.
The changes will strengthen the Government's regulatory powers to ensure that these vital services remain operational and resilient in the face of unrelenting and increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks.
For the public consultation on this Bill, there were queries about whether it would be feasible for the Commissioner to require Providers of Essential Services (PES) to cease the use of an outsourced CII in the event the PES is not able to secure a legally binding commitment, given that this may potentially disrupt the delivery of essential services. The CSA's response is that it would proceed to do so if it has ascertained that the PES is unable to meet its obligations. I would like to ask what happens if there are very limited or no comparable alternative solutions? This could be due to the highly technical or monopolistic nature of a particular sector.
Regarding the proposed amendments to allow the authorities to designate computer systems of temporary cybersecurity concern due to certain events or situations, would the Ministry share more details about this?
As Singapore is a global hub for key events all year round, it is important to ensure high cybersecurity standards to retain the trust of visitors and investors. Would these powers be applicable to and do the authorities intend to extend these powers to all ancillary or supporting infrastructure, including hotels and event venues, for high-profile or high-level events held in Singapore?
As we work to attract more business and activities to Singapore, we must also stay cognisant of business costs that come with shoring up our cyber defences. I support the proposed lighter-touch regulatory regime for ESCI and FDI, which will help to strike a balance between increased compliance costs and high standards of practice. Would the Ministry consider the possibility of industry-wide initiatives that can be rolled out alongside any grants or subsidies, to better support companies in this respect? Madam, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: As we work to attract more business and activities to Singapore, we must also stay cognisant of business costs that may come with shoring up our cyber defences. I support the proposed lighter-touch regulatory regime for ESCI and FDI, which will help to strike a balance between increased compliance costs and high standards of practice. Would the Ministry consider the possibility of industry-wide initiatives – that can be rolled out alongside any grants or subsidies – to better support companies in this respect?
(In English): Madam, in closing, I would like to express my support for the Bill. Let us stand united together in defence of our nation's digital sphere and ensure a safer, more secure future for generations to come.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Neil Parekh.
Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant (Nominated Member): Mdm Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join this debate on a topic which is of utmost importance for all of us and especially for the business and financial community.
In March this year, a chamber of commerce in Singapore held a fireside chat with a leading expert on cybersecurity who summarised the threats and challenges for cybersecurity with these words: \"The bad guys are here to stay.\"
Simple words, but somewhat scary and that is why this Bill before the House is most timely as not a day passes by in Singapore or any part of the world without a cybersecurity-related event taking place. Hon Members who spoke before me discussed the need for the various amendments which have been proposed in this amended legislation.
The proposed Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill represents a significant step forward in enhancing Singapore's digital resilience. Among its key features, the Bill empowers the Commissioner of Cybersecurity with the authority to conduct on-site inspections and broadens the scope of incidents that must be reported. Importantly, it extends the definition of CII to include \"non-provider-owned CII\", therefore holding third-party vendors accountable when they manage essential services.
Additionally, the Bill introduces new regulated categories, such as STCC and ESCI, to address emerging threats and evolving operational risks. Through these measures, the Bill seeks to bolster our cybersecurity framework, ensuring that we stay ahead of sophisticated and rapidly evolving digital threats.
With a focus on opportunities for businesses, the amendments provide for market expansion in cybersecurity services, where businesses in the cybersecurity sector can expand their offerings to include services tailored to the new categories, like foundational digital infrastructure and digital service providers.
There are also avenues for innovation and product development, leading to new patents, intellectual property and leadership in niche markets. The increased demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals, will provide more avenues for training and workforce development.
This amendment also creates an opportunity for the insurance industry to develop new products and services around cybersecurity insurance, which could become more prevalent and necessary as businesses seek to mitigate the increased risks associated with the new stringent compliance requirements.
However, these expanded definitions and updated requirements are likely to increase the regulatory burden on businesses and require companies to invest in new technologies. For smaller businesses, these increased costs may be prohibitive, potentially leading to competitive disadvantages or even business closures if they cannot afford to comply.
There are also data privacy concerns.
With the broadened scope of what constitutes sensitive digital infrastructure, businesses must handle an increased volume of sensitive data – raising data privacy and security concerns. Mismanagement of data, or failures to adequately protect data, can lead to breaches, legal penalties and loss of consumer trust, all of which can have significant financial repercussions.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, I am most concerned about the impact of the legislative changes on the SMEs as they make up the backbone of our economy. We do not want regulatory compliance to unfairly favour established companies. SMEs may find it particularly challenging to meet the new requirements due to limited budgets and cybersecurity expertise. If they fail to comply, SMEs might face penalties or be forced out of certain markets, reducing the diversity of the business ecosystem and possibly leading to consolidation in certain industries, which could stifle innovation and competition.
Also, the stringent requirements for entities of special cybersecurity interest could act as a barrier to entry for new startups in critical sectors. Meeting these high standards from the outset could be daunting and financially taxing for new market entrants.
I have a few clarifications which I wish to raise with the Senior Minister of State.
Businesses would like to have some clarity on the specific criteria that will be used to designate entities to be of special cybersecurity interest. Knowing these criteria can help companies assess their status and understand whether they fall under this designation. Organisations need to know exactly what security measures they must implement once designated as STCC.
Secondly, businesses also would like to better understand both the financial and operational impacts of non-compliance. Also, are there any exemptions or exceptions, particularly for SMEs or startups that might face significant challenges in meeting these more stringent requirements?
In its publicly available closing note on the Bill's consultation process, CSA has communicated that \"further industry consultations will be conducted on the development of reporting parameters and applicable cybersecurity codes or standards\". I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State in what ways chambers of commerce and trade associations can help and collaborate with the various training agencies to help prepare the workforce to meet these hidden compliance costs amidst growing manpower challenges.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, cybersecurity is a serious matter for Singapore and it impacts our reputation as a global smart city.
To ensure the proposed Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill is effective and equitable, it is crucial to consider international best practices in its formulation. We can draw valuable lessons from the United States, where a recent Executive Order focuses on harnessing AI for advanced cybersecurity; and from the EU's Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive, which emphasises proactive risk assessment and public-private partnerships.
Additionally, countries like Estonia have demonstrated how continuous risk assessment and collaboration can enhance digital infrastructure protection. By aligning our roadmap with these global standards, we can develop a robust and forward-thinking cybersecurity framework that not only addresses emerging threats but also fosters innovation and industry collaboration.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding my clarifications, this legislation has my complete support.
Deputy Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. It has been almost six years since this House debated and passed the Act; and in that time, technology has advanced rapidly. We have witnessed a surge in the use of technology across various sectors, from Government services to healthcare in the private sector. Unfortunately, this progress has also attracted malicious actors who pose a threat to our security.
In Singapore, we have seen a significant increase in data breaches, up by around 319% in the past two years alone, totalling 65,702 incidents. Cybersecurity has rightfully taken center stage globally and especially here in Singapore. It is crucial to act swiftly against such threats. A robust and regularly updated cybersecurity framework is equally important as our first line of defence.
The proposed Bill expands the responsibilities of CII owners and the oversight of CSA to cover STCCs. Additionally, it introduces two new classes of regulated entities: ESCI and FDI, which includes data centers.
For example, DBS and Citibank services saw a complete outage last year due to a technical issue at the Equinix data centre. While the services were not disrupted due to cyber-attacks or committed by malicious actors, the disruption was palpable and widely felt across the economy. We can only imagine if malicious actors were the cause of this damage, it would be wider and more damaging.
Regarding CIIs, owners are currently required to report cybersecurity events involving their systems. The Bill extends this obligation to include peripheral systems connected to the CIIs. This change is crucial as it ensures a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity, focusing not only on main systems but also on peripheral ones, which are equally vulnerable. It provides a clear understanding of how cyber threats can infiltrate our networks, promoting transparency and accountability.
However, stakeholders have raised concerns about the compliance costs associated with these new obligations. What is the Ministry's current estimation on the increase in compliance costs as a result of the new requirements?
The CIIs also have the option of moving to commercial cloud solutions. How would CSA provide upstream vetting of such cloud services so that the CIIs can have a greater assurance on which are the reliable commercial cloud services. Would CIIs be restricted to cloud services that are hosted in Singapore only? Are there concerns on data security of critical infrastructure if these services are hosted overseas?
Moving on to ESCIs, the Bill empowers the CSA to designate and regulate entities handling sensitive data or fulfilling roles of national importance. Maintaining the confidentiality of the list of the designated ESCIs is crucial to prevent targeted attacks by malicious actors. Stricter penalties beyond those provided under the Official Secrets Act for any wrongful communication of this list should be considered to deter potential breaches effectively. In addition, how often would this list be updated?
Under the proposed amendments, the CSA retains the power to issue written directions to designated entities to ensure cybersecurity. While entities have the option to object to such directions, it is essential to provide avenues for appeal, especially considering the potential financial implications for non-compliance.
That said, I strongly support that the fine for non-compliance is set at 10% of the total revenue of the company. This sends a strong signal to companies of their responsibility in ensuring cybersecurity. Balancing cybersecurity objectives with the legitimate commercial interests of entities is crucial, particularly for data centers and cloud service providers. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: We have witnessed rapid technological developments in Singapore. Technology has become an integral part of our lives, crucial for the smooth operation of various activities, whether in the Government or private sector. Unfortunately, malicious actors have caused several data breach incidents in recent years. These incidents have increased by 319% in just the past two years.
The Government would take action to strengthen our cybersecurity policies. Under the proposed Bill, the CSA will have a broader regulatory scope to ensure our cybersecurity strategies. Regulated entities will be required to comply with directives issued by the CSA or else face severe financial penalties.
I believe that by amending policies targeting new cyber threats, the security of Singapore's cyberspace will be better safeguarded.
(In English): In conclusion, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I firmly support the Bill.
Deputy Speaker: Ms Hany Soh.
Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill. Singapore has been making monumental strides in its transformation into a Smart Nation. We are a hyper-connected, world-class, tech-driven state built upon three pillars: one, a digital society; two, a digital economy; and three, a digital government.
In the 2024 Smart City Index published by Switzerland's International Institute for Management Development, Singapore is ranked fifth out of 142 cities. In the Digital Inclusion Index published by Roland Berger in 2020, Singapore was ranked as the top global leader out of 82 countries.
However, the greater our usage and reliance on digital services and infrastructure, the more susceptible we will be to cyber-attacks which are increasing in frequency, scale and sophistication.
Apart from those shared by my fellow Parliamentary colleagues in their respective speeches earlier, this House will also recall some of the major cybersecurity incidents that we have encountered recently.
In 2018, SingHealth data breach, where the personal data of 1.5 million patients were stolen by a deliberate, targeted and well-planned cyber-attack; in 2021, National University of Singapore Society data breach, where the personal data over 1,300 members were compromised; in 2023, cyber-attack against the Marina Bay Sands that led to the theft of 665,000 customers' data; in February 2024, cyber espionage incident that took place during the Singapore Airshow period, which resulted in a foreign military phone call being leaked abroad; and even more recently, in April 2024, a ransomware attack on a local law firm.
Clearly, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. As a nation, multinational company, SME or individual, we are all vulnerable. In broad terms, this Bill seeks to implement several changes to the Act that would enhance the security of CII operators' supply chains, regulate the usage of cloud services, regulation of systems used for and during key events and designating ESCI.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, the following parts of my speech will be focused mainly on the ESCI.
Clause 16 of this Bill inserts a new Part (3)(c), which regulates the ESCIs, including by empowering the Commissioner of Cybersecurity to designate entities ESCIs and impose cybersecurity obligations on them. I seek several clarifications in this regard.
Firstly, in designating an entity as an ESCI, how promptly will the CSA notify that particular entity? Upon such designation, would any support be rendered by the CSA to such entity to ensure its familiarity with its legal obligations as an ESCI?
Secondly, a notice issued under the new section 18(1) need not be published in the Gazette, by virtue of the new section 18(4). What are the circumstances or the considerations that will go towards publication or disclosure of an ESCI's identity?
Thirdly and related to the preceding point, would actual and potential ESCIs as well as the public be able to access to a database or repository of sorts, in order to review the relevant precedents and case outcomes? Potentially, such information could be unavailable to serve as valuable lessons, should they be redacted or not reported.
Fourthly, this Bill also introduces a new penalty framework. The Commissioner will be able to recommend civil penalties in lieu of criminal penalties for all offences committed by regulated entitles where appropriate and impose monetary penalties on non-complying FDI providers and ESCIs. To this end, what are the factors the Commissioner may or will take into consideration when exercising his or her discretion over the appropriate penalty to be imposed?
Mdm Deputy Speaker, virtually, all aspects of our lives – professional, financial, social and personal – are increasingly being digitalised. Thus, cybersecurity requires a whole-of-nation effort down to the individual, which must be constantly and diligently performed. Notwithstanding my clarifications sought, I stand in support of this Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Ng Ling Ling.
Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I welcome amendments to the Cybersecurity Act 2018 through this Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill. This will help Singapore keep pace with the developments in the cyber threat landscape and to ensure that we can continue securing Singapore's cyberspace as well as safeguard our evolving digital economy and digital way of life.
I would like to raise three clarifications to better understand the obligations of entities that will be affected by various parts of this Bill.
Firstly, the Bill will update existing provisions relating to cybersecurity of CII, to ensure continuous delivery of essential services. The amendment will require companies that provide digital infrastructure services that are foundational to our economy or way of life, to shoulder more responsibility for the cybersecurity of their digital infrastructure. The CII are defined as energy, water, banking and finance, healthcare, transport, info-communication, media, security and emergency services and the Government in the Bill.
I note that a key aspect of the Bill is to ensure that CII owners remain responsible for the cybersecurity and cyber resilience of their systems, while embracing new technological innovations, such as the use of cloud computing and new business models, through higher requirements of incident reporting. At present, CII owners are only required to report cybersecurity incidents concerning the critical infrastructure and computer systems under their control that are interconnected or communicate with their infrastructure. With the amendments, owners will, however, also have to report incidents targeting systems that are peripheral to the CII, including those from third-parties and entities in the supply chain, like in the case of the use of cloud computing.
While I understand that doing so will empower CSA to be more aware of cyber threats that could disrupt essential services and work with CII owners to proactively protect those services further, I would like to raise practical challenges that healthcare providers may face.
In the healthcare space, entities can differ significantly in operational size and digital capabilities, such as a restructured public hospital compared with a small private general practitioner (GP) clinic. The question is, whether both entities will be subject to the same requirements under the Bill? As GP clinics are encouraged to step up to take in more patients under the national Healthier SG initiative, I understand that many are also attempting to digitalise for better operational efficiency. Will the higher requirements discourage smaller healthcare providers from digitalisation? Will a more tiered requirement be more appropriate in such a critical sector for our ageing population? Perhaps, the Government can consider more sector-specific support to help better calibrate responsibilities for owners of CIIs with small, medium and large operations, considering the differing degree of complexity, nuances of virtual systems and third-party ownership in their context.
Another proposal in the Bill is to allow CSA to designate and regulate ESCIs. ESCIs hold sensitive information or perform a function of national interest so disruption to their services could potentially have adverse effects on the defence, foreign relations, economy, public health, public safety or public order of Singapore. In addition, CSA will further create two new classes of regulated entities: ESCI and FDI.
These two classes will be subjected to \"light touch\" regulations as they are not CII. Under the Bill, CSA will be able to designate and regulate ESCI for cybersecurity. The obligations imposed on these entities will not be the same as the levels of those of CIIs.
While autonomous universities have been cited as one example of ESCIs, can the Ministry give greater clarity of what other entities can be designated by CSA to be under these new classifications? For example, will a not-for-profit social service agency taking in statutory cases of youth offenders or child protection have any probability of being designated as ESCI? While ESCI are not CII and the obligations imposed on the ESCI will not be at the same levels as that of the CIIs, will there be guidelines provided by the CSA to give more specifics as some entities, such as smaller not-for-profit organisations may not have the capabilities or resources to bear the additional cybersecurity compliance burden?
Lastly, the Bill also requires companies, such as cloud service providers and data centres to be responsible for the cybersecurity of the digital infrastructure that they manage. This includes adhering to cybersecurity codes and standards of practice, as well as reporting prescribed cybersecurity incidents to CSA, which will also not be at the level of a CII.
Amendments in section 2, particularly 2(3) and 2(3)(d) introduced definitions of \"virtual computers\" and \"virtual computer systems\" as well as defining the \"owner\" in relation to a provider-owned CII, third-party-owned CII or system of temporary cybersecurity concern that is a virtual computer or a virtual computer system. Most of these records and databases are uploaded into cloud-based applications, which are increasingly adopted for their scalability and efficiency. The virtual nature of these assets would mean that physical inspection is often challenging, especially for third-party vendors that operate overseas.
Also, security measures are often under the control and configurations implemented by cloud providers. Although the new Bill requires at least one of the physical computing resources of the cloud service provider that support the virtual system to be deployed locally, the question remains whether the risk can be well-managed.
Therefore, greater specifications may be needed as to how owner responsibility is demarcated from those of cloud service providers. Although CII operators in essential service sectors remain answerable to CSA for any lapses, the shared nature of digital services complicates the accountability framework. We need to ensure that there are no overlapping roles or responsibilities, especially when third-party cloud services are involved.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, in closing, the amendment Bill exemplifies our Government's commitment to proactively defend and safeguard our essential services from cyber-attacks which may disrupt our way of life, especially with fast-changing developments in the cyber threat landscape. Notwithstanding my considerations raised, I support the Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Darryl David.
Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): Mdm Deputy Speaker, as one of the most well-connected countries in the world, Singapore is constantly exposed to the risk of cyber-attacks and cyber crimes. Worldwide, countries are battling the rising scourge of cyber warfare, marked by an increase in numbers of attempted and/or successful attacks on CII by state and non-state actors.
As we have heard already, such attacks should not be taken lightly. A successful attack on CIIs, say on the healthcare or emergency services, can lead to massive disruptions in medical delivery, potentially endangering lives of hundreds and thousands of individuals.
As a case in point, Synapxe, the national health technology provider that supports 46 public healthcare institutions and 1,400 community partners like nursing homes and general practitioners in Singapore, was subjected to a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack in November 2023, which led to a seven-hour downtime in accessing the websites of public hospitals. Admittedly, the outcome of the cyber-attack could have been much worse. It is therefore timely that the Government is reviewing the scope of the Cybersecurity Bill to strengthen cybersecurity standards.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, under the proposed amendments, CII owners remain responsible for the cybersecurity and resilience of the CII and they are now required to report more types of cyber incidents, including those targeting their supply chains and peripheral systems that have been outsourced and offshored.
While I am supportive that the expanded coverage of the Bill which will allow the CSA to become more aware of the types of cyber threats that Singapore faces, the expanded coverage of the Bill will also impose significant responsibilities on CII owners to monitor systems that are currently owned by their vendors, which could be, at this juncture, beyond their immediate or direct control and supervision. This is especially true if their vendors are located overseas or if the infrastructures used by these vendors to provide the required cyber services are located outside of Singapore.
How would the Government, in this instance, support the owners of CII to exercise oversight on these overseas vendors and suppliers, especially if these suppliers and vendors are not obliged by their own local laws to disclose instances of cyber incidents to CII owners in Singapore?
Stemming from the above question, would the refusal or inability to comply with the amendments to the Cybersecurity Bill automatically preclude vendors from supplying services to CII owners; and would the Government consider such vendors on a case-by-case basis if they are supplying unique critical services that cannot be supplied by vendors elsewhere?
Madam, one of the objectives of the amendment to the Bill is so that CSA can work with CII owners to secure their networks from cyber-attacks. Can the Government elaborate on how CSA would work with these CII owners and, possibly, their overseas suppliers and vendors to secure their systems?
And would this involve the possible secondment of CSA consultants to CII owners, their suppliers and vendors to audit and re-design their current cybersecurity system? Would there be funding or support that these companies could possibly tap on to strengthen their cyber systems, bearing in mind that different CII owners, suppliers and vendors could be at different stages of cybersecurity maturity and a one-size-fits-all cyber solution is unlikely to work.
I would like to speak next on whitelisting STCC. Under the current Government procurement framework, institutions that intend to participate in joint Government projects are mostly required to submit a bid for those projects via an open tender process. One of the specific amendments in the Bill is to allow CSA to exercise oversights on STCCs and proactively secure STCCs to ensure the cybersecurity of their systems.
While the open tender system will ensure fairness and transparency in the awarding of joint Government projects, this would also mean that tender specifications would need to include an extended elaboration on cyber security requirements, which potential STCC vendors might find difficult to meet within the tender period. This is especially so if the procurement of services by STCCs is on an urgent basis, for example, the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine, or something similar.
Would the Government, in this instance, consider setting up a whitelist of STCCs vendors and help them secure their systems ahead of time and appoint them directly for future joint projects without a public tender? If the answer is yes, then how would the Government decide which STCC to whitelist and to ensure transparency in the whitelisting process?
My final point is on the ESCI and FDI. While I can understand the rationale of having a \"light touch\" approach on regulating ESCI and FDI because they are not CII per se, can the Government, at this juncture, provide more information on how the \"light touch\" regulatory approach would look like?
Not requiring ESCI and FDI to submit audit risk reports or risk assessments to CSA and not requiring them to participate in national cybersecurity exercises might seem to defeat the purpose of designating and regulating them. Any forms of regulations, in my opinion, would need to be measurable, of course, assessable and contain penalties for non-compliance.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
In this regard, my question is, how we could ensure that ESCI and FDI live up to their respective cybersecurity obligations without taking for granted that they are not subjected to the Government's scrutiny.
Mr Speaker, Sir, securing CII is essential to protect our national security and to ensure that our vital services are not disrupted by cyber-attacks carried out by malicious state and non-state actors. With cyber-attacks becoming more sophisticated and becoming a part of modern warfare that is used alongside conventional warfare, indeed, strengthening our oversight over the robustness of our cyber systems is paramount in safeguarding Singapore's interest.
Notwithstanding the questions that I have raised in my speech, I am supportive of the amendments to the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, before I begin, I declare that I am working in an investment firm that has investments in cybersecurity companies. Singapore's digital economy is the engine of our nation's prosperity. But just as a strong house requires sturdy defenses, our digital realm necessitates robust cybersecurity. While I support strengthening our Cybersecurity Act, I believe some of the proposed amendments warrant further discussion. I would like to seek some clarifications on the Bill.
First, Mr Speaker, Sir, the financial burden on businesses, especially SMEs, must be carefully considered. We need transparency on the true cost of compliance across different sectors. Businesses are the foundation of our economic strength. We should not burden them with unnecessary red tape.
There are several concerns I want to raise on this aspect. The amendments may increase compliance costs for these businesses. The legal jargon may be too complex, something which the public consultation document has itself acknowledged. This raises concerns for smaller businesses that lack dedicated legal resources. And the mandatory requirement for CII operators to report all incidents targeting their systems is commendable. However, excessive reporting requirements may overwhelm businesses.
With these concerns in mind, I have several questions and suggestions for the Government.
First, can the Government elaborate on the specific cost considerations that informed the drafting of the Bill? What is the expected increase in compliance costs for businesses? Are there plans to provide assistance to businesses to help them cope with the increased costs?
Next, what steps will be taken to ensure that the final text of the Act can be easily understood by businesses of all sizes and the common man? How will the Government support businesses that struggle to navigate the legal changes?
In addition, the Government must ensure that the new CII reporting requirements are clear, concise and do not create an undue burden on businesses. Can the Ministry share what resources are available to assist businesses in complying with these requirements?
I urge the Government to outline a clear plan on how it will help SMEs comply with the new requirements, including any provision of financial support or specialised guidance.
Moving on, Mr Speaker, Sir, my second topic is on the impact on innovation, which is the bedrock of our digital ecosystem. Let us not stifle it on the altar of security. We must cultivate a cybersecurity culture that prioritises both robust security and a conducive environment for innovation. Singaporean ingenuity has always thrived on calculated risks. We must not lose that spirit.
How might the amendments in the Bill affect the agility and risk-taking appetite of tech companies? In this vein, I urge the Government to elaborate on measures that will be taken to strike a balance. Can we cultivate a cybersecurity culture that prioritises both robust security and a supportive environment for innovation?
The proposed amendments rightly acknowledge the importance of allowing CII operators to leverage new technologies. This is critical for Singapore to maintain its competitive edge in the digital arena. How can we create an environment that encourages the adoption of new technologies, while maintaining the highest security standards?
This Bill also has designations like \"critical information infrastructure\" and \"entities of special cybersecurity interest\" alongside additional reporting requirements. How will these measures affect Singapore's attractiveness for data centre companies? Particularly, how will this impact smaller players, subcontractors to larger providers, who may be responsible for third-party owned CII critical to service delivery?
Third, Mr Speaker, Sir, cybersecurity threats transcend borders. We must leverage international collaboration to strengthen our defenses. Aligning ourselves with global frameworks will enhance our collective response. For this reason, I urge the Government to elaborate on how these amendments align with international cybersecurity frameworks and standards. By aligning ourselves with international efforts, we can ensure that our defenses are interoperable and effective on a global scale. Can the Government elaborate on opportunities for collaboration with other countries to enhance our collective response to cyber threats?
While this Bill focuses on data centres and cloud servers within Singapore, many service providers utilise overseas facilities. How will this Bill address this cross-border aspect? Will providers still be held responsible for breaches occurring in overseas data centres if it disrupts their services in Singapore?
Lastly, Mr Speaker, Sir, the effectiveness of the Cybersecurity Act hinges on transparency and accountability. The proposed amendments empower authorities. This power must be balanced with public trust. Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of a strong cybersecurity posture. The public deserves to know how these measures are being implemented. Can the Government clearly outline the mechanisms that will be established to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of these measures? How will the public be informed about how these powers are being used?
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, in addressing the proposed amendments to the Cybersecurity Act, I have made several clarifications in my speech. It is imperative that we strike a delicate balance between fortifying our national cybersecurity stance and mitigating undue burdens on businesses, especially smaller enterprises with limited resources. Delving into industry concerns about the cost of compliance, is critical to understand the specific financial implications across different business sizes and sectors to ensure transparency and sustainability. Additionally, providing clear guidance and support, particularly for SMEs, is essential to navigate the new requirements effectively.
