1 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is the impact of the escalating tensions in the Middle East arising from intensified fighting along Lebanon’s southern border and Hezbollah’s increasing use of reconnaissance drones over northern Israel, for Singapore.
2 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how is Singapore, together with the international community, playing its part to ensure Israel abides by international law as it wages war against Hamas in Rafah to rescue the hostages.
\tThe Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, my response will cover the question raised by Member Mr Christopher de Souza in today's Order Paper. I will also address the question for written answer by Member Ms Nadia Samdin in today's Order Paper, as well as questions raised by Members Mr Leong Mun Wai and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, which were filed for subsequent Sittings, but since it is on the same issue, I thought I would address all these questions together.
\tMr Speaker: And including Question No 2 for oral answer in today's Order Paper?
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Yes, that is right.
Mr Speaker: Please proceed.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Speaker, Singapore is gravely concerned about the escalating tensions in the Middle East, which have put at risk efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. This should be the foremost priority. Singapore firmly supports the ceasefire proposal announced by the United States (US) on 31 May 2024 which was welcomed, in fact codified, by the United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution on 10 June 2024. We urge parties in the conflict to arrive at an agreement. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, Singapore continues to stand with the international community in calling for an immediate ceasefire, we call for the unconditional and safe release of all hostages and we also call for unhindered humanitarian access. We also reiterate our call for all sides to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law.
The second point I want to make is that Singapore calls on all parties to de-escalate tensions and that there is a real and rising danger of a wider regional conflagration that needs to be avoided. We condemn all attacks on civilians, including the recent attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border, as Mr de Souza had alluded to. With respect to Lebanon, we urge all parties to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which inter alia called for the full cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a demilitarised zone in the south of Lebanon, permitting only the UN and Lebanese armed forces.
Mr Speaker, I will now take the questions related to the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on “Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”. This Advisory Opinion was published on 19 July 2024.
Advisory Opinions of the ICJ carry significant weight in the international legal system and contribute to the development of international law, even though they do not in themselves create legally binding obligations. The Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 that was requested by the UN General Assembly is significant. It focuses on Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the issue of Israeli settlements. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced that he will put the Advisory Opinion to the General Assembly to decide how to proceed in this matter.
Singapore’s long-standing position on Israeli settlements has been consistent and clear. Singapore views the Israeli settlements as illegal under international law. The settlements make it much harder to arrive at a viable two-state solution. Singapore has consistently voted in support of UN General Assembly resolutions that reject Israeli settlement activities and call upon Israel to rescind all unilateral measures that have been taken to change the status of Jerusalem.
Singapore’s long-standing position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that the only viable pathway to a comprehensive, just and durable solution is a negotiated two-state solution, consistent with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions. And we continue to urge both parties to resume direct negotiations and to, in the meantime, refrain from unilateral actions to attempt to change the status quo because this will hinder the peace process.
Ultimately, Israelis and Palestinians need to have the political will to make the necessary concessions required in order to achieve a durable peace. Given the difficulties and complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Singapore’s approach remains to be constructive, to be helpful, to support all efforts towards peace. And we will continue to support international efforts to create the necessary conditions that will enable this peace process to begin again. This was the key thrust of my remarks to the House on 2 July 2024.
Mr Speaker, the safety and security of Singaporeans in the Middle East region is our key concern. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has existing travel advisories against travel to Lebanon and, in particular, the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as the Israel-Syria border. But I have to inform the House that there is, in fact, one Singaporean currently e-registered in Lebanon, who has insisted on proceeding with the trip despite knowing the dangers. MFA will remain in close touch with all the Singaporeans who are e-registered in the region. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv stands ready to provide consular assistance. All travellers to the Middle East are strongly encouraged to e-register with MFA and to please take precautions for personal safety.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Christopher de Souza.
\tMr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): In the Minister's view, is this a political, social or religious issue, or is it all three? If it is all three, how will we ensure in Singapore that this foreign issue does not impact our social compact and social cohesion?
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: This is a long-standing, complicated issue. The Member has mentioned that there may be political, social, religious dimensions. There will also be historical, cultural, geographical and economic dimensions to it. Basically, there is no easy solution. There is also, unfortunately, no quick and instant solution.
The main point that I think the Member is trying to raise is that given the complexities of the issue and the fact this is going to be so long-standing, how should Singapore and Singaporeans respond. Given that we are multiracial, multilingual, multi-religious, we are an open city, we depend on free trade, we depend on the import of energy. The point is that events far away can have profound impact on us. They can affect us economically, they can also affect our social, ethnic, religious harmony.
This is something which we need to be very, very mindful of. Therein the point is as the Member had made – this is a foreign nation, this is something far away, but we should not under-estimate the impact that it can have on our society. I think our paramount concern should be to maintain the unity and cohesion of all Singaporeans, that we are entitled to different opinions, different reactions even. But above all, maintain our own domestic cohesion and collectivity. And then, we can play our role as a responsible member of the international community, standing for peace, standing for international law, upholding principles, providing humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed. And then, maintaining our communication channels open with all parties, even though some of these parties may be at war or doing things which, quite frankly, we find abhorrent.
That is the position which I am trying to encourage us to maintain. So far, you would have noticed that we have access to all parties. I have been to Palestine, I have been to Israel, I have been to the Middle East. You would also recall that so far, Singaporeans have raised more than $17 million of assistance – and these funds have come from Singaporeans of all races, languages and religions. We have been able to work with our partners across the Middle East to deliver this assistance.
I hope Members of this House will see that even in this dark hour, the unity of Singaporeans, the good will and generosity of Singaporeans, and the calm, measured, principled, consistent, diplomatic posture of Singapore is something which has been noticed and appreciated – certainly in the Middle East, but even on the international stage.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Questions for the Minister. I note that the Minister shared that there is one Singaporean who is e-registered to travel to Lebanon and has decided to proceed. I also further note that there are one travel notice and two travel advisories dated 17 April, 14 April and 7 February for the region.
The first supplementary question is, is the Ministry aware of how many Singaporeans remain in the immediate vicinity of the region, who are either registered or unregistered? And if the Ministry assesses the situation to become more serious, although this is rarely done, will MFA issue a stricter travel advisory for Singaporeans to completely avoid travel to the region?
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: By definition, MFA will not be aware of Singaporeans in the region who have not e-registered with us. I have already mentioned we have at least one in Lebanon. We have several in Israel – I do not have the exact number. I want to be quite categorical – frankly, as far as MFA is concerned, it is not a matter of how strict. We have signalled unambiguously through our travel advisories and notices, \"Please don't go to hotspots where safety will be an issue\" or where we anticipate that further regional conflagration is a real and present risk. If that happens and you get into trouble, of course we would not leave you behind, but you are actually generating enormous work and concern, and sometimes even risk to the officers in MFA.
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Again, I make this appeal. Unless there is really, really no choice, please do not go and please do not give us unnecessary extra work. And I say this not because my officers are not willing to do the work – my officers are. I would also want to make this point that MFA has got officers throughout the Middle East and I had never had a single officer come up to me and say, \"There is a clear and present risk, please don't send me.\"
So, I hope this House will also join me in expressing our appreciation and admiration for the Foreign Service Officers who put themselves on the frontlines, at risk, in order to represent us and to safeguard our interest and to help Singaporeans.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
\tMr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Speaker. The Foreign Minister had previously characterised the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a family quarrel. So, I raise a question for the Foreign Minister, whether it is still appropriate to characterise the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a \"family quarrel\", in light of the ICJ's advisory opinion?
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\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: I think we should never trivialise the tragedy that is unfolding there. Maybe for the Member's edification, let me remind you of a speech which Senior Minister Lee made in November last year. It is worth reading just one paragraph of that speech.
He said, quote, \"We are also watching closely, events in the Middle East. The re-eruption of the Israel-Palestinian conflict has impacted Singapore. Like people elsewhere in the world, Singaporeans identify with the plight of Palestinian people. Muslim Singaporeans, especially feel this strongly. But, in fact, all Singaporeans are appalled by the human suffering in Gaza as Israeli attacks target there, as they were also appalled by Hamas terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians on 7 October 2023 that prompted this IDF military operations. The quarrel between the Israelis and Palestinians is not our quarrel, but it impacts our society. The Government has to take a national position that upholds our consistent principles and, which considers the sentiments and feelings of our population. We feel sympathy for the civilian victims on both sides and will extend humanitarian help to those in need. But we must not let problems elsewhere widen fault lines in our society. Let us indeed build on and strengthen our social harmony.\"
So, that is the context, Mr Leong – do not let problems elsewhere widen our potential fault lines. And none of us should seek to do that or take advantage of that for political point scoring. That is the real message to you and, indeed, it is a reminder to all of us.
Again, as I said, we can all have different perspectives and views. We may be informed by religion, social conscience, our own interpretations of history. But the paramount point here, let us not be divided. Do not play up fault lines.
And it is possible, and I hope in the fullness of time, it will be shown that Singapore is a mature, cohesive society that can deal with diversity and still rise up to the occasions, uphold principles, not take sides, be helpful, express the best part of our humanity and our compassion whilst understanding that life is complicated, especially in many other places. I think if we can approach this with this spirit of humility and realism, we can be a useful exemplar to other parts of the world where these fault lines have not only cracked, but have led to enormous loss of life and, especially, innocent lives of civilians. I think on that note, we are all completely united.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given that the Minister has said that Singapore has access to many of the parties on all sides of the conflict, does Singapore have any plans to play some role to bring together the different sides, even in some small way?
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\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Gerald Giam accompanied me on my trip in March. So, you will know that, yes, we do have access and yes, they do listen politely to us, because we have got long-standing relations and they know we do not grandstand and we do not engage in point-seeking and we are not engaged in a publicity exercise. But I think you would also agree, from your trip with me, that there is a very, very limited role for us. It is not a question of a venue for meeting or even offering good advice. They are not short of advice and they are not actually short of venues to meet or avenues of communication.
But until the top leaders in the two warring tribes can arrive at a conclusion that violence is not the answer and that concessions are essential, and that these two related people have to learn to live with each other. Both peoples occupying contested land are not going to leave and they will be a reality for each other till the end of time. It is that realisation and that change in spirit and perspective that will be necessary.
So, I think as far as Singapore is concerned, we stay united, we help where we can, we uphold principles and we insist on adherence to international law on all sides.
I think our excess is also because they know we are fair-minded people and that we are prepared to help wherever we can help. But let us not overstep ourselves or assume that we have got a greater role than we can actually play. At the end, this is one little red dot, a shiny red dot, but we are still far away and many steps removed from them.
I would also remind you when we went and there were discussions about one state and two states. And you will recall the conversation which I had with some senior people to say, \"Well, if you want a one-state solution, your delegation must look like mine: multi-religious, multiracial and completely united, even across political boundaries\". But I think you would have also got a sense from that trip that is very far removed from the reality in the Middle East, at least for now.
So, again, I think this spirit of humility and consistency and upholding what is right, whilst maintaining the unity amidst our great diversity – I think that alone, is our contribution to show the world that it is possible to live in peace with your neighbour, with your brother.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Clean-up Work Following Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill Incident","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"3 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether an update can be provided on the status of the clean-up work on our beaches and coastal areas which had to be carried out following the oil spill at the Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June 2024.
\tThe Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will also address the question for written answer filed by Mr Melvin Yong.
The clean-up operation is progressing well. We have completed the first phase of the clean-up. The second phase of the clean-up which focuses on difficult-to-clean areas like rock bunds, breakwaters and oil trapped deeper in the sand is well underway. Some beaches have progressed to the final phase, where volunteers are mobilised to participate in the clean-up and accelerate the re-opening of the beaches.
Our beaches will be re-opened as clean-up operations are completed. As of today, Siloso Beach at Sentosa has re-opened for all water activities. Several parts of East Coast Park have re-opened for land-based activities. We plan to complete the cleaning of all affected beaches within the next one month or so.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
\t\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for the response. I have two supplementary questions. What are the total expenses incurred so far for the clean-up of our beaches and coastal waters? Does the Government have an estimate of the losses suffered by our locally based businesses as a result of the pollution to our beaches and coastal waters? Can the Government provide an update of the assistance which the Government has been rendering to these businesses so far?
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\tMs Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Speaker, we have not, at this point in time, totalled up the costs of the expenses. We are focusing our attention on the actual cleaning-up which I think deserves our priority and also our urgent attention. As to estimation of losses and also updates on other business considerations, I think this is not related to the Parliamentary Question that Mr Dennis Tan had filed. So, I do not have the answer for him.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress of \"30 By 30\" Food Production Goal Given Recent Farm Closures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"4 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the progress of Singapore’s \"30 by 30\" goal that aims to produce 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs by 2030; and (b) whether the recent spate of local farm closures will result in a delay of reaching this goal by 2030.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment): Mr Speaker, Sir, my response to Mr Melvin Yong's Parliamentary Question (PQ) will also address related \"30 by 30\" PQs filed by Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Don Wee, Ms Hazel Poa and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Last month, my Ministry responded to PQs by several Members regarding the \"30 by 30\" vision. As the PQs for this Sitting are related, let me first provide a brief recap.
Since its formation, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been undertaking efforts to grow our local agri-food sector, alongside import source diversification and stockpiling. Local production adds to Singapore's food security by helping to buffer the impact of supply disruptions.
The \"30 by 30\" vision was conceived in 2019 as an ambitious aspiration of building the capacity and capability to locally produce 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030. At that time, there was strong investor interest in the global agri-food sector, a low interest rate environment and lower global energy prices. Since then, the business climate has become less favourable due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions and inflation. Ms Hazel Poa asked about the impact of rising business costs on the farming sector.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and initial phase of reopening, our farms faced a shortage of foreign workers and construction delays. Since then, in the post-pandemic period, inflation and energy price hikes exacerbated by geopolitical tensions, as well as a more challenging financial environment, have added to their challenges.
\tSome farms have taken a pause in development works to re-evaluate and fine-tune their business models. Global agri-tech companies have also not been spared from these headwinds. That said, while there have been some farm closures, we are also seeing existing players looking to expand their operations as well as new players entering the agri-food sector. So, overall, the total number of land- and sea-based farms have remained relatively stable at about 250 since 2019.
Given the nascency of our agri-food sector and the challenging environment, SFA has provided our farms with support in various areas, including availing land and infrastructure for farming, improving energy efficiency and productivity, and increasing demand offtake for their produce.
First, we are making land and infrastructure available for farming by regularly launching land and sea space tenders. In 2022, we also introduced the option for the typical 20-year land lease and sea space leases to be extended for a further 10 years to give more certainty to farms when planning and seeking investors. To Mr Don Wee’s question, we will continue to press on with the Lim Chu Kang Masterplan and co-develop the Singapore Aquaculture Plan with our stakeholders, including other Government agencies, nature groups, academics, industry players and offtakers.
Second, we have increased support to farms to improve their energy efficiency and productivity so as to reduce their cost and to increase revenue. To Mr Dennis Tan’s query on how the Government will assist businesses in coping with business cost challenges, SFA ensures that the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund remains relevant in meeting farms’ business and growth needs. In 2022, the ACT Fund was enhanced to extend the higher co-funding quantum of 70%, or up to $6 million per project, to a wider range of food types, such as fruited vegetables, mushrooms and shrimps, allowing more farms to benefit from this higher co-funding. The ACT Fund encourages our farms to invest in productive and resource-efficient technologies that can help to manage resource use and, consequently, operating costs. In 2023, SFA introduced the Energy Efficiency Programme (EEP) under the ACT Fund to co-fund energy efficiency audits and the adoption of energy-efficient equipment and technologies to help our farms better manage their energy costs for the longer term.
Ms Hazel Poa asked about the Government’s support for traditional open style agriculture. Given the reality of our limited land, manpower and natural resources, farms that adopt more productive, climate-resilient and resource-efficient farming methods have greater commercial viability potential. Regardless, SFA assesses all farm applications for the ACT Fund and considers the merits of each case, each and every proposal on its own merit, and its ability to contribute to our food security.
Third, we are working to increase demand for local produce. SFA is supporting the industry through the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation Limited (SAFEF). SAFEF has taken on the role of an industry level supply and demand aggregator that partners farmers, traders and food processing companies to better match demand and supply. Through the efforts of SAFEF and its partners, locally grown vegetables and fish are now sold under the brand names “The Straits Fish” and “The SG Farmers’ Market”, respectively, at FairPrice supermarkets under a six-month trial. And, in fact, consumer response to these products have been encouraging.
So, consumers, too, can play a role in strengthening our national food security. They can choose to purchase local produce which can be easily recognised by the red “SG Fresh Produce” logo or dine at food establishments using local produce under the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme. Together, we can continue to safeguard Singapore’s food security.
Members have also asked about the progress for “30 by 30” and if we remain on track despite the recent news on farm closures. To Mr Zhulkarnain’s question on the reasons for the farm closures, let me explain that these are commercial decisions that are farm-specific in nature. And as with any nascent sector, our agri-food sector will need time to grow and prove their business models.
The “30 by 30” vision has always been an aspiration, which seeks to rally our collective efforts around the important task of enhancing Singapore’s food security. As my Ministry shared in our reply to Parliamentary Questions on this matter last month, we have achieved some results in a few areas. For example, our local egg production now contributes more than 30% of local consumption, an increase from 26% in 2019. Local beansprout production has also come in at more than 50% of local consumption. So, the progress is expected to be uneven. Some sectors will move ahead faster and closer to our aspirations, some will still need some collective efforts from all of us. We have seen both new and existing farms harnessing technology and innovation to scale up production and operate productive, viable models. Some have expanded their operations to higher value products that better cater to consumers’ evolving demands. I want to assure Members that SFA will continue to anchor more of such farms and help them to scale up over time.
Mr Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
\tMr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. I would like to first acknowledge the good work of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and SFA in recent years to incubate and also grow our local farms. As consumers, we must support locally grown produce so that our local agriculture sector can flourish and also act as a buffer when food supply disruptions happen periodically. I have two supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State.
First, I would like to ask for an update on the utilisation rate of the $60 million ACT fund, which the Senior Minister of State has mentioned, and whether the Ministry could consider extending the use of this grant to offset high operating expenses, such as the rising electricity costs.
Second, the survivability of our local farms hinges on a predictable and consistent demand as this impacts their cash flow. So, I am very glad to hear that the National Environment Agency and SFA have partnered associations, such as SAFEF, to create a demand aggregator. My question is: can this collaboration be extended to supply a collective pool of local produce to our local hawkers? We can work through the hawker associations. This can result in a win-win outcome where farmers get more certainty in demand and our local hawkers get fresh quality local ingredients.
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. On the utilisation of the ACT fund and what is the extent of the projects being funded, as of 30 April this year, SFA has awarded $25.7 million to 42 companies under 68 awarded projects. So, there are still available funds for companies that want to tap into this fund to expand their businesses, adopt technologies and to use it for energy efficiency purposes.
As I said in my main reply, we did enhance this fund with the energy efficiency programme so that farms can tap on this fund to do energy audits, look at their current operations and see if there are equipment or processes that could be altered, so that they can adopt more energy-efficient measures. It could involve things like changing the type of LED lights so that it is more energy-efficient. It could include things like adopting solar panels so that you can get some more renewable energy sources that could well be cheaper than energy from the grid. These are measures that farms can adopt to defray some of their operating energy costs.
But to directly offset operating expenses, that will be something quite challenging because it could well end up having the perverse effect of paying for inefficient players to offset their costs to the detriment of taxpayers' money as well. So, we want to fund them so that whatever they do, has durability and sustainability for the longer term and fundamentally changes the way the company operates for a more sustainable future.
On whether demand aggregation can work with hawkers, I think SAFEF and the farms are prepared to explore. But it is not a straightforward issue of trying to ask the hawkers to buy from the aggregator because many of these hawkers and businesses have already established relationships with specific suppliers, and it is probably not so easy for them to change this kind of relationship overnight. But if there are particular hawker associations, particular groups of hawkers in a particular locality, who are keen to come together to do some group buying, I think SAFEF will be prepared to work with them and discuss longer-term contracting models where there is more constancy of supply with good quality and there is also better demand for the farmers themselves. So, if there are hawker associations who are keen, do get in touch with SFA or SAFEF directly.
Mr Speaker: Miss Cheryl Chan.
\tMiss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (East Coast): Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Senior Minister of State. As we go for more resource- and energy-efficient models of agri-tech production, would the Ministry consider taking a more active stand, beyond just grants, to look at areas of R&D, scaling and commercialisation? What I meant by that is, for example, actively curating technologies that may be functional and would work to enable the success, and introduce it to the different businesses so that we have a higher chance of getting this programme on the road.
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I thank the Member for her question. Indeed, the ACT Fund actually does both. The ACT Fund also has a technology adoption component that allows farms to adopt technology that has already some degree of curation by the expert panels, so that these are easier to adopt as they are technologies that have some degree of proven record. The ACT fund also allows innovation to take place at the farm level, if they want to try a new innovation based on current base technology to unlock new potential. So, the ACT fund already allows farms to adopt it to do both the things that the Member has asked for.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Preparedness for Global Technology Outages and Impact of Recent CrowdStrike Incident","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"
The following question stood in the name of Mr Ang Wei Neng –
5 To ask the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) how many websites or phone applications of Government and Statutory Boards were affected by the recent outage on 19 July 2024 that was caused by a software update; (b) how long did the affected websites or phone applications take to restore it back to normalcy; and (c) what are the lessons learnt from the said outage.
6 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) how many Government agencies were affected by the software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike which caused a major technological outage globally on 19 July 2024; and (b) whether the Singapore Government subscribes to CrowdStrike’s services.
7 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the impact to Singapore due to the tech outage caused by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike’s software update on 19 July 2024; (b) whether any Government agencies or critical public services have been affected by the outage; and (c) what is the Ministry’s contingency plans for such global tech outages that may impact Singapore’s socio-economic security.
8 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information with regard to the recent IT outage caused by CrowdStrike (a) whether the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore (CSA) has updated its threat and risk assessment protocols to cover supply chain risks of this nature; (b) if so, whether these updated protocols will be implemented across all critical information infrastructure (CII); and (c) what new strategies are being considered to enhance the resilience of CIIs against systemic propagated shocks that are not directly linked to cybersecurity threats.
9 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information with regard to the global IT outage that occurred on 19 July 2024 (a) whether the Ministry has conducted an overall local impact assessment; and (b) if so, what are the Ministry’s findings and whether any measures have been implemented to prevent such a recurrence.
10 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Government will conduct an After-Action Review (AAR) to assess Singapore's preparedness and response, and identify areas for improvement, in light of the recent global technology outage; (b) what key considerations will guide such AAR; and (c) whether the Government will (i) develop a local technology ecosystem or (ii) stipulate guidelines that will implement redundancy systems to insulate our essential services from global disruptions as part of digital resilience.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Question No 5, please.
\tThe Minister for Digital Development and Information (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer together Oral Question Nos 5 to 10 on today's Order Paper, Written Question Nos 27 and 28 on today's Order Paper, and Question Nos 60, 64, 65, 66, 68 and 69 on yesterday's Order Paper, filed by Members like Miss Cheryl Chan, Ms Ng Ling Ling and Mr Desmond Choo, as they are all related to the outage of information technology (IT) systems caused by CrowdStrike's faulty software update on 19 July 2024?
Mr Speaker: Please proceed.
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, my response will also cover the matters raised in the Oral Questions by Assoc Prof Razwana Begum1,2,3, which are scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. With your permission, Sir, I would also like to invite all interested Members to seek clarifications after I have given my reply today. If the questions have been addressed, it may not be necessary to proceed with the Questions for future Sittings.
Mr Speaker: Please proceed.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Sir, on 19 July 2024, a faulty software update by cybersecurity service provider CrowdStrike disrupted major services around the world. Images of the now infamous \"blue screen of death\" appeared in media news cycles and attracted significant public attention. According to public reports, outages were experienced by users of the Microsoft Windows operating system that adopted CrowdStrike’s Falcon Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solution. It is a security solution that requires frequent and timely updates to be effective.
The Members' questions fall broadly into two categories: first, what is the impact of the outage in Singapore, particularly in relation to services provided by the Government; second, what are the lessons learnt, particularly in relation to the resilience of our IT systems.
Fortuitously, Government services and most essential services in Singapore were unaffected by the outages. However, some businesses that use CrowdStrike's Falcon EDR solution were affected. In most cases, the impact was to internal staff. In a minority of the cases, customers were impacted due to service disruptions. Prominent examples of these were the passenger check-in for some airlines at Changi Terminal 4 and gantry operations at some Housing and Development Board carparks.
Customers of affected businesses met with delays and were inconvenienced. However, business continuity plans kicked in. These included switching over to manual processes, such as for flight ticketing and check-in. The Singapore Cyber Emergency Response Team (SingCERT) of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) also quickly issued an advisory to guide affected systems administrators and users on how to manually recover their systems. Most of the affected systems recovered within a day and services returned to normal.
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As Members know, IT systems may experience outages and disruptions from time to time. In this particular instance, it is not yet fully understood what caused a relatively routine software update to have created such major disruptions around the world. My Ministry has set up an internal task force to engage relevant partners to gain insights into the incident and assess if further measures should be taken to improve Singapore's resilience when such disruptions occur.
In the meantime, one key lesson can already be reinforced. As we have said on previous occasions, even with best efforts, not all disruptions can be prevented. Systems owners should, therefore, have plans in place to help them recover quickly from unexpected disturbances.
On its part, the Government adopts a risk-based approach to ensure that our critical systems and Essential Services (ES) are resilient. Critical Information Infrastructures (CIIs), ES and Government services are all subject to stringent requirements and have to put in place robust business continuity plans, disaster recovery plans and incident response plans.
The Cybersecurity Act and specific sectoral regulations hold CII and key ES operators accountable for meeting the baseline security and resilience requirements. This includes timely review of risk assessments and audits. For example, Government agencies using third-party software in their information and communication technologies (ICT) systems have to do a thorough risk assessment and put in place the necessary mitigation measures. CSA also established the CII Supply Chain Programme to better manage key vendor supply chain risks.
Businesses must also play their part to improve their resilience when disruptions occur and recognise that it is in their own as well as their customers' interests to do so. When things are running smoothly, businesses may question why they should incur cost or prioritise efforts to assess and improve their resilience measures. Unfortunately, some may not take appropriate action until it is too late.
We therefore encourage businesses to conduct their own risk management and assessment measures and put in place the appropriate business continuity plans to help business continuity in the event of a disruption. SingCERT has recently published an advisory on building digital resiliency, which can be found on CSA's website. As part of the support for enterprises' digitalisation, my Ministry offers other practical resources and financial assistance to encourage robust IT practices. This includes CSA's cybersecurity toolkits and IMDA's SMEs Go Digital Programme.
While these efforts may not specifically address IT outages like the one related to CrowdStrike, they can help businesses prevent incidents and recover more quickly should disruptions occur. I also encourage all businesses to take advantage of the Government's resource support to strengthen their digital resilience.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Speaker, I thank the hon Minister. The Minister mentioned that businesses should have contingencies in place. Could I ask the Minister, with regard to critical infrastructure, for example, businesses and airlines that are operating at our airports, whether we should have compulsory requirements? Because as we saw at our airport during the outage, most airlines were able to cope, whereas some airlines faced longer disruptions. This experience, although it is related to the airlines, does also reflect on Singapore on a whole. As such, will the Ministry consider making it compulsory for some businesses to adopt contingency plans?
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, actually, it is in the businesses' own interest to have contingency plans in place. If they are affected, or if their customers are affected, certainly, the operational impact could be considerable. Certainly, their reputations are also at risk. The Government has to adopt a risk-based approach and that would include being quite careful about the occasions when we impose compulsory requirements.
If we attempt to prescribe the measures that businesses must take and we are not careful as to the occasions that we do so, firstly, it could take agency and the sense of ownership away from the IT systems' owners, because then the thinking could be that, if the Government does not say so, then we do not need to do. That would be to the detriment of all of us.
Secondly, it is also, from a sense of humility, that we decide that this is not a good approach, because there are so many different components that go into a system's resilience. To imagine that we have full understanding of all the different things that could cause major disruptions is, I believe, unwise.
I should also say that, in this particular instance, it was a fairly innocuous software update. No one could have expected the amount of disruption that it caused around the world. So, I would say that we will, in certain instances, require measures to be mandated. But in the vast majority of the cases, it is important to allow the systems owners and, indeed, to require the systems owners to take ownership, to build up their systems' resilience. That is still the approach that we would prefer to take.
\tMr Speaker: I see many hands up. I will call Members but let us keep the questions succinct and the answers likewise. Miss Cheryl Chan.
\tMiss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (East Coast): Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Minister. I agree with the Minister that these software systems are relatively complex and, generally, you do not just have a single supplier supplying to the overall system. The question would be, for the Government agencies, as we are going more digital or promoting digitalisation in our society, how can we ensure there is sufficient coordination with third-party suppliers, such that any change that they make on their independent end does not affect our overall system?
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Sir, it is an excellent question. If I could seek your indulgence, it deserves a fuller response.
Firstly, the use of third-party software is unavoidable because technological systems are complex. Third-party software can offer a wide range of functionalities to meet the requirements of various organisations, the Government included, and this saves time and resources from having to develop such software from scratch. When using third-party software in their ICT systems, Government agencies are required to undergo a thorough risk assessment and to put in place the mitigating measures. That is already baseline.
To the extent possible, agencies must put in place quality assurance measures to ensure that the software changes that will be inevitable will not introduce errors in critical systems. Such measures include testing software updates in controlled settings prior to going live. IT people are very familiar with this – you test it in a controlled environment before you put it to the overall system and then see what happens.
We also deploy software changes progressively to small groups of users before rolling it out widely. This usually allows us to catch and isolate issues early. But I say \"usually\" because it does not happen all the time. There are ways in which the system components interact with each other that are not always possible to map out so clearly. In addition, agencies with critical systems are required to review the change management processes of their software providers through regular independent audits. This ensures that software changes can be rolled out smoothly and securely.
In some instances, depending on the service provided, it may be beyond the control of users, including governments. For example, Software as a Service will put the onus on the vendor to ensure that their software remains secure and available for use. This is something that we will have to keep in mind and see what we can do about.
To the Member's specific questions – when we have exercises, for example, are different partners in the supply chain involved? Possibly, if they have a major impact on the system's usability as well as resilience, but there are so many vendors involved and it may not be possible to include all of them in the exercises.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, I have two supplementary questions for the Minister.
Sir, much of the legislation introduced recently covers cybersecurity risks. However, as this major outage caused by CrowdStrike was not a cybersecurity attack but a supply chain failure, specifically, a bug in the software update from the vendor, does the current legislation adequately address the risks posed by supply chain failures in digital infrastructure? And would the impending Digital Infrastructure Act have mitigated the impact of the outage caused by CrowdStrike?
Secondly, this incident also highlighted the risk of a single point of failure having widespread impact on digital infrastructure. A similar issue was observed with the Mobile Guardian mobile device management software used in schools which have affected thousands of students, many of whom discovered to their horror that they lost their study notes just before their weighted assessments. Is the Government looking at encouraging or even mandating operators of CII to review their IT procurement practices and diversify their sources of vendors so that no one software can bring down an entire system?
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, the hon Member has a number of questions rolled into his supplementary. Let me try and deal with supply chain risks more broadly and what we do about them in CII.
In fact, CSA's threat and risk assessment for CII already cover supply chain risks of this nature today. So, it is not something that is new or unknown or we are caught by surprise in that regard. We have put in place measures to tackle the supply chain risks that the CIIs face, holistically.
For example, under the Cybersecurity Code of Practice, CII owners must adopt, to the extent possible, the Defence by Diversity principle. To explain to Members what this means – take any IT system. If the system does not have much diversity in terms of its defences and a single attack vector can immobilise the most key components of the system, then the system does not have Defence by Diversity. If the system wants to achieve Defence by Diversity, what the system owner needs to do is to have a different variety of vendors that the system owner works with, different system architectures to the extent possible, different configurations, different communications pathways and, indeed, different vendors for whether hardware or software.
So, Defence by Diversity is something that we ask CII owners to adopt to the extent possible. That is also why, in many instances, we emphasise how software systems ought to be interoperable. Because if interoperability is not common, then you can imagine that for system owners, they are stuck. Once system owners use system A, they must also use the other related systems for A. If they cannot choose to use B, then they do not have that diversity. So, that is a very important principle. It is already part of the way we operate.
The threat and risk assessments are also reviewed at regular intervals so that they remain up to date. Additionally, CSA has also introduced the CII Supply Chain Programme. I mentioned this earlier. This was in 2022. What does the Supply Chain Programme help, whether it is Government agencies or, indeed, any other system owner, achieve? It gives them a toolkit to help identify and inventorise their vendors.
It is very often the case that when something happens, system owners do not know what hit them, even if it has been reported in the media that this was a particular software failure, because the system owners may not know that their systems contain this particular software. So, a simple fact of inventorising what goes into your system is already no small feat because of the number of vendors involved along the whole supply chain.
So, the toolkit helps the systems owners to also assess and rate their cyber supply chain risk using a standardised vendor management methodology. So, that is another thing that we have put in place. To the Member's point about a single point of failure, we agree and there are ways in which we mitigate against that.
For Government systems, critical functions are required to cater for redundancy. You must be able to have a failover, and this could include both the hardware and software components, networks and databases, as well as even aspects of the physical environment. So, this is something that is already practised and you can always improve them.
The Digital Infrastructure Act that we had talked about will seek to improve resilience that are over and above what needs to be done within the cyber system environment. We will have more details. We are in the process of consulting with the various stakeholders and, in due course, we will be able to say more about that.
Mr Speaker: Ms Hany Soh.
\tMs Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): I thank the Minister for sharing with us in relation to answering our Parliamentary Questions (PQs). I have one supplementary question. I understand that investigation is still ongoing, but I am curious to find out whether the relevant investigation team has already been in touch with Microsoft to understand what are the preliminary issues and what are the undertakings that they will endeavour to do to prevent such a major technical glitch from happening again.
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Sir, the short answer to the Member's question is yes, from the first hour.
Mr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
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\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for her response. My supplementary questions pertain to public confidence in Government digital services. What measures are in place to ensure that public confidence in Government digital systems is maintained, especially in the wake of outages like the CrowdStrike incident as well as the Ministry of Education's Mobile Guardian cyberattack? Secondly, how does the Ministry plan to communicate resilience efforts to the public to reassure them of the reliability of Government services?
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Sir, I think there is no doubt in all of the Members' minds that when an incident of such a nature happens, inevitably there will be questions about digital resilience. There will be questions about why we should continue to engage digitally for the most important transactions in our day-to-day lives and people are naturally concerned about the reliability. So, we fully understand that.
I think there is no shortcut to achieving public confidence. We need to be able to put the systems in place. We need to also demonstrate that when disruptions occur, and they inevitably will occur, we are able to recover very quickly. It is not different from how our residents will feedback to us about their confidence regarding lift systems. For example, the lifts will, from time to time, break down. It happens in every constituency and the residents will very naturally also tell you that, \"I can accept that, as long as you are able to recover it within a short time\". There is a difference between the lift system being out of service for two weeks, versus two days, versus two hours. And that is also the approach that we must take.
And there is no amount of assurance that you can provide, except by demonstrating that this is indeed possible, which is why our emphasis has to be on the ability to respond to incidents. It also has to be a whole-of-system approach. It cannot be just the Government being able to do this.
As I explained earlier in my reply, in this case, Government services and essential services were largely unaffected. This is not to say that we are secretly happy that nothing happened so badly and that the hit was taken by others. That is not the approach at all.
Citizens do not differentiate how the disruption occurred. It occurred. And whether you are at the car park gantry not able to get out or whether you are at the check-in counter not able to get your boarding pass, you feel just as annoyed or you feel that something has failed you. We understand all of that.
So, it requires all of the actors, all of the stakeholders in the system, to be able to work with a single-minded focus on ensuring resilience of their systems.
Mr Speaker: Ms Jessica Tan, please keep the question short.
\tMs Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Speaker, I thank the Minister for covering the PQs quite comprehensively. Related to the PQ I had filed, can I just ask, because the Minister also made the important point that you cannot predict all disruptions and disruptions will happen. And because it is so complex – as part of my PQ, I had asked this as well – is there a requirement for organisations, not just the Government, to test their response and resilience plans more regularly? Because you can have the plans in place, but if they are not tested, you do not know whether the systems will fail and if they fail, it is also the response plans because the response plans are both operational as well as digital.
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, the response to the Member's question is very similar to the response to the first set of questions that were posed in supplementary. It is actually in the companies' and systems owners' own interests to assure their stakeholders that they regularly test their systems and their systems have resilience.
Where appropriate, we would, of course, put out what are good practices – and the Supply Chain Programme that we introduced together with the toolkit is one example. Mandatory requirements, if and when they have proven to be essential, foundational to all services, we are not averse to putting them in place. But we are still very mindful that there is such a great diversity in the systems and digital products and services that are being delivered to citizens, that a one-size-fits-all set of requirements may not really do the job but may, in fact, add to resources being diverted to meeting these compliance requirements without achieving the necessary resilience and usability that system owners should be striving for.
Mr Speaker: Last supplementary question, Dr Tan. Keep it short, please.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for her answer. I start by declaring that I have Clementi residents who were affected by the Mobile Guardian outage and that I have also filed a PQ yesterday on Mobile Guardian. But this question is more generally to the Ministry of Digital Development and Information. Can I ask, in the approach to stress testing and vulnerability testing of gov.sg systems, does the Ministry envisage applying the same level of testing to key vendor systems outside gov.sg? This is because even though we can outsource services, outsource authority, but ultimately, as the key stakeholder, we cannot outsource responsibility.
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, I think the Member's question is very specific to gov.sg, nothing to do with CrowdStrike, actually. But briefly, nobody is outsourcing responsibility for gov.sg. It is entirely the Government's responsibility. Gov.sg is a sender ID that is also protected by the SMS sender ID registry that we set up some time ago. The whole reason for requiring all Government communications with citizens, with the public, on SMSes to go through gov.sg is so that we can secure this channel more robustly.
And I can share very briefly that extensive testing was implemented before the roll-out and, indeed, the roll-out was also first to a smaller group and then to a bigger group. So, I hope that addresses the Member's question.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry anticipates any legislative or regulatory changes following the outage caused by the cyber-security firm CrowdStrike’s software update on 19 July 2024; and (b) if so, what are the changes.","2 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry has an estimate of the economic cost to Singapore due to the outage caused by the cyber-security firm CrowdStrike’s software update on 19 July 2024; and (b) if so, what is the cost.","3 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Digital Development and","Information how does the Ministry plan to educate and support the public and private sectors to be better","able to respond to any future major cyber outages."],"footNoteQuestions":["5","6","7","8","9","10"],"questionNo":"5-10"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Findings Resulting in Directive for Social Media Platforms to Block of 95 Accounts for Posts on Singapore's Leadership Transition","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"11 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of five social media platforms directed to block a network of 95 accounts (a) what were the reach of the posts containing videos on the leadership transition in Singapore; (b) whether any of the three accounts that belonged to Himalaya Singapore were operated by residents or foreigners stationed in Singapore; (c) whether there were additional posts initiated by the said 95 accounts after 10 May 2024 on Singapore's leadership transition; and (d) what were the lessons learnt from this episode.
