1 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked\tthe Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) as part of the Ministry's efforts to bring SMEs to expand and venture overseas (a) how many SMEs have gone on Ministry-organised business trips over the past three years; (b) how many SMEs have succeeded in developing new markets and expanding their businesses over this period; and (c) what support does the Ministry continue to provide to these companies to help them grow in the new markets.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)): Madam, internationalisation is a key engine of growth for Singapore companies. To support companies in their internationalisation efforts, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore provides assistance through the Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) and the Global Company Partnership (GCP) schemes. MRA provides broad-based assistance to companies that are starting to internationalise, while GCP provides targeted assistance to companies with more established overseas presence in capability and manpower development, market access and financing. Through the MRA and GCP schemes, IE Singapore supported over 3,500 internationalisation projects for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) since 2014, 30% of which were to help companies penetrate new overseas markets and grow their businesses.
IE Singapore also partners Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) through the International Marketing Activities Programme (iMAP) to support overseas business missions. Since 2014, iMAP supported a total of 80 business missions that benefited 1,190 companies, the majority of which were SMEs. IE Singapore also supports business missions as part of strategic projects under the Local Enterprise and Association Development (LEAD) programme.
Finally, IE Singapore's network of 37 Overseas Centres provides companies with in-market assistance. These centres help companies generate new business leads in neighbouring Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets, gain entry as first movers in markets, such as Latin America, and identify opportunities to enhance technology capabilities in developed markets.
Through its efforts to help companies internationalise, IE Singapore has assisted companies in about 99,000 cases since 2014, with SMEs accounting for about 80% of them. IE Singapore will continue to build on its existing initiatives and networks to further identify and create opportunities for SMEs to internationalise.
Mdm Speaker: Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.
\tEr Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I have two supplementary questions. There is a wide range of help schemes available. I would like to ask whether there is any further effort to publicise these schemes so that more SMEs are aware that such help is available. The second question is whether there is any plan to bring these SMEs which have ventured overseas to be onboard on government-to-government (G-to-G) projects. I have received several feedback which are, quite often, to say that for Singapore Government projects, we normally call for tender and we do not bring our SMEs along.
\tMs Sim Ann: Madam, we are constantly looking for ways to broaden our outreach to SMEs so that they are aware of the range of assistance that is available. In fact, internationalisation is a very key strategy that has also been elaborated upon in the Committee on the Future Economy. We are doing so, first, directly, through IE Singapore's own publicity efforts. We also do a lot of this publicity through TACs because they also help spread the word. We do so also for informal groupings. For instance, the one that comes to mind is \"The Bosses Network\". They hold an annual learning cruise. I will be attending this event in order to help SMEs understand the full range of assistance and support schemes that are available, not limited to internationalisation, but that is obviously going to be a key one.
As for helping our SMEs take part in G-to-G projects, I suppose Er Dr Lee Bee Wah is thinking perhaps of, for instance, a G-to-G project between Singapore and China. The entire purpose of setting up G-to-G projects really is to help expand the scope of economic and trade collaboration. We hope very much that our SMEs, too, benefit. For instance, some of it may be in terms of creating a space where business can flourish. The first G-to-G project between Singapore and China, the Suzhou Industrial Park, is of this nature. Likewise, the Tianjin Eco-City. For the third G-to-G project, the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, the scope has broadened because it is not just about township development or industrial park development. It is also about, for instance, logistics development, information and communications technology and financing exchanges. This opens up the scope for even more companies, large and small, in different sectors to participate.
IE Singapore has been facilitating the participation of SMEs in the G-to-G projects. We welcome more SMEs to take part. The challenge, very often, I think, is in reaching out to SMEs and encouraging them, for instance, to attend talks and forums organised by IE Singapore or in coming along on business missions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Fair Pricing for Milk Powder","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"2 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) given that the rise of milk powder prices in Singapore far exceeds inflation rates and the increment in other countries, whether the Ministry will work with local distributors and retailers to ensure fair pricing.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)): Madam, I share the Member's concern that local distributors and retailers should price milk powder appropriately. Another Member, Ms Sun Xueling, has also spoken about milk powder in her interviews with the Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao over the weekend.
The Government is as concerned as Members are about the high price of infant formula. We have been monitoring the situation and taking steps to address the concerns. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) and international organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), strongly encourage breastfeeding as it can provide the nutritional needs of infants, with the added benefits of promoting mother-child bonding. Breast milk is the best milk to meet the nutritional needs of infants. HPB recommends that, where possible, mothers should exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months. Between six and 12 months, babies should be given breast milk along with complementary foods. For children above 12 months of age, cows' milk, as part of a balanced diet, is adequate to meet their nutritional needs. Formula milk is not required for children beyond the first year.
We recognise that, in some cases, infants cannot be exclusively breastfed and will need infant formula as a form of supplementation or the main form of their feeding. Hence, we have food regulations which stipulate quality and safety standards for infant formula milk sold in Singapore.
Singapore's standards are similar to international standards in terms of required essential vitamins and minerals. Let me assure all mothers and Members of the House that all infant formula sold in Singapore, regardless of price, meets Singapore's Food Regulations and the nutritional needs for infants to grow healthily.
Some infant formula companies give the impression that their particular brands of milk powder can do more. The scientific evidence for this is weak. Without better information, parents should be careful about relying on the claims made by infant formula companies or be misled into using price as a proxy for the quality of the product. The Government will take steps to address this problem, including referencing the best practices in other jurisdictions.
Public awareness is important to support parents in deciding what is best for their children. HPB, together with healthcare institutions and healthcare professionals, will get the message out, especially to mothers-to-be.
Besides consumer education, the Government will also do more through these few things. First, we will do more through our maternity hospitals; secondly, to review import requirements to facilitate more formula milk options on our shelves; and thirdly, put in place stronger consumer protection by tightening advertising and labelling restrictions and regulations. Let me elaborate each of these in turn.
First, on the role of hospitals. Hospitals play an important role where healthcare professionals provide information and advice to parents, and infants have many first experiences in our hospitals.
All hospitals, both public and private, encourage and support breastfeeding. They will provide infant formula when needed, for example, if the mother is unable to produce enough milk to meet the baby's needs or for specific medical reason for which the mother should be discouraged from breastfeeding. For example, when she is on certain medications or on chemotherapy. The Ministry of Health (MOH) will work with industry players to make available more infant formula options in the hospitals.
We will also strongly encourage all hospitals providing maternity services to achieve the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) certification. All public hospitals offering maternity services are already BFHI-certified today, but private hospitals have yet to come on board. This is unsatisfactory. BFHI-certified hospitals are committed to actively encourage and support breastfeeding targets and are not allowed to enter into sponsorship arrangements with milk powder companies, given the potential for conflicts of interest. We hope private hospitals will see that this is beneficial for their patients and will come on board to support this important initiative.
The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) recently completed a market study which examined the formula milk industry in Singapore and the nature of competition at each level of the supply chain. CCS will publish its report this week, and more details will be available then. Should there be any evidence of companies acting in concert to increase prices together, CCS will not hesitate to investigate the anti-competitive behaviour under the Competition Act.
Secondly, here are several measures that can be taken together to encourage greater price competition among brands. In Singapore, the six major manufacturers which supply formula milk have a market presence which is much bigger than the other manufacturers. This was a point also highlighted by Ms Sun Xueling in her online survey of about 2,500 respondents.
The Government will simplify and streamline import requirements, as well as remove unnecessary barriers to entry, in order to bring in more options for parents but, most importantly, without compromising food safety.
Thirdly, let me talk about consumer protection. Besides doing all these, at the same time, we should also improve consumer protection. The Government will strengthen restrictions on advertising and labelling. The Sale of Infant Food Ethics Committee, Singapore (SIFECS) Code of Ethics already restricts advertising, marketing and promotion of infant formula for infants below six months in Singapore. Nevertheless, HPB is supporting an ongoing review of the SIFECS Code which will include extending its coverage to all infant formula for infants up to 12 months of age. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) will tighten its regulations on labelling and advertising further, including prohibiting the use of nutrition and health claims and idealised images for infant formula milk. This will also discourage companies from incurring massive costs on aggressive advertising and marketing activities and passing these costs on to consumers. Taken together, the increased choices available and improved clarity of labelling should enhance the competitiveness of the infant formula market.
Madam, the Government is committed to help ensure that the basic needs of all children in Singapore are met. In this regard, ComCare provides assistance to low-income families in financial need, including families raising infants and young children. They can approach their nearest Social Service Office (SSO) to apply for ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance. The SSO will assess their needs, and families may receive cash assistance for their basic needs. Let me assure Members that the cash assistance for families with infants and young children will take into account the costs of infant formula milk.
In addition to support for low-income families, all parents of Singaporean children can tap on the wide range of support measures under our Marriage and Parenthood Package, including the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, and Child Development Account to help defray child-raising costs.
To conclude, Madam, I would like to reiterate that the Government shares parents' concern about rising prices of formula milk in Singapore and is committed to addressing them. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and other Government agencies, such as MOH, HPB and AVA, will take steps to increase consumer awareness, encourage good practices in hospitals, facilitate more formula milk options and further tighten regulations on labelling and advertising. The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) will also remind businesses to price their products fairly and look into consumer feedback on potential profiteering.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.
\t
\tMs Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson):\tI thank the Senior Minister of State. I have a few supplementary questions to ask. First of all, would the Senior Minister of State be able to share why is it that milk powder is priced so highly in Singapore, compared with other comparable countries and over time? The jump is too significant, in my opinion, to be explained by operating cost increases. Also, milk powder is seen as essential for growing infants since they can only rely on milk. And a lot of young parents feel that they are held to ransom, especially for those with special medical needs. So, the price elasticity is quite low. Could that be one of the reasons driving the price increase and, if so, would the Government consider control measures, such as those implemented in countries like China, on top of introducing more competition, so that there is greater pressure to ensure that throughout the supply chain, the pricing is fairer and so that it is more affordable for young parents in Singapore?
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Madam, I thank the Member for her clarification questions. In terms of setting a price for special formulas, children who have specific needs for which normal milk formula cannot fulfil, for example, specific allergies or medical conditions, will, therefore, require more expensive formula feeds because of the special formulation required. It will be quite difficult for us to restrict a particular formula for its price, because there is definitely a research and development expenditure that the company has to incur. What we can do is to make sure that we increase the choices that are available and, where necessary, put in the necessary financial support to these families to defray the cost of such formula that they require. But hopefully, these are a more restricted group of infants.
For the larger group of infants that require formula feeding, for which breastfeeding is not an option, then I think this is where we need to educate our consumers as well, that despite whatever pricing strategy that they have on the generic formula, or despite whatever claims there may be, all formulas actually fulfil the minimum nutritional requirements and are, in fact, just as equally adequate.
There is also a big range of milk formula pricing on the shelves today. Some can go for about $20-plus to $30 for a 900-gramme tin, and others can go up to about $60. So, within this range, parents do have a choice. And I think this is where education of the parents to allay their anxiety that they are not shortchanging their children by giving them the cheaper option, because the cheaper option, nutritionally, is just as good as the more expensive ones. And this is where we can introduce the much more robust and healthier competition within the market by removing the information asymmetry.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Sun Xueling.
\tMs Sun Xueling (Pasir Ris-Punggol):\tI thank the Senior Minister of State. The Senior Minister of State mentioned changing the import requirements to allow more choice, for other brands being brought into the market. May I know what is the timing that the Minister expects whereby this can be implemented because, in the short term, we still see evidence of certain pricing behaviours in the market. So, I would like to know how quickly these changes can be effected to help families in Singapore.
\tDr Koh Poh Koon:\tMadam, AVA is reviewing the import requirements and some of the regulations. And we hope that by end of the year, we would be able to make some of these changes. If there are any changes to, for example, regulations, we will also need a little bit of time to engage vendors so that they have the \"go-ahead\" to go and bring in some of these new products. So, by end of this year, we hope to be able to finalise some of these changes.
\tMdm Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Madam, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. It is an issue that many of my Clementi residents worry about as well. I have two supplementary questions.
Firstly, does the current consumer price index (CPI) include infant milk formula in the basket of goods to assess cost of living? As background, I note the recent CPI report mentioned milk, cheese and eggs under food, but not specifically infant formula.
Secondly, will MTI consider studying a cost-of-living index, specifically for parents with young children, so that the Government can understand better how to support young families, especially families starting with less?
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Madam, the answer to the first question is yes. Milk powder for infants' full cream milk powder and other milk powder, even skimmed milk powder are already included in the CPI basket for this category of food.
For the second question, the report on Household Expenditure Survey 2012-2013 published by the Department of Statistics contains data on average monthly household expenditure by household living arrangements, such as by the age group of the head of the household, the number of children in the family, and the age of the youngest child, as well as by household income group. So, there is some data that we already have. This data can be used to study and understand the expenditure of different types of households, including households with younger heads of family as well as young children.
The Government will closely monitor the cost of raising children in Singapore using some of these data and evaluate whether there is a need to compile specific price indices for households in this segment. But let us also understand that expenditure is very much influenced by consumer choices and consumer behaviour. Therefore, this is where I go back to the point about educating our parents to understand that expensive does not mean it is better; cheaper does not mean it is worse. There should be no guilt on the parents' part about buying the cheaper brand of milk. As long as your child can get used to the milk, or they are not suffering from any allergic reaction to that particular brand of milk, there is no real reason to really pay out more when there is something that is just as good and much cheaper. This is where education needs to play a role to help households rationalise their expenditure.
\tMdm Speaker:\tMr Henry Kwek.
\tMr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Nee Soon):\tMadam, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State to see whether special attention can be given to one particular group, which is the babies who need milk for special allergies. I was told that it could cost $45 to $105 for two to three days, depending on whether there is tube-feeding needed for kids requiring milk powder for special allergies. And if the extensive plan from the Senior Minister of State can also look into coordinating with the rest of Government to ensure that the right support is available for needy parents who need expensive formulations.
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Madam, for specific groups of children with specific needs, for example, special dietary concerns, this is where we can work closely with the hospitals to see if they can find a way of getting more options and provide some of these in a much more affordable way for the children.
Also, at the community level, there are ways we can help these families as well, outside the schemes from Government. For example, most of us would have ComCare funds we can use or even Community Development and Welfare Fund (CDWF) that we can also mobilise for short-term support, while the hospital tries to sort out how they can help these specific children with needs. Pre-term infants who require special formulas are a different category altogether but, fortunately, they are not the bulk of the kind of infants that we have to take care of. So, on a case-by-case basis, we can look at how to assist them.
Mdm Speaker:\tMs Tin Pei Ling, last clarification.
\tMs Tin Pei Ling: Thank you, Madam. I hear the Senior Minister of State that the regulations, if any, in terms of changes to the imports and the regulations will take some time and will be towards the end of the year. But I would like to ask if perhaps the Senior Minister of State can give an assurance that the Government will continue to work with the producers, distributors and even the retailers to ensure that the pricing will not continue to rise during this period of time.
Anecdotally, for example, which needs to be verified, residents have been telling me that over the last week, one of the brands, NAN, has increased its price by 7%. While it needs to be verified, I think it is a genuine concern and I hope that the Government can assure us that during this time where the necessary changes are being worked out, that it will continue to monitor very closely to ensure that young parents are not taken advantage of during this period.
\tDr Koh Poh Koon:\tMadam, I assure the Member that the Government is keeping a close eye on this and we will continue to watch how this price trend goes. CCS is also keeping an eye and seeing how they can ensure that there is no price fixing, that there is also fair competition in the market.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Junior College Mergers on Supply of Students for University Admission","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"3 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked\tthe Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) with the increase in the number of autonomous universities to six and increase in cohort participation rate to 40% by 2020 (a) how will the reduction of junior colleges from 16 to 12 affect the supply of GCE \"A\" level graduates for university admission; and (b) whether the number and percentage of polytechnic graduates admitted to the universities will be increased.
\tThe Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Mdm Speaker, cohort sizes coming out of secondary school will fall by about 20% over the course of this decade. It will affect both the number of GCE \"A\" level, as well as polytechnic students and graduates going to the universities. But this impact will be cushioned by the increase in cohort participation rate from 35% now to 40% in 2020.
In 2017, this year, we expect to admit about 19,000 students into locally funded universities. This will likely fall by around 10% to 12% by 2025. But there is no issue of losing critical mass in our universities and institutions, because we only have five autonomous universities, or six, if the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) Bill is passed by this House later in the day.
Because university education is more specialised, there is also less need for critical mass. The Singapore University of Technology and Design, for example, is doing very well as a university with a unique focus on design, admitting only 500 to 600 students a year.
In fact, despite falling cohort sizes, we should expect more diversity in pathways at the university level. Expanding our higher education pathways is not incompatible with decreasing cohort sizes. In fact, as our manpower and talent base decreases, it is even more important to uncover everyone's potential to the fullest through more diverse education pathways.
In addition, our universities have taken on the mandate of lifelong learning, and I expect the university landscape to become more variegated and vibrant over the years.
Mdm Speaker: Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.
\tAssoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member):\tI thank the Minister. Talking about diverse pathways, there have been talks that the move to reduce the junior colleges (JCs) is kind of a reduction of one pathway, at least the JC pathway, in which the JC pathway becomes a little more elitist because of the closing down of neighbourhood JCs. So, to this criticism, would the Government consider if this is a preservation of the multiple pathways to the university or is this a kind of elitisation of JC education?
\tMr Ong Ye Kung: This is a school question, but the other Minister can also answer. Even with a reduced cohort pathway and merging of JCs, JC eligibility criteria remain the same, at 20 points. At or below 20 points, you are eligible to enter JC. The pathway of JC remains intact. I think we need to understand that when cohort sizes fall, it is relentless. It affects everyone. Every pathway will shrink accordingly but, as I mentioned earlier, the fact that it is smaller, it means that we have to put in even more effort to make sure it is more diverse, so that everyone can fulfil their potential.
You look at cinemas now. It is getting smaller and fewer. But each cinema is showing a lot more titles. So, I think it is the same logic. Falling cohort sizes and increasing diversity are not incompatible notions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mandating Hours of Work and Rest for Drivers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"4 Ms Joan Pereira asked\tthe Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider mandating the hours of work and rest for drivers in line with recommendations by the International Labour Organization, such as that of not exceeding nine hours of work daily and a break after four hours of continuous driving.
\tThe Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong) (for the Minister for Manpower): Madam, we take a holistic approach to ensuring health and safety of all our workers, including drivers. Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA), employers are required to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of their workers at work. WSHA also requires employers to provide workers with a safe working environment and adequate instruction, training and supervision to perform their duties safely.
More specifically for drivers, the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) has issued the Workplace Traffic Safety Management Guidelines to promote safe driving. These include ensuring that drivers are trained adequately to drive specific classes of vehicles and also have the right driving habits, such as wearing of seat belts and keeping within speed limits. The guidelines also provide recommendations on preventing driver's fatigue and promoting good health practices.
For example, limiting shift work to no more than 12 hours, including overtime, encouraging drivers to take short and scheduled breaks, such as 15 minutes of rest for every two hours of driving, and educating drivers on the dangers and symptoms of fatigue. Failure to comply with these guidelines can be used as an aggravating factor against employers in Court in the event of accidents and injuries.
WSHC also shares best practices, case studies and safety messages with industry through the WSH bulletins regularly. Together with the Traffic Police, WSHC also helps high-risk companies to better manage and improve their safety measures for their drivers.
While there are still unfortunate cases of work-related traffic accidents, they are on a downward trend in recent years. The number of drivers or riders killed in work-related traffic accidents has declined from 14 cases in 2013, to five cases in 2016. Nonetheless, one death is still one too many. We will continue to encourage companies to put in place measures to improve the safety and health of their drivers.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
\tMs Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar):\tMadam, I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I have one supplementary question. With Singapore's investment in smart cities, innovation, self-driving vehicles and so on, can we not help these drivers by mandating the usage of technologies to enforce theirs and the public's safety?
\tMr Sam Tan Chin Siong: Madam, I thank the Member for the innovative questions. Together with the Land Transport Authority and Traffic Police, we have been considering the use of suitable technologies if they can help to improve the safety of drivers and other road users. We also examine whether all these technological tools are reliable or affordable. I was told that Traffic Police will be conducting a trial on heavy vehicles this year using this technology called tachograph. A tachograph tracks and records a vehicle's speed and other driving information of the driver. Companies that are involved in the trial will also be able to track their drivers' tachograph records and improve the drivers' driving behaviour. Whether or not we will mandate this will depend on the outcome and the findings of the trial. We will only decide after the trial is completed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Scope and Frequency of Safety Inspections on MRT Train Operators","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"5 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how does the Ministry determine the frequency of its safety inspections of MRT train operators; (b) what is the expected scope of such safety inspections; and (c) whether the Ministry conducts surprise safety inspections on train operators and, if so, where can the results of such inspections be found.
\tThe Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong) (for the Minister for Manpower): Madam, to foster safe workplaces, employers and workplace occupiers must take full ownership of occupational safety and health standards. They should also take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of their workers. This is enforced under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.
To ensure compliance and uncover unsafe practices for better deterrence, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducts about 16,000 inspections every year. However, due to the large number of workplaces in Singapore to inspect, MOM has to take a targeted and risk-based approach in our inspection regime. We focus our inspections on workplaces with higher risk activities, greater safety concerns and the types of workplaces that have a higher number of injuries. In short, more inspections are conducted for higher-risk activities and fewer inspections for lower-risk activities.
Madam, the vast majority of MOM's inspections are surprise inspections. We do not go around and tell people we are going to inspect you when and how. So, it will be a surprise inspection. However, for some inspections, such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) track operations and depots, inspections have to be pre-arranged. This is to avoid disruption to train operations during commuting hours as well as the need to obtain security clearance to enter the train depots and track areas safely.
A typical MOM inspection consists of a three-step procedure: (a) a site walk-through to assess the safety and health conditions of the workplace; (b) discussion with supervisors and workers on the operating procedures; and (c) review of the companies' key safety procedures and protocols. An inspection report of any identified safety lapses will be shared with the companies for remedial actions to be taken. Depending on the severity, we may issue Notices of Non-Compliances, Composition Fines or even Stop Work Orders.
Findings and learning points from the inspections are shared with the industry stakeholders while preserving the confidentiality of the inspected companies. Sharing of the learning points is to create greater awareness and also to enable more companies to adopt safer workplace practices to improve workplace safety and health conditions.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member): I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive answers. Just one clarification. In an answer to my colleague hon Member Assoc Prof Daniel Goh's question last month, MOM said, \"Our inspection focus on work at height activities and falling object hazards which were the main causes of workplace fatalities during that period\". This is for MOM conducting workplace safety inspections of various train depots. I have also asked about what is the expected scope of such safety inspections.
Can I just clarify with the Minister of State that even the recent incident in March 2016, which did not involve work at height activities and falling objects, will MOM be increasing the scope of inspection for MRT train operators?
\tMr Sam Tan Chin Siong: I thank the Member for the question, which is a very important one. In the past inspections, the MOM's team actually focused on many areas, including the safety protocols at the workplaces like depots, offices and also include tracks, and things like working at heights, storage of chemicals and some electrical issues. All those inspections had uncovered some lapses.
However, for track operations, they have been found to be quite safe and they did not have any track-related accidents in the last 10 years. Therefore, the focus of the inspections on MRT had been on some other areas which have a higher risk of dangers to workers. That was the reply given to the Member's colleague, Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.
However, after the March 2016 incident where it was found that the safety operating procedure was not followed strictly, we have stepped up more inspections to focus on this area. In 2016 alone, we had conducted six very in-depth inspections. We believe that, together with the MRT management, we have uncovered some unauthorised deviations from the safety procedures. From all these additional inspections, we believe that it will help to increase the safety standards in MRT operations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Defining Domestic Workers' Duties and Job Scopes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"6 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked\tthe Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will (i) consider defining domestic workers' duties and job scopes, (ii) require specialised training for domestic workers asked to perform caregiving work, (iii) link the reference channel comments by employers to the defined duties and allow domestic workers to respond to the comments in line with human resource management best practices.
\tThe Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong) (for the Minister for Manpower): Madam, I am afraid I have to answer that question. It is me again. The role of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore is already defined in our laws. The Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations stipulates that FDWs can only perform household and domestic duties. However, it is not practical to detail every task for every household as doing so would be overly prescriptive and impractical as the needs vary vastly across households.
A growing number of employers employ FDWs to assist in caring for children, sick or elderly family members. It is in the interest of employers to ensure their FDWs have the skills or are trained to perform caregiving tasks that require special training, for instance, tube feeding, in light of the dangers involved if the caregiver is not trained. Employers should ensure that the FDWs are properly trained and are comfortable with performing the task before entrusting them with the task.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care have worked with providers to put in place training courses for caregivers. In addition, MOH provides a Caregivers' Training Grant for caregivers of seniors and persons with disabilities, including FDWs, to attend approved training courses to better equip themselves.
The reference channel does not allow anyone, whether employer or FDW, to post comments. The reference channel only provides an option for employers to leave their contact details and make themselves available to provide personal references for their FDWs. A prospective employer who wishes to find out more about the FDW has to contact the former employer directly to perform the reference check. In a similar vein, the prospective employer can also interview the FDW directly to hear her side of the story before making a hiring decision.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Waiting Time for Dental Treatment at Polyclinics","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"7 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked\tthe Minister for Health (a) what is the Ministry doing to reduce the waiting time for dental treatment at polyclinics; (b) whether appointments for diagnosis and treatment can be made together with closer intervals; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider getting private practitioners onboard to relieve the manpower shortage.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Health): Mdm Speaker, dental attendances in our polyclinics have been growing, from 149,000 in 2013 to 179,000 in 2016. Our polyclinics have expanded dental capacity, reviewed work processes and introduced measures to improve waiting times. We will continue to expand capacity to address the increasing demand for dental services. This includes building more dental facilities in the upcoming new polyclinics, such as Punggol Polyclinic, as well as expanding existing polyclinic dental facilities.
The introduction of the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) in 2012 has also improved the accessibility of subsidised primary dental care through private dental clinics. Today, there are over 700 private dental clinics participating in CHAS, an increase from 290 in 2012. In 2016, there were over 500,000 subsidised dental attendances at CHAS dental clinics. Polyclinics also inform patients about availability of CHAS dental clinics, where eligible patients can also access primary dental care if they choose to do so.
Patients assessed to require immediate treatment can be attended to immediately. Most dental conditions are diagnosed and treated at the same sitting. However, a minority of patients require additional appointments for more extensive treatments. In such cases, when the next appointment is scheduled will depend on the urgency of the situation.
We will continue to monitor and meet the primary dental care needs of Singaporeans through both our polyclinics and CHAS dental clinics.
Mdm Speaker: Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.
\tEr Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I have three supplementary questions. I was told by my residents that National Dental Centre Singapore is very shorthanded and the waiting time can be more than a year. I think a year is a little bit too long, and this is very concerning for many Singaporeans. I would like to ask what more can be done in order to shorten this period.
The second question is: can residents seek treatment at the existing dental clinics, for example, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Changi Hospital? Or are they now designated as private dental clinics?
Third question: do the dental clinic at polyclinics provide specialised dental treatment, such as root canal treatment?
\tDr Lam Pin Min: I would like to thank Er Dr Lee Bee Wah for the supplementary questions. Only dental conditions that require specialist dental care will be referred for management at the national specialty centres.
With regard to the long waiting time at the Dental Centre Singapore, we are currently expanding and upgrading our specialty centres. The new National Dental Centre Singapore will be expanded as part of the overall Outram campus plan which will be redeveloped in phases. In addition, the National University Hospital (NUH) Dental Centre has also started accepting specialty referrals. So, not only just the National Dental Centre, the NUH Dental Centre does accept specialty referrals as well. In addition, the NUH National University Centre for Oral Health will be completed in 2019 and this will also increase the capacity of managing these patients.
Since 2011, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has put in place measures to offer root canal treatments, dentures, crowns and bridges at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital at subsidised rates limited to polyclinic referrals only. Er Dr Lee also mentioned about whether such subsidised cases can be provided at the other hospitals. In fact, MOH takes reference from recommendations on national dental services strategy, and subsidised specialist dental care is only provided at designated national dental specialty centres, which include the National Dental Centre Singapore, NUH Dental Centre and some in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. The reason for this is that it allows consolidation of manpower as well as specialty resources for the provision of these specialty services. At the same time, we also provide training opportunities for dental students as well as specialist training.
Mdm Speaker: Er Dr Lee.
\tEr Dr Lee Bee Wah: I have a resident who has been receiving treatment at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital but then, lately, he was told that he cannot go there anymore because now it is designated as a private dental clinic. Is this true?
\tDr Lam Pin Min:\tIn fact, all dental services in other hospitals other than what I have described are to provide private dental specialty services to patients. I have mentioned the reasons: to consolidate manpower resources at the three designated centres and, at the same time, provide opportunities for training of our dental specialists.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases Referred by Polyclinics to Hospital A&E Departments ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"8 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked\tthe Minister for Health (a) from 2013-2016, what is the number of cases referred from the polyclinics to the Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) of the public hospitals; (b) how many of the referred cases are due to simple procedures that cannot be performed at the polyclinics; and (c) what are the reasons that those simple procedures must be referred to A&E.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Health): Mdm Speaker, the numbers of cases referred from polyclinics to Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments at public hospitals were 55,000 in 2014, 57,000 in 2015 and 64,000 in 2016. Comparable figures for 2013 are not readily available.
The proportion of such referrals to total polyclinic attendances has been fairly small and constant at about 1% in each of the three years. Likewise, the proportion of such cases to total A&E attendances has been quite small and stable at about 4% over the same period.
We do not have statistics on how many of such referrals are for procedures that cannot be performed at the polyclinics. Today, polyclinics are able to attend to patients requiring minor procedures if the condition can be appropriately managed at a primary care setting. Patients with high-risk factors, or patients presenting with conditions that require more specialised assessments, treatments or monitoring would, however, need to be referred to a hospital's specialist outpatient clinic. Patients who require such services on an immediate basis may be referred to the hospital's A&E.
The Ministry of Health will continue to work with the polyclinics to build up capabilities to offer more treatments and procedures to Singaporeans at primary care settings.
Mdm Speaker: Miss Cheryl Chan.
\tMiss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (Fengshan):\tMadam, I have two supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State. The first one is whether there is a list of these simple or minor procedures that is available at the different polyclinics and can that be made available to the public. The second one is: if the patient goes to the polyclinic and the situation is not an emergency, can they not be referred to A&E but given the option to visit or consult a specialist at a public hospital on a later date for the procedures?
\tDr Lam Pin Min: Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the hon Member for the two supplementary questions. The answer to the first supplementary question is yes, the polyclinics do publish a list of minor surgical procedures that they are able to perform in the polyclinics and this information is available on the SingHealth polyclinics' as well as the National Healthcare Group polyclinics' websites. However, I would like to qualify that these minor surgical procedures may not be available in every polyclinic every day due to infrastructure and manpower constraints. Moving forward, all the new polyclinics that will be developed will have dedicated space catered for minor surgical procedures.
As to Miss Cheryl Chan's second supplementary question, today, polyclinics would conduct the necessary triage and assessment process to ensure that only urgent cases are referred to A&E. In fact, we do not encourage polyclinic doctors to refer non-urgent cases to A&E. Non-urgent cases should preferably be referred to the Specialist Outpatient Clinics instead. We have noted Miss Cheryl Chan's feedback and will continue to work with the polyclinics to ensure that patients are referred appropriately to the right care settings, taking into consideration accessibility and affordability for the patients.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"BTO Flat Buyers Delaying Collection of Keys to Sell Existing Property","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"9 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for National Development since 2016 (a) whether there has been an increase in the number of BTO flat owners asking to delay the collection of keys or for a waiver of payment of holding interest because of difficulties in selling their existing property and, if so, what is the increase; (b) how many of such owners have had to cancel their BTO flats and forfeit deposits despite HDB exercising flexibility; and (c) what are the top reasons for those whom HDB have been unable to assist in such situations.
\tThe Minister for National Development (Mr Lawrence Wong): Madam, between 2016 and the first quarter of 2017, less than 2% of Build-To-Order (BTO) flat buyers invited by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to collect keys to their booked flats had asked for a deferment due to difficulties in selling their existing flats. Over this period, we have not observed an increasing trend in the proportion of such cases.
For these buyers, HDB already exercises flexibility and grant a reasonable time extension. The vast majority were able to sell their existing flats and complete the new flat purchase. However, a minority, or 45 buyers in particular, eventually opted to cancel their new flat bookings, pay the forfeiture and continue living in their existing flats. The main reasons for their cancellations include changes to the buyers' overall financial circumstances or they no longer wished to proceed with the new flat purchase for their own personal reasons.
Flat buyers are advised to exercise prudence in their flat purchase. If they plan to finance the new flat purchase with the sales proceeds from their existing flat, they should take into account possible changes in market conditions which may affect their plans and be realistic in their asking prices. In addition, they can make use of HDB's regular updates on the Probable Completion Date of their new flats to plan the sale of their existing flat.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
\tMr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang):\tI thank the Minister for the explanation and clarification. Two things. I just want to clarify whether 2% of the total number of flat applications is against the total number or is it just those who purchase from a resale flat before. A number of cases I have come across were that they were all caught because of the slow resale market right now. Some have difficulty paying the cash that they have to top up. Is there a possibility for HDB to exercise more leniency because I understand that sometimes the holding costs are quite high, at a few hundred dollars? At the same time, can we also protect buyers through better credit modelling, knowing that the market could tank after a certain period because BTO flats do take some time to complete?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, to clarify, the 2% refers to this: over the course of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017, we invited several thousand people to collect their keys for their new BTO flats. Two percent of the people we invited to collect their keys appealed to defer their key collection. And of that number who appealed to defer their key collection, 45 eventually opted to cancel their new flat bookings. So, that is to clarify on the statistics.
On the assistance we can provide to such people who are in difficulties, on a case-by-case basis, in fact, as I have mentioned, HDB already exercises flexibility and grants time extension. For the most part, most of them are able to sell their flats and then complete their new flat purchase transaction, but there is that minority who chose not to. Even for that minority who chose not to, if there are financial hardships, we can look at the particular case at hand and waive the forfeiture that they have to pay.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons Given by Applicants for Rental Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"10 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the reasons given by applicants for rental flats in the past 10 years; (b) what is the number of applicants for each reason; (c) how many of them have ultimately managed to find their own flat to upgrade and returned the rental flat; and (d) what is the current number of rental flats as compared with the total number of HDB flats.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for National Development (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for National Development): Madam, the Housing and Development Board's (HDB's) public rental flats cater to households with no viable housing options or family support. In the last 10 years, an average of 3,000 households a year were successful in their applications for rental flats. Of these, an average of 2,600 households a year decided to move into HDB rental flats, with the remainder cancelling their rental request, for example, because they have found alternative housing options.
Households request for rental flats for a variety of reasons, such as inability to afford a flat, perhaps it is a divorce, loss of employment or medical issues. It will be difficult and not meaningful to break down rental requests by reason, as a household may have multiple overlapping reasons for an application for a public rental flat.
Of these households, about 1,600 have returned their rental flats to HDB and now have their own home ownership flats.
There are about a million HDB flats, of which about 56,000 are rental flats, comprising a mix of 1- and 2-room apartments.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
\tMr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio):\tI thank the Senior Minister of State for the comprehensive reply. May I know whether HDB would consider allowing them to buy over their existing rental flats?
\tDr Koh Poh Koon:\tMadam, is the Member asking about whether existing rental tenants can convert their rental flat into a home-owned one?
\tMr Gan Thiam Poh:\tYes.
\tDr Koh Poh Koon:\tIn the past, we do have such a scheme. Today, we are hoping to encourage them to move on to, say, an established 2-room flexi flat so that we can keep the rental stock for other needy tenants.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Change in Proportion of HDB Flats, Private Flats and Landed Properties","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"11 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked\tthe Minister for National Development (a) in the last 10 years, what is the percentage change in the number of HDB flats, private flats and landed properties in relation to the total number of dwelling units in Singapore; and (b) what is the projected proportion of HDB flats to non-HDB flats for 2020.
\tThe Minister for National Development (Mr Lawrence Wong): Madam, between 2006 and 2016, the number of HDB flats increased from 880,000 to 1,011,000 units. The number of private properties, inclusive of landed properties, increased from 243,000 to 372,000 units.
Consequently, the proportion of HDB flats out of the total dwelling units in Singapore decreased from 78% to 73%, while the proportion of private properties increased from 22% to 27%. This is between the period of 2006 and 2016.
Over the coming years, the proportion of HDB flats to non-HDB flats is projected to remain stable. Our projections are that in 2020, the proportion of HDB flats out of the total dwelling units in Singapore will remain at around 72%.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
\tMr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio):\tI thank the Minister for the reply. Would the Minister consider keeping this ratio for the long term? I understand it used to be 80:20; now, it seems to be 70%-72%. So, is there a threshold that the Government would consider to maintain for this ratio, this proportion?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I should clarify that the ratio I indicated earlier refers to the ratio of dwelling units, not the proportion of households who live in public housing. The proportion of households who live in public housing remains at 80% today. But the physical dwelling units, as I mentioned earlier, over that period of 2006 and 2016, have varied − more private housing and, therefore, the proportion decreased from 78% of public housing dwelling units to 72%.
As I have mentioned, over the next few years, we think that this will remain stable. In the longer term, how will this vary? I think it is very hard to project what demographic trends there will be. But our commitment, clearly, is to make sure that we continue to provide stable and affordable public housing for Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for Compulsory Law, Social Norms and Security Awareness Courses for Foreigners Working or Residing in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"12 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked\tthe Prime Minister whether the Ministry will consider implementing a compulsory induction/orientation programme covering topics, such as basic laws, social norms and security awareness, for foreigners who are residing in Singapore for a longer period, such as those on work pass, Long-term Pass, Dependant Pass and Student Pass, so as to better integrate them into the local community.
\tThe Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Mrs Josephine Teo) (for the Prime Minister): Mdm Speaker, there are a number of programmes and initiatives that seek to better integrate foreigners working or living in Singapore with the local community.
For example, upon their arrival in Singapore, all new Work Permit holders receive guidebooks that cover Singapore laws, employment regulations and social norms. In addition, all new foreign domestic workers (FDWs) attend a Settling-in Programme, and new foreign workers from the Construction, Marine, Process and Metalworking sectors attend Safety Orientation Courses, both of which cover aspects of Singapore laws and our social norms. Annually, these compulsory programmes cover close to two-thirds of all new Work Permit holders coming to Singapore.
Other pass holders can easily access online resources that help them appreciate local laws and norms. In addition, the National Integration Council also partners the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to offer the Workplace Integration Programme which provides training on supervising multicultural teams.
Our schools, polytechnics and autonomous universities also organise numerous activities that facilitate integration of international students in our educational institutes. These include orientation programmes, buddy schemes and host family programmes. Through the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum in schools, foreign students also learn about our values and norms.
Security awareness is equally important for locals and foreigners. Through activities in the neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces, the aim is to promote widespread awareness and vigilance among all residents, both local and foreign.
The various onboarding programmes have helped foreigners better understand and adjust to living in a multicultural, multiracial and multi-religious Singapore. However, integration takes time and cannot be achieved through one-off programmes. We will need the continued support of Singaporeans and foreigners across all parts of society to work together to foster social cohesion and integration.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Promotion of Financial Technology","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"13 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked\tthe Prime Minister whether there are plans to encourage the use of financial technology (fintech) in our financial institutions given that 73% of traditional financial institutions in Singapore believe they are at risk of losing business to fintech.
The Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung) (for the Prime Minister): Financial technology (fintech) is transforming the financial services industry in an unprecedented way. Disruption is happening and gathering pace. A growing number of fintech players are offering a range of financial services, either to take over business from financial institutions or to work together with them.
But financial institutions in Singapore are not sitting still. They have been investing heavily in developing their own fintech capabilities. At the same time, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has been strongly supporting the development of fintech and is regarded internationally as one of the most progressive regulators in this aspect. In 2015, MAS laid out a vision for a Smart Financial Centre, where innovation is pervasive and technology is widely used.
MAS does not have to choose between financial institutions and new fintech players. We take an even-handed approach, encouraging established and new players to compete, collaborate and innovate. There is a natural synergy here: fintech solutions present financial institutions with opportunities to enhance their product offerings, while collaboration with financial institutions enables fintech players to broaden their reach. In this regard, MAS promotes fintech in two broad ways.
First, update policies and provide regulation that is conducive to innovation. For example, last year, MAS issued new guidelines on the use of cloud computing services by financial institutions to give them confidence to adopt new fintech solutions hosted on the cloud. MAS has also introduced a regulatory sandbox for financial institutions and fintech players to experiment with new technologies while limiting the potential consequences of product failure.
Second, facilitate and encourage innovation and collaboration between financial institutions and fintech players. Last year, Singapore staged the world's largest Fintech Festival. Fintech companies around the world, and in Singapore, participated actively, because they wanted to collaborate with established financial institutions. Today, more than 20 global financial institutions have set up innovation labs or research centres here, specialising in areas, such as data science, machine learning, user experience and design thinking.
As our financial institutions harness new technologies to improve their services, it is important to ensure that our financial sector workforce is building competencies in tandem with these changes.
MAS is working closely with the Institutes of Higher Learning to shape curriculum and engender greater alignment between what is being taught in the institutes and the skills needed by the financial industry.
The industry is cognisant of the need for skills upgrading, too. The Financial Information Technology Academy has developed a digital transformation programme for mid-career professionals that includes topics, such as data analytics and agile development. The Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) will also be offering new learning modules on data science, human-centric design, agile thinking and cybersecurity awareness.
Through the Financial Training Scheme and IBF Standards Training Scheme, MAS provides funding to support professionals in acquiring specific expertise and competencies in the financial sector. There are also schemes within the TechSkills Accelerator, an initiative driven by Infocomm Media Development Authority, which provides support for employers to develop their existing employees in the relevant information and communications technology skills.
What I have outlined today are just some of the examples of what is being done to embrace technology in the financial sector and enhance collaboration with fintech players. Financial institutions in Singapore are making good progress in fostering a culture of innovation and a spirit of enterprise.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Large-scale Adoption of Digital Ordering and Cashless Payment Systems","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"14 Assoc Prof Randolph Tan asked\tthe Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) what are the major factors preventing a large-scale adoption of digital ordering and cashless payment systems for small food stalls, such as those in coffee shops and hawker centres; and (b) how will the Food Services Industry Transformation Map push for greater use of such labour-saving technologies by this type of small businesses.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)): One of the focus areas of the Food Services Industry Transformation Map (ITM) launched last September is to reduce the industry's reliance on manpower. The use of digital services like digital ordering and cashless payments will help us achieve this.
As of March 2017, approximately 1,400 food outlets, or 20% of all establishments, have adopted some form of digital services. Most have done so recently, and we will actively encourage more to do so.
The key factors affecting the take-up of digital solutions are, first, habit; second, the cost of adoption; and third, the fact that many digital payment systems are currently not interoperable. We believe that all three factors can be addressed.
First, for greater convenience of use, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), along with other agencies, is working with payment service providers to make essential payment modes available in a single device.