Furthermore, fostering innovation must remain a priority alongside cybersecurity enhancements. While acknowledging the importance of leveraging new technologies in maintaining Singapore's competitive edge, it is equally critical to ensure that the amendments do not stifle innovation. Cultivating a cybersecurity culture that supports both robust security and a conducive environment for innovation is paramount for the continued growth of our digital ecosystem.
Moreover, in a world where cybersecurity threats transcend borders, international alignment is imperative. Collaborating with other countries to align with global cybersecurity frameworks and standards will enhance the effectiveness of our defenses on a global scale. Addressing the cross-border aspect of cybersecurity is vital, so that service providers are held accountable for breaches occurring in overseas facilities that impact services in Singapore.
In closing, let us fortify our digital defenses without hindering our economic progress. With careful consideration and a commitment to innovation, we can ensure Singapore remains a secure and thriving digital hub. I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, this Bill will enhance national cybersecurity. It will update existing provisions relating to the cybersecurity of CIIs and expand CSA.
I commend CSA for conducting a public consultation on the Bill and publishing its responses to the feedback provided. CSA has also continued closed-door industry consultations and has committed to further consultations in coming up with codes and standards.
I have three points of clarifications to raise.
My first point is on the legally-binding commitment that designated providers are required to obtain from the owners of third-party-owned CIIs. The new sections 16A and 16F require designated providers to obtain legally binding commitments to provide certain information and notifications and to maintain certain standards.
Given that the commitment is provided by the third-party-owned CIIs to the designated providers, in the event of any breach of the commitment, the designated provider is the entity with any right to recourse.
Can the Ministry confirm that the legally binding commitment must be stated to be governed by Singapore law, subject to the jurisdiction of the Singapore courts and be enforceable in Singapore? This may be important if the third-party-owned CIIs are not located in Singapore. Can the Senior Minister of State clarify whether the Commissioner can compel a designated provider to take action against the third-party-owned CIIs pursuant to the legally binding commitment?
If so, can Senior Minister of State also clarify what are the intended actions and remedies that the designated provider is supposed to pursue against the third-party-owned CIIs in the event of a breach? Can the Senior Minister of State clarify how the remedies sought, pursuant to any breach of the legally binding commitment will serve to protect Singapore's cybersecurity? For instance, will a Commissioner require a designated provider to obtain an order of specific performance to compel third-party-owned CIIs to provide information it is required to provide under the legally-binding commitment?
If the remedy for any breach of the legally-binding commitment is only monetary damages for the designated provider, it may be difficult to see how this will contribute to cybersecurity. Can the Senior Minister of State also clarify how it envisions any remedies being effectively enforced against third-party-owned CIIs that are not located in Singapore?
My second point is on the information collected by CSA. A number of provisions empower CSA to collect information. For instance, the new sections 17A, 18A and 18H empower the Commissioner to obtain information from an entity to determine if an entity fulfils the criteria for designation.
The new section 15(4) allows the Commissioner to carry out a site inspection and audit of a provider-owned CII that appears to be in breach of any requirement. The new section 29A provides monitoring powers for licensing officers to inspect records of licensed cybersecurity service providers.
Respondents to the public consultation raised concerns about the use of such extensive powers to obtain the CII owner's business confidential information. Respondents also suggested guidelines and safeguards to prevent abuse of such powers. CSA clarified that the amendments prevent CSA from obtaining confidential information beyond the scope of what is necessary for the on-site inspection.
CSA also clarified that it would endeavour, where possible, to give notice to CII owners before conducting on-site inspections. The reality is that what is necessary for on-site inspections can be very broad, depending on how CSA scopes the investigation. This is especially since the investigation is for CSA to determine whether the CII owner has complied with any requirement or submitted any false or incomplete information. This means that the scope of investigation is likely going to be very open-ended.
Giving the CII owner notice before conducting on-site inspection also does not directly address the concerns to do with information collection. Can the Senior Minister of State elaborate on what steps will be taken to protect information obtained from respondents? How long will the information obtained be retained for and how will the information be retained?
Can the Senior Minister of State also confirm that the power to obtain information does not extend to legally privileged information, and will CSA require entities to waive legal privilege?
My third and final point is on the basis for the Commissioner's decisions and beliefs. A number of provisions allow the Commissioner to make orders or directions where it appears to the Commissioner that certain conditions are met. For instance, under the new section 16F(3), where it appears to the Commissioner that a third-party-owned CII do not meet standards and there is no reasonable excuse for failing to meet these standards, the Commissioner may order the designated provider to cease using the CII.
As I mentioned earlier, under the new section 15(4), where it appears to the Commissioner that a provider-owned CII has not met any standard or provided false or misleading information, the Commissioner can order an audit or on-site inspection. Under the new section 16F(3), where it appears to a Commissioner that a third-party-owned CII has not met any standards or provided false or misleading information, the Commissioner can order a designated provider to cease using the CII.
Can the Senior Minister of State clarify whether the Commissioner will provide the grounds of its belief for any decision made or action taken to entities subject to its decision or action? Can the Senior Minister of State share if the entity will be given the opportunity to make representations or to challenge the grounds of the Commissioner's belief?
Sir, notwithstanding my clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary.
Dr Janil Puthucheary: Mr Speaker, I thank the many Members who have spoken for their interest in and strong support for the Bill. Sir, several Members have noted the rise in cyber threats both in Singapore and around the world and that this has become a growing concern amongst Singaporeans.
Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Alex Yam and Mr Darryl David spoke about the potentially devastating impact that a successful attack on our CII could have on the lives of Singaporeans. Ms Hany Soh spoke about recent major cybersecurity incidents and their serious consequences, while Mr Desmond Choo said that it was crucial that we have robust and regularly updated cybersecurity laws against the increase in cyber threats. I agree.
As the cyber threats we face intensify, it is clear that there is agreement in this House on the timeliness of this Bill and the need to put CSA in a better position to safeguard Singapore's cybersecurity.
Mr Melvin Yong spoke about the urgent need to tackle scams. The Government agrees. In January 2024, Minister Josephine Teo spoke about building an inclusive and safe digital society and outlined what the Government was doing to combat scams, so I will not belabour those. The Cybersecurity Act is not aimed at tackling scams. Even so, clause 7 of the Bill will allow us to take a stronger stance against impersonation scams, by making it an offence for any person to use CSA's gazetted symbols or representations without the Commissioner's prior written permission.
Cybersecurity threats are ever-evolving. Mr Melvin Yong also spoke about the need to secure operational technology (op-tech) systems. The cybersecurity of op-tech is a nascent field, but it is already one of CSA's key areas of work as part of its national cybersecurity mission. CSA has established thought leadership when it published the Op-tech Cybersecurity Masterplan in 2019, which is a strategic blueprint to guide Singapore's efforts to foster a resilient and secure cyber environment for our op-tech CII. CSA also organises the Op-tech Cybersecurity Expert Panel Forum every year, which is a platform for cybersecurity practitioners, operators, researchers and policy-makers to discuss governance policies, best practices and trends related to op-tech cybersecurity.
The Members who have spoken today have raised several important considerations in relation to the Bill and I would summarise them into three groups.
The first is: are the compliance costs arising from the cybersecurity measures introduced by the Bill justified? Secondly, how will CSA ensure that the new obligations are operationalised in a sensible and practical manner? Third and finally, will there be safeguards in place to prevent abuse, as the Bill does expands CSA's powers?
Let me address these considerations in turn.
Some Members raised concerns about the additional costs of regulatory compliance: are these costs justified? Some have suggested that such costs could even adversely impact the community of SMEs in Singapore, or industry development more generally.
To clarify, neither the Cybersecurity Act nor the amendments proposed in this Bill impose cybersecurity obligations on the business community at large. What the Act and the amendments proposed in this Bill seek to do, is to regulate only the cybersecurity of systems, infrastructure and services that are important at a national level because their disruption or compromise could affect our survival, security, safety or other national interests. This is a known and finite set of systems and entities. Our approach is a targeted and calibrated one, precisely because we recognise that regulation will involve compliance costs.
With the amendments covered in the Bill, the Cybersecurity Act will only be imposing obligations on four groups of entities. The first is providers of essential services, whether they are themselves CII owners or rely on third-party vendors for the CII. Securing the computers and computer systems that are necessary for the continuous delivery of our essential services is a matter of national security and survival.
The second group, comprises owners of STCC where there is a loss of a computer system, or even a system established on a temporary basis would have a serious detrimental effect on Singapore's national interests. CSA must be allowed to proactively oversee the cybersecurity of such systems.
The third group comprises ESCIs. This is because we need them to be cybersecure if their computer systems contain sensitive information or they perform functions which if disrupted will have a significant detrimental effect on our national interests.
The last group comprises major providers of FDI services because disruption to these FDI services – the services that FDI services provide – could have knock-on effect, disrupting to Singapore-based organisations and the lives of Singaporeans who rely on them for business operations, work and day-to-day living.
Some compliance cost cannot be avoided where regulation is concerned. It is something we are mindful of and we do not seek to regulate without good reason. For these four groups, it was a considered decision that we must have the necessary legislation in place to govern their cybersecurity because our national security and other national interests are at stake.
Cyber-attacks can have serious consequences. Where essential services are concerned, lives and livelihoods can be affected. Attacks like these can also indirectly hurt the reputation of the organisation or Singapore. It can have an external impact on the customers and business partners of the victim organisation.
These are in addition to potential financial costs. According to some reports, the average cost of a cyber-attack on an organisation with more than one thousand employees is around $71,000; and one in eight firms suffered costs of S$330,000 or more.
These security reasons are also why I had caveated in my opening speech that I will not disclose any specific real-life examples of the critical systems and entities we seek to regulate, which includes ESCIs. So, I seek Ms Ng Ling Ling's understanding that I will not respond to her query on the entities that may be designated as an ESCI. Ms Hany Soh asked whether there would be circumstances that go toward publication or disclosure of an ESCI's identity – this will be on a case-by-case basis and we must keep the security of the ESCI in mind.
Sir, the issue for consideration is not whether a regulated entity is a large company, a multinational corporation or an SME. The key consideration is whether a cyber-attack on the entity could have serious implications on our national security or other national interests. We do not take these decisions to impose obligations lightly. For instance, we are proposing the expansion of the incident reporting requirements for CII owners under Part 3 because the evidence shows that malicious actors are using CII-adjacent systems and supply chains to attack the CII; and so, we need to stay situationally aware of what is happening around the CII in order to keep the CII itself safe.
Mr Mark Lee had the impression that the Bill only focuses on personal information and does not protect other types of confidential business information. This is not the case. The Cybersecurity Act does not differentiate between protecting personal information and business information as the cybersecurity of all information in a CII must not be compromised. The Bill will do the same for the new categories of systems and entities we are proposing to regulate for cybersecurity.
Mr Sharael Taha asked about how we asked about how we would address the cybersecurity threats posed by machine learning and generative AI. The Act and this Bill allow CSA to compel regulated entities to take the necessary measures to mitigate cyber risk regardless of the technologies used by the regulated entities or by the malicious actors to perpetuate their attacks.
The AI landscape is still developing and relatively nascent. CSA will continue to monitor our threat landscape carefully, work with the regulated entities to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and address the challenges as the technology emerges and becomes clearer.
I would like to clarify that not all the amendments add to the operating costs of regulated entities and systems. Some of the key amendments I covered in my opening speech will allow CII owners to make use of new technologies and new business models. This can result in efficiencies while maintaining the cybersecurity of the CII. These include the use of commercial cloud solutions and demand-aggregated system infrastructure owned by a third-party. These could be business opportunities, as Mr Neil Parekh observed in his speech.
How will CSA ensure that the new obligations are operationalised in a sensible and practical manner? The technology is constantly advancing and it changes our business and operating context. The malicious actors are inventive. They continually find new ways to compromise their targets.
Several members have asked questions about how the amendments would be implemented. Underlying their questions is an important consideration. Will CSA operationalise these new laws sensibly and give regulated entities support to meet their statutory obligations? The short answer to both is yes, but I am going to give a slightly longer answer.
CSA understands the need to take into account business realities and to be practical and sensible when implementing the Act. CII owners and industry stakeholders representing potential ESCIs and major FDI service providers were consulted extensively. Many trade associations and chambers provided their views during the consultation process.
CSA's practice is – has been, will be – and is to provide ample support to our regulated entities, by helping them walk towards compliance – walking with them towards compliance.
This begins even before a system or an entity is designated. Where CSA has reason to believe that a system or entity should be designated, CSA's general practice has been to first engage the system owner or the entity to better understand their operating context, such as the cybersecurity measures already implemented and their level of cybersecurity capabilities, to ensure that any designation is appropriate. Subsequently, CSA will then work with the system owner or entity to assess what needs to be done for the entity or system to be in compliance with the Act, as well as the support and lead time that the organisation will need.
Sir, I hope this addresses Mr Mark Lee, Mr Neil Parekh and Ms Hany Soh's clarifications on the designation process, as well as Ms Tin Pei Ling's question on how we calibrate our implementation approach and Ms Joan Pereira's query on whether all ancillary or supporting infrastructure will be designated as STCCs for high-profile, high-security or high-level events in Singapore. We will only make such decisions after fully understanding the context and how the relevant systems are designed.
CSA will also consider waivers of the application of a code of practice or standard of performance on a designated entity, where possible, on a case-by-case basis to account for specific operating contexts or the developmental journey of the organisation in question.
As Mr Sharael Taha noted, our CII supply chains are getting more complex. If a breach occurs to a supply system that is not directly interconnected with or communicates with a CII, the Bill will not require the owner of a compromised system to report such breaches to CSA.
Mr Darryl David asked how we would manage if vendors and suppliers to our CIIs are not directly obliged by statute to disclose cybersecurity incidents. The principle we apply is that CII owners are responsible for the security and resilience of their essential services. That means that it is in their interest, and it is also their responsibility to be situationally aware of supply chain attacks that could affect their CII and report such incidents to CSA when they become aware of them.
It was a deliberate decision on the Government's part not to compel reporting of cybersecurity incidents from all the suppliers of a CII owner to CSA directly. Doing so would just add the reporting burden to more parties and may not be directly useful for enhancing the security of the CII itself; which ultimately, is what all this work is focused on.
Where the CII is owned by a third-party, clause 14 requires the provider of essential service from the third-party vendor to obtain legally binding commitments from the vendor that would put the provider in a position to discharge its statutory obligations, so that the cybersecurity of the CII is not compromised.
Mr Louis Ng asked several questions relating to how the Government would ensure that we would have sufficient levers against such a third-party. The intent behind these provisions is to allow the provider of essential service to consider market solutions from third-parties, so that they can be more efficient in the provision of their essential services without compromising cybersecurity. It is not to indirectly regulate these third-parties.
Where the third-party is unwilling or unable, as Mr Darryl David noted could happen, CSA could direct the provider of essential services to stop using the system owned by that third party under the provisions in new sections 16E(2), 16H(2), 16I(2) and 16J(2).
Ms Joan Pereira asked if it would be feasible for CSA to require a provider of essential services to cease using a third-party vendor in the market. Ultimately, what Part 3A seeks to do is to ensure that providers of essential services who use a third-party's system, in place of operating their own CII, do so without compromising cybersecurity. Where a provider of essential services faces certain constraints, CSA is prepared to work with them on possible arrangements that could be made. However, if there are no solutions on the market that are adequately secure, the provider of essential services should take responsibility for building the CII it needs. The security of our essential services cannot be and should not be compromised.
In response to Mr Desmond Choo's question on data securities when CII owners move to the cloud, CSA will work with CII owners to conduct cybersecurity risk assessments of any migration of a CII to the cloud. The principle remains – they must be able to meet their statutory obligations with respect to the cybersecurity of the CII, regardless of the operating model.
The same principle applies to Ms Tin Pei Ling's and Mr Gerald Giam's questions about overseas CII. Under the new Part 3 provisions proposed by the Bill, the owner of the CII will be held responsible for the cybersecurity of their CII. It does not matter whether the CII is located in Singapore or located wholly overseas and designated under the new section 7(1)(a). Section 7(1)(a) only applies when the owner is in Singapore. Similarly, the new Part 3(a) applies to a provider of essential service located in Singapore, who will be held responsible for the cybersecurity of the CII that they rely on. It does not matter whether the CII owned by the third-party is located in Singapore or located wholly overseas. The obligations are placed on the CII owner or the provider of essential service in Singapore, so there is no extraterritoriality enforcement of the provisions in new Part 3 and Part 3(a).
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked how we will deal with the cross-border nature of FDI services, such as cloud services and data centre operations. We have designed the new provisions to account for this.
For example, where cloud computing is concerned, it is entirely possible that the cloud services provided to the Singapore market are provided using infrastructure that can be located in any part of the world. In fact, the ability to tap on infrastructure from any part of the world is a key part of the value proposition of cloud computing because it bolsters the resilience of a given cloud service. So, the focus of our proposed laws is not to insist that designated major FDI service providers report cybersecurity incidents affecting all their digital infrastructures around the world. Rather, the new section 18M will require them to report only prescribed incidents that result in the disruption or degradation of the designated provider's FDI service in Singapore or has a significant impact on the designated provider's business operations in Singapore.
Mr Yip Hon Weng also asked if the designated providers of major FDI service will be held responsible for breaches occurring in overseas data centres if they disrupt their services in Singapore. Sir, I would like to make it quite clear that the Act, even if amended by the Bill before the House today, does not penalise victims of cyber-attacks for being attacked. The statutory duties under the Act require the designated provider to work with CSA to prevent and mitigate the cybersecurity risks by, for instance, reporting cybersecurity incidents and complying with the necessary cybersecurity standards and written directions.
Penalties would apply when there is willful non-compliance. Mr Neil Parekh asked about the types of penalties that could be imposed. If the proposed amendments are passed, such penalties could be criminal or civil in nature. Ms Hany Soh asked what factors would be taken into consideration on the penalties to impose for non-compliance – in making a recommendation to the Public Prosecutor, CSA will consider a range of factors, including the risks created by the non-compliance, egregiousness and facts of the case.
Assoc Prof Razwana Begum asked how we would enforce the provisions relating to major FDI service providers, if many of these providers are based overseas. Indeed, this could be the case for the cloud service sector. To facilitate enforcement, the new section 18G(6) requires a designated major FDI service provider who is located outside of Singapore, to appoint a person in Singapore to accept service of notices or directions under the Act.
Several Members pointed out that some of the operational details are not contained within the Bill. Matters relating to the technical or other standards that regulated entities must meet and how CII owners should work with the providers of cloud services they use, will be designed to reflect current business realities and prevailing industry norms. What the Bill does is to allow CSA to address these in codes of practice or standards of performance and subsidiary legislation, so that we can be more agile in reflecting the operating context. CSA will be consulting the industry on these matters, if the Bill is passed.
Many Members like Ms Ng Ling Ling, Ms Jean See and Mr Melvin Yong also gave suggestions on how the Government can provide more support to regulated entities to help them comply with their statutory obligations and provide some assurance that their cybersecurity measures are adequate. We will consider these suggestions very carefully. As CSA operationalises the new amendments, CSA will continue to take onboard stakeholder feedback. Where appropriate and feasible, we will harmonise the cybersecurity standards and incident reporting parameters to be imposed under the Act with international practices.
Mr Gerald Giam asked about step-in rights and CSA's incident response frameworks. I understand the concern to be whether CSA is adequately empowered to respond effectively to cybersecurity incidents and do what it takes to secure our CII. Part 4 of the 2018 Act already provides CSA with the necessary powers to respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents and to take appropriate measures to secure the threatened or attacked system. Operationally, CSA and the DIS of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have an excellent working relationship and will work together to secure Singapore's cyberspace.
Sir, let me move on to the third consideration, that is, what safeguards are in place to prevent abuse? The Bill seeks to strengthen CSA's regulatory powers, but as some Members have pointed out, it is also important that CSA exercises its powers responsibly.
Safeguards have been built into the Act from the outset and will be extended to cover the proposed amendments.
First, any entity that receives a designation notice can appeal against it. A regulated entity may also appeal against CSA's decisions, orders and directions, as well as codes of practice and standards of performance. This appeal mechanism was created in the 2018 Act to protect regulated CII owners and will be extended to cover providers of essential services under Part 3A, STCC owners, ESCI and major FDI providers as well.
Second, the powers that the Bill seeks to confer on CSA are not unfettered. For example, the power of inspection provided for in the amended section 15(4)(d) inserted by clause 13, can only be used for the specified purpose and under the specified circumstances set out in the provision.
Third, section 43 of the 2018 Act, which we are retaining, requires specified persons to preserve the secrecy of stipulated matters that come to these persons' knowledge in the discharge of their statutory duties. This includes information relating to business, commercial or official affairs of any persons and identities of informants. Section 43 will continue to govern any such information that CSA obtains through the exercise of existing and new powers provided for by the amendments.
Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Gerald Giam and Mr Sharael Taha noted that the Bill will significantly expand the scope of the Act and asked if CSA will be sufficiently equipped to manage this expanded gambit. If the Bill is passed, the Government will ensure that CSA is resourced accordingly. CSA will also continue to develop its personnel and their expertise so that it can continue to deliver its mission at a high level.
I hope that I have sufficiently addressed the queries raised in this House.
Mr Speaker, cybersecurity is ultimately about risk management. The only way we can absolutely guarantee cybersecurity is to not use digital technology at all. So, the task at hand is to find the appropriate balance between security, usability and cost. The Bill is the sum of the Government's proposal to address this trilemma for the most important systems that affect the national interests. It does involve some trade-offs.
Where national interests are at stake, the Government needs to proactively ensure that security considerations are optimised. Those responsible for our CII, STCCs and FDI services, as well as our ESCIs will have to bear some compliance costs, but this is what it takes to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe and secure in the digital domain.
Let me emphasise, again, that these proposed new laws do not extend to the wider business community. That is not to say that their cybersecurity is not important. As Mr Mark Lee had noted in his speech, confidential business information that our companies and organisations hold are also important and potentially sensitive in their own context. Our companies and organisations must recognise this and take commensurate steps to address their data security risks. The Government offers our support to them through other non-regulatory means.
For example, the SG Cyber Safe Programme is a scheme to help the Singapore business community be more cyber secure. This includes the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust marks, which are certification schemes that recognise enterprises that have implemented good cybersecurity practices. CSA has also developed the cybersecurity informational toolkits for companies of various profiles, to guide enterprise leaders and their employees on cybersecurity best practices.
Additionally, enterprises getting started on cybersecurity can use the Cybersecurity Health Plans programmes, where consultants help them improve their cyber resilience and help to develop a plan tailored to their needs. So, I urge all enterprises to apply for the various schemes and marks and take advantage of the resources available to uplift their cybersecurity posture.
I also thank Ms Jean See, Mr Neil Parekh, Assoc Prof Razwana Begum and Mr Mark Lee for their suggestions of other non-regulatory initiatives that the Government could consider, particularly on shifting the mindset of stakeholders from one of compliance to one of partnership. CSA will study these suggestions.
CSA has had a good track record in administering the Cybersecurity Act over the past six years. CSA works closely with the regulated entities to address their needs and concerns and, to date, no appeals have been made against CSA's decisions, orders or directions.
Sir, cybersecurity is a team effort. At the national level, we must continually improve our defences against cyber threats that are growing in scale and sophistication. Today, the Government proposes to strengthen our legislation so that we can ensure the cybersecurity of systems and entities that are important to Singapore's national interests.
Cybersecurity is a team effort and one of the important teams are the personnel that we have in our cybersecurity agency. We have been able to attract and retain officers with a high degree of expertise, professionalism and integrity; who are able to balance the considerations of security, usability and cost; who understand and believe in the mission of securing Singapore's cyberspace. Sir, I would like to thank the personnel of CSA for the important work that they do in keeping our digital systems and spaces safe for all Singapore and Singaporeans.
I thank Members for their support of this Bill. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Mr Speaker: Are there any clarifications for the Senior Minister of State? Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: I thank the Senior Minister of State for responding to my many queries. Specifically, about the step-in order, I would just like to clarify with the Senior Minister of State whether he thinks that the step-in order of the Cybersecurity Act is on the same scale as the step-in order that is in the Bus Services Industry Act that I mentioned? Because the Bus Services Act has very specific mention of a step-in function that LTA can order. But, I read through Part 4 of the\tCybersecurity Act again and I do not see anything that had the same kind of language or the same strength that the Bus Services Industry Act has. Can I get the clarification from the\tSenior Minister of State on that?
Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank Mr Giam for his question. To be clear, the way that the cybersecurity of CII is dealt with has to be part of the operations of the CII operator. So, in the example that he has cited, the step-in orders for bus functions, for example, if that function and the systems associated with that function were designated as part of a CII, then the operator that steps in would have to take on that responsibility as part of its duties to discharge that function. And that already is part of how the sectoral regulators for each domain, who are also the sectoral regulators of cybersecurity, regulate the domains.
Mr Speaker: Any other clarifications from Members? I do not see any.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Dr Janil Puthucheary]. (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":"Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers at Workplaces","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, it has been almost two years since my last Adjournment Motion on \"A more inclusive workplace for breastfeeding mothers\". I wish I could report back to Parliament that things have got better for most breastfeeding mothers but hand on heart, I do not believe it has.
I sincerely believe that it will take a change in policies to be able to move the ground, shift mindsets and end the discrimination and stigma that breastfeeding mothers face. In the past two years, I continue to hear stories of the challenges and difficulties breastfeeding mothers face at work. I will share their stories today.
The discrimination and stigma they face is real, the pain they feel is both on an emotional and physical level. It is painful when their breasts become engorged from being unable to express their milk, the discriminatory words they hear are equally painful and they have to worry even about the quality of their breast milk.
Fion, a breastfeeding mother shared that, \"I previously worked in a unit where chemicals are handled. Unhealthy aerosols are in the air and there are no proper nursing rooms. I remember using a corner of my manager's room, pantry or even the storage room just to express breast milk. It did worry me that the environment will cause undesirable effects to the milk. I was also disappointed when unkind remarks were passed due to special requests such as splitting my lunch hour so that I can pump breast milk. Is it too much to ask for a clean and comfortable space with an understanding management team? I'm just trying to feed my baby.\"
This House must remember just that, that all these breastfeeding mothers are trying to do, is to feed their children. We should do everything we can to help them fulfil this basic need.