\t
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, there was low reach in our local information space. After 10 May 2024, we did not detect any further posts from the network of 95 accounts carrying malicious narratives on Singapore's leadership transition. Our investigations have not found any evidence that Singaporeans or persons based in Singapore are responsible for the 95 accounts.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]
This episode is a reminder that Singapore is vulnerable to Hostile Information Campaigns (HICs) because of our small, open and highly digitally connected society. The ubiquity of technologies, such as the Internet, social media and artificial intelligence (AI), has made preparing for and carrying out HICs much easier. HIC tactics range from polarising societies by exploiting fault lines and manipulating public opinion on sensitive issues, to undermining trust in the Government and institutions.
Legislative levers, such as the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, or FICA, to prevent, detect and disrupt HICs, are important. However, this alone will not be enough. Public vigilance against foreign interference is equally important. We urge Singaporeans to be discerning when consuming and disseminating information online. We should always fact-check the information, to see if it is accurate and authentic, against a credible source.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Ang Wei Neng.
\tMr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive reply. I have a few supplementary questions. Firstly, can the Minister of State reveal what are the resources devoted to monitor such hostile interference and how would the Ministry of Home Affairs scale up the resources in a sensitive period? Thirdly, are there other hostile interferences, maybe not as large scale as the one that was just mentioned, but especially of those sponsored by the state?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. We monitor the online space and we will not hesitate to use appropriate levers, including the use of our FICA directions. For national security reasons, we are not able to disclose details of operations against foreign interference in Singapore.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Hazel Poa, next question.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Provision of Free Shuttle Bus Service for Residents in Marine Parade, MacPherson and Mountbatten","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"12 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) where does the funding for the free shuttle bus service in Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC and Mountbatten SMC come from; (b) what is the cost for funding such service for a year; (c) what is the justification for limiting the service to only residents of those constituencies; and (d) whether such funding can be also made available to other constituencies, and, if so, how.
13 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the public bus services in Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC and Mountbatten SMC are adequate to meet the residents' needs; and (b) whether the free shuttle bus service which began on 8 July 2024 for these constituencies have met the financial prudence criteria for provision of public transport.
14 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the specific inputs and assessment of LTA on the provision of a community-specific shuttle bus service through the South East Community Development Council and People's Association, in Marine Parade GRC, which is an additional service outside the public transport system; and (b) whether LTA assesses a potential need for similar supplementary services in other parts of Singapore to improve last-mile connectivity.
15 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the total cost of the cluster-wide community shuttle bus service covering Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson SMC and Mountbatten SMC as announced by the South East Community Development Council and the People's Association on 30 June 2024; and (b) how much of the expenditure for this one-year pilot is attributed to (i) public funds (ii) donations or (iii) other sources, respectively.
16 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Ministry can provide resources to Community Development Councils to launch free shuttle bus services to other areas such as Tengah New Town and Bukit Batok West Extension; and (b) what are the considerations for doing and for not doing so.
17 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) since the start of the Marine Parade Cluster shuttle bus service, what has been (i) the average daily ridership and (ii) the average load factor of the service; (b) what is the total amount budgeted for the service; and (c) why is the People's Association and South East Community Development Council providing public transport services directly and only for those residents instead of working with LTA to improve public transport services for all commuters in the area.
\tThe Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Alvin Tan) (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth): Mr Deputy Speaker, can I have your permission to take Question Nos 12 to 17 on today's Order Paper together, please?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Please do.
\tMr Alvin Tan: Sir, Community Development Councils, or CDCs, were established to foster community bonds and strengthen social cohesion. They develop and implement new initiatives for their districts, to foster a more inclusive community, taking into account residents' profiles and the needs of their respective districts.
CDCs rally the community to donate to community causes. They also provide matching grants to support ground-up community projects that meet the priority needs of the community. The Grassroots Advisers of Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC), MacPherson Single Member Constituency (SMC) and Mountbatten SMC, collectively the Marine Parade Town Cluster, proposed a shuttle bus service that could complement the existing public transport service, to better connect residents to key nodes within the Marine Parade Town Cluster.
Several factors were considered. These divisions have a high proportion of residents who are seniors. Seniors have given feedback that as they age and get more frail, it is more physically challenging to walk to the various transport, healthcare and community nodes. A significant part of Marine Parade Town Cluster also comprises older estates with narrow roads, which are difficult to be served by large public buses.
\t
Sir, such community-based shuttle bus services are not new. In the past, a few Grassroots Advisers too have raised funds to organise such services in their respective divisions.
In the case of Marine Parade, they have decided to do it as a Town Cluster and for the shuttle bus to ply designated routes, with a limited number of designated stops, such as at polyclinics, neighbourhood centres and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations.
The shuttle bus operates in non-peak hours from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays. The route is designed to help residents, especially frail and older residents, get to amenities more easily, encourage them to continue leading active lifestyles and remain connected to the community.
The shuttle bus pilot costs approximately $1 million to operate annually. It covers a total of seven shuttle bus routes, operated by seven buses. This works out to approximately $150,000 per division, for each route.
The South East CDC supported this pilot with a one-off seed grant of $200,000. This amount came from matching grants that the Government provides to every CDC. Essentially, the Government matches donations raised by the CDCs with grants, which the CDCs can then use to support ground-up initiatives that foster a cohesive and inclusive community. The rest of the amount – in fact, the bulk and majority of the amount – was raised from donations by the South East CDC, as well as by the respective Marine Parade Town Cluster Grassroots Organisations. So, the South East CDC funding through the one-off seed grant comes up to about $2,400 per division per month.
Sir, the pilot has just started and it is still too early to make an assessment on the effectiveness of the service. To date, over 10,000 have registered for the shuttle, of which over 40% are seniors aged 65 years and above, and around 1,000 residents have taken the shuttle service every week over the past three weeks.
Beyond utilisation, the critical factor is the financial sustainability of the service. The CDC grant was provided on a one-off basis. So, Marine Parade Town Cluster Grassroots Organisations will have to eventually raise funds to cover the entire cost of operations or to refine its financing model for greater sustainability.
Operating an efficient and successful shuttle service at this scale is not straightforward. Many previous attempts at trying out local shuttle services have been discontinued because of low utilisation or financial challenges. Hence, there are still many aspects of the service to validate and to refine through this pilot. The other CDCs will study the experiences and findings from the pilot first, before considering starting similar initiatives.
Sir, today, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) plan for public transport services, taking into consideration commuter demand, connectivity to key transport nodes and amenities, and financial sustainability. This does not preclude localised efforts – for example, private shuttles by condominiums or people sector transportation for seniors – to address very specific needs. LTA was consulted to ensure that the shuttle bus services would not adversely affect public bus operations when using bus stops. This is similar to what LTA would do for other privately-operated shuttle services.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
\tMr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Sir, I had filed the specific Parliamentary Question (PQ) on LTA's role in the roll-out of the Marine Parade Cluster bus service to MOT, but this was re-directed to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). So, I have no choice but to put my supplementary questions to MCCY.
Sir, over the last few years, there has been significant public unhappiness reported among Singaporeans across the island when bus rationalisation exercises have been undertaken to remove bus services with the operationalisation of new MRT lines. This was most recently manifested late last year when residents in Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Bukit Merah raised unhappiness about LTA's decision to amend services 75, 121, 162 and 859, and in addition to performing a U-turn to cancel bus service number 167.
Commuter grouses over the bus service rationalisation exercise centred on the loss of a direct bus route connecting northern Singapore to the city and the inconvenience of having to make multiple transfers.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Singh, I appreciate you want to give some context, but could you please ask your questions in light of Question Time being guillotined at 12.30 pm?
Mr Pritam Singh: Noted, Deputy Speaker.
In striking contrast, the Marine Parade Cluster Bus Service was announced about a week after new MRT stations were opened along the Thomson-East Coast Line in Marine Parade GRC. Does the Minister of State not agree that the introduction of the Marine Parade Cluster Bus Service will make it far more challenging for the Government to undertake future bus service rationalisation exercises, especially in view of the growing population of seniors in many mature estates in Singapore who, like the residents in Marine Parade, would prefer easier and more convenient accessibility to polyclinics, hawker centres and MRT stations?
My second supplementary question: in 2022, my colleague Gerald Giam had said in this House that LTA should strive to retain trunk bus services as these serve many elderly and disabled residents and suggested switching to smaller buses or extending bus intervals instead of removing services.
On the launch of the Marine Parade Cluster Bus Service, Minister Edwin Tong was quoted as saying, \"Even with a widespread transport system of public buses and MRTs, there is sometimes a gap, and that gap can translate into something that is quite difficult, especially if you are a senior.\"
And on 30 July, after the Parliament deadline for Members to file PQs had passed, LTA announced a $900 million —
Mr Deputy Speaker: Again, Mr Singh, I appreciate you want to give context, but could you please get straight to the question?
Mr Pritam Singh: I will come to the question, Sir.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Thank you.
Mr Pritam Singh: LTA announced the $900 million Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme. My question, Sir: in view of Singapore's growing population of seniors, where one in four Singaporeans will be 65 years of age and above by 2030, does the Marine Parade Cluster Bus Service open the door for LTA to introduce similar cluster services elsewhere in Singapore through the public transport system? And if not, what does the launch of the Marine Parade Cluster Bus Service say about the Government's approach to equity and fairness in the use of taxpayer-funded grants to serve Singaporeans? Thank you for your indulgence, Sir.
Mr Alvin Tan: Sir, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his supplementary questions. With regard to the broader connectivity questions, might I ask the Member to file a separate PQ to LTA? But given that this — [Interruption.]
An hon Member: He did!
Mr Alvin Tan: Yes, for a larger perspective on connectivity issues.
But let us focus on the Marine Parade Shuttle Bus because Members have all filed related questions on the Marine Parade Shuttle Bus. And let me, as MCCY, explain the context of this shuttle bus. And I will leave it, and if there are separate questions with regard to LTA and MOT, from a wider national perspective, to file those specific to MOT and LTA.
So, let me provide that context.
First, this is a ground-up initiative. It is a ground-up initiative, very similar to other kinds of ground-up initiatives that the CDC supports. And let me just share with Members that, for example, the CDC supports community markets or Ready for School Kits, for example. They support these through grants, but a proportion of that is also funded by, for example, grassroots organisations, donors. So, this shuttle bus can be seen as also a ground-up initiative.
At the same time, the purpose of this bus was meant to serve as an added convenience. Let me provide further context where there are other divisions which also set up similar kinds of bus service. And, as I said, in my original reply, it is difficult to sustain because of utilisation rates as well as financial sustainability.
So, there are other kinds of bus services that have been trialled by other divisions. There is one, for example, where the local community had asked to provide a shuttle bus service to a local mosque. That was a one-off project for the Ramadan period. That one was funded primarily by the local CCC, for example.
Then, there is another bus service that was run specifically to get seniors to get out of their homes so that they can be active, be connected to community. That one was donor-supported, but was discontinued because of low ridership.
And then there were others where it was a bus service to help seniors to get vaccinated. And that is fully funded by sponsors.
So, these are the different kinds of bus services that are available or that have been set up by local divisions.
For this particular pilot, as I mentioned in my reply, the CDC will review this after one year and determine whether this works, and then, we will consider whether it is suitable for other divisions.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister Chee Hong Tat, do you want to say something?
The Minister for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I just wanted to respond quickly to two of the points that Mr Pritam Singh mentioned earlier in his questions.
First, as Minister of State Alvin Tan mentioned, this shuttle bus at Marine Parade is a pilot community initiative. It is therefore separate from the public transport network.
So, when we responded earlier to Mr Gerald Giam's suggestion to have shuttle buses be part of the public transport network, we explained that that would not fit well because you would still need to hire a driver and the capacity may not be enough to run as a public bus, part of our public transport network.
The second clarification to what Mr Singh mentioned earlier, we will continue to do rationalisation and optimisation of bus routes that run parallel to the MRT lines. I have mentioned this when we announced the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, because this is part of how we make better use of our limited resources. So, the savings from the optimisation of the bus routes, the long trunk routes, can then be used to support new bus services that are needed because we have new estates coming up in different parts of Singapore.
But our assessment is that doing that alone would not be adequate because we have more demand than what we can rationalise. Therefore, we are pumping in an additional up to $900 million over eight years to be able to support more buses, hire more bus captains, so that we are able to meet the connectivity needs of our residents in both existing towns, but also in the newer estates.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Hazel Poa.
Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member): I have two supplementary questions.
Firstly, Minister of State Tan has not replied to part (c) of my question, which is why is the shuttle bus service limited to only residents of those constituencies?
Secondly, like what the Leader of the Opposition has mentioned, I have filed a question, which is Question No 13, but directed at the MOT and somehow it was redirected to MCCY. I would like a clarification on why this question was redirected because the question is actually under the purview of MOT.
Mr Alvin Tan: Sir, I mentioned that this is a ground-up initiative, largely private donor-funded. If Singaporeans visit, for example, the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) portal, they can approach the CDCs and in fact they have done so to come up with local community projects. This is one local community project and that is where CDC funding comes in as a seed fund. As I said, it is one-off. It is a pilot to see whether there is use, potentially. They will assess it after one year to see whether it is useful to do it elsewhere.
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But I wish to caveat, and I had mentioned in my reply, that it is not very straightforward, that these are subject to utilisation rates, these are also subject to financial sustainability.
So, it is unique to a particular division. If Singaporeans have an idea that they want to moot to, for example, the SGPO or the CDC, they can submit their proposal and the CDC will look into it. This is quite similar because it meets the specific local priority need. The CDC looked at it, they provided some seed funding, but the majority of it is funded by donors to the Marine Parade Town Cluster. I think that helps to answer the question.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Last question, Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, I do not believe that the Minister of State has answered my question regarding the average load factor of the bus service since it started. This is important in determining whether the service is being properly utilised.
Secondly, why are the Grassroots Advisors who are also People's Action Party Members of Parliament fronting this service, for example, having their caricatures painted on the side of the buses and an article published in the petir.sg website, when public transport is something that should be provided by the Government through LTA and its public transport operators to all residents of Singapore?
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\tMr Alvin Tan: Sir, with regards to Mr Gerald Giam's first question, it is still very early to assess it. It has only been running for about three weeks. So, the CDC, as I mentioned earlier on, will look at the ridership as well as the load and see whether that works.
For the Member's second question, that has been answered in response to Mr Leong Mun Wai's written PQ yesterday. The short answer is that there are pictures of other Marine Parade landmarks, including Wisma Geylang Serai Market and Old Airport Road Hawker Centre. These all help residents who would have familiarity with these landmarks and people who are familiar to them, to identify the buses. [Laughter.] I understand that, for example, Marine Parade and many other divisions, to help seniors recognise their blocks, have also put up images to help them to find their way. So, that is what is being done and that is also done to support many other seniors.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Order of the day and Notice of Motion. Yes, Leader of the Opposition.
\tMr Pritam Singh: Deputy Speaker, I seek your indulgence. I believe, on one occasion, in the previous session of Parliament, we had extended Question Time because of the large number of questions on the Order Paper.
Can I request Deputy Speaker and perhaps even the Leader of the House to consider extending Question Time for about 15 to 20 minutes so that we could go through some of the supplementary questions on the Marine Parade Town Cluster bus service? With your indulgence, please.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Thank you for your suggestion, Mr Singh. We have actually extended Question Time by five minutes. So, my order stands.
Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Order of the day and Notice of Motion.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [6 August 2024], \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\" – [Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang, Member for Nee Soon]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Question again proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms See Jinli Jean.
Ms See Jinli Jean (Nominated Member): Mr Deputy Speaker, I applaud the Good Samaritan Legislation Review Committee, comprising Members of Parliament Louis Ng, Poh Li San, Edward Chia and Hany Soh for the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill. The Bill assures businesses and individuals of legal protection when they donate safe, surplus food to benefit households that struggle to meet their food needs. I support the Bill.
For the Bill to improve food security for those in need, steps must be taken to ensure that surplus food can be channelled safely and efficiently in sustainable and long-lasting arrangements. In this regard, I would like to suggest three measures for the Review Committee and the Government to consider alongside Bill implementation.
First, the Government could consider extending tax exemptions to businesses and individuals who been regular in channelling surplus food to recipients directly or through intermediaries. This would incentivise businesses to formalise food donation activities which would in turn stabilise food aid supply in Singapore. There is precedent implementation of such initiative in Colombia. Allow me to share.
The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas reported that the Colombian government allows food donors to claim a tax credit of up to 25% of the value of donations made to food bank members and other organisations that promote health, environmental protection, human rights and poverty reduction. I would suggest a closer study of this initiative as there could be valuable learning for Singapore.
Second, if well implemented, the Bill would elevate the extent and scale of food rescue and redistribution. This would mean that food rescue organisations would hope for more resources and support to enhance cold chains, to cater for adequate storage facilities and to continually train their staff and volunteers to know how to keep different types of food safe for consumption. Ultimately, the well-being of recipients is priority and I hope that the Bill can open doors for more of such help to flow.
Third, food rescue and redistribution efforts must be paired with public-private schemes and support that provide lower-income families with dignified, sustained and adequate access to nutritious food.
The Lien Centre for Social Innovation released its Hunger Report in 2020. The report brought to the fore the stigma surrounding food support. The report shared that food-insecure individuals more often experienced negative emotions of sadness, stress and embarrassment that might result in them shying away from help to meet food needs.
Because dining out at hawker centres and coffee shops is a mainstay for many Singaporeans, a lower-income family that can partake in affordable hawker meals alongside others in the community could feel more assured and secured in meeting their food needs and less burdened by negative emotions.
Hawkers that are committed to providing affordable and nutritious meals for lower-income families are thus integral to strengthening the food security and morale of these persons in need. These hawkers should be supported and I urge the Government and operators to consider extending subsidies or stall rental rebates to them. This matters because enhanced welfare for vulnerable families should not be at the expense of economic survival of hawkers, many of whom are self-employed and are working hard to make a living.
In summary, this Bill is a step towards building a kinder society. It shines a light on how some businesses and individuals have helped and how more businesses and individuals can now come forward to help to channel safe, surplus food to households struggling to meet food needs. By strengthening empathy and connections among the broader public, the Bill is a game-changer that can help to dismantle the social stigma surrounding food support while giving food-insecure families the confidence to benefit from food support that is dignified, sustained, adequate and enriching. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Miss Rachel Ong.
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am encouraged to witness the introduction of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill, which aims to incentivise donors to reduce food waste without fear of legal repercussions. May I share some points of clarification and considerations that need to be addressed regarding the Bill?
Firstly, in conversation with a food rescue organisation we have worked with through the Telok Blangah Pulai Eco Club, it is important to note that while many well-meaning donor retailers or wholesalers contribute items that are past their \"best before\" dates but still in good condition, some companies use this as a means to dispose poor-quality items.
Food rescue organisations, despite their best efforts, may not be able to thoroughly inspect every donated item. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify whether the Bill will also protect these intermediary groups and who would be held liable if unsafe food is distributed.
Secondly, the term \"donor\" typically refers to those who give without receiving monetary incentives. However, some food rescue social enterprises may ask for donations or nominal fees to support sustainability efforts. It is important to determine if the Bill will cover these groups and establish requirements for their inclusion.
Moving on to points for consideration, it is essential to complement the implementation of the Bill with public education. This broadens the acceptance of rescued foods and should inform individuals on the different date labels, such as the distinction between \"expiry,\" \"best before\" and \"use by\" dates. Understanding the difference between safety-based versus quality-based date labels is crucial to reducing household food waste.
Additionally, educating consumers on what shelf-stable items are is equally vital, especially since overseas manufacturers may not use date labelling terms accurately. Items, such as soy sauce, uncooked rice or salt, can be kept almost indefinitely when properly stored, further supporting this effort.
Rescued food should be embraced by everyone, not just those in need. While it is crucial to prioritise the needy in distributing donated food, it is equally important for the entire society to cultivate a mindset focused on reducing food waste for meaningful and collective effective efforts in Singapore.
Second consideration: public-private partnerships are vital for scaling food waste reduction efforts. I call on the Government to encourage corporations and suppliers to reduce food waste through measures, such as well-designed tax incentives on surplus food donations and supporting companies that implement effective waste reduction strategies.
Why explore tax incentives? While liability protection such as the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill removes barriers to food donation, tax incentives directly encourage food donation. Food donors need to invest time and resources in packing, storing and especially in transporting surplus food. These food items would otherwise be discarded, often at no cost to them. Tax incentives can help offset these expenses for them.
Having said that, to prevent potential misuse and ensure that the system encourage genuine efforts to reduce food waste, it is important to set sensible limits on the total amount of tax incentives available to each organisational food donor annually. Such tax incentives have already been adopted in the United States (US) and various European Union (EU) member states in efforts to minimise food waste.
In Japan and Australia, companies that adopt innovative waste reduction methods, such as tech-enabled inventory management, receive substantial government support and recognition. Voluntary commitments by organisations across the food system, such as those seen in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK), with initiatives like the Courtauld Commitment, have created industry-wide movements to reduce food waste. These efforts are also strongly supported by the respective governments.
The Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill represents a crucial advancement in the fight against food waste by safeguarding donors with good intentions. By defining liability and expanding protection to social enterprises and food rescue organisations, we enhance its impact across the broader community.
Addressing food waste requires a collective effort from the entire nation and demands a widespread societal transformation. Beyond legislation, it is essential to implement programmes that educate consumers while requiring businesses to take proactive steps in reducing food wastage. I am confident that together, we can establish a more sustainable and responsible food system in Singapore. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Keith Chua.
Mr Keith Chua (Nominated Member): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I first mention my involvement in commercial food services and catering, and also as an office holder in the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS).
I would like to thank the hon Member Mr Louis Ng for introducing the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill. I would also commend him on the brevity and general simplicity of the Bill. It makes for easy and pleasant reading.
In introducing this Bill, Mr Ng mentioned it had been a four-year journey. The Bill intends to reduce food wastage and increase food available for the redistribution to food-insecure communities. Food wastage cannot continue to increase without responsible response at both national and international levels. Many initiatives continue in this attempt to curb food wastage. We must do our part in Singapore to reduce food wastage across all the areas, within our ability to do so.
Most of us in Singapore are blessed with the ability to afford all our meals. We are, however, aware that there are communities in our midst facing challenges to place food on the table, each meal, for various reasons.
Food wastage takes many forms. Some years back, a National Environment Agency (NEA) study found that each household disposed of about 2.5 kilogrammes of avoidable food waste each week. If each household took action to distribute some or most of this, Mr Louis Ng will see the tangible results of reducing unnecessary food waste and, concurrently, making food available for the food-insecure communities.
I accept that this may be too simplistic and general. Though efforts in this direction can result in many, many more good Samaritans stepping forward across Singapore. The parable of the Good Samaritan illustrated that we can and should show love for everyone beyond just family and friends.
I would like to now touch on some areas related to food services: catering and general retail and distribution of food.
The food and beverage (F&B) industry continues to face high operating costs. As a result, cost of food, whether raw or prepared, is often carefully controlled. Most operators will control inventory to minimise spoilage from overstocking perishable items. There are constant efforts to keep improving operational efficiencies and managing the bottom line. Controlling food wastage at source is primary in a sustainable F&B business.
Most commercial F&B operators require licensing and follow strict compliance requirements toward food safety and hygiene. Cooked food is to be consumed within stipulated time limits and consumers are provided with this information.
Owing to the health and safety regulations and also the cost controls by F&B operators, there would seem to be limited amounts of prepared or cooked food suitable for donation. Some foods, such as breads and pastries that have longer shelf life, may remain safe for consumption, though the quality may be affected after a period of time.
However, this does not suggest that the F&B industry cannot still be Good Samaritans. I would encourage the F&B industry, wholesalers and retailers of food in all forms, to be generous and work with groups, including the hon Member, to make available food to meet the basic needs of food-insecure sectors of our communities. Many F&B operators donated generously during COVID-19 and this spirit of generosity can find new avenues as we strive toward a more caring society, caring for each other and also caring for the environment.
Moving to the other sectors of food, may I suggest that wholesalers and retailers review the timelines set on donating food reaching expiry dates? It is, of course, clear that every business needs to stay profitable and viable. However, for those that continue to do well, perhaps donating dry goods with a longer shelf life can achieve the dual objectives of reduced wastage and more food for those who can benefit from such donations.
In passing this Bill, there should be guidelines on what types of food should not be donated, purely for health and safety reasons. Some suggestions from a RAS survey include exclusion of milk-based food and shellfish – generally, food that easily spoils.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I move now to the second objective, which is the redistribution of consumable food.
Mr Louis Ng did a great deal of research and consultation in the four years and has reached some level of confidence that by absolving donors of liability there would be more food available for donation. In his opening remarks, Mr Louis Ng mentioned that with the removal of liability, some hotels and restaurants would be prepared to step forward and donate food. May I ask if he has identified other groups who are currently reluctant to donate but would possibly step forward with this protection from liability?
I initially struggled with the exemption of liability on some basic principles. The intended beneficiaries are fellow human beings who must retain their dignity and basic rights. In all likelihood, they would be vulnerable and, therefore, may need guidance. Unfortunately, if they do get ill from consuming donated food, they would have the added struggle of medical costs. It remained unclear to me what possible circumstances could contribute to illness if the food donated was safe and healthy at the point of donation. Could Mr Louis Ng provide us some examples the Bill intends to address this?
May I also suggest that there be sufficient channels of guidance for the food-insecure communities to, firstly, assist them in making the right choices; and, secondly, advise them of their rights.
Through this Bill, Mr Ng has continued to advocate for the need to being responsible in the area of food wastage and highlighting the existing needs of fellow citizens and residents who do not have access to three meals a day. We must continue to work on both these areas.
Successful implementation, looking ahead, could, therefore, bring us to this scenario where: firstly, efforts to reduce food wastage bring good results; secondly, food will still find its way to the food-insecure as part of the reduction in food wastage; thirdly, there may, however, be less food available for donation from the many sources as food wastage reduces. However, hopefully, when we get to that stage, there will be a sizeable reduction in those in our community who continue to be food-insecure.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in keeping with the brevity and relative simplicity of this Bill, may I conclude by lending support to the Bill and thanking the hon Member, Mr Louis Ng, for bringing this to the House.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mr Deputy Speaker, in Tamil, please.
(In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this Bill. It is always a shame to waste food and in Singapore.
According to a 2022 article on the SG Government website, Singaporeans throw away a total of 2,000 tonnes of food every day. The same article suggested at least half of this is in the form of bread, rice and noodles. It could have been prevented.
This Bill aims to alleviate some of this food wastage. In particular, in relation to providers of food donations, provided certain safeguards are met, they would be protected from liability from recipients of their food.
The safeguards are both rigorous and reasonable. These are: one, the food must not have been \"unsafe\" for consumption when it left the control of the food donor; two, the food donor must inform the recipient of the handling requirements for the food so it remains safe for consumption; three, the food donor must inform the recipient of the food of the time limit for consumption; and four, the food donor should comply with food safety and food hygiene when handling the food.
Many of these are the same matters that the authorities would look into even today if there is a complaint. The main difference is this legislation sets out a positive list of requirements, which if met, would mean the food donors do not have to worry about liability from their food being eaten by recipients.
There are many organisations and people that currently collect and redistribute food from potential donors to recipients. This Bill aims to support the work of these organisations and groups by making their legal responsibilities clear and easy to comply with. I therefore support this Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am confident that this Bill, when enacted, will encourage more food donations, thereby reducing food wastage and increasing the supply of food to our charitable organisations and households who face food insecurity.
Last year, Singapore disposed over 1,700 tonnes of food waste daily, including a lot of usable and edible food in good condition. One of the ways to reduce this wastage and contribute to food sustainability is to get suppliers and stores to donate their buffer stocks and surpluses. As storage space is costly, many companies have found it easier to just throw away and dispose of the food.
I strongly urge the Government to do more to educate and incentivise them to donate these precious foods. This would require some effort and coordination and, hence, I appeal to the Government to provide the necessary administrative and infrastructural support to help them get started on this journey of donation. The Government, food suppliers and stores, voluntary welfare organisations and volunteers, need to work together to develop an efficient and safe logistical supply chain to effectively channel such food donations to charities and beneficiaries. Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I hope that the Government will provide more information to suppliers and commercial entities about the benefits of food donation and implement measures to motivate them to donate. As the donation process requires them to provide manpower and other resources and do coordination work, I therefore request the Government to provide the necessary administrative and infrastructure support to help them start on their donation journey. The Government, food suppliers and shops, voluntary welfare organisations and volunteers need to work together to develop efficient and safe logistics supply chains to effectively channel these food donations to charities and beneficiaries.
(In English): In some countries, such as Spain, businesses could face fines of up to €60,000 if they fail to reduce the amount of food they throw away. This Bill does not propose such a punitive measure, but waiving the liability alone may not be enough to move some suppliers and sellers to donate. Perhaps a tax incentive would be helpful and I hope that the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the Ministry of Finance can consider this suggestion.
The Bill excludes situations of gross negligence, given the requirement that the food donors will still need to comply with all prevailing laws on food safety and food hygiene. May I ask if MSE can share more details of how it will enforce applicable regulations for donated food and whether there will be differences in how checks will be conducted?
I am happy to note that this Bill will provide liability protection for donors as well as the intermediaries, such as food banks and other charitable organisations, distributing the donated food. The Bill is also well-crafted in spelling out the responsibilities and duties of each party at every stage of the donation process, while ensuring food safety and hygiene, protecting the recipients. Hence, I would like to conclude with my support for the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I stand in support of the Bill and I applaud the efforts of hon Members Mr Louis Ng, Ms Poh Li San, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Edward Chia for advocating the timely support of this crucial Bill that holds significance for our society and community. This Bill presents us with the opportunity to make a meaningful impact, particularly in the realm of community support and philanthropy, to encourage food rescue and food donation without the risk of criminal and civil liability for donors. Allow me to speak in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] One major aspect that is addressed by this Bill is to facilitate the processes for food contribution and donation, especially during events and important dates such as the month of Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad's birthday and the Islamic New Year, when many generous donors will donate food for the congregants in the mosques and our community in general.
Our mosques, madrasahs and Muslim welfare bodies currently play an essential role, such as preparing dishes for the breaking of fast and pre-dawn meals. Many generous Singaporeans are also keen to donate in kind or spend their time cooking for the needy.
One inspiring example comes from the Al Firdaus Mosque located in the Keat Hong area. This mosque has consistently and tirelessly provided and served pre-dawn meals or meals for the breaking of fast for thousands of foreign workers living in the dormitory at Lim Chu Kang, which is near the mosque.
During each Ramadan too, the M3 network in Chua Chu Kang collaborates with the mosque to mobilise the manpower to distribute porridge that was donated by the public regardless of race or religion.
I have visited the mosques in Chua Chu Kang and all of them welcomed this amendment Bill. Previously, mosques that receive food donations would require donors to fill in their details in a form and require them to sign an indemnity form, so that the mosque and volunteers will be released from any claims for damages should anyone fall ill after eating the donated food.
However, that does not release them from any criminal liability. Hence, this Bill is expected to encourage even more donors and organisations to donate food because donors will have immunity from any civil or criminal liability. We will also hope to encourage the habits of food savings.
(In English): Speaker, in Keat Hong Chua Chu Kang, we receive many generous donations and contributions of food by kind-hearted individuals who want to give back to society. These come from individuals and also food rescue from the nearby farms in Keat Hong. Some of them take time to cook each month, specially for this. Take, for example, Mr Ong, a hawker from Teck Whye market who uses his time off to cook vegetarian bee hoon, which we distribute to residents monthly. Mr and Mrs Song, hawkers from Boon Lay, who contribute packets of chicken rice during our People's Action Party (PAP) branch’s free monthly haircut sessions for seniors in Keat Hong. These efforts have been ongoing in the town for years. They do this out of the kindness of their hearts but they face the potential risk of liability. It is time for us to repay their kindness.
While we welcome this Bill with open arms, it is essential to recognise that it is not a cure-all solution. One notable inclusion in the Bill is the exclusion of criminal liability, allowing Good Samaritans to step forward and organisations to do more for the community. However, prudent parties may still wish to take certain precautions, such as obtaining waivers or disclaimers of liability from consumers, seeking indemnity from donors, conducting due diligence on donors where possible and providing training to volunteers and raising awareness among beneficiaries regarding the donated food.
It is crucial to strike a balance between responsibility and philanthropy. In this regard, I have a clarification. Clause 4 of the Bill excludes civil or criminal liability in respect of any death or personal injury that results from the consumption of the food. However, section 2C of the Sale of Food Act's definition of unsafe food, which definition is imported in this Bill, uses the phrase \"cause illness or injury or other physical harm to a person\".
Given this disparity in the definitions used in the Bill as compared to the Sale of Food Act, is the Bill's scope narrower, focusing solely on death or personal injury, or should it also encompass illnesses or other physical harms as envisaged under the Sale of Food Act? This clarity is vital to prevent any ambiguity or disputes in the future.
Based on the current definition used in the Bill, any illness caused by the consumption of the donated food may not be caught under the Bill. If the intent in this Bill is to be consistent with the Sale of Food Act, then may I suggest importing the same phrasing used in section 2C of the Sale of Food Act within the Bill, meaning to cover \"any illness, injury or other personal harm or death\" that results from the consumption of the donated food.
Mr Speaker, Sir, before I end this speech, I echo Mr Louis Ng's gratitude to the countless people and organisations who have supported in the process of the tabling of this Bill. Back in 2017, in my voluntary role with the self-help group AMP Singapore, we collaborated with Free Food For All to distribute over 9,000 meals to under-privileged households. It was a record number at that point in time. Free Food For All’s founder, the late Mr Nizar Shariff, was a Singaporean of the Year finalist and a winner of the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards. Mr Nizar passed away last year.
I believe that this Bill represents a significant step forward for us to create more such individuals in our society in fostering a more caring and supportive community, where individuals and organisations can come together to make a positive impact without fear of criminal or civil liability from the donated food. Let us embrace this opportunity to extend a helping hand to those in need and create a stronger, more compassionate society for all. Sir, notwithstanding my clarification, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Hany Soh.
Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill.
The Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill is the culmination of the close collaboration and consultations with various stakeholders for an important social cause. For this, I am grateful for having been able to work with my Parliamentary colleagues, Mr Louis Ng, Ms Poh Li San and Mr Edward Chia, alongside our PAP activists as well as industry players, social enterprises, public agencies and the community. The passage of this Bill is a milestone but not the end of our journey. We will continue to engage with the relevant stakeholders and community. There will always be room for further improvements.
According to the statistics tabulated by NEA, 755,000 tonnes, or rather 755 million kilogrammes, of food waste were generated last year. The amount was 813,000 tonnes in 2022, and 817,000 tonnes in 2021. Against this backdrop, and paradoxically, food insecurity remains a live issue. The Food Bank Singapore Ltd has produced over two million meals annually in the past three years. These are staggering figures.
The purpose of this Bill, as set out in clause 3, is to reduce food waste and increase the availability of food for redistribution to food-insecure communities. Through our consultations, we learnt that a key concern of our current and prospective food donors is liability, both civil and criminal. As shared by my Parliamentary colleague, Mr Louis Ng, in his opening speech, there are many donors and potential donors out there who would like to contribute but are understandably concerned about incurring liability, despite taking every precaution and doing their utmost best.
In Woodgrove, I am grateful to have many community partners and residents who are supportive of our call to embrace green sustainable living, reduce food waste and do good \"For the Community, From the Community\".
Several green sustainable events in Woodgrove, both large and small scale, have been held through the years, providing opportunities for residents and community partners, such as schools, to contribute ideas and take part in supporting our nation’s SG Green Plan goals. Events, such as our Woodgrove's World Environment Day, which is held on an annual basis for our community, would regularly see strong support by our community gardeners, donating their fruits and vegetables that were grown in over 100 plots of community gardens across Woodgrove.
In July 2023, Woodgrove set up our weekly community pantry located at the heart of Woodgrove, where residents are welcomed to help themselves with food rations and daily essential items which were donated by community partners, such as temples, as well as residents who have requested to remain anonymous but chose to do good for our community. I am heartened that during a National Day block party in Woodgrove held over a recent weekend, we announced a Woodgrove-FairPrice Group collaboration, under which the FairPrice Group, being Singapore’s largest retailer and one of the working committee members of this Bill, will be on board as another enthusiastic community partner to support our expansion of the community pantry initiative to benefit a larger community in Woodgrove through its Community Fridge Restock Initiative, which aimed at providing blemished but edible fruits and vegetables to families and individuals in need across Singapore for free.
These are just some examples of the many good work we have heard that are in progress in the community, which many are looking to operationalise and even expand under and upon the passage of this Bill, for our residents’ and the wider public’s benefit.
At the same time, I also hope that the Singapore Food Agency would continue to guide us in this important mission, such as coming up with clear and specific food safety standards and best practices for the purposes of this Bill that will be implemented by all food donors and understood by all of the donees as well. One particular area would be the public education on the significance and difference between \"best by\" and \"expiry\" dates used, like what my Parliamentary colleague, Miss Rachel Ong, has shared earlier. Would these categories of food be, therefore, acceptable and safe for consumption?
Mr Speaker, following the passing of this Bill, we should and we will keenly monitor and continue to engage the relevant stakeholders on the implementation and operations of food donation. In Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The purpose of this Bill is set out at clause 3, which is to reduce food waste and increase the availability of food for redistribution to food-insecure communities. Through our consultations, we learnt that a key concern of current and prospective food donors is liability, both civil and criminal.
We found that the balance of donors' and ultimate recipients' interests may be struck, by providing protection against liability for donating food where food safety laws in the handling of food have been met. This, would be a win-win. Perhaps collaterally, this Bill would also hopefully bolster Singapore’s \"30 by 30\" food security goal. With less wastage, the need for increased production could be ameliorated.
Recently, there has been a spate of mass food poisoning cases which reminded us the importance of complying with food safety laws when handling food. As members of the public, either as donors or beneficiaries, we must not take it lightly. I hope the relevant authorities such as SFA to continue working with community partners to increase public awareness of food safety. I support this Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome this Bill. This Bill will help to cut down on food wastage while ensuring food safety and hygiene for recipients. The liability waiver will go a long way to empower all stakeholders, from the suppliers to donors and volunteers, to save and distribute edible food with peace of mind.
The amount of food waste in Singapore has increased by about 30% in the last decade. Such wastage is not right nor sustainable. I hope all stakeholders can do their part to anticipate demand more precisely and reduce potential wastage.
In the face of increasing challenges for food production and transportation, due to international conflicts and extreme weather, unpredictable conditions, food prices are expected to keep going up. Moving forward, we will have less room for waste. As a nation which imports 90% of our food, we need to invest more effort to identify points of wastage and work together to move unsold products to the needy expediently.