Second, both the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING) provide grants to offset the costs to stallholders of adopting digital service solutions. NEA is also progressively rolling out cashless payments infrastructure at hawker centres. At the same time, SPRING and NEA are working with MAS to study how to lower the cost of digital service systems by using models which do not require separate equipment or which use existing equipment. This could include the use of Quick Response (QR) codes for payment.
Third, we are looking to directly promote adoption. Last year, the Government launched two tenders for productive coffee shops in Tampines and Choa Chu Kang, which included productivity considerations in their requirements. More productive coffee shops will be launched, and we have set a target to have 100 of these by 2020.
Through all of these initiatives, our goal is to achieve 50% adoption rate of digital services across all food and beverage outlets by 2020.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Recent Price Increases on Cost of Living","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"15 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked\tthe Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) whether the Ministry is tracking the recent slew of price increase announcements, such as water, electricity, transport and carpark charges, and its impact on the cost of living within a short period; (b) what is the expected impact on the Consumer Price Index in the next three years; and (c) what proportion is due to Government-influenced price increases.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)): Mdm Speaker, both the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) closely monitor external and domestic price developments, including movements in global oil prices and administrative price adjustments, as well as their impact on inflation in Singapore. For 2017, MTI and MAS have projected that the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-All Items inflation will pick up to 0.5% to 1.5%, from -0.5% in 2016.
The main driver of the pickup in inflation in 2017 is the expected increase in the prices of electricity and other energy-related components, such as petrol, on the back of a projected rise in global oil prices. In particular, following a sustained period of decline, global oil prices started to pick up in the second quarter of 2016 and are expected to average higher in 2017. In line with this, the electricity tariff, which is pegged to prevailing gas prices that are, in turn, indexed to the global oil prices, reversed its downward trend to post an increase in the third quarter of 2016 and is generally expected to be higher in the coming quarters as compared to last year.
However, notwithstanding the increase, it should be noted that the current tariff remains around 17% lower than the peak that was reached in the second quarter of 2014. Beyond 2017, the extent to which electricity tariff and other energy-related components will contribute to inflation in 2018 and 2019 will depend on the movement in global oil prices then.
At the same time, administrative price adjustments, including the increases in water tariff and car park charges, will also contribute to a temporary increase in inflation, although I must say the impact is expected to be small. MTI estimates that the various administrative price adjustments will collectively contribute around 0.2 percentage point to inflation in 2017.
Going forward, the Government will continue to closely monitor the impact of administrative price adjustments and other price developments in the economy on households.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
\tMr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): I thank the Senior Minister of State for the clarification. Many of my residents are concerned because there has been a slew of Government announcements of price increases ranging from car park to water and, recently, on energy as well.
How can the Government help assure citizens that the impact of such Government-influenced prices will not impact long-term sustainability in terms of affordability and cost of living? I just want to check that for the 0.2%, is that after or before the Government transfers to help subsidise short-term increases, because there is a long-term implication as well, if we keep doing that.
Second, I would like to check: does the Ministry proactively monitor this and coordinate with agencies so that we can also smoothen − in anticipation of some of these potential increases that we know of, for example, the energy prices the Senior Minister of State mentioned − some of these increases as well to make it more affordable for citizens?
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Mdm Speaker, I would like to reassure the Member that the Government does take this seriously and is monitoring. We will, as far as possible, smoothen out some of these increases, wherever possible. The difficulty, of course, is that oil prices and gas prices are not really within our control and we have to adjust as and when these prices start to fluctuate globally.
On the question about whether the 0.2 percentage-point increase includes some of the rebates and Government subsidies, the answer is no. Let me just explain this. There are a few ways we can help to offset some of these. One, of course, is to stagger the price increases, and as Members would remember, the water tariffs are increased over two tranches: the first tranche will be in July this year, and the next increment will be in July next year. It is broken up into two phases to offset the steepness of the increase.
The U-Save rebates are not taken into account in the CPI calculations, as these are actually given to households as a lump sum to be utilised over a few months. The rebates are treated as some form of income transfer. They do not directly reduce the price of the individual product per se, such as the water tariff, for example. Therefore, they do not get calculated as part of the CPI adjustments. Therefore, when you look at the top-line adjustments for CPI, bear in mind that hidden behind it, there is also some form of U-Save rebates, for example, that are not captured in the adjustment. So, for households that receive rebates, the impact for them will be much less than what is reported.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
\tMr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Just a few supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State.
Can I clarify the expected inflation rates of 0.5% to 1.5% that the Senior Minister of State indicated? Is that overall inflation or core inflation? And if it is overall, could he share the outlook for core inflation?
Next, on the analysis for the causes of the inflation and the contribution of the Government administrative charges, will that be the same for overall inflation, as opposed to core inflation and, as such, is playing a greater role for core inflation?
\tDr Koh Poh Koon: Mdm Speaker, the numbers that I gave earlier on the increase of 0.5% to 1.5% are actually CPI-All Items inflation. I do not have the numbers for core inflation that the Member is asking for.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Violations of Environmental Public Health Act by Food Courts","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"16 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked\tthe Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) over the past three years, whether there is an increasing trend of eateries that have been ordered to shut down or suspend operations due to violations of the Environmental Public Health Act; and (b) what are the preventive measures that NEA will put in place to improve the compliance level of eateries with the Act.
17 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked\tthe Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what is the trend of food hygiene at food courts; (b) what are some of the contributing factors to poor food hygiene in these food courts; and (c) whether there are plans to tighten their general cleanliness and hygiene given the reports of cockroach and rat problems at some food courts.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources):\tMdm Speaker, with your permission, may I take Question Nos 16 and 17 together?
Mdm Speaker: Yes, please.
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: Thank you. The National Environment Agency (NEA) currently licenses more than 37,000 food retail establishments, including restaurants, food kiosks, caterers and food stalls within hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts, to ensure that the food sold is prepared hygienically and safe for consumption.
NEA conducts regular inspections of food retail establishments to ensure compliance with hygiene standards and takes enforcement actions against establishments that do not practise proper food hygiene. Common hygiene-related infringements include failing to register food handlers, selling food that is unclean and failing to keep the premises clean or free of pest infestation. Licensees are liable for a maximum fine of $2,000 upon conviction of such offences. They are also awarded demerit points for each offence committed and, upon accumulating 12 demerit points within a 12-month period, their licences will be suspended for two weeks as an additional penalty. Recalcitrant licensees may have their licences cancelled.
In 2016, NEA carried out more than 148,000 inspections and over 3,200 enforcement actions were taken against food retail establishments, an increase from around 2,500 in 2013. About a third of the enforcement actions were taken against stalls in food courts, coffee shops or canteens. Correspondingly, the number of licences that were suspended increased from 62 in 2013 to 132 in 2016. Of the 132 licences suspended in 2016, 60 involved stalls in food courts, coffee shops and canteens, up from 14 in 2013.
Meanwhile, the food poisoning incidence rate at food retail establishments had remained low, being consistently maintained at 3.2 food poisoning outbreaks per 1,000 food retail establishments or below since 2013. This means that 0.32% or less of the food retail establishments were implicated in food poisoning outbreaks each year. This suggests that the systems put in place were effective deterrents against poor food hygiene practices. Nonetheless, we cannot be complacent and must continue to maintain our strict stance on food safety.
NEA has implemented programmes, such as the Food Hygiene Officer (FHO) Scheme for restaurants, food courts, school canteens and caterers and the Food Safety Management System (FSMS) for caterers. These programmes are aimed at ensuring that operators of food retail establishments put in place preventive measures to maintain a high standard of food and personal hygiene among food handlers, as well as to upkeep the cleanliness of the premises.
NEA officers educate operators on proper food hygiene practices during inspections. In addition, NEA carries out outreach and educational programmes, such as the \"My Eatery Shines\" programme in the South-West District and the \"Good Refuse Management in Food Shops\" and \"CLEAN Food Everyday − Food Caterers\" programmes in the North-West District. Through these programmes, NEA works with operators and stall owners to improve their cleaning and refuse management regimes and partners the grassroots organisations to educate the public on keeping food shops clean.
Members of the public can check the individual food retail establishments' hygiene records and suspension records by visiting our NEA website, using the myENV mobile application or scanning the Quick Response (QR) code on the licences displayed at the food retail establishments. Members of the public who come across poor hygiene practices in food retail establishments can contact our NEA's 24-hour Call Centre to provide information for NEA's investigation.
Mdm Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): I thank the Senior Minister of State for her answer. I have got two supplementary questions. Firstly, would NEA consider arranging some form of compulsory training for stallholders and eatery operators to help improve the overall compliance with public health standards?
Secondly, given the role of the supporting staff in an eatery, would NEA consider making it mandatory for all workers in an eatery to have basic public health training? So, including the cleaning crew and those collecting the plates so that they understand the very key role that each team member has in protecting public health.
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for his supplementary question and suggestion. First, NEA currently requires all food handlers, that is, those who prepare or handle food, to attend and pass a basic food hygiene course, as well as a refresher course to ensure sustained awareness of food hygiene practices. So, the basic food hygiene course will have courses on personal and food hygiene, proper food storage, upkeep of cleanliness of the premises and so on.
But in addition to this, NEA also regularly sends advisories as well as collaterals, like posters and stickers, to our food retail establishments, which they can then use as informational materials for their workers. Additionally, we also regularly conduct sharing, briefing sessions as well as provide newsletters to all our stakeholders, including the licensees as well as the food and beverage (F&B) associations on food hygiene practices as well as prevailing hygiene situations and so on in that industry. Again, this can be shared, not just with the operators but also with all their workers.
Additionally, as I have said earlier, we have an FHO scheme, and restaurants of a certain size as well as food courts, canteens, caterers, are required to appoint a senior staff, a supervisor or operations manager, and even the sous chef, to be trained and appointed as FHOs so that they are responsible for implementing and ensuring good food hygiene practices as well as supervision, and ensuring that their other workers also comply.
In addition, when we consider if we should mandate all workers in the food retail establishments to be trained under the Basic Food Hygiene Course (BFHC), we need to take into consideration several factors like the practicality of doing it, the effectiveness as well as the possible impact on business cost. Given the nature of the F&B industry, with high turnover, and a large number of part-time or temporary workers, it will be a challenge to require all workers to do this, not to add that there will be impact on business cost. In fact, mandating that all their food handlers must be trained under BFHC and registered before they can start work is already raised as a pain point by the F&B industry although we need to ensure that this is complied with. One of the key infringements is using unregistered food handlers.
At this point, our view is that it is not necessary to register or mandate BFHC for all other workers, except the food handlers, where there is really no direct impact on food safety as well as public health. But notwithstanding this, let me say that we will continue to ensure that we enforce strictly on infringements.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
\tMr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Tanjong Pagar):\tI thank the Senior Minister of State for her answer. My supplementary question relates to the cleaning arrangements at our food centres. My understanding is that table cleaning is often managed by NEA, while the cleaning of the floor is often by the Town Councils. Because of that, sometimes I hear feedback from the residents that those cleaning the tables would just sweep the items onto the floor because it is a different set of cleaners. Would NEA consider reviewing such arrangements?
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: Again, I thank the Member for the question and suggestion. Let me say that if the hawker centre is managed by NEA and it is not HDB-owned, the hawkers' association will work together with us in terms of procuring the cleaning contractors and ensuring the cleanliness of the area and so on.
What the Member is referring to is when it is HDB-owned and the Town Council is in charge of the common areas, including the hawker centres, and then the cleaning is procured by the hawkers' association. NEA will assist in the coordination and work closely with the Town Councils as well as the hawkers' associations to address challenges if there are two different contractors. In relation, say, in the case of a food court, which was the original question filed by the Member, then there would not be this issue.
But having said that, as I have noted, we know that every infringement is one infringement too many because it concerns food safety and public health and, therefore, we will continue to look at ways to tackle this and prevent such occurrences.
\tMdm Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng: Just one more question to the Senior Minister of State. I thank the Senior Minister of State for her explanation about the training process and how it is continually being improved. If not already done so, could the training also involve descriptions and updates of case studies of previous outbreaks so as to both build awareness and vigilance among trainees to avoid repeating the same mistakes?
\tDr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for his suggestion. I would assume that under the syllabus when the lecturers do this training, that could have already been shared. But having said that, I think that it is a good idea and I will make sure this is part of the training sessions and sharings.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Internet Disruptions Due to Cable Cuts","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"18 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked\tthe Minister for Communications and Information (a) for the past five years, how many instances of Internet disruption lasting more than three hours have there been; (b) of these, many cases have been due to cable cuts; (c) how many users have been affected by the latest cable-cut incident in Jurong on 12 April 2017; (d) what are the lessons learnt from the latest cable-cut incident; and (e) what are the measures that IMDA have taken to prevent a repeat.
\tThe Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mdm Speaker, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) takes a serious view of any service disruptions to public telecommunications services. IMDA has put in place strict regulatory requirements to prevent such disruptions and ensure quick service recovery when disruptions occur. Based on reports made to IMDA under its Outage Reporting Code, 26 Internet disruptions lasting more than three hours have been reported since 2013. Of these, 14 were caused by cable cuts.
Madam, the cable cut incident on 11 April 2017 affected about 3,800 subscribers. Services were progressively restored over 28 hours. This incident was caused by construction works undertaken by several contractors involved in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) project in the Jurong area. IMDA's investigation is ongoing. Thus, it would be premature to share any conclusions or lessons learnt at this time.
Investigations into past cable cut incidents revealed that most incidents occurred because contractors did not follow established standard operating procedures (SOPs). These contractors were also not careful and failed to exercise due diligence when undertaking earthworks. So, to overcome these problems, IMDA has been carrying out regular dialogue sessions with relevant Government agencies and their contractors on preventive measures. IMDA has also circulated \"Dos and Don'ts\" in multiple languages at worksites to alert workers on the need to exercise due care and caution when carrying out earthworks.
Madam, cable cut incidents impose significant costs on operators, consumers and businesses. I am told that the telecommunications companies' (telcos') repair costs alone can sometimes exceed half a million dollars. These costs exclude those incurred by consumers and businesses. IMDA will continue to work closely with all parties involved to ensure that the number of such cable cut incidents is minimised.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Ang Wei Neng.
\tMr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong):\tI thank the Minister for the reply. Would the Minister consider asking the companies that caused the cable cut to also compensate the Internet users who are affected by these kinds of incidents?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, to begin with, the company responsible for the cable cut will be investigated by IMDA and, if found guilty, will be prosecuted. As to whether the company wants to do a gesture of goodwill, it is up to them.
Mdm Speaker:\tMr Leon Perera. Keep it very short; we are running out of time.
\tMr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member):\tJust a brief supplementary question. Thank you, Madam. Does the Minister have any data on how well Singapore is doing compared to other developed countries in terms of frequency and extent of Internet disruption? And if there is no metric that is currently being tracked, would the Minister consider tracking and publishing that in future?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I thank the Member. I do not have the answers. I am not too sure whether there is such a global metric. But by all accounts, in terms of connectivity, we are doing quite alright. In terms of availability, that is something we have to look at. At this point in time, there is a demand for faster and better connectivity for the Internet. I will take the Member's point and see what we can do.
Mdm Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Introduction and First Reading of Bills.
[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":"Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to amend the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 186 of the 1999 Revised Edition) and to make consequential and related amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Home Team Corps Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to provide for the establishment of a Home Team Corps comprising the National Police Cadet Corps and the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps, to repeal the National Police Cadet Corps Act (Chapter 199 of the 2014 Revised Edition), and for matters connected with that\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by\tthe Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rearrangement of Business","subTitle":"Motion","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That under Standing Order 10(2), the Motion on Amendment of Standing Orders be taken before item No 1 of the Orders of the Day at this day's Sitting\".
The Motion standing in my name concerns the rules and procedures of the House and I think it is appropriate that we should take it before the other items of business today.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That under Standing Order 10(2), the Motion on Amendment of Standing Orders be taken before item No 1 of the Orders of the Day at this day's Sitting\". (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Amendment of Standing Orders","subTitle":"Motion","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That this Parliament resolves that the amendments set out in Appendix I to the Report of the Standing Orders Committee (Paper Parl 6 of 2017) be hereby made to the Standing Orders of Parliament\".
Mdm Speaker, in March this year, Parliament directed the Standing Orders Committee to consider and make recommendations on amendments to the Standing Orders. The Committee was asked to look at (a) amendments arising from the constitutional amendments that we passed last year; and (b) updates to the Standing Orders more generally. In the process, the Committee considered submissions made by Mr Louis Ng and Mr Kok Heng Leun and accepted them where appropriate.
The Committee, comprising both Government and Opposition Members of Parliament, has completed its deliberations and unanimously agreed on a report. The report has been presented to Parliament. I thank the Members of the Committee for their work. I would also like to thank you, Mdm Speaker, for presiding over the Committee's deliberations with your usual fairness and efficiency. The Government agrees with the recommendations of the Committee and commends them to the House.
In my speech today, I will first take the House through the key recommendations made by the Committee; and, second, respond to some of the issues that were raised to the Committee.
First, recommendations related to the Elected Presidency. The Committee made two key recommendations arising from the constitutional amendments that we passed last year.
The first recommendation is for Parliament to be kept informed if the President fails to exercise his custodial powers on a measure passed by Parliament within the time limits prescribed by the Constitution. Such measures include Supply Bills and resolutions on certain guarantees and loans. The recommendation is for the Clerk to publish a notice in the Hansard and the Gazette if the President does not signify his decision on such measures within the prescribed time limit. Under the Constitution, if the President fails to make a decision within the prescribed time limit, he is deemed to have agreed with the proposed measure.
The second recommendation concerns Parliament's power to overrule the President if he exercises a veto contrary to the recommendation of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA). The Committee has recommended that procedural machinery be put in place for this purpose. The procedures will provide that (a) the President's grounds and the CPA's recommendation must be made available two clear days before a Motion to overrule the President can be moved; (b) the Speaker must be satisfied that the President's veto was, in fact, contrary to the CPA's recommendation, as required by the Constitution; and (c) there is to be a standard form of words for Motions to overrule the President.
The Committee also made a number of recommendations relating to Bill procedure.
First, notice of amendments should be increased from two clear days to four clear days. A clear day is basically a full working day. The increased notice applies to both Government and backbench amendments and will give Members more time to consider amendments.
Second, the minimum interval between the First and Second Reading of a Bill should be increased from seven clear days to 10 clear days. In effect, this means at least two weeks must pass between the First and Second Reading of a Bill. The increased interval would avoid situations where Bills come up for Second Reading too quickly because the House is sitting for an extended period, for example, during the Budget Debates. In practice, the interval between First and Second Readings would generally be longer − Bills introduced are generally debated only at the next month's Sitting.
Third, the Second Reading of Supply Bills can be taken immediately after the end of Committee of Supply (COS) proceedings, even if the usual interval between the First and Second Reading have not elapsed. The heads of expenditure in a Supply Bill would have been fully debated by the House during the COS proceedings, and it makes more sense for the House to go to the Second Reading immediately after COS proceedings are completed, instead of diverting to some other business, or adjourning the Sitting and coming back to the Supply Bill later.
On petitions, the Committee recommended that Parliament should be able to consider a Petition together with a Motion or Bill. This would avoid a situation where a Petition on a Bill or Motion is still being considered by the Public Petitions Committee even though the Bill or Motion has already been dealt with by Parliament.
The Committee also made a number of miscellaneous recommendations to improve Parliamentary procedure. I outline the key recommendations.
First, a Member whose question has not been answered during Question Time should indicate within one hour after Question Time whether he wishes to postpone his question. This is to facilitate the work of the Clerks, who have to circulate written answers to Members who choose not to postpone their questions.
Second, a Member should be able to record an abstention in a voice vote. Currently, the Standing Orders only permit dissents to be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
Third, there should be a procedure for officeholders to correct any factual errors they make in a Parliamentary speech. The correction would be made by a written statement circulated to Members and published in the Hansard. The Speaker's leave must be sought within 72 hours after the draft Hansard is circulated. This procedure would ensure that factual errors on important policies and legislation in a speech are swiftly corrected, instead of having to wait until the next available Sitting to make an explanation.
Fourth, the Speaker should be able to order reprints of the Standing Orders. The powers she would have in this regard are similar to those exercised by the Law Revision Commissioners for statute law. Many parts of the Standing Orders are drafted in very archaic styles and would benefit from some revision. Of course, a reprint cannot make substantive changes to the Standing Orders. Such changes would still have to be approved by Parliament.
The Committee also received feedback and suggestions from Mr Louis Ng and Mr Kok Heng Leun. I thank the two Members for their suggestions, which raise important issues. I would like to take this opportunity to explain the Committee's response, and add some observations of my own.
It was suggested that Government Bills should be introduced together with Ministerial Statements providing key information on the Bill. On this specific suggestion, the Committee did not think it was necessary. If a Bill is introduced with a Ministerial Statement, any clarifications that may be sought by Members on the Ministerial Statement and the Minister's subsequent responses may pre-empt the Second Reading debate. It is better that all the speeches and arguments be kept to the Second Reading debate.
But I appreciate the broader point that Members need information on Bills. May I suggest some ways in which Members can get the necessary information.
Every Bill comes with an Explanatory Statement, which will provide information on what the provisions do and the broad purposes of the Bill. To some extent, the statement is technical in nature, because it has to explain the legal provisions accurately. But as far as possible, the Attorney-General's Chamber (AGC) will draft the statement in plain English and in an accessible way. I encourage Members to read the statement for more information on the Bill.
For amendment Bills, I would like to inform the House that the law drafters at AGC will commence on a project in July to make available tracked amendments against the main Act. A soft copy of the tracked changes will be made available on the Members' portal. The authoritative version of the Bill will still be in today's format, but the tracked changes should make things simpler for Members who wish to go into the legislative detail. AGC will review the usefulness of this facility before making it a permanent arrangement.
Beyond the Bill itself, the general practice of Ministries is to release a press statement or fact sheet, which will contain more information about the policy background to the Bill.
And, at the end of the day, if a Member needs more information on a Bill that has been introduced, he or she can approach the relevant officeholder, before the Second Reading debate. I know my colleagues on the front bench will be happy to engage any Member before the debate to hear their concerns.
The Standing Orders Committee was also asked to consider having Standing Select Committees to consider specific issues.
Mdm Speaker, the Standing Orders already provide a number of avenues for Members to take the initiative in raising issues for Parliament's consideration. These avenues are accessible to Government, Opposition and Nominated Members alike. So, instead of looking at having new procedures and formats, I would suggest that Members make full use of the existing procedures. If Members need any advice on the procedures, they can approach the Clerks.
Finally, the Committee was also asked if Question Time could be increased. We increased Question Time back in 2004, from one hour to one and a half hours. At times, the one and a half hours are sufficient to finish all the Questions for Oral Answer. At other times, I recognise we were not able to do so. But there are only so many hours in a Sitting day, and we need to strike a balance between Question Time and the other demands on Parliamentary time. There are already instances where the House has to sit late into the night to give Members time to debate Bills and Motions. So, at this point, I do not think it is right to have a permanent increase in the length of Question Time stipulated in the Standing Orders.
What the Government will do is to ask the House to increase Question Time on an ad hoc basis if the volume of business permits. Members will recall that Parliament increased Question Time to two and a half hours last July and last October on my Motion. The Government is prepared to continue to take this approach, having regard to the number of questions and the other demands on Parliamentary time. In appropriate cases, Ministers will also make statements to the House on important issues outside of Question Time, and Members can seek clarifications on these issues. This was done, for example, during the Zika outbreak last year.
I should also remind Members that, if a Member's question is not reached by the end of Question Time, he can choose to postpone his question and request for an Oral Answer to be given at the next Sitting. Otherwise, the Member will still receive a written answer to his question. All questions filed by Members will be answered by the relevant Ministries either in oral or written form.
By way of conclusion, I should like to touch on time management in the House. I asked the Clerk to collate some statistics. We are now sitting longer hours for each Sitting. For the 11th Parliament, we sat for an average of five hours and eight minutes per Sitting day. The average for the 12th Parliament was five hours and 40 minutes. The average for this Parliament, up to April, is six hours and 23 minutes. Last month, Members would recall that we sat until 10.00 pm on 4 April.
These increases and the absolute numbers are not, in themselves, a matter of serious concern. We have more Members now, and more complex issues facing the country. It is natural that we have been sitting longer.
To some extent, we can sit longer if need be and, in fact, I would tell the House that the length of Sittings is likely to continue to increase. But in overall terms, I would prefer to have a focused, meaningful Sitting for a few days every month. I think this would be more beneficial for the quality of debate in the House. So, I urge all Members − participate vigorously in debates by all means, but keep your speeches short, sharp and to the point. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mdm Speaker, at the outset, I would like to thank the Standing Orders Committee for its work.
I seek some clarity on Standing Order No 54(4) which is to be deleted by way of these amendments. I would like to enquire about the original reason for this Standing Order which requires the presence of at least 25 Members who are supportive of a Motion when a debate is to be closed. It would appear that the spirit of this Standing Order is not just to ensure no infringement of the rights of the minority or an abuse of the rules of Parliament, but to ensure that there is a significant enough number of Members of Parliament who are present in the House to see through any debate and at the close of debate.
However, what these amendments could considerably do is to create a public impression that the deletion of Standing Order No 54(4) supports the presence of fewer Members of Parliament in the House when the relevant question is put, bearing in mind that the deleted Standing Order does not call for a quorum of 25 Members but the presence of at least 25 Members who were in support of the Motion, a higher requirement necessitating a sufficiently robust number of Members of Parliament in the House.
So, for example, if these amendments are approved and Standing Order 54(4) is deleted, it would permit a hypothetical Motion to pass should the matter be decided with 17 \"ayes\" and 9 \"nos\", as it would have met the constitutional quorum requirement of at least 26 Members. Even though the Constitution in Article 57(1) is silent on the specific number of majority votes required, in effect, the deletion of this Standing Order supports the presence of fewer Members in the House at the closure of debate when the question is put to Members. Going back to the illustrated example, should Standing Order 54(4) remain, the same Motion would require at least eight more Members in the House, and that is assuming they intend to vote in favour of the Motion.
To this end, some members of the public may draw an adverse inference on these amendments and there may be some risk that it will reduce public trust in the institution of Parliament as Singaporeans would expect most legislators to be present in the House at any point in time. This is notwithstanding the fact that Article 56 of the Constitution requires a quorum of one-quarter of Members to be present when the House is in session, failing which, Parliament shall be adjourned. It would be helpful if the Leader can revisit the spirit and purpose of the deleted Standing Order 54(4) in the first place and why it is this Standing Order was drafted in the first place, so as to pre-empt any adverse public opinion on this matter.
The registration of my concerns notwithstanding, I support the amendments.
I would like to make a second point, which is in reference to the Leader's speech just now with regard to questions which are postponed by Members and essentially go beyond the one and a half hours that are allotted by Parliament.
Can I get some understanding from the Leader as to whether those questions will be accorded some degree of priority in the subsequent session of Parliament, because my experience in the second half of last year was that a question on the Competition of Commissioner of Singapore and lifts, with regard to lifts that are maintained by or managed by EM Services, was repeatedly postponed month after month. So, I would like to get some assurance from the Leader that that ought not to happen in future, provided the list of questions the Government has can be reordered somewhat.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mdm Speaker, while I am prepared to support the Motion, I would like to place on record my concern about one of the proposed amendments. This relates to the change of Standing Order 18 on petitions. In gist, my concern is that the new power to be given to the House must be used with great care and should never be seen to curtail the public petition process.
Let me explain. The proposal by the Standing Orders Committee is to amend Standing Order 18 to provide an option for the House to decide that a petition need not be referred to the Public Petitions Committee (PPC). This might be done if the Speaker is of the view that the subject matter of the petition relates to a matter being already before the House, by a way of a Bill or Motion, in which case, the petition can be considered at the same time. The Committee's report states that this is to avoid the situation where the Bill or Motion has already disposed of the matter before the PPC considers the petition, making the petition moot.
Under the current Standing Orders, all petitions initiated by the public must be brought to this House through a Member who is not a signatory to the petition. In other words, the Member is not necessarily a person who shares the concerns of the petitioners but is merely a necessary conduit through which a petition may be presented to Parliament. The Standing Order provides that every such petition must be referred to the PPC, except in very limited circumstances. I am concerned that this new power, if used routinely, would result in petitions not being given their due hearing, or send a signal that petitions are not important.
Some may ask what difference a reference to the PPC will make, since the contents of the petition can be read by Members during a debate on a related Bill or Motion. The difference to me is very significant. The PPC is a Standing Select Committee whose procedures are governed by Standing Order 103. PPC is empowered to call for witnesses, papers and records and can independently report its opinion and its observations to Parliament. Compared with the procedures of the whole House, the PPC would have more time to fully investigate the grievances of the petitioners and hear them out personally if needed, and call for relevant documents, including documents from the Government.
The public petition procedure is provided for by the Standing Orders, and it is a vital link between Parliament and the members of the public. There is a due process that should be granted to petitioners. If the petition is not referred to the PPC but is considered by the whole House during a debate of the Motion or Bill, the burden would naturally shift to the Member presenting the petition to fully convey the petitioners' concerns and grievances, which is probably expecting too much of the Member.
Madam, the recent debate on the administration of Justice Protection Bill provides a window as to what could potentially be problematic in the future. A petition of the Bill was presented through Nominated Member Kok Heng Leun but it was dealt with summarily during the debate of the Bill.
In that case, the wording of the Bill was not made public until after it was presented in Parliament for First Reading. So, it could well be said that the petitioners could not have initiated their petition any earlier. In that debate, Nominated Member Mr Kok Heng Leun indicated his consent to have the petition heard together with the Bill and his view that this was appropriate, should be given due weight.
However, the House should be mindful that in future cases, we should endeavour to ensure that all petitions are granted their due process and hearing by PPC. The House should bear in mind that it may be in the public interest instead to do the opposite to defer the Motion or Bill, unless there is urgency, until the petition has been considered by PPC and its report sent to Parliament. Parliament might well benefit from a fuller understanding of the issue from the aggrieved or concerned persons before considering the Bill or Motion.
In summary, Madam, while the new power under Standing Order 18 is a useful power to have, my view is that it should be used most judiciously, bearing in mind the importance of the public petitions process.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mdm Speaker, first, I would like to thank you for your guidance and leadership both as the Speaker of this House and as the chairperson for the Standing Orders Committee. With your leadership, our Parliament proceedings are smooth and efficient, and Members can debate productively and robustly while adhering to strict time limits.
This report proposes several enhancements to various aspects of the Parliamentary proceedings and conduct. There are several issues which I would like to raise. First, the proposed amendments on the Elected Presidency, which are consequential to the constitutional amendments proposed last year. One of the proposals states that if the President goes against the advice of the majority of the Council of Presidential Advisers, and exercises his veto power, Parliament can override such a veto with a two-thirds majority. For this to happen, the President's grounds and Council's recommendation should be made available at least two days before a Motion is moved to overrule the President. I would like to clarify what is the legal position if the Clerk fails to publish the notification that the President did not exercise his custodial powers within the constitutional time limit?
Second, on the Bill procedures, I welcome the proposal to increase the minimum interval from seven to 10 clear days as this will give more time for further deliberation on Bills. I also welcome the increase in the notice period for amendments from two clear days to four clear days as this will strike an appropriate balance between passing legislation in a timely way, while allowing Parliament adequate time for legislative scrutiny. I look forward to the proposed tracking of changes to amendment Bills as this will help Members while going through the various versions of the amendments and keep track of the evolution process of the Bill.
On the issue of petitions, I agree that it will be beneficial for the Parliament to have the option of considering a petition together with a related Bill or a Motion, instead of sending the petition to the Public Petitions Committee. This is so that Parliament can have the benefit of considering the petition while debating the Bill or Motion. Members can then scrutinise the issues raised in the petition and a full debate can occur. Public interest will, hence, not be compromised.
When it comes to Question Time, I speak on behalf of backbenchers that we would naturally prefer more time rather than less. However, it also means that if Question Time is increased, the time spent on other matters. such as debating Bills and Motions, will have to moderate. I recognise that the Government is meeting backbenchers midway by increasing Question Time on an ad hoc basis and I hope that this can be done whenever the volume of business permits or an issue is of broad public interest. I also hope that Ministers will continue and perhaps also expand on the practice of making Ministerial Statements on significant issues of broad public interest to the House, in the spirit of accountability to Parliament. This will also give Members another avenue to ask questions on important issues and engage the Ministers on these issues.
Finally, on time management, I welcome the Leader's indication that the Government is prepared to sit longer hours to deal with increased Parliamentary business. This shows that the Government respects the important role that Members play in scrutinising and debating Government policy and proposed legislation. I understand that there are now no limits on how long Members can speak on each item of business and how long each item can be debated but, at the same time, it would not be prudent to prolong debates just because we can. It is ultimately the quality, rather than the length of the debate that matters.
A search online showed that the longest Parliament session in a single Sitting was in 1881 in the United Kingdom which lasted for 41.5 hours. Just last year, the Australian Senate sat for 28 hours before passing a Voting Reform Bill. This is one record that we might do well to avoid. For us to achieve a balanced state where important matters are sufficiently debated, I hope all sides of the House will practice self-discipline, including myself, and keep our speeches short and succinct. Madam, I support the Motion.
Mdm Speaker: Leader of the House Grace Fu.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the speeches by hon Members Sylvia Lim, Pritam Singh and Desmond Choo.
First, I would like to make three broad points. The debate today is not about the Constitutional amendments to the Elected President (EP). The amendment process is complete. We had hearings and the report by the Constitutional Commission, a White Paper in Parliament, and a full debate in Parliament last November. The Opposition made its points and the Government responded. The amendments were passed by Parliament and came into force last month. So far as the EP is concerned, there are only two narrow procedural issues − the procedural machinery for an overruling Motion and a notification where the President does not signify his decision on a measure passed by Parliament.
Second, in amending the Standing Orders, we are refining a system that has worked well for Parliament, amended and adjusted over time to keep its relevance and effectiveness.
Third, the amendments we are debating today were unanimously agreed by the Standing Orders Committee, with both Government and Opposition Members on it. Members were also invited to make submissions to the Committee and had one month to do so. The Committee gave a considered response to the submissions by Mr Louis Ng and Mr Kok Heng Leun.
First, I would like to refer to Mr Pritam Singh who raised the issue about sequence of Parliamentary Questions. There is no rocket science involved in the sequencing. If there are a lot of questions on the topic, they get put in front. If a question concerns a topical issue, it gets put in front. A balance is struck between questions from all sides of the House. The sequence of the questions on the Order Paper is decided by the Speaker. I give my views as the Leader of the House, but the Speaker has the final say.
On Mr Pritam Singh's other issue about removing the 25-Member majority for closure of debate, I would just like to reiterate what the Committee has reported, that this requirement for a 25-Member majority is not consistent with Article 57(1) which provides that all questions proposed for a discussion in Parliament shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the Members present and voting. The requirement was laid down in colonial times. I asked the same question but we could not trace the real background. So, it must have been around for a long time and this is really a housekeeping amendment. The Government has no present intention to invoke that procedure to close debates. In any case, the Standing Order on quorum still stands and that is fixed at 25% of the total Members in the House. And that, by percentage, a quarter is more flexible. It reflects the changing number of Members in the House and, therefore, would be more relevant going forward.
Ms Sylvia Lim raised some concerns about the move to include in the Standing Order a Motion to consider petitions together with its related Bill or Motion. This amendment is a procedural one. If it is carried, the petition is considered by the House. Otherwise, the petition goes to the Public Petitions Committee. Either way, the petition will be considered. It is simply a question of how. So, there is no need for a separate debate.
In any case, I take Ms Sylvia Lim's point that as much as possible − and I am sure I speak for all my frontbench colleagues − we would like to consider all viewpoints brought to the attention of Parliament. But as Members can appreciate, there are two parallel processes that are going on. Any petition could come in on the very day that we are having a debate on a Motion or Bill and it would be advantageous if we would have the ability to consider that petition together with the Motion or Bill, as what we have done with Nominated Member Mr Kok Heng Leun's petition. This would allow us the flexibility of including the facts and the views presented in the petition while not delaying the process that has already been ongoing for the Bill or Motion. If the House feels strongly that a petition has to be considered separately by the Petitions Committee, they can always say no to this procedural Motion.
May I just wrap up by stepping back, Madam, and looking at the big picture. First, it is important to the Government that we spend time in the House to explain the laws and policies that we propose. The cut and thrust of Parliamentary debate inform the public on the important issues of the day. Accounting to Parliament is something that the Government takes seriously. The Prime Minister's open letter to Government Members of Parliament after the 2015 General Election underscored this.
Second, within the House, it is important that we strike a good balance between the different demands on Parliamentary time. Time spent on one item of business means time lost to another. Good time management means we do not have to cut off debate. Good time management means we have time to debate backbenchers' Motions like we did last month. Good time management means we can have more Question Time if need be. Good time management does not mean that Members should pull their punches or mute their criticisms of Government policy. But it does require Members to focus and deliver their key points succinctly and sharply. If anything, a succinct point is more likely to be more impactful and newsworthy than a meandering speech.
Third, we also need to balance the other demands on Members' time. Members know full well that a good debate in the House needs hours of preparation and homework outside. Members also need to remain in touch with different segments of society so that their arguments in the House are grounded in reality. Elected Members need to hear the concerns of the constituents. Ministers need to run their Ministries and formulate policies. If we sit in the House day in and day out, not only will we run out of meaningful things to say, we risk neglecting our work outside Parliament. At the end of the day, after everything is said, we must make a decision and carry on. Robust debate must culminate in decisive action. In the US, a Senator has actually gone to the extent of reading bedtime stories in the Senate to filibuster proceedings. I do not wish to see this House moving towards that state.
In this regard, I agree with Mr Desmond Choo's point that this is something that requires Members on all sides of the House to do their part. On policy and politics, we may well disagree and disagree sharply. After all, the very purpose of this House is to be an arena for a contest of hearts and minds. But as Members of Parliament, we also share a common duty to maintain the standing of Parliament as an effective and efficient institution. I hope that this is something that all Members will support fully. Madam, I beg to move.
Mdm Speaker:\tAny clarifications? Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim: Thank you, Mdm Speaker. A clarification for the Leader of the House. I appreciate very much her confirmation that when the House and, indeed, the Government debates any issue, it is important to look at all relevant viewpoints. My exhortation was actually to the House as a whole, that there may be a real scenario in the future where it may be more in the public interest actually to defer a Bill or Motion because an important public petition has been presented. I would like the Leader of the House's confirmation that it is conceivable in the future that this might have to happen.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mdm Speaker, I would repeat that I think I represent my frontbench colleagues that, indeed, if there is an important petition to be considered or, indeed, if the Public Petitions Committee has yet to submit its report, for example, I am sure we will adjust our schedule for the Motion in order to take in the relevant submissions.
Mdm Speaker:\tMr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon):\t Madam, just one clarification. The Leader mentioned earlier that depending on the number of Questions and the amount of business for the day, these are the criteria used to extend Question Time. Could the Leader be more specific? Say, if there are more than 80 Parliamentary Questions (PQs) or less than three Bills, then Question Time will be extended? Can she maybe clarify the procedures?
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for the clarification. Unfortunately, I think when it comes to sequencing Question Time, it is probably more art than science primarily because, very often, we are unable to determine beforehand the length of speeches that Members will make. We run the risk at times, as we have seen in the last Sitting on 4 April, the Sitting had had to be extended to 10.00 pm. So, it is not something that we could envisage in advance or with some scientific formula. But let us put it this way. If we find that there are Questions being piled up and if the rest of the agenda allows us to do so, we will definitely extend the Question Time, as I have done so twice last year.
[(proc text) Resolved, (proc text)]
[(proc text) That this Parliament resolves that the amendments set out in Appendix I to the Report of the Standing Orders Committee (Paper Parl 6 of 2017) be hereby made to the Standing Orders of Parliament. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Merchant Shipping (Wreck Removal) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
I shall be short and succinct. Singapore is situated alongside one of the world's busiest waterways and has one of the world's busiest ports. Ensuring safety of navigation and sustainability of the marine environment is, therefore, of utmost importance to us. That is why we are acceding to the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, which was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in May 2007 and entered into force in April 2015.
The Convention provides a set of international rules for State Parties to remove wrecks in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) that pose a danger to navigation or to the marine environment. It allows State Parties to recover the costs of locating, marking and removing wrecks from the shipowners. The Convention also requires State Parties to certify that insurance or other forms of financial security for such liability is in force for ships under their registry.
The Merchant Shipping (Wreck Removal) Bill seeks to give effect to the Convention. Let me highlight the key provisions.
Clause 8 empowers the Director of Marine of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to remove a wreck determined by him to constitute a hazard, if the owner of the wrecked ship fails to undertake the removal or if immediate action is required. Under the Bill, the Director of Marine must use the most practical and expeditious means available and take into consideration safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment when removing the wreck.
Clause 10 provides for the owner of a ship wrecked in Singapore's EEZ to be liable for the costs of locating, marking and removing the wreck.
Clause 15 stipulates that a ship may not enter or leave the port of Singapore unless it carries on board evidence that it is covered by wreck removal insurance.
Clause 16 provides for the registered owner of a Singapore ship to apply for, and the Director of Marine to issue, certificates to attest that the ship is covered by wreck removal insurance.
Clause 17 provides the Director of Marine with a right of direct action against the insurer of the wrecked ship, for the costs of locating, marking and removing the wreck.
The shipping industry has been consulted and they are supportive of the Bill. At the corridor, Mr Louis Ng told me that he supports the Bill but he gave me some feedback from one industry contact.
I assured him that there would be minimal additional administrative and cost burden for shipowners as the application process for the wreck removal certificate is similar to that of other mandatory certificates. To further reduce any administrative inconvenience, MPA also has in place processes to renew the Wreck Removal Certificate as a package, together with the statutory certificates required under other international conventions. The fee for the issuance and renewal of the Wreck Removal Certificate will be $60, similar to that for other certificates. We are targeting to introduce the relevant subsidiary legislation and fees in the third quarter of this year.
MPA has also checked with the established marine insurance providers and understands that there will be no increase in premium for ships insured with them. The limits of liability for maritime claims provided by them to their members are already in excess of the limits required under the Convention.
In the event of an incident, MPA will work closely with the shipowner and the insurer from the onset to remove the wreck. The deadline to remove the wreck will be determined by MPA in consultation with the shipowner and the insurer. MPA will only take over the removal of wreck if the shipowner and insurer abandon the wreck or if the wreck constitutes a hazard to navigation or to the marine environment. In such instances, any surplus from the sale of the wreck will be held in trust. MPA will then call for claimants to provide evidence of their entitlement and disburse the surplus to the rightful beneficiary as expeditiously as possible. Should there be competing claims, MPA will seek the Court's determination. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member): Madam, through this Merchant Shipping (Wreck Removal) Bill, Singapore will finally be ratifying the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks of 2007. Madam, according to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) website, the number of abandoned wrecks, currently estimated at almost 1,300 worldwide, has increased, and the problem that the wrecks posed to coastal states and shipping generally has become more serious.