Sir, I know the Government cares about this issue and wants to provide the help that is so desperately needed. A few months ago, the Breastfeeding Mother's Support Group Singapore (BMSG) met with Government agencies to share their concerns and for the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of National Development (MND), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to hear firsthand about the challenges and difficulties breastfeeding mothers face.
I saw a genuine concern from all the public servants in the room. I thank Minister Indranee for organising the meeting and for all the public servants who spent their valuable time brainstorming possible ways forward. I went away from the meeting knowing that we have a team who are keen to provide a listening ear to understand the concerns on the ground and want to provide a helping hand and make positive changes.
Today, I will offer two recommendations on the positive changes breastfeeding mothers hope will be made. First, requiring at least one lactation room per 2,500 square metres in gross floor area (GFA) in offices and business parks. And second, make certain lactation room facilities mandatory.
I should first stress that my speech today is not about why breastfeeding is good. Indeed, some mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed and we should respect them all the same. But we should note that an increasing number of mothers are breastfeeding and our policies and our physical environment have not kept pace.
So, let me start by first sharing why there is not just a need for lactation rooms but that there is an increasing need for lactation rooms. This lack of lactation rooms is a growing problem.
In February this year, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and maternity hospitals reported breastfeeding as being on the rise. HPB said a national survey in 2021 to 2022 showed that the prevalence of breastfeeding was high at 97%. Among infants from birth to under six months, nearly 40% of infants were exclusively breastfed.
Mothers are also breastfeeding longer. A Nielsen IQ Baby Power 2022 study showed that women are nursing their babies for an average of 11.8 months in 2022. This is an increase from 8.1 months in 2018.
The data very importantly shows that many mothers continue to breastfeed after their maternity leave of four months is over.
Lactation rooms are not a luxury, but something which all working mothers who are breastfeeding desperately need. In a survey of 971 mothers conducted by BMSG in 2022, eight in 10 mothers shared that a lactation room would be one of the most useful forms of workplace support.
Sir, I have shown why lactation rooms are needed and now let me now share what the problems are, specifically on the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment.
Currently under the Code, at least one lactation room must be provided in offices and business parks of 10,000 square metres or more in GFA. The first two problems are the threshold and the minimum requirement of only one lactation room.
In September 2023, in response to my Parliamentary Question, Minister Desmond Lee shared that there are around 3,950 offices that are below 10,000 square metres in GFA and only 300 offices that are above 10,000 square metres in GFA. This means that the vast majority of offices are not required to provide a lactation room. This, we urgently need to fix.
On the ground, breastfeeding mothers directly face this lack of lactation rooms. In a survey conducted by BMSG in August last year of around 370 nursing mothers, the majority of respondents shared that their working location does not have dedicated facilities for nursing mothers to breastfeed or express milk.
Respondents shared a variety of locations that they have used to express milk instead. These included at their desk, meeting rooms, storerooms and even sadly toilets. One mother shared, \"Currently, there is no private room that can be used for pumping so the only option is to pump in the toilet if I go to office. I am quite concerned about the hygiene and inconvenience caused to other colleagues as they cannot use the toilet while I am pumping.\"
The need for lactation rooms is real and for many larger buildings, clearly more than one lactation room is needed. One mother shared, \"There are many occasions that I have to wait 30 to 40 minutes to use the only nursing room in a six-storey building.\"
Expressing breastmilk does take time and many breastfeeding mothers do not have the luxury of time to queue. The last problem is that we do not even have sufficient proper standards for lactation rooms. It is not even mandated in the Code that the lactation room is lockable, and in those cases, a mother would constantly fear that someone might walk into the room during what is a very vulnerable moment for them.
We must remember again that this lack of proper lactation rooms reinforces workplace norms against breastfeeding. It reinforces the discrimination and stigma that breastfeeding mothers face.
The problems I have highlighted can be solved and I am glad many are stepping forward on their own to provide help.
It is not all bad news. There is good news too. There are many who have gone above and beyond the minimum requirements to provide lactation rooms and with better facilities. One example is WeWork. I had the opportunity to visit one of their offices with four lactation rooms in a single building. Their lactation rooms were lockable and available for use through a booking system. They also came with a dedicated fridge and freezer, electrical sockets, comfortable armchairs, sinks and water dispensers.
Many others have taken similar steps to support breastfeeding mothers. That is indeed good news, but the reality is that for many building owners, it will take a change in the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment before a lactation room is provided or more lactation rooms are provided with better facilities.
Let me stress that I do understand that many employers face both financial and space constraints in terms of providing a lactation room, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs). As such, the call today is for building owners who have more resources than SMEs to provide the lactation rooms.
Let us now talk about solutions. My first proposal is to amend the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment to require at least one lactation room per 2,500 square metres in GFA in offices and business parks.
As mentioned, the Code requires only at least one lactation room in offices and business parks of 10,000 square metres or more in GFA. We need to ensure that the Code applies to the majority of offices and business parks rather than the small minority which is currently the case.
A single lactation room in a building above 10,000 square metres in GFA is also just not sufficient. Data from WeWork between January and May 2023 found over 1,300 hours of bookings for their lactation rooms, showing the high demand for lactation rooms.
So many mothers have shared stories about rushing to a lactation room during their lunch break only to find that another mother is already using it. One mother shared with BMSG that she has had to wait 15 to 30 minutes outside a lactation room as a mother was already pumping inside. Another mother told me that she would sometimes only have five minutes left for her own lunch after expressing her milk. No mother should have to choose between feeding herself or her child.
It is also clear again that buildings with more occupants have higher needs. In fact, the Code already recognises that this as it states that \"the number of lactation rooms to be provided should be based on the scale of the building and the needs of the building users\".
Again, I propose that we peg the number of lactation rooms to the size of the building by requiring at least one lactation room per 2,500 square metres in GFA.
MND has said that the GFA threshold is a base guideline meant to strike a balance between needs and the efficient use of space, and that some buildings go beyond these requirements. Indeed, as Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad shared when we debated this issue four years ago, MND itself has two lactation rooms in the MND Headquarters within the floors they occupied while MOM has five in its two office buildings.
I appreciate the Government going above and beyond for its employees and the Government clearly recognises the need. But what about all the women not working for the Government? They too need help and support.
I should remind this House that the pain breastfeeding mothers feel is not just on an emotional level but physically as well. When a breastfeeding mother fails to pump at the right time, their breasts can become swollen and create sharp, burning pains. It can even cause infections.
Breastfeeding mothers need help and we should change our policies to provide this help.
My second proposal is that we mandate the facilities required in lactation rooms at workplaces. Under the existing Code, there is a list of nine items a lactation room should be equipped with. These are comfortable sitting, diaper changing stations, waste bins for disposing used diapers, wash basins with liquid detergent and paper towels, dispensers for hot and cold water, vending machines for beverages and diapers, socket outlets for breast pumps, mirrors and refrigerators with freezers for milk storage.
These standards sound very good, but it is only stated that these items \"should be\" rather than \"must be\" provided.
Furthermore, the Code only requires lactation rooms in workplaces to have three out of the nine items. These are comfortable sitting, socket outlets for breast pumps and refrigerators with freezers. The Code also only states that a lockable cubicle is preferred, but not mandated. Why? Should this not be the most important feature to mandate?
We need mandatory standards so that all mothers are assured that when they see a lactation room, it is able to serve its purpose.
Since the Code already recognises that these facilities are important, I propose we take a small step further and mandate that lactation rooms in workplaces be not just equipped with three items but the following items as well, in order of priority: one, a door that is lockable; two, a mirror; three, a wash basin with liquid detergent and paper towels; four, a dispenser for hot water; and five, a waste bin.
Many of these facilities, such as a waste bin, water dispenser, mirror and a lock are, in fact, very basic. They do not require significant additional cost for building owners to provide.
In the BMSG survey, mothers have stated that the above features are important in a lactation room.
Beyond these items, BMSG also has a wishlist of items they hope to have in a lactation room including: one, a small table; two, a steriliser; and three, a dedicated refrigerator with freezer for use by breastfeeding mothers only.
I hope MND will review the Code with the recommendations of breastfeeding mothers in mind and mandate more facilities in lactation rooms in workplaces. I recognise that not all building owners are able to immediately meet higher standards or provide more lactation rooms. I hope MND can implement these new standards progressively. We can start by making sure all new buildings comply with these new standards.
I also hope MND can increase the co-payment quantum in the Accessibility Fund from the current 60% to 80% for the construction of lactation rooms. We already provide the co-funding of 80% for Basic Accessibility features so why not lactation rooms too? This will help building owners significantly.
Lastly, there is the option of installing lactation pods which will be much faster and easier to install as compared to constructing a lactation room. Again, this will help building owners.
Sir, let me end by addressing one of the most common feedback I receive about providing lactation rooms. Some have asked why provide it when there might not be breastfeeding mothers in the office currently? Why waste the space and resources?
The issue here is not just about providing a physical space but about shifting mindsets, removing stigma and ending the discrimination. In this day and age, we do not ask why there is a need to provide an accessible toilet.
In the same Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment that I have mentioned so many times in this speech, accessible toilets for adults with disabilities and seniors must be present at a huge number of locations. We recognise that our buildings should be inclusive in making sure that accessible toilets are widely available, even if some buildings may not have adults with disabilities or seniors.
We have used this Code to shift mindsets when it comes to adults with disabilities or seniors. For them, we have used this code to ensure that we are inclusive. Why the disparity when it comes to breastfeeding mothers? We should use the same Code to now shift mindsets, remove stigma and end the discrimination breastfeeding mothers face.
In conclusion, my two recommendations are that we require at least one lactation room per 2,500 square metres in GFA in offices and business parks and make more lactation room facilities mandatory.
Sir, I know some people are asking why on earth does this guy keep talking about breastfeeding. I first learnt about the difficulties that breastfeeding mothers face when it was raised at my public dialogue session in February 2020. In the past four years, I have spoken repeatedly about this in this House. I have filed many Parliamentary Questions and I have pushed hard for positive changes.
My efforts in this House have really been made possible by the tremendous work done by the Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group Singapore both in the background and in the forefront. It has been a privilege working with them in the past four years.
So, let me end by thanking the Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group Singapore, led by Elaine, for speaking up and fighting hard for all breastfeeding mothers. Many of them, including Elaine, are here with us this evening and are sitting in the Gallery. They continue to wish that we move towards embracing rather than just tolerating breastfeeding. They have waited for a long time and I hope we finally fulfil their wish.
Finally, Sir, I end with this same quote I used in the previous Motion which expresses the wishes of our breastfeeding mothers:
\"I breastfeed
Not because I think I am better.
Not because I think less of formula feeding moms.
Not because I want attention.
Not because I want to show my breasts to others.
I breastfeed
Because I couldn't imagine it any other way.
Because my child wants to be nourished from me.
Because this is what nature intended.
Because this was the right choice for my family.\" [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Minister Indranee.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Louis Ng for his support for breastfeeding mothers and his suggestions to improve workplace conditions for them.
Women are a crucial part of the workforce and it is important that workplaces cater to their needs. For many mothers who have recently given birth, the transition back to work can be challenging, as they have to care for their babies while managing their work responsibilities.
Medical research has highlighted the benefits of breast milk for babies. As Mr Ng has pointed out, the number of mothers choosing to breastfeed is increasing with some mothers continuing to do so even after returning to work.
Given that women form a significant part of our workforce and many continue working even after childbirth, it is important that our workplaces are supportive of mothers. This is especially so in light of our low total fertility rate (TFR). Our workplaces can support mothers by providing a clean and conducive environment for breastfeeding mothers to express milk, so they can meet their babies' needs, even as they resume work.
As mentioned in my reply to Mr Ng's last Adjournment Motion on this topic, we have progressively introduced measures over the years to support breastfeeding mothers.
We conducted substantive reviews of the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment in 2013 and 2019. The 2013 Code review introduced the requirement for specific building types, starting with developments, such as transport interchanges, sports complexes, community clubs and large-scale shopping centres, to provide at least one lactation room. After another review in 2019, this requirement was extended to more building types, including offices and business parks.
We also enhanced the Accessibility Fund in 2022 to cover more buildings. The Accessibility Fund co-funds the construction cost of accessibility features, including lactation rooms, to encourage building owners and employers to install them.
In 2022, we expanded the scope of the Accessibility Fund to two additional categories of private sector buildings. First, buildings that were built before 1990 and were already equipped with basic accessibility features. Second, buildings which were built after 1990, but before the implementation of the 2013 Code and which provided fewer accessibility features than required under the pre-2013 Code.
The Government will continue to support breastfeeding mothers in two key areas. First, by reviewing the relevant legislation and incentives for the provision of lactation facilities; and second, by promoting an inclusive, supportive work culture for breastfeeding mothers.
The latest Code review is already underway. BCA has formed a Code Review Committee, comprising public and private sector stakeholders, with representation from 15 organisations, including social service agencies, industry associations and Government agencies. BCA aims to commence public consultation on the enhanced Code by end 2024.
A key focus of the review is on lactation rooms. I thank the Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group and the Association for Breastfeeding Advocacy for actively participating in the Code Review Committee's focus group discussion. Their frank and generous sharing of their experiences has enabled the Committee to better understand the needs of and the challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers.
The current Code requires buildings, such as offices and business parks, with 10,000 square metres or more in GFA to provide at least one lactation room. We are encouraged that several progressive building owners and employers have provided lactation rooms beyond these minimum requirements. JEM and CapitaSpring are examples of larger developments that have voluntarily provided more than one lactation room. Some developments with GFA of less than 10,000 square metres, including some hawker centres, have also provided lactation rooms voluntarily.
Nonetheless, we agree that there is scope to lower the GFA thresholds in the Code for the installation of lactation rooms in offices and business parks and to consider requiring larger buildings to install more lactation rooms. I wish to reassure Mr Louis Ng that the Committee is studying this issue carefully. We need to take a calibrated and balanced approach, bearing in mind the other competing needs for space within developments and the constraints of smaller developments. The Committee will consider these issues when making its recommendations on the GFA thresholds for lactation rooms.
In the meantime, I wish to highlight that specially constructed lactation rooms are not the only solution to meeting breastfeeding mothers' need for private space. Lactation pods are a viable alternative for owners of or employers in buildings with lower GFA or with configuration constraints. These pods are commercially available for purchase or lease and the pod exterior can be customised to align with the office branding or décor. I urge employers in and owners of smaller buildings or buildings with limited space to consider installing lactation pods. The Accessibility Fund can be tapped on to co-fund lactation pods.
But beyond just providing lactation rooms, it is important that lactation rooms are sufficiently equipped to meet the needs of breastfeeding mothers, as Mr Ng has pointed out.
The Code currently recommends a list of items that all lactation rooms should be equipped with. We note Mr Ng's suggestions for more items to be added to the list. Moving forward, we can consider making some essential features of a lactation room mandatory. For instance, privacy, easy access and access to electricity.
At the same time, we must be mindful about striking the right balance. Employers and building owners need also sufficient flexibility in determining how to address the needs of other building users. For instance, they may wish to site loose fixtures and appliances, such as water dispensers in common locations like pantries. Modalities may differ from site to site, but what matters is that there is thoughtful provision of facilities to meet employees' needs, including those of breastfeeding mothers.
The Code Review Committee will continue to assess this and continue to gather data to refine its proposed enhancements to the Code. I encourage our industry stakeholders and our advocacy groups to continue providing feedback, to help us shape a more accessible and inclusive built environment.
We also note Mr Ng's recommendation to increase the co-funding amount under the Accessibility Fund to meet the construction cost of lactation rooms. We will consider this following the completion of the Code review.
Mr Speaker, the provision of lactation rooms or pods is but one aspect of a much bigger picture, which is the need to have a supportive workplace environment for families in general and mothers in particular, given the predominant role they play in bearing and caring for children. We need to go beyond mandatory infrastructural provisions and encourage progressive workplaces that benefit both the employee and the employer.
The global workplace is changing. Millennials and Gen Z have very different expectations towards work and workplaces. There is keen competition for workers and talent, including female workers. Bosses who are empathetic and who can balance business objectives with employee needs, will have a strategic advantage in recruitment and retention. This includes developing a workplace culture that supports motherhood and breastfeeding.
Fostering such an inclusive workplace culture ultimately requires mutual support among supervisors, colleagues and the wider community. It also requires capable human resources (HR) personnel, good HR practices and above all, candid conversations between employers and employees, and a collaborative effort to meet the needs of both. Everyone has a part to play in building a workplace culture of mutual trust so that all employees, including breastfeeding mothers, can give their best both at work and at home.
Together with our tripartite partners, the Government encourages employers to adopt family-friendly workplace practices. For example, employers are encouraged to adopt the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony. The standards involve implementing good workplace practices to support employees in managing their work responsibilities and personal lives effectively. These include cultivating a breastfeeding-friendly culture in the workplace, offering flexible lactation breaks and providing private lactation rooms.
We will also continue promoting best practices through the Employer's Guide to Breastfeeding at the Workplace, jointly produced by the NTUC U Family, Health Promotion Board and the Singapore National Employers Federation, which includes recommendations on what employers can do to support breastfeeding employees who are returning to work.
In today's world, prospective hires do not only look at a company's business outcomes but also at the progressiveness of its HR practices and workplace culture. I hope employers will view progressive practices, including facilities for breastfeeding mothers, as investments into employee well-being that will in turn benefit all.
Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to supporting inclusive workplaces that enable couples to start, raise and nurture their families. We are reviewing the Code, including the areas highlighted by Mr Ng. We will also continue to work with our tripartite partners to promote family-friendly practices.
However, the Government cannot do this alone. We will need all stakeholders, including building owners, employers and colleagues, to play their part. With this collective effort, we can build a Singapore Made For Families.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Thank you, Sir. Just a quick one. I thank the Minister for the reply and for her firm assurances that the recommendations are being looked into. From her smiles, I have a sense that maybe the recommendations will be implemented.
But, I think she mentioned about the accessibility fund and that they are considering increasing it to 80%; but only after the Code is reviewed, which could take another year. Could I just ask that in the interim we consider increasing the co-funding to 80% now, because I know cost is a big factor for building owners; and, I think, if we increase it to 80%, there is a good chance that more of the building owners will install the lactation pods or construct a lactation room.
Mr Speaker: Minister, you have less than two minutes to respond.
Ms Indranee Rajah: The answer, Mr Speaker, is that we always take Mr Ng's recommendations seriously. The reason why we would consider this after the Code review is because much depends on what the Code proposes or recommends and what the Code mandates. Because if it mandates more, then employers and building owners may need more assistance. So, we have to size the Accessibility Fund depending on what we require them to do.
But we note Mr Ng's concerns about the urgency and the need to assist them. We will look into that. But in the meantime, as I said, lactation pods are a good way to provide facilities in the interim and the Accessibility Fund is available for that.
Mr Speaker: And I can see smiles and happy faces in the Chamber and up in the Gallery.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 5.18 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":"Probe into Recent Mobile Guardian Data Breach Incident and Impact on Cybersecurity Measures for School Apps","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"25 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the respective installed user base of (i) students and (ii) school staff, who are using Mobile Guardian's mobile device management application in schools; (b) whether the user management portal being compromised at the Mobile Guardian overseas headquarters has allowed remote reconfiguration of access privileges on user devices, including microphone and/or camera activation with screen sharing and remote access; and (c) whether the potential vulnerabilities differ across iOS and Android devices.
26 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education following the recent data breach involving the Mobile Guardian app (a) what enhanced review and oversight mechanisms is the Ministry implementing to ensure the cybersecurity of apps and technology used in schools; and (b) whether the Ministry is planning any collaboration with cybersecurity experts to routinely assess such measures.
27 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has been informed of any identifiable lapses in data security practices that resulted in the breach of Mobile Guardian’s user management portal that affected 127 schools; (b) whether there are more schools, than the reported 127 schools, that utilise the application; (c) how many parents and students were affected in total; and (d) what actions will the Ministry pursue to hold the external data vendor, and others providing such services, accountable.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: This response addresses Parliamentary Questions for Oral Answer Nos 25 to 27 and Questions for Written Answer Nos 28 to 31, filed for 7 May 2024 Parliament Sitting.
Members have asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) about the data breach incident caused by unauthorised access to Mobile Guardian's management portal, how MOE has supported affected parties and the steps MOE has taken since the incident.
Let me first provide some information on Mobile Guardian (MG). MG, is one of two companies engaged by MOE to provide Device Management Application (DMA) solutions on Personal Learning Devices used by students. The DMA helps schools and parents manage students' device use. For example, parents can use the DMA to set screen time limits on their child's personal learning device.
The use of MG's DMA for Chromebooks and iPads was decided through an open tender in 2020. The company holds the ISO27001 certification, an internationally recognised standard for information security management systems and is engaged by over 2,500 schools in over 50 countries worldwide.
Let me now talk about MG's management portal, which experienced an incident of unauthorised access. The management portal is used for administrative purposes, such as account licensing and providing technical support. The management portal has access to the following information: name of user; email address; time zone; school name; and the user role – that is, whether the user is a parent or school staff.
MG's management portal does not have the ability to change any configuration on students' personal learning devices. It is also not connected to any MOE or Government IT systems. Hence, MOE and Government IT systems have not been compromised.
On 12 April, MG received an email that an unauthorised individual had gained access to MG's management portal. This email was considered a phishing email, until MG received a subsequent email on 16 April. In the second email, the individual showed evidence of access to MG's management portal and attempted to solicit money in exchange for keeping silent that the individual had been able to access MG's management portal. MG acted on this second alert and worked to establish the extent of access and customers affected. This included suspending all administrative accounts that could be used to access MG's management portal.
MOE was notified by MG on 17 April late night of this incident, as well as the enhanced security measures implemented by MG on its management portal. MOE learned from MG's preliminary investigations that an unauthorised individual had gained access to a support account on MG's management portal. MG's assessment was that the unauthorised individual could have used the compromised account to view the information of customers based in the United States and the Asia Pacific region, including Singapore.
The Cyber Security Agency and GovTech supported MOE in the investigation of the incident.
MG had assessed that the compromised support account was primarily attributed to poor password management practice and not the result of the unauthorised individual exploiting vulnerabilities in MG's systems. Nevertheless, MOE conducted security checks and found no suspicious activity on MOE's DMA portal nor any indications that MOE's DMA had been compromised.
As a proactive measure, MOE decided to communicate with all users whose names and email addresses can be accessed by the MG management portal. These comprised about 67,000 parents and 22,000 school staff across 127 schools. These are parents who had signed up to manage the DMA functions in their child's personal learning device at home; and school staff who use the DMA to manage students' personal learning devices in schools.
MOE sent an email to all of them on the evening of 19 April. In the email, we explained to them what the leaked information could be used for so that they can be more prepared if they encounter phishing or scam attempts. We also lodged a police report on this incident.
MOE takes a serious view of this incident. Our IT service providers are contractually obligated to take reasonable measures to protect personal data against loss and unauthorised access. MOE has registered our deep dissatisfaction with MG over this incident. We have asked MG to appoint a forensic investigator to evaluate its systems and processes and provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence. Investigations are ongoing. Appropriate actions will be taken should there be breaches of contractual obligations.
To safeguard our IT systems, MOE conducts independent audits and regular cybersecurity testing. We will continue to place emphasis on user education and ongoing vigilance to ensure that our IT systems remain secure.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Potential Violations in Recent Mobile Guardian Data Breach Incident","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"28 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) will be conducting an investigation into potential violations of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in relation to the data breach of a user management portal that affected 127 schools in April 2024; (b) if so, what is the expected timeline for completing this investigation; and (c) whether PDPC will consider imposing financial penalties on the responsible parties if legal breaches are found.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) governs the collection, use and disclosure of personal data by private sector organisations. Colleagues from the Ministry of Education have shared more details about the facts of the incident. The Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore is currently investigating if any private sector organisation involved has breached data protection obligations under the PDPA.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Safety of Residents, Including Students and Workers who Work Outdoors Given Record UV Index Levels","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"29 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the ultraviolet index in Singapore hitting extreme levels recently, what factors is the Ministry taking into consideration when ensuring the safety of the population, including students and workers whose workplaces are situated outdoors.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Singapore experiences high ultraviolet index (UVI) levels throughout the year due to our location near the equator. Based on our data, there is no significant upward trend in UVI levels over the past decade, both in terms of the number of days with extreme UVI levels and the duration of extreme UV levels each day. We do see seasonal variability, with the months of February, March and April generally having the highest number of days with high UVI levels.
Over the years, the Government has already taken steps to protect the general public from the effects of UV radiation. Our urban environment is designed with adequate shade and greenery to reduce UV exposure outdoors. The public is advised to check the UV levels on the myENV app and weather information website, and take appropriate precautions to protect their skin and eyes, such as by wearing protective clothing, applying sunscreen and seeking shade especially during the peak UV hours of 11.00 am to 3.00 pm.
The Government has also put in place sector-specific guidelines for various segments of the population. For example, the Ministry of Manpower regularly reviews Workplace Safety and Health measures to address the risks faced by outdoor workers. This includes encouraging employers to allow outdoor workers to take rest breaks under shade and reschedule outdoor work to less sunny parts of the day, where possible. For schools, the measures include avoiding physical outdoor activities during the peak UV hours to minimise students' exposure to UV radiation and advising students to take appropriate UV protection measures, such as using sunscreen. We will continue to monitor UVI levels and take additional measures where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Legislation to Detect and Act Against Fraud in Renovation Disputes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"33 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether he can provide an update on the Ministry's study on whether there is scope to amend the law to make it easier to establish fraud in renovation disputes; and (b) what is the outcome of the study.\n
34 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry can provide an update on the plans to introduce legislation making it easier to establish whether renovation fraud has occurred.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Ministry has studied the question of the legal position on establishing fraud in renovation disputes and whether any amendments are needed.
Today, renovation fraud can be prosecuted as cheating offences under section 420 of the Penal Code. The Attorney-General Chambers' (AGC's) assessment is that there is no need to amend the law further. The Prosecution is able to secure convictions against fraudulent renovation contractors using evidence, such as financial records and digital evidence, uncovered during investigations.
AGC's and the Police's observation is that many cases of non-fulfilment of contracts are not the result of fraud, but rather, business distress. The right course is in civil remedies, which have been made easier to access over the years. For example, in 2019, the Government raised the ceiling for claims that can be brought in the Small Claims Tribunal to $20,000 (or $30,000, if all parties consent).