One of the greatest concerns we all share is our hot and humid weather condition. Food spoil quickly in this climate. For cooked food, for safety, they need to be eaten within four hours of preparation. Other products, such as bread and fruit, mould within days. We require a robust cold chain logistics network to support donors. The unpredictable amounts of donated food from different sources pose a challenge for storage and distribution by voluntary welfare organisations. Would the Government consider supporting interested donors to advise and assist them on food storage and transportation?
Suppliers and stores, together with the Government, should also clarify food expiry labels, such as \"best before\", \"use by\", \"expiry\", for the benefit of consumers and donation recipients. This is an important step to reduce the amount of food discarded prematurely.
Compared to other countries with similar legislation, such as the US, I would say that our proposed conditions are on par with these other countries.
I agree with the proposals in the Bill, such as for the food to meet the Sale of Food Act, that the food must not have been \"unsafe\" and \"unsuitable\" for consumption when it leaves the possession or control of the food donor, and that the recipients be informed of handling requirements and time limit for consumption.
In the EU, the labels on the donated food must also indicate the presence of common allergens. It would be a good condition for us to consider including as well. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Food donation can effectively reduce food waste. However, because donors are afraid of trouble or worry about legal liability due to food safety issues, they would rather throw away the food than donate it. However, there are still many families in need in our society. After all, we cannot stop eating because of the fear of choking. By legislating to exempt food donors who meet food safety and hygiene conditions, we will encourage food donations, reduce food waste, and help families in need. The experience of the US, Italy and other countries has proved that effective food donation laws can significantly promote food donation behaviour.
At the same time, we must have balance in the new legal framework and not go too far. If the conditions for exempting food donors from liability are too cumbersome, it will increase the cost for potential food donors, which will reduce their willingness to donate and lead them to do the convenient – discarding food. This leads to us missing the original goal of our legislation and the loss will outweigh the gain.
In addition to exempting food donors from liability through legislation, the government can also implement incentive measures. I have thought of tax incentives, however, tax incentives have pros and cons. They may inadvertently incentivise people to stockpile or over-purchase, causing unnecessary waste which is exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve.
In general, our legislation needs to balance the interests of food donors and the ultimate beneficiaries. It is the most basic requirement that food donors must comply with food safety regulations when handling food. The implementation of the Good Samaritan Food Donation legislation can not only reduce food waste, but also help people in need and reduce the burden on the environment.
(In English): I would like to conclude with my support for the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Ms Ng Ling Ling.
Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Speaker, according to NEA's data, food waste accounted for 11% of the total waste generated by Singapore last year. I thus welcome the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill as I believe that it will further encourage the donation of surplus or unsold food to the needy, tackling the problem of food wastage in a meaningful and purposeful manner through redistribution to communities, families and individuals in need.
Notwithstanding this, I would like to raise some clarifications on the implementation of the proposed section 4 on the waiver of criminal and civil liability.
Let me start by first acknowledging the good work of various community organisations in food rescue and redistribution, such as Food from the Heart and GoodHood. These non-profit organisations have been at the forefront of addressing food insecurity among our vulnerable communities through ground-up support for food programmes.
Food from the Heart, for instance, has been collecting unsold and excess food and groceries from supermarkets and bakeries, and distributing them to those who struggle with food insecurity. Their initiatives, such as the School Goodie Bag and Community Food Pack programmes, have benefited the less fortunate families and children in our communities.
Similarly, GoodHood has revolutionised the concept of neighbourhood sharing through their \"GoodHood.SG: Neighbourhood App\", encouraging residents to share surplus food and other resources with their residents, with their fellow neighbours in need. Such ground-up approach not only fosters neighbourliness but also encourage Singaporeans to actively participate in the sustainability cause.
My residents in Jalan Kayu have benefited from many of such food donation efforts and I am deeply grateful to them.
Like several of my hon Parliamentary colleagues have mentioned, I note that there have been similar legislative efforts by other countries to encourage food donation. In the US, the Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act enacted in 1996 protects donors from liability when donating to non-profit organisations. Similarly, Italy’s Good Samaritan Law protects those who donate food in good faith from civil and criminal consequences of their actions and limits their liability arising from food safety rules. Instead of legislation, some other countries, such as the UK’s Courtauld Commitment 2030, is a voluntary agreement amongst stakeholders to reduce food wastage by 50% by 2030. Although there may be different approaches to encouraging food donation, many local businesses prefer legislation that reduces their fear of liability and reputation damage, while helping to balance their corporate social responsibility with any potential legal obligations.
As we move forward, it is thus essential to ensure that the implementation of the Bill can effectively address the concerns raised by potential food donors while ensuring food safety for the recipients. Hence, I would like to seek clarifications on the administration, imposition of penalties, if any, in serious incidents of breaches and possible mediation process for conditions outlined in section 4 of the Bill.
The Bill provides a waiver of criminal and civil liability for donors of food, under four key conditions. Specifically, donors will be protected from liability for any death or personal injury resulting from the consumption of donated food, provided that: one, the food was safe and suitable at the time it left the donor's possession; two, the recipient was informed of any specific handling requirements that is required to ensure that the food remained safe and suitable for consumption after it left the donor’s possession; three, the recipient was informed of any time limits for the food's safety; and lastly, the donor complied with all food safety and hygiene laws.
It is essential to establish a clear oversight mechanism to ensure that donors adhere to the safety and hygiene protocols required by the Bill. As such, I hope to understand how the conditions under section 4 will be administered and monitored to ensure compliance by all stakeholders involved. Will MSE be looking at any specific statutory board, such as SFA, to be responsible for ensuring that the four conditions are met for the liability to be waived? Additionally, will MSE be the authority to revoke the waiver of liability if breaches, serious breaches occur? And will the investigation process into serious breaches be conducted similarly to the process for contamination and gastroenteritis incidents?
I also hope that MSE can work with stakeholders to provide training and guidance to potential food donors to help them understand and comply with the requirements of the Bill. This will also foster a culture of responsibility and encourage ethical behaviour among potential food donors.
Secondly, even though the Bill’s main intention is to address the fear of liabilities that prevent food businesses from donating their unsold food. I hope the Bill can also address potential penalties if any of the conditions stated in section 4 is seriously breached to safeguard the public who are potential recipients, especially if they are the vulnerable communities.
I would thus like to ask if the Government has considered any potential penalties for the donors if any conditions set in section 4 have been seriously breached. And will this be a graduated scale of penalties based on the severity of the breach, ranging from minor infractions to serious violations to give assurance to potential food donors?
Finally, I believe that establishing a clear and accessible mediation mechanism will be crucial in resolving conflicts efficiently and fairly.
As such, I would like to also clarify if there will be mediation or resolution processes made available to both donors and recipients to address any grievances or misunderstandings arising from possible disputes. I hope that the Government can consider providing a mediating channel that is reliable for all donors and recipients to address any issues that may arise.
Additionally, for small-scale donors who may not have the resources to navigate complex legal disputes, will the Government provide support mechanisms to assist them? Providing such support for smaller donors will encourage broader participation in food donation efforts, ensuring that even the smallest contributions can make a difference.
Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to emphasise the significance of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill in helping to solve the country’s food waste problem while mitigating the fear of liability and encouraging more potential donors to step forward. This will help to foster a more giving and compassionate community in the long term.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Parliamentary colleagues – Mr Louis Ng, Ms Poh Li San, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Edward Chia – for their hard work and efforts in bringing this Bill to fruition today. Their dedication and hard work in engaging with relevant stakeholders have been instrumental in shaping this piece of legislation.
I hope that the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill will become a pillar to sustain our collective work towards reducing food wastage, supporting food-insecure communities and fostering a culture of generosity and responsibility.
Notwithstanding my clarifications raised, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Edward Chia.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Speaker, Sir, firstly, I would like to declare that I own and operate a food waste recycling company. Through my professional experience, I have witnessed first-hand the shocking amount of perfectly edible food that is discarded into recycling bins. This has reinforced my firm belief that edible food should be redistributed, not recycled.
Therefore, I fully support this Bill put forth by the hon Member Louis Ng as it will enable more effective redistribution of edible food. It has been a real privilege to be part of this discussion along with Parliamentary colleagues, Ms Poh Li San and Ms Hany Soh at the onset. I would like to thank all the workgroup members for assisting in drafting this Bill.
In this speech, I will share the various opportunities that this Bill gives rise to. These opportunities support our nation's efforts to combat food waste and enhance the support for our food-insecure communities.
Firstly, by protecting food donors from liability for any harm that may arise from the consumption of donated food, under specific conditions, the amount of food that would be donated is expected to rise. This bodes well for any type of operation as economies of scale are key.
The increase in food sources enables non-profit organisations and social enterprises to achieve the required scale to optimise operations and logistics. With more food available, food caring organisaions (FCOs) can optimise their processes. They can better match the food with appropriate recipients and plan logistics more effectively. Also, with greater food volume, organisations can recover their investments in better infrastructure, such as transportation and storage, improving their overall efficiency.
The increase in food sources will also optimise the matching of donors' and donees' preferences. When businesses, restaurants and individuals donate more surplus food, it increases the potential diversity of food available for redistribution. This helps organisations have a more consistent and diverse supply to redistribute to those in need.
Combined with digital solutions, the increase in scale can also spark innovations in redistribution methods, such as using technology to track and manage food donations more effectively.
In the US, Olio is a food-sharing app that connects neighbours and local businesses with excess food to those nearby who can use it. Such hyperlocal innovations have the potential to enhance community bonds too.
Another area of opportunity is the issuance of a quality mark that ensures food is safely and effectively redistributed to those in need. Such certifications and standards typically focus on food safety, operational standards and efficiency. There are a few notable examples.
First, ISO 22000, an international standard that specifies requirements for a food safety management system to ensure that food is safe for consumption. Organisations involved in food rescue and redistribution can obtain this certification to demonstrate their commitment to food safety.
Second, Feeding America's \"Certified Member Food Banks\". Feeding America has its own set of standards and guidelines for member food banks. Certified members must meet rigorous criteria for food safety, handling and distribution practices.
Mr Speaker, Sir, in creating a quality mark for the redistribution of food, food caring organisations benefit in several ways: one, ensure consistency in food safety and quality; two, build trust and credibility with donees; three, improve efficiency as processes are streamlined and staff and volunteers are provided stipulated training; four, facilitate partnerships and funding as partnership organisations and funding organisations look for evidence of quality and reliability when partnering or awarding funds; and five, support continuous improvements and monitoring as quality marks offer valuable feedback for ongoing improvements and adjustments.
For food caring organisations to harness the opportunities presented in this Bill, we need to enable them to take strategic and impactful steps. There are three ways we can do so.
Firstly, we must enable food caring organisations to pursue quality mark accreditation. To facilitate this, I propose that the Government provide grants to cover costs associated with adopting these standards and conducting necessary training. Furthermore, Enterprise Singapore's Quality and Standards division should consider developing a standard specifically tailored to our local context, ensuring it meets the unique needs of our community.
Secondly, FCOs need to address the challenge of logistics. While investing in additional refrigerated vehicles is one option, it may not always be the most efficient and can also contribute to traffic congestion. Instead, I recommend we focus on creating hyperlocal partnerships and community-based redistribution networks.
The Community Development Councils (CDCs), organised by districts, are ideally positioned to enable this. The CDCs could serve as the key node to enable FCOs to operate a hyperlocal hub and spokes redistribution. Within these hubs, several cold storage facilities can be added to extend the shelf life of perishable items. By collaborating with FCOs within the CDC districts, the CDCs can enhance existing support to resource low-income families.
This suggestion is built upon our existing weekly food rescue initiative that we have started in Zhenghua. Launched in September 2022, we have rescued approximately 7,600 kilogrammes of food and redistributed it to the residents of Zhenghua. We collaborated with local supermarkets and wholesalers to gather all unsold food items, which are transported to Zhenghua, where it is distributed among residents.
It is important to note that we have framed this as a Zhenghua green initiative, where all are welcome to collect the rescued food. In this way, we mobilise all in our community to do our part to reduce food waste.
Our on-ground experience shows how hyperlocal initiatives can successfully mobilise volunteers and consistently provided food to the community. This approach reduces logistical cost by keeping food redistribution hyperlocal, ensuring food reaches those in need quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, it enhances community resilience and promotes sustainability by fostering a strong network of support within the neighbourhood.
Thirdly, Mr Speaker, an exciting opportunity arises for food caring organisations in Singapore to issue carbon credits by redistributing food. By aligning with international methodologies that quantify greenhouse gas emission reductions, these organisations can not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also generate revenue through carbon credits. The revenue generated can support FCOs in their recovery of logistical costs.
This initiative presents a dual benefit – reducing food waste and contributing to our nation's carbon reduction goals. To fully harness this potential, I recommend supporting FCOs in adopting digital solutions to effectively track the amount of food waste redistributed. Such technologies will enhance transparency and accuracy in measuring their impact, enabling these organisations to capitalise on carbon credits. This potential further amplifies the impact of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill, fostering a more sustainable and responsible approach to food management in our society.
Mr Speaker, to conclude, the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill offers transformative opportunities for addressing food waste and enhancing support for food-insecure communities.
To fully leverage these benefits, we should: one, support food caring organisations with grants for quality mark accreditation and Enterprise Singapore's Quality and Standards division should consider developing a standard specifically tailored to our local context; two, focus on hyperlocal partnerships and community-based redistribution networks, utilising the CDCs to enable hub and spoke operations; and three, support FCOs to adopt digital solutions to effectively track the amount of food waste redistributed. Such technologies will enhance transparency and accuracy in measuring their impact, enabling these organisations to capitalise on carbon credits.
These steps will maximise the Bill's impact, ensuring a more effective and sustainable approach to food waste and community support.
Mr Speaker: Ms Poh Li San.
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang): Singapore is a food paradise filled with eateries and restaurants at every corner of our country. However, many of us are unaware of what happens to food that is unsold and how much food is wasted.
An elephant can weigh up to six tonnes. The food waste produced in 2023 was a staggering 755,000 tonnes. That is a gradual increase from 744,000 tonnes in 2019.
Here are some facts: one, while food prices are increasing consistently, the options for affordable food supplies for low-income families are still very limited; two, even though SFA has been working hard to meet the \"30 by 30\" national nutritional goal, a huge quantity of edible food is being thrown away daily; three, 11% of total waste collected in Singapore is food waste and this percentage can be reduced; four, we have a shortage of waste collection workers.
We need to ask ourselves why are we throwing away so much food when they can be channelled to feed our under-privileged groups? This food paradox arises because food is perishable, expensive to store and transport and food that does not look fresh is hard to sell or may even cause health issues.
It is not disputed that it is cheaper, more convenient and less risky for food suppliers and restaurants to simply throw away unsold and unconsumed food rather than to donate them. This practice is especially so for well-known food establishments. It is just not worth the risk of damaging an established food company's reputation should the quality and safety of the unconsumed food be compromised in the course of collection and distribution.
As Singaporeans become more affluent, many people tend to take a nonchalant and risk-averse attitude when it comes to wasting food. However, as a small and resource-scarce nation, we must stop the following from increasing – food waste, food costs, food insecurity, manpower needs and carbon footprint.
The Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill will be a good solution. This legislative amendment can be a significant game-changer in the management of under-utilised food resources and waste reduction while helping low-income families cope with rising food expenses and assisting them in monitoring their nutrition intake.
Presently, there are already several volunteer groups addressing the collection of unconsumed food and redistributing them to various communities. Just to name a few, the Food Bank rescues more than 800,000 kilogrammes of food annually. Food from the Heart will collect unsold bread, while Food Rescue Sengkang picks up vegetables and fruits from wholesale markets and food donors.
These rescued food items are mostly limited to those that are easier to transport, store, distribute and safe to mark as consumables. There are still plenty of untapped opportunities to rescue unconsumed high-quality foods from restaurants, hotel buffets, supermarkets and so on.
If sufficient protection from liability or even benefits are provided for the donation of unconsumed food, more food donors and distribution groups will come onboard. Such collaboration efforts can potentially create solutions for more ground-up initiatives and attract various communities to work together to reduce food waste and to do good. We can turn a vicious circle of waste into a virtuous circle of good deeds.
The Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill is a good solution. But needless to say, a lot more needs to be done in order to reduce significant amounts of food waste and to redistribute edible foods to the under-privileged communities in Singapore. The logistics is viable because Singapore is small with good transport accessibility to reach anywhere in a short time.
We need to create awareness of the Good Samaritan Food Bill and hopefully promote an enhanced liability protection extended to food donors. We have to encourage lighthouse partners such as the Restaurant Association of Singapore, Singapore Hotel Association and major supermarket chains such as FairPrice and Cold Storage to come onboard as examples for other food suppliers and operators.
We will need to increase the number of volunteers in various localities across Singapore to assist with the collection and distribution roles. Key food collection points, donation drop-off nodes and distribution points must be established in various zones across Singapore. Volunteer drivers of large vehicles could then ply between the collection nodes and the distribution points while volunteer distributors could help with sorting, cleaning, repacking and distributing the donated foods to beneficiaries. It is also important for the distribution points to be located at convenient and accessible locations for the beneficiaries. The Singapore Armed Forces can also consider activating some National Servicemen to be involved in this process.
We have to identify and reach out to more potential beneficiaries who are open to receive donated food and as much as possible, provide fresh and healthy foods. We also need to help these beneficiaries develop healthy eating habits, especially for growing children. It would be good for the local Social Service Offices and Family Services Centres work with and to support food donation groups in order to achieve more targeted outreach to low-income families that would benefit from regular food distribution. Mr Speaker, Sir, I will now share my suggestions in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The purpose of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill is to encourage food donations by providing liability protection for donors, so as to help more families and people in need and reduce waste and burden on the environment. We need to take the following steps to expand donation efforts and deliver donated food to more beneficiaries.
We need to raise awareness of the Bill and promote enhanced liability protection for food donors.
We must encourage large partners to participate, such as the Singapore Food and Beverage Industry Association, the Singapore Hotel Association and large supermarket chains, such as NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage, to set an example for other food suppliers and operators.
We need to increase volunteers in various districts, including volunteer drivers of large vehicles, to assist in the collection, delivery and distribution of donated food. The Singapore Armed Forces could consider mobilising some National Servicemen to participate in this process. Collaboration between the community and the Family Service Centres and food rescue organisations is important to reach more low-income families in a targeted way who would benefit from regular food distribution.
(In English): I am very eager for the passing of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill as this will help scale up our food rescue and distribution efforts in Singapore. Our residents and volunteers in Sembawang West will also get to benefit more.
Mr Speaker, Sir, please allow me to share our Food Rescue experience in Sembawang West. Five years ago, my PAP Sembawang West Branch volunteers and I started our \"Colourful Food, Vibrant Life\" fruits and vegetables distribution programme. We distributed free fruits and vegetables once a month to our residents staying at our rental block, as well as the 2-room and 3-room blocks. Apart from a few months during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we had to pause the programme, unfortunately, this programme has brought much joy to both volunteers and beneficiaries.
Our key partner, Sengkang Food Rescue will collect multiple truckloads of unwanted fruits and vegetables from the Pasir Panjang Wholesale markets and from other food donors and store them at their Fernvale facility. There are approximately 20 to 40 pallets collected each Saturday.
Thereafter, my branch volunteers will collect one truckload of fruits and vegetables from Fernvale and transport them to Sembawang West rental block. My volunteers will unload, sort, clean and display the food items at the void deck of the rental block. Typically, between 80 and 100 families will come by to collect the produce. Some of them will collect on behalf of their neighbours who may be out or unwell.
We started with the intention of reducing food waste, encouraging low-income families to eat more nutritious greens and also helping them reduce their food expenditures.
Over time, we got to know the residents better and we forged friendships with them through our chit-chats while they wait in the queue. Even though they may not be well-endowed or well-educated, many of these residents are very hardworking, warm and down-to-earth. They are very appreciative of our efforts and we often get warm hugs whenever they see us. There are many unexpected beautiful blessings and thank you notes from these distribution sessions are very much appreciated by our volunteers.
During the process, our volunteers, especially the youths, have the opportunity to learn about how we can help under-privileged living in our midst. It is a great eye-opener that brings valuable life education and experiences to these volunteers. In helping senior residents carry their bags of fruits and vegetables to their humble homes, the youths learn to appreciate how fortunate and well-endowed they themselves are.
There is a lot of good done whenever our branch volunteers collaborates with other community or corporate social responsibility groups who have come forward to contribute as well. Besides Sengkang Food Rescue, Sembawang Town Council, companies like TreeDots and Saint Gobain and volunteer groups like Smile!SG and MAD, have joined forces with Sembawang West Branch, to donate household necessities like toys, books, frozen foods, pillows and more, to augment the fruits and vegetables. Especially during festive periods, the additional donation items indeed bring lots of joy and relief to residents who are not able to afford such basic pleasures.
Recently, our volunteers even started additional services, by roping in hairstylists to provide free haircuts for residents who turn up for the food distribution. Residents will not only eat healthily but also look better and feel more comfortable. Mr Speaker, Sir, I will like to share our takeaways in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We started the \"food distribution\" initiative with the intention of reducing food waste, encouraging low-income families to eat more nutritious meals, and also helping them reduce expenses on food.
Over time, we had the opportunity to get to know the residents better and we developed friendships by chatting with them while they wait in queue. Even though they may not be affluent or well-educated, many of these residents are very hardworking, warm and down-to-earth. They are very appreciative of our efforts and greet us warmly whenever we meet. We receive many blessings and truly appreciate the thank-you notes that were given to us from these distribution sessions.
Throughout this process, our volunteers, especially the youths, have the opportunity to learn about how we can help the under-privileged living in our midst. It is a great eye-opener that brings a lot of meaning and real-life experiences to these volunteers, including helping senior residents carry their bags of fruits and vegetables to their humble homes, which helps the volunteers learn to appreciate how fortunate they themselves are.
There is a lot of good done whenever our branch volunteers work with other community or corporate social responsibility groups who have come forward to contribute as well. Besides Sengkang Food Rescue and Sembawang Town Council, companies like TreeDots and Saint Gobain, Smile!SG and MAD, have joined forces with Sembawang West Branch, to donate household items like toys, books, frozen food, pillows, fruits and vegetables. During festive periods especially, this additional donation brings lots of joy and relief to residents who are not able to afford such basic pleasures.
Recently, our volunteers started additional services, by roping in hairstylists to provide free haircuts for residents who turn up for the food distribution. Residents will not only eat healthily but also look better and feel more comfortable.
(In English): Thanks to the \"Colourful Foods, Vibrant Life\" programme, my Branch volunteers have forged a stronger camaraderie. Though it is hard work, we are always happy to be there for fellow Singaporeans who are less privileged in life. Everyone looks forward to the third Saturday of the month and we are passionate about helping our residents.
Hence, with the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill, I hope more food donors and Samaritans will come forward to contribute. With the additional support, programmes like Sembawang West's food distribution programme can be replicated in other localities and to many more towns in Singapore.
Finally, I would conclude with my sincere thanks to the leadership of fellow Member, Mr Louis Ng and his legal assistant, Ms Charmaine Yap, and many more Samaritans in the committee who have contributed in the drafting of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill, over the past four years.
The Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill will assist in the reduction of food waste, help low-income families, inspire stronger volunteerism amongst more Singaporeans and make us a more caring society. Let us all turn a vicious circle of food waste into a virtuous circle of good deeds! Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Eric Chua): Mr Speaker, I would first like to thank Mr Louis Ng and his team for tabling the Private Member's Bill and for bringing this important issue to the fore.
In my speech, I will touch on three areas: one, how the work of food charities in Singapore fits with our social compact; two, how the Bill will support their work; and finally, how, as a society, we can join hands across Government, community and businesses to support more intentional giving.
Food support organisations play an important role in our society. They are a positive model of how community partners with families and the Government and exemplify our \"many helping hands\" approach.
In Singapore, we encourage self-reliance and family support. Individuals do their best for themselves and their families and families provide the first line of support.
The next layer of support is a caring community, comprising neighbours, community organisations and other partners, including corporates. Members of the community, like our food support organisations, contribute their time, resources and expertise and help create opportunities for those they help.
The Government helps to create conditions and opportunities for Singaporeans to provide a better life for themselves and their loved ones. On occasion, some families fall on hard times for a variety of reasons and the Government steps in to provide support, in essence, provide a social safety net to help them regain stability and self-reliance.
Thus, food charities do not work alone, but alongside many others who seek to help individuals and families in need.
There are many food charities in Singapore. Together, they provide a wide range of food support, such as cooking and delivering hot meals, distributing dry rations, setting up community shops, as well as providing digital credits that allow beneficiaries to select the food that best meets their dietary requirements.
Food charities complement the Government's support, by offering additional aid and expanding the range of choices for families in need. Their efforts go a long way in helping to alleviate the burdens of these families.
Not many people see their work. They are often unsung heroes, operating behind the scenes. Many food charities and their dedicated volunteers work tirelessly around the clock, including at night and in the wee hours of the morning. They collect donated food, prepare and repack them for their beneficiaries and help prepare cooked meals. Many also work closely with social services to identify needy families and make plans for supporting them, in line with their needs.
I have had the privilege of leading the Charity Food Workgroup, or CFWG, over the past four years. The CFWG was first formed in 2019 and today comprises 15 private and public stakeholders, such as food charities, Government organisations and corporate partners.
Our goal is to bring partners within the food donation ecosystem together so that we can harness our collective strengths to practise \"good giving and giving right\". We have done this by: (a) helping those in need identify and receive food support; (b) reducing duplication of food support and reducing food wastage through better coordination; and (c) encouraging better giving through a shared emphasis on providing food support that meets beneficiaries' dietary needs and in a way that gives beneficiaries greater choice and dignity.
The CFWG's work is beneficiary-centric and largely driven by the food charities which are the key enablers of these efforts. The workgroup has also risen to the occasion during difficult times. During the circuit breaker, the work of many food charities was disrupted, with many unable to operate. Recognising that there was higher demand for food support then, CFWG members rallied together and developed a central repository of food support beneficiaries' data. This enabled charities that were still able to operate to take over to provide support to those who needed help.
Today, that initiative has led to the establishment of a FoodConnect Database. Launched in 2022, the FoodConnect database provides food charities with a consolidated view of food support received by a household, thus facilitating better coordination and avoiding duplication. And we continue to encourage more food charities to come on board the database.
We have also launched a FoodConnect Directory that enables families to access food charities according to where they live and their dietary requirements. This has helped families more easily find food support that best meets their needs. The Directory has become more comprehensive over time. Today, it includes food charities offering halal, non-halal and vegetarian food support options in all service regions in Singapore.
The introduction of the Good Samaritan Food Donation, or GSFD Bill is a significant step forward to bolster efforts in the food support space. The Bill reflects the collective efforts of stakeholders in the food donation space who have come together to think about how to incentivise food donation and reduce food wastage in Singapore.
We welcome the protections conferred by the Bill, as more donors can confidently participate in food donation and less food will go to waste. Through our food charities and food support organisations stepping in to organise these donations, more food can be given to those in need. And organisations can also benefit from the assurance that there are legislative protections in place, as they carry out their work. I hope that, collectively, these measures will help encourage greater community giving while, at the same time, reducing food wastage. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) supports the spirit of the Bill.
With the GSFD Bill, we can look forward to an increase in the quantity and variety of donated food, as more businesses and individuals are encouraged to donate. My hope is that this will lead to greater choice and dignity for beneficiaries of food support, who will be better placed to get food support that best meets their needs and preferences.
With this Bill, I encourage food donors who are considering stepping forward to also work with food charities to understand the needs of food support recipients and donate in ways that provide greater choice, including healthier food options. We also encourage donors and food charities to work with CFWG and, together, we can address the community's needs more effectively.
Mr Speaker, in my past four years of involvement in this space, I have had the distinct privilege of seeing first-hand how giving has evolved over time. For our beneficiaries to have the option of choice is not simply or merely about preferences. I have a four-year-old boy at home, so, I know for young children, having a choice over food options not only helps them feel like they have some control over their lives, but learning to decide is also a key part of growing up. And yet, for others, being able to choose the food that they eat comes from a position of need. For diabetic patients, for instance, white rice and sugar, items that are often found in standard ration packs, would be of little help for them.
And that is why I have been so deeply inspired by the many big hearts that have been involved in this space, working hard to evolve our giving models, so that we do not just give but, more importantly, give better. And for that, I salute all who have been, and will continue, to be hard at work in our food charities. Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Sir, MSE supports food waste reduction, whilst ensuring supply of safe food for Singapore.
Reducing food waste helps us realise our vision of a zero-waste nation. The total amount of food waste generated in Singapore in 2023 was 755,000 tonnes, which accounted for about 11% of the total waste generated in Singapore. We support the GSFD Bill as we believe it will help reduce food waste by facilitating the donation of surplus food to beneficiaries.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked about my Ministry's broader goals in managing food waste. Mr Speaker, food waste is a priority waste stream under the Zero Waste Masterplan and we have implemented a range of efforts under the Masterplan. We have set out regulatory measures in the Resource Sustainability Act that progressively require, from 2024, large commercial and industrial food waste generators to segregate food waste for treatment or conversion into useful products and to submit annual food waste reports. Concurrently, we are building up our food waste treatment capacity through the construction of the upcoming Food Waste Treatment Facility, which will produce biogas and boost electricity generation.
The preferred way to manage food waste is to avoid food production in excess of consumption at the onset. We encourage all food establishments, including manufacturers, caterers and retailers, to review processes and practices, to reduce the incidence of excessive food production upstream. Stakeholders may consult the food waste minimisation guidebooks available on the NEA and SFA websites. Where there is unsold or excess food, we support food donation as a possible avenue to reduce wastage.
The GSFD Bill thus complements existing efforts to reduce food waste by facilitating food donation which would then avoid the need for food waste treatment and its associated operational costs. Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Yip Hon Weng, Ms Jean See, Miss Rachel Ong and Ms Joan Pereira suggested further measures to encourage food waste reduction through food donations. We thank the Members for their suggestions and will study them further together with MSF as they continue to look at ways to strengthen efforts in the food support space.
As we facilitate and support measures that reduce food waste, we must also ensure that the donated food is safe and suitable for our consumption. Mr Don Wee and Mr Gan Thiam Poh spoke about food safety risks and the importance of ensuring that donors with ill intentions do not misuse the protection accorded by the GSFD Bill. The Bill aligns with MSE and SFA's approach to assure food safety and strikes a balance of roles and responsibilities among various parties. It makes clear that the safety of donated food is a joint responsibility of the Government, food donors, intermediaries, such food distribution organisations, and consumers.
MSE and SFA are responsible for establishing the regulatory framework for food safety and providing an enabling environment for the food industry. Mr Don Wee, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Edward Chia mentioned the need for clear guidelines and standards to guide food donors. Mr Yip Hon Weng asked about how we could ensure that food donors are well-informed and fully compliant with existing food safety and hygiene regulations. Since 2021, SFA has published a set of guidelines for food safety practices during the preparation, delivery, storage and distribution of food for charitable causes. These guidelines are refreshed periodically to ensure their continued relevance to food donors and food distribution organisations, and they are available online.
Mr Don Wee, Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Zhulkarnain and Ms Ng Ling Ling also mentioned other measures to ensure that food donors maintain proper food safety standards, such as the need for training of staff and volunteers, maintaining records for accountability and tracing, and regular inspections. These are good food safety practices which SFA will continue to raise awareness of and educate the food industry, food distribution organisations and consumers on. Where feedback is received and preliminary checks suggest food safety lapses, SFA will also utilise its levers, including inspection, sampling and testing, to investigate and take action.
Food donors and food distribution organisations continue to have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the food they are donating or distributing. For example, premises and equipment for food preparation and distribution should be kept clean and well-maintained, and employees and volunteers handling the food should adopt good hygiene practices. Recipients should also be advised by food donors and food distribution organisations on measures they could take to ensure food safety, such as checking the condition of food upon receipt and consuming it within the recommended timeline.
To this end, MSE and SFA support the inclusion of the four conditions in the GSFD Bill that food donors must comply with, before the protection from criminal and civil liability can apply. First, the food should not have been unsafe and not unsuitable at the time it left possession and control of the food donor. Second, the food donor should have informed the recipient of any food handling requirements to ensure that the donated food remained safe and suitable. Third, the food donor should have informed the recipient of any time beyond which the food would no longer have remained safe and suitable. Last, the food donor should have taken all reasonably practicable measures to comply with any applicable requirement under any written law related to food safety and hygiene when handling the food to be donated.
These conditions provide clarity to donors on the requirements that they should meet in order to be eligible for protection from any criminal or civil liability arising from food safety incidents. To address Ms Ng Ling Ling's query on whether MSE would be the authority to revoke the waiver of liability if food safety breaches occur, the Bill does not warrant the need for revocation of waiver as food donors would automatically forfeit their protection under the Bill if they failed to meet any of the four conditions. The conditions thus provide assurance to food donation recipients that donors would have taken necessary measures to safeguard the safety of the food they provide.
Recipients of donated food also have a part to play to ensure food safety. They should exercise due diligence and take responsibility in noting the information provided by donors or food distribution organisations so that the donated food remains safe and suitable to consume.
While the Bill facilitates food donation, it does not impede SFA's responsibilities as a regulator or its ability to investigate food safety lapses and take action against non-compliance with food safety directions.
Ms Joan Pereira and Ms Ng Ling Ling asked about MSE and SFA's enforcement and investigation processes. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim also enquired on what would happen when donors do not follow safety guidelines.
In the event of food safety incidents, SFA will continue to conduct investigations to determine the facts of the case and take appropriate measures to manage the risk to food donation recipients. The Director General (Food Administration) can issue directions to suspend food donation or distribution activities until appropriate rectification has been done.
Miss Rachel Ong asked whether intermediary food rescue groups would be held liable if food was found to be unsuitable and unsafe. The Bill covers all food donors, including food distribution organisations such as food charities, which distribute food donated by others for charitable purpose. If the donor or food distribution organisation is found to have donated or distributed unsafe or unsuitable food or did not take reasonable measures to ensure food safety, they would not be protected from liability under the GSFD Bill as they would have failed to meet the conditions stipulated in the Bill. SFA will continue to be judicious in its investigations and will only take action against the errant party.
For example, if a food distribution organisation had done its due diligence to ensure the food was safe and suitable when it left its possession, but unknowingly passed on erroneous information from the food donor, the donor would be held responsible while the food distribution organisation will continue to enjoy the protection under the Bill.
To better assure food safety in food donation activities, MSE and SFA will be strengthening SFA's regulatory powers through the upcoming Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB).
As announced earlier this year, the FSSB will bring together food safety and security legislation from eight existing Acts into one single Act and provide an overarching framework to ensure coherence across the entire food value chain. We are currently engaging and consulting relevant stakeholders on FSSB. Given that similar food safety risks exist in both sale and donation of food, we intend to extend food safety requirements in the FSSB to cover food donation and distribution activities beyond the sale of food.
For example, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Mr Yip Hon Weng spoke about the importance of clear and accurate labels on donated food, containing information such as the presence of cooked food and allergens. These are current requirements for food that is sold, which we are looking to extend to all food, whether sold or donated, under the FSSB.
The Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill will complement the upcoming FSSB by requiring food donors and food distribution organisations to comply with prevailing food safety requirements before protection from criminal and civil liability can apply.
To conclude, the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill will help encourage donation of surplus food and contribute to reducing food waste. Importantly, this will be conducted in a manner that does not compromise food safety and consumer health. It also provides assurance to food donation recipients that reasonable measures have been taken to ensure food safety.
On that note, my Ministry and I support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Mr Speaker, I thank Members for their strong support for the Bill as well as their comments and very useful suggestions. This might be the shortest Bill with the most number of speakers – 17 Members spoke on our eight-page Bill.
One of our main aims was not just to pass legislation to waive liability for food donations but to shine a spotlight on this very important issue which is seldom debated in this House. I am glad to say we have achieved this through the debate we had over the past two days.
Allow me some time to now address key points and questions Members have raised. I will also address some of the key concerns that were raised to the Good Samaritan Legislation Review Committee through our consultations with stakeholders and members of the public. I will also explain why some suggestions raised to the Committee have not been incorporated into the Bill.
Ultimately, the purpose of the Bill is to encourage food donation to address food wastage and food insecurity by waiving liability.
As Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng just shared, food waste reduction helps us to realise our vision of a zero-waste nation. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua also shared that this Bill embodies the spirit of a caring society.
I should stress that more importantly, the waiver of liability is just one piece of the broader food donation ecosystem. There are many other things we can, should and must do to encourage food donation beyond this Bill. This Bill is just a starting point.
With these goals in mind, I will provide some clarification on the Bill. Members have raised several issues and I have grouped this reply into six areas of concern: one, the unintended and opposite effect of the Bill; two, who is covered under the Bill; three, meeting the four conditions; four, support and help for food donors; five, support and help for recipients; and six, public education and partnerships
Let me start by addressing one of the most common feedback we have received. The elephant in the room is whether this Bill might have the unintended and opposite effect of chilling food donation. We have worked hard to avoid this. This is a big elephant and as we learnt from Ms Poh Li San today, an elephant can weigh up to six tonnes.
There were concerns about whether this Bill will make some food donation activities illegal or whether existing food donors will be dissuaded because compliance with the four conditions is too difficult. Let me stress again that this is not the intention of the Bill. The Bill should not make it more onerous for donors to donate food. What it does is to strike a balance between encouraging food donation and at the same time, safeguarding food safety and hygiene standards. It is about striking the balance between responsibility and philanthropy that Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim so rightly said.
We aim to inspire more food donations and we are confident of achieving this through this Bill without compromising food safety and hygiene standards. As Ms Jean See shared, the well-being of recipients of donated food is priority.
Next, who is covered under the Bill? The Committee intended for the definition of a food donor to be as broad as possible to cover as many food donation activities as possible. For this reason, the Bill does not differentiate between an individual, a community food rescue group, a religious organisation, a business or a registered food charity.
NTUC FairPrice asked to clarify if a co-operative society is included in the definition of an \"entity\". Let me assure FairPrice that the definition of an \"entity\" is broad enough to cover a co-operative society.
Members of the public and Members here, including Mr Yip Hon Weng and Miss Rachel Ong, asked about the donation of food past the \"expiry\", \"best before\" and \"use by\" dates. The donation of food past the \"expiry\", \"best before\" and \"use by\" dates will not be covered under this Bill. The Committee debated this issue extensively but ultimately, one is not allowed to sell food past the \"expiry\", \"best before\" and \"use by\" dates. Taking that into account, we should not waive liability when one donates the same food. If it is illegal for sale, the Committee felt it would not be appropriate for donation of the same food to be protected from liability.
I should add that Singapore currently takes a relatively simple approach where \"expiry\", \"best before\", \"use by\" and all other dates are treated the same. I do note that there is room to debate this issue further, especially for the \"best before\" date. I understand MSE is studying this issue further and I eagerly await an update.
Next, Mr Yip Hon Weng asked for greater clarity on the Bill's stance on community fridges and food rescue initiatives and whether the Bill extends liability protection to them. This was also raised at the second public consultation by Ms Robin, a zero waste advocate.