According to IMO, wrecks create various problems. One, the wreck may be a hazard to navigation, risking the safety of ships and their crew. Two, the vessel or their cargo may pose environmental risk, for example, pollution to the waters or environment may be caused by bunkers or cargo carried by the vessel. Coastal fishing may be affected. Three, the costs of marking and removing wrecks have always been an issue. Provision of compulsory insurance cover aims to deal with this issue of costs.
The Wreck Removal Convention will provide new international rules that will ensure prompt and effective removal of wrecks located beyond the territorial seas of all signatory countries. It took about seven years for the Convention to achieve the requisite number of ratifications, which was the number of 10 countries from around the world triggering the entry into force conditions. This took place on 14 April 2014. As a result, amongst the states which had ratified it earlier, the Convention entered into force on 14 April 2015.
Under the Convention, the registered owner of a ship is responsible for locating, marking and removing a wreck deemed to be a hazard in a state's Convention area. It will also provide states with a right of direct action against insurers.
Under the Convention, ships of 300 gross tonnage and above which are registered with the ship registry of a State Party to the Convention or which is entering or leaving a port belonging to a state party, will need to have insurance arrangements in conformity with the requirements of the Convention, leading to an insurance certificate or what is called a Blue Card to be issued by insurers. Ships are also required under the Convention to obtain a certificate from a state which is party to the Convention, attesting that such insurance is in place for each vessel. Such state certificate must be carried on board the vessel. The good news is that the insurance cover required has been made readily available by the key Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs within the International Group in the world, and this made for easier compliance for all ships and their registered owners, albeit adding to the costs of doing business.
Vessels registered in a state which is not party to the Convention but which perform voyages to countries which are parties to the Convention must obtain a certificate from a State Party. In fact, between 2015 and the present date, as Singapore delayed in its ratification of the Convention, MPA had issued an advisory to ships registered under the Singapore flag to obtain such certificates from other countries which have ratified the Convention earlier.
The Convention also includes an optional clause at Article 3(2) enabling state parties to extend the coverage of the Convention to wrecks within their territorial sea. May I clarify with the Minister whether we are doing that, especially given our relative proximity to neighbouring countries?
On the issue of penalties listed under sections 4, 15, 23 and 31 of the Bill, I am concerned whether the recommended maximum fines are sufficient to deter reporting or other offences.
Madam, we could have passed this Bill earlier, perhaps two years ago, when the Wreck Removal Convention came into force after 10 countries have ratified it. I would like to ask the Minister whether there is any reason for the delay in implementing this Convention under our national legislation. I note from an MPA circular of 2015 that preparations were being made to legislation to implement this convention and MPA directed the Singapore-flagged ships to the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Marshall Islands, Liberia and Cook Islands for the issuance of the State Certificates. These countries had ratified the Convention before the Convention came into force. Notwithstanding the above, I am in support of the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Minister Khaw.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: I thank the Member for his support for the Bill and also for helping to elaborate on my Second Reading speech. Thank you very much.
It is not unusual for countries to take time to accede to a convention. For this particular Bill, time was needed to consult the various stakeholders, and we wanted to make sure that it is something that the industry supports and owns the decision. In this instance, even though we take a few years, we are still among the earliest to have done so. I think, as of to date, less than 30 countries have acceded to the Convention, out of about 200 countries in the world, and, in Asia, we would be among the first.
As for the question on penalties, MPA have assessed them to be adequate. They have taken into account the other penalties imposed by the other sections of the Bill. There must be suitable parity involved.
[(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 Khaw Boon Wan.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prevention of Pollution of the Sea (Amendment) Bill ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Second Minister for Transport (Mr Ng Chee Meng): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
This Bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act, to give effect to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments.
Ballast water is water that is taken on board ships to provide balance and stability to ships. The discharge of ballast water from ships is one of the principal ways potentially invasive alien marine species are introduced into marine environments. The environmental and economic damage caused by invasive species can be substantial. The Convention seeks to prevent the transfer of harmful marine species and pathogens from one marine environment to another. This is done by establishing standards and procedures for the management of ships' ballast water and sediments.
The Convention places restrictions on the uptake and discharge of ballast water by ships and mandates the safe disposal of sediments. It was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in February 2004 and will be entering into force in September 2017. As a responsible Flag State and Port State committed to marine environment protection and sustainable shipping, Singapore will accede to the Convention. The proposed Prevention of Pollution of the Sea (Amendment) Bill 2017 enables Singapore to comply with the Convention.
Let me highlight the key provisions of the Bill. Mr Louis Ng has also separately mentioned to me just now that he supports the Bill. He also shared some feedback on the penalties and exemptions in the Bill which I will talk about shortly.
Clause 6 prohibits the discharge of sediments into Singapore waters, from any place on land, or from any apparatus used for transferring sediments from or to any ship.
Clause 9 prohibits the discharge of untreated ballast water or sediments into Singapore waters from any ship, or from a Singapore ship into any sea. Clause 9 also empowers the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) to make regulations to exempt ships from the prohibition against discharge of ballast water and sediments into our waters.
Mr Louis Ng asked me about how and when such exemptions will be given. One possible exemption could be for ships that operate exclusively within a specified area, if the risk of transfer of invasive species through the discharge of their ballast water is deemed acceptable based on IMO's risk assessment guidelines.
Clauses 5, 7 and 8 revise the penalties for the discharge of pollutants, garbage and noxious liquid substances into our waters. With the revision, the limit of fines is increased from $10,000 to $20,000, and the period of imprisonment is reduced from two years to six months. The increase in fines ensures that the financial penalty continues to serve as an effective deterrent against pollution. The reduced jail term avoids unduly penalising seafarers for pollution-related offences committed during their course of work. In this aspect, MPA's experience has been that pollution-related offences are more often a result of shipboard conditions arising from the actions of the employers, than that it is due to individual seafarers acting on their own accord. The penalties for the discharge of untreated ballast water or sediments are aligned with the revised penalties for the discharge of pollutants, garbage and noxious liquid substances into our waters.
Clause 10 increases the financial penalty limits for contraventions of regulations relating to the provision of reception facilities. The maximum jail term has also been retained. Under the Convention, terminals, including shipyards, that provide ballast tank repair, cleaning or retrofitting services, should provide for the reception of sediments from ships. The higher penalties that may be levied on reception facilities reflect the severity of the damage to the environment that their contraventions may cause.
Clause 11 empowers MPA to make regulations requiring Singapore-flagged ships and ships in Singapore waters to carry ballast water record books on board.
Clause 13 imposes a duty on land occupiers or persons in charge of apparatus for transferring sediments from which sediments have been discharged into Singapore waters, to report such discharge.
Clause 16 amends section 34 of the Act to empower MPA, with the approval of the Minister, to make regulations to give effect to the Convention.
The shipping industry has been consulted and they are supportive of the Bill.
Mdm Speaker, this Bill enables Singapore to fulfil our obligations under the Convention as a responsible member of the international maritime community. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member): Madam, by this proposed Prevention of Pollution of the Sea (Amendment) Bill, the Government intends to ratify and bring into force the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004.
Ships have been using sea water as a ballast to stabilise ships at sea for more than a hundred years. Sea water is pumped into or out of ships to achieve safe and desirable operating conditions for the ships. It helps the ships to maintain stability and enhances manoeuvrability, especially when the sea conditions or the volume of cargo, fuel or water onboard a ship may change in the course of each voyage. Stress on the ship's hull may also be reduced accordingly with the use of ballast water.
A ship may take in seawater for ballast at a particular location and discharge the same water at a different part of the world. What this means is that the ship will unwittingly transport all micro-organisms and marine species in the sea water from one part of the world to another part of the world. Such species may include microbes, bacteria, small invertebrates, larvae, eggs and cysts of different species. Frequently, some of such species may survive and reproduce in the new environment where they have been discharged, compete with the local species and becoming effectively pests in the new environment and affecting the new environment in an adverse way.
As the volume of sea traffic grew with the rise of international trade over the last 50 years, the environmental impact of the invasive species caused by the discharged ballast water has started to pose serious ecological, economic and health issues. This is the backdrop for the introduction of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments even back in 2004. The Ballast Water Convention introduces global regulations to control the transfer of potentially invasive species. Under the Convention, ballast water will need to be treated before it is released into a new location so that any micro-organism or small marine species are eliminated before the ballast water is discharged into the open marine environment again.
Under the Ballast Water Convention, all ships must install appropriate ballast water treatment systems. Ships must have a ballast water record book, recording the occasions when ballast water is taken onboard or treated for ballast water management purposes, discharged into a reception facility as well as any accidental discharges of ballast water. The aim is to prevent, minimise and, ultimately, eliminate the transfer of harmful organisms and pathogens through the control and management of ships ballast water sediments.
As Singapore is one of the busiest ports in the world and sits by one of the busiest sea channels in the world, we have many vessels coming into our port waters or passaging through nearby seas. The risk of invasive species causing ecological damage to our seas and marine environment cannot be discounted.
Madam, this is one reason I support this Bill. Another reason that I support this Bill is because Singapore is among one of the top five ship registries in the world and has over 4,000 ships under its registry. The operation of our system, our Singapore flagship, does not affect only our Singapore waters but also affects the seas around the world as the vessels ply the international waters.
It has taken a while for Singapore to introduce the Ballast Water Convention into our legislation. The Convention came up way back in 2004. Yes, it will only come into force worldwide on 8 September 2017. But given the environmental concerns we have heard and given the fact that we are one of the busiest ports in the world, one of the five largest ship registries in the world and one of the leading maritime hubs in the world, if the Government is of the view that such convention is the right way forward, then perhaps we should have ratified the Convention earlier. In contrast, by way of examples, countries like Malaysia ratified the Convention in 2010 and Australia and Indonesia in 2016.
Madam, on the issue of maximum penalties listed under the different provisions of this amendment Bill, I know some of the sentences have been increased but I still have some concerns whether they are adequate, especially fines on shipowners. Madam, I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Second Minister Ng Chee Meng.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: I thank the Member Mr Dennis Tan for his clarifications and support for the Bill.
Mr Dennis Tan asked about the adequacy of penalties and whether Singapore should have acceded to the Ballast Water Management Convention earlier.
I have spoken earlier about the penalties set out in the Bill. But let me add that we recognise that ballast water discharges can have a significant impact on the environment. As such, the proposed penalties are commensurate with other existing environmental pollution-related offences. So, the whole set of laws is aligned and the professionals have said that these are adequate. We can always monitor and see whether they are an adequate deterrent. At the moment, as I said just now, $10,000 has been increased to $20,000, and that is a 100% increase.
On whether Singapore should have acceded to the Convention earlier, let me explain our considerations. Singapore takes the protection of marine environment very seriously. We have ratified every major IMO Convention relating to the prevention of pollution from ships, including the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. As the Member has noted, Singapore has also been an early supporter of the Ballast Water Management Convention.
However, Singapore always ensures that we are able to discharge our obligations before acceding to any new convention. Hence, rather than rush into acceding to this Convention, Singapore has been working with IMO and the industry to address outstanding implementation issues that the industry has raised.
One of the main concerns has been that the IMO's guidelines for approving ballast water management systems were not rigorous enough, such that approved systems did not consistently meet the Convention's standards for discharged ballast water. IMO, therefore, revised its guidelines to make them more robust. This process took some time and was only completed in October 2016, just last year.
Mdm Speaker, Singapore has built a reputation over the years as a responsible flag state and port state. This Bill seeks to enable us to fulfil our obligations under the Convention and continue to keep our flag flying high.
[(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 Ng Chee Meng.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Terrorism (Suppression of Misuse of Radioactive Material) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Lee): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT) was adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2005. It seeks to prevent and suppress nuclear terrorism by specifically criminalising such acts and providing for international assistance in relation to such acts.
The possibility of a nuclear terrorist attack in Southeast Asia is remote. Regional terrorist elements are not known to have the capability to build nuclear devices. They are also more likely to use conventional improvised explosive devices, which they are more familiar with.
However, the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has heightened the global threat of terrorism using nuclear or radioactive devices. In 2015, ISIS announced in its English language magazine \"Dabiq\" that it intended to attack the United States (US) with either a nuclear device or explosives. Given its access to funding and a global network of supporters, it could conceivably build a crude improvised nuclear device. As such, we cannot discount the possibility of ISIS or its supporters getting hold of nuclear material to carry out a terror attack whether against us or other countries, especially when many countries, including those in our region, use nuclear energy or are actively exploring the use of nuclear energy. In February this year, Malaysian authorities arrested eight people connected to the theft of Iridium-192, which is a radioactive material which can be used to make dirty bombs.
Given these developments, we have to treat the threat of nuclear and radioactive attacks seriously, even if the likelihood is currently remote. We are now ready to ratify, or give domestic legal effect to, the Convention by tabling the Terrorism (Suppression of Misuse of Radioactive Material) Bill now before this House.
Madam, clauses 4 to 10 of the Bill criminalise acts that are prohibited under the Convention and set out penalties for such acts.
In particular, clause 6 makes it an offence to intentionally and unlawfully use any radioactive material or nuclear explosive device with the intention to cause the death of or serious bodily injury to any individual, or substantial damage to property or the environment; or, to compel any other person, international organisation or government to do or refrain from doing any act.
Clause 7 criminalises the act of intentionally and unlawfully using or damaging a nuclear facility that causes or creates a risk of the release of radioactive material; with the intention to cause the death of or serious bodily injury to any individual, or substantial damage to property or the environment; or, to compel any other person, international organisation or government to do or refrain from doing any act.
Madam, these are extremely serious offences. We have, therefore, pegged the penalties at the same level as section 300(a) of the Penal Code, which is the offence of murder where there is an intention to cause death and where death has been caused. In such instances, the perpetrator will face the mandatory death penalty. Similarly, a person who carried out the offence in clauses 6 or 7, who intended to cause the death of an individual and who did cause death, will face the mandatory death penalty. In any other case, he will receive life imprisonment.
As required by the Convention, the Bill also criminalises other acts which can lead to the intentional and unlawful use of radioactive material or nuclear explosive devices. These include the intentional and unlawful possession of any radioactive material or nuclear explosive device and the making of a nuclear explosive device, with the intention to use such material or device to cause death, serious bodily injury, or substantial damage to property or the environment.
Madam, clause 11 of the Bill provides for extraterritorial jurisdiction over nuclear terrorism offences. Any person outside Singapore who commits an act which constitutes a nuclear terrorism offence if carried out in Singapore is deemed to have committed the act here.
If taken into custody, the person would be charged, tried and punished accordingly in Singapore. This provision allows us to prosecute the offender in Singapore, if it is not possible or desirable to extradite him. It ensures that perpetrators do not escape punishment, regardless of which country they are from, and where they committed these offences. This approach is similar to that in other terrorism-related laws, such as the Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Act.
Madam, the Convention serves as a basis for extradition among countries who are parties to the Convention, or state parties, for offences of nuclear terrorism. The Bill gives effect to this requirement. Clause 13 includes provisions to facilitate extradition requests by countries which are parties to the Convention. Every nuclear terrorism offence will be deemed as an extraditable crime for the purposes of Parts III and IV of the Extradition Act.
The Convention also requires that state parties provide mutual legal assistance to other states parties, and Singapore will render assistance within our domestic legal framework.
Mdm Speaker, if Parliament enacts this Bill, Singapore will join 109 other UN member states which are party to the Convention. It reiterates our commitment to combat terrorism, as a responsible member of the international community. Madam, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Madam, terrorism commands our constant attention these days. Author Van Hipp describes this very well in his book \"The New Terrorism\". It has taken on a completely new fate.
Singapore is not immune either. Even as we do not house large-scale nuclear plants and facilities, being open to the world still puts us at a potential risk. The radioactive and nuclear threat involves criminals and terrorists often acquiring and using these elements for malicious purposes via the following channels: one, nuclear explosive devices; two, nuclear materials to improvise nuclear explosive devices; three, radioactive materials to construct a radiological dispersal device; or fourth, dispersal of radioactivity through sabotage of installation or during transportation.
Advances in information technology (IT) and the availability of the radioactive materials have also increased the likelihood of all these attacks happening anywhere in the world, practically, in fact, made even a lot easier these days. Some of these devices, when detonated and released, can disperse the radioactive materials over a wide area, contaminating persons, environment and property with long-lasting effects and impact. Also, something else to consider. These days, terrorists use hybrid models, that is, blending nuclear and conventional devices. Thus, the need for all of us to be robust and savvy with our counterterrorism measures as well.
Madam, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), many of the significant and severe cases of misuse were perpetrated by persons with direct access to the materials or have the ability to get the licence to procure them without suspicion. And indeed, we do have some of these facilities in Singapore, such as, in the use of nuclear imaging, nuclear medicine and a few other industries. They may not be big but they are significant enough for us to be concerned about.
Thus, my queries include, firstly, does the Ministry have a listing of such facilities and industries in Singapore? Secondly, are there specific guidance on the import and export of radioactive sources, and its transport from facility to facility? Thirdly, have there ever been any breaches thus far in Singapore? Fourth, how about our control at our borders? What are our detection strategies for deployment of border monitoring equipment and counters? Fifth, have there ever been any threat of this nature in Singapore?
Sixth, in clause 11, it is stated that Singapore's jurisdiction to deal with the nuclear-related offences committed elsewhere extends even outside Singapore to a certain extent. This is an important commitment as a member of the global community. Do we have sufficient numbers of persons and expertise trained in this area to contribute significantly and meaningfully?
Seven, being a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also being a strong advocate of nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, Singapore's stand is very clear. If in the event of an occurrence of such an incident, how does Singapore share on the international platform and database? The IAEA found that one of the weakest areas of collaboration is the poor reporting and weaknesses in reporting and upkeeping a database. How is Singapore planning and training for this? Do we subscribe to any such databases, for example, the Johnston Archive or The Global Chronology?
Madam, I do support the stiff and strict penalties that have been announced with the Bill and I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan.
Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan (Nominated Member): Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill, which some might say has been a long time in the making.
In 1996, the International Court of Justice delivered their now famous advisory opinion to a controversial question. They were asked whether the threat or use of nuclear weapons in any circumstances is permitted under international law. Among other things, and in a 7-7 split decision, the Court replied that it cannot conclude definitively whether the threat or use of nuclear weapons would be lawful or unlawful under international law, in an extreme circumstance of self-defence, in which the very survival of a state is at risk.
The late great Judge Christopher Weeramantry was one of the seven dissenting Judges in the 1996 International Court of Justice (ICJ) Case, and he said that the \"use of nuclear weapons contradicts the fundamental principle of the dignity and worth of the human person upon which all law must depend. It endangers the human environment in a manner which threatens the entirety of life on this planet\".
Fortunately, that same year, in 1996, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General at that time, after his review of the applicable international law, concluded that there was a need to elaborate on international treaties, including on a treaty preventing the use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists.
After several rounds of treaty drafting and negotiations, the International Convention for the Suppression of Nuclear Terrorism was opened for signature in April 2005. The Convention does not impose any new obligations on states in their use of nuclear weapons. It covers primarily the activities by nuclear terrorists, to be exact. It requires states to criminalise these offences via national legislation and to establish penalties in line with the gravity of such crimes.
Today, more than 100 countries, as the Minister said earlier, 109 countries have ratified the Convention and passed enabling legislation to give it domestic effect. Singapore remains one of only 16 countries that have signed the Convention but have not yet ratified this Convention. It is, therefore, high time for this Bill, Madam. This House should welcome the basis for jurisdiction that this Bill sets out, which is a version of universal jurisdiction or tri-extradite, its guidelines for extraditions, the punitive measures it puts in place, and other measures it seeks to enact to prevent, deter and counter nuclear terrorism which takes place inside or outside Singapore's territorial borders.
For the sake of clarity, Madam, I would like to ask only the following questions of the Ministry. The first and perhaps the most important question is: why did we wait so long? If we signed in 2005, why are we seeking to ratify only in 2017? Perhaps, the more pertinent question is: what is prompting our move this year to look at ratification? The Minister mentioned ISIS and, certainly, that must be a concern. But are there issues or concerns closer to home, in this region, geopolitical threats that we may or should be concerned about?
Second, to what extent was the Ministry's desire to pass this Bill and to ratify the Convention, prompted by the US doing the same in 2015?
Third, going forward, how does the Ministry intend to cooperate with IAEA and the neighbouring Asian state parties which have also recently ratified this convention? Specifically, I am thinking about South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam, which have ratified this convention in the past two to three years. How would we be working with them to secure compliance?
Finally, clause 14 contemplates the possibility, interestingly, of obtaining a public prosecutor's \"fiat\" or consent to prosecute. What are the reasons for this particular provision in clause 14? Will other existing Government agencies potentially have a role in investigation and prosecution of Convention offences under this Bill and, if so, which agencies would these be?
In conclusion, Madam, allow me to say that some words that were said by Judge Weeramantry two decades ago in 1996 still ring true today, unfortunately. He said that \"a global regime of security which makes safety the result of terror and can speak of survival and annihilation as twin alternatives makes peace and the human future dependent upon terror. This is not a basis for world order\". On that cautionary note, Madam, I support this Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Madam, as noted by Ms Karen Tan, our Permanent Representative to the UN, the threat of non-state actors gaining access to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons is becoming an increasingly real threat.
This Bill strengthens Singapore's position alongside other countries in the international fight against terrorism, in particular, nuclear terrorism. I will be making some suggestions and raising two areas for clarification on the proposed provisions, as well as concerns on Singapore's efforts in combating terror threats involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) materials.
Under section 6(1)(b)(iii) and section 7(1)(b)(iii), the use of radioactive material and Convention device, and the use or damage of a nuclear facility is an offence if a person does so to compel any person, international organisation or government to do or refrain from doing any act. However, this limb is missing from section 4(b) and section 5(b) on possession and manufacture and I would like to seek clarification on this.
It is plausible that a person's intention in the possession or manufacture of these devices is not to cause death or injury to persons or damage to property or environment, but instead to compel individuals and governments to act in certain ways.
For instance, in the October 2001 US anthrax attacks, letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to reporters and political figures. The intention of the senior scientist at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases who did so was not to kill or sicken anyone, but to enhance the profile of his anthrax work, to improve his own standing among colleagues and to stimulate funding for biodefense by inducing fear in the population and influencing government policy. Given the similar risk of the potentially lethal consequences, should we also make possession and manufacture an offence where the intention is to influence others to act in a certain way?
Next, the proposed section 9 makes it an offence to demand another person to make available to the offender or to give the offender access to any radioactive material, Convention device, or nuclear facility.
However, it is only an offence if the demand is made by the use of force or by threats. It is conceivable that these individuals may induce others to act through the promise of reward or gratification. Should the scope of the section be widened to cover such scenarios?
I also note that section 11 outlines the extraterritorial nature of nuclear terrorism offences, stating that any person outside of Singapore committing an act which \"if committed in Singapore, would constitute a nuclear terrorism offence\", would be deemed to have contravened the law. I would like to ask if this is consistent with other terrorism offences as well.
This Bill will help to bring our legislative regime in line with international law on nuclear terrorism. Nuclear terrorism is but one of the elements of CBRNE threats. In addressing other aspects of CBRNE threats, Singapore has signed and ratified the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Domestically, the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act, Biological Agents and Toxins Act, and Strategic Goods (Control) Act are some of the pieces of legislation passed to prevent access of non-state actors to CBRNE materials and to criminalise abuse of these hazardous materials.
Whilst strengthening our legislative framework, are we also doing enough to address security risks for facilities that hold dual-use materials which could be exploited or repurposed for terrorist usage? Although Singapore does not have significant nuclear material or facilities, it is relatively easy to weaponise chemical, biological, radiological or explosive materials. All cases of theft of nuclear materials that have occurred overseas where the circumstances of the theft are known were perpetrated either by insiders or with the help of insiders.
As such, in addition to the physical security of facilities holding CBRNE materials, are there also measures in place to address insider threats which may arise from the radicalisation of personnel working in sensitive areas involving contact with CBRNE material?
Madam, I welcome this move to combat nuclear terrorism and would further urge that stronger measures be taken to strengthen our CBRNE defence by putting hazardous materials beyond the hands of would-be terrorists.
Mdm Speaker: Second Minister Desmond Lee.
Mr Desmond Lee: Mdm Speaker, I thank the three speakers for supporting the Bill.
A nuclear or radioactive explosion will claim many lives or severe damage to property. Nuclear or radioactive contamination will have serious health and environmental consequences. The affected areas would require extensive cleaning up before they are safe to live in.
Singapore's ratification of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism will allow us to join the international community in the fight against nuclear terrorism and strengthen our ability to prevent, detect and deter a nuclear terrorist attack.
Madam, the risk of a terrorist attack in Singapore involving the use of radioactive material is, as I said in my opening speech, low. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of such a terrorist attack. Over the years, we have been preparing and developing capabilities to deal with such risks.
Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan asked what reasons prompted us to seek ratification now. After signing on to the Convention in 2006, we conducted detailed studies of the capabilities required to meet the Convention's requirements. Since then, agencies, such as the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) have developed the necessary operational capabilities to deal with the illicit use of nuclear and radioactive materials in Singapore. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and NEA have also been working together to tighten the security measures at the premises of licensees that are storing higher risk radioactive materials.
In 2014, we acceded to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and accepted its 2005 Amendment, which includes obligations to ensure the physical protection of nuclear materials and facilities.
We also have to bear in mind that we are operating in a framework of various criminal legislation, such as the Radioactive Protection Act, which includes clauses, such as in Part VIIIA of the \tRadiation Protection Act (RPA) that relates also to the misuse of nuclear material. We also have the Penal Code and other legislation, basically those that pertain to terrorist acts, such as the Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Act and Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act.
Altogether, the framework of laws provides an umbrella of legislation to counter and deal with acts of terrorism, whether they are in the preparatory stage, advanced in the operations or even the actual act. Bearing in mind the threat assessment that I have spoken about earlier and, having done all of this, we are now ready to table this Bill, ratify the Convention, and put in place the remaining pieces essential to protect Singapore against such threats.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked what measures are in place to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack in Singapore.
First, we have a strict regulatory regime in place to make it hard for radioactive material in Singapore to end up in the wrong hands. All local entities that possess or deal in radioactive material are licensed by NEA. These activities are regulated under the Radiation Protection Act and its subsidiary regulations, which take reference from the IAEA guidelines. NEA has also worked with the security agencies to tighten security measures at radioactive material storage sites.
On the import of radioactive material, valid permits are required for all cargo entering our port checkpoints. If necessary, the cargo will be subject to x-ray screening and radioactivity checks. Any radioactive material detected is verified against the permits, and must comply with permit conditions.
Second, we will be cooperating with IAEA and other regional State Parties, and Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan asked about this. Singapore is a participating State of the IAEA's Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB). ITDB is an international platform for IAEA and participating States to share information as well as intelligence, to combat illicit nuclear trafficking and strengthen nuclear security. Thus far, we have not detected any breaches involving radioactive material in Singapore.
Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries are also strengthening cooperation on nuclear issues through the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM). ASEANTOM is working closely with IAEA to support the establishment of a regional environmental radioactivity database and an emergency preparedness and response framework.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked what measures we have in place to prepare for and deal with an attack.
First, we have established an interagency committee to oversee nuclear safety and security in Singapore. The committee continually assesses the threat of nuclear terrorism in Singapore. Agencies validate existing plans and identify gaps through plan reviews and exercises. Interagency working groups undertake capability development to address the gaps and ensure agencies build up the necessary operational capabilities, facilities and measures to deal with these threats.
Mr Louis Ng mentioned the threat from other types of materials, such as biological and chemical materials. We would like to assure the Member that there are also interagency committees looking at the biological and chemical threats posed to Singapore, with similar structures and processes to continually review the protective security requirements for facilities that may contain such materials and our measures to deal with such threats.
Second, our agencies have developed capabilities and processes to deal with possible threat scenarios, such as the detonation of a radiological dispersive device. Should such an incident occur, MHA will coordinate a whole-of-Government response. SCDF will render assistance to casualties and contain the radioactive material, and will be assisted by agencies, such as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), where necessary. NEA will provide technical advice to the response agencies to help mitigate the harm from the radioactive materials. The Police will take the lead in investigating these terrorism acts to find the perpetrators and take them to task. The Police will work closely with other agencies where necessary.
Third, beyond the efforts from our agencies, Singaporeans will need to be prepared for an attack which uses radioactive material. When hazardous materials, such as radioactive substances, are released into the environment, the authorities may have to evacuate people from the affected areas. Members of public may also be directed to initiate In-Place-Protection (IPP) at their homes or workplaces to reduce the risk of inhaling radioactive particles. This may include, for example, closing and sealing off gaps around all doors, windows and openings, and switching off all ventilation and air-con units that draw in air from the outside, until such time as the threat has dissipated.
SCDF trains members of the public on how to conduct IPP as part of its Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP). Participants will be briefed on the IPP procedures and have a hands-on session where they can practise on training simulators. IPP procedures are also included in the Civil Defence (CD) Emergency Handbook which is available for download on SCDF's website. Should any member of the public come across any suspected illegal possession or use of radioactive material, or any attempts to make any radiological device, he should inform the Police immediately.
Mr Louis Ng suggested expanding the offences in the Bill to include other activities. As I have said earlier, the objective of the Bill is to ratify the Convention. The acts that are criminalised in the Bill, therefore, follow those set out in the Convention. For the two acts referred to by Mr Louis Ng, these are covered under existing legislation. For example, the Member mentioned the scenario where a person may seek to gain access to material not by force but by unlawfully inducing others through the promise of reward or gratification. Depending on the actual circumstances, this could be an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, among other offences. Similarly, the possession or manufacture of any radioactive material without a licence, regardless of intent, is an offence under RPA. We will continue to monitor the types of terrorist attacks or activities carried out and consider in future if there is a need to further amend the laws.
Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan asked why we require the Public Prosecutor's fiat before prosecution of offences under this Bill. This ensures that the offences under the Bill which are very serious are brought to the personal attention of the Public Prosecutor before charges are even filed. This is a consistent approach for other terrorism-related offences, such as those in the Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Act.
Mr Louis Ng also had questions on the extraterritorial jurisdiction of offences under this Bill. I had spoken about this in the opening speech. The scope of extraterritorial jurisdiction in the Bill is similar to that in other terrorism-related offences, again, such as the Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Act and others.
Mdm Speaker, ratifying the Convention is an important step towards strengthening the fight against nuclear terrorism, both locally and internationally. There are no immediate threats, but we take the possibility seriously. It is timely that we put in place the necessary legal framework now and join the international community to combat terrorism in all its forms, including nuclear terrorism.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Desmond Lee.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Public Entertainments and Meetings (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Amrin Amin): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
The Public Entertainments and Meetings Act (PEMA) regulates public entertainment. It ensures that public entertainment is carried out in a lawful and orderly manner, in line with standards of public decency, and at suitable places.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) share the administration of the Act. MHA regulates public entertainment (PE) establishments, such as nightclubs, billiard saloons and gaming centres and public entertainment events, while MCI regulates arts entertainment, such as plays, musicals and exhibitions.
Singapore's public entertainment industry is dynamic. Consumer preferences change and business models evolve rapidly. We have to constantly finetune the public entertainment regulatory regime to stay current and effective.
Currently, about four in five PE establishments have good track records of complying with licence conditions. A small group of errant establishments breach these conditions, do not cooperate with the Police and create law and order problems.
MHA last amended PEMA in 2000 to improve the administration of public entertainment licences. MCI amended PEMA in 2014 to establish a framework for greater clarity and consistency in the regulation of arts entertainment. It is timely to update PEMA and ensure its relevancy.
MHA has reviewed its approach to regulating PE establishments and will put in place a more calibrated, risk-based regulatory regime. For the vast majority of licensees who are law-abiding, we will take a lighter touch to support the continued vibrancy of the industry. For instance, MHA will introduce licences with longer validity periods than the standard one-year licences that are issued to all PE establishments today. The Police will also work closely with the industry to promote more responsible business operations.
On the other hand, we need to strengthen regulatory levers against errant PE establishments. The Bill proposes to make the necessary legislative amendments to support this enhanced regulatory regime. As part of the review, MHA consulted the PE industry through the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA). We reached out to close to 180 nightlife establishments. SNBA and these establishments support the proposed amendments in the Bill.
MCI has also reviewed the arts entertainment-related provisions for greater consistency between the regulation of arts entertainment held at public entertainment establishments or events, which are licensable by the Police, and the regulation of arts entertainments held at other venues.
The amendments are intended to clarify that arts entertainment will be regulated in the same manner, regardless of whether it is held at PE establishments or events licensable by the Police, or at other venues.
The amendments do not entail any changes to existing arts entertainment content standards or the Info-Communications Media Development Authority's (IMDA's) arts entertainment classification and licensing processes. MCI has engaged both the PE industry and the arts community on these amendments.
Let me now take Members through the key provisions of the Bill.
The first set of amendments seeks to prevent the operation of PE establishments that are either operated by unsuitable persons or businesses or operated in unsuitable locations.
Under the current section 5 of the Act, the Licensing Officer may require an applicant for a PE licence to satisfy certain criteria and requirements. This existing provision allows the Licensing Officer to assess whether the applicant is fit and proper to carry on a PE business and prevent unsuitable persons from doing so.
Clause 6 of the Bill expands this assessment of applicant suitability to include persons who are related to the applicant, namely, the responsible officers and individuals with substantial interest in, or control or direction over the business of the applicant.
Clause 4 of the Bill defines \"responsible officer\" and it will cover directors of body corporates, partners of partnerships, and officers of unincorporated associations, as the case may be. This ensures that all persons who can influence the decisions of the business are duly assessed and are not working behind the scenes to operate the PE establishment.
The Police have reviewed the criteria and requirements to be applied to both applicants and their related persons, and the updated criteria and requirements will be published on the Police's website in due course.
One key objective of PEMA is to ensure that PE is carried out at suitable places.
Clause 4 creates a new provision that requires the Licensing Officer to take into account the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA's) planning considerations in approving a place to operate a PE establishment. For example, a Licensing Officer cannot approve applications for pubs and bars in a conservation area, to maintain the character of historic districts.
The Bill also proposes to increase the penalties for errant operators who try to circumvent our controls and safeguards altogether, by operating PE establishments without valid licences.
Clause 20 of the Bill increases the maximum fine for providing PE without a licence or while the licence is suspended, from the existing $10,000 to $20,000. This amendment differentiates offences by licensees who contravene licence conditions or the Act, and such offences are currently subject to a maximum fine of $10,000. The offender who disregarded the law entirely has to be treated more harshly than the offender who had obtained a licence but was not fully compliant with its conditions or the Act. The maximum fine for providing PE without a valid licence will be raised to $20,000.
In cases where licensees do not comply with licensing conditions or become unsuitable to operate a PE establishment, the Police must have the powers to deal effectively with them. The second set of amendments will strengthen these powers.
The Demerit Point System, introduced in 2000, allows the Police to adopt a graduated enforcement approach against licensees who infringe licence conditions. Licensees are given demerit points for breaches, and appropriate action is taken depending on the number of demerit points accumulated over a two-year period. A licence will be suspended for one month at 21 demerit points, and cancelled altogether at 24 demerit points.
The Police impose demerit points for licensing breaches that are compounded, or for which the licensee is convicted in Court. If the licensee is charged for multiple licensing breaches, it is usual for the Court to take into consideration a proportion of the charges for the purpose of sentencing, rather than convict the licensee for all charges. Charges that are taken into consideration for purposes of sentencing currently do not attract demerit points.
Clause 11 of the Bill now allows demerit points to be given in respect of charges that are taken into consideration by the Court, since the licensee has admitted to committing the licensing breaches.
The Demerit Point System provides early warning for minor breaches and encourages the licensee to exercise self-discipline. However, the Licensing Officer may immediately suspend or cancel the licence where the need arises. The existing section 14 enables this.
Even so, section 14, subsection 1 only applies where the PE provided is problematic. For example, it does not apply if illegal acts carried out by the licensee or his employees are not associated with the PE provided at the establishment.
Therefore, clause 10 of the Bill expands on section 14, to allow the Licensing Officer to immediately suspend a PE licence, if the licensee or a relevant person of the business is charged in Court for serious crimes arising out of or in connection with any activity in the licensed establishment. These serious crimes must have a nexus with the establishment, but not necessarily the PE provided in the establishment.
This includes offences, such as drug offences, trafficking-in-persons and offences under the Organised Crime Act. The list of serious crimes is specified in the new Second Schedule to the Bill.
This will allow the Police to immediately suspend PE establishments which are being used for such serious crimes, instead of waiting for Court trials on the cases to conclude. This also deters other operators from using their establishments for unlawful activities.
The third set of amendments enhances Police operational effectiveness in enforcing the Act.
Clause 5 of the Bill allows the Licensing Officer to appoint suitably trained individuals as \"authorised persons\". Clause 17 empowers authorised persons to conduct inspections at PE establishments and events. Authorised persons will not be given the more specialised powers that Licensing Officer and Police officers have, for example, powers of forced entry and arrest. These provisions give the Police operational flexibility to deploy manpower more effectively or conduct more frequent checks if the need arises.
Clause 18 empowers Licensing Officers and Police Officers to enter premises, including using necessary force, if there is reasonable suspicion that offences under the Bill are being or has been committed within.
Today, appeals against the decision of the Licensing Officer are heard by the relevant Minister. Clause 15 of the Bill will set up an appeal board to hear appeals by classes of applicants or licensees that the Minister may prescribe.
The PE Appeal Board will operate like the Liquor Appeal Board under the Liquor Control Act. The Minister for Home Affairs will appoint the members of the Board. The intent is to appoint members from diverse fields, including legal, education and business. The Appeal Board will receive representations from the Licensing Officer and the appellant, and make a decision based on simple majority. Its decision on the merits of the case will be final.
On behalf of the Minister responsible for arts entertainment, I will now address MCI's proposed amendments in the Bill. The first two sets of amendments by MCI deal with the classification of arts entertainment, while the third relates to appeals against IMDA's classification decisions.
For arts entertainment licensed by IMDA under the Bill, IMDA may impose conditions as part of the arts entertainment licence. However, for arts entertainment held at PE establishments or events, IMDA will not be able to impose such conditions within the PE licence issued by the Police.
Clause 12 allows IMDA to impose the conditions as part of IMDA's classification of the arts entertainment held at PE establishments or events, thereby giving these conditions the same effect as licensing conditions imposed by IMDA.
The second set of amendments involves arts entertainment content that exceeds the maximum R18 rating under the Arts Entertainment Classification Code (AECC).
Currently, IMDA will not issue arts entertainment licences for such arts entertainment content. However, this does not apply for PE establishments or events.
Clause 13 clarifies that IMDA may refuse to classify such arts entertainment content regardless of whether it is held at PE establishments or events or at other venues. Under the Bill, an arts entertainment that has not been classified cannot be staged. This will thus ensure consistency in the treatment of arts entertainment exceeding the maximum R18 rating, regardless of whether it comes under a PE licence by the Police or a licence by IMDA.
The third set of amendments relates to appeals against IMDA's classification decisions. Clause 15 clarifies that any licensee, including those holding PE licences issued by the Police, may appeal against IMDA's classification decisions for arts entertainment. Appealable decisions refer to IMDA's classification ratings, its refusal to classify content that exceeds the maximum R18 rating under AECC and the imposition of conditions as part of its classification of arts entertainment.
These amendments will ensure consistency in the regulation of arts entertainment regardless of whether it comes under a PE licence by the Police or a licence by IMDA.
There will be no changes to existing arts entertainment content standards under AECC or IMDA's arts entertainment classification and licensing processes.
I will now touch briefly on other amendments of the Bill.
Clause 21 confers personal immunity on Licensing Officers, Police Officers and authorised persons acting with reasonable care and in good faith in the execution or purported execution of the Bill.
Clause 16 clarifies that the Ministers charged with the responsibility for PEs and arts entertainments respectively have the powers to make exemptions for their respective areas.
Finally, clauses 2, 3 and 24 of the Bill amend the title of the Act from the \"Public Entertainments and Meetings Act\" to the \"Public Entertainments Act\". The regulation of meetings, such as rallies, talks and forums, now falls under the Public Order Act, which was enacted in 2009.
In conclusion, the amendments to the Act will strengthen MHA's and MCI's regulatory frameworks for PEs and arts entertainments respectively and keep the Act relevant to today's operating environment. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mdm Speaker, I strongly support the amendments to strengthen our legislative framework and to increase the penalties against entertainment outlets involved in drugs, human trafficking, organised crime and other illegal activities. I approve of the more stringent assessments during licence applications to screen out undesirable operators and the harsher penalties proposed. These measures will greatly help to act as deterrents.
I am worried about the increasingly liberal attitude of our young people towards drugs, as found in a survey released last month by the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA). The survey found that those with a liberal attitude towards drugs had increased from 11% in 2013 to 16% last year. In fact, today's Straits Times' article on the increasing number of new psychoactive substances causing harm to their users is most worrying.
Entertainment outlets, such as nightclubs, are popular venues for young people to congregate, make friends and have fun. There, they are especially open to new and exciting experiences and, hence, very vulnerable to taking higher risks as they experiment with perceived \"adult consumables\", such as smoking, alcohol or drugs. Even those who are less inclined may give in due to peer pressure. We must ensure a safe environment for them to have clean fun and protect them from the ravages of drugs.
Numerous raids by our Home Team over the years had also unearthed vice activities upon the premises of unscrupulous operators. In addition to the crimes of human trafficking, such activities are also a threat to our health system, as sex workers may spread sexually transmitted infections.
Singapore's night scene has become quite vibrant and attracts foreigners and those who traffic in them out for a quick buck. This is clearly undesirable due to numerous externalities, such as petty crimes, organised crimes, homicides and so forth. Weeding out illicit entertainment venues will have a significant impact on reducing the cases of human trafficking.
PE venues also include Internet cafes, which can be located within or near housing estates. Again, many of the patrons of such outlets are from the younger age groups. Given the proximity of these cafes to residences, extra care must be exercised to keep illicit activities out of our neighbourhoods.
I believe that the Ministry's proposal to suspend an outlet's licence as soon as a licensee or anyone involved in the operations is charged will be quite effective in putting a stop to the illegal activities at its venue.
I would also like to laud the amendment to allow officers to break into suspected premises by force if necessary. This is one of the few ways to expedite the progress of investigations. We should provide our Police Officers more support and leeway to perform their duties and nip criminal activities in the bud.
With these amendments, I am very confident that Singapore will be in a better position to offer a dynamic night scene while reducing the sleaze and damaging effects of associated crimes. Madam, I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mdm Speaker, one of the key thrusts of the Bill is to reduce the likelihood of our PE night spots being owned and managed by those engaged in serious crime or organised crime activities. I agree that this is important, not only to promote a safe environment for patrons, but also to deny serious criminals a source of income and a means for money laundering. While I support the Bill's overall aims, I have two sets of queries on the Bill regarding PE licensing and enforcement.