Home owners intending to carry out renovation works should also consider engaging contractors accredited by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), which have consumer-friendly policies including dispute resolution facilitated by CASE.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Safety Measures for Loading of Cranes, Especially Near Public Roads","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"35 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower with regard to the accident on 9 April 2024 where a crane toppled and crushed a van while it was loaded up a truck (a) what are the existing safety measures imposed for the loading and unloading of cranes; and (b) whether the Ministry plans to impose stricter safety measures for cranes operating near public roads.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stipulates safety measures for the loading and unloading of cranes, which include statements of methods and safety procedures that must take into account site constraints and the width and angle of ramps. Other required measures include ensuring the stability of the ground, cordoning off the potential collapse zone and the deployment of competent and trained operators.
Companies should refer to the approved Code of Practice – Singapore Standard 663: Code of practice for safe loading on vehicles – and Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council's WSH Guidelines on Safe Loading and Unloading on Vehicles.
Since 2019, there were only three incidents involving loading or unloading of heavy machineries. Of which, two resulted in minor injuries and one with no injury. MOM will review if additional measures are required, after investigations on the incident on 9 April 2024 are completed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Transport Safety Investigation Bureau's Probe into Crash of Singapore-registered Container Vessel at Baltimore Bridge","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"38 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the Francis Scott Key Bridge crash in Baltimore, USA (a) when will the independent marine safety investigation by the Ministry's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau be completed; and (b) whether the Ministry can (i) identify any preliminary lessons that will help prevent risk of future marine incidents and (ii) provide an update on the well-being of the crew of Dali.
39 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether an update can be provided on the status of the investigation by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau into the collision of the Singapore registered container vessel, the Dali, onto the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, United States; (b) how long will the investigation take; (c) whether the Ministry will make public in full the Bureau's findings; and (d) whether the Ministry can share any preliminary findings uncovered to date.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Ministry of Transport's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau is participating in the marine safety investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States, in accordance with the International Maritime Organization guidelines. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), as the flag administration of the container vessel Dali, is also conducting a separate investigation into the incident.
As the investigations are still ongoing, it is premature to identify the probable causes of the incident or comment on when the investigations will be completed.
MPA is working closely with the ship owner and manager to ensure the psychological and physical well-being of the crew. The crew are assisting with the investigations and are safe.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of SportCares Programme to Facilitate Rehabilitation of Juvenile Delinquents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Ministry will consider extending the SportCares programme to include children and young people in contact with the criminal justice system to assist with their rehabilitation.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: SportCares was established in 2012 as the philanthropic arm of SportSG to enable vulnerable individuals and persons with disabilities to experience and reap the benefits of sport by instilling confidence and elevating their outlook on life.
SportCares partners the Singapore Prison Service to support the rehabilitation of offenders, such as through offering weekly sports programmes for youths in about seven institutions, including the Reformative Training Centre. On top of sports coaching, coaches also impart values and life experiences. Participants are encouraged to continue in SportCares programmes upon their release.
SportCares also offers sports programmes to residents of the Singapore Boys' Home and Singapore Girls' Home, to support their rehabilitation within these institutions and facilitate their reintegration into the community. This is done by connecting them to SportCares' community programmes, such as the Saturday Night Lights and Let's SEPAK.
SportCares will continue to explore ways to better enable children and young people in contact with the criminal justice system to reap the benefits of sports.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Students in Each Annual Cohort who Attain International Baccalaureate Diploma","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"42 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education (a) in the past three years, what is the percentage of students in each annual cohort at Government schools and institutions who attain the International Baccalaureate diploma; and (b) whether there are plans to have more places allocated to students who are keen to take the International Baccalaureate diploma programme.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Over the past three years, around 7% of each Pre-University 1 student cohort took the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).
There are currently no plans to allocate more places to the IBDP, as the GCE \"A\" Level programme remains relevant as a national curriculum. We will continue to review this regularly.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Rejections to Applications for Private Medical Insurance","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"43 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has data on the number of people who have had their applications for private medical insurance rejected in each year from 2015 to 2023; and (b) if so, what percentage of the rejected applications involve (i) people with mental health conditions, past or present and (ii) people with disabilities.
44 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Health (a) in the last 10 years, how many people have paid for hospital treatments without insurance coverage beyond MediShield Life and who are (i) people with mental health conditions, past or present or (ii) people with disabilities; and (b) what is the average cost of treatment paid by these two groups of people who are outside the coverage of MediShield Life insurance.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore do not collect data on the number of insurance application rejections. MOH also does not track the data that the Member asked for, such as the number of people with mental health conditions or disabilities who have paid for hospital treatments without insurance coverage beyond MediShield Life (MSHL).
Nevertheless, all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents are covered under MSHL from birth regardless of pre-existing conditions, including mental health conditions and disabilities. MSHL is designed to cover them well, so long as they seek subsidised healthcare in our public health institutions. Together, Government subsidies, MSHL, MediSave and, if necessary, MediFund, ensure that most Singapore Citizens pay very little cash out-of-pocket for subsidised care at public healthcare institutions.
What is in question are commercial insurance policies that accord protection over and above MSHL, such as for unsubsidised care in the private sector. These will be subject to the private underwriting arrangements of insurance companies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for Planned Expansion of Woodlands Checkpoint","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Home Affairs with regard to the planned expansion of Woodlands Checkpoint (a) why does the checkpoint need to be expanded by five times its current size when the number of daily travellers is only expected to increase between 33% to 40% by 2050; and (b) what is the expected increase in daily travellers who are Malaysian work pass holders.
Mr K Shanmugam: The current Woodlands Checkpoint (WCP) has been in operation since 1999. Over the years, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has implemented various measures to increase clearance efficiency, from automated lanes to dynamic conversion of clearance lanes from one mode of conveyance to another. However, the extent to which ICA has been able to implement these measures and the ability to implement more measures to enhance clearance efficiency, are limited by existing land and infrastructure constraints.
Compounding this situation is that the traveller and conveyance volume at WCP has grown sharply, beyond original projections. Today, WCP clears 300,000 travellers per day and as many as 340,000 on long weekends and public holidays. This is a huge increase from 230,000 daily travellers in 2000. Pre-COVID-19, the annual conveyance volume passing through WCP was already about 43 million in 2019, far surpassing the design capacity of 35 million. The frequent congestion within WCP and spillover onto the surrounding local roads are evident of the severe strains on the checkpoint and that the current infrastructure is not capable of handling even the current volumes.
ICA's projected 400,000 travellers per day by 2050, a 74% increase from 2000 and 33% from today, will apply even greater pressure on WCP. The actual increases have outstripped ICA's projections. If nothing is done, the travel time for vehicular traffic could increase by more than 60% to 70% during peak periods by 2050, from today.
A major redevelopment and expansion of WCP is, therefore, needed to solve the chronic congestion. The objective is to improve, and not simply maintain, traveller experience. Singaporeans deserve that. And we must also cater for additional buffers on top of our projections, to future-proof WCP even beyond 2050. This is to avoid frequent and reactive infrastructural adjustments which are costly and disruptive to checkpoint operations and, ultimately, travellers.
ICA has conducted extensive feasibility and technical studies to determine the optimal amount of land needed for the expanded WCP to improve the current situation and meet projected future traffic demands and evolving security needs. For example, we need more land and space to be able to move security checks of arriving vehicles further away from the town areas, so that if something untoward unhappens, there is less impact on Singaporeans and the rest of the checkpoint.
The additional space we will get through the expansion of WCP will also provide more holding areas to better contain traffic queues within the checkpoint, to reduce congestion spillover onto the surrounding local roads and inconveniencing Singaporeans who live and work in the vicinity. In addition, the redeveloped WCP will have more automated lanes, including for cars, to reduce ICA's manpower needs, which is a very serious constraint.
ICA's studies and redevelopment plans have been informed by projections derived from overall travel demand data and not on the basis of specific traveller groups.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation of Licensed Money Lenders' Loan Repayment Terms for Low-income Borrowers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"46 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Law whether the Ministry will consider amending legislation and mandate licensed moneylenders to allow borrowers from low-income backgrounds and who have borrowed unsecured loans of less than $15,000 opt for partial repayment at any point during the loan duration, so as to facilitate repayment and avoid recurring interest and late payment fees.
Mr K Shanmugam: The aim of our regulatory regime for licensed moneylenders is to maintain a balance between allowing individual borrowers reasonable access to credit while ensuring that borrowers, particularly lower-income borrowers, are adequately protected. Licensed moneylenders bear the risks of lending and are incentivised in a competitive market to negotiate restructuring of repayments, taking into account the borrower's risk profile.
Borrowers and licensed moneylenders are able to restructure loan repayments, subject to mutual agreement. This can include earlier repayment of loan instalments to reduce the interest incurred, or extension of the loan tenure to reduce each remaining loan instalment and avoid late payment fees. Legislating to mandate specific arrangements is generally inadvisable. For example, mandating to allow early repayment of loans may benefit some borrowers, but may also result in moneylenders pricing in the early repayment risk. Mandating extension of the loan tenure may also result in moneylenders pricing in this risk and potentially constrict access to credit to borrowers with higher-risk profiles.
The Ministry has instead encouraged licensed moneylenders to, as set out in the Professional Service Handbook for Licensed Moneylenders, assist borrowers with financial difficulties by: (a) restructuring the loan repayment to suit the borrower's financial situation; or (b) referring the borrower to a Social Service Agency for assistance in restructuring the loan repayment or for consideration to be placed on a debt consolidation scheme.
Borrowers who have queries on options available to them may also approach the Registry of Moneylenders.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints Received on Indirect Discrimination and Denial of Reasonable Accommodations at Workplaces","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"47 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many cases of feedback and complaints regarding (i) indirect discrimination and (ii) denial of reasonable accommodations at the workplace has the Ministry received over the last five years; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider including these as part of the definition of discrimination in legislation.
Dr Tan See Leng: Between 2019 and 2023, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) received eight complaints of indirect discrimination. These complaints form roughly 0.5% of the total number of workplace discrimination complaints that TAFEP received. TAFEP has not received complaints on the denial of reasonable accommodations.
The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness received suggestions to cover indirect discrimination and reasonable accommodations under the Workplace Fairness Legislation but recommended against doing so. Prohibiting indirect discrimination in the legislation imposes very wide legal obligations on employers, resulting in uncertainty for both employers and employees. The employee-employer relationship may become more legalistic as a result.
The difficulty in clearly defining what constitutes reasonable accommodation is real and can result in heavy litigation as seen in other jurisdictions. Hence, prematurely prohibiting the denial of reasonable accommodations may result in an overly rigid approach that inadvertently deters employers from hiring employees who may need such accommodations.
This does not mean that protection is lacking for those who may face indirect discrimination or the denial of reasonable accommodations. The Workplace Fairness Legislation will work in concert with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, which will continue to provide protection against indirect discrimination. The tripartite partners will also be releasing an advisory on the provision of reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Should employees face issues on indirect discrimination and reasonable accommodations in the workplace, they may approach TAFEP for advice and assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Applications to List One Spouse as Owner and the Other as Essential Occupier in HDB Flat Purchase or Change of Ownership","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"48 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development in the past 10 years (a) how many applications has the Housing and Development Board (HDB) received for the purchase of flats where one spouse is listed as the owner and the other spouse an essential occupier; (b) how many applications has HDB received for a change in flat ownership to one spouse where the flat originally lists both spouses as co-owners; and (c) whether the Ministry has data on the number of spouses listed as essential occupiers who buy a second private property without having to pay the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty.
Mr Desmond Lee: Over the last 10 years, about 3% of all Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat purchases had one spouse listed as an applicant and the other spouse as the essential occupier.
Since 1 April 2016, HDB flat owners are not allowed to withdraw one spouse from ownership to become an essential occupier, unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as demise or divorce.
Within the Minimum Occupation Period, all owners and occupiers of HDB flats are not allowed to purchase private property. HDB does not have data on essential occupiers buying a second private property.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation of Discretionary Decisions for Capital Allocations of Index-linked Funds","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Prime Minister whether the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) intends to regulate index providers of index-linked funds traded in Singapore in respect of discretionary decisions by these providers that may have an impact on capital allocation by the said funds, particularly in stocks and bonds.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): The financial benchmarks regime under the Securities and Futures Act 2001 governs the activities relating to the setting of financial benchmarks, which include equity and bond indices. It is an offence for any person to manipulate an index administered in Singapore, or for a person in Singapore to manipulate an index that is administered elsewhere.
Index-linked funds that are offered to retail investors in Singapore are required to comply with strict regulatory and disclosure requirements. The underlying index must be representative of the market or sector which it aims to replicate. Key information on the index composition, methodology as well as significant changes to the index, must be accessible to investors to enable them to continuously evaluate the representativeness and objectivity of the underlying index.
In addition, fund managers using indices for index-linked funds are required by regulation to conduct due diligence on index providers, evaluate suitability and risks associated with the use of indices and ensure that risks, including potential conflicts of interest, are properly addressed.
Where benchmarks are assessed to be systemically-important, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will designate and regulate them to ensure that they have proper governance processes and accountability mechanisms. MAS had designated the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate as a benchmark that is systemically important for Singapore, as it was widely referenced by banks to set interest rates for residential property and commercial loans in Singapore. In the case of index-linked funds, the two largest funds account for only 3% and 1% of Singapore-constituted retail funds, respectively. Given this, MAS has not assessed and designated any such indices to be systemically-important.
In summary, taken together, the overall framework safeguards the credibility of financial benchmarks in Singapore as well as investors' interest in index-linked funds.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Grants for Provision of Non-Tamil Indian Languages through Board of Teaching and Testing of South Asian Languages","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Education (a) when was the last time the Ministry increased the grants extended to the provision of Non-Tamil Indian Languages through the Board of Teaching and Testing of South Asian Languages; and (b) when will the Ministry undertake a review of the sufficiency of such grants in future.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education (MOE) last increased funding for Non-Tamil Indian Language instruction in 2017.
MOE reviews our funding regularly to support the provision of quality instruction to meet the learning needs of our students. We last reviewed our funding in 2022 and assessed it to be adequate.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Singaporean Travellers who eRegister with Ministry of Foreign Affairs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"52 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is the trend in the percentage of Singaporeans who eRegister with the Ministry when they depart from Singapore; and (b) how will the Ministry boost awareness of the benefits of doing so to increase the number of Singaporeans who eRegister.\t
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: In 2023, the total number of Singaporeans who eRegistered before they departed from Singapore was about 340,000, which as a percentage is 1.5%, a small increase from 2019.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) maintains the eRegister so that Singaporeans can voluntarily provide information and contact details in relation to their overseas travels. This allows MFA to reach out and render prompt consular advice or assistance should any emergency occur at the destination.
MFA will continue to encourage Singaporeans to eRegister. Aside from raising awareness through our Travel Advisories and Press Statements, we are using other channels like social media platforms. MFA has been leveraging on digital display panels at Housing and Development Board estates and public events like the NATAS Travel Fair to encourage Singaporeans to eRegister. We will continue to explore new platforms to raise awareness, including working with stakeholders in the travel industry.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Training for Healthcare Professionals Who Support Patients Who Are Neurodivergent or Have Disabilities, and Their Families","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"53 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for Health what training do healthcare professionals, including administrative staff, nurses and doctors receive in relation to providing support for patients who are neurodivergent or have disabilities, including their family members and visitors at healthcare settings.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Healthcare professionals are trained to treat all patients with compassion and respect, including patients who are neurodivergent or have disabilities and their family members. This involves listening and personalising their care, based on their care goals and best interests as well as giving additional time for consultation.
The treatment of conditions which give rise to the disability, for example autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental or learning disorders, would be by care teams who have had additional specialty training. For instance, clinical psychologists are trained to provide psychotherapy and rehabilitative therapies and may work with psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals on treatment programmes.
Administrative staff will take note of additional needs and concerns in supporting healthcare professionals and their patients. Patients and family members may also approach Medical Social Workers for psychosocial support and caregiving advice, if they need additional assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enforcement against Errant Hairdressing Salons for Unfair or Improper Sales Practices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"54 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the Police's follow-up actions upon receiving repeated police reports lodged against errant hairdressing salons for unfair or improper sales practices; and (b) whether enforcement actions will be taken in such situations.
Mr K Shanmugam: Generally, the Police will only investigate into reports lodged against hairdressing salons when a criminal offence, such as cheating, is disclosed.
If there is no criminal offence and it is a case of unfair or improper sales practices, the Police will advise the complainant to seek assistance from the Consumers Association of Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Programmes to Assist Migrant Workers Manage Their Finances Responsibly","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"55 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider working with non-profit organisations to strengthen programmes to assist migrant workers manage their finances safely and responsibly.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower has been working closely with community partners and non-governmental organisations to develop and promote programmes which help migrant workers to manage their finances safely and responsibly. These include the Settling-in Programme for new migrant workers, as well as outreach roadshows at recreation centres to increase workers' awareness on the risks of using unauthorised remittance services and preventing their bank accounts from being used for suspicious activities. The programmes also educate workers on how to manage their finances responsibly, such as setting financial goals and good budgeting tools.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Professional Liability Insurance for Childminders Given Trial Run of Childminding Service","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"57 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in view of the announcements to trial a pilot childminding service for children up to 18 months old, whether the Ministry will be looking into making available professional liability insurance for childminders to safeguard their interests.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Under the infant childminding pilot, the Early Childhood Development Agency will appoint childminding operators, who will, in turn, engage childminders to provide the services.
We are consulting potential operators on how they would manage their business risks when providing services on the pilot, including through the use of insurance where appropriate.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Appointment of Returning Officer for Singapore's Presidential and Parliamentary Elections","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"59 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Prime Minister (a) who is eligible to be the Returning Officer (RO) for Singapore's presidential and parliamentary elections; (b) how is the RO selected; and (c) what are the considerations behind the selection of the RO.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Under the law, the Prime Minister appoints the Returning Officer (RO).
As the RO oversees the conduct of elections, the RO should be a senior public officer with relevant experience, such as having held a senior election appointment in previous elections.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Monitoring Adoption of Flexible Work Arrangement Guidelines by Healthcare Institutions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"61 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health with the recently released Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (a) how will the Ministry track the effectiveness of these guidelines, especially in the community care sector which has limited staff strength and frontline facing jobs; (b) how will the Ministry support employers to overcome manpower limitations while creating a working environment with better work-life balance; and (c) whether the Ministry will incentivise employers who come up with alternative job-sharing solutions, besides the use of grants or financial incentives.
62 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health what specific measures are in place to support flexible work arrangements for healthcare workers while ensuring that patient care standards are maintained.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: While flexible work arrangements may be more easily implemented in some working environments, certain professions, such as healthcare workers, operate on rosters to ensure continuity of service and high standards of care and safety for our patients. As the manpower situation is tight for the healthcare sector, when a frontline staff requests for part-time or fixed shift work, our clusters will consider them sympathetically and objectively based on the needs of the organisation and patients.
For office-based work, there is greater scope for flexible work arrangements. In fact, as frontline agencies in the fight against COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and related agencies fully appreciate the value of contingency planning, which incorporates aspects of flexible work arrangements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Consumer Protection and Anti-scam Safeguards for Users of E-commerce Platforms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"63 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry plans to include TikTok Shop in the annual E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings; and (b) in view that some e-commerce platforms have not put in place essential anti-scam measures as recommended by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams, whether the Ministry will consider legislation as a means to safeguard consumers who shop on such platforms.
Mr K Shanmugam: The E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings (TSR), informs users on the anti-scam measures which e-commerce platforms have in place. The TSR features platforms which have a large local outreach or a significant risk of e-commerce scams.
TikTok Shop is currently not listed in the TSR, because it has accounted for very few of the e-commerce scams in Singapore so far – less than 1% of all e-commerce scams in 2023. We will continue to monitor the reach and scams situation on TikTok Shop and will include it in the TSR if we find that it is warranted.
The Online Criminal Harms Act, which was passed in Parliament last year, will allow the Government to introduce Codes of Practice to require designated online service providers to implement measures to prevent and disrupt scams. The Ministry of Home Affairs will publish the Codes of Practice later this year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rise in Resident Employment Attributable to Non-residents Becoming Residents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"64 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower with regard to the rise in resident employment by 4,900 in 2023 (a) what percentage of the increase is due to non-residents becoming residents in Singapore; and (b) if this data is not collected in the annual labour market reports, why not.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Member would recall that this House had already debated this topic previously. This line of questioning is not productive and undermines social cohesion in Singapore.
We do not collect data on the net change in resident employment by worker's prior residency status in our labour market surveys. Net employment change is derived from Central Provident Fund administrative data which does not collect information on prior residency status. The Member may wish to refer to our manpower statistics webpage, which publishes statistics that provide a more holistic understanding of labour market outcomes for residents, including employment rate, unemployment rate and wage growth.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Utilisation Rates of Sport Facilities under Dual-Use Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"66 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether he can provide an update on the utilisation rates of facilities under the Dual-Use Scheme run by ActiveSG; and (b) whether the Ministry will be proactively looking to expand this programme and make available facilities from more schools.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Under the Dual-Use Scheme (DUS), there are free-to-play facilities and bookable facilities. These include both the Ministry of Education (MOE) school fields and indoor sports halls. No booking is required for free-to-play facilities, that is, members of public can access the facility spontaneously and at no cost.
All bookable facilities under the DUS were almost fully utilised in 2023. SportSG will continue working closely with MOE to expand the DUS to provide Singaporeans with convenient access to schools' sports facilities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Investigations into \"99-to-1\" Arrangement for Stamp Duty Payment for Property Purchases","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"67 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in relation to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) investigations into a \"99-to-1\" arrangement for stamp duty payment for property purchases (a) to date, how many referrals has IRAS made to (i) the Council for Estate Agencies and (ii) the Law Society; (b) whether there are any findings that the Government has to share about the results of this referral; and (c) whether the Government will be looking to assist individuals who have been misadvised by estate agents and lawyers to obtain compensation.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The \"99-to-1\" arrangement is a tax avoidance arrangement used by some property buyers to reduce the rightful Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) payable on the purchase of a residential property.
When such property purchase arrangements are made to reduce the tax payable, the Commissioner of Stamp Duties is empowered under Section 33A of the Stamp Duties Act to disregard the individual transactions and assess them as a single joint purchase, and to recover the rightful amount of ABSD due, along with a 50% surcharge.
As of April 2024, IRAS has completed the review of 187 such \"99-to-1\" cases. Of which, 166 cases were found to have involved tax avoidance and about $60 million in ABSD and surcharges will accordingly be clawed back. Out of the 166 cases found to have involved tax avoidance, about 10 cases with evidence of potential involvement by property agents are currently under review by the Council for Estate Agencies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Ensure Safety and Security at Places of Worship","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"68 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Home Affairs what measures are in place to ensure the safety and security of places of religious worship, especially during worship services or events when there is a large congregation of people.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) work with the Safety and Security Watch Group (SSWG), which includes religious organisations, to conduct security surveys, share best practices and deliver training on building safety and security awareness. Exercises are also regularly conducted with the SSWG members to validate their contingency response plans and ensure their readiness in the event of emergencies. For example, in 2019, the Police, SCDF and the Sultan Mosque jointly organised a counter-terrorism exercise codenamed \"Exercise Heartbeat\", which involved a simulated terror attack at the mosque.
As part of the SGSecure movement, the Police also work with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), to organise counter-terrorism seminars for religious organisations. These seminars share best practices on relevant topics, such as building safety and security, psychological resilience, emergency preparedness and business continuity planning. The counter-terrorism seminar held in October 2023 involved more than 120 participants from various religious and community organisations.
In addition, MCCY helps religious organisations build their crisis response capacity through the Crisis Preparedness for Religious Organisations programme. Under this programme, MCCY provides religious organisations with a security advisory booklet that helps them to identify security threats and plan crisis management responses to various security scenarios. MCCY also encourages religious organisations to assess their crisis readiness and identify operational gaps by completing a self-assessment checklist. MCCY works with the Police and other partners to regularly conduct crisis preparedness training for religious organisations.
If there is information on specific threats or elevated security concerns linked to places of worship, the Police will step up security measures, such as increasing the frequency of patrols in the vicinity.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Companies with More Than 30% of Foreign PMETs and Those with More Than 20% of PMETs of a Single Foreign Nationality","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"69 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower since 2014, what is the annual percentage of companies with (i) more than 30% of foreign professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) employed and (ii) employees of a single foreign nationality accounting for more than 20% of all PMETs employed.
Dr Tan See Leng: We have made a distinction in the statistics for small firms with fewer than 25 professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and larger firms with 25 or more PMETs. This is because small firms have a very small PMET base and their proportion of foreign PMETs will be prone to fluctuations. The median number of PMETs in small firms which hire PMETs is only two. This means that even with one foreign PMET, the median small firm would have exceeded the 30% foreign PMET share or 20% single nationality share. It is important to look at the workforce profile of larger firms with 25 or more PMETs, as these firms tend to have more stable workforce profiles and hire the majority of Employment Pass (EP) holders. While small firms account for 96% of all firms, they only hire about 30% of EP holders.
Over the last decade, the percentage of larger firms with a foreign PMET share of 30% or more has remained constant at 20%. On average, over the decade, about 20% of small firms have a foreign PMET share of 30% or more but the 2023 figure was higher at 28%.
On the percentage of firms with employees of a single foreign nationality accounting for more than 20% of all PMETs employed, it has remained constant at 10% over the decade for larger firms. For small firms, it is about 20% on average, over the last decade, and the figure increased to 30% in 2023.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has introduced the points-based Complementarity Assessment Framework to enable employers to select high-quality foreign professionals while improving workforce diversity and building a strong local core. This has been in place for new EP applicants since September 2023 and will apply to renewal applicants from September 2024. MOM will continue to closely monitor the workforce profile of all firms and adjust our policy levers, where appropriate.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Requests for Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme to Redevelop Aged Housing Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"70 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for National Development for ageing Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats of more than 50 years old but less than 70 years old and which have substantially deteriorated or are facing substantial recurring maintenance issues, whether the Ministry will consider requests from the residents of such flats for the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) to redevelop their precinct if there is sufficient support.