The Bill does not rule out waiver of liability for community fridges and food rescue initiatives, assuming that the four conditions are met. That said, the Committee acknowledges that it may be more difficult for donors or groups involved in community fridges to meet the four conditions since there might not be any direct communication or even face-to-face meetings between the donor and recipient. For community fridges, there are times we might not even know who the food donor is.
Food rescue initiatives, on the other hand, can more easily meet the four conditions. For the past few years, we have a monthly food rescue initiative in Nee Soon East. I have spoken to the team managing the food rescue and we are confident we can meet the four conditions.
Next, during the first public consultation, the Committee surveyed the public on exempting logistics providers from liability. The proposal received strong public support, with around three-quarters of respondents agreeing that logistics providers should enjoy protection from civil and criminal liability.
The Committee ultimately decided to take an incremental approach and waive liability only for food donors for now and not logistics providers. However, if our initial legislative efforts are successful in encouraging food donation, future amendments to expand the law to cover logistics providers is a possibility.
Next, on the definition of food donation, the Committee wanted to ensure that the focus of the Bill remains on charitable giving. To be considered a donation, the food must be given without payment to the donor. This includes any nominal sum or logistics fee. If in exchange for the food donation, the donor receives non-monetary benefits, such as publicity, the food given will still be considered a food donation.
Miss Rachel Ong asked if the Bill covers donors who receive monetary donations from the public who collect donated food. If the monetary donation is provided from members of the public and not the recipient of the food, the food donation still enjoys liability protection under the Bill. However, if the recipient is the one providing the monetary donation, this is akin to a pay-as-you-wish arrangement, which will not be protected under the Bill.
The Committee wanted to draw a very clear line on situations where the Bill applies as the focus of this Bill is on food donation for a charitable, benevolent and philanthropic purpose. I should also point out that where food donation is to needy families, it is fairly unlikely that the recipients will be asked to pay for the food.
NTUC FairPrice also raised a hypothetical situation of a supermarket paying a food surplus management company to redistribute the donated food to the community. The donation in this scenario will still enjoy liability protections. This is because no payment is received by the supermarket for the food given.
Next, Mr Keith Chua asked how the Committee determined that absolving donors of liability will increase the food available for donation. He also asked about the identity of potential donors who are currently reluctant to donate.
The Committee consulted extensively with restaurants, hotels, social enterprises, primary food producers, food processing companies, distributors, wholesalers, food logistics, transport and delivery provider companies, supermarkets and merchants, bakeries and non-governmental organisations. These stakeholders shared their direct experiences on how liability concerns have a chilling effect on potential food donors, including hotels, restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets.
The survey conducted by the RAS on the Bill also support this, with 60% of respondents saying that they are very or somewhat likely to participate in food donation if this Bill is passed. This sentiment is echoed by Mr Dellen Soh from the RAS who shared that \"Restaurants do want to donate excess food to reduce food waste and help our communities. But the very real risk of liability from donated food has a chilling effect for many restaurants.\"
Finally, on this section, Mr Zulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked whether the Bill covers the waiver of liability only in cases of death or personal injury from consuming the donated food. He asked whether illnesses or other physical harms are covered.
For the purposes of this Bill, personal injury includes any disease and any impairment of a person's physical or mental condition. This is similar to the definition adopted under the Civil Law Act, the Limitation Act and the Contributory Negligence and Personal Injuries Act. As such, illnesses and physical harms are covered.
I will, now, move on to clarifications on the four conditions to enjoy liability protection. I thank Mr Vikram Nair for his view that the four conditions are both rigorous and reasonable. I also thank Ms Hazel Poa for sharing that these conditions are reasonable and should not pose an excessive impediment to food donors.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng spoke about how ensuring donated food is safe and suitable for consumption is a shared responsibility among Government, food donors, community organisations and recipients of food donations. I cannot emphasise enough how this must be a shared responsibility. I also cannot emphasise enough that food safety cannot be compromised. Food safety was a non-negotiable component in all our consultations and in drafting this Bill.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh spoke about how the Bill should not be misused by those with ill intentions. As Mr Gan Thiam Poh pointed out, a key challenge is ensuring that the liability protections are appropriately scoped. After much debate, the Committee came up with the four conditions that I have shared.
At the second public consultation, food donation groups asked how it will be determined whether food is unsafe and unsuitable. NTUC FairPrice, similarly, asked whether supermarkets can refer to established standards under food safety legislation to determine safety and suitability for consumption. The existing interpretations of whether food is unsafe and unsuitable, under section 2C and 2D of the Sale of Food Act, will apply in determining whether food is unsafe and unsuitable under this Bill.
For example, under section 2D of the Sale of Food Act, \"food is deemed unsuitable if the food is damaged, deteriorated or perished to an extent that affects its reasonable intended use. Food is unsuitable if it has packaging that is damaged, deteriorated, perished or contaminated to the extent of affecting the food's reasonable intended use.\" Existing food safety legislation and case law on food safety will also apply.
Mr Keith Chua asked about when recipients might fall ill from consuming donated food, if the food was safe and suitable at the point of donation. Despite the best efforts of food donors to ensure that the donated food is safe and suitable, a recipient may still fall ill if the food was not properly handled, not properly stored and not consumed within the appropriate time.
During our consultation, one restaurant owner shared with us that some cleaners had packed leftover food from the restaurant to take home with them. The food had included delicacies, such as prawns. Seeing how good the food was, the recipient kept the food for the next day. The food likely went bad and the recipient suffered from food poisoning. After that incident, the restaurant did not dare to allow the leftover food to be packed and taken back.
Of course, in this situation, the restaurant would also have to inform the recipient of the handling requirements and the time limit for consumption and comply with all written laws on food safety and hygiene to enjoy protection from liability. However, this is a real story that shows how food that was safe and suitable at the time of donation, might still cause injury not through any fault of the donor.
Next, Assoc Prof James Lim referred to the four-hour rule under the NEA guidelines, which limit the consumption time of food from the time it is cooked. He asked whether the fourth condition, requiring a donor to comply with existing written law on food safety and hygiene, include this four-hour rule. I should clarify that the four-hour rule is not just an NEA guideline.
Regulation 13A of the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations prohibit caterers from selling or supplying food for consumption after four hours from when the food was first prepared. Breaching this regulation is an offence. The four-hour rule is a written law on food safety and hygiene and must be complied with to enjoy liability protection under this Bill.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim also suggested that in addition to the four conditions, we should also require that food donors act in good faith in order to enjoy liability protection. The Committee had considered this suggestion. The Committee decided, that good faith would introduce too much uncertainty for food donors on when they will enjoy protection, when uncertainty from the risk of legal liability is the precise problem this Bill is trying to address.
As I shared, the survey by RAS found that 80% of surveyed restaurants were unsure whether the law will adequately protect businesses, even with the express waiver of liability. Including good faith as a requirement, while it sounds good and I understand where Assoc Prof Jamus Lim is coming from, we feel it might cause even greater concerns for businesses and undermine what the Bill is trying to achieve.
The Committee decided that four clear conditions that donors can fulfil, to know that they enjoy liability protection, will provide responsible donors with certainty and peace of mind that is very much needed.
Next, Mr Yip Hon Weng asked for guidelines for donors to follow to prevent unintentional non-compliance with standards. He also suggested having resources to be made available on proper handling. Mr Don Wee and Ms Hany Soh also spoke about having guidelines, best practices and safety standards.
SFA has, in 2021, published the Guidelines for Social Service Agencies and community groups involved in food preparation and distribution activities for charitable causes. These guidelines would be relevant in considering if the four conditions for a waiver of liability have been met.
I urge SFA to expand these guidelines to also cover food donors, such as restaurants, hotels and bakeries. This will provide them with the much-needed guidance. I also urge organisations to familiarise themselves with these very good guidelines and strictly adhere to them. I hope SFA will also consider doing briefing sessions for food donors to ensure food donors understand the guidelines and clarify any doubts they have. SFA should also make these guidelines more easily accessible to the public.
As mentioned in my Second Reading speech, complying with these guidelines is one of the conditions to enjoy the waiver of liability. Before I end this section, I should address another point that Mr Keith Chua made about providing guidelines on what can and what cannot be donated. This should actually be included into the SFA guidelines as well. It is a good suggestion.
During our consultations with the hotels, some of the hotels actually mentioned that they already have these guidelines on what they will donate and what they will not donate. That could be a good starting point of including this current list into the existing SFA guidelines.
As another example, Food from the Heart also have guidelines on what bread they will accept for donation and what bread they would not accept. For example, bread with fillings would not be accepted by Food from the Heart. Again, we have a starting point in terms of developing guidelines on what can and cannot be donated.
Next, Mr Yip Hon Weng and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim suggested that we consider mandating information labels on donated cooked food. NTUC FairPrice also asked about the role of packaging and labelling in meeting the conditions on communicating handling requirements and expiry date.
Properly packaging and labelling donated food are examples of how a donor can meet the conditions on communicating handling requirements and time limits for consuming donated food. There are other ways that a donor can communicate handling requirements and time limits to recipients. For instance, they can do so through text messages. We are mindful that mandating labelling might be too onerous for some small donors and we do not want this Bill to have the unintended effect of turning food donors away.
However, as the Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng had just mentioned in his speech, I understand MSE is considering mandating labelling and I look forward to the Food Safety and Security Bill.
Lastly, on this section, Mr Don Wee suggested other methods for ensuring accountability, including maintaining records of donation, requiring reporting on food donation, regular audits and publication of donation data and impact reports. Mr Don Wee's suggestion on requiring reporting on food donation is a next step that the Government should seriously consider. The mandatory requirements on segregation and reporting of food waste came into effect this year for industrial and commercial buildings that generate large amount of food waste. As a further step, I hope the Government will look into food donation reporting requirements for these big players as well. It is a good suggestion from Mr Don Wee.
The Government should also look into the suggestion and ideas by Mr Edward Chia about using technology to track and manage food donation more effectively. Mr Edward Chia gave good examples, which follow on nicely from Mr Don Wee's suggestion. Apart from the four conditions, the Committee however decided against having some of the mandatory requirements Mr Don Wee raised as they might be a burden for some donors, especially the smaller ones.
We intended for these conditions to be reasonable to meet and not any more than what a food donor would already be expected to do before they donate food. As Mr Yip Hon Weng pointed out, we need to take a balanced approach on this. However, the suggestions that members have raised are all good ideas that MSE, SFA and MSF should look into. I hope MSE, SFA and MSF will continue to engage the industry on how they can meet the four conditions and provide the support needed.
Next, I will talk about support and help for our food donors. I fully agree with the Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua that food charities augment the support provided by the Government. Food charities truly embody the spirit of the \"many helping hands\" approach that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua spoke about. They are our unsung heroes and I thank them for the work they do behind the scenes to ensure that families never go hungry or without nutritious food.
Businesses who donate food are equally important too and we should also support them. Ms Ng Ling Ling spoke about how businesses would like the help of legislation that reduces the fear of liability and reputational damage so that they can meet their societal responsibilities. I spoke to many businesses, including restaurants, hotels, bakeries, supermarkets and merchants. I can assure the public that food donation is not just a matter of checking off a corporate social responsibility obligation.
Many of the businesses I spoke with, see food donation as one way of giving back to the community. The liability protection is one way of helping these businesses and food charities do good. But as Mr Yip Hon Weng suggested, liability protection essentially removes a barrier but we must now provide active encouragement. Members have raised many good ideas for further incentivising and supporting food donation.
Mr Yip Hon Weng, Miss Rachel Ong, Ms Joan Pereira, Ms Jean See and Ms Hazel Poa suggested tax benefits for food donation. Mr Yip Hon Weng also suggested subsidies for logistical costs and Ms Hazel Poa suggested tax incentives for transport or platform companies who assist in providing food pick-up and delivery services for larger F&B enterprises.
Mr Yip Hon Weng raised examples of tech-enabled inventory management that receives substantial government support and recognition in Japan and Australia. These were suggestions that were commonly raised during our consultation. We heard from many businesses that some additional financial support from the Government could make it easier for them to donate food.
One possible avenue for support is to give subsidies or tax incentives for capital-heavy equipment, such as blast chillers. These chillers can be used to quickly freeze cooked food, extending its shelf life beyond the normal four-hour mark and making it easier to donate.
Many businesses are already doing this and what would help further is to incorporate guidelines on the use of blast chillers into the expanded SFA guidelines that I called for earlier. These guidelines will help provide some certainty to food donors. Businesses and food charities also shared with us that refrigerated trucks would be very useful for supporting food donations and hope to receive subsidies for purchasing these. All these suggestions will help food donors and, very importantly, help to ensure safer and more efficient handling of donated food.
Another suggestion raised, is tax deduction for donated food. As Mr Yip Hon Weng noted, this is currently being done in other countries, including the US and Italy. As Ms Jean See shared, this could help incentivise businesses to institutionalise food donation activities.
We studied these tax deduction suggestions. We put this through a public consultation as well and an overwhelming majority of the public supports this. However, there are currently challenges with accurately valuing food for the purpose of tax deduction and preventing any potential abuse. After exploring these options with the Ministry of Finance, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, MSF and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the committee concluded that these financial incentives have to be studied further and can be considered for future implementation.
Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Don Wee and Ms Ng Ling Ling also raised other suggestions, including public recognition programmes for food donors and encouraging food donors to purchase liability insurance as an extra layer of protection. These, again, are all good suggestions. I hope the Government will continue to study the possibility of additional support that can be extended to food donors. The Charities Food Work Group that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua chairs, may be a good platform for these suggestions to be explored further.
For instance, while liability insurance may be difficult to mandate because it may not be feasible for smaller players. There is scope to explore this option for larger players. The Government can take steps to encourage liability insurance and monitor the take-up rate of such insurance.
Next, Mr Yip Hon Weng suggested mandatory training programmes or certification for frequent food donors. He suggested that SFA develop such programmes. Mr Don Wee, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Ms Ng Ling Ling and Ms Jean See, similarly, suggested training programmes. The Committee considered and consulted the public on requiring food charities to be certified, accredited and undergo training. While the proposal received significant public support, smaller food charities and community groups expressed concerns that the accreditation and training requirements may hamper their work.
Smaller groups shared that their volunteer pool may be individuals who volunteer on an ad hoc basis. These volunteers may be dissuaded if they have to undergo compulsory training. The groups also shared that they may not have the resources to meet the accreditation requirements.
After considerable debate – and it is a tough balancing act – the Committee decided that requiring accreditation to enjoy liability protections may again have the unintended effect of reducing food donations in Singapore.
That said, voluntary training and certification are steps that may be good for the Charities Food Work Group to explore further. The Government can also provide the much needed assistance on this.
Mr Edward Chia had shared about the importance of accreditation and suggested that the Government provide grants to cover costs associated with adopting these standards and conducting necessary training. His suggestion of Enterprise Singapore's Quality and Standards division developing a standard specifically tailored to our local context, ensuring it meets the unique needs of our community, should also be looked into.
As I mentioned earlier, a good start which can be done very soon would be for SFA to do a briefing session for food donors on the SFA guidelines. That would be a good starting point.
Lastly, on this section, Ms Ng Ling Ling asked about mediation mechanisms and legal assistance for small donors. Mediation is always a possibility for civil disputes. As for donors who require legal assistance, there are existing avenues for legal support, including legal clinics for individuals and the Singapore Association of Trade and Commerce, which provides legal support for businesses.
I will now talk about support and help for recipients of donated food.
Mr Yip asked if the Bill offers legal protection for donors who unintentionally provide food that does not align with a recipient's dietary needs. The Bill does provide this legal protection as long as the four conditions are met.
Mr Keith Chua suggested that we introduce channels of guidance for food-insecure communities to assist them in making the right choices and advising them on their rights. The usual channels for legal aid and assistance, including the Legal Aid Bureau and Pro Bono SG, are available.
On helping food insecure communities to make the right choices, our social service agencies, food charities and Government agencies play an important role in helping those they serve make informed choices while respecting their autonomy to decide for themselves. What Mr Chua suggested is very much needed and public education is key to this Bill.
Finally, on public education and partnerships.
Waiving liability is just one part of the food donation picture. Miss Rachel Ong spoke about how public education alongside the Bill's implementation is key. I could not agree more with Miss Ong's point that rescued food is not meant only for the needy, but for all of us. The rest of society must adopt a similar mindset for food waste reduction efforts in Singapore for it to be significant and effective.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh noted that there is a need for education and understanding, especially over social and cultural norms on food wastage. Mr Don Wee suggested fostering partnerships between donors and reputable charities to ensure proper distribution and use of donated food.
These are good questions. Encouraging food donation requires tackling a much broader set of issues than just liability. As Ms Poh Li San rightly noted, there is much work to be done after we introduce this Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill. We will need to encourage businesses and supermarkets to come onboard as examples for other food suppliers and operators. We will also need to increase the number of volunteers, food collection points, donation drop-off nodes and distribution points.
Stronger partnerships between food rescue groups, Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres will also help in strengthening food donation networks. As Mr Edward Chia suggested, the CDCs also have an important role to play in terms of establishing community-based redistribution networks.
I feel like I am just shooting arrows here, but the point is that many people have to come onboard this journey for this to be a successful journey. The Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill is important, but, again, it is just one part of a larger picture. I hope the Government will continue working with businesses and food charities to look into what else we can do to encourage food donation.
As Ms Joan Pereira suggested, the Government should also consider providing the administrative and infrastructural support to help organisations get started on this journey of donation. MSF's Food Charities Work Group that I have mentioned many times in this speech is an important platform for such conversations.
I should add that following this Bill, I will continue to speak up about tackling food waste. This is not the end of my journey. I promise to continue to file Parliamentary Questions on this and to continue to push the Government to, as always, do more and, before I forget, do more, more quickly.
Sir, let me conclude. It has been an absolutely rewarding four-year journey in drafting this Bill. As Mr Yip Hon Weng pointed out, this Bill can be a catalyst for positive change in how we, as a society, approach food waste and food security. It is about developing a more sustainable and compassionate society. I hope we become more compassionate.
I sincerely hope we can achieve what Ms Jean See shared in her speech, that this \"Bill is the gamechanger that can help to dismantle the stigma surrounding food support while giving food-insecure families the confidence to benefit from food support that is dignified, sustained, adequate and enriching\". I hope we become more sustainable.
Miss Rachel Ong shared about how reducing food waste is a nationwide effort and requires a society-wide change. We have to change. I have to stress that the key point of this Bill is not just about urging people to donate food but to really have people rethink our throwaway culture. Think about not wasting food in the first place. Change our habits. It is scary that food waste is so ingrained in our society now. Some of the businesses were telling me that they already factored food waste into their business costs. Do not need to worry about throwing food away. They already factored it in.
The work of the Committee and the Government is far from done. This Bill is only a starting point to create an effective legal and policy framework for the food donation ecosystem in Singapore. I hope that the learnings from this Bill will form the foundation for future improvements in our food donation landscape and I hope we will see an update in the next few years.
As I worked on this Bill, I was constantly reminded of my late grandmother. Actually, I constantly nag people about not wasting food because my grandmother constantly nagged me when I was young to not waste food. One of my tasks at family meals when I was a little boy was to scoop rice for everyone. I always remember opening the rice cooker and seeing my grandmother's food there.
She was always one meal behind the rest of the family. When we were having dinner, she was having the leftovers from lunch. After dinner, she stored the leftover food overnight to eat the next day. For her, and for many of our Pioneer Generation, even the smallest scrap of food waste is unthinkable.
My grandmother did not even want to waste gas to warm up her food. She warmed up her food using the steam in the rice cooker as we cooked our rice.
We now live in a time when food is more abundant as compared to the past. Most Singaporeans not only have more than enough food available, we are spoilt for choice, with food from all corners of the world being imported into Singapore daily.
But let us not forget that there are also many Singaporeans who are not sure what or when their next meal will be. I hope this Bill will bring back the spirit of the Pioneer Generation, the true champions against food waste, and cultivate these habits in our younger generations.
Sir, I hope I have answered all the clarifications that Members have raised and I again thank everyone for your strong support and for your very good questions. I would be glad to answer any further clarifications.
Let me now end with a quote, as always, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, \"Earth provides enough to satisfy every person's needs, but not every person's greed\". Let us treasure our precious resources and, together, tackle this throwaway culture.
Sir, you have no idea how much it means for me to say the next few words, how much it means for our extremely hardworking Good Samaritan Legislation Review Committee members and my Legislative Assistants, for the passionate food donors and dedicated food charities and community groups, how much it means for those struggling to have three meals a day and how much it means for our planet. Sir, I beg to move. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Mr Ng, my grandmother and my mother had exactly the same behaviour as your grandmother. Any clarifications for Mr Ng? Looks like, Mr Ng, your wrap-up speech was very, very comprehensive. None?
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Order. I propose to take the break now. Members are reminded that when you have your food in the Members' Room, do not waste food.
I suspend the Sitting and I will take the Chair at 3.20 pm. Order, order.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 2.57 pm until 3.20 pm.
Sitting resumed at 3.20 pm.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Electoral Boundaries ","subTitle":"Motion","sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Speaker: Ms Hazel Poa.
Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move*, \"That this House calls on the Government to review the process by which electoral boundaries are determined in order to increase the transparency and fairness of the electoral boundary review process for all political parties.\"
[(proc text) *The Motion also stood in the name of Mr Leong Mun Wai. (proc text)]
The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) had earlier asked for Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) to be abolished. Our proposals in this debate are based on accepting the existence of GRCs as reality and how we can make things better within that reality and is not an indication of a change of position on GRCs.
Sir, the process by which electoral boundaries are reviewed in Singapore has been long-standing. The Prime Minister appoints an Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) and sets its terms of reference. Once the EBRC publishes its report with the new electoral boundaries, Parliament is dissolved and a General Election (GE) held shortly after.
However, the Prime Minister does not have to reveal when the EBRC will be formed or whether he has formed the EBRC. On previous occasions, the Prime Minister has only revealed to the public that the EBRC has been formed months after he has convened the EBRC.
In the interests of transparency and public accountability, I would first like to start by asking the Prime Minister whether he has formed the EBRC.
PSP has raised this Motion today because we believe that there are many areas in this process which can be reformed, so that electoral boundaries are reviewed in a manner that incorporates transparency, accountability, independence, fairness and respect for voters.
One, justify boundary changes for transparency and accountability. The EBRC needs to make public the reasons why the boundaries of certain constituencies are changed while others remain untouched.
Over the years, the reports of the EBRC have become shorter and shorter, providing less and less explanation of why the boundaries have changed. The reports of the 2011, 2015 and 2020 EBRCs were only four pages long and contained six paragraphs. For example, in the 2020 report, the EBRC merely stated, \"The Committee reviewed the boundaries of the current electoral divisions taking into account the current configurations, changes in the number of electors due to population shifts and housing developments.\"
This is in stark contrast to the early years of Independence. The report of the 1971 EBRC, for example, was 12 pages long and contained 20 paragraphs, and provided more details for its decisions than present-day EBRCs. For example, the 1971 EBRC explained clearly the reasons why it did not alter the boundaries of constituencies in the central areas of the city. It even explained the names for new constituencies.
Many constituencies now have strange boundaries that do not follow the boundaries of Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns or Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) planning areas, or any relation to how people on the ground live their lives. In 1971, the EBRC clearly stated that \"all changes and adjustments were made in keeping with proximity, identity of interest and similarity of association\". These do not appear to be considerations for the EBRCs of today. It is common to find residents of the same HDB town belonging to different constituencies.
I still remember when I first entered politics more than a decade ago, a veteran in an opposition party told me how hard he walked the ground in a Single Member Constituency (SMC) for four years, only to have that SMC disappear on him when boundaries were reviewed and the SMC was absorbed into a GRC. Is this an isolated incident or is there a pattern?
We examined the data on SMCs from GE1988 to GE2015, spanning seven GEs. Excluding opposition-held SMCs at the point of boundary review, we find that amongst the SMCs where opposition scored below 40% of the votes, on average, 58% were retained as SMCs. In comparison, where opposition scored between 40% and 50% of the votes, only 33% were retained on average. SMCs in GE2020 cannot be included here because the decision on whether they will be retained is yet to be made. We hope that these statistics will not be maintained or further aggravated by the next boundary review.
Without clear justifications for its decisions, it is difficult to tell whether the EBRC has changed the boundaries simply because of population shifts and housing developments, or for other reasons. Suspicions of gerrymandering naturally surface and erode public trust.
The number of voters in each constituency is often used as the justification for boundary changes. The average number of voters per Member of Parliament (MP) is not codified into law. In 2020, the EBRC worked with a ratio of one MP to about 29,000 voters. Since 1980, the EBRC has also allowed the average number of voters per MP to deviate by plus or minus 30%, up from 20% previously. This is very wide and creates the possibility that a constituency could be almost twice as large as another and still return the same number of MPs. For example, an SMC could have 20,000 to 38,000 voters while a five-member GRC could have 100,000 to 190,000 voters. This is unequal representation and unfair to voters.
Let me illustrate with some real examples in the last GE. In 2020, Sengkang GRC had 120,100 voters and elected four MPs, while East Coast GRC had 121,644 voters, only slightly more, but elected five MPs. Yuhua SMC had 21,351 voters, while Bukit Panjang SMC had 35,437 voters. This means that the votes of Sengkang and Bukit Panjang voters counted for less compared to East Coast and Yuhua voters.
In 1963, the EBRC adopted a rule allowing the numbers of voters in each electoral division to differ by no more than 20%. The permitted deviation was increased to 30% in 1980. This deviation should be narrower so that each electoral divisions has approximately equal numbers of voters. This is important as the electors' votes need to carry the same weight. The electors' votes should be respected and not be unduly diluted by having larger deviation in each electoral division.
The average number of voters per MP and the allowable deviations should be fixed into law. In the United Kingdom (UK), for example, under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, there must be 650 MPs and the average number of voters per MP can only deviate by plus or minus 5%. In Australia, the average number of voters per MP can only deviate by plus or minus 10% under the Commonwealth Electoral Act (No 2) 1973.
Putting aside the issue of unequal workload for each MP, we should adopt tighter limits on deviation to ensure that every Singaporean's vote carries the same weightage and is represented fairly in this House.
In the interest of transparency, accountability and fairness to voters, PSP proposes the following changes.
One, upon formation of EBRC, announce the formation immediately and publish the current number of voters in each constituency based on boundaries in the last GE.
Further, identify the constituencies that require boundary changes based on fixed criteria.
First, constituencies with the number of voters falling outside the specified range can have its boundaries changed. The current range of 20,000 to 38,000 per MP is too wide, with the maximum number being 90% higher than, or nearly twice, that of the minimum. This means that some MPs are taking the load of nearly twice that of other MPs. This is not an ideal situation. PSP proposes that one MP should represent 30,000 voters, with a deviation of plus or minus 10%, such that each MP represents 27,000 to 33,000 voters. As such, the maximum is limited to 22% higher than the minimum. This is a fairer distribution of duties amongst MPs and fairer to voters in terms of their voting weightage.
Second, the boundaries of constituencies with number of voters within specified range cannot be changed unless justified on the basis of necessity due to an adjacent constituency having voters falling outside that specified range. The basis for such changes must be published.
Two, respect voters by reducing the potential for gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is an attempt to manipulate the outcome of elections. It is an act of disrespect for voters. Instead of working harder to make things better, serving the people better and being more responsive to the needs of the voters, gerrymandering seeks the easy way out of changing the rules. The genuine concerns of voters are not addressed and respect for voters is eroded. This is not acceptable and we should reduce the potential for gerrymandering in our system.
To achieve this, PSP makes the following proposal. Just like houses and buildings have structural walls that cannot be demolished in renovations and non-structural walls that can be demolished, we propose the introduction of major boundaries and minor boundaries.
Major boundaries are meant to remain unchanged for many elections. Each region bound by major boundaries could contain one or two GRCs and a few SMCs. These major boundaries should correspond closely to local ties and geographical considerations and could take reference from existing HDB town boundaries, URA planning area boundaries and postal district boundaries. We propose that these major boundaries cannot be changed unless agreed to by a bipartisan committee. I will elaborate on this later. The introduction of major boundaries that will not change frequently also make it easier for MPs to build community identities and bond.
Minor boundaries lie within the major boundaries and can be changed by EBRC based on the criteria mentioned earlier. Let me illustrate with an example. Suppose that a region enclosed by major boundaries is as follows: the number of voters was 200,000 in the previous GE and there was a five-member GRC with 140,000 voters plus two SMCs with 30,000 voters each.
Suppose that before the next GE, the number of voters changed as follows: (a) the number of voters grew to 220,000; (b) the number of voters in the GRC grew to 166,000 and the two SMCs dropped to 27,000 voters each. Under the proposed system, the boundaries of the two SMCs need not be changed as they are still within the range. But the boundaries for the GRC must change as it has gone beyond 33,000 per MP. The GRC must now be served by six MPs instead of five.
By altering the minor boundaries, EBRC can change the GRC to either a five-member GRC + one SMC; or a four-member GRC + two SMCs; or a three-member GRC + three SMCs; or two three-member GRCs. The justification for the option chosen should be provided by EBRC.
Three, ensure political fairness by imposing a minimum timeframe from finalising boundaries to GE. We propose a minimum period of three months between the publishing of EBRC report to the dissolution of Parliament. This will ensure a more level playing field by giving all political parties more time to prepare for the GE.
In response to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) earlier, Minister Chan Chun Sing had assured Parliament that \"there will be sufficient time between the release of EBRC's report to the time of election.\" Does the Minister agree that a minimum of three months is a very reasonable time frame?
Four, enhancing independence in the composition, appointment and reporting structure of EBRC. In our system, the Prime Minister has full control over the electoral boundary review process. This starts with who gets to be appointed to EBRC. There is no law stating who gets to be appointed to EBRC, even though in recent years, EBRC has always consisted of the Cabinet Secretary, the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the Elections Department (ELD), HDB and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), and the Chief Statistician. These are senior civil servants with deep domain knowledge that enable them to make decisions on how to redraw electoral boundaries in a practical way and we have no objection to them sitting on EBRC.
There are concerns about potential conflict of interest for EBRC to report to the Prime Minister. In the interest of enhancing the independence of EBRC, PSP proposes that the membership of EBRC should be codified into law to prevent any future abuses. In the UK, for example, the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 specifies that the Boundary Commissions are chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons and the deputy chair must be a High Court Judge. Some legal constraints are necessary to prevent the appointment of partisan members onto the committee. PSP proposes that EBRC be chaired by a High Court Judge with four other members being the CEOs of ELD, HDB and SLA, and the Chief Statistician.
If EBRC is proposing changes to the major boundaries, then these changes must be approved by a committee to be chaired by the Speaker of Parliament by right of his office, but he will not play any part in the review. The other members of the committee will be appointed by the President and comprise equal numbers of representatives from: one, the ruling party; and two, the other political parties that have won at least 5% of the votes at the previous GE. This committee could be bipartisan or multi-partisan. For the sake of simplicity, I shall refer to this committee as \"the bipartisan committee\" within this debate. If the EBRC's proposed electoral boundary changes do not impact the major boundaries, then these changes do not need to be approved by a bipartisan committee.
At the end of the process, the changes will be compiled into a report by EBRC and submitted to Parliament. The report by the Boundary Commission for England contained a paragraph assuring that election results are not taken into consideration in the review of boundaries. We should do the same to enhance public trust. The changes will be approved and implemented without modification by Parliament to ensure that the process remains fair and transparent. Mr Speaker, Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Speaker, Sir, over the years, the Prime Minister has appointed the EBRC before a GE, and the establishment of the EBRC and the release of its report also signal the upcoming GE. PSP is proposing this Motion today because we believe that there are many areas in our country's electoral boundaries review system that can be improved to enhance the transparency, independence, and fairness of the system.
Firstly, the EBRC should provide a more detailed explanation to the public as to why the boundaries of certain constituencies have changed. Since independence, the EBRC's reports have become increasingly concise and in recent years, the explanations for changes in constituency boundaries have been brief and vague.
This makes it difficult to determine whether the changes in electoral boundaries are solely due to changes in population and housing development. For example, looking at the election results from 1988 to 2015, we find that the probability of opposition-held constituencies with a vote share between 40% and 50% disappearing in the next election is higher than constituencies where the opposition's vote share is below 40%. Due to the overly concise nature of the EBRC's report, suspicions of unfair constituency delineation naturally arise. If the EBRC's report were more detailed, these doubts would naturally dissipate.
Secondly, currently, each MP can represent between 20,000 and 38,000 voters. This results in significant disparities in voter representation. For example, in the 2020 general election, the number of voters in Sengkang GRC was almost the same as in East Coast GRC, but Sengkang GRC has four seats in Parliament while East Coast GRC has five seats. The existing electoral boundaries mean that some MPs represent almost twice as many voters as other MPs. The PSP proposes legislation to stipulate that each MP can only represent between 27,000 and 33,000 voters to reduce the current significant disparity and unfairness to voters and MPs.
Thirdly, PSP proposes that, in order to reduce the possibility of drawing the electoral boundaries unfairly, we should establish two types of electoral boundaries: major boundaries and minor boundaries. Major boundaries can encompass multiple constituencies, and these boundaries should be stable and rarely changed to ensure community cohesion and reduce unfair constituency delineation. If changes to major boundaries are necessary, they should require the consent of a committee with equal representation from the ruling party and the opposition. Minor boundaries are the boundaries between constituencies covered by major boundaries. Minor boundaries can be adjusted based on changes in the population of constituencies.
Fourthly, the release of the EBRC report should be at least three months before the dissolution of Parliament to allow all political parties sufficient time to prepare for the GE.
Fifthly, currently, there are no explicit regulations on the members of the EBRC. To ensure fairness and transparency, we believe that legislation should stipulate that the EBRC should be chaired by a High Court Judge, with members being the CEO of ELD, HDB and SLA, as well as the Chief Statistician. To avoid suspicion, the EBRC should not report to the Prime Minister but should submit the report directly to Parliament. Upon receiving the report, Parliament should immediately approve and implement it without any modifications to ensure fairness and transparency of the process.
(In English): In summary, PSP's proposal seeks to:
(a) increase transparency and accountability by: one, requiring the formation of EBRC to be publicly announced immediately; two, requiring EBRC to, upon its formation, publish the current number of voters in each constituency based on boundaries in the last GE; and three, requiring EBRC to publicly and sufficiently explain all changes;
(b) ensure fairness to voters by narrowing the range of number of voters per MP;
(c) respect voters and reduce the potential for gerrymandering by: one, implementing fixed rules through major and minor boundaries; and two, requiring changes of major boundaries to be approved by a bipartisan committee;
(d) increase political fairness by imposing a minimum timeframe from finalising boundaries to GE; and
(e) enhance the independence of EBRC.
With that, I urge all hon Members to support the Motion.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Yes, Mr Speaker, I wish to participate in the debate, please.
Mr Speaker: Sorry, I missed that.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: I wish to participate in this debate.
Mr Speaker: Go ahead.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Few Singaporeans have not privately wondered where the sea is when they look out of the window in Upper Serangoon or how the residents of Kaki Bukit have found themselves in four different GRCs over four different elections or why Sengkang, my home constituency, had its westernmost neighbourhood somewhat unceremoniously carved out from what had hitherto been a well-accepted division between the four \"vales\" of \"River\", \"Compass\", \"Anchor\" and \"Fern\". Others have already explained why the present system comes across as inherently opaque and potentially unfair.
Sir, my contribution to this debate is more modest. First, I will explain how looking at the shape of boundaries alone does not tell us all that much. Next, I will share that it is nevertheless possible to move away from the present status quo towards a more robust and, just as important, scientifically sound system. Finally, I will offer suggestions on how EBRC may actually get there.
Let me start by accepting that the practice of drawing electoral boundaries is complicated. Even a simple four-by-four grid, an unrealistically simple map if there ever was one, offers up 117 ways to subdivide these 16 squares, such that there are four districts with four contiguous squares in each. A six-by-six grid will present more than 451,000 options and there are seven hundred trillion ones in a nine-by-nine grid.
With such a dizzying array of possibilities, it is plausible that potentially nonsensical shapes could emerge. This raises the perverse possibility that even oddly shaped maps could somehow turn out to be fair. After all, the outcome depends on the allocation of voters across space.
Nor can we rely solely on the magnitude of the win margins either. After all, disproportionate wins can result from very mild differences in geographic patterns. Just as crucially, first-past-the-post systems, such as ours, could potentially give rise to these outcomes. The most recent Labour Party win in the UK is a fine example of this.
But, that said, such arguments ultimately ring hollow because there are, indeed, ways to diagnose and treat the problem of gerrymandering. Advances in mathematics, political science and economics offer the possibility of drawing credible electoral maps that will undoubtedly be better than the current opaque practices pursued by EBRC.
One approach is to apply techniques in geometry to obtain compact districts that align well the sort of electoral geographies that make sense, not just mathematically, but also from intuitive notions of what should constitute a simply drawn, cohesive community. Such insights can be practically applied to actual data and, with the aid of computers, to new representative districts that can be derived in a completely reasonable timeframe.
A second metric is to minimise what some political scientists have taken to calling an efficiency gap. This approach simply asks that so-called wasted votes, the votes that would not be necessary for a winner to be declared in a given district, be kept as small as possible, taking into account voting shares across all districts.
It boils down, actually, to a simple equation which tallies the difference between seat and vote margins. I did the calculations and, for GE2020, this amounted to an electoral advantage of about 17%, owing not to credible aspects of the different parties but simply to the system of districting alone, at least according to this interpretation.
This, significantly, notably, is below the gap one saw between the People's Action Party's (PAP's) share of the popular vote of 61% versus its seat share of 89%, but it nevertheless offers some sense of how much PAP might currently benefit from the way that electoral boundaries are currently drawn.
A third relies more on game theoretic ideas to ensure fair division. One particularly promising strategy is to allow parties to take turns in either proposing divisions or rejecting unfavourable ones. This practice is actually less foreign than it seems. Elections in the 1950s in Singapore included representatives from several political parties and, in 1963, PAP itself invited opposition parties to submit proposals on delineating constituencies.
Possibly the most promising set of tools rely on simulations based on repeated samples. Such algorithms can generate sample districting plans under various constraints in Singapore. We might imagine a need to meet specific population targets and geographical compactness along with, of course, Ethnic Integration Policy considerations that are actually nevertheless more competitive.
Just as important, these maps can be evaluated in advance, not merely after the fact, which means that they can be used by EBRC to draw out mathematically fair constituencies.
Sir, the events that I have described are not just pie-in-the-sky ideas. They can and have been profitably applied in real world situations, both as diagnostic tools as well as for the purposes of electoral reform.
Legal arguments relying on these techniques have gone all the way to various constitutional courts, where, for example, in Florida, proposals for eight of 27 proposed districts were struck down in 2023 on the basis of evidence presented. In the state of Pennsylvania, an analogous Supreme Court ruling in 2018 declared violations of that state's constitution resulting from partisan congressional maps.