First, on licensing. The licensing of PE establishments vests in the Licensing Officer. For those who wish to appeal against the Licensing Officer's decisions, the Bill proposes the setting up of a new PE Appeal Board to replace the Minister as the appellate authority in certain types of appeals. Clause 15 amends section 16 of the Act to provide for the Appeal Board to be the authority to hear appeals against the Licensing Officer's decisions if the appeal is from a specified establishment or a prescribed class of applicants or licensees. At the same time, other appeals will continue to go to the Minister. I would like to know what the general division of work will be between the Appeal Board and the Minister. Is it the intention to let the Appeal Board hear appeals which may be of a more routine nature, while the Minister retains the power to hear appeals in more difficult or complex cases? Or is it vice versa, with the Appeal Board dealing with the more difficult appeals?
My second set of queries relates to enforcement as set out in clauses 17 and 18 of the Bill. Clause 17 amends the current Act significantly in terms of the right of entry and inspection of enforcement officers. The current Act empowers the Licensing Officer and Police Officers to enter premises to ascertain if licensing conditions are complied with. The Bill will include a new category of officer, called an \"authorised person\", who, together with the Licensing Officer and Police Officers, will be called \"inspecting officers\". These inspecting officers will be given enhanced enforcement powers to enter and inspect PE outlets. Earlier, in his Second Reading speech, the Parliamentary Secretary clarified that, as far as authorised persons are concerned, they would not have powers of forced entry and arrests. But it is also true that the Bill gives these authorised persons enhanced powers in confrontational scenarios, such as requiring production of information, accessing computers, interviewing suspects on site, and requiring witnesses to provide explanations of documents or information found.
The category of the new \"authorised persons\" to be included to exercise these enhanced powers deserves some attention. According to clause 5 of the Bill, an individual may be appointed as an \"authorised person\" if he is \"suitably trained\". What does \"suitably trained\" mean? If the Government is referring to Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) becoming authorised officers for licensing inspections, does their training cover the necessary skill competencies to handle the confrontational scenarios envisaged in clause 17?
Finally, on enforcement, clause 18 amends section 17A to explicitly include powers of forced entry. I would like a clarification on why it is deemed necessary now to provide the Licensing Officer expressly with powers of forced entry when he seems to have managed his duties all these decades without such an explicit power.
Mdm Speaker: Dr Intan Mokhtar.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): Madam, the amendments to PEMA serve to allow a more holistic enforcement of the law and a more comprehensive set of laws on establishments that provide such PE. My concern is largely with those establishments which may create disamenities or inconveniences within their immediate community.
There are establishments within my constituency, located close to residences, which provide PE, such as karaoke singing or telecast of sports matches. While most of these establishments adhere to existing laws on PE, I have received feedback from residents about a couple of these establishments.
One feedback is on noise, especially into the late night. Another feedback is illegal parking along the roads and driveways to houses, especially those in the private landed estates. Another feedback is on activities that may create feelings of discomfort among residents living nearby, or feedback on establishments that are suspected of allowing illicit activities to take place within and around their premises.
I have a few clarifications with regard to the proposed amendments. Clause 5, amendment to section 4, mentioned that the appropriate licensing officer may appoint an individual, who need not be a public officer, but who is suitably trained as an authorised person to carry out certain functions of the Act.
For this clause, I have two clarifications. First, what is the extent of functions of the Bill that this appointed individual will be able to execute? Second, what are the criteria in appointing the individual to carry out these functions? Would these be our APOs only?
Clause 11, amendment to section 15(2), stated that demerit points may be awarded on the basis of charges against the licensee during the sentencing for offences, and not just on the basis of conviction or composition of offences. I support this.
However, I have one clarification. Is there a maximum number of demerit points that a licensee can accumulate before having the licence suspended or revoked? Would this be similar to our driving licence demerit points system? Notwithstanding these clarifications, Mdm Speaker, I support the amendments in the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mdm Speaker, the proposed changes to PEMA will, amongst others, introduce stricter penalties to deter PE operators from using their premises for illegal activities, and to give the authorities greater powers to control the use of such premises. These are important amendments in support of our fight against racketeering and associated criminal activities. I support this Bill.
I wish to seek clarification on the following five areas of this Bill.
First, the amendments to section 4 of the Act allows the appointed Licensing Officer to appoint trained individuals who need not be public servants as authorised persons under the Bill. My Parliamentary colleagues, Dr Intan and Ms Sylvia Lim, also spoke about this point. It appears that under the proposed amendments, these persons would be deemed as public servants when exercising their powers under the Act. This is in contrast to the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015, which only provides for APOs or Police Officers to be an approved person under that Act to carry out licensing functions. What is the rationale for allowing private sector vendors to carry out functions of the Licensing Officer under the proposed provisions? How will these private sector vendors be selected and are there other similar uses of the private sector for licensing or other analogous matters in Singapore?
Second, the proposed amendments to section 5 of the Act expands the criteria for obtaining a licence which presently only stipulates operational requirements, to include criteria and requirements relating to the responsible officer of the applicant of the licence. The explanatory notes of the Bill state that this takes into account considerations of whether the responsible officer is a fit and proper person, similar to the approach taken in the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act. May I ask if the criteria and requirements that relate to the responsible officer also take into account his character, capability and reputation, similar to the guidelines on the criteria under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act?
Third, the proposed section 14(2A) of the Bill allows for immediate suspension of a licence if proceedings have commenced against the licensee for certain offences specified in the Second Schedule that relate to any activity at an approved place for the licence. Could the Parliamentary Secretary please clarify whether proceedings include investigations that have been commenced against the licensee even if the licensee has not been formally charged in Court with any offence yet? Would proceedings also include proceedings for a confiscation order, for example, under the Organised Crime Act, even if the licensee or the responsible officer has not been the subject of any criminal proceedings in respect of an offence stipulated in the proposed Second Schedule of the Bill?
Additionally, how would the proposed amendment to section 14 take into account foreign proceedings commenced against the licensee or the responsible officer, say, for example, a vice-related offence which has an equivalent in the proposed Second Schedule? The proposed section 14(2A) presently does not take into account such foreign proceedings. Yet, this may be relevant, especially if the licensee or the responsible officer is involved in operating similar businesses in other countries and foreign proceedings have been brought against him in that regard. Alternatively, would such considerations be instead taken into account in the fit and proper criteria to determine whether the licence should be suspended or cancelled under the proposed amendments to section 14(2) of the Act? If so, would there be a need to widen the language used in that provision to include responsible officers of the licensees and persons having substantial control over these licensees?
Fourth, the proposed amendments to section 15A of the Act allows the Arts Entertainment Licensing Officer to impose conditions as he thinks fit. Could the hon Parliamentary Secretary please clarify what sorts of conditions are contemplated? Would the Ministry also be providing guidelines on how the discretion to impose conditions would be exercised? This would promote greater certainty for producers of the arts, who could then have these guidelines in mind at the outset when planning and producing their art exhibitions and performances.
Finally, in relation to the proposed new sections 16 to 16AC of the Bill providing for a consolidated appeals framework. I note now that two relevant appeal authorities have been proposed in respect of appeals against appealable decisions of the PE Licensing Officer, namely, the newly constituted PE Appeal Board for decisions involving prescribed specified establishments or a prescribed class of licensees and, in any other cases, to the Minister responsible for PE. Could the Parliamentary Secretary please elaborate on what type of specified establishments or class of licensees would be prescribed that would involve the PE Appeal Board? I believe a similar point was raised by the hon Member Ms Sylvia Lim. In addition, what is the rationale for having an independent PE Appeal Board that deals with appeals against certain decisions involving these prescribed specified establishments or class of licensees, whilst appeals against all other decisions continue to be dealt with by the Minister?
I support our efforts to promote higher standards amongst PE operators, and to safeguard against those who misuse these premises to carry out racketeering activities. I also applaud both Ministries' efforts in engaging the stakeholders before tabling this Bill. I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Assoc Prof Randolph Tan.
Assoc Prof Randolph Tan (Nominated Member): Madam, entertainment outlets, such as nightclubs and pubs, are a significant component of our services sector. They contribute to the vibrancy of our cityscape. They also form an important part of our tourism industry.
If they serve as the front for illegal activities, they will undermine the appeal of legitimate businesses. If they thrive by allowing activities on their premises that properly run establishments adhering to strict regulations refuse to accommodate, the latter could be edged out of business competition. In particular, I would like to express my concerns about unruly behaviour regularly linked to PE outlets.
Madam, in March this year, a well-known venue which hosts several PE outlets was the scene of a killing. The setting is usually the same, with the victim confronted by a group of attackers in the hours between midnight and dawn.
Unfortunately, this was hardly the first time an incident of this type occurred. On Christmas eve of 2015, an American who worked as a stuntman was killed in a brawl at a different area reportedly after he was caught up in an attack by a large group. In fact, merely going by insider accounts reported in media exposes alone would tell us that when a serious incident occurs, it is just a spillover from what happens within these establishments on a regular basis.
A report published in The Straits Times on 19 March this year which followed up on the March incident, gave accounts from three perspectives − those of the regular patrons, employees and establishment owners. They all concurred that such incidents were not one-off. Of course, some laid the blame on bad press, too, which could mean quite a lot of different things, depending on how you look at it.
Madam, to a casual observer, establishments such as nightclubs and pubs have regularly reinforced their own poor reputations in these matters not just by what happens in them, but also by what is linked to them. When incidents are reported, such as fights and even deaths, the same places/names regularly turn up. What is worse is to hear young people talk about what happens regularly that goes on unreported as though it was the most natural thing in the world on a night out.
While I support the Bill, I would like to urge MHA to take a stronger stand in addressing the negative issues that are associated with such establishments. The current Bill deals with what occurs on the premises of such establishments, but we often hear of reported incidents occurring outside. In mid-April this year, it was reported that the Police arrested a group of nine men between the ages of 20 and 30 for rioting with a deadly weapon, which caused the death of a 31-year-old man at a car park in an area different from those two that I had already mentioned above. This happens so regularly that when it is reported, I often wonder why there is no attempt to draw a link to the establishments where such incidents could have originated.
When violence peaks and serious incidents occur, it is the Police which have to be called in. At such times, the diversion of significant Police resources is more than just a cost that has to be borne by taxpayers. The drain on tight Police resources caused by recurrent incidents of this nature is a distraction from greater policing priorities.
Finally, there is another danger, which is to our youths, which several hon Members have already mentioned. When nightspots tolerate or engage in undesirable activities on their premises, young patrons are especially vulnerable. Not only could they be unwitting victims of such incidents, if they are led to think that illegal activities can proceed without effective policing, they may come to associate them as a natural part of an exciting night out.
In August 2013, in a written response to a Parliamentary Question, Deputy Prime Minister Teo, then Minister for Home Affairs, had already highlighted policing measures in preventing youth gang fights, where, I quote, \"PE outlets, such as billiard saloons and amusement centres, are subject to licensing conditions which require the licensee to report unlawful activities to the Police\".
Madam, the enhancements in today's Bill are important additional measures for dealing with this problem. I would like to urge the relevant Government agencies involved to continue to explore additional ways of holding entertainment outlets and their patrons accountable in ensuring that good clean fun does not cross the line. The violence and deaths which have occurred are both senseless and tragic. Beyond that, legitimate business activity suffers. The problem must be tackled through tougher legislation. Madam, I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Denise Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Madam, I rise to speak in support of PEMA. I am the local Member of Parliament (MP) in the Kampong Glam and Jalan Besar vicinity. Residents would largely welcome this Bill. Most important to many residents − not just in my area, but I think in other areas as well − the Bill will strengthen the ability of the Government to ensure that PE is not carried out in places that are not suitable to its nature.
As MPs serving residents in the city district, colleagues such as Mr Melvin Yong, previously Mr Edwin Tong and myself, have had our fair share of challenges to balance the tension between the needs of residents and the needs of PE outlets and events. Let me share a few examples from my past few terms serving my residents.
Along Queen Street several years ago, the problems of noise, especially from customers arriving and leaving, drinking during hours when nearby residents are sleeping, had resulted in many complaints to the Police and also gave rise to Police raids.
Then, at Little India, where merchants organise live concerts to attract visitors, including tourists and foreign workers, residents, young and old, in nearby public housing, could not accept the resulting noise and crowds and often called up Member Melvin and myself.
Third, at mixed developments, such as Sultan Plaza and the Textile Centre, the nearby night joints created at one time much unhappiness to the local residents living upstairs. This had resulted in many night phone calls to the Police, to the MP and Police raids as well, creating much tension between the residents and the nightspot operators.
And then, where religious activities take place in establishments, such as mosques in my Kampong Glam area, there had also been constant tension with the neighbouring food and beverage (F&B) and entertainment outlets whose offerings may be considered potentially offensive to some who go to the mosque to worship.
But kudos to the diligent Singapore Police Force, the Home Team members who are based at, especially Marina Bay and the Rochor Police Posts, incidents are markedly reduced over the years. This peace is, however, achieved not without the high cost of enforcement by the Police and the supporting efforts of the local grassroots helpers and the MPs.
Madam, 456 PE licences out of an approximate 2,700 island-wide are in the Bugis, Jalan Besar and Beach Road areas. My first point of concern is to seek the Ministry's assurance that these residential areas will not become unsuitable for residential living, whether in public or private developments.
PE establishments, Madam, should generally not be located within residential areas. This is due to the disamenities that will most certainly arise. Disamenity issues, such as the issues of noise, that would still occur when customers arrive and leave through even sound-proofed doors, and often during the resting hours of residents. Although the Home Team brigades I work with are some of the most diligent and helpful public servants I know, on behalf of my residents, I still urge the Government to consider the following measures.
One, adopt a whole-of-Government approach, with relevant agencies, besides MHA, URA, the Ministry of National Development (MND), the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) as well, to ensure a more appropriate tenant mix of businesses with the right licences in residential estates. There should be more community services located closer to the residents, such as senior activity centres, preschools, childcare centres, polyclinics, grocery stores that will be useful to the residents. This should be part of urban planning zoning for residential estates in the city. A more family-friendly wholesome tenant mix in residential areas will certainly save considerable amounts of resources to monitor, track, raid and arrest potential culprits.
Two, the Government should avoid issuing business licences for establishments, such as massage parlours, bars, jackpot operators, night entertainment licences in neighbourhoods of religious establishments.
Three, in urban planning, the Government should seriously reconsider the building of mixed developments. It sounds sexy and good but it is really hard to implement, especially if these mixed developments for residential and commercial are within the same building. Nightclubs, massage parlours, bars and entertainment outlets in buildings with residents living above is a sure recipe for conflicts and tension as they are most likely always the sources of complaints and conflicts.
Madam, I believe that much of the potential conflicts between residents and PE operators can be proactively alleviated if there is a more effective whole-of-Government approach, and proper public communication of zoning principles in urban planning.
Madam, there are also specific parts of the PEMA Bill that I would like to seek clarification from the Parliamentary Secretary.
First, on the amendment of section 4 that provides for the Licensing Officer to appoint \"individuals who are suitably trained\" to perform the powers of inspection and other duties of the Licensing Officer. About these authorised persons, I would like to ask the Ministry on the extent of power that may be exercised by them and also the courses of action should a normal routine procedure escalate to a full-blown public disorder or even a riot situation.
Second, on the amendment of section 15A, whilst I understand the need to align the two areas of licences by MHA and MCI, I would like to seek clarification so that things will be more transparent on the decision framework that the Arts Entertainment Licensing Officer may impose in classifying any arts entertainment.
Lastly, I would like to seek clarification on the PE Appeal Board, which is one of the additions to the Bill, as to the reasons for setting this up and the scope of this Board, the Board's decision-making framework and approach and how this might be different from the current arrangements. I look forward to the Parliamentary Secretary's considered response. I fully support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Thanaletchimi.
Ms K Thanaletchimi (Nominated Member): Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. The world order is changing at breakneck speed and people's preferences and desires are similarly being transformed. As our society matures with changing times, technological advances are taking precedence in all sectors, including the arts and entertainment. As Singapore safeguards itself against the constant threats of various forms, a tighter control over PE events seems to be a necessary evil. As this may impact the creativity element of individuals, groups, businesses and organisations which put together such events, the Government needs to maintain a fair balance. When control measures with tighter licensing requirements are introduced to protect the safety and security of the society, it is important to ensure that creative efforts are not stifled.
However, Madam, I have the following clarifications in regard to the Bill.
The omission of the word, \"meetings\" from the title of the Bill makes a major shift and, henceforth, the initial purpose of the Bill. There needs to be greater clarity on the separation of public meetings from PE. Both PE and public meetings need to be in line with community standards and public decency and uphold the law and public order.
Two, there needs to be more clarity on the purpose of this Bill. With the amendments, what are the licences that will be refused and suspended? What are some of the examples that were refused and suspended before? And what were the bases for refusing and suspending these licences?
Third, one of the provisions in the Bill is to set up an independent PE Appeal Board which will assess and handle appeals against certain decisions of the PE Licensing Officer. The key word here is \"independent\". It is important to have an independent body so that the system gains trust from the public by ensuring openness and transparency. Who will appoint and who will be appointed as members of the Appeal Board? What are their terms of reference? If the appeal is rejected, will there be recourse for the aggrieved party?
Fourth, while I note the proposal to increase the penalty for conducting PE without a licence, what is the rationale for such an increase? Has there been an increase of such cases of conducting PE without a licence? Being a strong proponent of public education and awareness, I would like to propose that we channel the funds collected from these fines into public education. Will there be a periodic review of the classifications of the various PE and arts as well as licensing requirements? Madam, notwithstanding these, I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, Singapore is a tourism hub and we also want to promote art and culture for our local community. So, the number and variety of PE and arts entertainment activities are likely to rise in the months ahead. This is a good sign as this suggests that more Singaporeans are becoming more appreciative and receptive towards various cultures, artforms, sports events and so forth. Moreover, the abundance of entertainment, many from overseas, reflect our nation's openness and acceptance of different cultures.
All said, we should also respect the values of our own Asian culture and not allow individuals or groups to misuse art to become an affront to others. Worse, if they are used to promote radical ideology.
I am pleased to note that stricter guidelines and policing policies have been introduced to be stricter on operators of places of entertainment. I believe the management should do more than just deploying bouncers. But they should have ground staff who would see to it that the safety of the patrons is safeguarded. Those who allow drugs to be sold on their premises should be charged. They should never allow the use of illicit means to draw the crowd. The operators should also be asked to post a bond to ensure compliance with licensing regulations.
While it is easy for licence owners to point a finger at its employees, I feel the owners should not run the business by proxy. Can the Minister say that all applicants for PE licences are screened for criminal records? Would this screening apply to their key staff running the operations? To date, how many owners have been taken to task or charged for violating the licensing conditions?
Will those holding licences now and found unsuitable under this new Bill be asked to surrender their licence? Are foreigners allowed to apply for a licence? If so, how are they to be held responsible?
Government Ministries must coordinate their efforts or we would end up wasting public funds. This is like, on the one hand, so many jackpot machines were allowed at a soccer club when, on the other, we watched over licensed casinos like a hawk and impose entry fees for locals.
The downside of drinking is that when one gets one too many, rowdy behaviour, sometimes culminating in brawls, would occur. One incident that came to mind was the tragic case of an American stuntman, who was badly beaten up outside a club and succumbed to his injuries. Recently, we read of a fatal stabbing hours after the night club shuttered its doors to the last customer.
If I may ask how much resources are committed to policing night clubs, pubs, discos, karaoke joints and eating places that serve alcohol and the like? Our Police, Customs, Immigration officers are stretched in this era of constant threat of terrorism, where they have to protect our shoreline. May I ask how many fights are attributed to drunk patrons and staring incidents at these night spots in the past two years?
I take pride in the efficiency of our MHA. We should impose greater responsibility on the operators of these night spots to provide the protection to the public and maintain good order. Can it be made mandatory for nightlife spots to hire better qualified and trained security officers to maintain public order inside and outside the premises?
Next, what is the guideline for the approval of locations for nightlife spots? URA says it will take into account residents' feedback, but is there a fixed guideline for the minimum distance from, say, residences and religious places?
I will give Members an example. There are a few pubs and games arcades along Sembawang Road, which is near Goodlink Park, and I have been receiving feedback from residents. They complain about cigarette butts, littering, noise, public nuisance and so on. Some residents are worried about the bad influence on their children. I have given the feedback to URA, and URA replied that this is not under their purview because the games arcades are registered under the Registry of Societies, which is under MHA. So, MHA told me that they will monitor, but until now, residents are still living under all these influences and pressures that they do not like to have.
Some of these nightlife spots are sleazy, with scantily-clad women openly soliciting business, and drunk and rowdy customers creating a public nuisance. It can be disturbing and dangerous for residents walking through the area. On a related note, are there guidelines for the attire of employees working in these establishments? I note that there are strict guidelines pertaining to attire at public events, particularly those of performers and even staff. Should these guidelines not also be extended to the employees who loiter outside their establishments? Mdm Speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The main purpose of these amendments is to regulate public entertainment. However, I would like to talk about our PE places. These places can bring about two types of problems. First, customers get into a fight. Do we require security personnel at these places to undergo extra training to stop the fighting? This will reduce the burden on our Police Force, as well as potential harm caused by these fights. Residents living nearby will also experience less inconveniences.
The second problem is the noise and the scantily-clad women loitering outside these places. They cause discomfort to the residents living nearby. Can the authorities clarify there is a minimum distance requirement between these places and residential areas? Should there be guidelines for the attire of employees who loiter outside their establishments, just like the guidelines pertaining to attire of PE performers?
(In English): Mdm Speaker, I support the Bill and I believe that the need to protect the patrons are important, be it against drug abuse, fire or unnecessary fights between patrons. Owners of these places must have realised that if they want to have a profitable business, they must do so with commensurate responsibility for the people whose presence they profit. These outlets are also soft targets for terror groups. I hope MHA would not be overtaxed in its resources to have to watch out not only the front and the back gates, but also the side alleys of the establishments which hold the PE licences.
Mdm Speaker: Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Madam, I have two declarations to make. Firstly, I stand before Speaker as the MP for Geylang Serai, which houses some of these facilities, including the co-existence of at least 170 religious organisations, clan organisations, temples, mosques and other civic organisations as well as many residential areas and, secondly, as an emergency and trauma specialist who, on the other hand, also handles and manages casualties that come from these incidents.
Madam, I stand in support of this Bill. PEMA provides for the regulation of PE and meetings and helps ensure that these are carried out within acceptable community standards and public decency as well as uphold our law and order. I would like to make a few points pertaining to the Bill.
Firstly, I strongly support allowing the Police to suspend a PE licence as soon as a licensee or anyone involved in the business is charged in Court for serious crimes, such as persons trafficking, dealing in drugs and so on and so forth. This is also linked to the act of allowing the officers mentioned to enter premises suspected of flouting regulations under this Bill, even if they have been denied entry by the owners. Blacklisting these errant personalities and companies is critical, as, in many cases, they tend to commit recurrent breaches.
I would like to ask the Minister if there are better or stricter ways to be able to identify persons associated with blacklisted companies or those trying their luck by applying under a different name or a relative's or a friend's name to avoid being caught and detected. And this is something that goes on. But these people end up circulating in the industry, giving a negative perception and name to the industry. It is thus unfair to the others who are genuinely interested in providing such services honestly.
These days, the trend is to have the so-called artistic entertainment on showcase at non-traditional venues and locations. Information technology (IT) also enables live streaming from remote locations, including overseas locations and sites. Thus, can we ensure the stakeholders are clear on the classification and categorisation? Can the Ministry also help with more education and publicity, so that people can have a better idea of the latest regulations in place?
Madam, since the last review of PEMA and the enactment from 1 March 2016, can I find out how many breaches have there been? And of what severity or seriousness levels are these?
Can I also clarify with the Minister what exactly is meant by the term \"a fit and proper person\" in this Bill? I feel that it is better for us to clarify this definition upfront, rather than have to be contradicted by applicants in the process of their application later on after we have passed the Bill.
Pertaining to the PE Appeal Board, what exactly is the composition of the Board, and what is the SOP and terms of reference and so on and so forth? As has been asked by other Members as well, can I also request that perhaps the local MP for such premises can be consulted when there is such an appeal going on as well?
For the demerit points system allocated under clause 11, can this be tagged to the person for a longer period because I feel that if you just dispose of this within one to two years, the seriousness that it should actually portray to these people may be lost? Therefore, we want them to be more conscious of the seriousness of these things and the Bill.
Madam, delineation between art and entertainment, as well as what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, is really a fine line, especially in a multiracial, multi-religious, multi-ethnic society like ours in Singapore. As we tread with caution and sensitivity, we need to do what needs to be done. I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Tanjong Pagar): Mdm Speaker, let me begin by commending the efforts of our Home Team for the recent enforcement operation conducted at nine entertainment outlets in Orchard Road and Selegie Road on 15 April. This enforcement operation also revealed that PE outlets can be a hotbed for vice, drugs and other illegitimate activities. This signals a need to tighten our laws regulating PE outlets.
Mdm Speaker, I support the proposed amendments to PEMA and I have a few suggestions for the Ministry's consideration.
First, I agree with the proposal to tighten regulatory approval by requiring the Licensing Officer to consider whether the applicant is appropriate for the role. The provision to allow for immediate suspension of the licence once proceedings have commenced against the licensee or the responsible officer would also serve to address a current situation where errant outlets continue to operate despite having accumulated numerous breaches. This will send a strong signal to the licensees to keep their outlets in order. However, as highlighted by our Parliamentary colleagues, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah and Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, one concern still lingers − the usage of proxies to apply for a PE licence. How can we put an end to unsavoury businessmen operating from behind the scenes in the PE industry?
Next, I would like to highlight the need to tighten the approval of PE licences, especially in or near mixed developments. Let us take the three examples in my constituency − Balmoral Plaza and Orchard Towers which are mixed developments, and the area around Mount Sophia, which is near Peace Centre.
Like Dr Intan Mokhtar and Ms Denise Phua, during my house visits, it is not uncommon to hear residents complain about these PE outlets located within or near their homes. While fights take place regularly among drunken individuals, beyond such safety concerns, these outlets also bring about disamenities as their patrons loiter outside the outlet and indulge in loud conversations and smoking. I believe enough has been elaborated by the various Members who have spoken before me.
I do agree with Ms Denise Phua that we should not grant PE licences to operate within residential buildings. But in the meantime, can the Ministry consider imposing a cap on the number of PE outlets in a specified area, particularly in areas where there are many residences? Would the PE Appeal Board consider residents' appeals against the granting of a PE licence in their neighbourhood? Feedback from residents can also be given to the Appeal Board either through the Management Corporation Strata Titles (MCSTs) or the Residents' Committees.
Mdm Speaker, the peace and sense of safety of home is often disturbed for residents who live near such PE outlets, and the operators have grown savvy in avoiding trouble in a very technical sense. Residents tell me that in many of these PE outlets, the bouncers or security personnel will ask the patrons to smoke or fight outside of the outlets instead so that they will not get any demerit points or violate any licensing conditions.
As such, I would like to propose that we review the demerit points system, and also to consider having higher demerit points for serious breaches, such as when the security personnel themselves get involved in fights within or outside the outlet. Similar to what has been done at Orchard Towers, would the Police also consider setting up surveillance cameras outside selected PE outlets, in particular, where these outlets co-exist with residences? This is to monitor the spillover activities from these outlets.
Madam, while an exciting nightlife scene adds vibrancy to our city state, more can be done, and more should be done to help residents who live near PE outlets. With that, I support the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Madam, this Bill introduces positive changes to the PE and arts entertainment licensing framework in Singapore and I stand in support of it.
I especially support the amendment to section 14 of the Act, which allows the suspension of a licence when proceeding in relation to offences listed in the proposed Second Schedule. We witnessed an active debate in Parliament recently on stamping out the use of drugs. The offences in the Second Schedule include drug offences, and I believe this is aligned with the move to make Singapore a drug-free society.
Further, the Second Schedule includes matters in relation to prostitution and human trafficking. I am supportive of this in light of the criticisms levelled against Singapore for not doing enough to combat human trafficking and protect foreign workers in this dark side of society. This is testament to the Government's continued commitment to prevent trafficking.
Madam, allow me to seek a few clarifications about this Bill and offer some suggestions.
I note that a Licensing Officer may appoint a suitably trained individual as an authorised person. As many Members of this House have asked, can the Parliamentary Secretary clarify what is meant by \"suitably trained\", who these authorised persons will be, and also clarify why there is a need to appoint these authorised persons in the first place?
Next, we are proposing to increase the maximum penalty for unlicensed PE and conducting PE while suspended from $10,000 to $20,000. I understand that it has been more than a decade since we have increased the penalties, and I am concerned whether this increase is sufficient and will be a sufficient deterrent. We need to consider that $20,000 might be the earnings in just one or a few nights in some cases.
I also understand that the Police will work with industry partners to promote higher standards. Can the Parliamentary Secretary clarify if these standards have already been drafted? If not, when will they be ready, and also whether these standards will be published on the Police's website for transparency? This will be in line with the \"fit and proper\" criteria details which will be published on the Police's website. Can the Parliamentary Secretary also clarify if the eventual goal is to legislate these higher standards?
With regard to the PE Appeal Board, can I clarify, in submitting an appeal, will the applicant or licensee be given the opportunity to face the Board and present their case, or, if needed, be allowed to have legal representation?
Finally, is there a prescribed timeframe for this appeal process? I note that an appealable decision takes effect even though an appeal has been made to the Board, unless the Board determines otherwise. In this regard, an appellant appears to be required to make two appeals or two petitions − one to appeal against an appealable decision and, two, to request for the appealable decision to not take effect until the Board renders its decision.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary clarify the process and procedure to request an appealable decision not to take effect? I believe this requires clarification as some subject matter of an appeal could be very time-sensitive. Madam, notwithstanding the above clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary.
The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary): Mdm Speaker, I would like to address the queries raised by the Members on the arts entertainment-related amendments and the regulation of arts entertainment before Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin wraps up the debate on the Bill.
PEMA was last amended in 2014 to improve the administration of arts entertainment licensing. Changes were made to more clearly delineate the licensing regimes for arts entertainment and PE which fall under IMDA and the Police respectively, and to ensure the relevance of the Act in view of changing trends in the provision of arts entertainment. For instance, we introduced the requirement for all arts entertainment to be classified regardless of the venue that they are held at, be it at PE establishments licensed by the Police, such as nightclubs, or at other venues, such as theatres and concert halls. In line with technological trends, we also made it a requirement for the live streaming of arts entertainment to a public venue to be licensed and classified.
I thank Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef for recognising the importance of increasing awareness of the regulation of arts entertainment. IMDA agrees that this is important and takes steps to ensure that the public and industry have access to such information.
First, to inform members of the public interested in staging arts entertainment, IMDA publishes information on the licensing and classification of arts entertainment on its website. This includes AECC, information on the classification processes, as well as guidelines on the submission of licensing and classification applications.
Second, whenever there are changes to be made to the regulatory framework, IMDA also consults the industry to inform them and seek their views on the proposed changes. For instance, for the 2014 amendment that provides for the classification of arts entertainment regardless of where it is held at, IMDA held several engagement sessions with stakeholders, including SNBA, the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and major business precinct associations to inform them of the changes and also to consult them on ways to streamline regulatory processes for PE establishments offering various forms of arts entertainment.
For the current round of amendments, IMDA held a briefing to arts groups despite the amendments having little impact on their operations. As mentioned by the Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin, the current rounds of amendments will not result in any change to the existing arts entertainment content standards or the IMDA's arts entertainment classification and licensing processes.
I would also like to address the question from Ms Denise Phua and Mr Murali Pillai on the amendments to section 15A, which would allow IMDA to impose conditions as part of IMDA's classification of arts entertainment that comes under PE licence. The conditions are akin to the existing arts entertainment licensing conditions. Each arts entertainment should be assessed on its own merit and different conditions may be required depending on the content and the form of the arts entertainment. The more common conditions imposed include the need to display classification ratings and consumer advice at the performance venue, and to prevent persons below the age of 18 from viewing arts entertainment rated R18. Such conditions are not new, and applicants generally have not had issues complying with them.
Madam, if I may speak now on the Government's approach to arts regulation in general so as to give additional context to the changes that we are making and also to reassure Members that the amendments will, in no way, affect the regulation of arts entertainment.
First, IMDA adopts an age-based classification framework where content is classified according to their suitability for different age groups. Classification serves to protect the young, while allowing adults to make informed viewing choices on a wider range of arts content. In making its classification decisions, IMDA aims to strike a balance between reflecting generally accepted social norms, while giving due consideration to the arts entertainment's artistic and educational merits.
IMDA classifies arts entertainment according to AECC. Content suitable for a general audience, including children, will be given a General rating, while those that are targeted at a more mature audience can either be rated Advisory, Advisory 16 or R18. Content that goes beyond the R18 rating, for example, those which may undermine national interest, are likely to cause feelings of ill-will between different racial or religious groups or are excessive and/or exploitative in their depictions, will be disallowed. The existing framework thus already addresses Er Dr Lee Bee Wah's concern about the misuse of arts entertainment as a means to offend or to promote radical ideology.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about the breaches that had occurred after the last review of PEMA. Since IMDA took over the responsibility for enforcing and investigating breaches related to arts entertainment from the Police in 2014, it has issued 26 advisories and warnings for breaches of licence conditions and offences under the Act.
I would like to assure Ms Thanaletchimi that IMDA is cognisant that the forms and substance of arts entertainment are not static and will continue to evolve. IMDA keeps itself up to date with the developments in the arts scene through engaging stakeholders, such as the Arts Consultative Panel, the National Arts Council and the arts community. IMDA also reviews the AECC guidelines, as well as its interpretation and application of the guidelines, in consultation with stakeholders to ensure that it keeps up with changes and developments in artistic trends and community standards.
Mdm Speaker, the latest Population Survey on the Arts released by the National Arts Council last year, shows that arts interest and attendance are at an all-time high in Singapore. This is a positive development. But it also means that with higher demand and, therefore, higher supply of arts entertainment, IMDA, as the regulator, will have its work cut out. However, through regular engagements and dialogues with the stakeholders, I believe that IMDA will continue to serve its role well in safeguarding the public space for arts entertainment, even as our arts scene continues to become more diverse and vibrant. I support the Bill, Mdm Speaker.
Mdm Speaker: Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin.
Mr Amrin Amin: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Members who have spoken on this Bill and for their support.
Senior Minister of State Janil has addressed the issues raised by Members relating to arts entertainment regulation. I will now focus on the issues relating to the regulation of PE.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef and Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about the number and seriousness of PE licensing breaches and violent crime in PE establishments.
In 2016, there were over 600 PE licensing breaches committed. These were committed by about 20% of the 2,700 PE establishment licensees. About 90% of these breaches were minor, such as failing to maintain a proper record of all employees or failing to ensure that performers do not mingle with patrons. The remaining 10% were major breaches, such as overcrowding, which pose a public safety risk. There were 38 incidents of violent crime, which include serious hurt and rioting, in PE establishments. The situation is under control and Members have also noted this in their speeches. We are proactively managing the situation, and this Bill strengthens our regulatory levers to ensure that the situation continues to be well-managed. As such, we are adopting a calibrated risk-based regulatory regime.
Some Members asked for clarifications on the measures to prevent operation of PE establishments by unsuitable persons or businesses or operated in unsuitable locations. Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef and Mr Melvin Yong asked if we can better identify unsuitable persons that hide behind proxies when applying for new licences. This is an issue which we take seriously. At the point of licence application, the Police will screen the applicant's background carefully to ascertain if he has links to errant establishments, as well as the applicant's general records. There are also regular checks that the Police conduct on PE establishments and the operators after the licence application.
Clause 6 of the Bill will also allow the Police to apply certain criteria and requirements on not only the applicant, but also relevant persons, such as responsible officers of the business entity and any person who has substantial interest in or control over the business. The Police can reject the application, or cancel an issued licence, if any of these relevant persons do not meet the Police's criteria and requirements.
Mr Murali Pillai asked what these criteria and requirements would be. The criteria include an assessment of honesty, integrity, reputation, competence and capability of the applicant and relevant persons, much like the Liquor Control Act. For example, we will consider whether the applicant and relevant persons have been convicted of serious crimes and their track records of complying with regulatory requirements. The criteria will be published on the Police website when the amendments to the Act take effect.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Ms Denise Phua and Mr Melvin Yong asked whether there are minimum-distance requirements for the approval of PE establishments near residences, religious places, schools or in mixed-use developments. Ms Denise Phua also asked for a whole-of-Government approach to determining siting for PE establishments.
Singapore has a highly dense urban environment and it is difficult to impose minimum distances between PE and other land use types. A case-by-case approach is taken in such matters. Specific cases in the Member's constituencies can be taken up separately.
Today, the Police coordinate and work closely with agencies, such as HDB and URA, in assessing applications, and also consider feedback from residents and stakeholders. The Police also impose conditions to mitigate potential disamenities to the community, such as acceptable noise limits and limiting operating hours, including limiting the liquor serving hours, if they have a liquor licence.
This Bill will strengthen the Police's regulatory levers against errant PE establishments. I welcome Members to work with their grassroots leaders to engage the Ministry and the relevant Government agencies on how we can use these levers better to manage concerns regarding PE establishments in their constituencies.
Ms Thanaletchimi asked whether the proposal to raise the penalty for providing unlicensed PE is due to the rising incidence of unlicensed PE. In 2016, there were only 12 cases of unlicensed PE establishments. We are proposing to raise the fine for unlicensed PE as a matter of principle. A person who disregards the law entirely should be dealt with more harshly than a licensed person who breached licence conditions. Today, the maximum fine for these offences is the same at $10,000. The Bill increases the maximum fine for providing unlicensed PE to $20,000.
Mr Louis Ng asked if a $20,000 fine is a sufficient deterrent for errant operators who try to circumvent our controls and safeguards altogether by operating PE establishments without valid licences. If an unlicensed operator is caught but continues to operate illegally while being investigated by the Police, he can be charged for multiple counts of the offence. In addition, such operators may also be liable for other offences, for example, the unlicensed sale of liquor under the Liquor Control Act. The penalties will add up for egregious offenders who brazenly flout the law. Further, such offenders will not be considered should they seek to apply for PE licences in future, given their history of non-compliance.
Mdm Speaker, I will next address queries on the enhanced powers against errant establishments. Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, Mr Louis Ng and Ms Joan Pereira have spoken in support of clause 10, which allows the Licensing Officer to immediately suspend a PE licence, if proceedings have commenced against the licensee or a relevant person of the business for serious crimes.
Mr Murali Pillai asked what type of \"proceedings\" would trigger suspensions. The intention is to suspend licences when the licensee or relevant person is charged in Court for a serious crime under the Second Schedule. If the licensee or relevant person is not charged, but has other proceedings, such as confiscation orders under the Organised Crime Act outstanding against him, the Police can consider suspending or cancelling the licence under the \"fit and proper\" framework. The same applies for foreign proceedings.
Ms Thanaletchimi asked generally about the basis for suspending or cancelling licences. Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar also asked about how the demerit points system works. I have addressed these points in my earlier speech.
Dr Lee Bee Wah, Assoc Prof Randolph Tan, Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Melvin Yong have raised concerns about fights and disamenities in and around PE establishments. They have also suggested various measures to deal with these issues. MHA shares these concerns. Going forward, the Police will also require all nightclubs to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at entrances and exits. This will deter crimes in and around the PE establishment as well as facilitate investigations into any such crimes that take place. Many responsible PE establishments have already installed such CCTVs.
Some Members have suggested that the Police also hold the licensees responsible for fights and crime that take place outside of their establishments. Mr Melvin Yong also suggested that demerit points be awarded if security personnel of the establishment are involved in fights, or if they ask patrons to fight or smoke outside.
We are exploring new licensing conditions with appropriate demerit points to address the issue of law and order incidents originating from PE establishments. Licensees should take reasonable steps to respond to incidents that originate from their premises, even if they spill out of the premises.
For security officers who are found to be the cause of fights, their licence under the Private Security Industry Act could be revoked. For serious criminal offences, they would also be charged in Court.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah also suggested that the Police impose conditions on PE establishments to prohibit their employees from being scantily-clad. Such conditions are already in place. Employees have to be decently attired when carrying out their duties.
To address the more fundamental issue of establishments that facilitate or attract vice activities, there are licensing conditions to curb such illegal activities. I also spoke earlier about the new powers to suspend a licence if the licensee or relevant persons have been charged for serious offences in the Second Schedule. The Second Schedule includes vice-related offences under the Women's Charter. If there is any information on breaches, please call our hotline.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked how much resources are committed to regulating PE establishments. The six Police Land Divisions regularly conduct enforcement checks on PE establishments under their jurisdiction to deter and detect illegal activities. In 2016, the Police conducted over 1,000 such checks.
Clause 5 of the Bill allows the Police to appoint authorised persons to support such checks, in particular, checks of a more routine or preventive nature. This provision gives the Police operational flexibility to deploy manpower more effectively or conduct more frequent checks should the need arise. Authorised persons are also subject to supervisory controls by the Police.
Dr Intan Mokhtar, Mr Louis Ng, Mr Murali Pillai, Ms Denise Phua and Ms Sylvia Lim asked about \"suitably trained\" authorised persons and their powers. Examples of \"suitably trained\" persons include APOs or retired Police Officers who have the requisite skills and experience.
Authorised persons can only exercise the powers of inspection created by clause 17. These powers of inspection are tightly scoped to include only the basic powers they need for routine inspections, such as making copies of documents, taking photos or requesting for explanations. Any licensing breaches detected and reported by authorised persons will be investigated by the Police.
On Ms Sylvia Lim's and Ms Denise Phua's points, routine inspections, such as checks on staff records, are usually uneventful. But in the event of escalation of violence, authorised officers drawn from the ranks of APOs and retired Police Officers would have received training and have experience in managing licensing inspections and managing difficult situations generally, and they can also call for Police back-up. APOs today are required to attend basic modules, which include training on checks on persons and bags, and incident management, and they will receive additional training before being deployed to inspect PE establishments.
On the powers of forced entry for Licensing Officers and Police Officers, Ms Sylvia Lim asked why such powers were needed now. The Police have encountered PE establishments that locked their premises on arrival of enforcement officers. This provides them opportunity to dispose of evidence and lead time to stop any lawful activities. Currently, a search warrant from the Courts is needed before the Police can gain entry into the premises for the purpose of licensing checks. The new power of forced entry will allow the Police to take swift and effective action to detect and enforce licensing breaches.
Mdm Speaker, I will now address queries on appeal processes. Mr Louis Ng, Ms Denise Phua, Ms Thanaletchimi, Mr Murali Pillai and Ms Sylvia Lim sought clarifications on the structure, processes and terms of reference of the PE Appeal Board.
The Appeal Board will largely mirror the structure and processes of the existing Liquor Appeal Board under the Liquor Control Act. The Minister for Home Affairs will appoint the members of the PE Appeal Board from a range of fields, such as legal, education and business. This ensures that the Appeal Board considers a range of perspectives on issues pertaining to operational matters of PE establishments. To maintain independence, the Appeal Board members cannot have any dealings or be in any way concerned with the provision of PE. Appellants only send written representations to the Board and they can engage lawyers to prepare the representations. The Appeal Board decides based on simple majority, and its decision on the merits of the case is final.
On whether an appealable decision by the Police will take effect even while the appeal is ongoing, this is not a new provision; it already exists in the current section 16(4) of the Act. However, the Appeal Board may decide on a case-by-case basis to specify that the appealable decision should not take effect while the appeal is being considered.