Mr Desmond Lee: As flats age, they will naturally deteriorate due to wear and tear. Flat owners, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the Town Councils all have a part to play to ensure that our flats and estates continue to be in good condition.
Flat owners are responsible for the maintenance and repair of the interior of their flats. Town Councils carry out routine and cyclical maintenance and repair of common property, including repair of spalling concrete and repainting of the building façade. HDB and Town Councils carry out periodic inspections to detect and rectify building deterioration in a timely manner. HDB also implements the Home Improvement Programme for flats that reach around 30 years old, to address common maintenance issues and provide improvements within flats. Flats that reach 60 to 70 years old will receive another round of upgrading. Through these efforts, our HDB flats and estates will continue to be liveable even as they age.
The primary objective of VERS is to stage out the redevelopment of ageing towns in an orderly manner. We will consider resident feedback, alongside other broader considerations for the staging of Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS). For example, we will need to carefully and sensitively stage VERS in the older parts of each town, while minimising dis-amenities to residents in newer parts. We will also need to ensure sufficient construction capacity to support both VERS and new housing demand.
We are also working through the package for VERS and the detailed mechanics and processes for polling and relocation. We want to ensure that residents' needs are taken care of, that there will be sufficient new homes at the right time for them and a range of housing options to meet the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans at different life stages.
We are working through the details and plans and will share more details in due course.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Use of Data Analytics to Ascertain Accident Risks at Roads and Traffic Junctions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"71 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Land Transport Authority (LTA) applies data analytics to ascertain which roads and traffic junctions have greater risk of accidents involving (i) vehicle-vehicle collisions (ii) pedestrians being hit by vehicles; (b) if so, whether the collation and analytics use artificial intelligence and has sight of (i) Traffic Police sensing (ii) reports of near-misses and (iii) crowdsourced feedback from the public; and (c) what is LTA doing to reduce the risk of pedestrian accidents and pedestrian accident deaths.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) deploys a variety of tools and data sources to monitor and review operational roads, including traffic accident data from Traffic Police and feedback from the public. These form part of LTA's road safety assessments and informs its decisions regarding road safety enhancements, such as the installation of Red-Amber-Green arrows, implementation of traffic calming measures and the installation of additional crossing points, such as kerbless and zebra crossings.
Each year, LTA introduces about 1,000 of such road safety enhancement measures island wide. Each measure is tailored to cater to local road conditions and needs.
Other initiatives, like Silver Zones and Friendly Streets, lower speed limits along selected roads in residential areas, further reducing the risk of pedestrian accidents.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing Penalties against Bank Employees who Engage in Poor or Misleading Sales and Advisory Practices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"72 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will consider enhancing existing penalties against bank employees who are found to have engaged in poor sales and advisory practices, having mis-sold banking products to customers in cases brought to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) investigates and takes firm enforcement actions against errant financial institutions and their representatives. This is independent of whether the case is lodged with the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre.
Under the Financial Advisers Act, when providing advisory services to their customers, financial advisory representatives must, amongst other things, disclose material product information, have a reasonable basis for making recommendations and not make false or misleading statements. Where mis-selling has taken place, MAS may take a range of enforcement actions, depending on the severity of the case. These include public reprimands, composition penalties and prohibition orders. In egregious cases, MAS will refer the matter to the Attorney-General's Chambers for criminal prosecution. Where more serious criminal offences, such as cheating under the Penal Code, are disclosed, MAS will also refer the matter to the Singapore Police Force for investigation.
MAS has, in the past, imposed prohibition orders of up to seven years for mis‑selling. Such prohibition orders bar the person from conducting regulated financial services for the duration of the order. MAS publishes its enforcement actions to send a deterrent signal to the industry of its stance towards misconduct by financial services professionals. MAS will continue to review and update existing penalties where necessary and take robust actions against misconduct in the financial services industry.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Temperature Hikes on Rate of Heat Injuries and Hydration amongst Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"73 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Education with regard to the current and projected rise in temperatures (a) whether there is a discernible rise in students getting heatstroke or heat injury in the past six months; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider mandating schedules for regular hydration breaks for students throughout the school day.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: There was no significant trend in students getting heat injuries between November 2023 and April 2024. One heat-related incident was reported during this period. The student has since recovered after four days of medical leave. Schools encourage students to keep themselves hydrated throughout the day but do not mandate schedules for hydration breaks. Students are taught to cultivate good hydration habits and drink regularly to keep hydrated.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhanced Version of Estate Upgrading Programme for Older Private Estates to Improve Senior-friendly Features","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"75 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for National Development for older private estates which have completed the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP), whether the Ministry can consider an enhanced version of EUP to further improve the living environment, including more senior-friendly features inside the homes for older residents in such estates, similar to the Home Improvement Programme II and Enhancement for Active Seniors Programme for public housing estates.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Age Well SG programme was launched last year to support seniors to age well in their communities and homes. As part of this programme, the Ministry of National Development (MND) will enhance the living environment in both Housing and Development Board (HDB) precincts and private residential estates.
For private residential estates, MND will enhance the EUP by expanding its scope to cover senior-friendly enhancements, such as rest points, barrier-free access ramps, active health fitness trails and therapeutic gardens. This will allow older residents living in private estates, selected for future batches of the EUP, to enjoy an enhanced living environment and live a more active lifestyle. We will also introduce a new EUP for Silver Estates, where estates with a higher concentration of seniors, including those that have benefitted from EUP some time ago, may be selected for senior-friendly enhancements.
For common areas within private residential developments like condominiums, management corporations can tap on the Building and Construction Authority's Accessibility Fund for co-funding to install senior-friendly features, such as grab bars for toilets, wheelchair-accessible toilets and ramps in common areas within their compounds.
For senior-friendly features within homes, HDB's Home Improvement Programme and Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) 2.0 programme cover a range of enhancements tailored for HDB flats, which are more standardised. In contrast, the designs and layouts of private homes vary greatly. As such, we will continue to study how seniors living in private homes can be better supported to age well within their homes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for Household Income Assessment for Residential Long-term Care Subsidies to Exclude Variable Earnings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"76 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health whether the assessment of per capita household income (PCHI) for subsidies for residential long-term care (LTC) can be reviewed to exclude variable payments, such as bonuses and commissions, which fluctuate from year to year.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The per capita household income (PCHI) should include variable components, such as commissions and bonuses, as they are still sources of income and will help form a more complete picture of the financial resources available to households and ensure that subsidies are targeted at those who need it the most.
We recognise that individuals' income may fluctuate over time. Hence, means-testing results are based on the average monthly household income over the past 12 months and are valid for two years. Individuals who face changes in their financial circumstances may appeal to have their PCHI re-assessed. Those who face difficulties in paying for their long-term care expenses after subsidies may also apply for further assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Remuneration for Those who Contribute Works for National Multimodal Large Language Model Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"77 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has plans to remunerate writers, authors and publishers who contribute their works for the purpose of training the National Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) Programme and, if not, why not; (b) what steps are being taken for the launch of the National Multimodal LLM Programme; and (c) which communities is IMDA engaging with to obtain feedback on the creation of the Programme.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The National Multimodal Large Language Model Programme (NMLP) was launched in December 2023 as a research programme to build up Singapore's capabilities in developing LLMs that can better understand the multi-lingual and multicultural context of Singapore and Southeast Asia.
The NMLP is still a nascent effort. So far, researchers have benefitted from data, such as those from open government publications and records as well as contributed content from partners for which no remuneration was required. In any case, we will continue to adopt a consultative approach for Generative AI projects trained in the local and regional context. IMDA has engaged a range of organisations and associations to understand their views. Specifically for the local writer's community, the Infocomm Media Development Authority is working with the National Arts Council for outreach and has also partnered the not-for-profit organisation, SingLit Station, to conduct a survey on their willingness to be involved in research efforts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Harassment of Migrant Domestic Workers' Employers by Moneylenders","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"78 Mr Mark Lee asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there has been an increase in the number of employers of migrant domestic workers facing harassment from moneylenders, arising from love scams involving migrant domestic workers and debts incurred from such scams; and (b) what measures have been implemented to shield employers from such harassment by moneylenders.
Mr K Shanmugam: There has been an increase in the number of reports of harassment by unlicensed moneylenders, which involved migrant domestic workers as borrowers. However, the Police do not track such reports by whether the employer is a party who faced harassment.
The Ministry of Home Affairs takes a firm stance against unlicensed moneylending activities. Under the Moneylenders Act, unlicensed moneylenders who harass their borrowers or any other person in connection with a loan to the borrower could face a fine of at least $5,000 and up to $50,000, or imprisonment of up to five years, or both. The penalties are higher for repeat offenders. In 2023, the Police conducted 12 major enforcement operations against unlicensed moneylenders and arrested more than 850 subjects who were believed to be involved in loan-sharking activities.
Aside from enforcement efforts, the Ministry of Manpower works with the Police to educate migrant domestic workers about the potential consequences of borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders, which could include revocation of their work pass and being barred from future employment. They are also educated on financial management practices they can adopt, such as consulting their employers, employment agencies or non-governmental organisations on any financial difficulties they are facing. These education efforts are conducted through various channels, such as the Settling-in Programme, which all first-time migrant domestic workers must attend when they arrive in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Development Plans for Marina Bay Golf Course","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"79 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Law (a) whether development plans for the Marina Bay Golf Course have been finalised; and (b) if not, whether the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) will consider offering an extension of its lease until development plans for the land site are finalised and the site is required for further development.
Mr K Shanmugam: We had announced in 2014 that the lease for the Marina Bay Golf Course will not be renewed after its expiry in July this year, as the site will be redeveloped.
The land at the Marina Bay Golf Course site is required for various uses, including the development of the expanded Bay East Garden and Founders' Memorial. Construction at the site is expected to commence shortly after the site is returned to the state. The Singapore Land Authority is, therefore, unable to grant any extension to the lease of the Marina Bay Golf Course.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Compliance with Enhanced Measures to Protect Workers from Risk of Heat Stress","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"80 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Manpower following the introduction of enhanced measures to protect outdoor workers from the risk of heat stress in October 2023 (a) how does the Ministry ensure compliance with the mandatory 10-minute rest break when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature is met; (b) how many employers have breached the measure and what are the penalties imposed; and (c) whether the Ministry will look into tapping on technologies to ensure a higher level of compliance by employers to such measures.
Dr Tan See Leng: The enhanced measures to reduce heat stress for outdoor workers were introduced in October 2023. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been conducting targeted inspections, prioritising high-risk workplaces and in response to public feedback. Of the 70 workplaces inspected, three had breached the mandatory 10-minute rest break measure. These three companies were issued composition fines or notices of non-compliance and have since put in place the required measures.
Besides providing rest breaks to workers, employers should implement on-site measures to reduce heat stress for outdoor workers. These measures include rescheduling outdoor physical work to cooler parts of the day where feasible, identifying and redeploying workers vulnerable to heat stress when the weather is hot, providing shade at work areas where feasible and acclimatising newly-assigned workers. Employers should also ensure adequate water intake by workers through scheduled hydration sessions and train workers to recognise symptoms of heat injury and report to supervisors early if they are feeling unwell.
The monitoring of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) by employers can be done through the use of WBGT meters or the National Environment Agency's myENV app. MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health Council have also provided recommendations on how heat stress management can be further enhanced with technologies, such as real-time on-site WBGT monitors or wearables that provide alert triggers to enable timely interventions for at-risk workers. Employers are also encouraged to provide ice slurries, rest areas with water mist sprays as well as cooling vests to remove heat from workers' bodies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Appeals for Unsuccessful Applications for HDB Flat Eligibility Letters","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"81 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many appeals have been received for unsuccessful applications for Housing and Development Board (HDB) Flat Eligibility letters; (b) what have been the common reasons for the unsuccessful applications; and (c) how many of such appeals have been approved subsequently.
Mr Desmond Lee: The HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter streamlines the flat buying process for flat buyers, by integrating the eligibility assessment for HDB flat purchases, housing grants and HDB housing loans, into a single application. This gives buyers greater clarity on their eligibility for new or resale flats, housing budget and financing options upfront.
From 9 May 2023 to 31 March 2024, HDB has received about 5,300 appeals from those who were unable to obtain an HFE letter. These applicants were not eligible to buy any HDB flat, whether new or resale, as they were unable to meet the eligibility conditions for flat purchase, such as the minimum citizenship requirement, minimum age and non-ownership of private residential property in the preceding 15 months. About one in eight appeals were approved due to changes in circumstances or extenuating factors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Raising Awareness amongst Singaporean Travellers on What To Do when Faced With Emergencies while Overseas","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"82 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the large number of Singaporeans who travel abroad, whether the Ministry will consider setting up a permanent facility where travellers can visit to raise their awareness of preventive safety steps to take before they depart and the knowledge of how to respond in emergencies when they are overseas, through simulated exercises, such as if they were caught in natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and storms; or incidents like terrorist attacks and military conflicts.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) hosts many initiatives that educate the public on emergency preparedness. One such initiative is the Emergency Preparedness Centre (EPC) at the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery.
It uses interactive exhibits to impart emergency preparedness skills to members of public. For example, the Natural Disasters Gallery in the EPC features interactive games to educate the public on the dos and do nots during natural disasters, such as tsunamis and earthquakes. In addition, the War and Terrorism Gallery features essential knowledge on self-protection should they be caught in situations of war or terror attacks.
The SCDF also conducts the Responders Plus Programme (RPP), which equips participants with core life-saving skills, namely basic First Aid, CPR-AED and basic firefighting. The RPP comprises an online and in-person component. The online segment, accessible from the SCDF website, provides self-directed e-learning modules. The in-person session, held at the four SCDF division headquarters, imparts lifesaving skills through hands-on lessons.
The Civil Defence Emergency Handbook, available on SCDF's website, is a handy reference on essential lifesaving skills, encompassing comprehensive instructions on handling various emergencies – from natural disasters to terrorist attacks.
The SGSecure website also provides information and resources on how to respond to terror threats, including the \"Run, Hide, Tell\" and \"Press, Tie, Tell\" protocols.
In short, Singaporeans who pick up emergency preparedness skills are more prepared for emergencies whether in Singapore or overseas.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Publishing Numbers of Citizens and PRs Who Have Registered Foreign Address or Been Overseas for at Least 12 Months","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"85 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister in each year since 2020 (a) how many (i) Singapore Citizens (SCs) and (ii) Permanent Residents (PRs) who have a registered foreign address or been overseas for at least 12 months continuously were not included as part of citizen and PR population in the Population in Brief publication by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD); (b) whether NPTD will consider publishing this figure in future editions of Population in Brief; and (c) if not, why.
Ms Indranee Rajah (for the Prime Minister): In line with international recommendations, we base our population estimates on the \"de jure\" population concept, or place of \"usual residence\". Our methodology for reporting Singapore Citizen (SC) and Permanent Resident (PR) data therefore excludes those who have only a registered foreign address, or SCs and PRs who have been overseas continuously for 12 months or more. This is explained in the Population in Brief publication.
This group of SCs and PRs includes overseas students, professionals working abroad and those who are residing overseas for family reasons. Over the past decade, these SCs and PRs have made up between 2%-3% and 8%-9% of the overall SC and PR populations, respectively. This is with the exception of the COVID-19 period, when travel restrictions resulted in more SCs and PRs staying abroad for 12 months or more.
The National Population and Talent Division will continue to regularly review the annual Population in Brief publication, taking into account international best practices.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Skills Upgrade for Self-employed Arts Service Providers to Meet Requirements in New Arts Council Framework","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"86 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the plans under the framework promoting arts for health and well-being, to be developed by the National Arts Council in collaboration with healthcare entities, to upskill arts self-employed persons (SEPs) to meet the framework's desired outcomes; (b) how many art SEPs does the Ministry expect to upskill under such plans; (c) how will user demand be cultivated under the framework; and (d) what training support will be extended to SEPs under the framework.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: NAC is working closely with our partners, including healthcare entities, to formulate the framework details.
The framework seeks to include best practices, impact measurement tools and case studies that artists and community partners can use. This will create more opportunities for arts practitioners, many of whom are self-employed, to use their talents and craft to support and promote well-being.
NAC will share more details later.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Requiring Social Media Platforms to Collect Real Names to Facilitate Scam Investigations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"87 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Government will consider requiring social media platforms to collect the real names of individuals or individuals representing businesses who are seeking to publish advertisements on their platforms, in order to facilitate scam investigations.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Ministry of Home Affairs will be introducing the Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) this year. The Codes of Practice will impose binding obligations on designated online services. One such requirement will be to verify the identities of their users, including individuals and businesses that publish advertisements on their platforms.
This will help to deter scammers from exploiting social media platforms for scams and facilitate Police's investigations into scam cases.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"False Declarations of Addresses for Migrant Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"88 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower since the launch of the Foreign Worker Tenant Enquiry Service (FWTES) (a) whether there has been an increase in reports from home owners on false declarations of migrant worker addresses; (b) how often does the Ministry conduct spot checks on addresses listed on FWTES; (c) what is the timeframe for inspections after a new address is registered on FWTES; and (d) how many (i) employers and (ii) employees have been penalised for falsely declaring addresses and what penalties did they face.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) introduced the Foreign Worker Tenant Enquiry Service (FWTES) in December 2018, to allow home owners of private and Housing and Development Board (HDB) residential units to check if their addresses had been used illegally to apply for work passes when the workers are not actually staying there. In all reports surfaced by homeowners on misused addresses, MOM will promptly follow-up and contact employers to investigate the actual residential address of the workers involved. Enforcement action will be taken if we detect any fraudulent declaration. There is usually no need to conduct inspections on the reported misused addresses since the home owners have confirmed that no workers were residing there.
Since the introduction of the FWTES, the total number of complaints involving misused addresses has dropped from an average of 730 per year between 2019 and 2021 to an average of 130 per year between 2022 and 2023. During the same period, an average of around 1,140 migrant workers and 480 employers were issued warnings and an average of 70 employers were fined or prosecuted for false declaration of residential addresses or failure to update migrant workers' addresses each year. In certain cases, MOM also revoked the migrant workers' work passes and imposed an employment ban. Some employers were also debarred from hiring migrant workers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Schools in Dual-Use Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"90 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Education (a) in the past 10 years, how many schools have been built and designed with the dual-use of sports facilities in mind; (b) of which, how many are onboard the Dual-Use Scheme (DUS); (c) how soon can the Ministry get the remaining schools onboard DUS; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider allowing DUS to operate during after-school hours on weekdays.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: All the 12 new schools built in the past 10 years were designed to allow for the sharing of their sports facilities with the community. Eight of these schools are already onboard the Dual-Use Scheme (DUS) administered by SportSG, which allows the community to use the sports facilities. The remaining four schools will be onboard by the end of 2024.
Most DUS facilities are available for public use during the weekends, when schools have less need for the facilities. However, schools may open up their DUS facilities for public use after school hours on weekdays, depending on their circumstances and needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress of Work by National Wellness Committee for Junior Doctors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"91 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the National Wellness Committee for Junior Doctors (NWC-JD) has finalised its recommendations; (b) if so, what are the recommendations and whether any have been implemented; and (c) if not, what is the timeline for the recommendations to be finalised.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The National Wellness Committee for Junior Doctors NWC-JD has finalised its recommendations. These include, setting clearer work hour guidelines for junior doctors, enhancing career guidance and promoting a safe and supportive environment for junior doctors.
The recommendations are being progressively implemented and Chief Wellness Officers have been appointed in our public healthcare clusters to oversee and coordinate efforts to improve the well-being of all healthcare workers. We have expanded and refined the career pathways of doctors in public healthcare and introduced the Hospital Clinician scheme, to meet the care needs of Singaporeans while providing doctors with more career options. Clusters have also successfully piloted measures to improve work hours for junior doctors and will progressively implement these to more departments.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Key Messages in Recent Briefings to International Banks and Plans to Tighten Anti-money Laundering Regulations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"93 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister (a) what are the objectives and key messages of the recent briefings by political officeholders to international banks operating in Singapore; and (b) whether there are plans to tighten anti-money laundering regulations and sentencing guidelines in Singapore following recent money laundering convictions.
Ms Indranee Rajah (for the Prime Minister): Mr Chua is likely to be referring to a Financial Times (FT) article that appeared on 20 April 2024. It claimed that the Singapore Government had given international banks an \"unusual series of top-level briefings on geopolitics\", allegedly to reassure them of Singapore's stability and neutrality amidst rising tensions between China and the West.
It is surprising that such a poorly sourced story, vainly searching for a point, could appear in a major paper like FT, especially after we had repeatedly clarified matters with the reporter, including telling her the briefings were not unusual.
Ministers and officials have been conducting such briefings for decades. We engage not only financial institutions but also numerous other groups, including businesses, professional bodies, voluntary and non-governmental organisations, community and cultural groups, unionists and students. Even among financial institutions, we engaged not only international banks based here but also Singapore banks. In brief, we engage as widely as possible.
It should not be surprising that these engagements address current issues. Besides geopolitical issues and international developments, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, they also covered a whole range of domestic matters, from the cost of living to the Budget, from education to housing policies and also the ongoing money laundering cases. Our aim is to explain the Government's positions, hear from various stakeholders about their concerns and challenges and gather feedback.
As for the suggestion the Government was somehow conducting these briefings under the radar, FT did not report what we told its reporter: that almost all the briefings her article mentioned had already been publicised by the ministers on their own social media accounts. Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean also posted photographs of his engagement sessions.
It is significant that no reputable media outlet, international or domestic, chose to follow up on FT's story. Several asked us follow-up questions, but decided there was no story once we explained our position.
Regarding the Government's plans to tighten our anti-money laundering regime, the Inter-Ministerial Committee intends to provide an update on our findings in the coming months.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Public Education for Online Sellers of Personal Mobility Aids Given Upcoming Changes to Regulations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"94 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Transport in view of the upcoming changes to Personal Mobility Aid (PMA) regulations, how will the Ministry educate and engage online sellers of PMAs in the conduct of sales, especially regarding the sales of such devices to delivery riders.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has engaged retailers, food delivery companies and the National Delivery Champions Association on the prospective regulations pertaining to personal mobility aids (PMAs). We will continue to do so, including with online retailers, to increase awareness and understanding.
LTA will also work with the Attorney-General's Chambers to explore ways to strengthen enforcement against online platforms that promote the sale of non-compliant active mobility devices.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Diversity in Youth Panels that Examine Government Policies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"95 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what strategies are in place to ensure that members of the Youth Panels that are set up to help shape national policies are representative of the diversity of Singapore's youth; and (b) what training and support is provided to the Panel members to ensure that they are able to undertake their role competently and comfortably.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The inaugural youth panels comprise around 140 youths from different ethnic groups and diverse backgrounds, including secondary school and tertiary students; and young working adults from the private and public sectors. They were appointed from open calls for participation. This diversity enables them to provide valuable perspectives in deliberating policy issues.
The youth panels will also be engaging more youths outside of the panels. Those interested in the policy issues addressed in the Youth Panels can participate in the engagements, led by the Panels and at a new Youth Policy Forum, which the National Youth Council (NYC) will organise later this year. These enable our wider youth population to contribute their views and shape the youth panels' recommendations.
An important outcome from the Youth Panels is for our youths to better understand the policymaking process. To support the Youth Panel members, NYC organised workshops on context setting, policymaking and design innovation to broaden youths' understanding of policymaking tools and processes. The Youth Panels will continue to participate in such workshops in the coming months, as they develop their problem statements and conduct research.
Each Youth Panel is also supported by Government agencies that oversee the respective policy areas. These agencies guide the panels by setting policy contexts and sharing their policy considerations to inform the panels' deliberations.
Interested members of the public may wish to stay updated on the progress of the Youth Panels via NYC's Youth Panels' webpage1.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : nyc.gov.sg/youthpanels"],"footNoteQuestions":["95"],"questionNo":"95"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Effective Measures to Deter Unfair Practices by Hairdressing Salons","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"96 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the warning issued by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) via a media release on 23 November 2023 on a hairdressing salon has been effective in deterring unfair practices among hair salons; (b) whether there have been similar new complaints received since then; and (c) whether the CCCS needs to demonstrate stronger deterrence and thereby be empowered to impose more effective enforcement measures.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Since the media release was issued in November 2023, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) has received fewer complaints concerning hair salons. Between December 2023 and April 2024, CASE received 128 such complaints, compared to 154 in the prior five-month period. The hair salon in question has given an undertaking to CCCS to stop engaging in unfair practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore investigates all claims of unfair practices and does not hesitate to take firm enforcement action when necessary. This includes seeking court injunctions to restrain errant businesses from engaging in unfair practices.
The Government will continue to work closely with CASE to monitor industry practices. We will also study whether more deterrent measures are needed to deal with egregious conduct.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extending Award for Nurses' Grace, Excellence and Loyalty Scheme to Encourage Retention of Nurses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"98 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider extending the Award for Nurses' Grace, Excellence and Loyalty (ANGEL) scheme, which is a retention scheme to attract and encourage nurses to build a lifelong career in the public healthcare system, to nurses from private hospitals.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: There are no plans to extend the Award for Nurses' Grace, Excellence and Loyalty (ANGEL) scheme to nurses working in the private sector.
The ANGEL scheme is designed to encourage nurses to stay and build their careers in the public healthcare institutions and publicly-funded community care organisations. Private hospitals are welcomed to implement their own retention scheme through self-funding, bearing in mind these are unsubsidised and typically commercially-run hospitals. Private hospitals have their own remuneration practices to reward and recognise their nurses.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average, 25th and 75th Percentile of Rents at Hawker Centres Operated by NEA and Socially-conscious Enterprises","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"99 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what is the current average, 25th and 75th percentile of rents being paid by hawkers operating at (i) National Environment Agency (NEA)-managed hawker centres and (ii) Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHC).
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: As of 31 Mar 2024, the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile monthly stall rental of cooked food stalls were $1,500, $1,700 and $1,950 at Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHCs); and $1,350, $1,600 and $1,800 for non-subsidised stalls at similar hawker centres managed by the National Environment Agency. In general, stall sizes at SEHCs are larger and enjoy better amenities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Anti-Scam Centre as One-stop Centre for Scam Victims to Inform All Banks About Freezing of Bank Accounts","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"100 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Anti‐Scam Centre can be empowered to be a one‐stop centre for scam victims to inform all banks to freeze their bank accounts to prevent and minimise further monetary losses from cyber theft.