Perhaps most fundamentally, the principle behind these efforts is straightforward and consistent with the practice of many jurisdictions worldwide – to achieve impartiality by delegating the redistricting task to a truly independent electoral commission. This has been adopted by, among other countries, Australia, Canada, India, Jordan, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and the UK.
These tools are practically available. Computer packages to apply these solutions in a scalable way have been made available by researchers, including separate efforts by teams at Harvard and Tufts universities.
These can be adapted and adopted by our own EBRC to improve its own processes. Indeed, in 2017, Singaporeans even participated in a workshop meant to train participants on applying these techniques, although I do not know if the individual or individuals attending were members of EBRC.
Even if we remain uncomfortable with completely delegating the redistricting task to automation, I personally would still favour human hands at the tiller. But in my view, publishing any adjustments and deviations from districts proposed by such algorithms would nevertheless constitute an important step forward in fairness.
Sir, even if we accept that no perfect electoral districting system exists, it does not mean that we must be content with the status quo. The proposals I have offered get us much closer to a system that is both fair and, perhaps more importantly, perceived to be fair by the wider electorate.
This, surely, is the sort of goal that everyone in this House and beyond would agree with. Benchmarking our existing electoral bounds against these that have passed mathematical muster would improve transparency and make these maps more acceptable to everyone involved.
Of course, perhaps we should take a step back and question the underlying political values that may have led us to even have to worry about the cancer of intentional gerrymandering. If gerrymandering does truly become endemic, do we as a nation accept this? Gerrymandering effectively means that the votes of those who happen to live in certain geographies are inadvertently given lesser weight simply by dint of the districting system.
Do we wish to be known as a modern democracy that does not aspire to ensure that the voices of all our citizens be heard equally? For these reasons, Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker: Any other Member wishes to join the debate? Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion. Let me outline my speech. First, for decades, PAP has gained political advantage from the way that electoral boundaries have been drawn and redrawn. Second, in a fair democratic political system, no party should gain such an advantage. So, Singapore should implement a politically impartial electoral boundary system based on international best practices. Third, if the 4G PAP were to implement such an impartial system, this would be in keeping with the promise flowing from the Forward Singapore exercise, that Singapore will operate under a refreshed social compact.
My first point is that PAP has gained political advantage from the drawing of electoral boundaries. As far back as 1996, then-MP for Hougang, Mr Low Thia Khiang, presented a table in this House that showed how SMCs that had been through close electoral races were invariably incorporated into GRCs. Ms Hazel Poa has cited similar evidence in her speech on this Motion. I will give three examples.
In 1991, the opposition candidate in Braddell Heights, Mr Sin Kek Tong, obtained close to 48% of the vote. In the next GE in 1997, Braddell Heights was incorporated into Marine Parade GRC. In 2011, the Workers' Party's (WP's) Yee Jenn Jong obtained close to 49% of the vote, losing the SMC of Joo Chiat by a mere 388 votes. In GE2015, Joo Chiat was merged into Marine Parade GRC.
In 2015, the three SMCs where PAP had their smallest percentage of wins were incorporated into GRCs. As a matter of interest, these were all SMCs contested by WP. There is really no need for me to say more about this or to give more examples because any reasonable person can tell that the examples cited are not coincidences. It is obvious that changes in the electoral boundaries of SMCs and GRCs have benefited PAP.
My second point is that in a fair and democratic political system, no parties should benefit politically from the rejoining of boundaries. No party. To that end, Singapore should implement a politically impartial electoral boundaries system based on international best practices. This would prevent a situation where any party, whether PAP now or some other party in future, benefits politically from the drawing of electoral boundaries.
Mr Speaker, allow me to quote various parts of one senior stateman's different Parliamentary speeches on this issue. First, and I quote, \"If we want to avoid gerrymandering, any alteration of boundary lines to suit whoever is the Minister and his party, then let us have a Boundaries Commission\".
Second, and I quote, \"I am stating, as a proposition, that in any part of the world, and more especially in this part of the world, people who assumed the duties of Government are somewhat tempted to use the powers with which they are temporarily vested to weigh things permanently in their favour. If we want to avoid gerrymandering, the drawing of boundary lines to include kampongs where one's supporters are and to exclude kampongs where one's opponents' supporters are, then let us have a proper Boundaries Commission. Let the mechanics of it be by the Minister notifying it in the Gazette. But let us have proper machinery to ensure that the working of Parliamentary democracy, this wholesale importation of western ideas of political organisation, is not perverted by feudalistic eastern ideas of personal survival\".
Third, and I quote, \"On principle, it is advisable to have the work of this Committee placed before all political parties. If there had been no gerrymandering, it would be quite obvious to everybody and everybody would then be quite happy. But whether or not there has been an unconscious bias in the work of any official, so as to justify the allegations made by the Member for Serangoon, one can only judge from the vehemence of his allegations and the corresponding vehemence of the denials of the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary. Nothing would be lost, if the reasons for the delineations are placed before an all-party Committee\".
It should not surprise this House to learn that these quotes were from Parliamentary speeches made by Mr Lee Kuan Yew in 1956 and 1957 when he was in the opposition. Mr Lee talked about the possibility of unconscious bias, if a political party in power benefits from the redrawing of boundaries, whether that benefit has come about due to the unconscious or conscious bias of officials. This can be taken care of through the two bodies proposed by Mr Lee Kuan Yew. In his speech in 1956, Mr Lee suggested that a Boundaries Commission be set up. And in his speech in 1957, he suggested that the work of such a Committee be placed before an all-party Committee.
Those measures proposed by Mr Lee are in line with those currently practiced by Australia, Canada and the UK, countries which practise the western ideas of political organisation that Mr Lee himself mentioned. In these commonwealth countries, boundary revisions are decided by boundary commissions or committees which are independent of Government ministers. The commission of Canada and the UK include a high court judge appointed by the chief justice.
There is variation in each country's process, but generally, the boundary commissions will publish proposed changes in the number of representatives and electoral boundaries based on set guidelines, which are formalised through legislation. The public and political parties are given the opportunity to provide feedback on these proposals before the boundary commissions make their final decisions.
Ministers and Parliament cannot reject the decisions of the boundary commissions. In the UK, the boundaries commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland consult the public before coming up with their final recommendations. In addition, the boundary delineation exercise takes place once every eight years, and not before a general election. In Canada, there is an additional stipulation that revised boundaries cannot be used for elections within seven months of the revision. Any election within that period would run using the previous boundaries. In all these countries, there is a clear commitment to preventing political interference in the process of redrawing boundaries and to ensure the independence of the boundaries commission.
This brings me to my third point. If Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the 4G PAP team were to implement such an impartial system, this would be in keeping with the spirit flowing from the Forward Singapore exercise that envisions Singapore operating under a refreshed social compact. A commitment from the 4G leadership to an independent and de-politicised EBRC would be concrete manifestation through action.
In the end, the choice is the PAP's. They are in power. They can continue with things as they are, or they can amend the law to entrench fairness into the electoral boundary system to protect future generations. Even if they decide to retain the current system and not amend Singapore law, it is the PAP's choice whether to continue to accrue political advantage from the redrawing of electoral boundaries.
This coming election is a chance for a new start, a refreshing of the social compact as the new Prime Minister has promised. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the 4G leaders have the chance to change \"politics as usual\" in Singapore.
The WP asks the Government to consider legislating and implementing a system that includes the following features: first, a Commission that is truly independent whose decisions cannot be rejected by the party in power; second for a Supreme Court Judge selected by the Chief Justice to be appointed as a member of the EBRC; third, the publication of proposed changes well in advance of elections and outside the election cycle; fourth, the opportunity for the public, including political parties, to provide feedback on the proposed changes; and fifth, a minimum period during which revised boundaries cannot be used for elections.
I ask Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to take Singapore forward into a truly democratic political system. This would enhance Singapore's world standing even further. The international community and even fellow Singaporeans respects Singapore and our leaders for economic achievements and lack of corruption. But there are asterisks when they assess our political system. As for the population of Singapore, changes that promote democratic participation will give the public greater confidence and pride in our political system.
We in the Opposition, and I dare say ordinary Singaporeans, are asking Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to do the right thing. As Forward Singapore notes, Singapore is at a prime moment for change, and a functioning and robust social compact creates trust. Keep your promise to Singaporeans to create a new and refreshed social compact. Follow through with the Government's Forward Singapore exercise. Bring Singapore forward with a fair electoral boundaries system. That is nothing more than aligning Singapore with international best practices. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker: Minister Chan Chun Sing.
The Minister for Education (Mr Chan Chun Sing) (for the Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, Sir. First, let me say that I would like to thank all the Members who have spoken on this and given your various suggestions and comments. I listened to them very carefully. For Ms Hazel Poa, who has submitted her speech prior to ELD, we have also examined her suggestions very carefully.
Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government will continually seek to improve our electoral system to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans. The recent move to improve voter access for overseas Singaporeans is one such example.
However, we cannot agree with the premise of this Motion. First, the Motion suggests that the current electoral boundary review process is not transparent and not fair. Second, the Motion seeks to review the electoral boundary review process in the interests of political parties.
This is a fundamentally wrong premise. Electoral boundaries are drawn so that the electorate is best served by their MPs. This process is meant to serve the interests of Singaporeans and not the interests of political parties.
Sir, the process of delineating electoral boundaries is well known and has been discussed in this House previously on various occasions.
Let me reiterate the key points.
The review is conducted by the EBRC, tapping on the specific expertise of its members, who include qualified senior civil servants with domain knowledge in the technical areas required for boundary delineation. The EBRC works independently and objectively.
Since 1958, the Prime Minister's terms of reference to the EBRC and its predecessors have been published. The recommended delineation is presented to Parliament as a White Paper and this has been so since 1967. All this is on public record.
The delineation of boundaries of electoral divisions comes down to a balance between the population and the geographical size of each electoral division. Over time, with the movement of people and the development of new estates and towns, population densities in different areas will change.
The EBRC reviews the boundaries holistically, by taking into account such population shifts and housing developments while making sure that the boundaries make practical sense. A constituency must be an area that its MP or MPs can effectively represent and serve. At the same time, we strive to have some continuity and minimise the changes that could disrupt existing communities. The EBRC's work is data driven. It is centred on the interests of voters and not the interests of political parties or candidates.
The Government also gives reasonable notice of boundary changes. The past few GEs were called some one to three months after the release of EBRC's report. And as we have said before, we will seek to have sufficient time between the release of EBRC's report and the dissolution of Parliament, so that all political parties and candidates can make the necessary preparations.
To answer Ms Poa's question, the Prime Minister has not convened the EBRC. ELD has been responding to Parliamentary and media queries on whether the Prime Minister has convened the EBRC for the coming GE. It will continue with this practice and will inform the public when the EBRC is convened.
I will now address some other points raised by Ms Hazel Poa, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Mr Pritam Singh.
Ms Hazel Poa and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim have spoken about \"suspicions of gerrymandering\" and \"reducing the potential for gerrymandering\" and used the word \"gerrymandering\" quite a few times. Let me address this directly.
First, let me touch on the EBRC's process and composition, which has allowed the committee to do its job independently and objectively.
First, the EBRC does not have access to voting information and hence, does not make its recommendations based on voting patterns. The EBRC does not consult the PAP or any other political party. Party politics do not come into this exercise. The EBRC comprises senior civil servants with no party allegiances. Therefore, unlike other countries where political parties are involved in the boundary drawing process, EBRC’s composition and processes are insulated from party politics. Hence, we do not have the horse-trading and gerrymandering that have taken place in other countries. And I must say, if we get all political parties involved, present or future, it will politicise the whole process and not bring us forward, but bring us backwards.
Ms Hazel Poa suggested that the EBRC be chaired by a High Court Judge – and so did Mr Pritam Singh and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim – to enhance the independence of the EBRC. We have thought about this carefully and we have looked at the experiences of other countries, and we do not think that this will resolve the concern about political interference.
Other jurisdictions that have done so continue to face allegations and doubts concerning the independence of their electoral boundary delineation process. Their debate, instead, sinks into questions on who appoints the judge and whether the judge has any political leanings or bias. The judiciary ends up getting drawn into the political debate and the judiciary is politicised. Besides, there are no legal issues in the EBRC's work which require a judicial officer to weigh in. What is required is political neutrality, integrity and objectivity, which I trust all my Public Service officers have, whether they are in the EBRC or not, for them to discharge their duties without fear and favour.
Second, let us look at Singapore's context. The term \"gerrymander\" is almost as old as electoral politics. It originated in the US more than 200 years ago, in 1812. Such allegations still persist, including in mature democracies, but the circumstances in Singapore are very different and should cause us to pause and ask ourselves, if indeed such \"suspicions\" and the \"potential\" of gerrymandering, as said, really exist and are possible. Let me explain.
In other countries, gerrymandering happens when political parties manipulate boundaries to favour their supporters in specific areas. This could be voters in urban or rural areas, or in specific ethnic enclaves. The political parties assume that these voters, whom they consider their base, largely remain in the same areas, and therefore can have greater influence in the election outcomes.
But in Singapore, every electoral division is more or less a microcosm of our nation. This is a result of our urban planning, where we do not want to have racial or religious enclaves in Singapore, nor do we have a rural-urban divide. Our voter base is also fluid. The voters in a given area are not always the same in every election, because they move around the whole island. For those Members who have studied our electoral data, you would know. Some 200,000 electors change their residential addresses annually.
Then there are many new first-time voters every electoral cycle. Taken together, these two factors alone will add to a not insignificant churn of the respective constituencies' electoral roll, which calls into question any suggestion of the efficacy of attempts at gerrymandering. Maybe I should put this in context: 200,000 electors every year and our electoral roll is about 2.7 million.
I should also point out that changes to the electoral boundaries have a greater impact on the incumbent parties and their MPs, given the substantial investment of time and effort by the MPs and their volunteers to engage and serve the residents, only to see them subsequently reassigned to another electoral division due to electoral boundary changes. Members may want to speak to Mr Sitoh Yih Pin on this after the debate.
Taking a step back, what we have heard from Ms Poa and others, and what they are really saying when she raises the point about gerrymandering comes down to this: we almost won this constituency, we think we can take it the next time, so do not touch it because we want to try again.
Paradoxically, if indeed the EBRC really takes these political considerations into account, then this would certainly qualify as gerrymandering.
Let me now address Ms Poa's and other speakers' points about explaining boundary changes. Sir, at the end of the day, any boundary change is the result of the EBRC applying the principles and considerations that I have set out. Those principles and considerations are not different from what has been articulated in this House in the past.
We know and all of us want more explanations from the EBRC. But we also have to strike a practical balance, so that our public officers are given the space to do their work independently and objectively, without fear or favour. That they should be allowed to provide recommendations without the fear that every change to the electoral boundaries will be politicised, if viewed unfavourably by certain political parties or individuals, no matter how minor those recommendations may be.
Sir, there is no secret formula. And frankly, I do not think any amount of explanation is going to satisfy any political party, be they incumbent or opposition, and they may be unhappy with the boundary changes.
They are unhappy not because of the process but because of the outcome – they think they have lost out, that the map disadvantages them politically. And there is nothing that the EBRC can say about its process that will satisfy any political party because, as I have said, the EBRC does not take political interests into account.
Indeed, when the EBRC reviews the boundaries, it does so holistically – not only to take into account population shifts as mentioned, but also to balance the need for some continuity in community formation, as well as the objective of allowing the elected MP to serve the constituencies effectively. This is an established process, which has worked and served us well. Setting some fixed formula for the review or involving other persons who do not have the relevant expertise and knowledge to do the work, as suggested by Ms Hazel Poa, may instead undermine the effectiveness of the EBRC in carrying out its work. And the most important point is that, the involvement of political parties will also certainly politicise the process. And I think it will bring us backwards.
Ms Poa spoke about the need for the electors' votes to carry the same weight; she also suggested narrowing the range of voters per MP, and she cited the UK and Australia as examples. Mr Speaker, Sir, we are certainly for learning from others. However, we must try to learn the right lessons in context. We must also present the comparison and lessons from other countries holistically and responsibly.
For context, while the UK and Australia examples may suggest a smaller margin of deviation per constituency, what Ms Poa should also highlight is that their number of electors per MP is two to three times that of ours. Applying the same margin of deviation to a smaller base will certainly lead to more frequent and more drastic change to boundaries, because of our high rate of movement and change of addresses within a small city-state. This may be the exact opposite of what Ms Poa may desire.
Since 1980, we have a planning norm of plus or minus 30% variation in the average number of electors per MP. In our context, because population shifts between general elections can be quite significant, as I have illustrated, lowering the planning norm would likely require more extensive and more disruptive redrawing of boundaries.
A lower variation in the elector to MP ratio between constituencies is also not the only or overriding consideration. We can probably lower the percentage variation if we only have a few super constituencies with much larger populations. But again, I do not think that is what Ms Poa is suggesting, nor do we think that it is a good outcome necessarily, because in absolute terms, voters would be served by fewer MPs.
An advantage of Singapore being a small country with a small population is that we can have much smaller constituencies, both in terms of population and area, which makes for a stronger connection between MPs and the area and voters that they serve.
Smaller constituency populations in absolute terms do mean that the percentage variation can be larger and we have to strive for a balance between the two that suits our context, rather than pursue one at the expense of the other.
On the weight of each vote, we have also studied the systems in other countries very carefully. No electoral system in the world can definitively claim that every vote is exactly the same or near equal. Even in established democracies today, we still have endless debates if the weight of every vote is the same.
For example, in the elections now ongoing, there are places which ask \"why are smaller states having the same number of senators or representatives as bigger states?\" Does that not mean that their votes are not of equal weightage?
On Ms Poa's suggestion for major and minor boundaries, we have also studied it and we are not sure that it will resolve the fundamental issue when boundaries change. Unlike big countries, with different states and provinces, we are a city-state with high mobility of our residents in every electoral cycle. To have \"major boundaries\" that cannot be changed and are immune to population shifts may not work out in Singapore. Then there will be the question of who and how should we delineate what constitutes major and minor boundaries? And we are back to square one.
At the end of the day, what counts is the candidates that the party puts forth, and whether they are able to win the hearts and minds of Singaporeans to get elected into Parliament. At the GE2020, the formation of the new Sengkang GRC did not prevent the WP from winning that GRC, and that is why Assoc Prof Jamus Lim is here today.
It is not for me to tell parties and candidates how they should win the hearts and minds of our electorate. As Members have said, Singaporeans are wise people. They will know who has put in their hearts, day in day out, to serve them and I am sure they will cast their votes accordingly.
Sir, no system is static, but our system has worked reasonably well. According to the Spring 2024 Global Attitudes Survey by the Pew Research Center, more than three-quarters of the Singaporeans interviewed were satisfied with the way democracy is working in Singapore and Singapore ranked first within the Asia Pacific region in terms of level of satisfaction with our practice of democracy. As the survey findings show, we have a trusted electoral system that allows the electorate to vote freely for MPs who do their best in looking after their constituent's interests, representing them in Parliament and forming a government to run the country responsively and responsibly.
To keep our electoral system working well, it must continue to be based on what is best for Singapore and Singaporeans. Our system will continue to evolve, but we should not be changing the system, whether is it the electoral boundary review process or some other aspect, for the convenience or advantage of individual political parties. And when we study other people's system, we should also look at the system in entirety, rather than to pick and choose certain aspects that may or may not be able to be applied in context to ours, while neglecting other aspects in their systems as well.
All political parties should not expect to keep or win seats because the boundaries are drawn one way or the other. Singaporeans are discerning voters. And so, I urge all candidates to fight an election on substance. Earn the trust of the electorate with concrete actions. Focus on how to serve the voters and gain their trust, wherever you choose to stand, rather than thinking about excuses for not being able to do so. Our electoral boundary review system is generally functioning well and seeks to ensure that voters distributed across Singapore are represented in Parliament in as fair a way as possible.
Sir, the test of any electoral system is not its theoretical merits, but whether in practice it has worked for the country. In other words, whether it has enabled the electorate to elect governments whom they trust and who serve them well. By those two tests, our system is reasonably good. Trust levels in Singapore, including in Government, are high and even the opposition and many opposition voters will concede that the PAP governments have served Singaporeans well and to the best of our ability.
However, intentionally or unintentionally, this Motion sows distrust and disaffection. This is disastrous for our political system and for Singaporeans. Low trust countries are stuck in a vicious cycle, where the Government cannot do things that are urgent and necessary because the population does not trust them, and therefore they fail and the population’s trust in their leaders and system is further diminished, and we are on a downwards spiral.
Sir, our electoral boundary review process is fair and transparent. Elections remain clean and fair. The Government will oppose the Motion given its false premises and suggestions that the electoral boundary review process, and our public officers who serve on it, have not been transparent or fair. But we assure everyone that we will continue to evolve our electoral processes to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans first and foremost. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Speaker. When I sat there, listening to the long speech made by the Minister, I cannot help feeling that while we are here to say that there are some reasons to believe that the system is being politicised by the PAP, he in turn says that we are trying to politicise the whole system.
But I think he has not answered the questions that we have raised or the doubts that we have raised. Why our electoral system or electoral boundary drawing has given rise to a number of phenomena or a number of things that we think is not normal? We will only be convinced unless the Minister can explain why these things had happened.
So, to reiterate what my colleague Hazel Poa, the Leader of the Opposition and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim have probably also raised; but I hope to raise a few questions and if the Minister can answer convincingly why this is so, then he will have a stronger case to say that we are politicising this whole debate.
Firstly, if he says that there is no gerrymandering, I think we have to look at all these examples. Can he explain why if there is no gerrymandering, then why are our constituency borders, the shape of our constituencies, some of them are very odd-shaped?
Even the Minister agrees that it is better to have a more compact shape because the residents in the same areas should have a better environment to mix with one another. And, of course, from an economics perspective, to maintain a constituency that is more compact, it is far more economical.
So, why are some of our constituencies so odd-shaped? Like the constituency that I am living in, Braddell Heights, Mr Speaker's constituency. Why is Braddell Heights under Marine Parade GRC, miles away?
My second question: the Minister also mentioned that the shape of a constituency or the current area of a constituency may be due to the urban planning that we have been doing. Yes, if that is the case, like what my colleague and other speakers have pointed out just now, why then is one HDB town divided, sub-divided amongst so many constituencies? We would expect that if the urban planning is being done properly, then one HDB town will more or less be inside one constituency. That is the second question I wanted to ask the Minister.
And third, if there is no gerrymandering, then why have so many Singaporeans, although they have lived in the same place all their lives, experienced more than two times changing of constituencies. Why is that so?
And fourth, what explains the disappearing of the SMCs, whereby the oppositions have done fairly well in an election?
And lastly, if there is no gerrymandering and no other political intention, then whenever there is a huge increase in population in one place, leading to a decline in the weightage of one vote, that means the discrepancy of the vote, we can actually address it quite speedily. Why is that not addressed? Instead, our EBRC guidelines have been increased over the years – from 20% to 30%. Why is there a need to do that?
So, these are the questions, Sir. If the Minister can answer them convincingly, then I think we can carry on with this debate and in more good faith.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, I thought this was a Motion by the PSP Members. I thought we should be seeking clarifications from you. I will just make three points.
First, Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not the EBRC. Today, we are here to talk about the process and whether the process is right. We are not here to debate the decisions or recommendations of EBRC. And I am certainly not the EBRC. If you are trying to get me to explain on behalf of the EBRC, then I think you are trying to get me to say that I have some influence, direction or control over the EBRC. Unfortunately, to disappoint you, I am not the EBRC.
Today, the Motion is about the process and whether the process should stay apolitical, to be run by the Public Service officers or do we want to go back in time and, like in other countries, where our process goes into a horse-trading between different political parties. And even if we do that, what about new political parties that are formed? Everyone will have a view on what they should and should not do, how the EBRC should or should not move or change the boundary.
So, that is my first point. Let us get back to the Motion. Today, we are not here to explain what the EBRC does. I am not the EBRC. We are here to talk about the review process.
My second point, as I have explained very carefully to Ms Hazel Poa's suggestions, if we adopt and do exactly what you all have recommended, we should expect even more and more drastic boundary changes. You can work it out mathematically and I am sure Ms Hazel Poa will agree.
Number three, you mentioned and you cited some examples of some people having to shift constituency although they stay in the same house. That will always happen regardless of which system because when boundaries change, there will be some shifts.
The question is, how many, how much. And by your recommendations and your system, it will be much more and many more.
Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Sir, I should clarify that there are in fact two forms of gerrymandering – intentional and unintentional. Minister Chan assured this House that there is in fact no intentional gerrymandering as pursued by the EBRC.
Even if we accept this position, it does not exclude the very real possibility that natural movements in the electorate – 200,000 in fact, as Minister Chan just shared – might inadvertently give rise to an unintentional gerrymandered outcome.
That is why I suggested introducing scientifically supported tools to produce benchmark maps as reference.
So, my question is, what objections does the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) have to instructing the EBRC to adopt this approach in Singapore, given how it has been applied not just in theory but in practice by jurisdictions elsewhere?
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, in response, may I make the following points.
First point, I am not sure I am an expert to distinguish what you refer to as \"intentional\" versus \"unintentional\". As I have mentioned in my speech, no system can ever claim that it is perfect nor will satisfy everyone who may choose to contest in an election. The question is: what is the purpose of the EBRC and whom must it serve? The fundamental question before us today is this: should the EBRC serve the interests of political parties or should the EBRC serve the interests of our people? Should the EBRC, as its primary goal, serve the political interests of different parties or should the primary goal of the EBRC be to serve the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans?
And what are the goals of Singapore and Singaporeans? First, have an MP that can take care of them. Second, have an MP that can represent them. Third, have a Parliament that can form a functioning government that can take Singapore forward and look after Singapore and Singaporeans.
So, I will not go into whether it is intentional, unintentional because I cannot understand your definition of and distinction between those.
But I want to reiterate one point. We do not give the EBRC and the EBRC has no access to the polling results. We have no idea what the polling results or the voting pattern of the 200,000 people who have moved; neither do we have data on how the new electors in every election cycle will vote. Our goal is to make sure that every division is roughly a microcosm of Singapore so that when an election is conducted, people consider the national interest so that we do not have sectoral interests that define a particular division like other countries.
We are open to all kinds of tools, as suggested by Assoc Prof Jamus Lim. But actually, it is quite interesting. Some of the ideas that the Member has mentioned and I listened carefully, but one of the Member's suggestions is quite interesting. I think, fundamentally, the Member would agree with us but he may also not like the result and it is this: that every electoral division should be a microcosm of Singapore.
The Member said that we should actually use mathematical models to adjust the population so that they reflect the national pattern. First of all, if we use people's voting preference to adjust the model, would the Member not agree with us that that is precisely gerrymandering? Second, if we indeed do that and every division is exactly the same, then every division should give the vote share to the incumbent that is roughly the same. Is that the outcome that we are striving for?
So, I think, have a care on how and what we learn from others and how we use models. We are open to exploring all kinds of models. But at the end of the day, is fairness defined by the process or is fairness determined by the outcome as to whether it is favourable to me or not? That is the question that we have to think about. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Just a quick clarification on my part. What I did say, in fact, was a suggestion about adjusting by mathematical methods the bounds, which is the shape of these electoral boundaries. It is, in fact, uninformed by actual voting preferences which, as Minister Chan said, the EBRC has no access to.
Mr Speaker: Minister, do you need to respond to that? No? Okay. Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: Mr Speaker, just two clarifications for the Minister. Before that, just a point for the record. I disagree with the Minister that the Motion, as filed by PSP, sows distrust. If we do not discuss this issue in Parliament in a civil way, where do we do it?
My two clarifications are as follows. I note that the Minister made a point about the presence of the term \"political party\" in the Motion and took issue with it at a few junctures in the course of his interventions and in the course of his speech.
I would like to refer the Minister to a reply in 1983 by Mr Lee Kuan Yew again. When asked by Mr JB Jeyaretnam whether there were plans to increase the number of electoral constituencies to Parliament and, if such, whether a committee had been set up and so on and so forth, the usual questions that we get, in view of the current system. Mr Lee Kuan Yew replied as follows: \"As there have been population shifts away from the old centres of populations into the new towns, my office will appoint an Electoral Boundaries Delineation Committee consisting of civil servants. Their report will be presented to this House. On previous occasions in 1967, 1971, 1976 and 1980, no political party served on the Committee. Until there is a credible opposition party, this will continue to be the practice.\"
Sir, I raise this to understand from the Minister whether the Minister's comments today are a significant point of departure in terms of the prospect of political parties ever serving on such an EBRC. If it is, then we can have it on the record.
A second clarification which I think we ought to have on the record is the question of gerrymandering. The Minister, in his speech, was very careful to phrase it in a particular way. He said if – and correct me if I am wrong and if I am misquoting the Minister – the Minister said that if the EBRC takes notice or takes note of the close electoral contest in the previous elections in its work and it takes it into account, that would be gerrymandering. Can I ask the Minister a simple question? Is there gerrymandering in Singapore?
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, I will just say two things in response to the comments.
First, I think I have explained very clearly in my speech why we have kept the process as it is now, so that the civil servants who are not politically affiliated take charge of this process rather than have political parties getting involved and ending up, like in other countries, where there is horse-trading on how the boundaries are to be drawn.
If you ask me, personally, I trust my civil servants to do their job objectively, professionally. If you ask me, personally, I think they have served us well. I cannot say what future governments may do. I do not even know who may form the future governments. And if a future government with a future Prime Minister thinks otherwise, then he explains to the House why they do so.
We can quote selectively from our previous Prime Ministers, previous MPs, but we have always prided ourselves as a system that we are very practical people. We look at the issue at hand, see the needs of the country at its point in time and ask ourselves how do we evolve our system to keep pace with the needs of the time.
We have never let the past shackle us in thinking of new ideas, coming up with new processes that fit the needs of our time. And I think that must be the spirit for us to keep progressing. Even in established democracies today, they have so-called rules that they so-called stick to across time. They soon find themselves in trouble because those rules are not adequate to meet the needs of the time. I do not need to name any country. There are many examples across the world for us to take a look at now.
On the second point, I think I have explained the meaning of gerrymandering, what it means in other countries and whether it applies or not applies in our context. I will leave it to Members of the House and the public to decide.
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: Sir, I would like to make one point, that the Minister did not really answer the questions that I have asked. But okay, I just take it as that. But he is pointing out that today's debate is about the process. I think it is not just about the process. It is about whether the current system is the most desirable system for the development of a fairer electoral system in Singapore.
So, I cannot imagine a situation where us, especially the Prime Minister who appoints the EBRC and also including all of us, we would accept a process that leads to an outcome that we find that is not desirable and that desirability is not measured by political considerations like, for example, whether it is good for the opposition or good for the ruling party.
But we can use certain parameters, like what Assoc Prof Jamus Lim has said. We can use certain parameters like, for example, we should stipulate to EBRC that, preferably, we want the constituency to be a compact —
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong, you should not make another speech. You can ask your clarifications directly to Minister Chan.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: Yes. So, we can give a parameter to the EBRC that we want the constituency to be more compact. Given that, does the Minister agree that it is not just about the process that we are arguing today? It is about the outcome and this outcome does not necessarily be a political outcome that we are aiming for. We are talking about a more rational boundary drawing in Singapore.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, I will just make one comment in response. I am glad that Mr Leong says that we are here to talk about the process and not the outcome. Maybe Mr Leong can clarify what does outcome mean. Is outcome the boundaries or is outcome whether a certain party, a certain candidate, wins or loses?
If the outcome that we are desiring is a set of boundaries that the public servants who have done their work professionally and objectively come up with to the best of their ability, then, that is the outcome. If the outcome is about whether a certain party wins or loses, then I am sorry to say that my public officers should not be made responsible for such an outcome. Is the EBRC responsible for WP winning Sengkang GRC in the last GE? Do we pin that outcome on the EBRC? No, certainly not. The EBRC's outcome is a set of boundaries, Sengkang Town. Ultimately, Sengkang voters choose who they want to represent them.
But, Sir, if I may just move one step back, as I have to reiterate this point. The mark of success for any political system is not what rules it has. That is part of it. The mark of success of how we evaluate a political system is whether it is fit for purpose, it commands the trust and respect of its people so that the country can progress together. Very often, perhaps in this Chamber, we are all very seized with who wins, who loses.
At the end of the day, it must be Singapore and Singaporeans who win. It must be that we have a functioning Parliament that can produce good governance in service of our people and nation. And it is on that note and that is the real outcome that we are looking for. The outcome is not whether your party wins or my party wins. It is whether Singapore wins.
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong, this should be a clarification. Thank you.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: Sir, I think the Minister keeps saying that we are aiming for a political outcome. Can I ask the Minister did we propose anything that is targeted at aiming for a particular political outcome? We did not propose any of that and we do not know what will be the political outcome because it all depends on the electorate.
But we have proposed concrete ideas as to why we think the electoral boundaries should be drawn with more objective parameters and I pointed out one just now to you, whether we can give the parameter to the EBRC that we want more compact constituencies?
So, I want the Minister to confirm whether we actually aim for a political outcome in our debate today or did we actually put up ideas to say that we are asking for a more objective way of drawing the boundaries?
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong, maybe you should also respond to the Minister's questions to you, so that we can progress and come to a finality on the debate.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: May I ask the Minister what were the questions that were posed to me? Did he say a process or an outcome?
Mr Speaker: I think he mentioned about your definition of an outcome.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: Sir, I have already said, the outcome is a more objective way of drawing our boundaries, with certain parameters, not necessarily politically motivated. We do not know what the political results will be, but definitely, we would like to see, for example, our constituencies being more compact, where the residents of one constituency are living closer to one another. Like now, I live in Braddell Heights, I do not know my fellow constituents in the far end of the other part of Marine Parade, for example.
We can go on and on. I am sure we can provide more parameters, but just answer me. This parameter is what I mean by the outcome that we are aiming for.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think we are going round and round in circles. I am thoroughly confused now, as to whether the Member is suggesting that the Prime Minister give more specific instructions to the EBRC or the Member would like the Prime Minister to allow the EBRC to do its work objectively, with some basic instructions.
Because it sounds like, now, we have to have the Prime Minister tell the EBRC the definition of compactness. It sounds like we want the Prime Minister to give the EBRC even more specific instructions. I am sure, if the Prime Minister does that, the Prime Minister will be accused of interfering unnecessarily in the process of the EBRC.
So, I think the Prime Minister will do what he needs to do to give the broad outlines and guidelines to the EBRC. We will leave the EBRC to do their work, professionally and objectively. Sometimes, the more we interfere, the more we fall into this trap to make it a politically-motivated process.
If Mr Leong Mun Wai says that they are not concerned about the political outcome, we thank them. And we also thank them for allowing the EBRC to do their work professionally and objectively.
Mr Speaker: Mr Raj Thomas.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Thank you, Sir, I thought that I would let the elected Members have their go on the Motion first before I offered a non-partisan view, because they actually have skin in the game.
Sir, I think the underlying assumption of this Motion is that, all voters in a particular geographical area would vote a particular way across the elections. But, based on what Minister Chan had said, that is, that more than 200,000 persons change address every year, I think that diminishes that underlying assumption.
Mr Speaker, this is also not borne out by an Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) survey, which was updated in June 2024, the Post-Election Survey on the 2020 elections. In that survey, Sir, it was found that the number of swing voters had increased tremendously from 37.8% in 2015 to 59.2% in 2020. More than half of the voters. Swing voters were defined as voters who gave an eclectic mix of views of having somewhat conservative views and somewhat pluralist views.
The number of pluralists went up as well. These were people who agreed that there was a need for change in the electoral system, checks and balances, and different voices in Parliament. That number went up by 18% to 22.4%. The only group that went down was the conservative voters. The conservative voters were those who disagreed that there is a need for change in the electoral system, checks and balances, and different voices. They went down from 44.3% in 2015 to only 18.5% in 2020.
That shows that the voting patterns are unlikely to remain the same, whether is it geographical location or across the entire electorate.
So, Sir, as a lawyer, I listen to many of the arguments that were made by Ms Hazel Poa and, very eloquently, by the Leader of the Opposition, where he had suggested that there be a commission or a committee which was independent because there is a judge that could chair it. I think if we look at civil servants and the neutrality of civil servants, I am compelled to agree, to a large extent, with what Minister Chan Chun Sing had said.
I would also venture to suggest that, in fact, if the EBRC were to determine and, I am talking about the electoral climate right now; if the EBRC were to determine the new boundaries based on political considerations, Singaporeans will not be blind to this.
Looking at the IPS survey and how there has been a shift towards looking at fairness, towards looking at more equity in the political system, I would say, ultimately, Sir, aside from all these theoretical debates, why not we just leave it to Singaporeans to decide? Because if it was overtly political, if there was overt gerrymandering, Singaporeans would see it and they would react accordingly at the ballot. So, I think, perhaps, that is the best test of whether the current system is a good system and whether we should continue with it.
Mr Speaker: Ms Hazel Poa, would you like to give your wrap-up speech?
Ms Hazel Poa: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the WP for their support of our Motion and for sharing their proposals for greater transparency, fairness and impartiality. I would also like to thank the Minister for clarifying that the EBRC has not yet been convened and that when it is, announcements will be made.
Let me now address the points made by the Minister during the debate.
The Minister has said that the EBRC does not make its recommendations or boundary changes based on election results. I welcome that assurance and hope that he will accept our proposal that this be made explicitly clear in the electoral boundaries report.
Secondly, he mentioned that the EBRC actually does not have access to the election results. I would just like to mention that we have given examples of how SMCs whereby opposition did better, tend to have a higher chance of disappearing. The fact is that the SMC results is open knowledge to everyone. So, naturally, the EBRC would know. Just pointing out that fact.
The Minister has also said that, it is not possible for voting weightage to be exactly the same. I would just like to clarify that we are not asking for it to be exactly the same but just to narrow down the range of variation.
He also mentioned that, the major and minor boundaries model would not work due to high mobility of voters and that our proposal would become immune to population shifts. I would disagree that it is immune to population shift. In fact, I have made it a point to illustrate how that model can accommodate population shifts.
Secondly, he also mentioned that narrowing the range of voters per MP will lead to more frequent changes of the boundaries because of so many voters changing addresses every year.
Firstly, I would like to point out that when one family moves out, another family moves in. Yes, you will have shifts, but it is not quite as drastic as the Minister made it appear. It is more dependent on the number of housing units within a particular boundary, rather than how many people are shifting house each year.
Secondly, no doubt narrowing the range will lead to more frequent changes to boundaries, but as with much of policy-making, a fine balance must be struck between two different priorities. We believe that this range of plus or minus 10%, as it has been implemented in other countries, should be doable and will not result in too frequent changes. Moreover, our proposal has the establishment of the major boundaries, which will not change from election to election, so, further providing stability.
The Minister declared that our current system is fair and transparent. But he has not given any explanation to explain why is it that the statistics that we have mentioned, about the SMCs where the opposition did better, have a higher chance of disappearing. So, that raises doubts on the fairness. Secondly, how can it be transparent when the EBRC report does not bother to explain the changes?