The Appeal Board will strive to hear appeals expeditiously, but time taken depends on various factors, including the complexity of the matter.
The Minister for Home Affairs will prescribe the classes of PE establishment licensees that will have their appeals heard by the Appeal Board. The current intention is to prescribe all licensees of PE establishments be heard by the Appeal Board but the Minister can prescribe otherwise in future. The Appeal Board would consider the Licensing Officer's considerations regarding the regulation of the PE establishment's operations as well as the appellant's business concerns.
The relevant Ministers will hear appealable decisions from all other licensees that are not prescribed to be heard by the Appeal Board, such as organisers of large-scale, one-off events. Appeals from such licensees tend to involve security and policy considerations and are more complex, and these are matters of governance where the Minister should decide.
Mr Melvin Yong asked if the Appeal Board will also hear appeals from residents against the approval or renewal of licences for PE establishments. Our assessment is that there is no need for that. The Police already take into account residents' and Members' representations on such matters.
In my earlier speech, I mentioned briefly that following our review, the Police will also work closely with the industry to promote more responsible business operations.
Mr Louis Ng asked whether these industry standards have already been drafted, whether they will be published and eventually will be legislated. SNBA and European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) have recently announced that they are working together to improve standards in the PE industry, including exploring a formal industry-led accreditation framework. This is an important effort by the industry to voluntarily adopt higher standards to ensure that PE establishments are operated in a responsible manner. The laws are adequate, but if the industry wants to do more, they should be encouraged and we welcome it.
Assoc Prof Randolph Tan suggested that PE establishments put in effort to promote good drinking etiquette. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah suggested to have additional training for staff to manage disputes. Ms Thanaletchimi suggested we enhance our public education efforts. We will work with the industry on these.
Ms Thanaletchimi asked for clarification on the separation of public meetings from PEs as a result of the change to the title of the Act. As I have mentioned in my earlier speech, we are removing \"Meetings\" from the title, as meetings, rallies and forums have been regulated under the Public Order Act since 2009.
Mdm Speaker, I believe I have covered all the points raised by Members.
[(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 Amrin Amin.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: I propose to take the break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 4.10 pm. Order.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.45 pm until 4.10 pm.
Sitting resumed at 4.10 pm
[Mdm 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":"Registered Designs (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Senior Minister of State for Law (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
Design is an important driver of innovation and value creation for businesses. Good design enhances the value of a product. It can turn something plain and ordinary into a product that is attractive, inspiring and user-friendly. It also allows businesses to differentiate their products from their competitors', thus enabling businesses to grow and create good, well-paying jobs in Singapore.
Recognising this, the Design 2025 master plan was developed last year. To support the growth of the design industry, we need a progressive and forward-looking design protection regime. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) have reviewed our registered designs regime. This Bill implements the recommendations from the review.
The main amendments are, first, to broaden the scope of design protection under the Registered Designs Act (RDA); second, to change the default position on ownership of a commissioned design; third, to broaden the scope of, and lengthen, the designs grace period provision; and fourth, to allow multiple designs to be filed in a single application more easily. I will now describe the main features of the Bill.
The first set of amendments broadens the scope of design protection under the RDA.
First, clause 2(a) amends the definition of \"article\" to clarify that it is anything that is manufactured, whether by an industrial process, by hand or otherwise. With the Internet transforming advertising and customer acquisition, small businesses with low volume products targeting niche markets are becoming viable. For example, an artisan designing and making jewellery by hand can operate a \"blog shop\" selling handmade jewellery, with items in each particular design sold in small quantities. Under the current definition, it is not completely clear whether the designs of such articles, produced outside an industrial factory setting, can be protected. Clause 2(a) now makes it clear that they can be protected.
Second, clause 2(c) amends the definition of \"design\". It removes the requirement for features constituting a design to be applied by an industrial process. It also accords protection to colours as a design feature. Colours can play a significant role in the appearance of products. Businesses that look to build a strong association between a particular colour scheme and their products can now protect such colour schemes as part of their designs. I should clarify that our intent is not to accord design protection to colours per se. For example, a designer cannot simply claim the colour orange, without any other design feature, for its vacuum cleaner, and prevent all others from using the colour orange for their vacuum cleaners.
Third, we will allow the registration of designs of non-physical products. We have noticed an emerging trend of new products that do not have a physical form. We want to better prepare our design protection regime in anticipation of such products becoming more common in the future. An example of a non-physical product is a virtual keyboard that is projected by light onto a surface, and that can be used to type characters in the same manner as a physical computer keyboard.
Clause 2(e), therefore, introduces a new definition of non-physical products. Such a product (a) does not have a physical form; (b) is produced by the projection of a design on a surface or into a medium, such as air; and (c) has an intrinsic utilitarian function, meaning it does not merely portray the appearance of the thing or convey information.
We are also making other related amendments. For example, clause 17(a) of the Bill amends the exclusive rights that a registered design owner has, to take into account non-physical products.
These amendments to broaden the scope of design protection are timely, as the design landscape has evolved significantly since RDA was first enacted more than 10 years ago. With these amendments, the design registration system will better serve the needs of designers and businesses.
I now turn to the amendments to change the default position on ownership of a commissioned design.
Under the current section 4 of RDA, when a design is created under commission, the person commissioning the design is treated as the owner of the design by default, unless there is an agreement to the contrary. Clauses 3(a) to 3(c) of the Bill amend the current legislation so that in commissioning situations, the designer will be treated as the owner of the design by default. However, the designer is free to deal with his design by contract. For example, he can assign the design to the person commissioning the design.
By recognising the value of design creation and the creative effort of designers, these amendments will encourage the growth of our local design industry.
Let me now touch on the amendments related to the grace period provision for the registration of designs. Before speaking about the amendments proper, I should provide some background.
Generally, only designs which are new may be registered under RDA. A design that is registered or published before the application to register is filed, is not considered new. Therefore, it cannot be registered. However, section 8 of RDA contains a few narrow exceptions to this general rule. For example, if the design has been displayed at one of the few recognised international exhibitions, and the application was filed within six months of the opening of the exhibition, then the design can be registered. This six-month period is commonly referred to as the \"grace period\".
We have received feedback from the industry that the current grace period provision should not be so restrictive. It needs to support modern business practices, where designers increasingly need to disclose their designs before applying to register them. For example, they could be trying to source for investors at an exhibition that is outside the narrow list of recognised international exhibitions.
To this end, clause 7 of the Bill inserts a new section 8A, which will give designers greater flexibility by extending the grace period from six months to 12 months, and expanding the situations under which the grace period provision may be relied upon to include any disclosure originating from the designer.
It should be emphasised that disclosing a design before applying for protection still carries risks. Not all jurisdictions have a similarly broad or long grace period provision. We would, therefore, strongly encourage designers to always be judicious about disclosing their designs before applying for design registration. IPOS will work with stakeholders and intellectual property (IP) professionals to ensure that this message is conveyed clearly to design applicants.
I now turn to clause 10 of the Bill. Clause 10(b) amends section 11 of RDA to enable multiple designs to be filed in a single application, subject to certain requirements. This amendment will make it easier for applicants to file multiple designs in a single application. It will also lead to more efficient processing by the Registry of Designs.
The Bill also makes consequential amendments to the Copyright Act. Our current policy is to minimise concurrent copyright and registered design protection. This is to prevent over-protection. This policy is articulated in the Copyright Act, which provides that in certain circumstances, copyright is not infringed.
As we will now allow the registration of designs of non-physical products under RDA, these provisions in the Copyright Act have to be amended to take into account design protection for non-physical products. This is effected by clause 28 of the Bill which amends sections 7, 70, 73 and 74 of the Copyright Act.
This Bill implements recommendations from our review of the registered designs regime in Singapore. It allows our regime to stay up to date as design creation and technology evolve, and to be more conducive for the design community.
Our IP regime should provide a balanced and effective means for designers to protect their creative works. In this way, we support the growth of the design industry and the use of designs in Singapore. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Mr Patrick Tay.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the proposed amendments to RDA. This is the first major amendment of the Act since its enactment in 2000. I am glad that the proposed amendments in the Bill are progressive to keep pace with developments in the field of design and to encourage the flourishing of creative works.
I believe these changes will reduce barriers for smaller players in the market, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and freelance professionals in the creative and design fields to seek protection of their IP rights and benefit from their designs. There are three key revisions to the Act.
First, the scope of registrable designs under the Act has been broadened. Second, the designer of the registrable design is now the recognised owner instead of the commissioner of the work; and third, the administrative burden and cost of registration will be reduced. I will address each of these key revisions.
First, by broadening the scope of protection to include designs of non-physical products and colour as a design feature, designers will be able to register a wide range of designs and, consequently, allow for their exploitation of a greater range of creative expressions. The extension of coverage to include virtual designs or non-physical designs recognises the increasing prevalence of virtual products as we become more immersed in virtual environments.
Removing the requirement for application of the design to an article by way of an industrial process is also a boon for designers and small design businesses. In the 2014 National Design Industry Survey, it was found that 86% of design firms in Singapore were micro-SMEs. In Singapore, there has also been an observable rise in interest in artisanal work, craftsmanship and the provision of bespoke handcrafted products ranging from furniture, bicycles, stationery, clothes, shoes and bags to jewellery to cater to consumers' pursuit of individualism.
The Creative Craftsman Apprenticeship Programme, launched in February 2014 and offered by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) Institute is a Place and Train programme aimed at those who want to pursue a career as a craftsman in the furniture industry. The programme has attracted entrants from various age groups, qualifications and industries wishing to make a career switch into carpentry, and 70 Singaporeans have since graduated from the programme. Businesses and freelancers offering bespoke handcrafted products are usually smaller players in the market who would not have been able to seek protection under the Act as their designs are not applied to articles by industrial process. With the proposed amendments to the Act, designs for handcrafted items can be registered, thereby providing these artisans, craftsmen and small businesses with an avenue for protection of their work.
Second, recognising the designer as the owner of the design for commissioned work instead of the commissioner of the work, shifts some amount of bargaining power to the designer when it comes to negotiating the terms of engagement for commissioned work. Based on the current law, designers, especially those from smaller business outfits or freelancers, would find themselves hard pressed to wrangle ownership from the commissioner of the work. Some designers may not even be aware that the position at law is such and omit to negotiate terms of ownership of the commissioned work with the commissioner of the work.
This amendment will not only align the legal position in Singapore with other jurisdictions, for example, Australia, the European Union (EU), Japan and the United States (US), but is also timely, given the advent of the gig economy.
In the recent Graduate Employment Survey released in February 2017, it was found that while the overall employment rate for the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU's) art, design and media graduates has been at about 80% from 2014 to 2016, the full-time permanent employment rate dropped from 68% in 2014 to 46.6% in 2016. With the increase of freelancers in the art, design and creative industries, this amendment can provide freelancers with greater bandwidth to make strategic decisions on the terms of engagement for commissioned work.
Third, amendments aimed at reducing the administrative burden and cost of registration, such as through the allowing of the registration of two or more designs in one application and allowing for correction of non-compliance with formal requirements in earlier registration applications, greatly reduce barriers to access IP protection. Ease of registration and more affordable registration processes will benefit small businesses and freelancers working with smaller margins. Allowing for a 12-month period for qualified disclosure of the design prior to registration also takes into consideration the practical needs of the creative industry to test their designs in the market.
With these amendments, designers in Singapore can also seek international protection with greater ease. Through the Hague system, designers can register their designs in Singapore and apply for international protection of the design in member countries of the Hague Union. This is in alignment with our national industry transformation efforts and the Design 2025 Masterplan to encourage our design firms to internationalise.
While efforts have been made to widen the scope of protection under the Bill and to increase access to protection of designs, these efforts will come to naught if the public lacks awareness of these rights. It is notable that out of a total of 4,268 designs filed at the IP Office of Singapore (IPOS) in 2014, only 818 are designs filed by Singapore-based or local applicants. In the review of the Act conducted by MinLaw and IPOS, it was found that the level of awareness on the use and enforcement of design rights in Singapore appeared to be low.
I, therefore, urge for more to be done to ensure that SMEs and freelancers in the design industry are aware of the availability of such protection and know when, how and where to seek enforcement of their rights. With the passing of the Bill, education and outreach efforts need to be made to raise awareness of design rights and address overlaps of copyright and trademark protection with the registered designs regime. For example, IPOS can work with our Labour Movement's U SME, U Start-Up, U Creative and the Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE) teams to reach out to SMEs, startups, creative professionals and freelancers in the design industry on developing and managing their IP strategy.
Enforcement is a critical piece to an effective IP regime. Under the Act, infringement actions must be commenced in the High Court and such legal action may be too costly for small businesses and freelancers to pursue. It is also timely to consider whether a simpler and less costly adjudication regime can be made available to smaller players to protect their registered rights.
Mdm Speaker, in conclusion, in a data, design and innovation-driven new economy, IP rights are increasingly important business assets. The ability to develop and maintain a robust IP strategy is crucial for businesses and freelancers alike. An efficient and equitable IP system which strikes a balance between the interests of innovators and public interest, not only provides an environment for creativity to flourish but can also be a catalyst for economic development and social and cultural well-being of the nation.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Madam, I stand in support of this Bill which brings registered design laws in Singapore closer to the level of protection accorded to designers in the EU. For example, extending the grace period from six months to 12 months matches that of the EU. Recognising colour as a protectable design feature and clarifying that ownership rests in designers rather than the commissioning parties are other examples of matching EU standards.
While I am broadly supportive of these updates which reflect technological advances, as well as the swell in businesses dealing in artisanal and handcrafted products, I would like to raise a few points for clarification.
The suggested definition for \"non-physical product\" includes a requirement that it has \"an intrinsic utilitarian function that is not merely to portray the appearance of the thing or to convey information\".
Alvin Tay, a law student, wrote to me and helpfully highlighted to me that this seems to put designers of non-physical products at a relative disadvantage to their peers designing physical products. Hence, I would like to clarify the reason for the additional requirement of utility for non-physical products.
Additionally, in the definition of \"design\", the words \"article\" and \"non-physical product\" are used interchangeably. As such, it is difficult to see why a higher hurdle is imposed for \"non-physical products\".
If what we are protecting are really the shapes, configurations, colours, patterns or ornaments that give non-physical products their appearances, what is the rationale for the requirement of a utilitarian function?
The utility of a product would be pertinent in patent law where protection should only be afforded if there is industrial application.
Design laws are distinct from patent laws, and the focus should be on giving protection for each designer's aesthetic work, regardless of whether or not there is a utilitarian function.
The IP Students' Association, comprising law students in both the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Management University (SMU), also raised the concern that non-physical products under RDA could lead to some overlap with patent law, since the line between the design and the function of a non-physical product is less clear. This opens up the possibility of abuse, where a designer may register the design of his product after its patent protection period has expired, to extend the exclusivity of the product.
Could the Minister clarify how the registered design regime will manage the potential overlap with the patent protection for a non-physical product?
Using the example of the virtual keyboard in the Bill's explanatory notes, could a person who invents such a keyboard obtain patent protection and design protection at the same time? If so, what would be the scope of the protection under each regime?
Next, the amended section 30(1) provides the designer with certain exclusive rights over any device for projecting a registered non-physical product. It is possible that a device may not be for the exclusive use of projecting a non-physical product whose design is registered, but may be able to project a range of non-physical products irrespective of design. Can the Minister clarify how the rights to the device will be allocated in such a situation? Madam, notwithstanding the above clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mdm Speaker: Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Members who have spoken for their support of the Bill.
Mr Patrick Tay rightly noted the need to increase the level of awareness about the registered designs regime amongst businesses, especially SMEs. IPOS regularly partners industry and design associations to do so. For example, on World IP Day last month, IPOS and the Design Business Chamber Singapore ran a workshop on Transforming Enterprises Through Business Design, where participants learnt about the upcoming changes to the designs regime and how design can bring value to businesses.
IPOS is also working with the DesignSingapore Council to raise awareness about registered design protection and how such protection can be used as a strategic business tool. I welcome Mr Patrick Tay's invitation for IPOS to work with the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) various units and I will ask IPOS to do so.
In addition to these collaborations, IPOS will explore issuing guidance notes to address specific knowledge gaps, for example, the interface between registered design protection and copyright protection. This will add to the wealth of IP information and guidance that businesses can obtain from IPOS' website, as well as at IPOS' one-stop Service Centre IP101 at Manulife Centre.
Mr Patrick Tay also spoke about the importance of ensuring that businesses, especially smaller businesses, have a cost-effective means of enforcing their registered design rights. This is something that MinLaw is looking into. We had appointed a Committee, comprising representatives from the judiciary, the IP Bar, academia, IP-rich companies and Government agencies to review the IP dispute resolution system in Singapore. The Committee has made recommendations on how enforcement costs can be reduced. My Ministry is currently considering these recommendations in conjunction with our ongoing broad-based review of Singapore's civil justice system.
Mr Louis Ng raised three main points for clarification about the Bill, and I will address them in turn.
The first point is about the requirement for a non-physical product to have an intrinsic utilitarian function. The registered designs regime is intended to protect design features of commercial products with useful functions. For example, designs intended to be applied to articles which are works of sculpture will be refused registration. This can be seen from section 7 of RDA read with rule 9 of the Registered Designs Rules. Further, the Third Schedule of the Registered Designs Rules gives an idea of the products for which designs can be protected. These include table knives, forks and spoons, and jewellery, for example.
This intention currently applies to tangible articles and will apply to non-physical products going forward. Hence, the requirement that non-physical products have an intrinsic utilitarian function. Designs of other things that do not fulfil this criterion may be protected under the copyright regime.
Mr Louis Ng's second point is about the interface between patent protection and registered design protection. Mr Louis Ng raised a concern about the possibility of a designer registering the design of his non-physical product after a patent over it has expired, thereby extending the exclusivity period.
This is not possible. The patent specification is made public as part of the patent application process. If the patent specification contains the design drawing, then a design based on it cannot be registered as the design is no longer new. Because as Members may recall, a design has to be new to be registrable.
Mr Louis Ng also asked about the potential overlap between the registered designs regime and the patent regime. The registered designs regime and the patent regime confer different protections. Design features that are dictated solely by the function which the article or non-physical product has to perform are excluded from protection under the registered designs regime. In contrast, functional features may be protected by patents, if they fulfil the patentability requirements.
Using the example of a virtual keyboard, its design features, such as a new combination of shapes and colours, can be protected under the registered designs regime. At the same time, patent protection may be sought for new and inventive functional features of the virtual keyboard.
Mr Louis Ng's third point is about exclusive rights in relation to devices which project a range of non-physical products.
Mr Louis Ng referred to a situation where a device is capable of projecting a range of non-physical products, of which just one bears a registered design. An example could be a device that can project virtual computer keyboards in different designs, and just one of the designs is registered.
In this case, the owner of that one registered design can pursue civil infringement action if a third party sells the device without his permission. This is because the registered design owner's exclusive rights include selling a device that can project his registered design. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Ms Indranee Rajah.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
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The Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
At the Committee of Supply debate earlier this year, I had spoken about the need to transform Singapore's higher education landscape. The change and expansion are driven by two key factors. First, as our economy grows in size and sophistication, we need more talent from wider fields of expertise.
Second, as our society progresses, aspirations rise. Every parent wants his child to do well and have meaningful careers. Every child has a dream. Many want to go to university, but each dream is different. We must have a system that best fulfils that.
The two are interdependent and act in a certain cycle. As the economy deepened and expanded, it enabled more students to attain higher levels of education and secure good jobs. And a stronger pool of talent made us more competitive and fuelled further growth. Because of that, since year 2000, the university cohort participation rate has increased progressively, in tandem with our economic development. From 20% in 2000, to 25% by 2010, 30% by 2015. It stands at 35% this year and will be further raised to 40% by 2020.
At the same time, the talent emerging from our universities becomes increasingly more diverse. Today, we have five autonomous universities (AUs) − NUS, NTU, SMU, the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). NUS and NTU are comprehensive universities. SMU and SUTD were set up in 2000 and 2011 respectively. SMU focused on business and related disciplines. SUTD's emphasis is on technology and design. SIT was conferred AU status in 2014 to pioneer the applied pathway, for specialised fields in science and technology.
Throughout this development, the great majority, around 90% of graduates from AUs, continue to find jobs within six months of their graduation. This is not the case in many countries where there is severe graduate unemployment because of an over-supply of graduates. We must guard against this.
With the passing of this Bill, we will set up a sixth AU, the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). SUSS will be a unique AU, clearly differentiated from the existing AUs, adding further diversity and choice to our university landscape.
SUSS is built on the foundation of an earlier partnership between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), a private society.
In 1992, MOE turned to SIM to help develop programmes that would offer its non-graduate teachers an opportunity to deepen their knowledge in their teaching subjects. The Open University Degree Programmes grew out of this MOE-SIM collaboration. SIM eventually established the SIM University in 2005 to deliver these part-time degree courses.
In 2012, the Government selected SIM University to develop full-time programmes under the applied pathway as well, in addition to its mainstay of part-time degree programmes. In 2013, it was selected to host the third law school in Singapore.
SIM University did very well. It offered full-time degree programmes in human resource (HR) management, social work and other areas, and were distinguished by its modular and flexible structure and novel opportunities for learning by doing. From an intake of 200 in 2014, the university now takes in about 580 students and its numbers are still growing.
The Government has decided to restructure SIM University into an AU, and renamed it SUSS. As an AU, SUSS will become a permanent fixture in our higher education landscape, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other five AUs.
Students will continue to enjoy substantial Government subsidies for the cost of their education in SUSS. They will have access to Government-supported financial assistance schemes for those who require more help with the cost of their studies.
The pathway that SUSS provides will be clearly differentiated from the other AUs. It is unique in three ways.
First, SUSS will be a champion of lifelong learning. Since its inception in 2005, the university has been providing quality learning opportunities to adult learners. To date, it has produced over 27,000 graduates, many of whom are working adults who had to juggle their studies with other work and family commitments.
For this reason, the university has continually sought to improve the structure and delivery of its programmes, including leveraging information and communications technology (ICT), in order to better support working students. It will continue to refine its teaching model as learner, industry and societal needs evolve.
SUSS will also expand its programme offerings for adult learners. It will work with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and sector agencies to develop industry-relevant courses and create new content that will support the upgrading of our industries.
Second, SUSS will deliver programmes that have a strong social focus. SUSS will champion disciplines that positively impact society and its development. Part of this is to build a strong niche in the social sciences, such as social work, early childhood education and HR management.
In addition, it will infuse the mission of social development into other disciplines. This is increasingly important, as we need to balance economic growth with social development, and globalisation with a strong sense of community and nationhood. Hence, in SUSS' full-time programmes, there is a compulsory service learning component which requires students to initiate, conceptualise, and execute a social project and champion a cause. This is also why, as host of Singapore's third law school, SUSS focuses on criminal and family lawyers.
Third, SUSS will continue to develop the applied degree pathway. In this regard, SUSS will complement SIT, each with its own domain focus. There will be strong interlacing of theoretical knowledge with real-life application, and the two universities will strengthen the nexus between institution and industry.
As SUSS prepares to take its next steps forward, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge SIM for its role in establishing and supporting the development of the university over the past 12 years. In recognition of SIM's contributions to the setting up and development of SUSS, an endowment fund will be set up in SUSS, named the SIM Endowment Fund. The Fund will be used to build SUSS' capability, support the activities of the university and ensure that individuals continue to have access to lifelong learning opportunities through scholarships, sponsorships and study awards. It will be a fitting legacy to the good work of SIM.
SUSS, like our other AUs, will be governed by an Act of Parliament. This is to safeguard public interests and use of public funds. The SUSS Bill thus aims to serve three key functions.
First, it signals the Government's support for SUSS and assures the public of SUSS' credibility and standing.
Second, it empowers the Government to better guide the strategic development of SUSS towards meeting national objectives in education as well as economic and social development.
Third, it permits the Government to provide resources to SUSS and monitor the performance and finances of the institution in order to ensure accountability for the use of public funds.
Let me now highlight the key clauses in this Bill. Clause 3 sets out the function of SUSS, which includes conferring and awarding degrees, diplomas and certificates. Clauses 5, 6 and 8 allow the Government to guide the strategic development of SUSS and to appoint, remove and replace members of the SUSS Board of Trustees and ensure moneys provided by Parliament to SUSS may only be applied or expended by SUSS based on its public mission spelt out by the Act.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair]
Clauses 4 and 9 allow the Government to monitor the performance and finances of SUSS through an accountability framework, including scrutiny of the accounts and financial statements of SUSS.
Clause 12 provides for consequential amendments to the Private Education Act, Chapter 247A, to provide that the Act will not apply to SUSS. It also amends the Legal Profession Act and Singapore Academy of Law Act, to replace the words \"SIM University\" with the \"Singapore University of Social Sciences\", and lastly, the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency Act to include SUSS in the list of universities.
Sir, this Bill embodies the Government's vision for SUSS to play an important role in providing opportunities for all Singaporeans, to upgrade their skills and pursue lifelong learning.
In this regard, I would like to end my speech today with some comments on the meaning of a university education. The issue of university cohort participation rate has received some attention in the past few days, arising from a panel discussion I participated in at the 47th St Gallen Symposium. I would like to make three points.
First, degrees, like most things in life, can become obsolete. We live in a world where information and knowledge can be googled and are available online. Skills are what carry a premium now, and skills need to be honed throughout our lifetime. So, let us not be overly fixated with how many percentage of each young student cohort moves on to attend universities, because all of us, 100%, need to keep learning and deepening our skills throughout our lives.
The second point I would like to make is that degrees do not earn us a living, and do not make our dreams come true. We do. Our ability to keep pace with the changing needs of the economy is what helps us earn our keep. It is the dedicated pursuit of a discipline that makes dreams come true.
We must, however, recognise that because our dreams and aspirations are diverse, the needs of economy are diverse, the path for upgrading must also be diverse and multitudinous. They should include academic upgrades, yes, but also applied qualifications, apprenticeships, industry certifications, modular and frequent skills acquisitions, overseas exposures or simply gaining work experience and making for yourself a name in the industry or in your respective fields. It will truly be \"unimaginative\" to confine ourselves to university academic education as the only way to fulfil our full potential.
Last, degrees do not define us individually or as a society. I believe most of us agree that we do not want a society that defines success as simply having a degree. Our society needs to evolve, such that all occupations, crafts and trades, whether the skills are acquired through a degree education or not, are respected and recognised.
We have come so far in uniting all segments of the society for a common purpose. Let us all continue to do our part to underscore and spread the message of inclusiveness, unity, celebrating and embracing all manners of achievements and successes. Deputy Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Ang Hin Kee.
Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio): Deputy Speaker, with UniSIM set to become our newest and sixth AU, I think this is a great opportunity for us to chart a different learning experience for SUSS graduands.
As mentioned by the Minister, there will be a strong SkillsFuture focus and I suggest also that it means \"the now\" and \"the later\". It means that our graduates should meet the skill requirements of jobs, that is, now, but also be adaptable to learn how to meet changing workplace needs. The alignment to SkillsFuture, as mentioned by the Minister earlier, is very closely to what we know about the brand that UniSIM currently carries.
It is traditionally known for its focus on continuing education and training for adult learners. Many of the students enrolled in its programmes, continuing their education in a degree on a part-time basis, are all working adults. And today, they have a good mix of young and old students who hail from diverse backgrounds, adding to a rich learning experience.
As a champion for lifelong leaning, I am glad the new AU will continue to retain its distinctive offering and stay relevant to working professionals as the university for lifelong learning.
Beyond that, I look forward to SUSS being closely aligned to our direction of providing Singaporeans with the opportunity to attain mastery of skills. Working adults, having already had a taste of working life, will now better understand the skills gaps and needs at the workplace, and they are eager to hone their skills and competencies. I am very confident that the new university will be able to bridge that gap.
I agree that we need to inculcate a culture of lifelong learning amongst our students and help our workers pick up industry-relevant skills and transferrable skills. For working people, I hope that MOE will consider how, at the enrolment phase, to allow working people with workplace experience to be given special consideration when enrolling in a university place in SUSS.
Furthermore, for those of them who have participated in internship programmes, or those who have acquired experience in the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn programme, that these be considered additional admission points when they are applying for a place in the university. The reason for doing so is to continue what they have learnt at the workplace so that they can re-learn and un-learn and learn new skills at SUSS.
On the academic field, I hope there will be a good representation of lecturers or guest speakers who are experts in their respective industries or respective fields so that the students can learn from the best, not just from lecturers, but also from industry practitioners. The lecturers and speakers in the university should have the appropriate pedagogy on providing adult learners with authentic learner engagements and also the ability to integrate work experiences into the tertiary curriculum.
On a related note, I would like to declare my interest as an Executive Secretary of the Education Services Union. As we transit UniSIM into an AU, we should also prepare the non-academic staff in the university for this transition. In their new work environment, student engagements, requirements from MOE, there may be new yardsticks, new key performance indicators (KPIs). I hope that the management will work closely with the union to ensure that the workers on the ground will be able to manage this transition without being impacted by the change.
On the Minister's note about Applied Social Sciences, I would like to suggest that we could also ensure that beyond social work, early childhood and HR, there could be other applied contents, such as counselling, coaching, organisation behaviour, clinical psychology, data analytics, consumer behaviour and even labour management relations to complement HR content. These, I believe, are useful knowledge that graduands will find that the workplace strongly requires many of our students to possess.
Furthermore, I would also like to encourage the Ministry to consider working with SUSS to include corporate governance, cross cultural knowledge, business ethics and corporate sustainability as applicable knowledge that the workplace will require and, if these could be modules in the university, I believe it will be an advantage that SUSS will be able to possess.
The Minister earlier mentioned that they will be working with the lecturers, SkillsFuture and sectoral representatives to ensure that the content will be relevant to the workplace. I am very confident that with this approach, there will be a competency-based system ensuring that the graduands stay updated, having possessed skills and knowledge that are required at the workplace.
Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I am confident that the learning in the new university can have a strong weightage assigned to relevance to the market and content with a strong emphasis on applied learning.
Whilst our graduate employment rate remains healthy at 90% after six months of graduation, I hope that we do not see that as the only yardstick. I agree with what the Minister mentioned earlier for us not to just look at cohort size going to the universities, let us also not look at how many percent find jobs, but rather, whether will they be able to meet job requirements not of today's but also for future needs.
Having a job today does not mean that you are ready with adaptable skills for the future. So, with the university's focus on lifelong learning, I am confident that SUSS will be able to enable our adult learners to find jobs for today as well as jobs for tomorrow. With that, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Deputy Speaker, Sir, as a social scientist by vocation, I was pleasantly surprised that the Government announced the renaming of SIM University as the Singapore University of Social Sciences. This is, of course, not a simple renaming, but a significant reorientation of Singapore's leading private university catering to adult education as it comes under public stewardship to become our sixth AU.
This reorientation will not just become a major milestone in our higher education field, but it will also have important consequences for Singapore society, as social science knowledge is brought to bear directly on the changing and increasingly complex social landscape. While I support the Bill, I would like to raise four issues regarding the development of applied social sciences in Singapore.
The first issue is the balancing of academic and applied social sciences. Academic social sciences tend to be highly specialised, with the individual disciplines developing their own lineage of knowledge traditions and research methodologies. Academic social sciences are also more concerned with producing new theoretical knowledge of cause-and-effect. Practical solutions and policy implications are secondary concerns. Applied social sciences invert the emphases of academic social sciences. Applied social sciences are multidisciplinary in structure and interdisciplinary in approach, with the focus on applying existing knowledge to understand specific social problems and develop practical solutions.
Academic and applied social sciences need each other to do their work. Applications of theoretical knowledge validate and vindicate the knowledge and will show up gaps that become the puzzles to push the research frontier. Academic social sciences not only provide the theoretical knowledge for applied social scientists to work with, but also the tools of critical analysis for the scientists to evaluate solutions and policies in objective light.
The risk involved in the setting up of a whole university dedicated to applied social sciences is that the university could become a mere research arm for the Civil Service. To be effective, applied social sciences must be relevant to both academic social scientists and policymakers. There is a need to balance academic and applied social sciences in the university, even if the university should focus on applied social sciences. As paradoxical as this may sound, I urge the Minister to safeguard the autonomy of the applied social scientists from policymakers, even as we seek greater relevance of social research to social policy and ensure the balance of academic and applied social sciences in SUSS.
The second issue is a related one. With this sixth AU, Singapore will have an enhanced and diverse higher education field. But a closer look at the diversity reveals yet another risk. The three older universities, that is, NUS, NTU and SMU, are academic in orientation. There is also a division of labour among them. NUS has the full suite of academic disciplines and more, with cutting-edge residential and liberal arts colleges in University Town. NTU is focused on the technological sciences, while SMU specialises in management sciences. The three newer universities, that is, SUTD, SIT and now SUSS, offer applied learning. There is also a division of labour among them. SUTD focuses on application of design to technological innovation, SIT specialises in applied learning in the industries and SUSS zooms in on applied social sciences.
There is a discomforting symmetry in this diversity. My worry is that our higher education field will evolve into six silo universities, all functionally differentiated and not relating to each, each becoming a great echo chamber in itself, six blind men feeling the different parts to know the strange elephant. Already as such, in NUS, I am a lot more networked with international scholars than I am with my peers in the other five universities.
In developed economies with advanced tertiary education sectors, there is a balance between competition and complementation among the universities. A highly differentiated university sector means that the universities will appear to complement one another at the highest level of planning for the education of our workforce and compete for the same pot of research funding. However, the departments and research centres in each university will have little incentive to interact and network with their counterparts in other universities. There will be little competition of ideas, which is what makes for a thriving university sector.
This problem of becoming a silo university will affect SUSS more because its subject focus is the social landscape in Singapore. This landscape is becoming increasingly complex. Let us take the institution of the family as an example. It is no longer tenable in sociology to speak of a single form of family, that is, the modern nuclear family underpinned by marriage and functionally set up for making and growing babies to become good citizens. Individual choices, new forms of partnership, new ways of childbearing and childrearing, dissolutions of marriages have led to a plurality of families and complex new social problems.
In such a complex social landscape, applied social sciences have to take the lead in research and knowledge production, and the nature of this leadership has to be different from that of academic social sciences. The theoretical knowledge offered by academic social sciences is no longer adequate in themselves, and its insularity from society means that academic social scientists are likely to be unaware of the emerging trends in the social landscape.
But for applied social scientists to take the lead, SUSS would need to be highly networked with communities in the social field, and the knowledge production must reside in the relationship between the university and the communities. In academic social sciences, the research problems and analyses take place in the university, and the social field matters only as the site where data is collected to be brought back into the university. Applied social sciences work with communities to define research problems and data, and analyses are often generated in collaboration with community partners. Results of the research are not just published as findings but are applied as practical solutions to be continuously evaluated.
The risk, again, of setting up an entire university dedicated to applied social sciences is that the university will see itself and be seen by the Government and society as the centre of expert knowledge about social problems. Applied social sciences have had many decades of development in Anglo-American universities, and one of the problems that have been identified is precisely this problem of applied social sciences becoming too academic and losing its community grounding. One of the ways to mitigate this is for the university to work with community partners to set up community-based research centres.
This would necessitate at least two changes to the structure of research funding. First, fewer research grants would be attached to academic research teams based in the university but more grants would be given to community-based research centres. The administration of these grants would have to be more flexible and adapted to specific needs on the ground. Second, instead of solely using academic impact measurements to evaluate the performance of research, for example, publications in journals and citation indices, social impact measurements will have to be developed to take into account the relevance of applied social science research.
The fourth issue is less institutional and more about the quality of the social scientists who staff the teaching positions and drive the research work. I believe that we need to prioritise quality first and foremost over other considerations, including the question of nationality that has come up in this House before. What Singaporeans deserve are the best professors in the world to teach them to become the best social scientists they can be and to conduct the most cutting-edge research to help solve our social problems.
Decades of experience of applied social science research in Anglo-American universities show that immigrant and local-born professors perform equally well. Nationality matters insofar as there would be a natural commitment on the part of Singaporean professors to the country and society. One expects this commitment to be a long-term one grounded in family and community life here. Therefore, all else being equal in terms of quality or potential for quality, let us privilege Singaporeans. But quality should come first.
On the quality of our social scientists, especially with regard to growing a critical mass of excelling Singaporean social scientists, the Government can help by supporting the setting up of an Academy of Social Sciences and disciplinary associations. Presently, the ecosystem connecting locally based social scientists is very weak. The dearth of associational life has driven many of us to join the national associations of other countries, for example, for me, the American Sociological Association. We also need an academy as our representative body to advance the governance and standards of research and teaching in the social sciences. The establishment of SUSS presents us with a good opportunity to grow the intellectual ecosystem for social science.
Beyond these four issues, I have a more immediate practical matter to bring up. The question that some SIM University alumni have with the metamorphosis of their alma mater to SUSS is whether their certificates could be reprinted under the SUSS banner. Some have argued that this should not be, as education in SUSS would be of a higher quality than in SIM University, and thus it would be an unfair upgrade for the alumni. This is a view that seems to echo the popular stereotype and condescension of SIM University as inferior. It is precisely because of such popular myths that we should not unfairly stigmatise SIM University alumni. Already, the change to SUSS is being read as an upgrade from an inferior species to a superior creature.
Without the hungry caterpillar, there would not be a beautiful butterfly. We should not deny the contribution of SIM University alumni to the making of SUSS and deprive SUSS of that important history and a body of proud alumni. The one most important single line that connects SIM University and SUSS is the emphasis on lifelong learning. I would like to suggest that SUSS extend their excellent Alumni Continuing Education Plus Scheme allowing graduates to enjoy up to two free modular courses to all SIM University alumni. Upon completion of one module, alumni could then get a reprint of a consolidated degree certificate under the SUSS brand.
Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill marks a new chapter for our higher education sector and a new era for social scientists to contribute their knowledge making to the betterment of society. I have raised four issues with the unprecedented establishment of an entire university dedicated to applied social sciences. I sincerely hope that we will successfully navigate these issues and come out on the winning side, which would be a big win for Singapore society. I also hope that we would do the right thing for the SIM University alumni who have done their part in the making of SUSS. Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Denise Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Government's decision to make UniSIM, now SUSS, Singapore's sixth AU, is a good decision. It is a good decision on three counts.
One, there is no other university in Singapore that currently occupies and claims that unique domain space of the applied social sciences. As Singapore's social demographics change and the needs and demands in society become graver and more challenging, the need for more in-depth analyses and application of social science studies becomes correspondingly very critical.
The second reason why SUSS is a good decision is this. UniSIM was a private school with a known brand and history of more than 20 years. The Government's support of this private university will help fulfil its promise to create more university places in the public education space. This is a promise that was made when Minister Lawrence Wong was then helming the tertiary education space in MOE. SUSS will, indeed, help meet the brewing aspirations of many fresh undergraduates and working adults to get a first degree.
But the most important reason why this Bill reflects a good decision is this. UniSIM's, and now SUSS', unique experience of primarily catering to busy working adults pursuing further studies falls squarely in place with Singapore's SkillsFuture movement. Our SkillsFuture movement is an important shift which encourages lifelong learning and skills mastery, and it features a very important type of education for our future economy.
Perhaps less known to the public is the fact that SUSS, then UniSIM, is a forerunner in the provision of e-learning in the Singapore tertiary space. Even before other universities jumped on the bandwagon of digital education, before the term \"online learning\" became a mantra, the former UniSIM had been investing in and learning the business of e-learning and blending it with face-to-face class interactions. The purpose was to deliver programmes anytime, anywhere, on any personal data assistant (PDA), via multimedia channels and blended learning, to meet the demanding schedules of its busy adult learners. At a time when most tertiary institutions are doing the catch-up on online and blended learning, SUSS is already way ahead in digital education and catering to an adult learner population in a fast-paced work setting.
Sir, the Bill appears to be uncomplicated, that is, the formalisation, scoping and funding of the new AU of SUSS, from its former private school status. Clause 3 sets out the function of the university company. The main object of SUSS will be to \"provide lifelong learning programmes, with a disciplinary focus in the social sciences, for adults\". Clause 8 provides for Parliament to give funding and requires that the moneys given may only be applied for such objects. But the devil is in the details.
So, I would like to be assured by the Minister in three specific areas so that SUSS would not end up becoming just like another ordinary university, losing its edge and the opportunity to help put Singapore on the map of future learning.
The first is to do with positioning, SUSS' positioning, both in terms of what it offers and who the target learners are. Whilst Social Science is an appealing focus, a search online would reveal that branches of Social Science can cover a full spectrum from anthropology, education, social work, business studies, economics, political science, psychology to sustainability studies. But at the same time, to add to the complication, there are also talks amongst many education experts that there is a need, like what Assoc Prof Daniel Goh said, to ensure that subjects are not taught in silos. There is a real need to blend some of the subjects, and that is what many educators are talking about. I, therefore, would like to seek the Minister's views on the long-term positioning of a university, such as SUSS.
In addition, if SUSS is to provide lifelong learning programmes for adults, I seek the Minister's clarification on what \"adult learners\" actually are. I mean, who are they really? The current age of SUSS' undergrads today is 29 years old, I was told. Although this is older than the 19-year-olds who normally enter the other universities, how would SUSS cater to working adults who are much older and, especially, those who decide to take up new skills or a new second or third career? In a world where old jobs disappear and future jobs requiring new skills emerge, is there an intent for MOE to give these older learners more than one bite of the cherry in their pursuit of tertiary studies? Can they pursue several tertiary level courses throughout their lifetime? Is there a space for that?
My second query is in the area of resourcing and funding. SUSS will need to be sufficiently resourced to allow it to acquire the faculty to deepen the disciplinary focus of social sciences and to conduct applied research in the social sciences.
In addition, there is a great opportunity to further propel the SUSS' traditional strength in online and blended learning. SUSS can become a regional or global lead in not just a provider of digital education for adult learners but also a provider of expert services, consultancy in education technology and design.
The current UniSIM financial model that was inherited appears to be an entrepreneurial model using primarily part-time faculty members to support a large proportion of part-time adult learner undergrads. Whilst the entrepreneurial and nimble spirit of SUSS should never be lost, the new AU must receive funding support that allows it to delve deeper into its social science domain and also not to lose its traditional strength.
My third concern is on how a university like SUSS would be evaluated by the Ministry, the Government, its learners and also the public. The commonly held success criteria by which universities are gauged include the popular ranking systems, such as research robustness, publications in journals and the like. SUSS will need to establish a set of KPIs and criteria that reflect its desired positioning in the overall tertiary education landscape.
I, therefore, seek clarification from the Minister on his views on how he is going to evaluate a university like SUSS and, for that matter, how he intends to measure the success and significance of all his tertiary institutions in the future learning landscape. After all, what gets measured gets done.
In conclusion, Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am in full support of the Bill. SUSS presents an exciting opportunity to paint and deliver the vision of what future learning for Singapore's working adults and Singapore's lifelong learning adults can be. I strongly urge MOE to seize this opportunity to strengthen the new SUSS, fully invest in it, so that it will take off and it will soar as the very unique provider for a very unique group of learners in a very unique education age.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Randolph Tan.