Mr K Shanmugam: When a scam is reported to the Police Anti-Scam Centre (ASC), the focus of the ASC is to quickly trace where the monies have been transferred to – usually the bank accounts of money mules and scammers – and quickly freeze those accounts to prevent the monies from being siphoned out of Singapore. At the same time, it will check if there are other victims and contact those victims, who might not yet be in the know.
ASC will also work with telecommunications companies to terminate the scam-tainted phone lines; and social media platforms to take down the scam-related online accounts and advertisements. ASC will also flag the victims' affected bank accounts to the banks for their follow-up, which may entail freezing of the accounts.
However, the scam victim should not just rely on the Police to freeze his bank accounts. There are many actions which the Police have to undertake as soon as a scam is reported. The victim should also immediately contact his banks directly to freeze his accounts, or better still, activate the emergency self-service \"kill switch\" provided by the banks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Fire Incidents Caused By Over-charging of Personal Mobility Devices’ Batteries","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"102 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Home Affairs over the last 12 months, how many fire incidents have been caused by the over-charging of personal mobility devices' (PMDs') batteries.
Mr K Shanmugam: Between April 2023 and March 2024, there were 18 fires that involved personal mobility devices (PMDs). The Singapore Civil Defence Force does not track, however, how many of such fires involve over-charging of PMD batteries.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Maintenance of Rental Levels to Preserve Cultural Identity in Places Like Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"103 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for National Development how can the heritage and cultural identity of places like Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India be preserved and not overly dominated by businesses of a specific nature which can afford high rentals to landlords.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Government is committed to celebrating and sustaining the cultural identity of our Historic Districts, like Chinatown, Kampong Gelam and Little India. To retain the unique character of these districts, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has conserved buildings with heritage significance and put in place detailed use controls to exclude non-heritage uses, such as fast-food restaurants, supermarkets and new bars, from the core areas of these Historic Districts.
To sustain the intangible culture and heritage of these districts, the Government works closely with our community partners, including precinct associations, building owners and local businesses, to encourage landlords to support heritage trades. For instance, One Kampong Gelam and the Kampong Gelam Alliance have worked with their community stakeholders and the URA to match heritage and cultural businesses with landlords that are open to supporting traditional uses.
The Government will continue to work with community partners to consider more ways to celebrate and sustain the culture and heritage of our Historic Districts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Submission of Skills Transfer Roadmaps by Companies That Receive More Than $5 million in Government Grants","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"104 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether companies receiving more than $5 million in Government grants or tax subsidies are required to submit a skills transfer roadmap outlining how they will leverage the funding to upskill locals with specific targets; (b) whether future tranches of grant disbursements will be contingent on achievement of skills transfer milestones; and (c) if not, whether there are any terms and conditions on the grants that will ensure skills transfer to Singaporean workers.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Business grants and tax incentives disbursed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry are designed to support companies that undertake specific projects or activities to upgrade, grow and transform their businesses. These can include the development of new capabilities, expansions, or the establishment of new businesses in Singapore. Where relevant and on a case-by-case basis, the agencies may include factors such as creation of local employment and training opportunities as part of the consideration.
Separately, the Government invests significantly to support our businesses and workers to upskill and reskill and administers various programmes for this purpose. The Member may refer to the reply to Parliamentary Question No 105 for the Sitting on 7 May 2024 for more details. [Please refer to \"Programmes that Support Skills Transfer by Foreign Specialists Working in Singapore\", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, 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":"Programmes that Support Skills Transfer by Foreign Specialists Working in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"105 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower beyond the Capability Transfer Programme (a) what other programmes support skills transfer from foreign specialists, including employment pass holders, to Singaporeans; (b) what metrics are used to measure the impact of each programme; and (c) whether there are any targets or key performance indicators used to directly measure the effectiveness of skills transfer from foreign specialists to local employees across companies.
Dr Tan See Leng: The process of skills transfer is complex and non-linear and different companies will have different approaches and modalities to upskill and reskill their workforce. This can include structured training, mentorship, having cross-disciplinary teams, exposure to different industries and markets or overseas attachments and postings. The many approaches to skills transfer mean that there is no practical, one-size-fits-all way to measure the extent of skills transfer across the economy.
The Government facilitates skills transfer through a variety of programmes. Workforce Singapore's (WSG's) Capability Transfer Programme has benefitted more than 140 companies and more than 1,000 locals to date. We also facilitate skills transfer by encouraging Singaporeans to go abroad for career progression. For example, WSG is launching the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme later this year. On top of existing programmes, there are also opportunities for skills and knowledge exchange as part of everyday interactions, at work and in social settings.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Supporting Revival of Trishaw Services to Preserve Culture and Heritage","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"106 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Singapore Tourism Board intends to support the revival of trishaw services in Singapore in order to preserve our local culture and heritage; and (b) if not, how else can such local culture and heritage be preserved.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Mr Speaker, my response today will also cover the Parliamentary Question filed by Mr Dennis Tan on trishaw services in Singapore for a subsequent Sitting. If Mr Dennis Tan is satisfied with the response, he may wish to withdraw his question after this session.
The trishaw, once a popular mode of transportation in Singapore until the 1950s, holds a special place in our social and transport history. Today, trishaw rides are no longer a common means of travel and mainly ferry tourists who are keen to experience the Singapore of yesteryear.
Trishaw tours ceased last year, when the lease of Trishaw Park at Queen Street expired. With planned developments in the area, Trishaw Park would no longer be conducive for trishaw operations. Before trishaw tours ceased last year, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) extended the lease of Trishaw Park four times between 2019 and 2023. STB granted the extensions to give the operator, Trishaw Uncle, more time to find new sites for its operations. During this period, STB and several Government agencies worked with Trishaw Uncle to explore several sites. Unfortunately, none were found suitable.
STB is prepared to support the resumption of trishaw tours if any operator is able to find a suitable site.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Redevelopment Works and Opening Dates for Singapore Art Museum's Two Sites at Bras Basah Area","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"107 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) when are redevelopment works at the Singapore Art Museum's (SAM)'s two sites, of the former St Joseph's Institution building on Bras Basah Road and former Catholic High School's building on Queen Street, expected to be completed; (b) when are these two sites expected to reopen for public access; and (c) how will SAM's present space at Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD) be utilised when these two sites are reopened.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Singapore Art Museum has been operating at Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD) since 2022 and is doing well at its current location.
The contiguous space and high ceilings in TPD are well-suited for showcasing contemporary arts. SAM has hosted multiple successful exhibitions at TPD, including Singapore Biennale 2022, Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger and SAM Contemporaries: Residues and Remixes. Because of the space afforded at TPD, SAM was able to display large-scale contemporary artworks such as Ong Kian Peng's The Viscous Sea and Ho Tzu Nyen's Hotel Aporia, giving visitors an opportunity to immerse fully in the artworks and experience them as the artists intended. SAM has received positive feedback from visitors about its current location.
In view of this, SAM plans to remain at TPD in the near-future.
The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth is considering plans for the Old St Joseph Institution Building and will share more details when they are ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Digital Platform for Collaborative Sharing of Money Laundering, Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Information","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"108 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Prime Minister whether a digital platform for the collaborative sharing of money laundering, terrorism and proliferation financing information and cases along the lines of the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Collaborative Sharing of Money Laundering/Terrorism Financing (ML/TF) Information and Cases (COSMIC) may be designed for use by gatekeepers, such as law firms, trust and company service providers and accounting firms, to increase these gatekeepers' ability to detect and deter criminal activity and preserve Singapore's reputation as a trusted financial centre.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): The Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Collaborative Sharing of Money Laundering/ Terrorism Financing Information and Cases (COSMIC) is a platform for participating banks to share customer information with each other to detect and prevent significant financial crime cases. It targets the risk of criminals exploiting information silos in banks to open or control accounts across multiple banks and to make illicit transactions through them. COSMIC will better enable these activities to be detected and disrupted across the banking sector.
As such information sharing has an impact on customer confidentiality, COSMIC has been carefully designed and implemented, with due consideration for its governance, effectiveness and safeguards to ensure the proper use and safekeeping of the information shared. Participating banks also need to build confidence in each other, that information shared will be carefully safeguarded. MAS is taking a phased approach, starting with six major commercial banks, before considering the expansion of COSMIC to a wider segment of the financial sector in subsequent phases.
There is potential to study the usefulness of such a model for other sectors at a later stage. But we will focus on implementing this for banks first, learn from the experience and ensure that it works well, before considering if it can be applied to other sectors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Holding Taxi and Platform Operators Rather Than Drivers Accountable for New Operational Disruption Standards","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"109 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Transport in respect of the new standards for managing operational disruptions for all taxi and ride-hail operators (a) what measures will the Land Transport Authority (LTA) take to ensure that the operators are motivated to minimise disruptions; and (b) how will LTA ensure that operators are held accountable to those affected by the disruptions especially drivers whose income will be adversely impacted.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: As announced at the Ministry of Transport's Committee of Supply 2024, all street-hail and ride-hail operators will be required to inform the Land Transport Authority (LTA), commuters and drivers within an hour of the confirmation of a systemic incident that could impair point-to-point services. This will enable drivers and commuters to switch to other platforms and minimise the impact on livelihoods and commutes.
We will also require ride-hail operators to maintain contingency plans to ensure timely service recovery and mitigate recurrences of any systemic incidents.
LTA will take into account operators' track record in meeting these new requirements when assessing operators' licence renewal applications.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Perimenopausal and Menopausal Symptoms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"110 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for Health with regard to the findings to-date of the clinical study by the Integrated Women's Health Programme (IWHP) initiated by the National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (a) whether the Ministry will consider using these findings to develop Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for best practices in the management of perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms for Singaporean women; and (b) if so, how long will it take for such a CPG to be developed.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Integrated Women's Health Programme (IWHP) is a cohort study of the associations between menopause and age-related health issues in Singaporean women, such as osteoporosis and sleep disturbances. The National University Health System plans to conduct follow-up studies, which will cover management of these associated health conditions.
The development of new clinical guidelines is prioritised yearly based on considerations, such as disease burden and availability of high-quality evidence. There is currently an Agency for Care Effectiveness Clinical Guidance for osteoporosis, a condition that is of importance in menopausal women, with evidence-based treatment protocols. In time, the full IWHP findings will inform us on the need to develop separate guidelines for menopausal symptoms.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Facilitating Cross-learning of Anti-scam Best Practices among E-commerce Platforms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"111 Mr Derrick Goh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how may the Ministry better facilitate cross-learning of anti-scam best practices among e-commerce platforms; (b) whether there has been a shift in Meta's posture since calls for it to step-up anti-scam measures; (c) how effective has the co-location of the staff of Carousell and Shopee at Police's Anti-Scam Command (ASC) office been in reducing scams arising from their business platforms; and (d) how does the Ministry intend to engage more e-commerce platforms to do the same.
Mr K Shanmugam: In May 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launched the E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings (TSR), which assigns ratings to e-commerce platforms based on the extent to which they have implemented critical anti-scam features. The TSR strengthens the accountability of the platforms to the public and nudges them to do more to tackle e-commerce scams. MHA has also worked with industry stakeholders, including e-commerce platforms, to revise the national standards for e-commerce transactions. These standards, known as Technical Reference 76, now include additional guidelines to ensure merchant authenticity and improve transaction security.
MHA has regularly engaged Meta on the requirements of the Online Criminal Harms Act, in particular, with regard to the upcoming Codes of Practice for designated online service providers to do more to protect their users against scams. Meta is aware of the timeline for the Codes to be introduced and the Government's expectations. We will not hesitate to take designated online service providers to task if they do not comply with the Codes' requirements.
Since the first quarter of this year, Carousell and Shopee have co-located their staff with the Police at the Anti-Scam Command (ASC). This has allowed the Police to screen and perform sense-making on scam accounts in real-time, improved the turnaround time by platforms to take down these scam accounts or listings and strengthened the working relationship between the Police and the platforms. We have been engaging the other online platforms, including Meta, to also co-locate their staff at the ASC and will consider mandating this, if necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress for Tripartite Advisory on Reasonable Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"112 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the progress of the Tripartite Advisory on reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities; (b) what is the target date for the advisory to be ready; (c) whether the Ministry will consider including the advisory's guidelines as part of the Workplace Fairness Legislation; and (d) how will the Ministry measure whether a reasonable accommodation has been implemented effectively.
Dr Tan See Leng: The tripartite partners are working on an advisory which will provide guidance to employers and employees on the provision of reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. We will be engaging community groups in developing this advisory and aim to release this advisory around the same time as the introduction of the Workplace Fairness Legislation.
The most direct way of measuring the effectiveness of a workplace accommodation for employees with disabilities is by considering the employment outcome for the supported employee. In reality, however, it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of single initiatives as it often takes the collective effort of the individual, co-workers, employer and family for successful placement and continued employment. Following the release of the advisory, we will engage employers and employees to gather feedback, reviewing and updating the advisory to strengthen its effectiveness where needed.
The contents of the advisory will not be a part of the Workplace Fairness Legislation. Instead, the advisory will complement the new law, which will prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of disability. Both the advisory and upcoming law will work alongside the Enabling Masterplan to strengthen employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Roll-out of Smart Parking Initiative Parking@HDB","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"113 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether an update can be provided on the Parking@HDB initiative; (b) whether there has been feedback if pre-enforcement alerts have been helpful to motorists; (c) what areas of improvement have been identified for wider implementation of the smart parking system across Singapore; and (d) what is the expected timeline for the wider roll-out of Parking@HDB.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has developed a barrier-free parking system, Parking@HDB, to improve the parking experience for residents and motorists. This system was first introduced in January 2021 as a pilot at Northshore Residences I and II, the first two smart-enabled housing precincts in Punggol Northshore. HDB subsequently extended the pilot to four other car parks in Punggol and two other car parks near the Old Airport Road Food Centre.
Smart cameras have been deployed at these car parks to help detect illegal parking. Motorists who park in an unauthorised lot will be informed to move their vehicle via an alert on their Parking@HDB app. The app will also allow motorists to pay their parking fees via credit or debit cards automatically upon exiting the car park, without having to insert their cash cards into the In-Vehicle Unit, or worry about having sufficient funds in their cash cards.
Based on the first pilot at Northshore Residences, HDB has found the enforcement alerts to be effective, with the number of illegal parking cases decreasing by about 60%. HDB has not received any adverse feedback from motorists on the alerts to date. HDB has also observed that motorists experienced some time savings when entering and exiting the pilot car parks and that motorists appreciate the convenience of automatic fee deduction via the Parking@HDB app.
HDB is currently refining the system and welcomes feedback from motorists. HDB will review and assess the outcome of the pilot before deciding whether to extend the system to other HDB car parks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation of Financial Advisers who Advertise Their Estate Planning and Investment Services in Heartlands","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"115 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Prime Minister (a) what measures are in place to regulate financial advisers who advertise on estate planning and investment services in the heartlands, especially those targeting seniors; and (b) whether there are guidelines for such individuals to display their appropriate licences.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): Financial advisory firms are regulated under the Financial Advisers Act (FAA) for the provision of financial advisory services on investment products. Estate planning services like will writing, which have no element of financial advice, are not regulated under the FAA. Firms and their representatives providing financial advice that forms part of estate planning are required to comply with the FAA.
There are standards that govern how financial advisory firms and their representatives conduct prospecting and advertising activities. To ensure that customers know that they are dealing with licensed individuals, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) expects financial advisory representatives to disclose their identities when prospecting for customers in public places. Additionally, when making recommendations to seniors who are not proficient in English or who do not have at least GCE \"O\" level qualifications, MAS requires financial advisory firms to implement additional safeguards. For example, firms must either perform call-backs or in-person checks to confirm that clients have understood the features and risks of the product before the transaction can be executed.
MAS also requires financial advisory firms to ensure that advertisements on financial advisory services, including those used by their representatives, are not false or misleading. MAS concluded a public consultation in June 2023 to require such advertisements to be approved by the firm's senior management or their appointed persons. MAS is carefully reviewing the feedback received and aims to publish our response to the consultation feedback by the first half of 2025.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Number of Marriages that Involve Parties under 18 Years of Age","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"116 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the past five years, what is the annual number of marriages that involved parties under 18 years of age; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider disallowing such marriages under the Women's Charter 1961.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Under the Women's Charter, marriages between persons either of whom is below 18 years of age are void. The only exception to this provision is where the marriage is authorised by a Special Marriage Licence issued by the Minister.
Such marriages, authorised by Special Marriage Licence, have been falling over the years. In the last two years, there were no such marriages.
While the Ministry of Social and Family Development has no plans at present to remove the option of a Special Marriage Licence, we will continue to closely scrutinise any application and ensure that approval is given only in meritorious cases.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Enhance Insurance Protection and Coverage for SMEs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Don Wee asked the Prime Minister (a) what measures are there to enhance insurance protection for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) against internet crimes and scams; (b) whether MAS can work with insurers and SMEs in obtaining insurance coverage against such internet crimes and scams; and (c) whether the insurance sector has a strong pipeline of Singaporean actuaries managing the risks of such crimes.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): There are effective steps that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can take to enhance their digital security. In the same way that we all need to protect ourselves against scams, a culture of vigilance should likewise prevail among SMEs and their employees to recognise phishing attempts and fraudulent emails. They must not disclose the banking credentials of their company. SMEs should also avail themselves to the SG Cyber Safe Programme and its cybersecurity certification scheme, invest in anti-virus programmes and install the ScamShield app on company mobile devices, which automatically blocks scam calls and detects scam messages.
Insurance solutions are currently not an effective means of protection against Internet crimes and scams. The rapidly evolving nature of Internet crimes and scams and limited risk assessment data, make it challenging for insurers to effectively quantify, price and underwrite these risks. In addition, insurance policies typically exclude loss events where there has been contributory negligence on the part of the victim. This is a fundamental principle in insurance that insured parties cannot relinquish personal responsibility and rely on insurance to cover consequent losses. In most scams, victims may not have exercised sufficient care when clicking on fraudulent weblinks or disclosing banking credentials.
Combating scams requires constant vigilance and awareness. SMEs and the public at large should subscribe to the Singapore Police Force's scams bulletin so that they can be alerted to the latest scam typologies. We will continue to strengthen our public education efforts and collaborate closely with all stakeholders to enhance public protection against Internet crimes and scams.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Next Review of Outpatient Medical and Dental Expense Reimbursement for Civil Servants","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Prime Minister in view of rising healthcare costs, when will be the next review on the maximum reimbursement of outpatient medical and dental expenses for civil servants since the last adjustments were made about a decade ago.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): The Member may refer to the Parliamentary Questions answered on 22 November 2023 and 6 February 2024 pertaining to reviews on benefits for public officers. [Please refer to \"Breakdown of Senior Civil Servants on Superscale Grades\", Official Report, 22 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 117, Written Answers to Questions section; and \"Schedule for Review of Pensions and Benefits of Retired Public Service Officers\", Official Report, 6 February 2024, Vol 95, Issue 121, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
There is no fixed schedule for the review of medical and dental benefits. The Government continually considers the adequacy of our overall compensation and benefits package, taking into account factors, such as the cost of healthcare, fiscal prudence as well as other national policies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans to Supplement Manpower Needs at ServiceSG Centres","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Prime Minister what are the plans to supplement the manpower needs at existing ServiceSG Centres through secondments from other Public Service divisions or general recruitment.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): ServiceSG Centres currently provide over 500 services across over 20 agencies to citizens. ServiceSG adopts a few strategies to address the demand for its services.
First, it seeks to pre-empt a spike in demand by taking measures to proactively anticipate and address citizens' needs, working closely with agencies. For instance, during the annual tax filing this year, ServiceSG supported the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to organise tax filing educational workshops for gig workers, delivery workers, taxi and private hire car drivers. This helps to reduce walk-in demands.
Secondly, ServiceSG augments its workforce with volunteers. ServiceSG has initiated a “Community Kaki” programme, where senior volunteers assist with straightforward digital transactions and teach seniors how to transact digitally. Currently, 26 Community Kakis are deployed across our centres, with highly positive feedback from residents. Volunteers from within the Public Service are sometimes also recruited and deployed to assist with peaks in demand.
Despite the high demand for its services, ServiceSG consistently achieves high levels of satisfaction from citizens. ServiceSG will continue to work across the Public Service to synchronise efforts and resources to ensure ServiceSG Centres are adequately resourced to serve citizens effectively.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation of Charges by Banks and Payment Service Providers on Merchants using PayNow for Transactions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Prime Minister (a) whether the charges levied by banks or payment service providers on merchants for using PayNow to receive payments from end-consumers are being monitored and/or regulated; (b) if so, what steps are taken to regulate these charges to ensure that merchants are not to pass on such costs to end-consumers; and (c) whether the Government will consider legislation to prevent merchants from charging end-consumers when they make payments using PayNow, and if not, why not.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): PayNow was launched in 2017 to provide a safe, simple and speedy way for individuals and businesses to make payment transactions. Today, more than 300,000 businesses accept PayNow payments. Transaction fees for payments received by merchants from end-consumers are currently waived by the major retail banks, while a minimal fee is charged if the merchant uses additional services like notifications for funds received.
Merchants are not allowed to impose a surcharge on customers who wish to make payments via PayNow. The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), which owns the PayNow scheme, has in place clear rules to prohibit such practice.
Should consumers encounter any PayNow surcharge, they ought to provide feedback to their own PayNow Financial Institution (FI) or ABS. If a merchant is found to have imposed a surcharge in violation of the service agreement, the PayNow FI will take action against the merchant. This may include terminating its payment services to the errant merchant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Implementation of Flexible Work Arrangements by Public Service Division","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Prime Minister in line with the implementation of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, whether the Public Service Division will be introducing such flexible work arrangements and, if so, in what forms.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Prior to the release of the latest Tripartite Guidelines, flexible work arrangements (FWAs) have already been made available to public officers. These arrangements include staggered work hours, part-time work options and telecommuting. Officers and their agencies may agree on the suitable FWAs, taking into account the officers' personal needs and the agencies' operational considerations. The Public Service welcomes greater adoption of FWAs in the Public Service as we strive to help public officers better balance work and personal responsibilities (for example, caregiving duties), while continuing to uphold our duties and service to the public.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Voters in 2023 Presidential Election Whose Names were Restored to Register of Electors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Prime Minister how many persons who have voted in the 2023 Presidential Election (i) are subsequently notified that they did not vote (ii) have applied to have their names restored to the register of electors and (iii) to date, have since been restored to the register of electors, respectively.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Post-Presidential Election 2023 (PE2023), the Elections Department individually informed 174,466 voters who were in our records as not having voted at the PE2023 (non-voter) to restore his/her name to the Registers of Electors.
As of end March 2024, 104,355 non-voters applied to restore their names to the Registers of Electors, of which 1,563 claimed that they had voted at the 2023 Presidential Election. All applications for restoration were successful.
The Elections Department will continue to remind non-voters to restore their names to the Registers of Electors through press releases and notifications via Singpass.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Third-party Independent Panel for Appeals on Discriminatory Practices in Insurance Provision for Disabled and Neurodivergent Persons","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Prime Minister with regard to the provision of insurance products and services to the disabled and neurodivergent persons, whether the Government will consider setting up a panel of third-party independent evaluators comprising persons with these disabilities, disability experts and organisation representatives, to which appeals can be made in instances of complaints about discriminatory insurance practices.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) expects insurers to fairly assess every application for insurance coverage based on reliable information and data relevant to the risks being insured. This principle of applying fair and responsible underwriting practices for all customers will be formalised in the proposed revised MAS Guidelines on \"Fair Dealing – Board and Senior Management Responsibilities for Delivering Fair Dealing Outcomes to Customers\", which will be issued in the coming weeks.
In assessing applications, insurers must apply their respective underwriting expertise and risk appetite, based on an objective assessment of available data. If insurers wish to appoint a third-party panel of experts to advise them, they may do so. We will not compel insurers to appoint a panel that can override their decisions. Insurers should be accountable for their own decisions and should not be compelled to take on risks exceeding their expertise and appetite.
In March 2024, the Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) issued the LIA Guide to Medical Underwriting for Life Insurance to help consumers better understand how an insurer evaluates an insurance application based on the disclosures made and medical evidence provided. In particular, insurers will consider the severity of any existing medical conditions, typically using a combination of in-house and external expertise.
LIA members are committed to ensuring fair underwriting and clear communication. LIA has engaged charities like the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) to better understand concerns of the autism community and explore initiatives to enhance the overall insurance application experience for them. Nonetheless, individuals who have concerns over their insurer's underwriting decision can make an appeal through the insurer's feedback channel. MAS expects insurers to have a robust process to handle customer complaints independently and effectively. If any customer feels unfairly treated in spite of the appeal, he or she can also write to MAS. MAS will investigate and take appropriate supervisory actions if the insurer is found to have acted unfairly.
To date, for the cases that have been brought to MAS' attention, MAS has not found unfair underwriting practices. Nonetheless, in some instances, the insurers could have better explained underwriting outcomes to applicants. LIA has emphasised the need to do so to their member insurers. MAS will continue to hold insurers accountable for fair and responsible underwriting practices.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Use of Strong Currency to Manage Imported Inflation and Export Competitiveness","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Prime Minister how will the Government balance between using a strong currency to manage imported inflation and the competitiveness of its exports.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): In its April monetary policy statement, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) kept the trade-weighted Singapore dollar exchange rate on its gradually appreciating path. The continued strengthening of the Singapore dollar was assessed to be necessary to lean against imported and domestic cost pressures in order to dampen inflation and ensure medium-term price stability. Low and stable inflation provides a conducive environment for businesses to operate and plan for the long-term, underpinning sustainable growth of the Singapore economy. Higher inflation, in comparison, will raise business costs, including for our export industries.
MAS calibrates its exchange rate policy so as to ensure medium-term price stability and sustainable economic growth. Singapore's weak export performance over most of 2023 was mainly due to subdued external demand, rather than a strong Singapore dollar. This is borne out in the Economic Development Board's Business Expectations of the Manufacturing Sector survey, which showed that the Singapore dollar exchange rate has been a minor factor affecting manufacturing firms' export orders. Notwithstanding some monthly volatility, the global electronics cycle has experienced an upturn and Singapore's export growth has, likewise, picked up from the trough in mid-2023. Over the cycle, Singapore's total exports and production have broadly tracked that of other trade-dependent economies in the region.