If there are cogent reasons for changes in boundaries, this should be made known to all Singaporeans for transparency and accountability. It would simply be a matter of recording on paper, what the Committee had discussed and agreed to. If we look overseas, the most recent report for the review of parliamentary constituency boundaries in England went into detail explaining the reasoning behind how constituencies were derived and how certain geographic features, such as the River Thames or expressways, were used as boundaries.
It is up to the Prime Minister to decide on the terms of reference provided to the EBRC and it is up to him to set the standards that he expects of the EBRC, in terms of transparency and accountability.
The Minister also said that the EBRC should be left to do its work independently, without fear of public pressure. We do not agree that requiring transparency from the EBRC in the form of clearer and more detailed reports would affect the functions of the EBRC. Judges provide reasons for their decisions in detailed judgments available to the public. This has not affected their ability to work independently.
The Minister has also, in several instances, implied that we are doing this for personal interests. As I recall, when I did the Motion on GRC, calling for GRCs to be abolished, he remarked that I am arguing against something that benefited me because I rode on the coattails of Dr Tan Cheng Bock. At that time, my reply to him was that, it is not a matter of whether I benefited, it is whether this system is best for Singapore.
Again, I would like to reiterate that now he is querying me for arguing for something that will be for my benefit. It seems that either way, I will not meet with his approval. So, again, I just want to say, let us not focus on personal interests. Let us discuss and debate based on the merits of the issues here and do not go after the person making these proposals.
The Minister attributed that what we wanted is that in the constituencies where we have done well, to not change it because we want to go back there again. I would like to ask the Minister to state specifically where in our speeches did we ask for our constituencies to be unchanged. In our proposal, we are merely asking for major boundaries based on guidance from HDB town boundaries, URA planning boundaries, which, in fact, if it were implemented, would imply changes, for example, in the West Coast GRC. So, please, do not attribute things to us that we did not ask for.
He also said that if he were to do that – to not change a constituency so that the opposition can go back again – then that would be gerrymandering. I would like to point out that the definition of gerrymandering is to change boundaries. To ask for not changing it, cannot be gerrymandering.
Finally, the Minister took issue with the words in the Motion statement \"for political parties\" and concluded that therefore, this Motion is all for the benefit of political parties and not for Singapore. I wish to point out that that would be focusing on semantics. What we are arguing for in this Motion is for fairness, transparency and accountability. It is very important to assure that there is fair competition in the political arena because this can only give Singapore a healthier democracy and that is definitely in the national interest.
Sir, in closing, I believe that PSP's proposal is balanced and considered, and will enhance the transparency and accountability of the electoral boundaries review process. It will make the process fairer for all political parties.
Much of the electorate has grown accustomed to the changes of the boundaries without much justification and explanations. When conducting house visits, we often hear residents joke to us about how they kept moving constituencies in consecutive GEs without physically moving house, but underlying the joke is disagreement.
As society develops, our expectations change. Fairness and good governance are gaining greater importance. As a small nation, we are keenly aware of the importance of fair and just approaches when it comes to competition in the international arena. As a country, we believe in upholding meritocracy and fair competition is an important pillar to upholding meritocracy. It also pushes all of us to be better than we thought we can be. In this same spirit, we can see our Olympians bringing out the best versions of themselves in Paris.
As Singapore enters a new chapter with the appointment of a new Prime Minister, let us renew our push for values that are important to us. And fairness in GE starts with the boundary review process. I call on all hon Members to support the Motion. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Are there any clarifications for Ms Poa? I do not see any.
The question is, \"That this House calls on the Government to review the process by which electoral boundaries are determined in order to increase the transparency and fairness of the electoral boundary review process for all political parties.\" As many are —
Yes, Ms Poa?
Ms Hazel Poa: I wish to call for a division, please.
Mr Speaker: I have not reached that stage yet. Hang on. And the Leader of the Opposition, you had the same point? Okay. Let the process go on. Let me repeat.
The question is, \"That this House calls on the Government to review the process by which electoral boundaries are determined in order to increase the transparency and fairness of the electoral boundary review process for all political parties.\" As many as are of that opinion say \"Aye\".
[(proc text) Some hon Members say \"Aye\". (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: To the contrary say \"No\".
[(proc text) Hon Members say \"No\". (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: I think the Noes have it. The Noes have it. Any Member wishes for his dissent or abstention to be recorded before I declare the result?
Ms Hazel Poa: Do I ask for the division now?
Mr Speaker: Sure, now you can ask for the division. So, you have to ask.
Ms Hazel Poa: Can I call for a division?
Mr Speaker: You can still continue to ask for the division, but would the Member wish for hers and other Members' dissent to be recorded? It is the same outcome.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sorry, Speaker. Just to move things along, dissent would be the PAP's dissent. So, that is why the Member is calling for division.
Mr Speaker: No, we will get to the same point here. So, all Members who support the division, please rise in your place.
[(proc text) More than five hon Members rose. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Okay, you can sit down. Clerk, ring the division bells.
[(proc text) After two minutes – (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Serjeant-at-Arms, lock the doors.
The question is that, \"That this House calls on the Government to review the process by which electoral boundaries are determined in order to increase the transparency and fairness of the electoral boundary review process for all political parties.\"
Mr Speaker: Ms Poa, you have claimed a division. Would you like to proceed with the division?
Ms Hazel Poa: Yes.
Mr Speaker: Clerk, proceed with the division. Before I proceed to start the electronic voting, may I remind Members that they are to be seated at their designated seats and should only start to vote when the voting buttons on the armrest start to blink.
Alright, Members may begin to vote.
Members are advised to check that their names are registered according to their vote indication when the electronic voting results are shown on the display screens.
The Clerks will now tally the votes from the electronic voting.
Mr Speaker: Before I proceed to declare the results of the vote, are there any Members who wish to claim that their vote has not been recorded correctly?
I do not see any. I will proceed to declare the voting results now. There are 10 \"Ayes\", \"76 Noes\", no \"Abstentions\". The \"Noes\" have it.
[(proc text) Question, \"That this House calls on the Government to review the process by which electoral boundaries are determined in order to increase the transparency and fairness of the electoral boundary review process for all political parties\", put and negatived. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Leader of the House.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, \"That at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to a date to be fixed.\"
Mr Speaker: The question is, “That at its rising today, Parliament do stand —\". Yes, Ms He.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a quick clarification. During yesterday's Question Time, I quoted a December 2023 Zero One report, which stated that incomes reported —
Ms Indranee Rajah: Ms He, I am sorry to interrupt. I believe the procedure has not been completed. The Member may wish to take a seat for the procedure to move the Adjournment Motion to begin.
Ms He Ting Ru: No, I wanted to make the clarification before adjournment. Oh, sorry.
Mr Speaker: Ms He, you want to make a clarification on something that is related to a Sitting?
Ms He Ting Ru: Yes, that is right.
Mr Speaker: You can issue an explanation subsequently or you can do it at the next Sitting.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Sir, I will attempt to adjourn Parliament again.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to a date to be fixed.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah].(proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Art Education: Cultivating Creativity in Classrooms and Communities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Ms Usha Chandradas.
Ms Usha Chandradas (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity today to address this House.
I would like to speak today on arts education and its value in our society. Arts education, as we know, takes place both in schools, as well as in the public domain and I will be covering both in my speech today.
Many of us may not be very inclined to see a career in the arts as something that is lucrative, or the doing of \"creative things\" as \"useful\" or \"prestigious\". There are other \"more pressing\" national priorities, more \"bread-and-butter\" issues, which deserve our attention. Certainly, whenever I speak in this House about the arts, the online commentators seem to agree and I often get comments to say: \"Why does this Member always want to speak about the arts? Can she not talk about more bread-and-butter issues?\"
Mr Speaker, I would go so far as to say that developing a creative citizenry is a bread-and-butter issue. Outdated societal views that the arts and creativity are \"less important\" are changing. In a recent press release, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has noted that our students believed that it was possible to be creative in different disciplines. About three quarters or 73% recognised that creativity was not limited just to the arts. There are also potentially positive effects on Singapore's economy.
According to Singapore's 2023/2024 Skills Demand for the Future Economy Report, creative thinking and the ability to generate new and innovative ideas ranks as one of the skills that has consistently been in the top 10 list in 2012, 2017 and 2022 . It is one of the top five critical core skills that has been identified as \"essential for the Singapore workforce to be competitive globally.\"
Countries all over the world are also struggling to deal with developments in artificial intelligence and with societal polarisation across racial, religious and socio-economic fault lines. Solutions to these problems as well, will have to be devised not just book-smarts, but with creativity and empathy too.
So, how do we go about \"developing\" this creativity? That is where a robust arts education comes into play. The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Framework for Culture and Arts Education recognises that culture and arts play a vital role in the flourishing of human imagination, creativity and self-expression.
A large component of arts education is, of course, the education that we receive through our schools. My first suggestion for MOE is to add more exposure to theatre and drama education, in our present primary school curriculum. In many developed countries, drama is an integral part of the national school curriculum.
In engaging with drama educators and the Singapore Drama Educators Association, I have learnt that there are many positive social effects that come out of using drama as a medium of education. Role-play and other process-driven drama techniques can help pupils to identify with and explore characters and issues. They help students to become more confident with language and communication. They also provide opportunities for students to develop and order their ideas, through acting and improvisation of scenes in various settings. These are certainly all skills which are worth developing.
In learning how to articulate their own emotions, students become better communicators and more confident with their use of language to develop and organise their ideas and thoughts. Self-direction, confidence and communication are, of course, all part of the 21st century core competencies which have been identified by MOE itself.
In response to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) that I filed earlier this year, MOE clarified that drama is not part of the primary school curriculum beyond lower primary levels. I am heartened, however, that MOE has acknowledged that drama is an important pedagogical tool that can be adopted to enhance learning.
In the press release by MOE that I referred to earlier, I noted that less than half of our students believe that they can produce good stories or invent new things! A solid drama education may therefore help build on their intrinsic creative abilities, giving them the medium to express themselves well. Hopefully, someday soon, a similar survey will show that our students have faith in their abilities as storytellers and would-be entrepreneurs.
The second suggestion I would like to surface came out of a conversation that I had with Mr Ang Song Ming. Song Ming was the Singapore's representative at the 58th Venice Biennale and he now lives in Berlin in Germany. Song Ming asked why can we not think more of arts education as something to be integrated with the core education syllabus, instead of being thought of primarily as a standalone subject.
We can see this \"interdisciplinary\" nature of the arts in the works of artists like Robert Zhao. Robert is coincidentally Singapore's Venice Biennale representative for this year. In his Venice Biennale work, titled \"Seeing Forest\", Robert looks at \"secondary forests\" in Singapore. So, if you did not know, these are forests which have regrown from land that had previously been cleared due to human intervention. Robert then examines the new ecosystems that have developed within these forests.
Important lessons can be learned from his work on how the island of Singapore has evolved and the ways in which human urban design can shape the natural world. Lessons such as these are universal. They have roots in science, geography and environmental issues and when conveyed in the context of artworks, allow students to imagine and dream of possibilities beyond the confines of academic book-learning. Perhaps, one day we could see Robert's work and research being taught alongside the academic content of a Science or Geography lesson?
To be fair, arts educators tell me this kind of interdisciplinary learning already happens in schools. But I understand that this is largely on an ad hoc basis, for example, when teachers of other academic subjects proactively decide to engage in \"cross-over\" projects with their art-trained colleagues. Today, I would like to advocate for it to take place on a more concerted and systematic basis and this would be in line with the recommendation in the UNESCO framework that I referred to earlier and that framework says that the planning and implementation of culture and arts education should not be something that is siloed.
But more fundamentally – and this brings me to my next point – arts education in schools cannot thrive, if arts educators themselves are feeling unsupported or disillusioned. In the course of speaking to arts educators, members of my research team and I encountered some troubling sentiments. Some of the teachers we spoke to seemed to sense that they were viewed as \"less important\", or somehow lower in the \"pecking order\" of teachers.
Arts teachers have also told us things like how they are sometimes expected, as a matter of course and with very little respect, to execute anything and everything that is \"aesthetic\" in schools. This can range from stage and plant pot arrangements in prize-giving ceremonies, to general embellishments and decorations around the campus. As one teacher told me rather sadly, \"We do not go to art school [just] to get a degree in how to make decorations.\"
All of this put together can result in low morale on the part of arts teachers. Students pick up on this too. If schools and other subject teachers perpetuate the notion that arts subjects are not as important as other subjects, students and parents will get the same impression. Students therefore become less focused and less interested during their classes and this creates a self-fulfilling and damaging cycle where arts lessons are de-prioritised.
One fallacy that arts teachers face is the thinking that because their work somehow involves less marking in the traditional sense, it therefore requires much less effort to convey. What people may not realise is that arts subjects, just like all subjects, involve a large body of technical skills and subject matter expertise. On a day-to-day basis, arts teachers are also often responsible for studio space and equipment. Significant amounts of time may need to be spent accounting for, maintaining and enhancing those spaces.
Of course, this is not a competition as to what kind of teacher has a more difficult time. Let me be clear about this. All teachers, whether arts teachers or non-arts teachers, face heavy teaching responsibilities from grading, lesson planning and pastoral care duties. I am an educator myself and I understand full well the difficulties that all teachers face today. I simply want to point out today that arts teachers face their own unique set of challenges that are sometimes overlooked.
In replying to my PQ filed earlier this year, MOE has clarified that \"the resignation rate of art and music teachers has been comparable to that of the overall teaching workforce, at around 2% to 3% per year over the past five years.\" Nonetheless, I am informed by arts teachers on the ground, that many still feel overworked and feel as though there is a shortage of support in the delivery of arts education.
I have also heard feedback that there can be inconsistency in whether arts teachers are allowed by schools to continue on with their own public-facing arts practices. It can be demoralising for teachers to be told that they cannot continue with developing their own practices, especially if they view their own arts practices as important for their roles as educators. It would be good if consistent, clear and transparent policies are rolled out across the board. It should be clear as to whether, when and to what extent teachers in primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges can continue to maintain their own creative practices.
Teachers I have spoken to have cited the National Arts Council's (NAC's) Artist-In-School Scheme, or AISS, as something which has helped them tremendously. Here, actual working artists come into schools, to help with teaching and curriculum planning. This not only eases some of the burdens on art teachers but also gives students important practical insights into what the interesting and varied life of a working artist can look like.
Many arts educators who have left full-time teaching to pursue other ambitions and dreams continue to have an interest in education. I would like to advocate for an expansion of programmes, such as the AISS, together with better administrative support for teachers seeking to utilise this scheme. At the moment, I understand that it can be quite paperwork-heavy.
I would also like to urge MOE to consider whether more former arts teachers can be engaged to return to teaching on a part-time or ad hoc basis. There is both inspirational value in this for students, as well as potential respite for the overworked and full-time educators in the field.
Finally, I would also like to thank MOE and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) for the introduction of schemes, such as the Performing Arts-Based Learning Scheme (PABL).This scheme gives students the opportunity to experience a bespoke live music performance in a professional arts and cultural venue. Just over the past weekend, I attended a performance by the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra which performed original classical pieces composed in response to different neighbourhoods in Singapore. It was a lovely performance in the lead-up to National Day. There was a piece composed for Geylang Serai, one for Toa Payoh, one for Tiong Bahru and so on. This was accompanied with images of the neighbourhood as the musicians performed. It was a great example of how classical music can be contextualised and made relevant to the public at large, without being over-simplified.
I hope that the PABL will continue and eventually be expanded to include more of such diverse local groups. Presently, I understand the scheme includes a curated list of arts groups but I hope that eventually, it will be opened to more applicants who wish to join the scheme.
Sir, the next part of my speech deals with art in public domain. Outside of the academic school syllabus, our museums, private institutions and arts groups also do important work in arts education in the public domain. In particular, our public artworks are often the first significant points of contact that members of the public have with art.
In this area, there are some low-hanging fruit in terms of additional steps that we can take in improving the educational value of our public art. The primary one I want to focus on is this: better policies on the labelling of our public artworks.
In response to a PQ I filed last year, MCCY informed us that objects from the national collection on loan to non-museum entities. such as the Istana and Ministries, are only \"minimally\" required to \"display a label text showing the title of the object, its artist, if applicable, its donor, if applicable, and a credit line to acknowledge the museum which manages the object on behalf of the National Heritage Board.\"
To this end, I would like to suggest that it be mandatory for more detailed wall text explaining the artworks and objects on display, to be put up together with the works. At the very least, this should be the case when such works are displayed in Government buildings. Ideally, this should be enforced whenever art is displayed publicly. Singaporeans have also recently spoken up on this point. Art historian and academic, Jeffrey Say, for example, has opined in a letter to The Straits Times on 15 July that: \"Proper attribution shows we value the work of the artist and the role of the artwork in the community and in placemaking.\"
Government institutions are places visited by legislators, civil servants and members of the public. If the art and historical objects displayed there are explained to these visitors, these buildings then turn into mini-museums. This has the potential to educate people as they go about their everyday business.
Parliament House itself is an illustrative case in point. How many of us in this Chamber know that the large painting by the late Dr Lai Kui Fang outside the Parliament library, depicts the swearing-in of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his first cabinet in 1959? If we squint very hard, we may see the name of the artist on the bottom of the frame. But do we know that the work was painted entirely based on oral and archival history, because there were no photographic records of the event? The attention to detail in the painting is exquisite. The lines are finely-rendered and the interplay of shadows makes the work look alive. The painting is infused with the sense of energy that one can only imagine would have been in the air, in the founding years of our nation.
How many of us know that some of the busts that line the corridor outside this very Chamber were made by sculptor Dora Gordine, a female artist who has also sculpted local war heroine Elizabeth Choy? Gordine was herself lauded as a \"genius\" in a Straits Times article of 5 August 1932, when her works were acquired for the Singapore Municipal Building. This article, back in 1932, mind you, observed that the acquisition made Singapore an \"art centre of Asia\".
So, we might ask, why is information like this even important? Why do we care about it? Why should we care about it? Well, it offers us another unique and imaginative lens through which we can view our shared history. It helps us to build connections with one another. Visual and emotional stimulation such as this, allows us to develop a shared affective bond about our country. This is something that is not quantifiable in dollars and cents, but it is also something which is absolutely priceless.
Here, I would like to pause to convey my particular thanks to Mr Speaker who, when I raised some of these issues with him, has been very open to receiving feedback about better labelling of the art in this House.
Coming back to other examples of public art: we have Sean Dunston's Samsui Woman mural at South Bridge Road and the Raffles and Wallich statues at Fort Canning Park by Andrew Lacey. These have both recently attracted a good deal of public attention; and I do think they would both benefit from insightful and comprehensive labelling.
When contextualised, the Samsui Woman mural struck a chord with Singaporeans, who felt that the work honestly depicted these women at rest. Singer Inch Chua, herself a descendant of a Samsui woman, commented in a Straits Times article by journalist Shawn Hoo on 20 July, that she loved the mural of the young lady, observing that it was like, seeing her great-grandmother's rebellious teenage photos. To her, this was something that was both eye-opening and delightful.
With the Raffles and Wallich colonial statues at Fort Canning, while I am quite aware that decolonisation as a political movement took place many decades ago, the term \"decolonisation\" is also used today to describe a push to re-examining colonial legacies, particularly, where these colonial legacies tend to gloss over the stories of the indigenous people of those places.
Many museums and institutions all over the world, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in Britain itself, are re-examining their colonial legacies. This does not equate to an erasure of historical facts, nor is it an example of extreme \"woke-ness\" which is blindly imported from the West. It is simply a contextualisation of what was happening in colonial times from different perspectives.
As Straits Times Correspondent Clement Yong observed in his article of 3 July 2024, the legacy of Stamford Raffles is complicated. It includes, amongst others, Raffles' ostensible involvement in the Massacre Of Palembang in 1811. The point of \"decolonisation\", used in this modern sense, is not to gloss over these complications. But to acknowledge them, observe them objectively and critically, and learn from them.
For both Dunston's and Lacey's works, comprehensive wall text, like what we might find in our National Gallery Singapore or Singapore Art Museum's excellent collections, would go a very long way towards educating the public on the complex and varied issues raised by these artworks.
For example, to me, the statues in Fort Canning are not necessarily blindly laudatory of colonial legacies. If Members look at the statues and I encourage everyone to do so if Members have not done so, Members will see that the colonial figures here, are blending into and almost dissolving into the foliage around them. This is an image that any student of art history will be able to tell Members, is open to multiple interpretations. But without labels to guide understanding, the audience is lost. To my mind, better labelling of artworks is a worthwhile endeavour in the quest to achieve better education and awareness of the art in our public spaces.
Mr Speaker, the growth of our creative economy and our economy, in general, is premised on the existence of an inspired, vibrant, educated and creative population. I hope the Government will continue its efforts to prioritise arts education in all forms, whether it is inside the classroom or outside of it.
Mr Speaker: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Shawn Huang.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong): Mr Speaker, I thank Ms Usha Chandradas for highlighting the role of arts education in nurturing creativity.
MOE is committed to developing students holistically, in the moral, intellectual, social, physical and aesthetic dimensions. Arts education is an integral part of holistic education. Through arts education, we aim to nurture learners who appreciate the arts, express themselves creatively, think critically, embrace ambiguity and welcome diverse perspectives.
Over the years, we have strengthened arts education in our schools and higher education institutions, establishing a suite of provisions to cater to students with varying levels of interest and ability. All students up to Secondary 2, receive comprehensive arts education through MOE's centrally designed curriculum. Besides Art and Music lessons, lower primary students have additional exposure to the arts through the Programme for Active Learning (PAL). Those with greater interest in the arts may join arts Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) in their schools. At upper secondary and pre-university, students who are passionate about the arts can pursue them as an elective subject. Some schools offer specialised arts programmes, such as the Art or Music Elective Programme, or the more recently introduced Enhanced Art or Music Programme.
In fact, schools also engage professional performing arts groups and artists to provide exposure to various art forms and cultivate appreciation at the cohort, course and CCA levels. The School of the Arts, established in 2008, provides an alternative pathway for students demonstrating talent and interest in the arts. Beyond the school system, students can choose over 80 publicly funded arts and design related courses across various Institutes of Higher Learning. Furthermore, the University of the Arts Singapore, Singapore's first Government-supported private university of the arts, admits its first cohort this month.
In our international scans, we find that our arts curriculum standards and teaching methods are on par with those of other developed nations. Our arts syllabuses are updated regularly to feature contemporary works, as well as pieces from diverse cultures, including works by local artists and musicians. The wide repertoire serves as a rich tapestry of inspiration for our students and demonstrates to our students that they, too, can be creators in the arts.
Our revised arts curriculum empowers students to go beyond appreciating the works of artists and musicians, to creating and communicating their own ideas. This allows them to be immersed in a diverse range of creative experiences, from activities that foster critical thinking in PAL drama lessons to innovative art and music projects at the primary and lower secondary levels.
For instance, in a primary school art lesson, students are challenged to consider how narratives presented in artworks can be enhanced by accompanying soundscapes. Lower secondary music lessons introduce students to digital tools for recording and performing their compositions, showcasing their artistic voice. The arts CCAs provide platforms for students to present their creative works through exhibitions, concerts, dance performances and theatrical productions.
Ms Chandradas mentioned overcoming siloed approaches in implementation, by encouraging cooperation across institutions. We have, in recent years, forged more partnerships with Government agencies and the arts industry to provide our students with exposure to real-world artistic experiences. In partnership with the National Arts Council (NAC), our Museum-Based Learning and Performing Arts-Based Learning help to bridge classroom learning and real-world artistic practice for our Primary 4 and lower secondary students. Annually, 95% of MOE schools access the NAC Arts Education Programme (NAC-AEP), which offers over 1,000 quality artist-led arts education experiences, complementing their arts learning in schools.
Schools are also deepening their partnerships with Singapore arts professionals to co-design and deliver bespoke arts learning experiences for their students, with the support of NAC's AISS. In 2024, schools are rolling out over 100 AISS projects. In addition, students in our Enhanced Art Programme schools are mentored by our local artists in collaboration with Nanyang Polytechnic, while budding songwriters from our schools are mentored by local songwriters in the Singapore Youth Festival.
We have made good progress in developing students' creativity, not just through arts education but through total curriculum. According to the 2022 results of the Programme for International Student Assessment, also known as PISA, Singapore is the top-performing education system in Creative Thinking among 64 participating systems. Our students, regardless of social-economic status, demonstrated the ability to generate original and diverse ideas for a wide range of problem-solving tasks and contexts, which required expression and imagination. They also reported favourable perceptions of their teachers' pedagogies, which helped in nurturing their creativity. Our students' performance in the study is testament to the impact of our curriculum design and teaching approaches in fostering creativity. We will continue to review our curriculum regularly to ensure its relevance in preparing our students for the future.
We agree that including drama in our primary school curriculum can build students' confidence, communication skills and other important competencies. Drama strategies are used in different subjects to make learning more enriching. For example, in primary English Language class, students may take part in the \"hot seat\" activity. They step into the shoes of different characters from a story and answer questions of the characters' actions and decisions. This helps them understand the story better by seeing things from the characters' perspectives.
The ability to engage in meaningful discussions about artworks is a fundamental aspect of our art syllabuses. We regularly feature contemporary artworks that generate discussions that go beyond the arts to other disciplines and global issues. Ms Chandradas referred to the works of artist Mr Robert Zhao. He led a five-day workshop two years ago for some of our pre-university Art students, during which participants discussed global concerns and created art in response to the theme \"Emergency\".
We will continue to explore how more we can enhance connections across disciplines meaningfully while ensuring that knowledge and skills within each discipline are not diluted. At the heart of quality arts education, are our arts teachers. MOE values our arts teachers, whose passion and hard work play a crucial role in holistic education. MOE is committed to supporting them as well as former teachers who wish to return, whether full-time, part-time or adjunct terms.
We appreciate our arts teachers' unwavering commitment to go above and beyond to develop our students; foster creativity; and multi-disciplinary learning, to enable our students to flourish. We applaud their tireless efforts in nurturing the artistic growth of our students and enriching their educational journey.
In our commitment to supporting arts teachers, it is important we understand how they are evaluated. Teachers are assessed based on how well they perform compared to other teachers, ensuring that their hard work and expertise are recognised and valued within the education system, regardless of the subject they teach.
Over the years, we have enhanced the support provided to arts teachers. This includes, centrally developing teaching resources, offering more professional development opportunities, fostering learning communities among arts teachers across schools and facilitating collaborations with arts professionals to enhance teaching.
MOE's Art and Music Instructors Scheme provides grants for primary schools to hire arts instructors. Schools can also engage vendors to conduct workshops and excursions, in different art forms, for their students. We will continue to explore other ways to support our arts teachers, including their workload.
Ms Chandradas asked about arts teachers continuing their own practice outside of schools. MOE encourages our arts teachers to continue being practitioners, as it helps them teach better. To celebrate the identity of Art and Music teachers as artists and musicians, MOE provides annual national platforms for our Art and Music teachers to showcase their creative explorations and expressions.
Over 100 Art and Music teachers participates in these showcases annually. Some Art and Music teachers also engage in external performances, gigs, exhibitions as a way to keep in touch with their practice.
Mr Speaker: Mr Huang, you have a minute left.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: With regards to labelling of public art, we would like to inform Ms Chandradas that all works directly commissioned by NAC through the Public Art Trust will be and are appropriately attributed and labelled. In fact, in 2022, NAC released a Guide to Commissioning Public Art, which contains guidelines and best practices on labelling.
To conclude, first, create. What does creating mean? Arts expand imagination, enhance creativity and develop adaptability, nurturing dispositions such as curiosity, openness and reflectiveness. We also must enable arts students to connect with one another, with others in the community as well as society. And finally, we want our Arts students to be able to contribute to the lives of others by using their creativity to communicate their ideas.
And with that, we will nurture a generation of creative thinkers, connectors and contributors who will help shape our Singapore society and bring our nation forward.
Mr Speaker: We are two days away from our National Day, so let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy National Day in advance. [Applause.]
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 6.01 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":"Evidence of Splinter Groups Getting Organised Following Dissolution of Jemaah Islamiyah","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"18 Mr Alex Yam Ziming asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there is evidence of splinter groups from the dissolution of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) getting organised; (b) how close is the transboundary collaboration between the respective intelligence agencies in this region on sharing such intelligence; and (c) what is the security threat assessment to Singapore post-dissolution of JI.
Mr K Shanmugam: The reported dissolution of the terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), is a significant development and a major success for Indonesia’s counter-terrorism efforts.
The longer-term impact, however, remains to be seen. There may be factions within the JI who disagree with the dissolution and are still committed to armed jihad. While there is currently no specific information on this, the JI’s history may be instructive. JI splinter cells had reportedly been responsible for several major attacks in the past in Indonesia, such as the bombings in Bali and Jakarta in the 2000s.
Our security agencies will continue to monitor the JI network closely. They have forged strong partnerships with their foreign counterparts and maintain regular intelligence exchanges.
The terrorism threat to Singapore remains high. While there is currently no intelligence of an ongoing plot or imminent attack against Singapore, we know we continue to be viewed as an attractive target by terrorists and radicalised elements. Our security measures are, therefore, regularly reviewed and enhanced. On their part, members of the public should remain vigilant and report any suspicious persons or activities to the authorities and help keep Singapore safe and secure.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Tighten BTO Selection and Allocation Processes in Terms of Number of Invitations to Book Flats and Notifications of Successful Ballots","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"24 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for National Development whether there is scope for HDB to improve its processing time for BTO applications in order to prevent a situation where, on receipt of an unfavourable ballot number, an applicant proceeds to apply for a flat in a subsequent BTO exercise and receives a favourable number, only to have the latter cancelled when HDB informs him that a flat has been belatedly allocated for selection from his earlier BTO flat application.
Mr Desmond Lee: In past years, about 40% of Build-To-Order (BTO) applicants who were invited to book a flat did not do so. For every applicant who received multiple queue numbers or flat booking appointments, there could be numerous other applicants who were denied a chance to obtain a queue number. Such irresponsible behaviour crowded out other home buyers, some of whom have genuine or even more urgent housing needs.
To deter such irresponsible behaviour and ensure more efficient flat allocation in sales exercises, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) tightened the rules for non-selection of flats. Since October 2023, applicants in BTO and Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises who received a queue position within 100% of the flat supply at an earlier exercise are not eligible to apply for a flat in subsequent sales exercises until after their flat booking appointment. Applicants who are invited to book a flat but choose not to do so will be issued a non-selection count (NSC) and have any existing applications for subsequent BTO/SBF exercises cancelled. First-Timer (FT) families with one NSC will be considered Second-Timers (STs) for a year in the computer ballot, while ST families, FT singles and seniors who accumulate one NSC will have to wait one year before they can apply for a flat again.
HDB recognises that applicants invited to book at the tail end of the selection process face limited choices. Therefore, HDB will not issue an NSC to applicants who have 10 or fewer BTO flats, or five or fewer SBF flats, to choose from at their booking appointment. This means that applicants, with multiple flat applications, will be eligible to select a flat at their next flat booking appointment. Where there are extenuating circumstances, HDB may also consider waiving NSC on a case-by-case basis.
As HDB issues queue numbers up to 300% of the flat supply, those applicants who receive larger queue numbers and have lower chances of securing a flat may be anxious to apply in another sales exercise as soon as possible. So as not to unduly hold up such applicants from securing a flat, HDB allows applicants who receive queue numbers outside 100% of the flat supply to proceed with applying in a second sales exercise even before their flat booking appointment. As a result, 116 applicants, or under 2% of total applicants with more than one flat application, have been invited to book a flat in two sales exercises since October 2023.
For fairness, HDB applies the NSC rules evenly across all applicants, including the 116 applicants who were invited to book a flat in two sales exercises. This means that the applicants who do not book their flat in their first booking appointment and are not eligible for an NSC waiver, will be issued an NSC and will not be allowed to book a flat in the second sales exercise.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations in Decision on Quantum of Vehicular Emissions Scheme Rebates for 2025","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"26 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are the Government’s considerations in determining the quantum of Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) Rebates in 2025; and (b) whether the Government will consider enhancing the VES rebates for vehicles in the A1 band and reversing the reduction in VES Rebates for vehicles in the A2 band to encourage the adoption of cleaner energy vehicles.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) encourages the adoption of cleaner energy vehicles to reduce emissions and improve air quality. VES provides a rebate to vehicles with lower emissions and imposes a surcharge on vehicles with higher emissions, such that the upfront costs of cleaner energy vehicles are price-competitive with conventional petrol or diesel equivalents. Vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions receive the highest rebate. The VES rebates for 2025 will continue to encourage the adoption of cleaner energy vehicles based on these considerations.
My Ministry has been reviewing the VES rebates regularly together with the Ministry of Transport.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans on Phasing Out of Sales of Internal Combustion Engine Motorcycles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"27 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether there are plans to phase out the sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles similar to Singapore's commitment to phase out sales of ICE cars by 2030; and (b) in light of a local firm shelving its plans to launch a battery swop service for electric vehicles, whether the Government plans to step in and support the initiative for such service.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: There are no current plans to phase out the sale of internal combustion engine motorcycles by 2030 as the electric motorcycle market segment is relatively nascent.
Similar to electric cars, the availability of safe and reliable charging infrastructure is critical in enabling the adoption of electric motorcycles. Compatible electric motorcycles with fixed batteries can charge at the electric vehicles charging points deployed at Housing and Development Board carparks. However, many popular electric motorcycle models abroad have detachable batteries and inappropriate charging of such batteries may result in serious fire hazards. We are thus working with the industry to facilitate safe modes of charging for such models, including battery charge and swap stations (BCSS) and controlled off-board charging environments.
To date, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has approved two BCSS applications from industry players. The Ministry of Transport/LTA will continue to work with the industry to explore charging solutions that meet our local needs, with safety being a paramount consideration.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Pricing Structure at Hospital Canteens","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"28 Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has conducted any recent reviews or assessments of the pricing structure at hospital canteens, specifically those operated by third-party vendors; (b) if so, whether data on the price differences between hospital canteens and comparable dining establishments in the local market over the past year can be shared; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure that prices at hospital canteens are competitive, compared to those in the local market.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Our public hospitals appoint vendors to operate food establishments through tender, based on key considerations, such as price affordability for public and staff, food variety and quality, and availability of healthier options. Hospitals will compare prices submitted by the potential vendors with prices of similar food establishments to ensure competitiveness.
They also have in place measures to ensure reasonable prices and affordable options for the public and staff, such as requiring vendors to seek approval for any price adjustments. If the Member has any feedback on food establishments or particular stalls in public hospitals that charge high prices, please let us know and we will look into it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Infringements of Planning Act 1998 Relating to Letting Out of Short-term Accommodation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"30 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development (a) over the last five years, what is the number of infringements of the Planning Act 1998 relating to the letting out of short-term accommodation; (b) what is the total number and amount of fines that have been meted out; and (c) whether platforms where such listings are located are also fined in these cases.
Mr Desmond Lee: Since 2019, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has imposed 64 composition fines and prosecuted 15 persons for the misuse of private residential properties for short-term accommodation, as such infringements compromise the living environment of neighbouring residents due to the frequent turnover of transient occupants.
First-time offenders are subject to a composition fine of up to $5,000. Repeat offenders, or those found to have committed such offences involving multiple properties, will be prosecuted and liable to a fine of up to $200,000 per charge. For example, in 2022, an individual was fined $1.16 million for the misuse of 14 private residential properties. In 2023, another individual was fined $1.4 million for the misuse of 19 private residential properties.
URA has taken enforcement action against the parties directly responsible for the misuse of the property, such as the property owners, and not the online platforms that host short-term accommodation listings. Nonetheless, URA regularly engages key online platforms to ensure that listings on their platforms do not perpetuate rental arrangements that run afoul of Singapore’s laws.
URA will continue to monitor the situation and review our measures as necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Supply and Usage Rates of Electric Vehicle Chargers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"31 Mr Alex Yam Ziming asked the Minister for Transport in light of the increased number of electric vehicles (EVs) registered in Singapore (a) whether the current provision of public EV charging points is sufficient; (b) what is the Ministry’s ramp-up rate for the provision of charging points; and (c) whether more fast-charging points are being requested, especially in HDB estates.
32 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many new electric vehicles (EVs) that are registered from January to July 2024 are owned by HDB residents; and (b) what is the current utilisation rate of the EV chargers at HDB car parks.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Over the last six months of 2024, about one in three new cars sold in Singapore was an electric vehicle (EV). A third of these new EVs were registered by Housing and Development Board (HDB) owners. As of July 2024, the stock of EVs registered by HDB owners has doubled to around 4,000, compared to just under 2,000 at the end of 2023.
Singapore’s EV charging infrastructure is expanding to support the EV transition. We are on track for every HDB town to be equipped with charging points by 2025, with around one in two HDB carparks already equipped with charging points today. Charger utilisation is relatively low but is expected to increase over time as EV adoption grows.
In addition to slow chargers, we are also installing fast chargers. The Ministry of Transport announced at the Committee of Supply earlier this year that 120 fast chargers will be deployed at about 60 carparks in HDB Town Centres and JTC’s industrial premises. This will allow taxi and fleet drivers to do a fast charge during their breaks at these areas. The first two public fast charger contracts were awarded in June 2024, with more tenders to be launched 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":"Subsidy Vouchers to Offset Cost Differentials between Polyclinic and Private GP Clinic Visits for Elderly and Less Mobile Patients","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"33 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health (a) whether he will consider portable subsidy vouchers to underwrite cost differentials between polyclinic and private GP clinic for the elderly and less mobile patients who face difficulty getting appointments at the local polyclinic and who have been advised by the polyclinic to visit nearby GP clinics; and (b) what is being done to improve access to polyclinic care amidst digital booking systems, for seniors with limited mobility, means or digital literacy.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Government subsidies are already available to lower the cost differential between polyclinic and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) general practitioner (GP) visits for eligible patients. This includes seniors who enjoy higher Pioneer Generation (PG) and Merdeka Generation (MG) subsidies at CHAS GP clinics than the standard tiers of CHAS subsidies. In addition, under the Healthier SG Chronic Tier, CHAS/MG/PG cardholders can access selected chronic medications at their enrolled Healthier SG GP clinic at prices comparable to those at polyclinics. Beyond this, patients can also use MediSave to pay for their chronic disease treatments under the Chronic Disease Management Programme at CHAS GP clinics, no different from that at the polyclinics.
Polyclinics generally operate on an appointment basis to ensure better allocation of resources. Patients who are unable to obtain a slot from online booking systems can still call to make their appointments or walk into the polyclinics to book an appointment if needed. The polyclinics will set aside some slots for walk-in patients with urgent medical needs, as well as for elderly patients, particularly those who are frail and have mobility issues. Non-urgent cases may be given an appointment for another day or advised to seek treatment at a nearby CHAS GP clinic.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employers and Workers' Common Concerns about Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"34 Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are some of the common concerns employers and workers have expressed regarding the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) following the various dialogue sessions held on this issue recently; (b) whether further steps need to be taken to allay the concerns of employers and workers; (c) if so, what are they; and (d) whether it is on track for TG-FWAR to come into effect on 1 December 2024.