Assoc Prof Randolph Tan (Nominated Member): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I declare my interest as a faculty member and an employee of SUSS. I would like to express my strong support for the Bill.
Tertiary education enrolment in Singapore has been expanding continuously over the last few decades. This expansion has been driven by the rising educational aspirations of Singaporeans and made possible by increasing Government expenditures on education. Between 1990 and 2000, total Government expenditure on education nearly tripled. From 2000 to 2015, total expenditure slowed as development expenditure on education plateaued. Despite that, total expenditure still grew by 110% in those years, driven by recurrent expenditures.
University-level education has consistently taken up the bulk of this in aggregate terms. Sir, however, in terms of recurrent expenditure per student, that at the university-level actually grew slowest, at 2.4% per year between 2000 and 2015, compared with the 8.1% per year for primary-level for instance.
In international terms, even though Singapore does not spend the most, it compares favourably with other economies. In terms of Government expenditure per tertiary student as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, Singapore's 27.4% in 2010 was above Australia's, the US' and Hong Kong's. However, we should also note that it was below Brazil's, New Zealand's, Malaysia's as well as those of most of the Nordic states.
In 2000, 33,298 resident students were attending university. By 2015, the number stood at 90,900. This manifold increase in university enrolment numbers emphatically underlines the growing desire for degree qualifications.
To accommodate such strong growth in enrolment, the Government has promoted measures aimed at strengthening governance while encouraging innovation.
On 21 November 2005, Parliament passed the Corporatisation Bills for NUS and NTU, which transformed them into autonomous universities. The SMU Corporatisation Bill was also passed at the same Sitting. In 2011, Parliament passed the SUTD Bill. In 2012, the Prime Minister announced that the number of universities in Singapore would be increased to six, with the addition of SIT and UniSIM.
These are all part of the Government's fulfilment of its commitment to achieve targeted increases in the proportion of each cohort which would earn tertiary educational qualifications. With the renaming of UniSIM as SUSS, and its inclusion among the AUs overseen by MOE, Singaporeans have an even greater range of options to choose from when deciding on further education.
Sir, beyond the increases in the number of AUs and the cohort participation rates, in the last 12 years, the university education landscape in Singapore has undergone significant changes in other ways.
More tertiary students are taking up internships and overseas exchanges than ever before, reflecting the growing industry focus and international outlook of our Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs). At the same time, technology is changing the landscape of education altogether. Learning is less tied to physical location than ever before. Virtual learning models, such as massive open online courses and flipped classrooms, are rendering previously recognised boundaries of instructor-student interaction obsolete.
For SUSS, which has carved a place out as the only private university in Singapore's higher education landscape, this Bill represents a very significant milestone. The change enacted by this Bill is coming under greater MOE oversight. In contrast, when NUS and NTU made the change to AUs from being Statutory Boards, they were moving to less Government scrutiny.
Yet, even as a private university, SUSS has been enjoying strong support from the Government since its inception. One important form of support is the fee subsidy, which now stands at 55% for part-time undergraduate programmes at SUSS and the other AUs.
There is no doubt in my mind that greater support from the Government will enable SUSS to do even more for its students. In particular, I would like to emphasise the importance of catering to the needs of working adults who wish to take up degree studies without leaving the workforce.
I would just like to ask for some clarifications about the direction of funding and support for working adults going forward.
Sir, there is often a comparison between the subsidies provided by the Government for part-time and full-time undergraduate programmes. This point has been brought up before. For instance, during the Debate on the President's Address in 2011, Mr Ang Wei Neng asked about the difference between the subsidy rates for part-time and full-time degree programmes. If one looks at the fees payable for any particular programme, say, accountancy, in any of the AUs, the total fees for part-time programmes could be lower than those for their full-time counterparts in many cases. Could the Minister clarify the bases upon which these rates should be interpreted?
Another question I have related to this is about working adults wanting to enrol in university courses and their eligibility then for financial assistance. There are several schemes currently available. Despite this, publicly-funded tertiary education in Singapore still represents a significant cost to low-income families. In its commitment to ensure that all deserving students are given a chance to achieve tertiary education, the Government as well as other organisations offer a range of schemes. These include bursaries, loans and scholarships, and are meant \"to cover not only the remaining tuition fees payable but also to help students defray their costs of living\". But I would like to ask the Minister how, if such students are working, whether their personal incomes are taken into account in assessing their eligibility for loans, bursaries or other schemes which could help to reduce the financial burden of tuition fees.
If the student were the main breadwinner of a family, say, was considering pursuing a degree, would his or her application for financial assistance be assessed similarly as those who are still mainly dependent on their parents for financial support?
Sir, the needs of working adults are different and it is important to understand these needs in order to effectively help them sustain their efforts in academic work. In closing, please let me talk about this, based on my personal observations. From personal experience, I have found that all working adults take their academic studies very seriously even under the pressure of job deadlines. At the same time, unlike most full-time students who are not yet working, working adults have to bear the strain of competing priorities from their jobs as well as their family commitments. And the Minister kindly alluded to this in his earlier remarks.
SUSS offers opportunities which meet the aspirations of working adults in a way unique among IHLs in Singapore. For each student who works and studies at the same time, there is an individual story of perseverance and dedication. In each and every case, the journey they embark upon is a joint endeavour made through the combined support of their employers, their loved ones and their fellow students.
Unlike students in full-time programmes who can easily participate in extracurricular activities during breaks from schoolwork, working adults have to juggle multiple roles that leave them little time to pursue similar interests. It is not uncommon to see students rushing into classes at night after having come straight from their workplaces without having taken dinner yet and then hurrying back home to attend to their family commitments once classes end.
In SUSS, working adults and fresh GCE \"A\" level and polytechnic graduates now have a chance to study side by side, depending on the classes they take. The diversity of experiences will stand both groups in good stead and deepen their insight into the resilience of our students and workers and bind them in a shared learning journey.
Sir, this is a deeply poignant moment for everyone in SUSS, as well as for those which have been closely connected to UniSIM and its growth. I would just like to recall three comments in conclusion that relate to this change which has left a deep impression on me personally, and which I feel best give voice to my feelings.
First, I had the opportunity to get the thoughts of Prof Cheong Hee Kiat, President of SUSS. I would just like to paraphrase what he told me as follows: \"with what we have done as UniSIM and in what SUSS will do in the future through its various pathways and educational modalities, lifelong learning is promoted and opportunities expanded for various groups of people. But as we expand these opportunities, more learners with a wide spread of abilities will take courses. We want to help them learn effectively and find joy and satisfaction in learning. That means more support for learners will be needed.\" I strongly empathise with his concerns about the need to focus on the diverse needs of different groups of learners.
Second, while thinking about the weight of the responsibility that SUSS carries, I cannot help but be struck by one particular remark that Prof Aline Wong, Chancellor of SUSS, made at our recent 12th Anniversary Celebration Lunch last month. She reminded us that the mantle of being SUSS has a special significance at this point of our nation's development, as we witness around us a burgeoning interest in social science phenomena, both global and local, ranging from the popular to the esoteric. Her point, I believe, is that, as a university, we must continue to strive uncompromisingly for academic excellence in advancing the social sciences as a rigorous discipline.
All of the AUs have a unique role in supporting Singapore's future economy. With its focus on social sciences from an applied perspective, SUSS will play a particularly challenging role.
In an age of rapid technological disruption, the social sciences have an added relevance as they explore the impact of change on society as well as the possible solutions to its problems, new and old. This includes methods for coping with the impact, from the point of view of not just economic outcomes, such as employment, but also psychological outcomes, such as individual and familial well-being, and sociological outcomes, such as those arising out of the spread of social media influence.
In closing, I would like to recall Minister Ong Ye Kung's speech at SUSS' Convocation Ceremony in October last year. Minister Ong again also referred to the same thing earlier in his opening when he recounted UniSIM's history and the role played by SIM in its development. His words remind me of the tremendous support SUSS has received to reach this stage. His words spoke to my own experience, too, for, as someone who worked alongside and personally benefited from the support, advice and friendship of colleagues from the various departments of the SIM Group, I fondly recall their kindness and collegiality. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Mr Deputy Speaker, the heights to which SUSS can attain is really limited by the body of governance, educators, students and the people running it. Social science is a very broad-spectrum term and really, as some of them say, even medicine is a social science on a grand scale. Change is a constant in our lives and restructuring is also part and parcel of this. I have a few clarifications pertaining to this Bill
Firstly, UniSIM was a private entity before and now comes under the jurisdiction of MOE as an autonomous public institution. In this context, can the Minister update us on the migration process as well as the support rendered in this direction? Will there be any major changes or revamp that we will see, especially pertaining to the governance structure, the educators and also, I assume, a proportion of them will be retained and also developed?
Secondly, from the students' perspective, will there be any differences in the entry requirements and eligibility criteria for existing courses and also faculties as well as the new courses that we are going to see? What kind of numbers and increments are we projecting in terms of student intake in the next perhaps two to five years?
Thirdly, also being a public university, we now know that the students there will be subjected to receiving tertiary support from all the various sources that are available to students from other universities as well. I have a concern pertaining to the adult learners who are enrolled at this university because they may not be applicable to receive some of the funding support that may be applicable to the full-time students. Therefore, perhaps it will be good at this point in time and also at this juncture of development of Singapore to see how we can help support adult learning so that they can continue lifelong learning and also to learn, unlearn and relearn, which is really an important mantra in the world of today's business.
Fourthly, UniSIM has had a strong culture and outlook in service learning and exposures for students, including both local as well as overseas experiential learning and project work. I hope that this will be retained and perhaps even developed and enhanced even further with collaboration and partnership with the other AUs in Singapore and overseas as well.
UniSIM has its appeal to the adult learners as we have heard over and over again today. Also, there is currently a \"pay as you study scheme\" which is available for adult learners. This, according to many, has injected some level of flexibility into the curriculum and also the payment structure. It is relevant and quite a proportion of the students who are adult learners are actually tapping on the scheme. This is slightly different form other universities where payment and fees are done by the number of years or semesters a student is in the school, for example. Thus, for SUSS now, which model is going to be utilised and, better still, if we can have a hybrid model so that there is more flexibility for our adult learners?
Mr Deputy Speaker, a degree is really a degree. But it is really what the holder of the degree can do, will do or is willing to do. If he can learn, unlearn and relearn and make himself relevant to industry, to the practice of his industry and business, then that is what we really want. I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan.
Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan (Nominated Member): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to learn that the Ministry is welcoming the sixth AU in the institution formerly known as SIM University. I have a few questions though.
If I may ask the Minister, in conjunction with SkillsFuture as well as the need to develop a dual education track, will the new SUSS consider a professional development academy? This would be in addition to the Academy of Social Sciences that my Parliamentary colleague referred to earlier. This would be focused on the professional skills. This is something that is similarly done currently, in conferring both certificates and Masters qualifications at NUS, NTU and SMU. Perhaps, SUSS could also consider doing so as well.
My second question would be, within social sciences, what is the niche that SUSS wishes to occupy, keeping a firm eye on the job market? When we actually produce students within SUSS, what are the disciplines that they would be occupying and working in? When we say applied social sciences, what are the jobs that we are thinking of?
Put differently, what is the specific strategic development model and external collaborations that the Ministry has in mind for SUSS? If we were to think of NUS as either a Yale or Harvard, SUTD and SIT as MIT of Singapore, SMU as Wharton or the University of London, what would be SUSS' comparator? What would be the model that we would use?
And how much cross-AU collaborations would we find? I would add my voice to what was raised earlier by Assoc Prof Daniel Goh when he said that there is not that much cross-AU collaborations or even intra-university collaborations but there is a lot of inter-university collaborations between Singapore universities and international universities. So, is this going to be growing? Is SUSS going to be perhaps a dynamo of inter-university collaborations within Singapore using professional development and continuing lifelong learning as the basis to do so?
My third question would be, looking at clause 5, how much involvement would the Ministry have in the research agenda of SUSS? When we think about social development, that is the core focus of SUSS. Would the projects that are being proposed by the academics within the university be in collaboration with the Government agencies or would we be able to see projects that are also being proposed in collaboration with businesses as well, in terms of social development?
Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, I must say that SUSS has already at this stage pulled off a coup in hiring Prof Leslie Chew, a well-known Senior Counsel in Singapore, a commercial litigator, as its first inaugural Dean of the university. If that is anything to go by for the third law school at SUSS, we are going to be in for a treat. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill and I am particularly happy of UniSIM's restructuring to become the sixth AU offering studies in social sciences.
The restructured university is a step forward. It is good that we give focus on producing graduates in social work and early childhood education, which are areas where there is a need to shore up our pool of trained manpower in this area. I am also pleased that the university will also be running courses to produce graduates in HR management.
Social science, as we know, and most of the speakers have mentioned, is known as a very broad subject on the scientific study of human society and social relationships.
Sometimes, the word \"social science\" conjures up an image of people working in a social work or teaching environment only. However, the roles available within this discipline is, in fact, very wide as well as focusing on a wide range of issues. All said, the social services sector is expecting some 3,000 job openings over the next two years. Hopefully, with the training of more social scientists, we can overcome societal issues in Singapore and build stronger ties.
I would like to ask the Minister if the university will accept those who possess a Diploma in Social Sciences to go for an upgrade to a degree. This would be particularly helpful if such programmes can be run on a part-time basis, as I believe many of them would be working adults.
Speaking of relationships, it is equally important that we also produce graduates who are specialised in the area of HR. With so much being said about quality of life, finding a balance between productivity and rewards and, in times when the various sectors are facing headwinds resulting in staff downsizing, good and competent HR practitioners are important to handle such issues sensitively and advise management on how to bridge gaps between employers and the unions.
Can I ask if SUSS or the new university will seek to collaborate with the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute so that the students can get a better grasp of studies in Singapore's trade unionism, for example? The Institute has a treasure trove of information and historical archives that would do well to help students in understanding the tripartite relations in Singapore's society.
Another important programme that SUSS may or will offer are courses in law which focus on family and criminal law. Perhaps the Minister can share if there are plans for the university to expand more courses relating to criminology and forensic psychology studies so that our law enforcement officers can better equip themselves for the challenges ahead. We can strive to be the regional centre for such studies on terrorism and related subjects and complement the courses run by the Rajaratnam School of International Studies. One area of focus which I hope the curriculum would look into is how to get families to break the silence. Often, the victims suffer in silence for many years before they open up. So, there must be some training in counselling to get the victims to open up.
Next is childhood education. We have been expanding fast in setting up childcare centres throughout the island. While the physical infrastructure is important, so, too, is the quality of the people who run these centres. These childhood educators are very important for they are planting and caring for the seeds that will eventually germinate to become the youths and the adults in our society. We must not look at our childhood educators as the kindergarten teachers in the old days, in the 1950s and 1960s.
Will SUSS put emphasis on research in the local context? There should be more research done on childhood education so that we can have a good repository of knowledge. Understanding the mindset of the child, understanding how their young minds receive and process information, and what are best ways to help them absorb information are areas where we should look into. This should not be constrained just to childhood education, in my view, in SUSS, but also other social science subject in SUSS, including frontier studies or research on domestic and economic issues and policy implications and possible partnerships with the economic agencies in Singapore.
Next, I hope some consideration can also be given for mature students, that is, those who have been teaching in childcare centres but may not have the requisite educational qualifications to meet the entry requirements.
I hope as we strive for a high standard in our universities, we will not impose too high criteria for entry to the various programmes. Yes, we want quality students but we should balance this with aptitude. It is a waste of public funds if the people who graduate do not make use of their qualifications to practise but instead take jobs unrelated to their training.
Lastly, I believe that, in time, SUSS would be working on exchange programmes with other universities abroad so that students can also benefit from cross-fertilisation of ideas with their counterparts from other cultures. Also, it should look into getting learning attachments abroad to give students better exposure. What is happening right now is they often turn to their parents for help to get good attachments with companies abroad. The success rate, I believe, is only a small percentage.
Sir, I believe the coming onstream of SUSS would give parents more choices to prepare their children's future and equip them to climb the ladders of opportunity.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of this Bill. The new SUSS' focus on adult learners is important and timely. Workers will have more opportunities to broaden or deepen their knowledge. I support SUSS' move to integrate applied learning into its curriculum. This improves industry relevance. It also improves speed to market for our graduates. This is a step in the right direction. In fact, this could contribute towards the continuous need to close the skills gap of our workers, an issue which was highlighted by our Manpower Minister recently.
While I welcome the move to strengthen the social sciences and to prepare students for socially-related careers, I note that four out of eight fields in SUSS' full-time programmes are business-related. These include Accountancy, Finance and Marketing. How does this fit in with the focus on social sciences and how will its graduates differentiate themselves from those who take similar programmes in other universities?
As SUSS is the only one of the six universities with a stronger focus on adult learners, how would the university work with the industry to improve the employability of students? How will SUSS work with the industry, Labour Movement or Workforce Singapore (WSG) to ensure that students who wish to switch careers or advance their careers are given proper support and network with employers in their field of study? Would they also similarly have structured access to internships and attachments in the industry?
Press reports show overwhelming response for SUSS' courses as the number of applications received for some courses far exceeds the number of places available. A report by The Straits Times also mentioned that about 62% of applicants to SUSS are polytechnic students. I would like to know if some of the programmes will be reserved for workers, compared to fresh graduates from polytechnics or junior colleges (JCs). How will the balancing be done?
Finally, how can we ensure that this strong social focus does not prevent us from being nimble when industry requirements change? Right now, there is a need for more family/criminal lawyers, early childhood practitioners and specialists. But what if industry and social demands change in the future? For example, with the lower birth rates, the need for early childhood specialists may not be as high as it is now. How will SUSS ensure that its programmes are sustainable in the long term? In addition, I believe that for continued relevance and productivity, the strong social focus of the programmes must be infused by the best that digital and technological developments can offer.
The investment in disciplines with a strong social focus is important as it underpins a Singapore that is transforming its economy and societal fabric. The focus on adult and lifelong learning can accelerate developing new ways of keeping our workforce nimble and relevant. I support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, I am fully supportive of this Bill to provide recognition to UniSIM as Singapore's sixth AU, granting it the same status as the existing five.
Last year, Singapore's third law school was set up at UniSIM. It has also been increasing the number of course offerings, both for undergraduates and lifelong learners. These are encouraging signs that since UniSIM's humble beginnings as a small private university, it has only been growing from strength to strength. This new Bill will give it a further boost, and the new SUSS will definitely benefit from additional funding from MOE.
Sir, I have received feedback on Facebook about the name change for the university. Mr Toh said and I quote, \"I am fine with its new name in English. As for its Chinese name, please use '新 加 坡 社 会 科 学 大 学 ', or '新 社 科 大 ' in short. '新 跃 社 会 科 学 大学 ' sounds odd although I think their intention is to keep the word '新 跃.'\".
I believe that while a name could seem like a trivial matter, it ultimately carries the identity of the school, especially as it aspires towards global ambitions. Thus, it is something we should give careful consideration to, and I hope that the Minister will consider this name change.
Next, UniSIM currently offers a long list of degrees outside of the social sciences, including business, science and technology, as the Member has previously said. There is some feedback about the new English name of the university as well. Can the Minister clarify why it will be called the University of Social Sciences which seems to ignore the fact that it offers courses outside of social sciences?
There is also some confusion on the ground. And can the Minister clarify if SUSS will continue to offer the same range of programmes UNISIM had offered?
In the MOE press release, it did state, and I quote, that \"The university will continue to offer the range of programmes that UniSIM had offered previously, targeted at both fresh school leavers and adult learners.\" However, in the same press release, it also stated that, and I quote, \"At the same time, the university will continue to retain a limited offering in other areas, such as business and engineering, especially for adult learners.\"
Can the Minister confirm whether there will changes in the programmes offered and, if so, what are the changes? If there are, indeed, changes, could I ask what are the factors in deciding to drop these programmes and whether there will be sufficient places at other universities for students intending to pursue them?
Will there also be any staff members affected by the change? For example, are there plans to retain or transfer the staff members for degree programmes that are dropped, to other universities? Can the Minister clarify if there will be affected staff members and whether they have been offered assistance?
Sir, I am excited about the new SUSS which will continue the current trajectory focusing on applied learning for adult learners interested in social work. I strongly support this move as Singapore's needs in the social sector continue to increase.
However, as much as the new SUSS can differentiate itself through its niche course offerings and flexible course arrangements, universities are ultimately pitted side by side through global rankings, and this is how they \"compete\" for the best applicants.
We know that UniSIM is not yet on par with NUS, NTU and SMU. Just looking at one well-recognised ranking, for example, QS World University Rankings, UniSIM does not feature on their list.
I suspect that a top GCE \"A\" level student passionate about family law may still choose to study at the more prestigious law school at NUS. Of course, this will take some time, but as the new SUSS receives additional support from MOE, what are its plans to boost its reputation and quality of education? For example, will it be reaching out to well-respected academics to join as faculty members?
Sir, I am proud to see that Singapore's education industry continues to thrive. The addition of a new AU will better serve our younger population, adult learners and help Singapore to strengthen its position as an educational hub. As such, I stand in support of this Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Thanaletchimi.
Ms K Thanaletchimi (Nominated Member): Deputy Speaker, Sir, the restructuring and rebranding of UniSIM to SUSS to reflect its focus on social sciences are a highly commendable move. It demonstrates the increasing relevance and importance of the study of social sciences and the format of education. In a recent media interview, the hon Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Mr Ong Ye Kung, very eloquently put it, \"The name was chosen to reflect the university's mission of driving lifelong learning anchored in disciplines with a strong social focus.\" I very much support this Bill which provides huge opportunities for adult learners to pursue an applied education in the social sciences.
It also speaks of the importance of analytical and critical thinking skills and would provide a more holistic view in policy planning and research.
UniSIM has been the go-to institution for adult learners who prefer the flexibility of acquiring a part-time degree while working full-time. However, with the shift of focus onto programmes which prepare for careers in the social sector, there will be a reduced focus and offerings in areas, such as business accountancy and engineering, for the adult learners. Will this reduction then be balanced or compensated by the other universities or institutions to ensure continued opportunities for adult learners, especially when greater importance is being placed for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes which are relevant for the current and future-ready jobs?
I shall now touch on the name change. As mentioned by Mr Louis Ng, many Singaporeans do welcome this change. However, the name accorded has received a mixed reaction amongst many, including the past and present SIM/UniSIM students. Those who graduated or are currently pursuing STEM, Finance or Accountancy courses/degree programmes fear that there will not be much prestige and recognition accorded to these programmes. Perhaps, the university could have been given a more neutral name and yet clearly represent the essence, substance and flavour of social sciences.
From the employment perspective, as the sixth AU which comes directly under the purview of MOE, will there be changes to the remuneration and benefit packages of the employees, including training and upgrading, and will it be favourable?
Sir, notwithstanding these, the change is, indeed, a step in the right direction as it clearly reflects and demonstrates the commitment of the Government to lifelong learning and, with this, I fully support the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister Ong Ye Kung.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank all the Members who have spoken in support of the Bill.
There are many suggestions for SUSS −more professional development programmes, forming an academy, inter-university collaborations, collaborations with industries, research direction. All these paint a very exciting picture and future for the SUSS team. It will be an exciting and busy time for them ahead. All these we will take in while we plan out what they will do for the future. The whole intention is to raise SUSS to a much more prestigious level and bring social sciences and social development courses to a much higher level in Singapore.
In this whole process, SUSS, I think, will get busier, it will expand, it will not contract. Courses will not be closed down. Let me assure the House that the livelihoods of staff members, none of them will be affected.
Let me first address the issue of positioning of the university, which was raised by Mr Desmond Choo, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, Ms Denise Phua and Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan. This actually is the most important aspect of this exercise. I mentioned earlier that SUSS is a unique AU in three ways. First, it has a strong social focus; second, applied learning; third, lifelong learning.
On the focus on social sciences, Mr Desmond Choo asked if the discipline is sustainable in the long run. I think this is not something we need to worry about. So long as the Singapore economy remains diverse and vibrant, it will need talents of all kinds. As an illustration, today, successful tech companies do not just hire coders and engineers. They are hiring anthropologists, psychologists and other social scientists as well.
Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Louis Ng and Ms Thanaletchimi also asked if business and engineering programmes at SUSS would be disadvantaged because of its new name. Let me assure the Members they will not be. The naming and the actual courses in a university are never neat. That is the reality here as well as all over the world. If we look across the university landscape, NTU also offers arts and social science disciplines; London School of Economics also offers law, international relations and accountancy; SMU offers IT courses.
It is, hence, common for universities to offer quality programmes beyond what their names imply. The term \"Social Sciences\" in the name of SUSS thus reflects more than just social science disciplines that the university will build, but also its approach to incorporate a social focus in all its other disciplines.
In response to Mr Louis Ng, there will, therefore, be no change to the range of programmes offered by the university just because of the name change. I hope that by restructuring SUSS into an AU, we can raise the prestige of all graduates, past and present, across all disciplines.
SUSS will broaden its range of offerings, as suggested by Mr Ang Hin Kee and also Mr Saktiandi Supaat, and we can grow the prestige of the discipline, as suggested by Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.
And since we are on the topic of its name, let me address Ms Thanaletchimi's question about whether we can have a generic name rather than \"SUSS\" referring to Social Sciences. I went online and checked out the definition of SUSS − \"suss\" as a verb, means to realise or grasp; as a noun, it refers to knowledge and awareness of a specified kind; and, as an adjective, it means shrewd and wary. So, I think the Board of Trustees of SUSS had all these generic qualities in mind when they decided on the name, and it applies to all disciplines.
Mr Louis Ng also raised a question about SUSS' name in Chinese. The issue of name is one of the hardest things to settle. The full Chinese name, as he pointed out, is “新跃社科大学”. The name is actually already registered. So, it is not so easy to change. The university went through much deliberation and decided on this name rather than \"新加坡社科大学\", which is a direct translation of SUSS.
Why “新跃”, the first two words, is really because “新跃” was in SIM University's Chinese name for many years. As we restructure it, it would be good to recognise the legacy of SIM University and retain the words “新跃”. I know that a name is always subjective. Not everybody will be happy with it. But I think, for this purpose of remembering the contribution of SIM University, I seek everyone's understanding and support that we would like to keep “新跃” in the Chinese name of SUSS.
Despite the change in name, degree certificates issued in UniSIM's name in the past and SUSS's name now and in the future will be considered of equal standing. So, in response to Assoc Prof Daniel Goh, SUSS has made arrangements for degree certifications to be re-issued for alumni. The degree certifications can be re-issued in SUSS's name. The university will release further details later. There is no condition that you must take an extra module.
The other uniqueness of SUSS is that it will focus on applied learning. As pointed out by Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef and Mr Saktiandi Supaat, SUSS will retain and develop its existing strong culture in service learning, including local and overseas experiential learning, as well as project work. These are very important aspects of applied learning.
Another important aspect is collaboration with industries and employers. SUSS already partners the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTCI) to deliver various programmes. I am glad Mr Saktiandi Supaat raised this. Today, they co-deliver a Diploma in Employment Relations. And there is a good opportunity there for SUSS to strengthen that collaboration with OTCI, as well as the National Trades Union Congress, and become an AU that contributes strongly to Singapore's unique institution of tripartism.
As suggested by Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan, it will certainly also expand its offering of professional development programmes, which are not necessarily at the degree level. SUSS has already introduced around 200 of such modular courses. These programmes are created often in collaboration with industries and other organisations, or targeted at professional development in specific fields. And, in time to come, if they grow it enough, perhaps they can consider forming a professional academy.
Moving forward, SUSS will continue to work closely with the relevant Government bodies and industry to develop degree programmes and modular courses that have strong industry relevance, as suggested by Mr Desmond Choo, too.
For applied learning to be effective, SUSS' faculty must have good representation of experts in their respective industries. This is a point raised by Mr Ang Hin Kee.
SUSS' faculty today consists of a large number of associates drawn from industry, many of whom are practitioners and experts in their own fields. SUSS will continue to build upon its teaching staff's capabilities to ensure that its course content is industry-relevant.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked several questions relating to research, that applied and academic research should co-exist and complement each other, that research should be measured by impact rather than just publications, ensure that we can attract world-class talent for research. I agree with all his viewpoints. However, starting off as an applied university, SUSS, just like SIT, will not be a research-intensive university, unlike NTU or NUS. So, in answer to Ms Denise Phua, it cannot compete in global university rankings, which are driven very much by research. Which is why the research today at applied universities, such as SIT and SUSS, are largely done in collaboration with, or even commissioned by, companies or Government agencies. Perhaps, this is why it raised the concern and perception that we need to safeguard the autonomy of research from policymakers, a point raised by Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.
I am sure Assoc Prof Daniel Goh will also appreciate that this is not the case in research-intensive universities like NUS. For these universities, as he pointed out, the challenge sometimes is the opposite − to ensure that research is grounded and relevant to and can positively impact our communities, society and economy as well. That should also include empirical social science research relevant to Singapore. MOE will work with the AUs to take steps to encourage this.
SUSS, however, can tap on the Social Science Research Council funding for their applied research. It has recently awarded about $21 million in grants, and the second grant call has recently been issued. As some members may know, under the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), we take a bottom-up approach. So, SUSS, as well as other universities, are free to propose quality projects with good impact. I hope that SUSS will submit good proposals pertinent to our society, innovative, even unprecedented, and can potentially be impactful.
As Assoc Prof Daniel Goh mentioned, we will urge universities to submit interdisciplinary, or even inter-university research proposals. We must recognise that innovation and deep insights often occur in the intersections of disciplines.
Big universities like NUS and NTU may have less motivation and incentive to have inter-university collaboration. But actually, small universities have a strong motivation to do so. So, today, between SMU and SUTD, there has been a lot of collaboration, and, certainly, MOE will encourage more of this.
The third unique proposition of SUSS is that it will retain its focus on lifelong learning and support the education and upgrading of adult learners. And adult learners must mean people older than 29 years old, and all ages, in fact.
SUSS currently takes in about 4,000 students into its full-time and part-time programmes. The majority of SUSS' intake, or more than three quarters, are adult learners admitted into part-time programmes. They are all working and juggling studying and working. It is important to keep this aspect of SUSS, because catering to the learning needs of adults is an entire discipline in itself and we want SUSS to be an authority in this field.
Take the admissions requirement, for example. I think Mr Ang Hin Kee raised this. To cater to the adults, SUSS has taken a holistic approach to evaluating applications, taking into account not just previous academic grades, but also career accomplishments and experience. It adopts a unique \"funnel approach\", for example, allowing adult learners who may not fully meet the academic requirements, to take three or four modules first, with admission to the rest of the undergraduate programme to be decided based on the performance in these first three or four modules. So, to Mr Desmond Choo's question, there is always a place for workers and mid-career entrants at SUSS.
Also, in response to Mr Ang Hin Kee and Mr Saktiandi Supaat, entry requirements, as practised today, will not change.
Let me now touch on the issue of fees. Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked if students at SUSS will have access to the same scholarships, bursaries and study awards as the other AUs. Mr Louis Ng asked whether there will be a reduction in programme fees since MOE is now providing funding.
MOE has been providing subsidies for students pursuing part-time undergraduate degree programmes at UniSIM or SIM University since 2008, and full-time undergraduate degree programmes since 2014. Students on these subsidised programmes have the same access to Government-supported financial assistance schemes, such as bursaries, tuition fee and study loans, as their peers in similar programmes at the AUs.
Hence, we do not expect a significant change in the level of the current subsidised fees. And in response to Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef, SUSS will also continue to charge fees based on the number of credits a student wishes to take in a semester.
But we intend to improve the resourcing of the university to further strengthen its capabilities in delivering quality education and training to adult learners and fresh school leavers, so that SUSS, as Ms Denise Phua said, can become the best in its field, especially with regard to lifelong learning.
Assoc Prof Randolph Tan and Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about financial assistance for working adults and sought clarification on the level of subsidy for part-time versus full-time programmes. Today, the main criterion for financial assistance is gross per capita monthly income of the household, which actually is a neutral measure whether the student is a young full-timer or a working adult.
In addition to Government-supported schemes, many of the universities have their own schemes to support their students. We understand that SUSS also has existing schemes, and MOE will be happy to work with the university to explore ways to further support working adults.
The cost structure for part-time programmes is different from that of full-time programmes, which makes it quite difficult to compare the two. But both courses under an AU are significantly subsidised, and the fees that a student pays for a part-time course is often less than that of a similar full-time course after subsidies.
Ms Denise Phua asked whether adult learners who wish to pursue full-time studies to retool for the future can be funded for more than one qualification. Because budget is always limited, we need to ensure it can benefit as many Singaporeans as possible. Hence, students are currently only eligible for tuition grant for one qualification at the undergraduate level.
But having said that, adult learners can consider a range of other subsidised training options under SkillsFuture. These training options can lead to statements of attainment, certificates, diplomas, graduate diplomas or specialist diplomas.
Under SkillsFuture, there is no limit to attending such programmes where the fees are subsidised. If the training is packaged under a Professional Conversion Programme, the subsidy will be even higher.
Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about the process by which UniSIM moved from being a private entity to being under MOE's jurisdiction and an AU. This is the process. After a period of discussion with MOE, the formal proposal to restructure UniSIM into an AU was raised with the SIM Governing Council and UniSIM's Board of Trustees in 2016. All parties then agreed that the restructuring would be a positive and logical next step in the development of UniSIM.
The process for restructuring was then kickstarted following an Extraordinary General Meeting on 10 November 2016, where SIM members voted in support of the proposal. The legal changes needed to effect this were then completed earlier this year, and this Bill represents the last step in the transformation of the university into an AU.
As MOE has been providing subsidies for students pursuing their undergraduate programmes in UniSIM since 2008, the university is already subject to similar checks and balances as the other AUs, such as the Quality Assurance Framework for Universities.
But with its transformation into an AU, SUSS will also be working with MOE on new policy and performance agreements that outline a mutually agreed vision and direction for the university and corresponding KPI and success indicators. These will focus on areas, such as student engagement, quality of teaching, quality of student experience, employment outcomes, their know-how in lifelong learning, know-how in applied learning, the relevance and standing of social sciences as a discipline, the impact and relevance of research.
Once again, I thank Members for their support of the Bill and look forward to their continued support for SkillsFuture and lifelong learning. Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Ong Ye Kung.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
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[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Workers' Party (WP) has mooted the idea of a redundancy insurance scheme for some time now. We raised it in our manifestoes for the General Elections in 2011 and 2015, and the hon Member Ms Sylvia Lim raised it in the Budget Debate in 2016. The Party published a fleshed-out proposal in November last year, followed by a modest public consultation exercise to gather feedback. We are encouraged by the feedback, and thankful to members of the public for their invaluable contributions, which have highlighted the pros and cons of our redundancy insurance scheme proposal.
Let me first list three principles that underpin our proposed redundancy insurance scheme and then I will elaborate on each principle and discuss how it would translate into actual operation as a scheme.
The first principle is to generate risk-pooling to reduce the financial pressure on workers who are made redundant. The second principle is to reduce insecurity and worry among the vast majority of employed Singaporeans. The third principle is to complement the existing programmes targeting the retraining and re-employment of workers under the Adapt and Grow initiative.
The first principle is to establish a system of progressive risk-pooling to reduce the financial pressure that workers experience when they are made redundant. The risk of being made redundant increases with age, though we are now witnessing a greater proportion of younger workers being laid off. Nevertheless, older workers, particularly those aged 40 and above, tend to face a triple whammy, compared to younger workers. Older workers face a greater risk of being made redundant. They also face the intergenerational squeeze and have more bills to pay. Financial pressure points include children's education, support for elderly parents, as well as hefty mortgages and escalating healthcare costs. On top of these two factors, their prospects for re-employment have historically been worse than younger workers.
Growing old is a certainty in life and the younger workers would one day face the triple whammy their seniors face today. Thus, the important thing is to pool the uneven risk that is being felt across generations of workers in an equitable and progressive manner.
We propose that employees pay 0.05% of their monthly salary into an Employment Security Fund, which would be matched by employers. Based on the average wage, excluding Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions in 2014, the proposed 0.1% would amount to an average monthly contribution of $3.80 per worker. If a worker is made redundant, he or she will receive a payout of 40% of his or her last drawn salary for up to six months. This payout would be subject to a cap of 40% of the prevailing monthly median wage of resident workers. Based on the 2014 median gross monthly income of $3,000, excluding employer CPF contributions, a worker would receive up to a monthly payout of $1,200 for six months.
We should also better protect our most vulnerable workers. We propose that the minimum payout would be $500 a month so as to benefit low-wage workers.
The objective here is to reduce the financial pressure felt by workers, especially older workers, when they are made redundant. As a supplement to cash savings, the redundancy insurance payouts would give affected workers some peace of mind to look for suitable employment or to retrain and acquire new skills to make themselves relevant again in the labour market. The intention here is to minimise the distraction of financial pressures so that affected workers would do what they should be doing in such a situation, that is, focus on getting the next job.
We should not subscribe to an either-or fallacy to downplay the usefulness of redundancy insurance. Some dismissals of redundancy insurance apply such a fallacy. Some have argued that redundancy insurance payouts would discourage workers from saving for rainy days. It is quite ridiculous to think that the maximum $7,200 payout that an affected worker stands to gain would discourage him or her from saving excess cash, especially in our thrifty culture. There is no evidence to suggest that the purchase of life insurance discourages Singaporeans from saving for their loved ones. Otherwise, why would the Government encourage lower-income Singaporeans to buy life insurance by providing for life insurance relief for personal income tax?
Another dismissal of redundancy insurance goes along the lines that there are already many Government programmes providing ample cash assistance to the needy. This is another either-or fallacy. Redundancy insurance payouts are not meant to replace the assistance provided to the needy. Most workers who are made redundant do not fall into the needy category and would not need cash assistance. This bears repeating. Redundancy insurance aims to reduce the financial pressure faced by affected workers and the resultant distractions caused by the pressure, so that workers can focus on getting their retraining and re-employment right.
Redundancy insurance helps affected workers to find re-employment in a timely manner so that they would not need to depend on Government cash assistance. In this sense, redundancy insurance is a preventive measure, helping affected workers to avoid the vicious poverty trap and to maintain their financial independence.
The second principle of the proposed redundancy insurance scheme is to reduce insecurity and worry among the vast majority of employed Singaporeans. As the trend of more young workers getting affected by redundancies indicates, no one is safe from the risk of redundancy anymore. Technological and economic disruptions, and increasing protectionist sentiments around the globe, also mean that no industry is immune to layoffs and workforce shakeups.
Redundancies reached 19,170 in 2016, the highest rate since the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. There is a new pattern emerging. During the financial crisis, redundancies peaked at the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first and second quarters of 2009 but quickly went back to the normal levels of 2,000-plus redundancies per quarter. In 2016, higher redundancies have become the new normal. We have not seen peaks but a plateau of 4,000-plus redundancies each quarter since the fourth quarter of 2015.
The first quarter of 2017 of estimated 4,800 redundancies suggest that the new normal of constant, high redundancies will continue. We are not experiencing the acute injury of an economic crisis, but the chronic pain of economic restructuring amidst global disruptions.
In this situation, all workers face massive insecurity and worry about their future. There are two areas where the insecurities are being felt: skills mismatch and fragmentation of employment. Redundancy insurance complements existing Government programmes to reduce the insecurity and worry.
The first area is skills mismatch, which has led to laid-off workers struggling to find re-employment. The net psychological effects are two-fold: increasing demoralisation among laid-off workers leading to more discouraged workers and fearful workers clinging to their jobs instead of actively seeking lifelong learning. Of course, the Government is keenly aware of this issue and has been rightly pouring resources into retraining and skills upgrading.
Redundancy insurance complements these existing efforts by providing laid-off workers with breathing space to retrain and upgrade their skills to match demand in the labour market. This is preferred to laid-off workers desperately signing on to the first job they could find, which could lead to long-term underemployment and worsen skills mismatch in the wider economy.
We propose that the subsequent redundancy insurance payouts after the first payout should be tied to the condition that the worker is either actively seeking a new job through the National Jobs Bank or is actively retraining himself through the various Government programmes. This will ensure that redundancy insurance complements the national movement to improve skills and to minimise skills mismatch in the economy. This will also counter the criticism that redundancy insurance would increase unemployment rates, which is highly unlikely in our proposal in the first place as the payout is deliberately kept at a conservative level and will not be a disincentive to re-employment.
The second area is the fragmentation of employment, which refers to the changing nature of work as more workers turn to freelancing and contract for service as their primary source of income. This is something that is beginning to be felt in Singapore, and Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say gave a speech on the gig economy at the Committee of Supply this year, in which he said that a tripartite workgroup is to study the issues faced by freelancers and to address them and to protect the well-being of freelancers with practical solutions. One of these issues is when contract workers are made redundant through the early termination of their contracts.
We propose that the redundancy insurance scheme also covers self-employed workers, and this would include entrepreneurs, in order to provide them with a safety net like employed workers. Self-employed workers will contribute 0.1% of their self-declared income to the scheme. Self-employed individuals will receive a payout of 40% of their average last drawn income for the previous six months subject to the same median wage cap should they become unable to earn an income due to the involuntary winding up of their businesses or termination of contract for service, capped at one series of payouts every three years.
One argument against redundancy insurance is that it will inadvertently increase insecurity by making employers more willing to retrench workers or give less retrenchment benefits. But these moral hazard criticisms are only valid if employers operate in an unregulated and demoralised environment. I find it strange the idea that employers would push workers off their buildings knowing that there is a safety net below to catch the workers. This is to suggest that after so many decades of tripartite partnership, union representations and Government promotion of workers' rights, our moral economy of stable industrial relations is going to be undermined by a mere social insurance programme.
The third principle of the proposed redundancy insurance scheme is to complement the existing programmes under the Government's Adapt and Grow initiative. As I have mentioned repeatedly, the proposed redundancy insurance scheme does not displace or replace existing programmes to help our unemployed workers and jobseekers but seeks to complement existing programmes. To think otherwise is to subscribe to the either-or fallacy: choose either the WP's redundancy insurance scheme or the Government's Adapt and Grow programmes. This is a false choice.
Some commentators have framed the false choice as such: redundancy insurance is paid for by the workers themselves and the Adapt and Grow programmes by the Government. Of course, the latter is better. This is another either-or fallacy that encourages an entitlement mentality. It runs against this Government's oft-stated principle of fostering resilient independence among our citizens and discouraging dependence on Government welfare schemes.
In fact, I do not only see the redundancy insurance scheme as complementing Adapt and Grow. I see it as a very good candidate to become part of the Adapt and Grow suite of programmes to help Singaporean workers retrain and get re-employed. How is this so? And what gap can the redundancy insurance scheme plug?
The Adapt and Grow initiatives can provide excellent assistance for workers who are laid off. If they sign up with Workforce Singapore (WSG) to try out new jobs or training attachments in specific sectors, rank-and-file workers and professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), will receive allowances from the Government. For senior PMETs who are made redundant or unemployed for six months or more, they could turn to the Career Support Programme which offers salary, training and placement support.