Over the medium-term, Singapore's export competitiveness will have to be anchored by our ability to be more productive and innovative compared to other economies. This means moving up the value chain, becoming more efficient and securing higher prices for our exports in world markets. These capabilities will be underpinned by the quality of our human capital, infrastructure, connectivity and institutions. Our strengths in these areas place Singapore in a good position to benefit from shifts in global production and trade and will ensure Singapore's long-run competitiveness.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Top 5% Earners' Contribution to Total Income Tax for Years of Assessment 2021 to 2023","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for each of the Years of Assessment 2021, 2022 and 2023, what is the percentage of total income tax that was contributed by the top 5% earners.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Based on the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore's personal income tax (PIT) data on all taxpayers, in the Years of Assessment 2021, 2022 and 2023, the top 5% earners contributed close to 70% of PIT collections.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tax Avoidance Cases Found and Amounts Clawed Back under \"99-to-1\" Arrangement for Property Purchases","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance with regard to the \"99-to-1\" arrangement for payment of stamp duty in a property purchase (a) how many audits have been conducted to date; (b) how many tax avoidance cases has the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) found; (c) what is the total amount of unpaid additional stamp duty that has been clawed back by IRAS so far; and (d) how many instances has IRAS levied the 50% surcharge on the additional duty payable.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The \"99-to-1\" arrangement is a tax avoidance arrangement used by some property buyers to reduce the rightful Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) payable on the purchase of a residential property.
When such property purchase arrangements are made to reduce the tax payable, the Commissioner of Stamp Duties is empowered under section 33A of the Stamp Duties Act to disregard the individual transactions and assess them as a single joint purchase and to recover the rightful amount of ABSD due, along with a 50% surcharge.
As of April 2024, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has completed the review of 187 such \"99-to-1\" cases, of which 166 cases were found to have involved tax avoidance and about $60 million in ABSD and surcharges will accordingly be clawed back. Out of the 166 cases found to have involved tax avoidance, about 10 cases with evidence of potential involvement by property agents are currently under review by the Council for Estate Agencies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Escalating Middle East Tensions on Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is the impact of the escalating tensions in the Middle East, arising from Iran's first direct attack on Israel, for Singapore.
12 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is the impact of possible intense tension in the Middle East, arising from the scale of the drone attack by Iran, for Singapore.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Singapore is deeply concerned about the volatile situation in the Middle East. We have condemned the aerial attacks on Israel on 14 April 2024, which Iran stated was in response to an attack on its diplomatic premises in Damascus on 1 April 2024. These attacks exacerbate tensions and further destabilise an already tense region. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalatory actions. With the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the focus should be on securing an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages; and the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected civilians throughout Gaza.
A wider conflict will have implications on the safety and security of everyone including Singaporeans living in the Middle East. Singaporean companies in the region will also be affected. More broadly, greater regional tensions will cause volatility to international energy markets, disrupt commercial aviation and disrupt international supply chains.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations for PR or Singapore Citizenship for Foreign Wives on Long-Term Visit Passes upon Divorce or Demise of Spouse","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs for foreign wives on Long-Term Visit Passes and whose spouse and children are Singapore citizens, what are the considerations to grant them permanent residency or Singapore citizenship after the demise of their spouse or upon divorce, to ensure long-term stability in the upbringing of their Singapore citizen children.
Mr K Shanmugam: Our policy is to generally allow divorced or widowed foreign spouses with custody of Singaporean children to remain in Singapore to care for and raise their children here. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority generally renews their Long-Term Visit Pass and they are generally considered more favourably for Permanent Residency, compared to those without family ties to Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Platforms and Incentives to Promote Road Safety and Responsible Road Use","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how can Singapore develop a culture of responsible road users across different age groups; and (b) how can the Ministry create platforms or incentivise road users to actively practise safety rules and etiquettes.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Member's question has been addressed in the reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos 2 to 10 for Oral Answers to Questions on the Order Paper for 7 May 2024. [Please refer to \"Measures to Improve Safety on the Roads and Increase Penalties following Recent Spate of Fatal Accidents\", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, 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":"Expenses Incurred to Preserve Assets Seized in One of Largest Anti-money Laundering Operations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) with regard to the assets seized in one of Singapore's largest anti-money laundering operations, what are the expenses that have been incurred to preserve the assets seized in August 2023; and (b) how are these expenses going to be covered.\n \n
Mr K Shanmugam: Expenses are incurred for the storage, maintenance and safeguarding of the seized assets, comprising properties, vehicles and luxury goods such as branded bags, watches and alcohol. This includes expenses for engaging specialised services from industry partners or service providers to oversee the handling, upkeep and value preservation of the assets. As of March 2024, Police has incurred about $646,282 in such expenses.
These expenses are borne by the state. They are covered by the forfeited cash and the proceeds of sale of the forfeited non-cash assets, which are channelled to the state.
16 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in each year over the last five years, what is the number of traffic accidents involving foreign-registered vehicles; and (b) what is the recourse for local motorists should there be difficulty in making insurance claims following such accidents.
Mr K Shanmugam: The data requested by the Member is in Table 1 below.
The Member may refer to the Ministry of Transport's reply to a Parliamentary Question in November 2022, regarding how local motorists can make insurance claims when involved in accidents involving foreign motorists. [Please refer to \"Reports of Traffic Accidents Involving Foreign-registered Vehicles and Assistance Rendered to Drivers Who Lodged Claims against Foreign Motorists\", Official Report, 29 November 2022, Vol 95, Issue 77, 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":"Enforcement Actions Against Motorists Who Fail to Slow Down at Pedestrian Crossings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"17 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in each year of the last five years, how many enforcement actions have been taken against drivers of vehicles who do not slow down sufficiently when approaching a pedestrian crossing as required under the Road Traffic (Pedestrian Crossings) Rules; and (b) whether the Ministry is studying any measures to reduce accidents as a result of motorists failing to slow down at pedestrian crossings.
Mr K Shanmugam: The data requested by the Member is in Table 1 below.
The Traffic Police works closely with the Land Transport Authority to review and implement measures to improve road safety. These include improvements to infrastructure and public engagement and education initiatives, as well as enforcement against offending motorists. These efforts have been covered in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Transport's replies to other Parliamentary Questions on 7 May 2024. [Please refer to \"Measures to Improve Safety on the Roads and Increase Penalties following Recent Spate of Fatal Accidents\", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, 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":"Leveraging Installation of Smart Electricity Meters to Also Offer Alert Services for Seniors Living Alone","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether there are plans to leverage on the smart electricity meter being installed by SP Group to make available monitoring and push alert services to caregivers of seniors living alone when there are anomalies in home usage.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: There are no plans to tap on advanced electricity meter data to provide alerts to caregivers of seniors living alone. Electricity consumption depends on multiple factors and is unlikely to be a reliable indicator of well-being. To help caregivers of seniors living alone monitor their loved ones, the Silver Generation Office refers these seniors to Active Ageing Centres, where they receive befriending or buddying services.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress and Challenges of Facilitating Singapore Companies' Expansion into ASEAN","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what has been the progress of helping Singapore companies to expand into ASEAN; (b) to date, how many companies have since expanded into ASEAN with the assistance from Enterprise Singapore; and (c) what are the challenges faced by companies which the Ministry has identified when helping them to expand into ASEAN.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The ASEAN region is an important market for our Singapore companies. Singapore's trade and investment with ASEAN countries have registered double-digit growth over the past five years. In 2023, the total trade between Singapore and our Southeast Asian neighbours collectively stood at $295.6 billion, a 14% increase from 2019.1 Singapore's Direct Investment Abroad (DIA) into the ASEAN region also increased 37%, from $164.6 billion in 2018 to $226.1 billion in 2022.2
In 2023, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) surveyed companies regarding the challenges they faced in doing business in the ASEAN region. The most commonly cited challenges were: (a) uncertainties about demand; (b) unpredictable business environment; (c) lack of suitable manpower to develop overseas markets; and (d) the costs involved in internationalisation.
Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) has a wide range of tools to help Singapore companies facing these challenges. In 2023, EnterpriseSG supported some 2000 projects from companies seeking to expand into ASEAN markets. This was an increase from around 700 projects in 2019.
EnterpriseSG also has a network of over 35 Overseas Centres around the world, including eight in the ASEAN region. These centres help to connect Singapore businesses with in-market opportunities and partners. Furthermore, EnterpriseSG works closely with our trade associations and chambers to leverage their network and industry expertise. For instance, EnterpriseSG partners with the SBF on GlobalConnect@SBF, which has provided close to 550 advisories and facilitated over 100 business projects for enterprises in the region since November 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Source: Statlink. Total trade between Singapore and ASEAN in 2023 amounted to $295.6 billion, while trade in 2019 reached $259.7 billion.","2 : Source: Singapore's Direct Investment Abroad Dashboard, Singstat. Singapore's DIA into the ASEAN region was $226.1 billion in 2022 and $164.6 billion in 2018."],"footNoteQuestions":["19"],"questionNo":"19"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Leveraging Installation of Smart Water Meters to Also Make Available Alert Services for Seniors Living Alone","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether there are plans to leverage the smart water meter being installed by SP Group to make available monitoring and push alert services to caregivers of seniors living alone when there are anomalies in home usage.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Public Utilities Board (PUB), Singapore's National Water Agency, is currently rolling out Phase 1 of the Smart Water Meter (SWM) Programme, which would see some 300,000 premises fitted with the SWM by 2024.
The SWM Programme enables PUB to better manage water demand and customers to better track and manage their water usage. Households on the SWM programme will have access to their daily and hourly water consumption data through the MySmartWaterMeter customer portal, which provides residents with suspected leak alerts and their water consumption patterns.
Currently, there are no plans to use the SWM to monitor seniors and provide alerts to caregivers of seniors. PUB will review the findings of the SWM Programme at the end of Phase 1, before considering other applications.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing Dengue Awareness Among Seniors and Stepping up Screening at Hot Spots","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether there are targeted materials and efforts to educate and protect seniors from dengue; and (b) whether there are partnerships with healthcare institutions to conduct further screening at dengue hot spots in Singapore.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The National Environment Agency (NEA) has implemented targeted dengue prevention outreach efforts aimed at educating and protecting seniors. For example, NEA works with partners, such as the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Agency for Integrated Care's Silver Generation Office, social service agencies and senior activity centres to disseminate educational materials on dengue prevention and distribute insect repellent in dengue clusters.
Primary healthcare providers play a crucial role in the management of dengue patients. Doctors are reminded to be vigilant for dengue fever among individuals with compatible symptoms. In addition, NEA and MOH work together with general practitioner (GP) clinics and polyclinics to engage individuals diagnosed or suspected to be infected with dengue, to help stop dengue transmission in the community. This year, educational materials, such as posters and brochures on preventing further dengue transmission and clinical aftercare will also be made available in GP clinics and polyclinics, particularly those located in key dengue clusters.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Safety of Seafood Products Brought In by Travellers for Personal Consumption","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how does the Ministry ensure that the seafood products which travellers carry to Singapore for personal consumption are not contaminated and are safe to consume. \n \n
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Food safety is a joint responsibility. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) does not regulate the safety of food products carried in by travellers for their personal consumption. Travellers should exercise caution when purchasing food products overseas and be aware of the potential food safety risks associated with bringing back and consuming those food products. For example, to minimise the risk of bacteria growth that can cause food poisoning, travellers should avoid carrying perishable food products.
Travellers should refer to SFA's website for information on the permitted limits for food products carried in for personal consumption, as well as food safety tips on buying, handling and storing different types of food.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mitigating Disruptions and Ensuring Equity for Senior Education Personnel in School Rotations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Education in light of the planned rotations for senior educational personnel in schools starting from 2027, how will the Ministry (i) minimise disruptions to the schools and (ii) ensure fair and equal opportunities for these personnel to serve in schools with different student profiles and resources.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: From 2027, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will introduce structured rotations for officers who have served as senior Key Personnel (KPs) for more than eight years in the same school. This includes Heads of Departments, School Staff Developers, Year Heads and Lead Teachers. Rotations will allow these KPs to gain new experiences and contribute to other schools.
Schools can defer rotations for a small number of senior KPs to mitigate disruptions. All senior KPs can apply for a posting to any MOE school with vacancies through MOE's internal posting exercise. MOE and school leaders will also help senior KPs identify suitable postings, where needed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Additional Measures to Ensure Students Stay Safe While Engaging in Outdoor Activities in Hot Weather Conditions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry has any plans to implement additional measures besides the current guidelines for schools on hot weather conditions to ensure that students stay safe while participating in outdoor and strenuous activities in schools or at school-organised events, in light of the high temperatures and UV index hitting extreme levels recently.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education and schools have measures to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff during times of hot temperatures, for daily lessons and physical activities, both in and out of classrooms. These measures are calibrated and aligned with whole-of-Government advisories.
In the event of a heatwave, additional measures will be implemented. For example, schools will regularly monitor the region-specific Heat Stress Levels and adjust their outdoor activities accordingly. They may reduce the intensity of the activities, reschedule them to cooler parts of the day, incorporate more frequent rest and water breaks or even suspend outdoor physical activities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Encouraging Food Operators to Offer Healthier Meal Options and Refrain from Marketing Unhealthy Meal Sets to Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"
25 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Education in view of rising obesity rates among young people, how does the Ministry plan to work with coffee shop and food court operators in the vicinity of schools to be deliberate and conscientious in (i) offering students healthier meal options and (ii) refraining from marketing to students unhealthy value-for-money meal sets.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Health Promotion Board (HPB) partners food establishments to increase the availability and accessibility of healthier options under the Healthier Dining Programme – these are not just for students, but for all consumers.
In schools, food and beverages sold in canteens, cafes and vending machines are required to comply with HPB's Healthy Meals in Schools Programme guidelines. As part of the school curriculum, students are also taught the importance of healthy eating, to adopt healthier eating habits and make healthier food choices.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Inclusion of Menstrual Health in School Sexuality Education Curriculum","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Education whether sexuality education in schools can incorporate menstrual health as part of the curriculum considering the low awareness of how existing symptoms may reflect potential fertility issues later in life.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Through Sexuality Education, Primary 5 students learn about the physiological changes that occur during puberty, such as menstruation. Students are also educated on human reproduction and issues related to menstrual health in Lower Secondary Science and Upper Secondary Biology.
27 Mr Derrick Goh asked the Minister for Education as building of the MOE Kindergarten at North View Primary School has been completed in 2022, when can Nee Soon Link residents resume booking and using the school’s indoor sports hall for activities under the ActiveSG Dual-Use Scheme.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Indoor Sports Hall at North View Primary School is expected to be available for public booking under ActiveSG in the third quarter of 2024, after works for a dedicated public access route are completed.
28 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Education (a) how does the Ministry ensure that the personal learning devices that it issues are equipped with the latest security software and are regularly updated to filter out harmful internet content; and (b) how does the Ministry ensure that its IT vendors are adequately certified and trained to conduct the appropriate support and checks.
29 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Education (a) what measures will the Ministry implement to protect the students, parents and teachers in Singapore who are affected by the breach at the Mobile Guardian overseas headquarters from online harm and scams; and (b) how will the Ministry review and strengthen its online systems to reduce the risk of hacking.
30 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education in response to the data breach of Mobile Guardian’s user management portal (a) what policy changes are being considered for the governance of third-party service providers handling sensitive personal data; and (b) whether he can outline improvements in incident management and response strategies for such future incidents.
31 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education how does the Ministry plan to enhance transparency and communication with parents and the public regarding data security measures and handling of data breach incidents for technologies deployed on educational platforms.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: This response addresses Parliamentary Questions for Oral Answer Nos 25 to 27 and Questions for Written Answer Nos 28 to 31, filed for 7 May 2024 Parliament Sitting.
Members have asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) about the data breach incident caused by unauthorised access to Mobile Guardian's management portal, how MOE has supported affected parties and the steps MOE has taken since the incident.
Let me first provide some information on Mobile Guardian. Mobile Guardian (MG), is one of two companies engaged by MOE to provide Device Management Application (DMA) solutions on Personal Learning Devices used by students. The DMA helps schools and parents manage students' device use. For example, parents can use the DMA to set screen time limits on their child's personal learning device.
The use of MG's DMA for Chromebooks and iPads was decided through an open tender in 2020. The company holds the ISO27001 certification, an internationally recognised standard for information security management systems and is engaged by over 2,500 schools in over 50 countries worldwide.
Let me now talk about MG's management portal, which experienced an incident of unauthorised access. The management portal is used for administrative purposes, such as account licensing and providing technical support. The management portal has access to the following information: name of user; email address; time zone; school name; and the user role – that is, whether the user is a parent or school staff.
MG's management portal does not have the ability to change any configuration on students' personal learning devices. It is also not connected to any MOE or Government IT systems. Hence, MOE and Government IT systems have not been compromised.
On 12 April, MG received an email that an unauthorised individual had gained access to MG's management portal. This email was considered a phishing email, until MG received a subsequent email on 16 April. In the second email, the individual showed evidence of access to MG's management portal and attempted to solicit money in exchange for keeping silent that the individual had been able to access MG's management portal. MG acted on this second alert and worked to establish the extent of access and customers affected. This included suspending all administrative accounts that could be used to access MG's management portal.
MOE was notified by MG on 17 April late night of this incident, as well as the enhanced security measures implemented by MG on its management portal. MOE learned from MG's preliminary investigations that an unauthorised individual had gained access to a support account on MG's management portal. MG's assessment was that the unauthorised individual could have used the compromised account to view the information of customers based in the United States and the Asia Pacific region, including Singapore.
The Cyber Security Agency and GovTech supported MOE in the investigation of the incident.
MG had assessed that the compromised support account was primarily attributed to poor password management practice and not the result of the unauthorised individual exploiting vulnerabilities in MG's systems. Nevertheless, MOE conducted security checks and found no suspicious activity on MOE's DMA portal nor any indications that MOE's DMA had been compromised.
As a proactive measure, MOE decided to communicate with all users whose names and email addresses can be accessed by the MG management portal. These comprised about 67,000 parents and 22,000 school staff across 127 schools. These are parents who had signed up to manage the DMA functions in their child's personal learning device at home; and school staff who use the DMA to manage students' personal learning devices in schools.
MOE sent an email to all of them on the evening of 19 April. In the email, we explained to them what the leaked information could be used for so that they can be more prepared if they encounter phishing or scam attempts. We also lodged a police report on this incident.
MOE takes a serious view of this incident. Our IT service providers are contractually obligated to take reasonable measures to protect personal data against loss and unauthorised access. MOE has registered our deep dissatisfaction with MG over this incident. We have asked MG to appoint a forensic investigator to evaluate its systems and processes and provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence. Investigations are ongoing. Appropriate actions will be taken should there be breaches of contractual obligations.
To safeguard our IT systems, MOE conducts independent audits and regular cybersecurity testing. We will continue to place emphasis on user education and ongoing vigilance to ensure that our IT systems remain secure.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Application Rates for Co-educational and Single-gender Schools from 1980 to 2020","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education what is the average application rate for co-educational schools as compared to single-gender schools in Singapore for each decade from 1980 to 2020.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education does not track such statistics as parents can apply for different school types in different phases of the Primary 1 Registration Exercise.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Facilitating Release of Under-utilised Public Spaces to Serve Persons with Disabilities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry can identify and facilitate the release of unutilised or under-utilised public spaces within the community for social service agencies to better reach unserved and under-served persons with disabilities.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: When deciding on locations for social service delivery, including services for persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) considers various factors, such as the outreach to service users, availability of services in the area and accessibility of the sites. We do consider unutilised or underutilised common spaces within the community, such as Housing and Development Board (HDB) void decks, where appropriate.
MSF also regularly invites social service agencies to participate in open bidding exercises where they may submit proposals to run self-funded social programmes in available HDB or the Singapore Land Authority premises.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Care and Protection Orders Issued to Parents or Guardians Ordered to Undergo Counselling, Psychotherapy or Other Treatment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in each year of the past five years, how many cases, where Care and Protection Orders have been ordered by the Youth Court, involve parents or guardians being ordered by the Youth Court to undergo counselling, psychotherapy or any other assessment, programme or treatment.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: \tOver the past five years, an annual average of 160 Care and Protection Orders (CPOs) included additional orders requiring parents or guardians to undergo mediation, counselling, psychotherapy or any other assessment, programme or treatment as determined by the Youth Court. This was about 97% of the annual average number of CPOs made in the past five years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Disparity in Subsidised Cancer Treatments and Drugs for Patients in Class B and Class C Wards","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health (a) which cancer treatments and drugs are not available at subsidised rates to patients hospitalised at Class C wards but are available to those in Class B wards at public hospitals; and (b) whether a review can be done to avail such treatments and drugs to patients hospitalised in Class C wards at subsidised rates so as to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: All subsidised patients have access to the same cancer treatments and drugs, regardless of whether they are hospitalised in Class C or Class B wards. There are times when a patient may be transferred from one subsidised class ward to another for the same disease episode. The charges will be different between the wards, because of differences in subsidy rates and treatment and not because subsidies are available in one ward but not the other.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Inclusion of Non-surgical Dental Treatments in MediSave Coverage","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will allow dental treatments not involving surgery to be claimable under MediSave in view that some non-surgical dental treatments can be essential yet costly.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As shared with this House earlier this year, the Ministry of Health is reviewing the extension of MediSave for non-surgical dental procedures, such as root canal treatments. That said, any extensions of MediSave use need to be considered carefully, to strike a balance between improving affordability and ensuring that individuals have enough MediSave to meet their healthcare needs when they grow old. Nevertheless, patients who cannot afford their dental treatment at public healthcare institutions after subsidies and/or MediSave use, can approach medical social workers for MediFund and other financial assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"State of Dental Health of Singaporeans and Inclusion of Dental Care in Healthier SG","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) what proportion of Singaporeans visit dentists at least every 12 to 18 months; (b) what is the prevalence of reactive dental care in Singapore; (c) if such data is not currently available, whether there are plans to collect such data in order to obtain a better understanding of the state of dental health in Singapore; and (d) whether there are plans to include dental care in the Healthier SG programme and, if so, when.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Over 50% of Singaporeans visit a dentist at least once a year, with 60% stating the reason for the last dental visit being preventive care and 40% for other reactive dental care.
The Ministry of Health encourages more proactive and preventive dental care. Hence, we put in place efforts to heighten awareness of common oral diseases and their prevention as well as to continuously ensure timely and appropriate dental care is available to all Singaporeans. We will have to review if dental care should and can be included in Healthier SG, which is designed mostly to manage major chronic diseases and other serious conditions, which have been the top causes of ill-health in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prevalence of Edentulism in Different Age Groups and Measures Taken","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"38 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the prevalence of edentulism, or toothlessness, in the age groups of (i) 21-40 years (ii) 41-60 years and (iii) over 60 years; (b) how does the prevalence in each age group compare with 10 years ago; (c) how does it compare with developed countries in Asia and Western Europe; (d) what accounts for the difference across countries; and (e) what measures have been taken to reduce the prevalence of edentulism, especially among the elderly, in Singapore.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The prevalence of complete edentulism is less than 3% in the overall Singapore population and approximately 13% for those over 60 years of age. Singapore fares better than many countries whose average is about 30% of edentulism for the population above 60 years. Our prevalence of edentulism in the population over the last two decades has remained below 3%.
Edentulism presents a significant concern for ageing populations, impacting oral health and overall well-being. The Ministry of Health continues to monitor the prevalence of common oral diseases, including tooth loss, to ensure the continued coverage, affordability, and accessibility of preventive and timely dental care at the appropriate settings. As part of the continuous efforts to broaden preventive health initiatives for the population, functional screening for oral health is available through Project Silver Screen since 2018 to all Singapore residents aged 60 and above, facilitating timely intervention when needed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Approvals Granted for Renovation Works and Pollution Mitigation Measures Introduced","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for National Development (a) for 2021 to 2023, what is the breakdown on the annual number of approvals for renovation works issued for private residential properties and HDB flats respectively; (b) what is the corresponding pollution and environmental impact from such renovation works; and (c) what measures are introduced to stem such impact.\n \n
Mr Desmond Lee: Approvals from Government agencies for renovation works need only be sought for certain locations and scope of works. For example, the Housing Development Board's (HDB's) approval is only required for renovation works in HDB flats that may affect structural integrity or pose safety concerns, such as the removal of walls and replacement of windows. HDB issued 50,685 approvals in 2021, 52,270 approvals in 2022 and 54,303 approvals in 2023. We do not have data for renovation works in private residential properties as the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) does not regulate general renovation works. Approval from BCA is only required for Addition and Alteration works that may impact the structural safety of buildings. Residents in private residential developments, like condominiums, may need to seek their management corporation's approval for renovation works, in accordance with the relevant by-laws.
The key disamenities generated by renovation works are noise, dust and waste. Under the Environmental Protection and Management Act and the Environmental Public Health Act, renovation contractors must comply with the permissible noise limits and requirements related to construction noise, dust control and waste disposal.
In addition, contractors carrying out renovation works in HDB flats are required by HDB to (i) limit the conduct of noisy renovation activities, such as drilling works, to between 9.00 am to 5.00 pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays; and (ii) properly dispose of renovation debris at disposal sites approved by the National Environment Agency at the end of every workday.
For renovation works in private condominiums, management corporations may enact by-laws to manage the disamenities arising from such works.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Effectiveness of HDB's Barrier-free Parking Pilot Project and Its Technology Compatibility with ERP 2.0","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"40 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether he can provide an update on HDB's 2021 pilot project to introduce barrier-free parking at HDB carparks; (b) whether the technology employed for the project is compatible with ERP 2.0; and (c) how effective is the system in detecting vehicles in respect of which parking charges have not been paid.