Dr Tan See Leng: In April this year, the Tripartite Partners launched the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Requests. The guidelines require employers to consider formal FWA requests by their employees and decide whether the requests could be supported based on business grounds.
Some employers initially had the wrong impression that FWAs meant work from home and that they would have to approve all FWA requests by their employees. The Tripartite Partners have assured employers that they will have the prerogative to grant or reject requests, as FWAs must make sense for businesses to be sustainable. We have also made it clear that FWAs go beyond telecommuting and include flexi-hours and flexi-load.
Another key concern among both employers and employees is the impact of the guidelines on workplace culture. Some employers are worried that their employees might use FWAs irresponsibly which might have adverse impacts on team productivity and business clients. At the same time, some employees are concerned that their performance could be unfairly appraised if they use FWAs. These issues underscore the importance of clear communication and setting the right expectations at the workplace. Employers should communicate upfront their expectations on how employees should use FWAs responsibly. Employers should also appraise their employees’ performance based on actual work delivered.
We will continue to raise awareness and capability among employers on how to implement FWAs at their workplaces. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, as well as the Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress have developed a suite of resources, including e-learning modules, FWA policy templates, case studies and sector-specific guides. TAFEP also conducts fortnightly briefing sessions on the guidelines. Employers can tap on grants, such as the Productivity Solutions Grant, to offset the costs of adopting FWAs, such as for consultancy services to redesign jobs or installing IT systems like shift-scheduling systems, to support their implementation of FWAs. With these efforts, we are on track to implement the Guidelines from 1 December this year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Barriers of Access to Support Schemes for Caregivers of Persons with Disabilities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"35 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what has been the trend of caregivers of persons with disabilities who have sought assistance to improve their mental well-being; (b) what are the barriers to access for caregivers who need assistance to improve their mental well-being; and (c) what is the Ministry’s plan to increase outreach to these caregivers in terms of awareness and affordability to improve caregivers’ mental well-being.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: We recognise the importance of supporting caregivers of persons with disabilities who may face higher levels of stress, compared to the general population. During our engagements as part of the Enabling Masterplan 2030, caregivers have given feedback on the need to improve awareness and navigation of available caregiver resources and more streamlined and timely access to services, such as respite care.
Caregivers who need information and support may access the Enabling Guide on SG Enable’s website. The Enabling Guide serves as a first-stop online resource to help persons with disabilities and their caregivers make informed decisions about the schemes and services that best suit their life stage. Within the Enabling Guide is the Caregiver Learning Roadmap, a companion guide for caregivers to gain relevant knowledge, skills and resources to care for themselves and their loved ones based on disability type, specific caregiving area or stages of their caregiving journey. Caregivers who need more information on caregiver support services can contact SG Enable’s caregiver support team. Caregivers who are distressed and need someone to speak to may call the Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline or the Samaritans of Singapore for support.
Apart from disability services for their care recipients, SG Enable also worked with the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) to pilot the Take-A-Break respite programme from 2020 to 2023, offering short-term home-based respite services to about 200 families. Following some enhancements, the second run of the programme began in April 2024.
Peer support for caregivers is also critical. For example, CaringSG, a caregiver-led initiative for special needs caregivers and the community, which is supported by SG Enable, runs programmes, such as CAREconnect and CAREbuddy, where caregivers can participate in inclusive social events for family bonding and journey with fellow caregivers, and 3,900 caregivers have benefited since CaringSG’s establishment in 2021.
In addition, the Enabling Services Hubs work with community partners to reach out to persons with disabilities and their caregivers and bring community-based support closer to home for persons with disabilities and caregivers through inclusive activities and programmes.
We will continue to assess trends and review the options to better support caregivers, as part of the Enabling Masterplan 2030.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Electric Vehicle Fire Incidents in 2023","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"36 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the number of electric vehicle fire incidents in 2023; and (b) whether such fire incidents have been trending up annually in the past three years, in line with the growth in electric vehicle ownership levels.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: In 2023, there was one electric vehicle (EV) fire incident across all vehicle segments. This is compared to two incidents in 2022 and one incident in 2021.
The number of EV fire incidents has remained low even as EV adoption has grown. We will continue to work with our partner agencies and the industry to ensure that vehicle electrification proceeds safely.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Provision of Resources to Student Care Centres for Free Placements for Children from Low-income Families","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"37 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider resourcing Student Care Centres (SCCs) registered with the Ministry to allow SCCs to offer free placements for children from low-income families.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Children from lower-income families can benefit from the Student Care Fee Assistance scheme, or SCFA. SCFA is a tiered subsidy scheme which provides monthly subsidies of up to 98% of student care fees, up to a maximum amount of $290 per month. SCFA beneficiaries can also receive a one-off grant of up to $400, to offset enrolment costs.
After subsidies, lower-income families can pay as little as $5 per month for the child to attend student care. The scheme has been designed such that families co-pay an affordable amount according to their means, rather than have fees waived entirely. This is so that we preserve a sense of individual responsibility, which is a key tenet of our social compact.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development will continue to review SCFA regularly to ensure that student care remains affordable for lower-income families.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Organisations Applying to Register as Charity","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"38 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth for each year in the past five years (a) how many organisations whose purposes are not beneficial wholly or substantially to the community in Singapore have applied for registration as a charity; and (b) of these applications, how many and what percentage have been approved.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: One of the basic conditions for registration as a charity is that the purposes of the organisation must be beneficial wholly or substantially to the community in Singapore. However, the Minister has the discretion to waive this condition on a case-by-case basis.
In the past five years, from 1 January 2020 to date, the Commissioner of Charities granted charity status to 16 organisations which had obtained a waiver of this charity registration condition as their purposes and activities were not substantially beneficial to the community in Singapore. This makes up about 7% of the total of 221 charities registered over the same period.
The majority of the organisations which were granted waivers are the Qualifying Grantmakers who applied for charity status under the Grantmaker Scheme administered by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. This is because, unlike typical charities, Qualifying Grantmakers are solely funded by an individual, family or institution, do not solicit for public donations and engage predominantly in giving out grants to charitable causes. Therefore, they are regulated under a lighter-touch regime, with certain regulatory requirements waived. That said, Qualifying Grantmakers are still encouraged to apply some of their funds in Singapore, and the majority of them apply at least 50% of their funds locally.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Investment Mandates for GIC and Temasek Holdings Given Amount of Unquoted Investments Exceeding Quoted Investments","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"39 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether he will tighten the investment mandates given to the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and Temasek Holdings, given that the amount of unquoted investments has exceeded the quoted investments as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2023 contained in the Government Financial Statements for FY2022/2023.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Based on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2023, total quoted investments are higher than that of total unquoted investments, contrary to what was stated in the question. This is because total quoted investments include not just the line “Other Investments – Quoted”, but also “Government Stocks”. I thank Mr Leong for the opportunity to clarify this point.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Checks on Personal Mobility Devices or Power-assisted Bicycles before These are Allowed on Trains","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"40 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport whether there are specific rules and stringent checks conducted by SMRT before allowing approved models of personal mobility devices or power-assisted bicycles to be brought onto trains, in view of the potential fire risk posed by such devices in enclosed spaces.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Power-assisted bicycles (PABs) and motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs) must comply with the EN15194 standard and UL2272 standard respectively before they can be used in Singapore. These standards serve to reduce the potential fire risk posed by such devices.
The Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) Active Mobility enforcement officers conduct checks on active mobility devices, such as PABs and motorised PMDs, along public paths to ensure that the devices meet the stipulated requirements. Non-compliant devices that are detected will be seized and forfeited.
In Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations and trains, commuters must not bring any items that may pose a danger to other commuters, including non-compliant PABs and motorised PMDs which may pose fire risks. Only approved PABs and motorised PMDs that comply with size limits can be brought within MRT premises and on trains, and such devices must be switched off, with foldable devices folded at all times. The devices cannot be used or ridden within MRT premises and on trains. Commuters who do not comply with the rules will be made to leave the MRT premises and may also be fined up to $500.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Disclosure Requirements of Political Parties or Candidates for Payments to Digital Content Creators for Posts Before or During Election Campaigns","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether political parties or candidates that pay digital content creators, either directly or indirectly, to post content either before or during election campaigns will be required to disclose these payments; (b) whether the said content creators are also required to declare the nature of their partnership with political parties or candidates within their posts; and (c) what are the disclosure requirements.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Under the legislation governing Online Election Advertising (OEA), only political parties, candidates, their election agents or other third parties who have received written authorisation are allowed to publish OEA that is paid for. Every payment made in respect of any expenses incurred in the conduct or management of an election must be submitted as part of the declarations by the candidates and their election agents, rather than the digital content creator, and supported with bills and receipts as set out in the relevant laws. This includes all paid OEA. OEA must disclose that it is paid for and show the full names of the persons who paid for it. The full names of the persons who approved the content of OEA must be shown as well.
Election expenses include any expenses incurred whether before, during or after the election, in respect of the conduct or management of the election. Thus, any payments made to content creators during the non-election period ahead of any impending election would have to be declared as long as the content created is in respect of the conduct or management of the candidate’s election. Outside of elections, there are also rules governing the receipt of donations received by all political parties, political office holders and other politically significant persons. Such donations must be disclosed under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act. There are also other accounting and disclosure requirements on political parties as well, as the Member will be aware.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Maintaining Integrity and Fairness of Selection Process for DSA Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"42 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Education in light of the recent case where a basketball coach is being investigated for allegedly accepting improper payments to get students into secondary schools under the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, whether the Ministry will be reviewing the selection and decision-making processes of DSA at all school levels for the admission of students from primary schools into secondary schools and subsequently into junior colleges and polytechnics.
43 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education in respect of the bribery allegations involving a basketball coach for allegedly accepting payments to get students into schools under the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme (a) how does the Ministry ensure the integrity and fairness of the DSA process to prevent such incidents from occurring; (b) what measures are in place to detect and address any unethical practices related to school admissions and sports coaching; and (c) how is the Ministry supporting students and parents affected by this incident.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: This question has been addressed by written answer to Question No 21 on 6 August 2024. [Please refer to \"Conflict of Interest Declaration by Individuals Involved in DSA Selection Process\", Official Report, 6 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 138, 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":"Government's Response to Unconditional Cash Aid Trial Scheme to Support Low-income Families","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what programmes or resources are available to help families identify and respond to early signs of financial distress; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider introducing an unconditional cash aid programme to help families which are experiencing early signs of financial distress.
46 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry will consider (i) adopting and further expanding on the unconditional cash assistance scheme under AWWA's Family Empowerment Programme or (ii) have similar schemes mainstreamed; (b) if so, what are the considerations; and (c) how will this impact our social policy of self-reliance and personal responsibility.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Members may refer to my Ministry's reply at the 6 August 2024 Parliament sitting for our response to these questions. [Please refer to \"Findings from Trial of Giving Unconditional Cash Aid to Lower-income Families\", Official Report, 6 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 138, 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":"Proposal to Allocate More Flats to be Sold under Sale of Balance Flats Exercise for Residents Who Cannot Afford Resale Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"47 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will set aside more completed flats to be sold under the Sale of Balance Flats exercise to cater to residents who need flats urgently but cannot afford the resale prices.
Mr Desmond Lee: First, we would like to clarify that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) does not “set aside” flats to be sold under Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises. The Build-To-Order (BTO) framework allows buyers to book a flat in advance of completion, giving assurance that they have secured a flat. However, there are instances where not all the units in a proposed development are taken up. These balance flats are then offered for sale under the SBF exercises. The SBF flat supply is, therefore, not a predetermined number. It depends on the number of unsold units from previous BTO exercises and some repurchased or ex-rental flats where available. Given that the total yearly supply of SBF flats is mainly a function of the BTO flats which are not taken up, it should be expected that the number of SBF flats is both variable and much lower than the number of BTO flats.
Also, the majority of flats offered under the SBF exercises are still under construction, not completed units, and hence successful SBF applicants generally still have to wait a period of time before getting them. Since 2021, two in three SBF units were under construction when offered under an SBF exercise.
To help home buyers, especially first-timers, move into their new homes more quickly, HDB has been working on various measures to shorten waiting times without compromising quality and safety. As a result, HDB has brought down BTO waiting time to the pre-pandemic level of three to four years, compared to the pandemic peak of four to five years. In 2023, we committed to launch 2,000 to 3,000 shorter waiting time (SWT) flats per year by 2025. These are flats with waiting time of less than three years. Working closely with agencies and our construction partners, HDB will meet this target one year ahead of schedule. We will offer about 2,800 SWT flats this year. Going forward, HDB targets to launch about 2,000 to 3,000 SWT flats per year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Collection of Data on Causal Links between Academic Stress and Suicide Attempts by Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"48 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry collects data on any causal links between academic stress and attempted suicide by (i) children in primary and secondary school and (ii) young people at university; and (b) whether the Ministry collects data on any causal links between academic stress and death from suicide for (i) children in primary and secondary school and (ii) young people at university.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: This question has been addressed by written answer to Question No 103 on 6 August 2024. [Please refer to \"Data Collection on Causal Links between Academic Stress and Increased Mental Health Issues\", Official Report, 6 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 138, 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":"Assessment of Road Design at Jalan Lempeng and Faber Drive Junction Near A School Given Recent Accidents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"49 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA has assessed the road design at the Jalan Lempeng and Faber Drive unsignalised cross junction near a school in the context of the four accidents in six weeks reported on a media outlet; (b) whether LTA has sought to ascertain how many other unreported accidents and near misses have occurred at this cross junction; and (c) whether the traffic impact assessments and junction designs have kept pace with the increased residential dwellings and vehicle traffic nearby.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: In March 2019, a Traffic Impact Assessment was carried out in the Faber Hills estate to study the impact of the new housing development, Parc Clementis, on traffic in the area. To meet the expected increase in vehicular traffic, road improvement measures were implemented at various areas throughout the estate.
At the Jalan Lempeng and Faber Drive cross junction, there were no reported accidents from 2018 to 2023. With the completion of Parc Clementis in 2024, traffic has picked up. This year, there had been two accidents in February and March 2024 reported to Traffic Police, which involved the collision of vehicles. The accidents were due to careless driving without reasonable consideration, despite there being road humps and warning signs along both roads that remind motorists to slow down when approaching the junction.
To enhance safety, between April and July 2024, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) took further steps to narrow the junction, construct more road humps and enlarge the \"Stop\" signs to slow down traffic. LTA has also constructed new pedestrian footpaths in the area to direct pedestrians away from the junction to the signalised crossings that are further up Jalan Lempeng. LTA will continue to monitor the traffic condition and road safety in the area.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Input for Reports to UN Register of Conventional Arms about Arms Transfers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether Singapore provides reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) about arms transfers for 2022 and 2023; (b) if so, why are Singapore’s reports for 2022 and 2023 not listed on UNROCA’s database when previous years’ reports are available; (c) whether the Ministry knows when the 2022 and 2023 reports will be made available; and (d) if the 2022 and 2023 reports are not provided to UNROCA, whether the Ministry intends to do so and by when.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Singapore submits regular reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA). Our 2020 and 2021 reports were submitted to UNROCA in February 2023. Our reports covering 2022 and 2023 are being finalised and will be submitted to UNROCA in September 2024.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Minimum Consumer Service Standards for SPH Media","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information whether the Government funding to SPH Media has conditions specifying minimum consumer service standards, including the provision of hardcopy newspaper delivery to the doorstep and not just the mailbox of customers who have subscribed to daily newspapers' print editions.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Government funding to SPH Media Trust (SMT) is intended to support its talent, technology and vernacular capabilities. As part of the funding requirements, SMT must also ensure the circulation and delivery of its Flagship Titles’ print copies, on all days except Print Holidays.1 This applies to the Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian, Tamil Murasu and the Business Times. SMT should also inform the Government, as well as the public, and deploy contingency arrangements if there are unexpected delays in circulation affecting a significant proportion of home deliveries. There are penalties if SMT reports more than an acceptable number of such unplanned incidents.
Outside of these requirements, SMT has autonomy over its business operations, including how newspapers are delivered to subscribers. It is important that SMT has flexibility to decide on the optimal delivery approach as it relies on some 390 vendors which face different challenges, including manpower shortages.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : This includes the first day of the Lunar New Year (applicable to Zaobao), second day of the Lunar New Year (all 5 titles), as well as the day after significant religious festivals, such as Hari Raya Puasa (BH), Deepavali (TM), and Christmas (all 5 titles)."],"footNoteQuestions":["51"],"questionNo":"51"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Qualifications of Those who Advertise Their Provision of Psychological Services","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"52 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Government has data on the percentage of individuals advertising their psychological services who hold qualifications that (i) meet and (ii) do not meet the Singapore Register of Psychologists' (SRP’s) registration standards; (b) if so, what are the most common types of qualifications claimed by those who fail the standards; (c) whether any assessment has been conducted on the potential public health impact in allowing unregulated use of the title \"psychologist\"; and (d) whether the Ministry will make SRP registration mandatory.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: In general, Ministry of Health (MOH) restricts the advertising of healthcare services, through the Healthcare Services Act, to ensure transparency, prevent excessive consumption of healthcare services and protect consumers from being misled by advertisements. This is regardless of whether the professional is registered with the professional associations or not. MOH also does not collect data on individuals advertising psychology or other healthcare services.
MOH is currently working with agencies, service providers and professional associations, such as the Singapore Psychological Society, to update the risk assessment and review the need to regulate psychologists to better ensure the safety of psychological practices in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons for Rejection of Home Protection Scheme Insurance Applications","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"53 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the top reasons for the rejection of the Home Protection Scheme (HPS) Insurance applications; (b) whether there is an exclusion list of pre-existing medical conditions for such applications; and (c) if so, whether a review of the list can be considered.
Dr Tan See Leng: In the last three years, about 1.3% of Home Protection Scheme (HPS) applications were rejected due to serious pre-existing medical conditions. The top reasons for such rejection is due to the applicant having multiple pre-existing medical conditions or cancer. There is no predefined list of pre-existing medical conditions that would cause an applicant to be rejected. In line with general industry practice, eligibility for HPS is assessed based on the overall severity, prognosis and control of the medical condition as well as the individual’s health risk profile.
As I have shared during the Ministry of Manpower's Committee of Supply 2024 debate, the Government is reviewing ways to expand the coverage of HPS, taking into consideration the affordability of premiums across all HPS policyholders and the financial viability of the scheme. We will provide further details once the review has been completed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employment of Long-Term Visit Pass Plus Holders as Hawker Assistants to Address Manpower Shortages","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"54 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether hawkers can employ Long-Term Visit Pass Plus holders as hawker assistants to address manpower shortages; (b) if so, whether this will include Long-Term Visit Pass Plus holders who are not spouses of the registered stall holder; and (c) if not, why not.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: To safeguard and preserve the local identity of our hawker culture, only Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are allowed to be stallholders and stall assistants at hawker centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators. Nonetheless, as an exception, NEA allows stallholders to appoint their spouses who are Long Term Visit Pass or Long Term Visit Pass-Plus holders with Letter of Consent (LOC) or Pre-approved LOC as their stall assistants, given their familial ties to the hawkers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Profiles of Households that Earn Less Than Half of Median Household Income","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"55 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many households in Singapore currently earn less than half of the median household income of the total population; and (b) what is the profile of such households.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Member can refer to statistics published by the Department of Statistics on its website. These include statistics on household income, such as household income from work of resident employed households, per household and per household member, and by deciles.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reviews for Higher HDB Loan Quantum When Income Situations of BTO Applicants Improve","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"56 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will allow applicants of BTO flats to seek a review for a higher HDB loan quantum if their income situation improves during the time after completing their application for the HDB Flat Eligibility letter and before collecting the keys to their new flats.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Member may wish to refer to the written reply given by the Minister for National Development to a similar question posed by Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong on 3 April 2024. There has been no change to the policy since then. [Please refer to \"HDB's Considerations for Housing Loan Applications and Loan Quantums\", Official Report, 3 April 2024, Vol 95, Issue 134, 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":"Proposal for Transfer of SkillsFuture Credits to Family Members","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"57 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will explore the possibility of allowing the transfer of allotted SkillsFuture credits to family members for Singaporeans who are unable to utilise their credits due to very old age, illness or other reasons.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: As addressed previously in Parliament, the SkillsFuture Credit is designed to be non-transferable between individuals. This is because the SkillsFuture Credit seeks to empower Singaporeans to take personal ownership of their own learning throughout their lives, regardless of age or circumstances.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Review on Ban on Transportation of Workers on Back of Lorries","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"58 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the review to ban the transportation of workers on the back of lorries and the timeline for such a ban.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: We are working with relevant stakeholders to improve safety for workers and other road users and will provide further updates when ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Trends for Domestic Waste Recycling Rates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"59 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view that domestic waste volumes have decreased by more than 15% in the last decade (a) how has the domestic waste recycling rate evolved over the same time; (b) whether there are any updated strategies to continue increasing domestic waste recycling rates; and (c) whether there is a target domestic recycling rate target by 2030.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: I thank the Member for her question. This question has been addressed in my Ministry's written answer to Question No 19 on 6 August 2024. [Please refer to \"Strategies to Boost Waste Recycling Rates\", Official Report, 6 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 138, 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":"Rationale for Single Unwed Mother to Go Through Process of Adopting Own Child to Legitimise Parent-Child Relationship","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"60 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the justification behind the need for a single, unwed mother to undergo the procedure of adopting the child in order for them to legitimise their parent-child relationship; and (b) whether there are any plans to review this position.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Single unwed mothers do not need to adopt their own children in order to qualify for or gain more from Government benefits and schemes. As mentioned in our earlier reply to Member of Parliament Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang, all Singaporean children have access to Government benefits that support their growth and development, regardless of their parent's marital status. These benefits include education subsidies, childcare and infant care subsidies, Child Development Account, including the First Step Grant and matched co-savings from the Government, healthcare subsidies, MediSave Grant for Newborns, MediShield Life coverage from birth, as well as the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession. Likewise, single unwed mothers can also receive Government-Paid Maternity Leave.
There remain some laws that differentiate based on a child’s legitimacy status, such as illegitimate children having a lower priority for inheritance of parents' assets. These reflect our prevailing social norms of the family as the building block of society, and parenthood within marriage. Notwithstanding this, the law provides that it is the duty of parents to maintain their children, regardless of their legitimacy status.
Single unwed mothers may choose to legitimise their child by marrying the biological father or through adoption. Should the mother choose adoption, she should be mindful of the implications. For example, adoption by the mother would terminate the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father and the child would no longer be able to seek maintenance from the father under the Women’s Charter.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposed Regulations on Pricing of Airfares to Maintain Affordability amidst Inflation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"61 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport whether there are Government regulations on the pricing of airfares to ensure that Singapore Citizens continue to afford airline tickets in the midst of increasing inflation rates and mounting airline prices.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Government does not regulate the pricing of airfares as there is sufficient market competition in the airline industry and airlines would set their airfares based on commercial considerations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Citizens who Have Applied to Transit to CareShield Life","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"62 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Health (a) to date, what is the percentage of citizens who have applied to convert into CareShield Life; (b) whether the participation incentives may be extended beyond 31 December 2024; and (c) what else can be done to reach out and make the conversion process easier for citizens.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As of June 2024, more than 304,000 Singaporeans born before 1980 have signed up to join CareShield Life (CSHL). About three-quarters have upgraded from ElderShield plans.
For Singaporeans who were born before 1980, we have decided to give them the option to convert, based on their needs and circumstances. Participation incentives were introduced, but they have to be time-limited to encourage early enrolment into CSHL and discourage procrastination.
Last year, the Ministry of Health introduced a final extension of participation incentives by another year to continue encouraging sign-ups. Participation incentives of up to $3,000 over 10 years will be provided to all Singaporeans born before 1980 to offset premiums, as long as they sign up for the scheme by 31 December 2024.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enforcement of Disqualification Order under Animals and Birds Act","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"63 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development (a) how is a disqualification order under section 43B of the Animal and Birds Act 1965 enforced; and (b) what checks are done when an individual applies for employment with an animal-related business or attempts to purchase an animal to ensure that the individual is not disqualified from doing so.
Mr Desmond Lee: Under section 43B of the Animal and Birds Act, the Court may issue a disqualification order to an individual or business that is convicted of an animal cruelty offence. This disqualifies the offender from owning or being in charge of any animal or carrying on any animal-related business for up to 12 months. The disqualification order, if issued, is in addition to the punishment for the animal cruelty offence, which comprises a fine and/or imprisonment term as stipulated in section 42 of the Animals and Birds Act.
When a disqualification order is issued to a company that runs an animal-related business, such as a pet shop, the business will have to cease its operations for the period stated in the disqualification order. The National Parks Board (NParks) will also initiate the process to revoke the company’s pet shop licence and will not issue new pet shop licences to companies that are serving out their disqualification order.
If the offender is an individual, they will have to surrender or rehome all pets under their care and NParks will withhold issuance of pet-related licences to this individual for the duration of the disqualification order. The individual will also not be able to purchase a dog from a pet shop, as NParks' Pet Animal Licensing System will prevent the transfer of dog licences from pet shops to the individual as part of the sale process. These licences are required under regulation for an individual to own a pet dog or to run a pet shop business. This process will also apply to pet cat licensees with effect from 1 September 2024.
Breaching a disqualification order issued by the Court is a criminal offence. There are penalties for individuals who contravene a disqualification order, and animal-related businesses that knowingly or with reckless disregard employ an individual for work that is prohibited by a disqualification order. They will be liable for an offence under section 43B of the Animals and Birds Act.
Members of the public can inform NParks of animal cruelty offences and breaches of disqualification orders via NParks’ website. NParks will investigate the matter fully and take the necessary action against the individual or individuals involved.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for COEs to be Classified by Open Market Value","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"64 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has considered reclassifying the COE categories by open market value rather than engine capacity; and (b) if not, why not.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The suggestion to use Open Market Value (OMV) to differentiate between Category A and B \tCertificate of Entitlement (COE) has been raised several times both in and out of this House, including by Mr Ang Wei Neng in 2013.
The proposal to use OMV has its merits, but also comes with some challenges as these values can fluctuate quite significantly for different batches of the same car model, depending on movements in exchange rates and the prices set by the car manufacturer. This means that the same car model with similar specifications may require a Category A COE at one point in time and a Category B COE at another time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Computations for CPF LIFE Interest Earnings and Payouts","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"65 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Retirement Account funds used to pay for CPF LIFE continue to earn interest for the member after monthly payouts commence; (b) what are the expected assumptions imputed in deriving the CPF LIFE monthly payouts; and (c) whether this differs with (i) varying members’ retirement sums accumulated, such as the Basic Retirement Sum, Full Retirement Sum and Enhanced Retirement Sum and (ii) varying members’ choice of plans, such as the Basic, Standard and Escalating Plans.
Dr Tan See Leng: Central Provident Fund (CPF) LIFE premium will continue to earn the prevailing CPF interest rates. The interest earned is factored into members’ monthly payouts even after payouts have commenced.
CPF LIFE payouts are determined by independent actuarial consultants and are dependent on the actual Retirement Account savings used to join CPF LIFE instead of the Basic, Full or Enhanced Retirement sums. Payouts are also dependent on other factors, such as gender, age, CPF interest rates and mortality rates.
The assumptions used in deriving payouts do not differ according to choice of CPF LIFE plans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Need for Sustainable Solution to Replace Periodic Ash Soil Transfer Works at Inland Ash Scattering Facility","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"66 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether a further review is required for a long-term and sustainable solution to replace the need for periodic ash soil transfer works at the Inland Ash Scattering facility, Garden of Peace.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Garden of Peace (GOP) at Choa Chu Kang was designed with inland ash scattering (IAS) lanes for next-of-kin to scatter the ashes of their loved ones, as well as an area designated as the final resting place for ash soil. As scattered ashes accumulate over time and the IAS lanes become full, it is necessary to transfer ash soil from the IAS lanes to the final resting place within the GOP so that others can continue to use the IAS lanes. The design of the GOP, including the process of ash transfer, was developed in close consultation with religious leaders.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been raising awareness of the IAS process, including the ash soil transfer, as part of the IAS lane maintenance works. This information is also available on NEA’s website and ePortal.
NEA has recently introduced a three-month rest period after IAS lanes become full and are temporarily closed before the transfer of ash soil. This provides assurance to families that ash soil would not be transferred too soon after the ashes of their loved ones have been scattered. Currently, we have four IAS lanes. To ensure that there are always at least two IAS lanes in use, only two out of the four will be closed for the “rest period” or transfer works at any time.
Going forward, NEA will be developing additional IAS lanes and reviewing the lane design at the GOP to provide more capacity for ash scattering. While periodic ash soil transfers from IAS lanes will continue to be needed, the capacity expansion will reduce the frequency of ash transfer works. NEA will continue to communicate the IAS process to applicants at the point of IAS application and will remind them of the ash soil transfer process and the “rest period” for IAS lanes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Catering for Public Transport Needs ahead of Upcoming Developments of New Homes along North East and Circle Lines","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"67 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether there are any projects being planned to alleviate peak-hour crowding on the North East Line and Circle Line ahead of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's plans to develop up to 10,000 new homes in Fernvale North in Sengkang; and (b) what will be the measures taken to ensure that public transportation needs are met ahead of the development.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Other Members, such as Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Ms Sun Xueling, had previously asked Parliamentary Questions in this House about public transport connectivity in the North East Region, in view of the housing developments.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) closely monitors housing development plans, together with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Housing and Development Board, and works with public transport operators to provide additional capacity to meet increases in travel demand. This includes deploying additional trains, where possible, to improve Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) frequency during peak hours.
LTA has also introduced new bus services or adjusted existing bus routes to serve new housing developments. Since 24 June 2024, LTA introduced short-trip Services 86A and 86B to connect Fernvale residents to Yio Chu Kang station on the North-South Line during weekday morning and evening peak hours. As an additional option during peak hours, Fernvale residents can also travel to and from the Central Business District via City Direct Service 671.
Under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme that was announced last month, LTA will introduce more peak-hour express bus services as an alternative option for residents.
When the Cross Island Line and the Cross Island Line Punggol Extension are completed, these will also provide additional public transport options and capacity for residents in the North East.
In her question, Ms He mentioned that URA plans to develop up to 10,000 new homes in Fernvale North in Sengkang. The Member may wish to note that the number of dwelling units she mentioned did not come from URA or other Government agencies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Boosting Amount of Eligible Carbon Credits for Carbon Tax-liable Companies to Buy Ahead Increase in Carbon Tax","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"68 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the amount of carbon credits available globally that meets the Eligibility Criteria and Eligibility List published by the Ministry and NEA; (b) how does that amount compare to the local demand for carbon credits, given the five-fold increase in carbon tax this year; and (c) what are the other concrete plans to boost the amount of eligible carbon credits for carbon tax-liable companies to purchase.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: It is too early to assess the amount of carbon credits that would be eligible under Singapore’s International Carbon Credit Framework. Internationally, there are still ongoing negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences, to finalise and effect the framework for countries to cooperate on carbon credits.
Meanwhile, Singapore continues to support the development of international carbon markets, such as facilitating capacity building under the Article 6 Implementation Partnership, developing high integrity markets for forestry carbon credits through the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership, and enhancing transparency in carbon credit transactions through the Climate Action Data Trust.
We are also pursuing Article 6 partnerships with more than 20 countries and have signed Implementation Agreements with Papua New Guinea and Ghana. We are actively working with our counterparts to further our collaboration and operationalise these partnerships.
While we pursue these efforts, the successful scaling up of carbon markets will also require active participation from the private sector. The Singapore Government will support these efforts. For example, in July 2024, the Ministry of Trade and Industry organised an inaugural business mission to Ghana, comprising 22 Singapore-based project developers, traders, investors and carbon services companies, to spur the development of high-quality Article 6-compliant carbon credit projects.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Application of Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Act to Legal, Accounting or Valuation Services Firms Located in Commercial Buildings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"69 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Act covers offices in commercial buildings which provide legal, accounting or valuation services; and (b) whether tenancy agreements for such offices are subject to the Code of Conduct for the Leasing of Retail Premises.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Act does not cover leases for commercial office spaces, including those involving legal, accounting or valuation services. The Code of Conduct for Leasing of Retail Premises in Singapore was jointly developed by retail tenants and landlords to address long-running issues faced in retail lease negotiations. The Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Act was subsequently enacted to mandate compliance with the Code of Conduct, and the Fair Tenancy Industry Committee was appointed as custodian of the Code.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Malaysian-registered Vehicles with LTA Approval Plying Singapore Roads","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"70 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA tracks the total number of Malaysian-registered cars that (i) receive LTA approval for entry using an Autopass and (ii) enter Singapore on a daily basis; (b) what is the current average duration of the stay of such vehicles in Singapore; and (c) how many additional cars does this add to the total number of vehicles plying local roads, over and above the Vehicle Quota System limit.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: All foreign-registered cars that enter Singapore must obtain a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Each VEP is tied to the vehicle’s road tax and insurance and is valid for up to one year. LTA issues Autopass cards to foreign-registered cars with a valid VEP, to facilitate the payment of requisite fees, including tolls and road charges, at the land checkpoints.
Of the foreign-registered cars that entered Singapore in 2023, a majority stayed in Singapore for a total of less than seven days. The average number of foreign-registered cars in Singapore each day is less than 1% of our local vehicle population.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Minimise Risks of Cross-border Scams and Fraud","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"71 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance with regard to cross-border instant money transfer initiatives, what measures will be implemented to minimise the risks of cross-border scams and fraud, especially for vulnerable groups of users, such as the elderly.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has real-time payment linkages with India, Malaysia and Thailand for low value payments. These linkages enable users, such as tourists and workers, to make instant low-cost payments to merchants and remittances to family, in Singapore and in the region.
Financial institutions participating in these linkages have implemented anti-scam controls to mitigate the risk of scammers exploiting this channel to move proceeds out of Singapore. These measures, which apply to all users, include a default transaction notification threshold of $100 or lower, and a daily transaction limit of not more than $1,000. They will continue to actively monitor changes in scam typologies and will adjust these measures as appropriate.
For users, the same precautions apply for domestic and cross-border payments. We urge users to remain vigilant and to adopt good hygiene practices when banking online. These include not disclosing one’s account credentials, actively checking transaction notifications, and verifying that transactions are made to the intended recipient.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for Special Licence Plates for Electric Vehicles to Aid Their Identification by First Responders in Accidents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"72 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport whether all electric vehicles in Singapore can be outfitted with a special licence plate designed to identify them as electric vehicles so that first responders attending to car accidents can take note and mitigate the potential risks associated with such vehicles.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Electric vehicles can be identified by first responders through distinguishable features, such as the logo of electric vehicle-only manufacturers and an absence of exhaust piping.
We understand the merits of the Member’s proposal and are studying the need for special licence plates for electric vehicles together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown of Enterprise Sustainability Programme Grant Applications by Company Size","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in each year for the past five years (a) how many companies have applied for grants under the Enterprise Sustainability Programme; and (b) of the companies that have applied for the grants, how many are (i) micro enterprises with fewer than 10 employees (ii) small enterprises with 10 to 49 employees and (iii) medium-sized enterprises with 50 to 200 employees.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Between 2021 and 2023, about 1,500 unique companies were supported by the Enterprise Sustainability Programme (ESP), which includes training courses, partner programmes, funding via the Enterprise Development Grant for sustainability projects and the Enterprise Financing Scheme. Green, micro, small and medium-sized companies, as defined by the Member, each accounted for between 20% and 30% of companies supported under ESP.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulatory Measures Over Super Apps that May Stifle Competition and Consumer Welfare","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry is considering additional regulatory or supervisory measures over \"super apps\" that may stifle competition and consumer welfare, in light of Grab's latest acquisition of Singapore-based dining reservation platform Chope.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) conducted a study of digital platforms in 2020, including those that integrate multiple products and services addressing different market segments within the same app1.CCCS did not observe specific competition concerns in relation to such \"super apps\", as such apps are still subject to competition from the specialised providers within each market segment that they operate in. Therefore, consumers continue to have a choice and can access different providers for specific products or services.
CCCS has also updated its competition guidelines to provide clearer guidance to digital platforms and “super apps” on how Singapore’s competition laws apply to them. For example, CCCS has set out how it will assess whether a digital platform or “super apps” may be engaging in anti-competitive behaviour.
These efforts are complemented by initiatives such as the Standard Dispute Management Framework for e-Marketplaces by the Consumers Association of Singapore, to encourage fair trading in digital markets and support customers in timely dispute resolution.
The Government will continue to monitor developments in the e-commerce domain and assess if further reviews are required.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : The full market study can be found on CCCS' website at https://www.cccs.gov.sg/-/media/custom/ccs/files/media-and-publications/publications/market-studies/cccs-ecommerce-platforms-market-study-report.ashx."],"footNoteQuestions":["2"],"questionNo":"2"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Updating Industry Transformation Maps to Consider AI Impact on Skilled Work Training","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the existing Industry Transformation Maps can be updated to consider the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the apprenticeship and on-the-job training aspects of skilled work; and (b) whether this update can include Industry Training Continuity Maps to maintain a training pipeline for deeply skilled human workers who cannot be replaced by AI, even when AI can undertake work previously done by less deeply skilled apprentices and trainees.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The 23 Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) were refreshed over the last two years and the proposed initiatives are being implemented. ITMs are dynamic plans that respond to changes in the operating environment, such as the emergence of potentially disruptive technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI).
To complement the ITMs, we developed Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs), which help employers and workers better understand how jobs are evolving and how they can redesign jobs and reskill.
As of April 2024, 17 JTMs have been published by various Government agencies, with three more in the pipeline. The agencies carefully study the impact of AI on jobs and develop measures to support workforce transformation. For instance, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) funded courses and Workforce Singapore offered Career Conversion Programmes to help employers redesign jobs to use AI to improve productivity and workers to upskill and reskill to take on AI-augmented roles. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) also appointed five training partners under the Information and Communications JTM in September 2023. As of December 2023, they have trained about 1,600 people to be confident AI users through some 200 AI-related courses.
This year's Budget also provided a top-up to SkillsFuture Credits and the Level-Up Programme for mid-career Singaporeans looking to reskill through full-time diploma programmes. IMDA will work with SSG to ensure there are suitable training programmes to help more Singaporeans gain AI-proficiency, so Singaporeans can benefit from the opportunities brought about by the emergence of AI technology.
More companies have also stepped up their involvement in AI training. For example, Oracle recently announced plans to provide free training in AI for students and professionals in Singapore over the next three years. Amazon Web Services, in collaboration with our polytechnics, also aims to train more than 3,800 students and professionals in generative AI skills, over the next three years, through internships and work-study programmes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Aid and Assistance Schemes for Gaza and Palestinian Authority and Assessment of Impact of ICJ's Advisory Opinion","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether there are plans to deliver further tranches of humanitarian aid into Gaza or the refugee camps in the surrounding areas to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there; and (b) whether the Enhanced Technical Assistance Programme (ETAP) and other capacity building and assistance schemes between Singapore and the Palestinian Authority are continuing despite the ongoing conflict.