But these programmes work only if laid-off workers decide to turn to the Government for help in the first place. After many decades of cultivating a resilient and independent workforce, turning to the Government for immediate assistance on labour market endeavours after losing one's job is a foreign concept for Singaporean workers. In fact, it is a good thing that our workers are a resilient and independent bunch and prefer to try to look for a job on their own first before turning to the Government for help.
I do not think the Government disagrees with me on this, as the Career Support Programme policy for junior PMETs remain one of extending aid only if the workers have been unemployed for six months or more, regardless of whether they were made redundant. In other words, laid-off PMETs below 40 years of age are expected to seek re-employment on their own for six months before they can receive Government assistance.
This also implies that the six months after being laid off is a crucial period where the independence and resourcefulness of our workers are applied to finding a new job before the risk of discouragement starts to escalate. The labour market, when properly structured and regulated, should be left to its own devices to sort out supply and demand matching, but market failures should also be addressed, especially if market failures could lead to the discouragement of our workers. Six months seem to be the natural and reasonable period for laid-off workers to sort themselves out with the market, before they turn to the Government for assistance. But for them to do so, they need to be focused on the task and not be distracted by the strain on their finances. This is where the payouts from redundancy insurance would help.
In this sense then, the proposed redundancy insurance scheme would fit into the Adapt and Grow initiative. It provides a safety net for all laid-off workers, regardless of whether they choose immediate Government assistance or not. It encourages workers to exercise their independence and resourcefulness to sort out their employment situation in the labour marketplace first and, failing which, then they can turn to Government assistance with the dignity of knowing that they have tried.
Another benefit of the redundancy insurance scheme is that it cultivates a strong social consciousness among Singaporean workers, promoting a sense of solidarity among them across skills levels, income groups and generations. Even as each worker seeks to compete effectively in the labour market to maximise one's own interests and earn the remuneration one meritoriously deserves, each would also know by way of the redundancy insurance that all Singaporean workers are looking out for one another in case anyone is felled by redundancies that no one could have predicted or prevented.
This is the promise of social insurance for our society made more vulnerable by the fragmentation of employment and global economic disruptions. And there is psychological defence knowing that we got one another's back as we sail the waters of global uncertainty.
Yet, another benefit of the redundancy insurance scheme is that when it is properly calibrated and launched in a timely manner, the Employment Security Fund would become self-sustainable in the long run and would cost the Government close to nothing.
Sir, the reason that WP is moving this Motion at this time is because a risk-pooling scheme requires a lead-time of sunny days for the pool to be built up for the rainy days. For redundancy insurance, sunny days are those years when redundancies stay relatively low and employment relatively high.
Given the Manpower Minister's ominous Labour Day warning that unemployment will rise in the near future as we go head long into economic restructuring amidst technological and social disruption, we believe the window of opportunity for implementing a redundancy insurance scheme is closing fast.
Many developed countries have established some form of redundancy insurance to ameliorate problems arising from their maturing economies. Many of these redundancy insurance policies share features with the one that we have proposed here. For example, redundancy insurance programmes in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea involve more or less equivalent contributions from employers and employees with little public expenditure. Programmes in Canada, France and South Korea also have the condition that affected workers are actively looking for work in order to receive the payouts.
I am not arguing that we should follow suit just because our peer economies are doing so. There are differences in circumstances, which is why our proposed scheme adapts the basic features of redundancy insurance to our situation. But there are similar issues that point to the usefulness of redundancy insurance in addressing the issues. As developed economies seek to boost labour productivity and innovation amidst technological disruption, structural unemployment will rise. In such a situation, redundancy insurance is useful as a safety net for affected workers and, I must emphasise, also serves as a trampoline for workers to reskill and find new career directions.
At this point, I would like to make the note that the topic of unemployment insurance is not a new topic in this House. More recently, hon Members, such as Ms Sylvia Lim, Ms Foo Mee Har, Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Azmoon Ahmad, have brought up the idea in one form or another. What I have offered here is the synopsis of the fleshed-out proposal that was published by WP in November last year and additional arguments highlighting the benefits of the proposal. The scheme proposed here is not any unemployment insurance scheme but a targeted redundancy insurance scheme that takes the local situation, workforce culture and existing Government programmes into account.
Mr Patrick Tay had said in the Debate on the President's Address in January last year that unemployment insurance merits closer study and scrutiny. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have here a proposal that I hope the Government would see fit to study and scrutinise and not dismiss lightly.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister Josephine Teo.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Manpower (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I was serving in the Labour Movement, we always said that a job is the best welfare and full employment is the best protection for our workers. That is why the priority has always been to help workers in jobs keep jobs and to help workers who lose their jobs find new jobs. It is also why the People's Action Party (PAP) Government has never taken its eye off job creation.
This approach has kept Singaporeans employed and unemployment low. However, as our economic situation changed, and restructuring became a necessity and a concern, we have built up many schemes to help workers who lose their jobs. This is something that Assoc Prof Daniel Goh has acknowledged.
Firstly, schemes to help them get new jobs, such as the Career Support Programme for PMETs, that gives up to $42,000 in salary support to help someone who loses a job find a new employer, or the Work Trial Programme for rank-and-file workers plus extensive subsidies to equip workers with skills for new jobs.
We also have schemes like ComCare and bursaries that provide short-term relief to Singaporeans while they are out of a job. There are many schemes but all with a single purpose − to get workers back at work, with new and useful skills, and to ease the transition and moderate the impact on their families.
We have not hesitated to give generous wage support and training subsidies, but always conditional on the worker making the effort by attending a training course or accepting a placement opportunity. This approach has worked. But, as the Prime Minister and Minister Lim Swee Say have pointed out, there is still a risk that, in future, our unemployment rate will rise beyond what we have been used to. What should our response be?
WP has proposed redundancy insurance. Unemployment insurance, including redundancy insurance, are not crazy ideas and neither are they new, as Assoc Prof Daniel Goh acknowledged.
Indeed, many developed countries have had some form of unemployment insurance for years. But their unemployment rates are generally significantly higher than ours. Many people in these countries can see themselves having to depend on payouts. As a result, their attitude is, \"If we have to pay premiums, so be it\".
Singapore today is not in the same position. We have focused our efforts on employment support through training and reskilling, with full support from employers and unions, which other countries find harder to do. Unemployment and redundancy insurance also have their downsides, which WP has not talked about.
The most serious downside with automatic insurance payouts is that it reduces the incentive to find work. In Denmark, studies have shown that while many jobless persons do get a job within the payout period, many more wait until just before the benefits expire to take on available jobs. In other words, the jobs are there but the unemployed workers delay taking them up. This is a real pity, because the longer a person stays out of a job, the harder it is to find work. As a result, long-term unemployment goes up.
A second downside is that redundancy insurance is actually not cheap. WP claims that we only need 0.1% of monthly salary, shared equally between employers and employees. However, this is too good to be true, even based on the Member's own research findings.
Using data the Member provided, just comparing countries with similar benefits, Canada's premium is 4.4%. The Republic of Korea needs 1.35%, which is at least 10 times the Member's estimate. That was back in 2013. Today, premiums in the Republic of Korea have risen to 2.2%.
WP has not explained what is so different about its proposal that costs so much less. If we make more realistic assumptions, the scheme is much more likely to cost at least 1% to 2% of wages, and then we have to consider how it will raise costs for employers. That worries me, especially for our small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
There are other questions to worry about. Will employers offset the premiums by paying their workers lower salaries? Will employers feel less obligation to retrain and retain, resulting in higher redundancies? Will employers be less willing to pay workers retrenchment benefits, since they have already paid the premiums for the redundancy?
Therefore, all things considered, we should persist with our present approach. Do everything possible to help displaced workers find replacement jobs and give the displaced workers every incentive to make the effort to help themselves. This is the right strategic approach and will go a long way.
Mr Deputy Speaker, during the global financial crisis, I served as a union leader. A few days before Chinese New Year in 2009, some 600 employees in one of our unionised companies were told they were being laid off.
The timing was cruel and the union had not been consulted. But we had to stay focused on helping the workers. We knew the workers were in for a tough time. It was the middle of the crisis. The International Labour Organization was projecting up to 50 million job losses worldwide.
Most of our members had only ever known one job their entire lives. Naturally, many of them were downcast. On the workers' last day, we arranged for special buses to take them immediately to the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). I went early to receive my brothers and sisters. We wanted them to know that the union would walk this journey together with them and they were not alone.
We briefed our members about the union's assistance package, e2i colleagues set up rows of interview counters for everyone who needed help. They could get face-to-face consultations and follow-up support on the spot. Most of our members found new jobs and continued to provide for their families. In subsequent Chinese New Years, we could still get together to tell stories of children and grandchildren doing well. My brothers and sisters have lost their old jobs. But through new jobs, they kept their livelihoods, and their dignity.
Whatever our political persuasion, we can all agree on the need for protection against unemployment. But how we do it is important, and the experience of other countries should give us caution.
If we get it wrong, we could end up with more long-term unemployment, more redundancy, lower retrenchment benefits, higher cost burden to businesses and, worst of all, a false sense of security for the workers. None of these is intended, of course, but it could happen.
We must try to do it right in Singapore. We have built up many schemes to help workers keep their jobs and help those who lose their jobs find new ones. We provide generous wage support, training subsidies and temporary relief. We grow the economy to create more good jobs.
The Government provides full funding for these programmes without putting the burden on our businesses. To guard against unemployment, we emphasise employment support because it is still the best way forward.
Even in tough times, Singaporeans want to feel the sense of dignity and pride that comes from standing on one's own feet. I saw it in 2009 in the eyes of my retrenched brothers and sisters whom we helped get new jobs. And today, each time a fellow Singaporean gets a new job through our employment support programmes, we see it again.
I urge Members not to get distracted. Let us stay focused on making our employment support programmes the best that they can be for all Singaporeans.
Mr Deputy Speaker:\t Mr Patrick Tay, do you want to ask something? You have three minutes.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): Yes. Mr Deputy Speaker, I have two clarification questions for Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.
Firstly, on behalf of my brothers and sisters in our unions who have fought very hard for retrenchment benefits, is Assoc Prof Daniel Goh suggesting that employers now need not pay any retrenchment benefits and rely on this redundancy insurance payout instead, since employers will be contributing to the premiums? Would having this suggested insurance not make it even harder for unions to negotiate for better and higher retrenchment packages?
Second, Assoc Prof Daniel Goh suggested insurance is for payout during redundancies, and not unemployment. As Director of Legal Services at NTUC, I have come across in these past 15 years, many cases of workers who are unemployed, not just because of redundancy but because of termination, job loss, job fit. And his proposal suggests that all these are excluded.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Goh, you have two minutes.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: Okay. In response to Mr Patrick Tay, in no way am I suggesting that retrenchment benefits should be replaced. Again, this is the \"either-or\" fallacy that I have been speaking about. And I did not mention that at all − that it should be replaced by redundancy insurance.
Now, there is a risk. I understand that this is part of the cons of the redundancy insurance scheme − the risk that employers would have that kind of mentality and attitude, where they think, \"Since I am paying the premiums, I do not have to pay out retrenchment benefits. I have already paid my dues to society.\"
But my take is that in our society, in our tripartite stable industrial relations situation, which is underpinned by a certain kind of moral economy, that the unions have a certain kind of moral suasion and the Government, too, that has a hold on employers. They will not just easily let go of retrenchment benefits just because we have a redundancy insurance. If we make it clear to them that redundancy insurance is really workers looking out for fellow workers, it does not replace the retrenchment benefits and the kind of duties that are owed to workers by the employers when they have to lay off staff for whatever reason.
Regarding the Member's second question about redundancy, our definition of redundancy is really based on if the jobs are no longer needed and people are being laid off because these jobs are no longer needed. This follows the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) definition, and it does not exclude some of the terminations the Member was talking about, in terms of job fit and what not. Of course, there are terminations due to dismissals, due to poor performance, and that would be excluded. It is really about redundancy as defined by MOM.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. The time allowed for the proceedings has expired.
[(proc text) The Question having been proposed at 6.11 pm and the Debate having continued for half an hour, Mr Deputy Speaker adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order. (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 6.41 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":"Cybersecurity Incidents Involving Government Websites","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"19 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Communications and Information in view of the hundreds of malware-infected sites, including Government portals (a) whether any critical Singapore sites or servers have been compromised; and (b) what are the measures that the public should undertake to prevent such incidents.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I believe the Member is referring to the recent report by the International Criminal Police Organization's (INTERPOL's) Global Complex for Innovation, which was developed together with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and other partners in 2017.
INTERPOL assessed the vulnerability of servers and websites in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and discovered nearly 9,000 compromised servers and hundreds of malware-infected websites. This included around 130 servers and websites reported to be in Singapore. Upon further investigation by the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and SPF, the majority of these 130 servers and websites were found to be clean. Some of the infected machines included phishing websites and Command and Control Servers – machines that were issuing commands to other compromised devices. No critical Singapore servers or websites were found to be compromised.
Cyber threats are increasing, and there are malicious actors out there who seek to harm others via cyber means. The Government is not spared from this threat, with our information technology network constantly under attack. Therefore, we cannot be complacent. The Government is strengthening our cybersecurity, including by passing a Cybersecurity Bill later this year, and raising public awareness through roadshows by CSA and SPF. The Infocommunications Media Development Authority (IMDA) will also help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) strengthen their cybersecurity under the SMEs Go Digital programme.
We urge organisations, companies and the public to work with us on this shared effort. Businesses should take advantage of the many programmes we have to strengthen cybersecurity and ensure that their electronic networks are secure against hacks. Individuals can take simple steps, such as by changing the default passwords of their routers and Internet-connected devices. More detailed information is available on the GoSafeOnline website at www.csa.gov.sg/gosafeonline run by the Cyber Security Awareness Alliance.
Together, we can create a safer and more secure cyberspace for Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Applications for Shelter for the Homeless","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"21 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in 2016 (a) what is the most common reason for rejecting an application to provide shelter to homeless people; and (b) what is the waiting time for placement at a shelter.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) works closely with Government and community agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and social service agencies to assist homeless families and individuals in need. Some of them may seek help from the Family Service Centres (FSCs) to identify temporary housing options and address their other needs. Those who have exhausted all means of accommodation and are in need of immediate shelter would be admitted into Transitional Shelters. Case workers at the shelters and social workers at the FSCs will work with these families to improve their family situation, coordinate relevant assistance and secure long-term housing options.
In some cases, persons seeking admission into Transitional Shelters have alternative accommodation options with family and friends and are, therefore, not admitted to the shelter. There are also individuals who are not suitable to be admitted into Transitional Shelters due to their physical or mental health conditions. The social service agencies will refer them to the appropriate care facilities.
The waiting time for admission to the transitional shelters is typically about three days to a week. The time needed depends on factors, such as whether the social worker is able to contact the client to undertake the assessment. For needy persons who need immediate shelter, the shelter operators will facilitate same-day admissions as far as possible. When same-day admission is not possible, such as during weekends and after office hours, the social worker will work with the person to source for interim accommodation, such as staying with relatives or friends. The women and children of families who cannot find interim accommodation can be admitted temporarily to the crisis shelters.
The public and community can play a role by approaching persons in need to understand their circumstances and offer help. They can also call the ComCare hotline or approach the nearest Social Service Office or FSC for assistance. MSF and our partners in the community will continue to render assistance where needed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for Pricing of Polytechnic Students' Concessionary Passes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"22 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the rationale for pricing the concessionary passes for polytechnic students at $27.50 for bus, $25 for trains and $51 for hybrid of bus and trains; and (b) whether the pricing is reasonable for polytechnic students who need to take trains for the main journey but need only a short bus ride to reach the destination having to pay almost double for the hybrid pass.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Single-mode passes are special concessions for students and National Servicemen who take only buses or only trains for their travel. The reference point for hybrid passes should not be the prices of single-mode passes, but the prices of Monthly Concession Passes for other commuter groups. In this regard, the price of a hybrid pass for polytechnic students is set to be the same as that for secondary, Institute of Technical Education, and junior college students, and is less than half the price of an Adult Monthly Travel Pass.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Sheltered Walkways from Schools to Bus Stops and MRT Stations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"23 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Transport whether LTA can work with all schools and institutions to provide sheltered walkways along the shortest possible route to bus stops and MRT stations to enhance last-mile connectivity.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Today, 80% of schools already have covered linkways to a Mass Rapid Transit station within 400 metres, or a Light Rail Transit station, bus interchange or bus stop within 200 metres. These linkways are built along the most practical path. The remaining schools will have covered linkways by 2018, if they fall within the Walk2Ride criteria.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Lease Extension under Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"24 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development whether flexibility can be exercised in extending the lease for families under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) whose BTO flats are due to be completed within three to six months of their expiring PPHS lease.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) provides an affordable rental housing option for families who require interim housing while they await the completion of their new flats. PPHS rental flats are mostly vacated flats under the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme, which have been put to interim use before they are demolished when required for redevelopment.
If the PPHS tenant's new flat is not ready when their tenancy term ends, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will be flexible and extend the tenancy, provided the PPHS site is not due for immediate clearance. Due to upcoming redevelopment plans, it is not possible to extend the tenancies beyond the PPHS site expiry date.
When choosing a suitable PPHS flat, families are informed of the availability period of each PPHS site and advised to select one that best meets the completion timelines of their new flat. After the tenants have moved in, HDB also sends regular reminders ahead of the site expiry date, to give them sufficient time to plan for their housing options.
For families affected by site expiry, HDB will help them to transfer to other available PPHS flats.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Take-up Rate for Screen for Life Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"26 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health with regard to the Screen for Life programme (a) what are the percentages of eligible Singaporeans who have gone for screening, by gender and age ranges; (b) what is the drop-off rate of those tested positive and do not follow up for post-screening consultation; and (c) how is the need for post-screening consultation assessed for the enhanced programme.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Prevention is a key strategy in our war on diabetes. Besides healthy eating and frequent exercise, it is also important for Singaporeans to go for regular health screening.
Based on the 2016 Health Behaviour Surveillance of Singapore survey conducted by the Health Promotion Board, 78% of Singaporeans aged 40 to 69 had gone for basic health screening in the past three years for high blood pressure, high blood lipids and diabetes. This was an improvement from the 73% in 2010. There was no significant difference by gender. Older Singaporeans are more likely to go for chronic disease screening than their younger cohorts. Among those who have abnormal screening results, a significant proportion do not follow up to see a doctor.
The need for post-screening consultation is assessed based on factors like the health screening results, as well as individual and family risk factors.
The Ministry of Health is enhancing our health screening programmes to achieve two objectives. First, we want to encourage more Singaporeans who meet the age and risk criteria to go for screening. Next, we want to encourage those who receive abnormal screening results, for example, those who are tested positive for diabetes or who are pre-diabetic, to follow up to see a doctor.
Ultimately, each person has to decide whether he or she wants to go for health screening and the follow-up consultation. While the Government will provide support and encouragement, individuals must also take responsibility for their own health.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Effectiveness of Telemedicine Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"27 Ms Sun Xueling asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the percentage of follow-up consultations that can be migrated to the national telemedicine consultation framework; (b) what are the criteria to determine what ailments can be addressed via tele-consultations while not lowering standards of patient care; and (c) what is the expected percentage of cost savings that can be achieved for hospitals and patients with such a move.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Smart Health Video Consultation (VC) initiative was introduced in our public healthcare institutions last November. The practice is evolving.
Our chief considerations are patient safety. Clinicians would assess individual patient’s suitability before offering the option.
For a start, VC has been introduced in psychiatric counselling, paediatric eczema pharmacy follow-up consultation, paediatric home care service, lactation consultation, speech therapy, post-stroke, communicable disease, and cancer patient care. These are also areas where it has been found to work well overseas.
Early indications show that it is bringing about greater productivity and convenience for patients. It is still too early to assess the likely extent of adoption and the impact on cost savings. We will continue to monitor its rollout and encourage greater adoption.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government Oversight on Use of Monies by Official Sporting Bodies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"29 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) how does the Ministry exercise oversight on the use of monies by official sporting bodies; (b) what criteria does the Ministry use to determine fair use of such monies; and (c) how does the Ministry prevent and rectify misallocation of such funds by official sporting bodies.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Among the many sports organisations in Singapore, Sport Singapore (SportSG) currently recognises 63 established sports bodies as National Sports Associations (NSAs). To be recognised as an NSA of a particular sport, the organisation has to demonstrate that it enjoys the support and mandate of the sport’s local fraternity and is in good financial health with varied sources of revenue, among other criteria.
SportSG currently provides funding to 45 out of the 63 NSAs. To qualify for SportSG funding, an NSA has to be registered as a society and a charity, as well as meet SportSG’s requirements. Accordingly, it has to maintain high standards of governance and comply with the Societies Act, the Charities Act and its regulations, the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character, as well as SportSG's financial regulations and other guidelines. In addition, NSAs have to develop multi-year plans with key deliverables aligned with SportSG’s objectives.
SportSG's annual grants to NSAs help to support their organisation functions, outreach programmes, training facilities and high performance sports (HPS) plans. The level of funding is assessed from year to year, taking into account its alignment with SportSG's Vision 2030 plans for sport, whether it has achieved the agreed key performance indicators (KPIs), its capabilities in governance and execution, as well as the existence of a sound plan for the development of the sport that is supported by members, among other factors.
SportSG does not administer funding to an NSA's member clubs and affiliates. While SportSG’s funding helps the NSAs to defray part of their costs, NSAs are also funded by other sources, such as revenue from subscriptions and competitions, as well as donations from their fraternity and stakeholders.
Besides the mandatory annual submission of audited statement of accounts to SportSG, NSAs are also required to allow SportSG to audit their accounting records. If an NSA is found uncompliant with the terms of its funding agreement, SportSG will take appropriate action, such as suspending, terminating or recovering the grant. For more serious cases, such as misappropriation of funds, SportSG would refer these to the Police.
SportSG emphasises the importance of robust governance measures through its regular engagements with NSAs. It is the responsibility of the NSA leadership to ensure that the administration and operations of the organisation are managed effectively, in compliance with existing laws and regulations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Failure to Give Way to Emergency Vehicles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"31 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for each year in the past three years, how many people have been fined or prosecuted in Court respectively for failing to give way to emergency vehicles; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to review the penalties for such offences.
Mr K Shanmugam: The vast majority of motorists do give way to emergency vehicles. Only a very small number of motorists fail to do so. From 2014 to 2016, a total of 22 drivers were issued composition fines for failing to give way to emergency vehicles. No driver was charged in Court.
The Traffic Police (TP) will take action against motorists who fail to give way to emergency vehicles, because such behaviour may have serious consequences for people who critically need help. Offenders will be given four demerit points and a composition fine. We will prosecute offenders in Court if there are aggravating factors. Upon conviction, there can be a fine not exceeding $1,000 or an imprisonment term not exceeding three months for offenders charged for the first time. The maximum fine and imprisonment term could be increased to $2,000 and six months respectively, for subsequent charges which result in Court appearances. My Ministry has no plans to review the penalties, as they are adequate for now.
It is also important to raise public awareness of the importance of giving way to emergency vehicles. The Singapore Civil Defence Force has worked with the Land Transport Authority to display \"Give way to emergency vehicles\" messages on electronic signboards located along expressways and major roads. Similar messages have also been printed on decals given out to motorists at petrol kiosks. We will continue to sustain such public education and outreach efforts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Responsibility of Social Media Platforms and Internet Service Providers in Addressing Fake News","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"32 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Law (a) how does the Government identify and define what is fake news; and (b) what role does the Government envisage social media platforms and Internet service providers to play in addressing fake news.
Mr K Shanmugam: At the Sitting on 3 April 2017, I explained in this House how \"fake news\" results in serious consequences for individuals and for society. There is no shortage of examples both locally and overseas of \"fake news\" being circulated, especially on social media platforms and private messaging services. The examples which I previously cited from the websites States Times Review and All Singapore Stuff were completely fabricated and passed off as facts.
The focus is not on trivial factual inaccuracies, but falsehoods that can cause real harm. Fake news does not benefit Singapore society in any way. Instead, it benefits those who profit commercially from their publication, supports those who undermine our public institutions or facilitates foreign interference in our domestic politics.
We consider social media companies to be important in the fight against fake news.
Internationally, social media companies have been placed under intense scrutiny in recent months in the context of dissemination of fake news and other illegal content on their platforms.
Social media platforms have become the primary distribution network for fake news. Because fake news can be repeatedly shared by users of social media platforms, without any need for verification of their truth or falsity, fake news is circulated at an alarming rate on these platforms.
Social media platforms also generate a high volume of traffic for fake news websites. This translates into significant advertising revenue for the owners of these websites, which, in turn, provides a strong economic incentive to create fake news.
In a manifesto published in February 2017, Facebook's Chief Executive Officer Mr Mark Zuckerberg said, and I quote, \"Accuracy of information is very important. We know there is misinformation and even outright hoax content on Facebook, and we take this very seriously. We have made progress fighting hoaxes the way we fight spam, but we have more work to do.\"
Some countries, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, have said that media companies can do more to combat the fake news problem.
The Government will continue to monitor developments in the social media industry both locally and internationally as part of our review.
In line with the holistic approach I have outlined, the Government will also consider whether and how Internet service providers can play a part in addressing the fake news problem. We shall announce the findings of our review in due course.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress of \"Teach Less, Learn More\" Policy","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"33 Ms Chia Yong Yong asked the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what has been the progress on the \"Teach Less, Learn More\" policy since its implementation in 2005; and (b) in light of students continuing to have heavy schoolwork, how will the Ministry review and implement that policy.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: The \"Teach Less, Learn More\" movement was launched in 2005 to encourage our teachers to adopt a range of effective teaching approaches to engage students and enable them to develop enduring knowledge and skills for life. More classroom time was given for student interaction and exploration, opportunities for expression, and learning of life-long skills.
An evaluation of schools’ efforts in \"Teach Less, Learn More\" showed that students were more engaged in learning, teachers were more reflective in their practice, and schools had developed a culture of innovation.
Similar observations were made from international benchmarking studies. In Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015, our Primary 4 and Secondary 2 students responded that they like Mathematics and Science, and that their teachers are good at explaining concepts. Similarly, for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015, more than 80% of the Secondary 3 students indicated that they have fun when learning Science and enjoy acquiring new knowledge in Science.
MOE is committed to continue making learning meaningful and engaging for our students. Teachers will also need time to become more skilful in designing and implementing more inquiry-based and applied learning experiences.
To support these efforts, the Ministry of Education (MOE) monitors and regularly reviews the students' curriculum load and time. As part of the regular syllabus reviews, we elicit feedback from teachers and students to ensure that the curriculum load is manageable. Curriculum content has been reduced by 30% on average across subjects since 2005 to ensure the curriculum load is manageable. MOE and schools will also continue to monitor the implementation of its homework policy, keeping in mind the need to ensure that the amount of homework given is appropriate, meeting the needs of students and enabling them to have adequate time for family bonding and rest, and to pursue personal interests and hobbies.
We will work with schools to strengthen teaching and learning practices so that students continue to experience the joy of learning.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Primary One Admission Based on Active Community Participation","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"34 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Education (Schools) for each Primary 1 registration exercise in 2015 and 2016 (a) how many children have gained admission under the priority for Primary 1 registration based on active community leadership by the child's parents; and (b) how many children have gained admission based on this priority for schools whose Primary 1 places have been entirely taken up by the end of Phase 2B except the bare minimum of 20 places left for Phase 2C and what percentage of the total places offered in these schools does this figure represent.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Phase 2B of Primary 1 (P1) registration is open to children of active community leaders, parent volunteers and endorsed members of religious groups or clans that are directly connected with the school.
For the past two years, the proportion of children admitted in Phase 2B has remained constant at around 6% of the P1 cohort. The active community leader scheme formed less than 1% of the P1 cohort. The vast majority of Phase 2B places went to children of parent volunteers and endorsed members of religious groups or clans that are directly connected to the school.
In the 2015 P1 registration exercise, all schools had more than 20 places available at Phase 2C. In the 2016 P1 registration exercise, all schools except one, had more than 20 places for Phase 2C. For the lone school that had 20 places for Phase 2C, 1% of its P1 cohort was admitted based on the active community leader scheme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans for Human Milk Bank","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"35 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry can share more details about the human milk bank it is planning to establish.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The human milk bank is still in its planning stages. It is a partnership between Temasek Foundation Cares and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and the bank is funded by Temasek Foundation Cares.
My Ministry will share further details of the human milk bank when it is finalised later this year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Age Restriction for Private Security Officer's Licence Applicants","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"37 Mr Zainal Sapari asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider allowing only persons aged 18 and above to apply for the private security officer's licence.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Police Licensing and Regulatory Department (PLRD) only allows persons aged 16 and above to apply for a Security Officer's (SO's) licence. This takes into consideration that under the Employment Act, persons are no longer considered children or young persons, when they are aged 16 and above.
Regardless of their age, all SOs must meet the same training standards before they can be deployed. They must be certified competent in two mandatory courses conducted by training organisations accredited by SkillsFuture Singapore. These modules cover security skills and knowledge, such as how to respond to suspicious persons, vehicles or activities, when carrying out their duties. Assessments are conducted as part of their training to ensure that SOs are competent before they can be deployed.
There are fewer than 10 active SOs below 18 years of age out of over 40,000 active SOs. To date, PLRD has not received any adverse feedback regarding SOs who are below 18 years of age.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Applications for Extension of Lease Period for Residential Properties","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"38 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Law (a) how many applications have been received and approved for the extension of the lease period for residential property owners to reinstate the lease to 99 years; (b) how many of them have a balance lease of 50 or 60 years prior to the application; and (c) how does the Land Office compute the land rent for these applicants and whether such computation will be reviewed periodically.
Mr K Shanmugam: Generally, land will revert to the Government upon expiry of a lease. The land will then be re-allocated in accordance with planning guidelines for other land use needs, for example, for more intensified use.
Nevertheless, the Government will consider the renewal of state leases on a case-by-case basis if they are in line with planning intention and help to further specific economic and social objectives.
Since 2008, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has granted renewals to seven residential developments and the leases were topped up to 99 years. In all seven cases, the renewal of the leases was necessary to facilitate the redevelopment and intensification of the residential land parcels in question.
If the Government decides that a lease renewal can be granted, the property owner will have to pay a lease renewal premium upfront in order to effect the lease renewal. The lease renewal premium is assessed by the Chief Valuer's Office based on the prevailing market value at the point of renewal.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Offences to Allow for Community Sentences or Probation as Sentencing Options","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"39 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Law whether a review of offences punishable by mandatory or specified minimum sentences will be carried out to identify suitable offences for which community sentences or probation should be provided as sentencing options.
Mr K Shanmugam: Community-based sentences (CBS) were first introduced as part of the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code in 2010, to provide the Courts with greater flexibility in sentencing.
During the Second Reading in 2010, I had explained that CBS targets offences and offenders traditionally viewed by the Courts to be suitable for the rehabilitation end of the spectrum. These include regulatory offences, offences involving younger accused persons and persons with specific and minor mental conditions.
We have gained experience from the administration of CBS these past few years and are now reviewing the regime to see how it can be enhanced and refined. A core aspect of this review is the eligibility criteria of CBS, and whether it can be made available for more types of offences. Details of the review will be announced in due course.
However, we do not intend to extend CBS to offences with mandatory or specified minimum sentences. As CBS is intended primarily for more minor offences, it would not be suitable for offences which Parliament had considered serious enough for mandatory or specified minimum sentences to be imposed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tapping Global Market for Specialist Skills for Digitalisation and Innovation Growth Strategies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"40 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Manpower whether countries which have tightened their work visa schemes have presented Singapore with more opportunities to tap the global market for talent, particularly specialist skills to jumpstart our digitalisation and innovation growth strategies.
Mr Lim Swee Say: No country, no matter how large its domestic talent pool, can rely on local expertise and experience alone to stay at the forefront of technology and innovation. This is true even for leading economies, such as the United States, and Singapore is no exception. We need to tap on global expertise to strengthen our competitive position in emerging growth areas, such as digital technology. However, in doing so, we must ensure that this will strengthen our Singaporean Core over time, rather than weaken it.
Panasonic is an example of a company that has done this well. It has just moved the global headquarters for its refrigeration compressor business from Japan to Singapore. At the same time, Panasonic is upgrading its Singapore research and development centre and has embarked on a multi-year effort to transform the Singapore manufacturing plant into a digitally-enabled Smart Factory that enables more manpower-lean and efficient manufacturing processes.
To support the transformation, Panasonic is creating training opportunities to build local expertise and strengthen Singaporeans' skillsets. These include mentorship by experienced seniors, on-the-job training and robotics courses. Panasonic plans to bring in smart manufacturing experts from Japan to help in the transformation of the Singapore plant so that, in time to come, we will have stronger local expertise in smart manufacturing.
In summary, we must continually upgrade the local workforce, even as we remain open to global expertise, so that we will have a strong Singaporean Core at the heart of a vibrant economy.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"CPF Education Scheme for All Approved Educational Institutions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower whether the CPF Education Scheme can be expanded to all programmes at approved educational institutions and not limited to only full-time subsidised diploma/degree courses.
Mr Lim Swee Say: The primary purpose of the Central Provident Fund (CPF) is to support retirement, healthcare and housing needs. When the CPF was expanded to support education in 1989, it was designed as a loan scheme and confined to only, firstly, full-time, secondly subsidised, and thirdly diploma and degree programmes offered by local approved educational institutions. Students have to repay in cash the amount withdrawn plus interest into the CPF member’s Ordinary Account so as to restore members' CPF savings for their retirement needs. This cautious approach is to safeguard the fundamental objectives of CPF.
With increasing life expectancy, we are doing more to safeguard the retirement adequacy of CPF members. We need to be careful about expanding the use of CPF, including the proposal by the Member to include all programmes beyond full-time subsidised diplomas and degrees.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Electoral Divisions Taken Care of by Each HDB Branch","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"42 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the average number of electoral divisions that each HDB Branch is responsible for; and (b) with the increasing number of development and upgrading projects in the HDB heartlands, whether the resources at each HDB Branch are sufficient to manage the workload in a timely and efficient manner.
Mr Lawrence Wong: There are currently 21 Housing and Development Board (HDB) Branches across Singapore, which provide a range of services to the residents. There is no one-to-one mapping of the electoral division boundaries in the location of HDB Branches. Depending on location, each HDB Branch typically serves a number of electoral divisions, and residents within the same electoral division might be served by different HDB Branches. On average, each Branch is responsible for HDB developments in about three electoral divisions.
HDB manages the manpower resources of its Branches according to the number and profile of the HDB developments that each Branch manages and may reallocate resources across Branches if required. To optimise resources, HDB has implemented a number of self-help options to allow residents to obtain information quickly, and to conduct straightforward transactions via online channels. HDB has been reaching out to educate the public on the various electronic and mobile services available.
HDB will continue to review its resources, streamline its processes and leverage technology to enhance operational efficiency and ensure timely delivery of services to the residents.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Schemes to Help Owners of Older HDB Flats to Sell their Homes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"43 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider offering schemes to help owners of older HDB flats who may find it hard to resell their homes to new buyers as buyers avoid the risks of owning a home with a short remaining lease.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Owners of older Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats are generally able to sell their flats in the resale market today. Potential buyers of HDB resale flats come from a wide spectrum of life stages and circumstances and have different housing needs. There is still demand for older flats, including from elderly buyers who are right-sizing, as well as families who are not yet ready to commit to a longer lease. Older flats are also attractive to some buyers, as they are usually located in more central locations and served by established amenities.
In addition, there are other monetisation options for elderly flat owners to unlock the value of their flats without selling them. These options include subletting a spare bedroom or the whole flat or applying for the Lease Buyback Scheme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of Childcare Centres' Operating Hours","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"44 Ms Sun Xueling asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what percentage of childcare centres currently operate beyond 7.00 pm and do not penalise parents for picking up children after 7.00 pm; and (b) whether the Ministry can encourage more childcare centres to operate till 8.00 pm as normal operating hours and not penalise parents for every 15 minutes beyond 7.00 pm.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: To cater to the needs of working parents, childcare centres are required to operate full-day services from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm on weekdays, and from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm on Saturdays. Around 50 child centres, or about 4% of centres, operate beyond 7.00 pm on weekdays.
Currently, childcare centres have the discretion to extend their services beyond the standard operating hours. To require them to do so will add to staffing requirements and result in higher fees to parents. We also do not monitor nor regulate how centres determine additional charges, if any, for late pickups, as these are commercial arrangements between the centres and parents. In any case, if parents are unable to pick up their children on time, many of them arrange for other caregivers, such as grandparents and domestic helpers, to do so.
While the Government is committed to enhancing the provision of affordable and quality childcare to support working parents, I would like to encourage parents to find suitable arrangements that help them to balance their work and family responsibilities. For most young children, parents are their first and best teachers. Spending quality time with children is important to provide a good start for their children.
In this regard, I am pleased to note that more employers are adopting flexible work arrangements, such as more flexible start and end times, to help their employees better manage their family commitments.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Extension of Non-smoking Areas on Number of Offences","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) since the list of non-smoking areas was extended to include common corridors, void decks, sheltered linkways and parks, how many smokers have been caught for violating the non-smoking law; (b) what are the penalties imposed; and (c) whether the Ministry is stepping up its enforcement action.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: My Ministry's long-term goal is to prohibit smoking in all public places except at designated smoking areas. This is to protect non-smokers from the harmful health effects of second-hand tobacco smoke.
In 2013, the smoking prohibition was extended to sheltered walkways and linkways and common areas within any residential premises or buildings, including common corridors, staircases and stairwells of Housing and Development Board and private residential buildings. Last year, the smoking prohibition was extended to neighbourhood parks within residential estates and those under the purview of the Jurong Town Corporation. Those who are caught smoking in areas where smoking is prohibited are liable to a maximum Court fine of $1,000.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) conducts inspections and patrols to ensure compliance with the smoking prohibition. From 2013 to 2016, NEA issued over 62,000 tickets for violations of the smoking prohibition at all prohibited places, with more than twice as many tickets issued in 2016 compared to 2013.
My Ministry will continue to take enforcement actions against those who are caught smoking in smoking prohibited areas. However, as smoking is currently prohibited in more than 32,000 premises, it is not possible for NEA to watch over every location where smoking is prohibited. It is also unrealistic for NEA to respond immediately to a reported incident of smoking in a prohibited place, for example, before the smoker finishes his cigarette. Operators and managers of premises are required to do their part to stop patrons from smoking in smoking prohibited areas and request patrons who smoke to leave the premises.
I would like to urge all smokers to be considerate when smoking in public places and to smoke only in permitted areas so as not to cause disamenities to others.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support for SMEs in Succession Planning and M&A Advisory","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"46 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) what measures or schemes are there to (i) support business succession planning for SMEs and (ii) assist SME owners who are seeking to sell their business to locate investors as many SMEs are unable to engage conventional M&A advisory firms due to their small deal size.
Mr S Iswaran: The Government has several initiatives to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in planning for business succession.
First, SMEs which need assistance to develop business succession plans can tap on the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board's (SPRING’s) Capability Development Grant (CDG) to defray the costs of engaging external consultants. Areas which can be supported include the development of customised talent management programmes to address a company's specific needs, strategic priorities and leadership capabilities required.
Second, to help SMEs strengthen their leadership capabilities, future leaders can attend leadership and management courses supported by SkillsFuture Singapore, such as the Leadership and People Management Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) training programmes or the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)-Singapore Management University (SMU) NextGen Leadership Series. For exposure to key overseas markets or critical business functions, companies can tap on the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) to design leadership development roadmaps and implement relevant on-the-job leadership development opportunities.
Third, SMEs looking to upgrade their talent management and succession planning capabilities can send their human resource (HR) practitioners for HR WSQ programmes offered by SkillsFuture Singapore through its Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres. The WSQ Specialist Diploma in Human Capital Management includes an elective unit on succession management.
SPRING works with partners to educate and assist SMEs in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). To help SMEs understand the M&A process, connect them with potential buyers and find opportunities for collaboration, SPRING has partnered organisations, such as Singapore Exchange (SGX) and United Overseas Bank (UOB), to hold sharing sessions on M&A and networking events. Past events include the SME Financial Management Growth Seminar by SGX and SPRING, the UOB-SPRING M&A Seminar, and the Singapore Furniture Industries Council's Funding Seminar.
SMEs looking to better understand the M&A process can also approach any of the 12 SME Centres for assistance. SMEs which are looking to embark on acquisition will need to formulate a strategy, identify suitable targets, and conduct due diligence and post-transaction integration. Companies which need support in these areas can tap on CDG to engage consultants with declared M&A expertise certified by one of the three certification bodies under SPRING's Consultant Quality Initiative.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of Taxi Driver Licence beyond Age 75 for Those who are Fit","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"48 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Transport whether it will consider allowing taxi drivers over the age of 75 years who remain fit and healthy and who can pass annual assessments to have their vocational licences extended.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The physical and cognitive stress on taxi drivers is much more than that on private motorists, as they drive for long hours and must constantly look for fares and respond to passengers. While the annual medical examination can test for visual, cognitive and driving impairment, it cannot adequately assess the effect of such stress and fatigue on the taxi driver. Hence, we feel that an age limit is necessary, in the interests of passenger safety.
This age limit had been raised from 70 years in the 1970s, to 73 years in 2006, and further to 75 years in 2012. We will continue to periodically review the age limit, taking into account improvements in the general health and lifespan of the population.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Lower Speed Limits for Roads with On-road Cycling Lanes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"49 Assoc Prof Randolph Tan asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether speed limits for motorised traffic on roads with on-road cycling lanes can be set lower as a safety measure; (b) whether users of personal mobility devices are allowed on such lanes; and (c) whether LTA will consider developing a comprehensive set of guidelines or rules for all users of such lanes.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The motor vehicle speed limit for Tanah Merah Coast Road is 70 kilometres per hour at most stretches, and 60 kilometres per hour at some locations for safety reasons. We will monitor the situation and make adjustments if necessary.
Personal mobility devices are not allowed on the on-road cycling lanes, just as they are not allowed on roads.
The traffic rules for bicycles using the on-road cycling lanes are the same as the existing rules for cycling on roads.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Entrance and Exit Points for Schools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education (Schools) whether it is the practice for all schools and institutions to have more than one entrance/exit gate so that the school can still be accessed in case of an emergency when the main access point has been compromised.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Most Ministry of Education (MOE) schools are designed with two separate vehicular gates to allow the flow of vehicles into and out of the schools. These gates are used by emergency vehicles should the need arise.
Some schools have only one vehicular gate for entry and exit because of localised site constraints, such as proximity to external road turnings, external bus bay or a narrow school frontage. Here, the gate is designed to be wider to allow for two-way vehicular access.
Our schools are designed with fire engine access road that comply with the requirements of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). In the event of an emergency, SCDF has the necessary capabilities to gain access to the school premises.
All schools have at least two other pedestrian side gates which are typically segregated from the vehicular access gates.
Should the main vehicular access point be blocked in an emergency, people can exit using these pedestrian side gates. Schools are also provided with emergency exit gates along the fence of the school field for evacuation during emergencies. These pedestrian and emergency gates do serve as alternative routes for emergency vehicles to approach.