41 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether an update can be provided on the progress of implementing Parking@HDB, the new smart parking system, beyond the current pilot sites; and (b) what are the lessons learnt to refine the system, particularly on (i) raising awareness amongst motorists of such smart parking systems and (ii) enforcement for any parking offences relating to such smart parking systems.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has developed a barrier-free parking system, Parking@HDB, to improve the parking experience for residents and motorists. This system was first introduced in January 2021 as a pilot at Northshore Residences I and II, the first two smart-enabled housing precincts in Punggol Northshore. HDB subsequently extended the pilot to four other car parks in Punggol and two other car parks near the Old Airport Road Food Centre.
Smart cameras have been deployed at these car parks to help detect illegal parking. Motorists who park in an unauthorised lot will be informed to move their vehicle via an alert on their Parking@HDB app. The app will also allow motorists to pay their parking fees via credit or debit cards automatically upon exiting the car park, without having to insert their cash cards into the In-Vehicle Unit or worry about having sufficient funds in their cash cards.
Based on the first pilot at Northshore Residences, HDB has found the enforcement alerts to be effective, with the number of illegal parking cases decreasing by about 60%. HDB has not received any adverse feedback from motorists on the alerts to date. HDB has also observed that motorists experienced some time savings when entering and existing the pilot car parks and that motorists appreciate the convenience of automatic fee deduction via the Parking@HDB app.
The system is compatible with ERP 2.0. When implemented, motorists using HDB's barrier-free parking system will be able to pay for parking via the Land Transport Authority's new ERP 2.0 Onboard Unit.
HDB is currently refining the system and welcomes feedback from motorists. HDB will review and assess the outcomes of the pilot before deciding whether to extend the system to other HDB car parks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Protect Marine Ecosystems from Effects of Rising Temperatures and El Nino","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"42 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development in view of rising temperatures and effects of El Nino (a) what are the measures in place to protect our marine ecosystems; and (b) whether the Ministry conducts any studies to understand the implication of a warmer temperature on marine animals in Singapore.
Mr Desmond Lee: The National Parks Board (NParks) adopts a science-based approach towards protecting our marine ecosystems, which encompasses proactive monitoring and mitigation and research.
We are mindful that the world is currently experiencing the fourth global coral bleaching event on record, arising from rising temperatures and the effects of El Nino. NParks has been monitoring local coral reefs through various channels. These include tracking satellite data on sea surface temperatures and collaborating with researchers, citizen scientists and recreational divers to document and submit observations of coral bleaching. Such data will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the situation in Singapore and guide our response plans accordingly. As of April 2024, we have not observed any bleaching in our local coral reefs.
NParks also leads the Marine Climate Change Science research programme, which aims to study and develop solutions to address the impacts of climate change on our marine ecosystems. The research findings will guide measures to enhance marine ecosystem resilience against climate change-induced disturbances and safeguard our natural marine ecosystems through management interventions, such as the restoration of coral reef diversity. An example would be NParks' efforts to progressively grow and plant 100,000 corals in Singapore's waters to enhance marine biodiversity and protect coastlines from waves and storms. This initiative scales up NParks' existing coral restoration efforts, such as the \"Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef\" programme that started in 2016.
Ongoing research projects on the enhancement of coral reef resilience to climate change and the survival thresholds of coral reefs in Singapore are slated for completion between 2027 to 2028.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Use of Bi-coloured Parking Lots for Overnight and Daytime Season Parking","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"43 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for National Development with regard to HDB carparks with red-white parking lots that allow for parking during the prescribed times by those who do not hold season parking tickets (a) how many carparks are such bi-coloured lots gazetted for (i) overnight season-only parking holders and (ii) daytime season-only parking holders; (b) whether HDB has studied if the above has led to public expectation of norms set by the colour combination; and (c) if so, what is being done to avoid confusion among members of the public.
Mr Desmond Lee: Bi-coloured parking lots are generally reserved for season parking holders from 7.00 pm to 7.00 am, Mondays to Saturdays, and whole day on Sundays and public holidays. The specific reserved time periods may differ across Housing and Development Board (HDB) car parks to meet the localised needs of season parking holders. In such situations, the season parking reserved time periods are displayed on sign plates placed at prominent locations near the parking lots or painted in front of the parking lots. Motorists can refer to the HDB InfoWEB for more information.
As of February 2024, there are 1,143 HDB car parks with bi-coloured parking lots. Of these car parks, there are two car parks with bi-coloured parking lots reserved for season parking holders in the day, from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm on Mondays to Saturdays, excluding Sundays and public holidays, due to localised needs of the season parking holders. Sign plates displaying the season parking reserved time periods are placed near the bi-coloured parking lots. Most motorists using these two car parks are regular users of the car parks and are familiar with the reserved time periods.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Applicants with Shared Care and Control of Children Purchasing or Renting HDB Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"44 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development in each year from 2021 to 2023 (a) how many applications with applicants having shared care and control of their children were received by HDB to purchase or rent a flat respectively; and (b) of these, what is the number of applications that were (i) rejected as applicants were unable to obtain the consent of their ex-spouse to list their children for the application and (ii) approved without requiring the consent of their ex-spouse.
Mr Desmond Lee: On the total number of applicants with shared care and control of their children, the Member may wish to refer to the written reply given by the Minister for National Development to a similar Parliamentary Question posed by the Member on 1 November 2021. [Please refer to \"Proposal to Require Divorce Rulings for Shared Care and Control to Identify which Party is Allowed to List Child as \"Essential Occupier\" in Application to Buy Subsidised HDB Flat\", Official Report, 1 November 2021, Vol 95, Issue 41, Written Answers to Questions section.]
On applicants who were unable to obtain their ex-spouse's consent, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) received 18 appeals from such applicants to buy an HDB flat with their children from January 2021 to December 2023, of which 11 were approved (see Table 1 below).
\tIn the same period, HDB\talso approved eight cases from such applicants to rent an HDB flat with their children (see Table 2 below). HDB does not reject applications to rent a flat solely on the basis of an applicant's inability to obtain their ex-spouse's consent.
45 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether NParks and the relevant agencies are adequately equipped to carry out surveillances of bird-feeding at the heartland estates; and (b) whether both the surveillances and current enforcement actions pose effective deterrence to the perennial bird-feeding situation.
Mr Desmond Lee: The National Parks Board (NParks) partners with agencies, such as the People's Association (PA) as well as Town Councils (TCs), to conduct on-site surveillance and deploy closed-circuit television cameras at identified feeding hotspots, as part of its enforcement efforts against bird-feeding. However, identification of feeders may be hindered because they wear masks or caps or there are blind spots. Feedback providers are therefore strongly encouraged to provide detailed information and evidence of the feeding activity, to help NParks identify feeders.
Under the Wildlife Act, offenders can be fined up to $5,000 for their first offence of feeding any wild animal, including birds; and up to $10,000 for subsequent offences. In 2023, NParks issued letters of advisory, letters of warning and composition fines to 203 offenders.
Besides surveillance and enforcement efforts, public education and outreach are key in deterring illegal bird-feeding. For repeat offenders or those with mental health needs, NParks works with TCs, the Municipal Services Office and People's Association to understand their motivations, address misconceptions and discourage them from feeding birds. NParks also collaborates with Active Ageing Centres on the \"Our Avian Neighbours\" initiative to organise engagement sessions to raise awareness amongst the elderly on the negative impacts of bird-feeding.
NParks will continue to work closely with agencies on our multi-pronged approach to effectively manage bird-feeding in estates. We urge the public to be socially responsible by not feeding birds.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plan to Combat Scam Callers Spoofing Local Handphone Numbers without \"+65\" Prefix","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"46 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Ministry has received feedback that scam callers are now able to spoof local handphone numbers that do not have the \"+65\" prefix; and (b) what is the Ministry's plan to combat this beyond public education efforts.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Since 2019, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has been working with telecommunication companies (telcos) to strengthen our safeguards against calls from spoofed local numbers. Today, any local or international calls that spoof local numbers will be blocked by telcos.
With these measures in place, scammers have quickly changed their tactics. Some scammers buy local SIM cards through illicit means and use them to make calls from our local networks. Such calls will show up on the victims' phone as a local number and without the \"+65\" prefix. These are not spoofed calls. They come from the local SIM cards used to make scam calls.
We have taken steps to strengthen deterrence against the use of local SIM cards for crime and to ensure accountability for the use of SIM cards. On 2 April 2024, the Law Enforcement and Other Matters Bill was passed in Parliament. This will make it an offence for individuals to allow the irresponsible registration and misuse of local SIM cards to facilitate scams. These new offences will carry a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
IMDA has also tightened the registration of SIM cards and started imposing limits on the number of postpaid SIM cards per subscriber. For instance, since mid-April 2024, each subscriber is only allowed to sign up for a maximum of 10 postpaid SIM cards. This strikes a balance between stopping illegitimate purchases in bulk and bona fide uses, such as multiple subscriptions for family members. Collectively, these new measures aim to make it more difficult for criminal syndicates to operate in Singapore and help deter abuse of our telecommunications channels.
These measures are part of our multi-pronged efforts to fight scams. We will continue to monitor the landscape, act on emerging trends and close off known avenues for scammers to reach prospective victims. This includes tightening our measures further, where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Criteria for and Restrictions on Use of Cultural Matching Fund Grants for Charities and Institutions of Public Character","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"47 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the basis for Cultural Matching Fund (CMF) incentives being applied only to donations made to registered charities and Institutions of Public Character (IPCs); and (b) whether the Ministry will consider applying matching incentives similar to the CMF, to the earned income of registered charities and IPCs derived from the supply of goods or services by such entities.
48 Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what is the basis for disallowing Cultural Matching Fund grants from being applied to (i) staff bonuses and welfare benefits (including overseas travel costs) and (ii) legal expenses incurred by registered arts and heritage charities and Institutions of Public Character.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Cultural Matching Fund (CMF) provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants for private cash donations to registered charities in the arts and heritage sector. It aims to encourage philanthropic giving to our arts and heritage sector. This is to create a more sustainable arts and heritage scene and one in which more people in Singapore have a stake.
Registered charities and Institutions of Public Character (IPCs) are held to high standards of governance, including the transparency and accountability of their fund utilisation. They ensure the proper use of public funds, which engenders trust, confidence and support from the public and donors. This is why the CMF is targeted specifically at donations towards charities and IPCs in the arts and heritage sector.
CMF matching grants support items which contribute directly to the delivery and impact of programmes by arts and heritage charities and IPCs. Expenses which do not, such as legal fees, staff bonuses and welfare benefits, are not supported by CMF. These guidelines apply to the matching grants paid out by CMF and not to the donations raised by the arts and heritage charities and IPCs.
The CMF is part of a broader suite of Government schemes that support the arts and heritage. Examples of other Government schemes include the National Arts Council’s Presentation and Participation Grant, Creation Grant, Production Grant and Sector Transformation Fund; and the National Heritage Board's Organisation Transformation Grant and Major and Minor Project Grants. Collectively, they provide diverse and holistic support for the arts and heritage sector.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Preventing Employment Agencies from Exerting Undue Influence on Migrant Domestic Workers against Employers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"49 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Manpower how does the Ministry regulate employment agencies of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to ensure that these agencies do not unduly influence a MDW's views against an employer.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) imposes guidelines on employment agencies (EAs) that place migrant domestic workers (MDWs), to ensure that they are professional in their dealings with their clients, both the employers and the MDWs. These guidelines specify that EAs should render conscientious service to their clients; act with honesty and integrity; and promote the interests of their clients. For instance, EAs should not mislead or provide inaccurate information to their clients or apply undue pressure on their clients. The guidelines are issued to every MDW-placing EA and made available on MOM's website.
MOM will investigate all cases where an EA has failed to observe the guidelines and acted unprofessionally to the detriment of its clients' interest. EAs found to have breached these guidelines will be issued with demerit points, which may result in the eventual suspension or revocation of the EA licence.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Fair Process for Employers in Domestic Worker Disputes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"50 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Manpower what is the process for investigating possible infringements in the employment of migrant domestic workers while ensuring that employers will have a fair chance at explaining their side of the dispute.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will investigate all cases of possible infringements under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act thoroughly, impartially and fairly. As part of our investigation process, MOM will speak to both the migrant domestic worker (MDW) and employer to establish the facts of the case. MOM will also review other evidence, such as CCTV recordings and accounts from witnesses, where available. Follow-up actions, if any, will be taken according to the evidence found. For instance, if there is evidence of abuse, we will refer the case to the Police for further investigation. If an MDW is found to have provided false information, she may be prosecuted and if convicted, she will also be blacklisted and banned from future employment in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Addressing Misconceptions Regarding Closure of CPF Special Account","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"51 Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are common misconceptions that still prevail about the closure of the CPF Special Account for members aged 55 years and above from early 2025; (b) what steps will be taken to clear these doubts; and (c) what role can the trade associations, chambers of commerce and tripartite partners play to address the concerns of the workforce and employers on this matter.\n \n
Dr Tan See Leng: Three common misconceptions around the closure of the Special Account (SA) are: whether this move is meant to save on interest payments; whether interest accrues to Central Provident Fund (CPF) LIFE members who choose to transfer their monies from the SA to the Retirement Account (RA) after the closure of the SA; and whether the Government is trying to lock up member's savings. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the CPF Board have extensively addressed these common misconceptions during MOM’s Committee of Supply debate and via public communications channels earlier this year, as well as through engagements with partner organisations. Nonetheless, the following key clarifications from our earlier explanations are worth reiterating:
First, the SA closure aligns with the principle that only long-term savings should earn higher long-term interest rate. In fact, more than 99% of CPF members aged 55 and above today can choose to fully transfer all their SA savings to their RA when the Enhanced Retirement Sum is raised to four times the Basic Retirement Sum from 2025, to continue earning the higher long-term interest rate and receive higher retirement payouts.
Second, interest continues to accrue on the CPF LIFE premium and is factored into members' CPF LIFE monthly payouts for life. Upon a member's passing, any unused premium together with any remaining CPF savings, is refunded to the member's beneficiaries.
Third, SA savings which are withdrawable will be transferred to their Ordinary Account (OA) and remain withdrawable. Meanwhile, SA savings that are transferred to RA will be used to increase their monthly retirement payouts, which members can start drawing down from age 65. For those who have yet to do so by age 70, the payouts will be automatically paid to them. This is in line with CPF's core objective of providing them with lifelong retirement income.
Trade associations, chambers of commerce and tripartite stakeholders can be strong partners and advocates in supporting workers to plan for their retirement and can direct their members to resources available online1 to address these misconceptions. They can also work with employers to leverage available schemes to support senior workers who have less retirement savings. For example, companies can choose to leverage on the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, where the Government provides a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for cash top-ups (including those from employers) made to the RA of eligible members.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Members may go to https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/faq/retirement-income/general-information-on-retirement"],"footNoteQuestions":["51"],"questionNo":"51"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reducing Heat-related Incidents at Work and Measures to Make Workplaces More Heat-resilient","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"52 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower since the implementation of enhanced measures to reduce heat stress for outdoor workers (a) whether the measures are reducing the number of reported heat-related incidents; (b) how many employers have been issued fines for non-compliance; (c) how is the Ministry working with employers to ensure that the measures are sustainable; and (d) how does the Ministry support employers in making their workplaces more heat-resilient in the long-term.
Dr Tan See Leng: The enhanced measures to reduce heat stress for outdoor workers were developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health's Heat Stress Expert Panel, Government agencies and employer associations, such as the Singapore Contractors Association Limited. To help businesses prepare for and comply with the enhanced measures, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council have released guidelines including the Heat Stress Management Compliance Checklist and Specifications for Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Meters for Workplace Measurements, as well as conducted several industry-specific forums. MOM and the WSH Council also disseminate information on heat stress regularly through channels, such as the WSH Council's Bulletin and Facebook page and MOM's FWMOMCare App, where information is disseminated in the native languages of migrant workers.
In the six months since the implementation of the enhanced measures in October 2023, two heat-related incidents have been reported to MOM. The number of reported heat-related incidents has remained low in the past five years, with no more than five incidents annually.
To ensure compliance to the enhanced heat stress measures, MOM has inspected close to 70 workplaces and taken enforcement actions against 23 companies for breaches. We have worked with these employers to rectify the lapses and put in place measures to protect their workers from risk of heat injury.
MOM will also continue to consult the industry when there are new developments and update the heat stress measures accordingly if the temperature gets warmer. Together, we can build heat resilience in workplaces.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Addressing Employers' Concerns over Flexible Work Arrangements and Convincing Them of Benefits for Hiring","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"53 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower in view of mandated considerations for flexible work arrangements under the tripartite guidelines that are leading local employers to hire foreign workers with minimal skill differentiation and greater flexibility in working hours and expected salaries (a) what measures are available to address employers' concerns; (b) how will the Government convince them on the benefits of local hiring; and (c) whether the Ministry has studied the impact of such guidelines on the employability of Singaporeans.
Dr Tan See Leng: This question has been answered as part of the Minister for Manpower's oral reply to Parliamentary Question Nos 13 to 21 on 7 May 2024. Members may refer to the transcript for the reply. [Please refer to \"Support for Employers and Employees Affected by Requirement for Companies to Fairly Consider Flexi-work Requests\", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, 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":"Wage Breakdown of Local and Foreign PMETs by Industry from 2020 to 2023","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"54 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether he can provide the wage or salary breakdown of local and foreign PMETs in each industry for each year from 2020 to 2023; and (b) if not, why not.
Dr Tan See Leng: The salaries of non-resident Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass holders by industry are reflected in Tables 1 and 2 below, respectively. As EP and S Pass holders account for the majority of non-resident professional, manager, executive and technician (PMET) jobs, we have provided data on the salaries for EP and S Pass holders. We peg the minimum costs of hiring EP and S Pass holders to the top one-third of resident PMETs and associate professionals and technicians, respectively, to ensure that companies are bringing in top-tier talent. For resident income data, the Member may refer to the Ministry of Manpower's statistics webpage https://stats.mom.gov.sg.
55 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether foreign workers who have filed wrongful dismissal claims with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management are allowed to remain in Singapore while their claims are being adjudicated, even when the employers have cancelled their work passes; (b) if not, why not; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider allowing such foreign workers to remain in Singapore so as to strengthen the safeguards in preventing unfair treatments of migrant workers.
Dr Tan See Leng: Foreign workers are allowed to remain in Singapore if there are wrongful dismissal claims that have yet to be resolved, even if their work passes have been cancelled by their employers. The Ministry of Manpower will issue special passes for them to stay in Singapore until their claims are resolved through mediation at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management or after adjudication by the Employment Claims Tribunals.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employment Pass Applications for Jobs Initially Posted on MyCareersFuture Portal","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"56 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower in the last five years (a) what is the annual number of Employment Pass applications for jobs that are initially posted on the MyCareersFuture portal of the Government; and (b) how many Employment Pass applications are rejected as a result of employers deemed to have not giving due consideration to Singaporean applicants on MyCareersFuture.
Dr Tan See Leng: All Employment Pass (EP) applications are subject to the Fair Consideration Framework's (FCF) job advertising requirements, unless exempted. The advertising requirements and exemptions are clearly stated on the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) website. Over the past five years, an average of 29,200 approved new EP applications were subject to the FCF job advertising requirements and were initially posted on MyCareersFuture.
MOM takes a serious view of discriminatory hiring practices. We have a robust set of checks to ensure that employers fairly consider all job applicants; in particular, local workers that apply through MyCareersFuture.
First, MOM's systems block EP applications that do not meet the FCF job advertising requirements, such as the minimum advertising duration of 14 consecutive days on MyCareersFuture, from submission. For applications that indicate that they meet the FCF job advertising exemption criteria, MOM does further verification checks. Over the past five years, about 2% of all new EP applications were rejected for incorrectly indicating that they were exempted from the FCF job advertising requirements.
Second, MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices scrutinise EP applications proactively using data analytics to identify employers who may have pre-selected foreigners when hiring without adhering to the spirit of the FCF advertising requirements. In the past five years, over 600 EP applications were withdrawn or rejected following investigations. MOM may also impose sanctions on errant employers, including debarring them from hiring foreign workers for up to 24 months.
In addition to these measures, MOM takes every discrimination complaint seriously and will not hesitate to take action against errant employers to uphold fair employment practices.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Foreign Manpower Concessions Provided under Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services Sandbox and Other Pilot Schemes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"57 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what foreign manpower concessions are provided to participating companies under the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox; (b) whether there are any other sandbox or pilot schemes in which foreign manpower concessions are given; and (c) if so, what are they.
Dr Tan See Leng: Foreign manpower flexibilities are provided to participating companies under the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox to support the Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care in testing out alternative senior care options to meet the caregiving needs of seniors and their families. These flexibilities include additional foreign worker quota and source relaxations.
Besides the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also provides similar foreign manpower flexibilities to companies under the pilot Household Services Scheme (HSS) that provides part-time elder-minding and childminding services.
MOM will continue to work with sector agencies to calibrate the foreign manpower flexibilities accorded to areas serving important societal needs with limited scope for automation or localisation, while ensuring that we are not over-reliant on foreign workers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Demolition of Semi-permanent Quick Build Dormitories at Choa Chu Kang Grove","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"58 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the semi-permanent Quick Build Dormitories located at 5A, 7A and 11A Choa Chu Kang Grove will be demolished, considering that these single-storey dormitories were constructed to combat the transmission of COVID-19 virus among migrant workers during the peak of the pandemic; and (b) if so, when.
Dr Tan See Leng: The three Quick Build Dormitories along Choa Chu Kang Grove are due to be demolished when their leases expire in 2025. However, if the demand for migrant workers remains high and there is a shortage of dormitory beds in 2025, a temporary extension of their leases may be considered.
59 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA has any concerns on the bicycle-sharing market in view of the exit of SG Bike which leaves only Anywheel and HelloRide as the remaining operators; and (b) whether this development will adversely affect Singaporean users of such services in terms of price and experience.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not expect a significant impact to the provision of shared bicycle services in Singapore. Prior to SG Bike's decision not to renew its licence, it was operating with an approved fleet size of 1,500 bicycles, compared to the combined approved fleet size of 40,000 bicycles for Anywheel and HelloRide.
LTA will continue to monitor the state of the industry.
60 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is being done to fortify Changi Airport against extreme rainfall scenarios amidst climate change, including incidents of prolonged torrential rain; and (b) what lessons can be drawn from similar incidents at overseas air hubs where flight connectivities have been disrupted.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group makes preparations based on national planning scenarios and requirements for flood protection, as well as international best practices in the design, construction and upgrading of Changi Airport’s infrastructure to ensure its resilience against climate change.
Various flood protection measures have been implemented at Changi Airport to manage increasing rainfall intensity. Examples include the widening of existing drains and building of new drainage outlets, the expansion and building of new rainwater detention tanks and the introduction of local flood barriers as added protection for operations-critical airport facilities. Water level monitoring sensors have also been installed across the airport's drainage network to provide real-time situational awareness and allow early intervention if needed to avert flooding and maintain the continuity of operations.
For the ongoing Changi East development, an extensive network of drains has been constructed. Terminal 5 and the airfield will also be built 5.5 metres above the mean sea level to protect against flooding due to more intense rainfall and rising sea levels.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Safety of Existing Fleet of Singapore-registered Vessels and Their Compliance with Statutory Requirements","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"
61 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether he can provide an update on the safety of the existing fleet of Singapore-registered vessels; and (b) how does the Ministry assess the ability of the eight ship classification societies to continue to ensure that Singapore-registered vessels comply with all statutory requirements.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Safety is a key focus of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). It has put in place measures to promote safety at sea for Singapore-registered vessels, based on international regulations and procedures. As the Singapore flag administration, MPA has appointed and authorised eight classification societies that are members of the International Association of Classification Societies to survey, inspect and ensure Singapore-registered vessels comply with the applicable statutory requirements. These classification societies have a rigorous set of classification rules and are assessed by MPA based on their competency, expertise and adequacy of resources over several geographies.
MPA has a framework in place to monitor and ensure that appointed classification societies carry out their work and surveys well. If a classification society fails to meet the requirements under the framework, MPA could suspend or cease its appointment.
Singapore-registered vessels have a high safety performance record with a consistently low detention rate in all major Port State Control regimes worldwide. All Singapore-registered vessels are surveyed regularly by an authorised classification society, with at least one survey annually, to verify that their structure, equipment systems, fittings, arrangements and materials are fully compliant with international conventions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enforcement Measures against Owners of Vehicles with Lapsed Road Tax","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"62 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) how does the Singapore Land Authority (LTA) track actual usage of vehicles whose owners have failed to renew their road tax, beyond checking records and sending reminders; and (b) what efforts are being made to ensure that such vehicles are not being used on the roads.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) deters the use of such vehicles on the roads by conducting regular enforcement patrols and operations. LTA enforcement officers actively impound such unlicensed vehicles.
Errant vehicle owners will also be in contravention of section 15 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 and imposed with strict penalties, when they are found to have been keeping or using a vehicle without valid road tax. A person who is convicted of such an offence is liable to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or a fine of an amount equal to three times of the tax payable, if it is proven that the person had the intention to evade payment of the tax.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of Concessionary Fares for Students in Transition from Pre-university to University Levels","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"63 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry has considered extending the concessionary fares for students who have just completed their current course of studies, such as GCE \"A\" Level or International Baccalaureate and are awaiting entry into the next stage of education where they will be eligible for concessionary fares, if proof of admission is provided.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Member could be asking this question because he may not be aware that students who progress to the universities after their GCE \"A\" levels or International Baccalaureate are paying adult fares on a per journey basis.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assessment of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Trials in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"64 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport (a) what has been the assessment of the current hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle trials in Singapore; and (b) whether such trials, the associated infrastructure and vehicle types will be expanded as part of Singapore's National Hydrogen Strategy.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority works with our economic agencies to support industry trials, such as the ongoing hydrogen fuel cell vehicle trial in the Jurong Innovation District.
While electrification is currently the more viable decarbonisation pathway for the land transport sector, especially for cars and light good vehicles, we will continue to monitor developments in other cleaner energy technologies across all vehicle types.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":6091,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Joan Pereira","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240507/vernacular-Joan Pereira Cybersecurity 7 May 2024 - Mandarin.pdf","fileName":"Joan Pereira Cybersecurity 7 May 2024 - Mandarin.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6092,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Desmond Choo","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240507/vernacular-Desmond Choo Cybersecurity 7 May 2024 - Mandarin.pdf","fileName":"Desmond Choo Cybersecurity 7 May 2024 - Mandarin.pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}