5 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs with regard to the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion issued on 19 July 2024, what is the Government's assessment of the (i) potential impact and (ii) obligations arising from the Advisory Opinion on all member states including Singapore.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: As announced on 22 July 2024, Singapore is working with Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates to deliver a fourth tranche of humanitarian aid to Gaza. This will comprise of approximately 300 metric tonnes of canned sardines and 1000 metric tonnes of white rice. In addition, Singapore is contributing, to-date, over $17 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. This includes the $8.1 million raised by the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the $2 million that RLAF raised for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Singapore's capacity-building assistance to the Palestinian Authority has continued apace. For instance, 15 Palestinian officials from the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Telecom and Information Technology were in Singapore for training in June 2024 under the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP). The study visit was a follow-up to my meeting with the Palestinian Authority's Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa in Ramallah in March 2024, where he asked for Singapore's assistance in digitalisation and civil service training. Three Palestinian officials have also been awarded scholarships at our universities this year to study accountancy, international political economy and info-communications security. We will press on with efforts to help equip the Palestinian Authority officials with the know-how to develop their capabilities.
The Parliamentary Question by Member of Parliament Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin has been addressed in my reply to Member of Parliament Mr Christopher de Souza on 7 August 2024. [Please refer to \"Impact of Escalating Tensions and Intensified Fighting in Middle East on Singapore\", Official Report, 7 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 139, 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":"Measures to Ensure Relevant Training and Preparation of Foreign Auxiliary Police Officers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what measures are being taken to ensure that foreign auxiliary police officers have received the relevant training and qualifications needed for their roles in Singapore; (b) how is the Ministry ensuring that these auxiliary police officers understand the cultural norms and sensitivities in Singapore to perform their duties effectively; and (c) what will be the impact on our local workforce in security roles, specifically salaries and benefits.
Mr K Shanmugam: All Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs), regardless of nationality, must meet the physical, educational and probity requirements set by the Singapore Police Force. This includes passing the APO Basic Course and the Individual Physical Proficiency Test.
The Auxiliary Police Forces (APFs) have rolled out various initiatives to facilitate foreign APOs' understanding and appreciation of our socio-cultural norms and sensitivities and laws. This includes briefings, local tours, regular engagements and appointing cultural liaison officers to support the APOs. Owners of premises where the APOs are deployed, may provide further guidance to them.
The APFs have been stepping up efforts to try to attract more Singaporeans to the profession, through higher competitive salaries, higher sign-on and retention bonuses and enhanced career progression. But as Members know, it is challenging to get Singaporeans, because of shortage and opportunities available in many other areas. Nevertheless, we will continue working with the APFs to try and hire more Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Monitoring Foreign Interference and Steps Taken to Educate Public","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how does the Ministry monitor and address instances of foreign interference; (b) what is the success rate of these interventions; and (c) what steps are being taken to educate the public and political entities about the risks and signs of foreign interference and how they can protect themselves against such threats.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Government has frameworks in place to monitor for and minimise the risk of foreign interference and to counter the threats we detect. These include legislative levers, such as the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act and Internal Security Act. For operational reasons, the Government does not disclose details or statistics.
The ultimate line of defence against foreign interference, however, must be an aware and discerning populace, as the Member mentioned. To this end, the Government has embarked on information literacy campaigns and public education. These include, the National Library Board's S.U.R.E 2.0 campaign, which stands for Source, Understand, Research and Evaluate. The campaign aims to impart critical skills to help Singaporeans better assess the reliability of information.
The Government also regularly conducts briefings, dialogues and workshops to raise awareness on foreign interference. Audiences at these outreach efforts include public servants, full-time National Servicemen and students. The Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to work with agencies to engage the public about the threat posed by foreign interference.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Lonely Deaths and Collaboration Efforts Needed with Social Service Agencies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Home Affairs in the past five years (a) how many people have died alone in their homes and are not discovered for (i) up to a week and (ii) more than a week respectively; and (b) whether such data on people dying alone is being shared with agencies and social services to better understand the circumstances that lead to people dying alone and undiscovered in their homes so that more can be done to prevent lonely deaths.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Police do not track the number of people who have died alone and are not discovered for a period of time. As part of their community policing work, the Police proactively refer socially-isolated seniors they encounter to relevant agencies and community groups for assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact on Worker Safety and Environment from Upgrading Works at PUB Choa Chu Kang Waterworks","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the fatal incident during the tank cleaning works at PUB Choa Chu Kang Waterworks (a) whether there is any significant adverse impact caused by the emission of hydrogen sulphide gas during such works on the environment and the flora and fauna in the area; and (b) what are the measures that PUB and its contractors will take to ensure the safety of the workers and environment during the upgrading of the waterworks.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Hydrogen sulphide emitted during tank cleaning works will be dispersed by wind with no adverse impact on the environment, flora and fauna in the area.
To prepare for the upgrading of Choa Chu Kang Waterworks, which is expected to commence later this year, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) completed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in end-2021, which was released for public consultation in mid-2022. Measures recommended by the EIA as well as key feedback and suggestions made during public consultation, will be adopted once construction works start to mitigate the project's impact on the environment.
PUB takes workplace safety and health seriously. Once the construction works commence, PUB will work with the contractors to ensure that measures relating to workplace safety and health requirements are adhered to and in place for all working on-site, including the management of work in confined spaces and the risk of exposure to toxic gases and chemicals.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons Behind Liquidation or Scaled Down Operations of High-tech Farms in Lim Chu Kang and Impact on \"30 By 30\" Goal","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Singapore Food Agency is studying the reasons behind the recent liquidation or scaling down of the operations of high-tech farms in Lim Chu Kang and Tuas despite the governmental grants and support provided; and (b) what is the impact on the \"30 by 30\" goal that aims to produce 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs by 2030 under the Singapore Green Plan.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: This will be addressed orally at the Parliament Sitting on 7 August 2024, together with similar Parliamentary Questions for a more holistic reply. [Please refer to \"Progress of '30 By 30' Food Production Goal Given Recent Farm Closures\", Official Report, 7 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 139, 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":"Measures to Promote Recycling Efforts and Progress Towards Zero Waste Masterplan Targets","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of the decline in the overall recycling rate in Singapore in 2023 compared to 2013 (a) what are the measures to promote recycling efforts especially in relation to non-domestic recycling; and (b) whether Singapore is on track to achieve its overall recycling target rate of 70% in the Zero Waste Masterplan.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: I thank the Member for his question. This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's written answer to Parliamentary Question No 19 on 6 August 2024. [Please refer to \"Strategies to Boost Waste Recycling Rates\", Official Report, 6 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 138, 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":"Clean-up Efforts for Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill and Timeline for Beach Reopening","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether an update can be provided on the clean-up works arising from the oil spill at Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June 2024; and (b) whether the Ministry can share a timeline on when all affected beaches will be reopened for public use.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: I thank the Member for his question. This question has been addressed in my reply to Parliamentary Question No 3 for Oral Answer on the Order Paper for 7 August 2024. [Please refer to \"Update on Clean-up Work Following Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill Incident\", Official Report, 7 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 139, 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":"Statistics of Grant Applications and Awards Made under SG Eco Fund Since Inception","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment for each year since the inception of the SG Eco Fund (SEF) in 2020, (a) how many projects have applied for grants under the SEF; (b) how many projects are awarded grants under the SEF; and (c) what are the reasons for the rejection of grants.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Since its establishment in 2020, the SG Eco Fund has completed four Grant Calls, with the fifth currently ongoing. The breakdown of the four completed Grant Calls is shown in the table below. Some projects were awarded in the year following their application.
Reasons for unsuccessful applications include not demonstrating environmental benefit and/or involvement of community, and lacking a clear implementation plan.
The SG Eco Fund works actively with borderline projects to strengthen their proposals, which may eventually be awarded funding. Grant Call results are released regularly on the SG Eco Fund website.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mandating or Incentivising Take-up of Environmental Impairment Liability Insurance Coverage for Coastal and Nature Reserves","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider mandating or incentivising the taking up of Environmental Impairment Liability (EIL) insurance coverage for agencies and businesses operating in (i) beaches and other coastal areas and (ii) nature areas and nature reserves, in order for these entities to better prepare for the financial implications of pollution incidents, such as oil spills, and ensure the prompt and comprehensive remediation of affected natural environments.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Government has no plans to mandate businesses to take up Environmental Impairment Liability insurance. Businesses should decide on their appropriate insurance coverage based on their specific needs, risk profiles and relevant regulatory requirements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations for Cancellation of Session on Sex and Gender Differences at Science Centre Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Education what are the considerations behind the decision of Science Centre Singapore to organise and subsequently cancel a session scheduled for 14 June 2024 for persons aged 18 and above on the differences between sex and gender.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Science Café series is organised by the Science Centre Singapore to discuss topics at the intersection of science and contemporary lives to raise awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) issues among young adults.
The Science Café session in June was intended to discuss the sociocultural factors that shape society's understanding of sex and gender. Following public feedback expressing concerns about the topic and the panel composition, the Science Centre reviewed the session and decided to cancel it in view of the sensitivities involved.
The Science Centre will learn from this incident to ensure its programmes remain anchored on the promotion of science.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employment Outcome of Individuals Attending SkillsFuture Singapore Training Programmes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Education (a) in each year since 2020, what percentage of individuals who attended training programmes supported by SkillsFuture Singapore were unemployed; and (b) what percentage of these individuals managed to find a job within the next six months (i) in the industry of their previous employment and (ii) in a new industry respectively.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) supports a range of training programmes to upskill and reskill workers across different career stages. Unemployed individuals, in particular, can benefit from SSG's train-and-place programmes that provide industry-oriented training alongside employment facilitation services.
From 2020 to 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, these programmes took the form of the SGUnited Skills and the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways – Company Training. More than 60% of individuals who participated in the SGUnited programmes found new jobs within six months of course completion.
The SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) was launched in April 2022 to succeed the SGUnited programmes. SCTP targets individuals who are interested to transition into sectors with good hiring opportunities, regardless of their employment status. We do not have complete data on how many SCTP trainees were unemployed. As of December 2023, over 54% of SCTP trainees found new jobs within six months of course completion.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Profile of Students Enrolled in Special Education Schools and Publication of Such Data","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"17 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Education in each of the years 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 (a) what is the total number of students enrolled in Special Education (SPED) schools; (b) what is the breakdown in percentage of SPED school students who (i) are on the autism spectrum (ii) have intellectual disabilities (iii) have sensory disabilities (iv) have physical disabilities, and (v) have multiple disabilities, respectively; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider publishing such data at regular intervals in the future.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The number of students enrolled in Special Education (SPED) schools in Singapore has increased gradually from 5,410 in 2009 to 7,818 in 2023, largely due to an increase in students reported with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is consistent with the increase in the number of children diagnosed with ASD in other countries. The number of students reported with intellectual, sensory and multiple disabilities has decreased over the same period.
The Ministry of Education will continue to monitor the demand for SPED school places and work with the Social Service Agencies that run SPED schools to provide sufficient capacity for the different student profiles.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Waiting List and Enrolment Time for Special Education Schools Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education for Special Education schools that support students with autism spectrum disorder, what is the current number of applicants waiting to be admitted to these schools and the waiting time for enrolment, with a breakdown for applicants with no intellectual impairment and those with intellectual impairment respectively.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education (MOE) closely monitors the demand for Special Education (SPED) school places and the waiting time for enrolment. To address rising demand for places, seven new SPED schools for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have started since 2022, while an eighth SPED school will start operations in 2026. Four of these SPED schools serve students who have ASD with intellectual impairment, while the other four serve students who have ASD without intellectual impairment.
In the last two years, some students who have ASD with intellectual impairment commenced school after the school year started, mainly because the receiving schools needed more time to hire teachers. Currently, about 40 students who have ASD with intellectual impairment are waiting to commence Primary 1. MOE with work closely with the Social Service Agencies running the SPED schools to help them start school as soon as possible.
There are currently no students who have ASD without intellectual impairment waiting to commence Primary 1 in SPED schools.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Non-completion and Transfers Out of IP Course for Students Admitted under DSA Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Education since the inception of the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, how many students who have been admitted via the DSA Sports and Music tracks into Integrated Programme (IP) schools (i) did not complete the entire six-year IP course (ii) were subsequently transferred out of the IP (iii) did not pass their GCE A-Level or International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or (iv) did not qualify for any of the local autonomous universities after the IP.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Direct School Admission (DSA) Scheme and the Integrated Programme (IP) were introduced in 2004. As there have been refinements to both schemes over the years and the number of IP schools has expanded significantly since then, it is more meaningful to look at the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
For the past five IP cohorts that have graduated, around 300 to 450 students were admitted each year through the DSA talent areas of Sports and Games, and Performing Arts which includes Music. Around four in five of them completed the IP within six years. The remaining students proceeded to other pathways, including transferring to the GCE \"O\" level track, pursuing other post-secondary education options, or relocating overseas.
Almost all of the IP students who sat for the GCE \"A\" Level or International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme examinations at the end of six years passed on their first attempt and were eligible for degree courses in our autonomous universities. This includes those who were admitted to the IP through DSA for Sports and Games, and Performing Arts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Current and Projected Statistics of PwDs Without Caregivers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Social and Family Development based on the number of persons with disabilities (PwDs) receiving social support (a) what percentage of adults with disabilities outside of the labour force do not have caregivers and/or live independently; and (b) what is the projected number of PWDs without caregivers in 15 years' time in view of Singapore’s ageing population.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Most persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are enrolled in Day Activity Centres (DACs) or Sheltered Workshops (SWs) are living with their family members. Of these PwDs, about one-third, or 1,000, have at least one caregiver aged 65 years and above.
Caregiving arrangements change over time and depend on many factors such as family circumstances and availability of alternative caregivers as the caregivers themselves grow older. PwDs and their caregivers are encouraged to work with SG Enable and the Special Needs Trust Company to plan ahead on future care arrangements. For PwDs without alternative caregiving arrangements, they may be enrolled into Adult Disability Homes as a last resort. The Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030) Taskforce for Developing New Community Living Models for Persons with Disabilities has also been looking into alternative community living models to enable PwDs to live independently in the community. The task force will be releasing its recommendations later this year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Median Waiting Time for Cancer Treatment in Public Hospitals by Ward Class and Specialty","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Health what is the median waiting time by ward class of public hospitals for (i) new specialist outpatient appointments for the medical oncology, surgical oncology, and radiotherapy specialties and (ii) cancer patients to commence chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery for cancer treatment respectively.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The median waiting times for new specialist outpatient appointments in 2023 are as follows:
By and large, for serious diseases like cancer, treatments are often carried as soon as possible. However, the Ministry of Health does not track the median waiting times to treatment for cancer patients as it is not a meaningful indicator.
Waiting times to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and cancer surgery vary depending on the type and stage of cancer and treatment modalities. In addition, some patients with other accompanying chronic conditions may require additional pre-operative management prior to treatment. Some patients may also require stepwise treatment where surgery is performed before or after chemotherapy or radiotherapy. As treatment poses much discomfort and inconvenience, others, after discussing with doctors, may choose to delay their treatment.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Proportion of Singaporean Nursing Graduates and Median Salary in Public and Non-public Hospitals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Health in each year since 2020 (a) what proportion of Singaporean nursing graduates are working in public hospitals; and (b) what is the median salary of Singaporean nursing graduates (i) working in public hospitals and (ii) not working in public hospitals respectively.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Between 2020 and 2022, around 70% of practising nurses registered with the Singapore Nursing Board were working in the public healthcare sector.
Fresh nursing graduates from our local Institutes of Higher Learning who join the public healthcare sector can expect to earn a starting base salary of between $2,050 and $4,050 per month, depending on their qualifications. This excludes shift allowances, overtime and bonuses. The Ministry of Health does not collect salary data from private healthcare providers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Trends and Waiting Times for Entry Into Nursing Homes for Respite Care and Night Respite Services","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has data on the five-year trend and current waiting times for entry into nursing homes for the provision of respite care services and night respite services respectively; (b) whether there is a difference in waiting times for respite care services for patients with general needs, psychiatric care needs and intellectual disability; and (c) if so, what are the differences in waiting times presently.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: This question has been addressed by written answer to Parliamentary Question No 35 on the Order Paper for 6 August 2024. [Please refer to \"Trend and Waiting Times for Nursing Home Admission for General Care, Psychiatric Care and Intellectual Disability\", Official Report, 6 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 138, 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":"Benefits of SG Arrival Card System on Public Health Outcomes and Plans for Discontinuation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) what measurable benefits has the SG Arrival Card system provided in terms of public health outcomes since its implementation; (b) what percentage of travellers have reported being unwell through the system; (c) of these, what percentage have been contacted for follow-up and what actions have been taken; (d) whether there are any plans to discontinue the use of the system at all checkpoints; and (e) if so, what are the criteria or conditions that will trigger such a decision.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The electronic Health Declaration through the SG Arrival Card is an essential public health surveillance measure to manage infectious diseases of concern, such as Yellow Fever, Ebola, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Mpox. Some of these diseases are already endemic in many countries, but not Singapore, which explains why we still retain this border measure. It facilitates the early detection of high-risk travellers and reduces the risk of such infectious diseases taking root in Singapore.
All travellers entering Singapore who declare symptoms and have relevant travel history are medically assessed. On average, there are about 240 such travellers per month. Further, travellers who are well and with recent travel history to Yellow Fever endemic countries but do not have a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, will be quarantined to protect against the risk of spread of Yellow Fever in Singapore.
The Ministry of Health will update the health declaration for new emerging infectious diseases when necessary. So long as there are risks of importing new emerging infectious diseases of concern that are not endemic in Singapore, there will be a need for the health declaration.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations for Importation of Generic Medicines into Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"25 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Health Sciences Authority exercises any guidance or determination over the importation of generic medicines into Singapore; (b) if so, what are the considerations for determining whether a generic medicine can be imported into Singapore; and (c) if not, why not.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: We encourage the import of generic medicines into Singapore, after the original patents have expired. However, all medicines, including generic medicines, have to be evaluated and approved by the Health Sciences Authority for safety, quality, efficacy and ability to meet Good Distribution Practice standards before they can be supplied in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Top Symptoms for Referral to Menopause Centre and Possible Screening of Symptoms under Healthier SG","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Health (a) what are the top symptoms for referral to the Menopause Centre; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider screening for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, such as arthralgia, osteoporosis and sleep disturbances, as part of the Healthier SG movement.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Amongst patients referred to the KK Menopause Centre, the top symptoms were hot flushes, poor sleep/insomnia, mood disorders (low mood/ feelings of anxiety), vaginal dryness and sexual problems.
Under Healthier SG, the relationship between the primary care doctor and enrollee is central. Women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms can inform their primary care doctor, who would be well placed to assess the symptoms and the patient’s needs and make recommendations on further management.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extent of Impact, Lessons Learnt and Resilience Measures Resulting from CrowdStrike Outage","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information with regard to the recent IT outage caused by CrowdStrike (a) what has been the extent of its impact and cost to local businesses and institutions; (b) what lessons have been learnt from this outage thus far; and (c) what steps are being taken to ensure that the IT systems used by these businesses and institutions remain resilient against similar outages.
28 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) which areas of the public service sector were most severely affected by the CrowdStrike outage on 19 July 2024; (b) what are takeaways on the strengths and weaknesses of Singapore's public service systems to ensure a reliable, efficient, and accessible public service for Singaporeans; and (c) what steps have been taken to ensure that possible vulnerabilities from any of our current and future cyber security solutions are mitigated.
Mrs Josephine Teo: I will answer Parliamentary Question (PQ) No 5 to 10 on today’s Order Paper, Written Parliamentary Question Nos 27 and 28 on today's Order Paper, and PQ Nos 60, 64, 65, 66, 68, and 69 on yesterday's Order Paper together, as they are related to the outage of IT systems caused by CrowdStrike on 19 July 2024.
My response will also cover the matters raised in the oral questions by Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim which are scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. I would invite all interested Members to seek clarifications after I have given my reply today. If the questions have been addressed, it may not be necessary to proceed with the Parliamentary Questions for future Sittings.
On 19 July 2024, a faulty software update by a cybersecurity service provider CrowdStrike disrupted major services around the world. Images of the now infamous Blue Screen of Death appeared in media news cycles and attracted significant public attention. According to public reports, outages were experienced by users of the Microsoft Windows operating system that adopted CrowdStrike’s Falcon Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solution. It is a security solution that requires frequent and timely updates to be effective.
The Members’ questions fall broadly into two categories. First, what is the impact of the outage in Singapore, particularly in relation to services provided by Government. Second, what are the lessons learnt, particularly in relation to the resilience of our IT systems.
Fortuitously, Government services and most essential services in Singapore were unaffected by the outages. However, some businesses that use CrowdStrike’s Falcon EDR were affected. In most cases, the impact was to internal staff. In a minority of the cases, customers were impacted due to service disruptions. Prominent examples of these were the passenger check-in for some airlines at Changi Terminal 4 and gantry operations at some Housing and Development Board carparks.
Customers of affected business met with delays and were inconvenienced. However, business continuity plans (BCPs) kicked in. These included switching over to manual processes, such as for flight ticketing and check-in. The Singapore Cyber Emergency Response Team (SingCERT) of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) also quickly issued an advisory to guide affected system administrators and users on how to manually recover their systems. Most of the affected IT systems had recovered within a day, and services returned to normal.
As Members know, IT systems may experience outages and disruptions from time to time. In this particular instance, it is not yet fully understood what caused a relatively routine software update to have created such major disruptions around the world. My Ministry has set up an internal taskforce to engage relevant partners to gain insights into the incident and assess if further measures should be taken to improve Singapore’s resilience when such disruptions occur.
In the meantime, one key lesson can already be reinforced. As we have said on previous occasions, even with best efforts, not all disruptions can be prevented. System owners should therefore have plans in place to help them to recover quickly from unexpected disturbances.
On its part, the Government adopts a risk-based approach to ensure our critical systems and essential services are resilient. Critical Information Infrastructures (CIIs), Essential Services (ES) and Government services are all subject to stringent requirements and have to put in place robust BCPs, Disaster Recovery Plans and Incident Response Plans. The Cybersecurity Act and specific sectoral regulations hold CIIs and key ES operators accountable for meeting the baseline security and resilience requirements. This includes timely review of risks assessments and audits. For example, Government agencies using third-party software in their ICT systems have to do a thorough risk assessment and put in place necessary mitigation measures. CSA also established the CII Supply Chain Programme to better manage key vendor supply chain risks.
Businesses must also play their part to improve their resilience when disruptions occur and recognise that it is in their own, and their customers’ interests to do so. When things are running smoothly, businesses may question why they should incur cost or prioritise efforts to assess and improve their resilience measures. Unfortunately, some may not take appropriate actions until it is too late.
We therefore encourage businesses to conduct their own risk assessments and put in place the appropriate BCPs to help business continuity in the event of a disruption. SingCERT has recently published an advisory on building digital resiliency, which can be found on CSA’s website. As part of the support for enterprises’ digitalisation, my Ministry offers other practical resources and financial assistance to encourage robust IT practices. This includes CSA’s cybersecurity toolkits and the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s SMEs Go Digital Programme.
While these efforts may not specifically address IT outages like the one related to CrowdStrike, they can help businesses prevent incidents and recover more quickly should disruptions occur. I also encourage all businesses to take advantage of the Government’s resource support to strengthen their digital resilience.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Accuracy of Deepfake Detection Technologies and Differentiating Between Harmful Deepfakes and Legitimate Political Satire or Memes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"29 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what is the current accuracy rate of the Government’s deepfake detection technologies for AI-generated content; (b) how will the Government differentiate between harmful deepfakes and legitimate political satire or memes using similar technologies; and (c) what happens if videos are wrongly identified as deepfakes.
Mrs Josephine Teo: There are a variety of tools and techniques available to the Government to detect, identify and assess manipulated content, including artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content such as deepfakes. These may be sourced commercially, developed in-house or in partnership with researchers such as those at the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety. We do not publish their accuracy levels as our tools are constantly being updated to keep up with technology. It is also not in the public interest to reveal the full extent of capabilities as malicious actors may exploit it.
The Government can take action against online falsehoods when certain thresholds are met, including falsehoods generated with the help of AI. Action may be taken under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) if such content is false and against the public interest. Satire or parody do not by themselves meet the criteria for POFMA action, unless they contain falsehoods that harm public interest. Individuals who disagree with POFMA directions issued to them, including those for deepfake content, can file an appeal in court.
Many countries have recognised the need to mitigate the harms and risks from AI use and application, including the malicious use of deepfakes. Some countries have already put in place safeguards, especially during elections, in order to protect the integrity of the electoral process. We are studying if further safeguards are required and will provide an update when ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Directions Issued and Contraventions under Section 10 of Wildlife Act Since 2020 Amendment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"30 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development in each year since the Wildlife Act was amended in 2020 (a) how many directions have been issued under section 10 of the Wildlife Act on wildlife-related measures for development or works; and (b) how many persons have been found to have contravened such a direction.
Mr Desmond Lee: The number of projects for which directions have been issued since 2020 to date is shown in Table 1. To date, directions under section 10 have been issued for a total of 445 development projects, of which three projects have recorded contraventions. For each project, multiple directions may be issued, to the key parties involved, which could include the developer, the main contractor and the Qualified Persons.
31 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for National Development what measures are in place to combat high rental costs for both residential and commercial purposes in the current high interest-rate environment and amidst market uncertainties.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Government has undertaken a broad suite of measures to ease rental pressures in the residential property market.
First, we ramped up housing supply significantly. Close to 100,000 public and private residential units are expected to be completed from 2023 to 2025. These will help to cater to housing demand, including for rentals. As households that are temporarily renting move into their new homes, the rental units freed up will help meet rental demand.
Second, to support Singaporeans who need to rent, Housing and Development Board (HDB) offers schemes such as the Public Rental Scheme for low-income Singaporeans with no other housing options, and the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), which provides interim housing to eligible families awaiting the completion of their Build-To-Order flat. PPHS-eligible families renting an HDB flat or bedroom from the open market can also apply for the PPHS voucher of $300 per month to defray the cost of their rental. The scheme applies to tenancies that start between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
Third, the Government has temporarily relaxed the occupancy cap for four-room and larger HDB flats, and private residential properties of at least 90 square metres (sqm). From 22 January 2024, these accommodations are allowed to house up to eight unrelated persons, up from the previous cap of six unrelated persons. This has increased overall rental supply and helped to ease rental pressures.
With these measures, private and public housing rents have shown signs of stabilising. In the second quarter of 2024, private housing rents fell for the third consecutive quarter by 0.8% and have cumulatively declined by 4.8% since the peak in third quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, median rents of 4-room and larger HDB flats have remained stable for two consecutive quarters.
Supply of commercial space has also increased in recent years, which has eased rental pressure. Around 599,000 sqm of commercial space (of which 402,000 sqm is for office use) is expected to be completed in 2024 and 2025. This is about twice the amount of commercial space completed in 2022 and 2023, and will help to cater to rental demand.
As a result, commercial rents have also stabilised. Office rents increased by 1.3% in the first half of 2024, a significant moderation from the 5.2% increase in the second half of 2023. Meanwhile, retail space rents were broadly unchanged in the first half of 2024 and are currently around 22% below the pre-COVID level in end-2019.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will adjust our policies as necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"HDB's Support for Maintenance of Older Flats Beyond Home Improvement Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for National Development how does HDB support the greater need for maintenance of residential estates beyond the Home Improvement Programme especially among older flats that have issues with piping and cracked walls.
Mr Desmond Lee: As flats age, building materials will naturally deteriorate. Town Councils are responsible for maintaining the common property, while flat owners are responsible for the maintenance of the interior of their flats and for undertaking repair works where needed.
For flats that are around 30 years old, the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) systematically and proactively addresses common maintenance issues and provides improvements within flats, including repairing spalling concrete and structural cracks, and replacing the waste / soil discharge pipes if necessary. Outside of HIP, flat owners who encounter issues with the main soil pipe can approach their Town Councils for assistance. For all other piping or sanitary issues, flat owners should engage licensed plumbers to carry out the repairs.
Minor wall cracks inside flats do not affect the structural integrity and safety of the building. Flat owners can patch up and repaint their walls. For exterior and facade walls, the Town Councils carries out inspections and upkeep of these walls. Notwithstanding, HDB also supplements with regular inspections, and will immediately repair if the crack could potentially compromise the structural integrity of the building.
To help flat owners maintain their homes in good condition, HDB has developed a Home Care Guide, which is published on the HDB InfoWEB. Flat owners are encouraged to refer to this useful resource for the necessary information to keep their flats in good condition.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Criteria for Removal of HDB Flat Resale Listings from HDB Flat Portal","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development with regard to HDB’s removal of listings for resale of HDB flats from the HDB Flat Portal (a) what constitutes misinformation that can lead to the removal of a listing; and (b) whether the Ministry can clarify on the mechanism used for removal of a listing due to unrealistic pricing.\n \n
Mr Desmond Lee: The Resale Flat Listing (RFL) service on the HDB Flat Portal provides a transparent and reliable marketplace for the listing and transactions of Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flats.
HDB monitors listings on the RFL service to protect public interest and ensures that information published on flat listings is accurate. HDB will remove listings with inappropriate or inaccurate content, such as misleading or false advertising, as well as claims that violate HDB’s policies. HDB will also remove flat listings with unrealistic prices.
HDB will explain to the flat sellers or their appointed salespersons the reason(s) for removing their listings. Listings that were removed can be reinstated on the RFL service, after the reasons are addressed, for example, after flat owners or their appointed salespersons revise the unrealistic listing price, or correct the misinformation. These efforts contribute to a stable and sustainable property market and ensure that the RFL service remains a trusted listing marketplace for serious sellers and buyers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Public Sports Complexes through Commercial Tenant's Alignment with Healthier Choices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth to ensure consistency in promoting healthy lifestyles across public sports complexes, whether the Ministry will consider excluding commercial tenants that do not align with healthy lifestyle choices, such as those selling sugary drinks or fast food.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: ActiveSG Sport Centres play a key role in promoting healthy and active lifestyles.
As part of the Government’s efforts to promote healthier dining, Sport Singapore (SportSG) requires food and beverage (F&B) tenants at ActiveSG Sport Centres, including fast food establishments and drinks kiosks, to adhere to guidelines including to use healthier oil and provide a minimum number of dishes prepared using lower-sodium ingredients, or to provide a minimum number of drinks of lower or no-sugar.
SportSG ensures that ActiveSG Sport Centres’ tenants have met the licensing requirements before leasing the commercial spaces to them.
Sport Singapore will continue to encourage and work with their F&B operators at ActiveSG Sport Centres to promote and offer healthier lifestyle choices in their establishments, while providing a range of options for the community.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Estimated Costs and Expense Apportionment for Hosting 2025 World Aquatics Championships","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the current estimated cost of hosting the 2025 World Aquatics Championships; (b) what was the original budgeted cost in February 2023 when Singapore replaced Kazan, Russia as the host; and (c) what portion of the costs will be met by (i) the Government (ii) private sponsors and (iii) other sources, respectively.
36 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the current estimated budget for Singapore to host the World Aquatics Championships in 2025; and (b) what are the plans in place to manage expenses based on this budgeted amount.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: This response to Ms Hazel Poa and Ms Joan Pereira will also address a related Parliamentary Question filed by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim for a subsequent Sitting.
As part of our strategy to bring world-class sporting events to Singapore, we aim to attract events that will bring economic, social and sporting benefits to Singapore and Singaporeans.
These events draw in overseas spectators and boost tourism spending. Local entities will be involved in the organisation of these events which will create job opportunities for Singaporeans and build deeper capabilities for future events.
Singaporeans can spectate the main events and watch our Team Singapore athletes have an opportunity to compete against world-level athletes. At the same time, Singaporeans can also look forward to participating in a variety of community activities organised at the sidelines of the main event. These will garner interest for the sport and inspire our next generation of sporting talents.
Our athletes can also gain valuable experience and be inspired from competing against the best athletes in the world. Such opportunities, for example, obtaining wild card entries, would not have been available if these competitions had not taken place in Singapore.
When the opportunity to host the World Aquatics Championships 2025 arose, Singapore decided to pursue it. This is the highest tier of world championships in aquatics, and will attract the best in the world to compete in Singapore. As the host, our aim is to deliver a positive event experience for athletes and spectators, while being fiscally prudent and cost-effective. To this end, we have undertaken detailed planning and implemented stringent budget measures, taking reference from the learnings of previous hosts of the Championships as well as Singapore’s experience in hosting other large-scale sporting events.
Over the past year, we have been working closely with World Aquatics (AQUA) to understand and agree on the operational and technical requirements for a competition of this scale and to draw up the budget required to host the event. The estimated budget is sufficient to allow us to meet AQUA’s requirements and is also comparable to previous editions of the World Aquatics Championships.
With less than a year away to the Championships, the organising committee has commenced efforts to secure sponsorships and negotiate service contracts for the event. As these are presently ongoing, due to commercial sensitivities of these efforts, we are unable to disclose the budget at this point. The costs to be borne by the Government and sponsorships will only be finalised after the event has concluded.
The competition venues, including temporary ones which will be constructed, will meet international standards. The temporary competition venue will house a competition pool, a warm-up pool, ample spectator seats and dedicated areas for community events. Hosting swimming and artistic swimming events in temporary competition venues is comparable with other major games and previous editions of World Aquatics Championships in Hungary, Japan and Qatar, where the respective local organising committees had built up to six temporary pools for each of the Championships they hosted. The purpose-built venue will be designed according to competition standards prescribed by AQUA, as well as provide sufficient ancillary facilities that will allow spectators to have a positive experience. This includes provisions for sheltered seating and accessibility to community activities which will be co-located within the Kallang Alive precinct.
To maximise the usage of these pools, we have made plans to use them for the World Aquatics Masters Championships that would be held from 26 July to 22 August in the same year. We are also exploring the feasibility of extending the use of the competition venue before and beyond these Championships.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations in Granting In-principle Approvals and Employer Liability for Migrant Domestic Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry considers police and immigration records when assessing work permit applications and granting of in-principle approvals for the hiring of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) and, if not, why not; and (b) whether employers remain liable for the costs of bringing MDWs into Singapore and repatriation costs when MDWs need to be repatriated for reasons beyond employers’ control.
Dr Tan See Leng: \tWhen assessing domestic work permit applications, the Ministry of Manpower will consider relevant security antecedents and adverse records, to minimise the incidence of undesirable persons being allowed to work in Singapore.
As part of the work permit conditions, employers are required to bear the cost of bringing in as well as repatriating their migrant domestic workers (MDWs). Employers are informed and are reminded of these obligations before their MDWs enter Singapore. This ensures that MDWs are not left stranded in Singapore without the means to return home upon termination of their employment. If the employment of an MDW is terminated within six months, the employment agency is required to offer a refund of at least 50% of the placement fees paid by the employer.
38 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in each year of the past five years, how many complaints have been received by the CPF Board about allegedly fraudulent CPF nominations; (b) how many CPF nominations have been annulled following these complaints; and (c) what are the main reasons for such annulments.
Dr Tan See Leng: Complaints about alleged fraud in relation to Central Provident Fund (CPF) nominations are rare. On average in the past five years, there are fewer than 10 such complaints per year. No cases of fraud were established following CPF Board’s investigations.
However, a minority of nominations were voided as our investigations found that they were not made in accordance with the instructions specified in the nomination form and by the Board.
CPF Board also conducts pro-active verification checks even where there are no complaints. This is part of CPF Board’s suite of safeguards under the CPF nomination scheme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reviewing Accident-prone Road and Traffic Junctions and Increasing Awareness to Alert Motorists and Users","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA has recently reviewed road or traffic junctions that are more prone to fatal accidents either due to the design, speed limit or other factors; and (b) if so, whether the Ministry can increase awareness or place prominent warnings in the accident prone areas to alert motorists and users.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) continually uses data from sources such as traffic accident reports from Traffic Police, as well as feedback from local communities and road users, to implement localised road safety enhancements, especially at accident hotspots. For example, 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.
The Traffic Police, the Singapore Road Safety Council and LTA have been putting up road safety signs and banners to alert motorists to slow down, and remind pedestrians to cross safely at busy roads and junctions. Road safety events and campaigns are also organised to promote road safety and enhance outreach to the public.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulations on Decals Resembling Police or Government Agency Vehicles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"40 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether vehicles are allowed to don decals designed to have a similar look as police vehicles or any other vehicles that look like they originate from a Government agency; and (b) if this is not allowed, what are the regulations that prohibit such decals from being used on vehicles.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Vehicles are generally not allowed to don decals that result in them resembling vehicles from the Government agencies. This is to avoid misleading members of the public. For example, the unauthorised use of the Land Transport Authority’s symbol is prohibited under section 42 of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Act 1995. The unauthorised use of Police insignia, which includes the affixing of Police logos or symbols on vehicles, with the intent to impersonate a Police officer, is also prohibited under section 120A of the Police Force Act 2004.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Increasing Bus Services for Residents Living in New HDB BTO Project at Rivervale Shores","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"41 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport with the recent completion of the new HDB BTO project at Rivervale Shores, whether there will be an increase in bus services available for residents living in and within the vicinity of the project to meet higher bus ridership and provide better transport connectivity.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Currently, residents at Rivervale Shores are served by bus Services 50, 62 and 85 along Sengkang East Drive which connect them to the transport hub at Sengkang town centre, as well as to other places like Punggol, Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Upper Paya Lebar and Yishun.
As the Ministry of Transport announced last month, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will make enhancements to bus services under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme to better serve the needs of commuters, including residents from newer estates. LTA will share more details as they progressively introduce these enhancements in consultation with the grassroots advisers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":6191,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Vikram Nair","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-Mr Vikram Nairs' Tamil Portion of Speech 07 August 2024.pdf","fileName":"Mr Vikram Nairs' Tamil Portion of Speech 07 August 2024.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6192,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Joan Pereira","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-Joan Pereira Food Donation 7Aug2024 -Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Joan Pereira Food Donation 7Aug2024 -Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6193,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-7 Aug 2024 - Mr Zhul Rahim - Good Samaritan Bill.pdf","fileName":"7 Aug 2024 - Mr Zhul Rahim - Good Samaritan Bill.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6194,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Hany Soh","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-Hany Soh Food Donation 7Aug2024 -Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Hany Soh Food Donation 7Aug2024 -Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6195,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Gan Thiam Poh","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-Gan Thiam Poh Food Donation 7Aug2024-Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Gan Thiam Poh Food Donation 7Aug2024-Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6196,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Poh Li San","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-Poh Li San Food Donation 7Aug2023 -Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Poh Li San Food Donation 7Aug2023 -Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6197,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Poh Li San","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-7 Aug 2024 - Ms Poh Li San - Good Samaritan Bill.pdf","fileName":"7 Aug 2024 - Ms Poh Li San - Good Samaritan Bill.pdf"},{"vernacularID":6198,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Hazel Poa","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20240807/vernacular-Hazel Poa Electoral Boundary 7Aug2024 -Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Hazel Poa Electoral Boundary 7Aug2024 -Chinese.pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}