Schools and MOE continually review our emergency Standard Operating Procedures, including infrastructure provisions. They also conduct regular exercises to ensure that our schools are prepared for any emergency.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Directory of Qualified Subject Teachers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Education (Schools) whether the Ministry can (i) set up a directory of qualified subject teachers for subjects not offered by the Special Education schools and (ii) monitor the interest amongst parents and children for such subjects with a view to introducing more subjects for these schools in the future.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: The Government-funded Special Education (SPED) schools collectively serve students with a range of disability profiles and learning needs. While most of the schools offer a customised SPED curriculum, a few offer the national curriculum similar to that offered in mainstream schools, leading to national certifications like the Primary School Leaving Examination, GCE \"N\" and \"O\" level examinations. Such SPED schools offer the requisite academic subjects in line with requirements of these examinations.
These schools offer a good range of subjects to meet different student interests and to enable them to acquire knowledge and skills to take on future learning. The availability of subjects in these SPED schools is a considered one, driven by students’ interests and needs. In doing so, the schools will ensure there are adequate subject teachers to deliver the curriculum.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Applications for Employers to be Exempted from Compliance with Employment Act","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"53 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Manpower from 2007 to 2016 (inclusive) (a) how many applications has the Commissioner for Labour received from employers to be exempted from compliance with the Employment Act under section 41A of the Act; (b) how many employers have been granted such exemptions and from which industries do they come from; (c) what obligations have been exempted and on what justifications; and (d) what proportion of those granted exemptions have had repeat approvals.
Mr Lim Swee Say: The Employment Act (EA) regulates the provision of rest days and public holidays and prescribes limits to overtime work. Different rates of pay apply for overtime, rest days and public holidays. Also, working hours, including overtime, cannot exceed 12 hours a day and, on a monthly basis, overtime cannot exceed 72 hours.
Section 41A of EA provides the flexibility for the Commissioner for Labour to exempt companies from these requirements, after considering the companies' operational needs as well as the workplace safety and interests of workers.
Overtime limit exemptions are generally granted only to companies with unexpected short-term business needs. The main exception is the security industry for which a Tripartite Committee has been working to make more and better use of technology to become more manpower-efficient.
As for exemptions related to overtime pay, rest days and public holidays, they are granted only to companies and industries with uneven and seasonal fluctuations in business demand. Such exempted companies are allowed to compute their workers' weekly working hours over a longer period to determine the eligibility for overtime pay, or to schedule their employees' rest days and public holidays in-lieu more flexibly over a longer period.
Between 2007 and 2016, about 320 employers applied for overtime limit exemptions on average annually. Of this, 270 employers were granted exemptions each year. The companies were predominantly from the security, manufacturing and transport and storage industries.
Excluding security companies, about 20% of the companies which were granted overtime limit exemptions were also exempted in the preceding year.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has progressively tightened overtime limit exemptions. The maximum exemption period was shortened from two years to one year in 2012. Since then, employers who apply for repeat overtime limit exemptions are also required to submit their plans or measures implemented to reduce their reliance on these exemptions. As a result, approved overtime limit exemptions decreased by 60%, from 8,700 company-months in 2011 to 3,400 in 2016.
On exemptions related to overtime pay and flexible scheduling of rest days and public holidays in-lieu, MOM received an average of three to four applications annually in the last 10 years. About two-thirds were approved. They were predominantly from event management companies or the manufacturing and marine industries.
In conclusion, while such exemptions provide flexibility to businesses, there are safeguards in place to ensure that workers’ interests are well protected. First, employers must obtain the written consent for the exemptions from all affected workers. Second, applications from employers with previous EA infringements and poor workplace safety records will be rejected. Third, the unions must agree to the exemptions, where applicable. Lastly, for safety reasons, overtime limit exemptions are not granted for high-risk vocations, such as those which involve operations of heavy machinery.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Non-citizen Quota for Subletting of Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"54 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the non-citizen quota for subletting of flats (a) how many HDB subletting applications have been rejected due to this quota for the past two years; and (b) whether there is any concession or priority given to subletting applications by flat owners who have non-citizen tenants who have been staying in the same HDB unit for many years.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Non-Citizen (NC) quota for subletting of flats was implemented to prevent the formation of foreigner enclaves and to maintain the Singaporean character of our Housing and Development Board (HDB) heartlands. Once the quota for a block is reached, no further subletting applications, whether a new or renewal application, will be accepted.
Tenants affected by the NC quota generally have no difficulty finding accommodation in other areas. Nevertheless, HDB exercises flexibility for a small number of cases to allow renewals of flat sublets to NC tenants when the quota is reached, including those who have been staying in the same flat for many years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Safeguarding Minimum Void Deck Space for Community Use","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"55 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider safeguarding a minimum void deck space in each precinct as common spaces for social uses and funding neighbourhood social amenities, such as Senior Activity Centres, Senior Care Centres and Residents' Committees to be set up at standalone sites or at HDB-run neighbourhood shopping centres.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Generally, void deck space is common space for social use. Since 2014, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has enhanced such spaces by introducing the \"community living room\", which are designated communal areas at the void decks with two to three sets of tables and seats for residents to meet and chat. Residents can also use the precinct pavilions for larger activities, such as block parties and community functions.
For Social Communal Facilities (SCFs), such as Senior Activity Centres, Senior Care Centres and childcare centres, HDB works closely with the relevant Ministries and agencies to integrate them with new public housing developments. The funding for the construction of such SCFs at void decks is provided by the respective Ministries and agencies.
In cases where the need for SCFs is not yet established during the planning of new developments, HDB will safeguard space in areas, such as the void decks or multi-storey car parks, so that SCFs can be provided subsequently when the need arises. The location, size and quantum of these safeguarded spaces depend on the size of the HDB precinct. In cases where such safeguarded spaces are not sufficient, HDB will work with other agencies to identify suitable space in the community, including at HDB neighbourhood centres.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Integration of EDB and IE Singapore for Better Alignment of Planning and Execution of Economic Strategies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"56 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) whether the Ministry will consider integrating EDB and IE Singapore so as to take a holistic approach of whole-of-value chain capabilities to review economic issues strategically that enhances integrated tactical and operational execution.
Mr Lim Hng Kiang: The Government takes a holistic approach towards economic planning and development. As the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) reaffirmed, close collaboration amongst Government agencies and partners is critical to implement our economic strategies effectively and create good jobs for Singaporeans.
Economic agencies, including the Economic Development Board (EDB) and International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, have mutually complementary strategic functions. EDB focuses on bringing in investments and strengthening Singapore as a global hub for business, while IE Singapore focuses on growing trade and overseas investments by helping Singapore-based enterprises internationalise. These roles allow agencies to specialise and build deep expertise in their respective areas.
We have in place various mechanisms to ensure close collaboration amongst agencies. How the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) are being developed and implemented is a good example of interagency and stakeholder collaboration. Each ITM is led by one Government Agency, which spearheads efforts in coordinating across agencies and bringing together the different types of support available to meet the specific industry’s needs. ITMs do not only identify strategies, they also bring together the stakeholders to jointly execute the strategies. For example, the ITM for the logistics sector was launched on 16 November 2016. While EDB is the lead agency coordinating the ITM, IE Singapore has also been keenly involved to develop and execute strategies to help our logistics firms internationalise, which includes leveraging specialised logistics handling capabilities to complement other sectors like food and healthcare.
The overseas Singapore Centres introduced in Budget 2017 is another example. Each Centre will consolidate the overseas networks of economic agencies to create single points of contact in key markets. This offers a common touchpoint to Singapore-based companies venturing into the specific market, while allowing each agency to offer their respective expertise based on the companies’ needs. Both EDB and IE Singapore are part of our global network of Singapore Centres, and help companies gain new market access and grow their businesses through their joint efforts.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry will continue to review the structures, processes and operations of our economic agencies to ensure that our companies are supported effectively.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Maintenance and Safety Inspection of Sports Equipment and Facilities in Schools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"57 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what are the current measures in place to ensure safe usage of sports equipment and facilities in schools; and (b) what is the maintenance regime for their safe use.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: All schools have safety procedures in place to ensure the safety of students in using sports facilities and equipment and during the conduct of physical activities.
Schools conduct risk assessments and inspections for school activities, including Physical Education (PE) programmes, co-curricular activities (CCAs) and outdoor adventure learning programmes to ensure that risks are identified and adequately mitigated. The risk assessment examines areas, such as facilities and equipment used, timing of activities, competence of personnel, participant readiness and the environment.
Schools are also required to ensure that all sports facilities and equipment are properly maintained. This will be carried out based on either the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule taking into account the corresponding level of usage, or, where no recommendations are provided, the regular inspections carried out by the schools.
Students are also taught to exercise personal responsibility and care for the safety of themselves and for people around them through the PE curriculum, such as the proper and safe handling of sports equipment, playing safely according to game rules, and looking out for the safety of others around them. In particular, students are briefed on the safety precautions before the commencement of physical activities, such as PE lessons and CCAs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Mandatory Maternity Leave for Female Employees","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Prime Minister whether the Ministry has plans to review and increase the length of mandatory maternity leave for female employees.
Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): The Government is strongly committed to supporting Singaporeans in their aspirations to marry and raise families. Leave is one of the range of measures to support parents to better manage their work and family commitments.
Legislated leave provisions have been progressively enhanced over the years to strengthen this support. In particular, paid Maternity Leave was increased in 2004 from eight weeks to 12 weeks, and this was further extended to 16 weeks in 2008.
We have also increased leave provisions to encourage fathers to play a more active role in caring for their children. Most recently, we have legislated two weeks of Paternity Leave from 1 January 2017, and from 1 July 2017, Shared Parental Leave will be raised to four weeks from one week currently. This will give working parents more flexibility to decide on the allocation of leave that best suits their caregiving needs.
The Government will be testing the viability of longer parental leave through a pilot scheme in the public sector. At the recent Committee of Supply debate, we announced that the Public Service will provide an additional four weeks of unpaid infant care leave per parent, to be taken within the child’s first year. The pilot will last for three years, to allow us to test the impact of longer parental leave in a variety of work settings and assess whether a nationwide rollout is practicable in future.
Given these recent enhancements, we do not plan to increase our legislated leave provisions for parents, including mandatory Maternity Leave, at this point in time. This is to give employers more time to adjust to the leave provisions which come into effect this year.
At the same time, employers and co-workers play important roles in shaping a family-friendly workplace culture. Employers can tap on various resources to do so, including the WorkPro Work-Life Grant administered by the Ministry of Manpower, which provides up to $160,000 to help companies defray the costs of developing, piloting and sustaining flexible work arrangements (FWAs). Employers can also refer to the Tripartite Advisory on FWAs published by the tripartite partners, which guides companies and supervisors along the journey of introducing and sustaining FWAs in their workplaces.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tampering of Odometers of Vehicles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to legislate against the tampering of odometers of vehicles in view of customers being sold secondhand vehicles with misrepresented mileage readings.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Tampering with odometer readings with the intent to deceive potential buyers is already an offence under the Penal Code. Furthermore, if a motor dealer is aware that an odometer has been tampered with but fails to disclose this to the buyer, he can be investigated for unfair practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act. Affected buyers may approach the Consumers Association of Singapore for assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Falls from Personal Mobility Devices and Progress of Safe Cycling Programmes for Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport in light of a significant number of children sustaining fractures through falls from personal mobility devices (PMDs) (a) what is the progress of safe cycling programmes for students; (b) whether this programme covers all types of PMDs; and (c) how many cases of injuries arising from falls from PMDs have been treated at Government hospitals or polyclinics in the past two years.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has reached out to more than 70,000 primary school students via publications. Last year, it also conducted a pilot Safe Riding Programme (SRP) in four schools. The pilot was very well received. LTA is in the process of appointing training providers to conduct the programme at more schools this year.
SRP covers the use of personal mobility devices (PMDs). It teaches users how to manoeuvre their PMD when they encounter different situations. As there are many different types of PMD in the market, the programme participants are required to have at least basic ability in using their device. New PMD users could approach their retailer for such basic training.
Government hospitals and polyclinics do not maintain statistics on injuries that arise from falls from PMDs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans to Manage Dust and Noise Pollution from Enhancement Works for Tampines Expressway","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the enhancement works being undertaken for the Tampines Expressway, what are the near- and long-term mitigating plans to manage the dust and noise pollution arising from these works.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: During construction, the Land Transport Authority and its contractors will install temporary noise barriers, enclose noisy machinery and schedule noisy works during the day. They will water the work areas periodically and wash construction vehicles before they leave the work site to minimise dust pollution.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ways for SMEs to Export Their Brands and Operations Overseas","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) how can SMEs better utilise overseas larger-scale Singapore companies-led projects, such as malls and industrial parks in China and Vietnam, to export their brands and operations.
Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Large scale projects, such as malls and industrial parks led by Singapore companies, help lower the barriers for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to access overseas markets. SMEs would tend to be familiar with the project developers, and the projects would typically provide a more familiar ecosystem for the SMEs.
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore actively partners Singapore project developers to bring Singapore SMEs into the overseas projects and industrial parks. For example, IE and Capitaland have been working on the Datansha Urban Renewal Project in Guangzhou to bring on board Singapore SMEs. These SMEs have been able to adapt and innovate to offer value-added products and services that address specific niches in-market. They include SMEs like Singapore Garden City and Orange Valley, which offer specialised and differentiated architectural and landscaping design and eldercare services respectively.
In Vietnam, SMEs are already accessing the market through the seven Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) co-developed by SembCorp. As VSIP tenants include local enterprises and international corporations, SMEs can tap on this network to seek complementarities and customise their production to meet market demand. For example, Singapore companies in the food industry have set up in VSIP 1 in Binh Duong province to cater to the growing middle class and expanding appetite for premium food products.
IE Singapore will continue to facilitate partnerships between SMEs and large-scale projects led by Singapore companies, to help SMEs scale up and establish themselves in overseas markets.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Accommodation Not Covered under Foreign Employee Dormitories Act","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what percentage of workers are living in accommodation not covered under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act; and (b) what steps are being taken to ensure that these accommodations that fall outside the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act are of equivalent standards to larger dormitories.
Mr Lim Swee Say: As of March 2017, about one-third of Work Permit holders residing in Singapore live in foreign employee dormitories licensed under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA), which imposes additional conditions appropriate to the higher concentration risks posed by large dormitories. The remaining two-thirds live in other smaller accommodation types, such as Factory Converted Dormitories (FCDs), Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, and private residential premises.
Smaller accommodation types which are not covered under FEDA are nonetheless still required to comply with a set of comprehensive regulations and requirements imposed by various agencies to ensure a safe and well-maintained living space for foreign workers. They include standards for building structural safety governed by the Building and Construction Authority, fire safety governed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), as well as proper and adequate sanitary facilities governed by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Once all approvals have been obtained, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will then grant the owner of the premises with permission to operate a workers’ dormitory.
To ensure these accommodation types are of comparable standards to larger dormitories, we take three approaches. First, the Government regularly reviews standards across all types of foreign workers’ accommodation, taking into account the unique nature of each type. Where appropriate, the minimum standards will be raised to improve the well-being of foreign workers. For example, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has required operators of FCDs to comply with additional conditions from 1 January 2017, including the provision of wi-fi and a sickbay. The Ministry also works closely with various agencies, such as NEA, URA and SCDF, to conduct routine and ad hoc inspections.
Second, in addition to looking into complaints of poor housing, we also conduct proactive inspections. From 2014 to 2016, MOM conducted close to 4,000 foreign worker housing inspections. MOM ramped up our housing inspections from 700 in 2014 to 1,800 in 2016. Third, enforcement actions are taken against employers and/or dormitory operators who fail to comply with our regulations and requirements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Question in \"Withdraw CPF Savings and Claim Home Protection Scheme Benefit on Medical Grounds\" Form","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Manpower within the \"Withdraw CPF Savings and Claim Home Protection Scheme Benefit on Medical Grounds\" form, whether he will review the question asking if the applicant is permanently incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment, to help applicants who genuinely need funds but are excluded from the scheme due to the medical practitioner's strict adherence to \"permanently incapacitated\" as a medical term, thus not fully reflecting the applicant's circumstances and the answer to this question.
Mr Lim Swee Say: Central Provident Fund (CPF) members first need a doctor’s certification of their medical condition before they can apply for early withdrawal of CPF savings under the Medical Grounds Scheme (MGS) or make a mortgage insurance claim under the Home Protection Scheme (HPS) on medical grounds.
The question in the form that the Member highlighted is meant for a doctor to certify if a CPF member is \"permanently incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment\". The focus of the question is on employability because these members can qualify for the early withdrawal of their CPF savings under the MGS or claim HPS benefits if they are not able to earn an income from work due to their medical condition.
For CPF members who do not meet the above criteria, CPF Board will assess if the member can qualify for MGS and HPS under other conditions that are not based on employability. For MGS, members can qualify if they have a terminal illness, a severely impaired life expectancy, or are mentally incapacitated. For HPS, members with terminal illness and total permanent disability are eligible to make claims, even though they may be working or doing some form of work.
A CPF member whose doctor had determined that he is not \"permanently incapacitated\" can consider obtaining an alternative medical certification from other medical institutions, if he is seeking treatment at multiple places. There may also be other deserving cases on medical grounds, which CPF Board will consider on a case-by-case basis.
CPF Board will take into account the Member's feedback and review this application form.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures against Drone Attacks by Terrorists","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether key installations, such as Changi Airport and oil refineries in Jurong Island, are sufficiently protected against drone attacks by terrorists; and (b) whether the security and law enforcement agencies are equipped with counter-drone capabilities to deter illegal use of drones to cause harm or invade on privacy.
9 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the policies and ground efforts to leverage emerging technologies to counter drones; and (b) whether there will be a review of existing regulations on radio frequency signal jammers to enhance counter-drone measures.
Mr K Shanmugam: Under the Air Navigation Act (ANA), unmanned aircraft are prohibited from flying within five kilometres of any airport, and over security-sensitive locations, without a permit. This covers Changi Airport and Jurong Island. Law enforcement officers can also end the flight or assume control of an unmanned aircraft, if it poses a risk to the public or is flown in a way that contravenes regulations under ANA.
Enforcement agencies have been building up their capability to counter safety and security threats posed by unmanned aircraft. This includes the ability to detect and identify the unmanned aircraft, locate its operator, or take down the aircraft safely.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority’s existing regulatory framework already allows equipment, such as signal jammers, to be imported and used for counter-drone measures carried out by enforcement agencies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Unlicensed Moneylending-related Harassment Cases","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many unlicensed moneylending (UML)-related harassment cases have been reported in the past year; (b) how many cases have been investigated; and (c) how many people have been charged and sentenced for UML harassment.
Mr K Shanmugam: UML-related harassment cases registered a 10-year low in 2016, falling by 20%, from 4,242 cases in 2015 to 3,375 cases in 2016.
Police investigate all UML harassment reports.
In 2016, 260 persons were charged and sentenced by the Courts for UML harassment.
However, it will be difficult to compare the number of UML cases and the number of persons convicted and seek to draw conclusions. Many UML offenders are responsible for multiple harassment cases. In addition, not all harassment cases will result in persons being charged or convicted in Court. The Police, in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, consider a range of factors before deciding whether to prosecute an offender.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Asian Nursing Scholarship Recipients and Their Performance","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Ms K Thanaletchimi asked the Minister for Health (a) to date, how many Asian Nursing Scholarships (ANS) have been awarded; (b) how many scholars have (i) failed their exams, (ii) failed their employment probation while serving their bonds, (iii) absconded without completing their course and (iv) absconded without fulfilling their bonds after graduation; (c) whether the effectiveness of ANS and the selection criteria of the candidates will be reviewed to ensure that they write and speak good English; and (d) whether the Ministry will make it a prerequisite for ANS applicants to have a good command of the English language.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: With Singapore's ageing population, we need more nurses to meet our growing healthcare needs. Introduced in 1994, the Asian Nursing Scholarship sponsors good students from Asian countries to pursue nursing studies in our polytechnics and supplement our nursing workforce upon graduation.
Between 1994 and 2016, an average of about 200 Asian Nursing Scholarships were awarded a year. Less than 1% of scholarship holders were unable to complete their studies or absconded before completing their studies. Less than 3% did not fully serve out their bond after completing their studies, including those who have absconded.
We will continue to work with the relevant authorities to attempt to recover the liquidated damages.
Information on the number of scholars who started work but failed their work probation are available from the 2013 intake cohort onwards. Thus far, none of the 301 scholarship holders from the cohort has failed work probation. It should be noted that some of them are still in their probation period. Subsequent cohorts have yet to start their work probation.
Applicants for ANS need to meet the polytechnics' academic requirements, of which English is one of the required subjects. Some may be asked to undergo additional selection tests and interviews to assess their English proficiency. We monitor the performance of the scholars closely. Those who have difficulties coping will be counselled and given closer support.
The ANS programme has helped develop a pool of locally-trained foreign nurses to supplement our local nursing manpower supply. We will continue to review the programme regularly to enhance its effectiveness.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures for Early Diagnostics and Treatment to Reduce Need for Hospital Admissions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Ms Sun Xueling asked the Minister for Health what measures has the Ministry taken to encourage early medical diagnostics and treatment to reduce the need to ward patients and free up demand for hospital bed space.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been working with healthcare providers to encourage early diagnostics and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
First, hospitals provide quick and effective treatment to patients at the Accident and Emergency Department, and enable patients with less serious conditions to return home safely without requiring admission. We have increased the number of procedures which can be done in the outpatient setting or as day surgeries. We are also equipping community care providers to monitor and manage discharged patients, so that they can be cared for in the community without returning to the hospital.
Next, we are strengthening primary care to provide medical diagnosis and treatment to patients closer to home. Many non-emergency conditions can be appropriately managed at a primary care setting supported by early diagnostic testing and treatment. Primary care doctors are also able to treat patients requiring minor procedures. We have introduced common escalation and referral protocols where patients may be directly referred for hospital-based tests to help with diagnosis and management.
Third, we are encouraging more healthy living and disease screening programmes in the community. This facilitates early detection and management of chronic diseases and selected cancers.
Together, these efforts help to improve patient well-being and keep our healthcare system sustainable over the longer term.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Waiting Time for Scans for Suspected Cancer Patients at Government Hospitals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the average waiting time for a patient who is suspected of suffering from cancer to get a scan at the Government hospitals; (b) what is the risk of the cancer metastasising during the waiting period of a week; and (c) what is the total number of PET-CT scan machines in the various Government hospitals.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: At our public hospitals, over 95% of patients with suspected cancers would be given an appointment within three weeks. Depending on his condition, the patient may subsequently require various further investigations, including blood tests, biopsies or imaging investigations, such as X-rays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) or Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scans.
For patients with suspected cancer, the current waiting time for a CT or MRI scan for initial diagnosis at the National Cancer Centre on the Singapore General Hospital Campus, the National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital is within two weeks. For cases deemed urgent by doctors, these scans can be arranged within two to three days.
For PET-CT specifically, there is one machine each at the Singapore General Hospital and the National University Hospital. PET-CT scans are only recommended as first line investigations for certain types of lymphomas, lung, breast and skin cancers. The current waiting time for cancer patients requiring PET-CT scans is within one week.
For most cancers, there is a very low risk of rapid metastases over a three-week time period.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Current Average Waiting Times for Dental Service Appointments in Polyclinics","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Health (a) what are the current average waiting times in polyclinics to obtain an appointment slot for (i) simple dental services of a non-emergency nature and (ii) routine services, such as scaling and polishing; and (b) how do these waiting times compare with the waiting times five years ago.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The dental appointment waiting times for non-emergency treatment at our polyclinics have declined over the past few years, from 6.4 months in 2013 to 5 months in 2016.
Middle- and lower-income patients who are eligible for the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) have the additional option to seek dental treatment at any of the over 700 participating dental clinics.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Contingency Plans in Event of Closure of Private Clinic Groups Providing Government-subsidised Primary Care","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health whether there are any private clinic groups providing Government-subsidised primary care that are considered too big to fail by the Ministry and what contingency plans for continuity of care does the Ministry have if any of these groups experience extended temporary closures that do not amount to ceasing operation, or let, sell or in any way dispose of its medical clinics.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: There are many providers in our private primary care sector, comprising solo practitioners as well as medical practice groups of varying sizes. No single provider dominates the private primary care market.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) encourages clinics to keep their patients informed of temporary closures. If the closure is for an extended period, the clinic should refer their patients to other clinics appropriately to ensure continuity of care. In the event when the clinic is unable to refer patients out, MOH will facilitate the referrals to other clinics and polyclinic(s) in the area, if necessary. Regardless of whether the closure is temporary or permanent, MOH will work with affected clinic(s) to ensure continuity of care for patients.
Clinics are required to keep proper records of patient clinical information under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act. To facilitate better portability of such information, MOH is stepping up efforts to encourage more medical clinics to be linked to the National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) system, including through providing grants for general practitioner clinics to adopt GPConnect, an integrated information technology solution which provides seamless connection with NEHR.
In the event of a clinic sale or transfer, an application for transfer of licensee will have to be made to MOH no less than 30 days before the planned day of the sale or transfer. MOH will conduct inspections and other checks to ensure that the safety and quality of clinical care to patients will not be affected.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government Response to Recommendations in Health Insurance Task Force 2016 Report","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has completed its study of the recommendations in the report of the Health Insurance Task Force 2016 so as to moderate the escalation of Integrated Shield Plan claims and premiums in the coming years; and (b) if not, when does the Ministry plan to respond to the report.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Health Insurance Task Force (HITF) report made several recommendations to manage escalation in healthcare costs and insurance premiums.
We are reviewing the recommendations and discussing with relevant stakeholders. These require support from healthcare providers, insurers and patients. All stakeholders need to work together to achieve a sustainable healthcare system for Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Affordability of Infant Formula","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"17 Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) what is being done to ensure that the cost of infant formula remains affordable.
Mr S Iswaran: The Health Promotion Board (HPB) and international organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), strongly encourage breastfeeding as it can provide the nutritional needs of infants, with the added benefits of promoting mother-child bonding. In some cases, infants cannot be exclusively breastfed and will need infant formula. All infant formula sold in Singapore, regardless of price, meets Singapore's Food Regulations and the nutritional needs for infants to grow healthily.
Some infant formula companies give the impression that their particular brands of milk powder can do more. The scientific evidence for this is weak. Without better information, parents rely on the claims made by infant formula companies or are misled into using price as a proxy for the quality of the product.
Public awareness is important to support parents in deciding what is best for their children. HPB, together with healthcare institutions and healthcare professionals, will get the message out, especially to mothers-to-be.
All hospitals, both public and private, encourage and support breastfeeding. They will provide infant formula when needed. The Ministry of Health (MOH) will work with industry players to make available more infant formula options in hospitals to enhance market competition.
All public hospitals offering maternity services are already Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)-certified today, but private hospitals have yet to come on board. BFHI-certified hospitals are committed to actively encourage and support breastfeeding targets and are not allowed to enter into sponsorship arrangements with milk powder companies.
The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) recently completed a market study which examined the formula milk industry in Singapore and the nature of competition at each level of the supply chain. It will publish its report this week. Should there be any evidence of companies acting in concert to increase prices together, CCS will investigate the anti-competitive behaviour under the Competition Act.
There are several measures that can be taken together to encourage greater price competition among brands. The Government will simplify and streamline import requirements, as well as remove unnecessary barriers to entry, in order to bring in more options for parents, without compromising food safety.
HPB is supporting a review of the Sale of Infant Food Ethics Committee, Singapore Code of Ethics, which will include extending its coverage to all infant formula for infants up to 12 months of age. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) will tighten its regulations on labelling and advertising further.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry and other Government agencies, such as MOH, HPB and AVA, will increase consumer awareness, encourage good practices in hospitals, facilitate more formula milk options, and further tighten regulations on labelling and advertising. The Consumers Association of Singapore will also remind businesses to price their products fairly and look into consumer feedback on potential profiteering.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Gender Budgeting to Determine Effect of Policies on Women","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government practises gender budgeting to determine the effect of policies on women, especially with regard to fertility and labour force participation rates and, if so, for which policies.
Mr Heng Swee Keat: Gender budgeting is an analytical tool to ensure gender-sensitive public resource allocation so as to achieve gender equality in the distribution and impact of Government budgets. In the design, planning and delivery of programmes in Singapore, we take into account the impact of our policies on different segments of the population, including gender, and target benefits at those in need.
Our policies over the years have enabled the advancement of women. Our system is underpinned by meritocracy. We invest heavily in education for all, achieving high participation rates in tertiary education among both men and women. To encourage families to have children and to support working mothers, we have made quality preschool more affordable and accessible, introduced the Work-Life Grant to encourage flexible work arrangements (FWAs), and enhanced parental leave provisions.
There has been steady progress in the advancement of women in Singapore. Over the past 10 years, (a) in the area of education, amongst resident females aged 25 to 34, 80% had tertiary qualifications in 2016, up from 62% in 2006; (b) the employment rate of women aged 25 to 64 has increased from 63% in 2006 to 72% in 2016. This has brought us from 23rd to 12th, compared to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries; (c) women’s full-time median wage has grown by 5.3% per annum from 2006 to 2016, at a similar rate to that of men; and (d) the proportion of employees working in establishments with ad hoc FWAs increased from 76% in 2015 to 82% in 2016. This benefits not only women, but all workers.
Our laws also protect and advance the rights of women and girls in Singapore. The Women's Charter, introduced in 1961, provided for monogamy, gave equal rights and responsibilities over the care of children and home, entitled the wife to maintenance and a share of the matrimonial property, and provided protection against domestic violence. Since then, we have improved specific protections for women, including the enhancement of the protection of workers' maternity leave benefits in 2013, and the amendment of the Women's Charter in 2011 to address divorce and maintenance enforcement issues.
There are other laws which, while gender-neutral, benefit women in particular, for example the Protection from Harassment Act, the Family Justice Act and the Employment Act, as women are more likely to face harassment or workplace discrimination.
More details of our efforts towards building an environment where there are equal opportunities for women and men are available in the regular reports that the Singapore Government has been submitting to the United Nations' Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women since 2000.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Long-term Plan to Help Lower-income Singaporean Families Defray High Cost of Infant Formula","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry plans to assist lower-income Singaporean families to cope with the high cost of infant formula on a permanent basis either through the expansion of, or in addition to, schemes like the NTUC FairPrice Foundation-CDC Milk Fund that was recently launched.
24 Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether there are plans to provide sustained help to low-income families to assist them in defraying the cost of buying infant formula over the longer term.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Families may tap on the Baby Bonus Cash Gift to defray their child-raising costs. Parents with a Singapore Citizen child born on or after 1 January 2015 will receive $8,000 for the first and second child, and $10,000 for the third and subsequent child. These amounts include the Baby Bonus Plus of $2,000, which was introduced in 2015. The Baby Bonus Cash Gift is disbursed in five instalments over 18 months following the child’s birth, providing parents with sustained support during the child’s infancy.
We acknowledge community efforts, such as the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) FairPrice Foundation-Community Development Council (CDC) Milk Fund, to assist families. Vulnerable, low-income families which face difficulties coping with their daily living expenses can approach their nearest Social Service Office (SSO) to apply for ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance.
The SSO will conduct a needs assessment and families may receive a monthly cash grant to assist with their basic needs. The cash assistance will take into account the costs of infant formula milk, in the case of vulnerable families with infants. We will continue to monitor the cost of infant formula milk and review our social assistance schemes as needed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans for Adequate Childcare and Kindergarten Facilities in Bidadari Estate","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry has plans for adequate childcare and kindergarten facilities to be located within Bidadari estate.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to plan for preschools in upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) developments, including Bidadari new town. To better meet the needs of young parents, new preschools will have larger capacities and also be completed earlier where possible.
ECDA also works with HDB to integrate preschools with the BTO precincts to provide more accessible services to the young families moving into the estate. Centres may also have access to common greens and community facilities, such as playgrounds, which provide opportunities for physical and outdoor activities that enhance children’s well-being and development.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Criteria for Approval of COE/ARF Waivers for Drivers with Disabilities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Ms Chia Yong Yong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what are the criteria for the approval of COE/ARF waivers for drivers with disabilities.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: The Disabled Persons Scheme (DPS) was set up in 1980 when transport options for persons with disabilities were limited. DPS supports Singapore Citizens with permanent disabilities from the lower-income groups who are unable to use public transport, that is, bus and/or Mass Rapid Transit without assistance and require a vehicle to perform their work functions. Eligible drivers with disabilities are exempted from paying premiums for the certificates of entitlement (COE) and the additional registration fees when they purchase a vehicle. It is a means-tested scheme.
To qualify for the scheme, persons with disabilities must be certified by a medical doctor from the Tan Tock Seng Rehabilitation Centre to be permanently disabled and incapable of travelling by public transport. They must also be gainfully employed and demonstrate the need for a vehicle in performing their work functions, such as frequent travelling to worksites or to meet clients. Applicants would also need to meet the means-test criteria.
In addition to the DPS scheme, persons with disability who wish to own their own vehicle are also supported with loan arrangements. The Monetary Authority of Singapore exempts the physically disabled from the financing restrictions on motor vehicle loans granted by financial institutions, such as the maximum loan-to-value of 50% or 60% of the purchase price, depending on the open market value of the vehicle.
There are also other alternatives for travel of persons with permanent disabilities who are medically certified to be unable to take public transport. These individuals can tap on the Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS), which provides means-tested taxi subsidies to defray the cost of commute to school or work. The scheme also supports booking of taxis for ease of pick-up from the homes of the persons with disabilities. TSS is an alternative to owning a vehicle for the purpose of transport.
DPS and TSS complement public transport options to facilitate independent travel and living for persons with disabilities. We will continue to work with relevant agencies to enhance accessibility and availability of affordable transport options for persons with disabilities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singaporeans Below 35 on Social Welfare in 2016","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the number of Singaporeans below the age of 35 who are on social welfare in 2016; (b) whether this has been an increasing trend in the past 10 years; and (c) what are the plans to deal with the underlying issues and problems for such a group of persons.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: The number of households with main applicant aged below 35 that received ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance (SMTA) increased from 4,016 in financial year (FY) 2012 to 5,644 in FY2015. As a proportion of households receiving ComCare SMTA, this dipped slightly from 19.5% in FY2012 to 19.1% in FY2015. More households had received assistance due to the revised income criteria. More families can also access assistance through the network of 24 Social Service Offices (SSOs) island wide.
Some younger applicants may be temporarily unemployed and searching for a job. Besides providing financial assistance, our SSOs partner Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to provide the client with employment assistance to improve his or her employability and secure stable employment.
Other families may have more complex needs, for example, family issues, such as divorce, health issues or incarceration. To address these, our SSOs work with community partners, such as Family Service Centres, to help these families strengthen their family ties and develop resilience. To support the needs of different couples, including young couples, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) partners community agencies to provide marriage preparation and support programmes. MSF also works with other agencies to enhance preventive and upstream strategies for low-income groups, such as financial literacy, employment and housing support.
We are also expanding upstream efforts to support vulnerable families and their children. To this end, the Early Childhood Development Agency has piloted the KidSTART programme in July last year to enable children aged six and below from low-income and vulnerable families to have a good start in life.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Demand for Residential Homes for Elderly","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether any study has been done to gauge the demand for residential homes for the elderly as an option to living in nursing homes; and (b) whether there are plans to build such residential homes, especially for those who are living alone.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: From 2014 to 2015, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had engaged over 4,000 Singaporeans on their aspirations and ideas on how the Government can help Singaporeans age well to develop the Action Plan for Successful Ageing. Seniors shared that they prefer to age in place in their own homes, surrounded by their loved ones in the community.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has provided more housing options for seniors, such as 2-room flexi flats. MOH complements these housing options by integrating care services with it. In selected new housing estates, MOH is working to co-design and co-locate nursing homes and eldercare facilities within the public housing precinct so that we have a continuum of independent living, assisted and nursing care facilities within the same precinct.
We also need to inject services within existing HDB precincts to help seniors age in place. MOH is on track to reach their target of 6,200 day care places and 10,000 home care places by 2020. MOH is also piloting Integrated Home and Day Care packages to allow seniors to benefit from a flexible mix of home and day care services tailored to suit their needs.
For vulnerable seniors, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has set up 19 Senior Cluster Networks to coordinate and integrate services. These networks comprise 69 Senior Activity Centres and 19 case management teams across the island to reach out to low-income and vulnerable seniors to stay engaged and prevent social isolation. MSF has also set up Senior Group Homes to support the frail elderly in rental flats to age within the community, as an alternative to living in nursing homes.
MSF and MOH will continue to provide a range of home and community-based social and care support and review services regularly to ensure that seniors with diverse needs are able to age gracefully in familiar surroundings.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons for Increasing Number of Families Receiving ComCare Help","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"25 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the reason for the increasing number of families receiving ComCare help, particularly among senior citizens, when mean wages and household income have been increasing; (b) whether this trend indicates widening income gaps; and (c) what measures can be taken to address this trend.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Over the last few years, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has enhanced the coverage and accessibility of ComCare assistance to help households in need. We have set up the network of 24 Social Service Offices (SSOs) island wide. We have also revised the income criteria of our help schemes. With these enhancements, more low-income families have benefited from ComCare assistance.
At the same time, the demographic profile in Singapore has been changing, with trends, such as smaller families, rising number of single-person households and ageing population, observed. These factors affect the ability of some families to cope and they may require temporary financial assistance to address their needs.
The increasing number of households on ComCare assistance does not necessarily indicate a widening income gap. Over the last five years, the Gini Coefficient has remained relatively stable, at 0.473 in 2011 and 0.458 in 2016. The Government has also provided additional transfers, such as Silver Support and MediShield Life premium subsidies, to help lower-income Singaporeans. This is reflected in the lower Gini coefficient of 0.402 in 2016 after Government taxes and transfers.
Our SSOs work closely with Family Service Centres (FSCs), other Government agencies and community partners to provide holistic support. For example, our SSOs partner Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to provide the client with employment assistance to improve his or her employability and secure stable employment. Seniors in need can also benefit from Government-funded social services, such as Senior Activity Centres, befriending and counselling services. The Silver Support Scheme under the Manpower Ministry provides an income supplement to seniors who had low incomes through life and who now have little or no family support.
Beyond ComCare, we are also expanding upstream intervention to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families and their children to set a good foundation. This includes supporting vulnerable children in their early years, encouraging work and helping workers level up their skills. We also recognise the importance of financial planning for the low-income and will continue to review efforts for this group.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reports of Wild Boar Poaching Received and Enforcement Actions Taken in Past Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development for each year in the past three years (a) how many reports of wild boar poaching has AVA received; (b) how many of these cases have resulted in enforcement action being taken; and (c) what is the breakdown of the nature of enforcement action taken in these cases.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Over the past three years, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has received three feedback of sightings of illegal wild boar traps in forested areas. Two of the cases were related and the illegal trap was removed. In a recent case reported in April, AVA investigated and found two traps. AVA has disarmed these traps and is in the process of removing them.
Under the Wild Animals and Birds Act (WABA), it is an offence to kill, take or keep any wild animals without a licence. Penalties include fines of up to $1,000 per wild animal or bird, and the animal will also be seized. Under the Parks and Trees Act, anyone who captures or displaces an animal from a national park or nature reserve without permission can be fined up to $50,000 or jailed for up to six months, or both, upon conviction. The offence of capturing an animal, if it is committed in the public parks, is a fine of up to $5,000 upon conviction.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on HDB Flats and Private Condominium Units Built in 2015-2016","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for National Development (a) for 2015-2016, what is the number of HDB flats and private condominium units built; and (b) out of the total number of HDB flats built, how many are for rental and sale respectively.
Mr Lawrence Wong: About 48,600 non-landed private residential units were completed between 2015 and 2016. Over the same period, about 52,100 Housing and Development Board flats were completed, comprising about 4,600 units for rental and 47,500 units for sale.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"BTO Flat Applications from 2015-2016","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for National Development from 2015 to 2016 (a) how many Build-To-Order (BTO) flat applications have been received by HDB and what is the percentage of successful applications; and (b) how many applications for rental flat under the Public Rental Scheme have been received by HDB and what is the percentage of successful applications.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) received 31,900 and 36,900 unique Build-To-Order (BTO) applications from families in 2015 and 2016 respectively. In 2015, most first-timer families who apply for a BTO flat in non-mature estates were able to book a flat within their first or second try, and definitely on their third try. Selection for BTO exercises 2016 is still ongoing.
From 2015 to 2016, HDB received an average of 8,600 requests a year for rental flats. About three in 10 of them were successful.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Unsuccessful BTO Flat Applications in 2016","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"29 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for National Development in 2016, what is the number of unsuccessful Build-To-Order (BTO) applications for the following categories (i) first-timer, (ii) second-timer and (iii) third-timer or more.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The number of unsuccessful Build-To-Order (BTO) applicants in 2016 is not available as the selection process is still ongoing.
Nonetheless, most first-timer families who apply for a BTO flat in the non-mature estates today should be able to book a flat within their first or second try, and definitely on their third try. Families are generally not eligible to purchase BTO flats from the Housing and Development Board beyond two times.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Compensation from Shipping Companies to Fish Farm Owners Affected by Oil Spill in January 2017","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"30 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether any of the fish farm owners affected by the oil spill in January this year have received compensation from the shipping companies thus far; (b) what measures are being taken by AVA to address the time delay associated with the claims process; and (c) when is the expected date by which the compensation will be paid.
Mr Lawrence Wong: An insurance claim process is a private matter between the claimant and the insurer. The duration of the process depends on the complexity of each claim and the negotiations between the relevant parties. It is the same in this case where the affected farmers are engaging directly with the relevant insurers.
That said, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has made additional efforts to help farmers affected by the January oil spill with their claims. For example, AVA helped affected farmers submit their claims and arranged a meeting for the affected farmers to seek clarification from the relevant insurers about their claims. We understand that some farmers have already received compensation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Total Land Area Designated for Residential Development Taken up by HDB Public Housing and Private Condominiums from 2013-2016","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for National Development from 2013 to 2016, out of the total land area designated for residential development, what is the percentage of land area that is designated for HDB public housing and private condominiums respectively.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Between 2013 and 2016, the Urban Redevelopment Authority granted planning approval for the development of (a) non-landed private residential units on 160 hectares (35%) of land, and (b) public housing units on 300 hectares (65%) of land.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reason for Non-inclusion of Rabbits in Recent Revision of Licensing for Pet Businesses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for National Development (a) why are rabbits not included in the recent revision of licensing for pet businesses; and (b) whether AVA will consider the inclusion of rabbits.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) takes a risk-based approach in the licensing of animals as pets. Hence, it requires licensing for dogs, which are the most common cause of transmission of rabies from animals to humans. For rabbits, AVA requires pet shops to do pre-sale screenings to assess and ensure that their customers will be suitable pet owners.
Following the recent revisions to pet shop and pet farm licensing conditions pertaining to dogs and cats, AVA will continue to work with stakeholders to review other licensing conditions, including those related to rabbits.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Vehicles Booked for Smoky Emissions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) in the past two years, how many vehicles with smoky emissions have been booked; (b) how many of these vehicles are foreign-registered; and (c) how are smoky foreign vehicles checked and turned away at the Checkpoints.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The National Environment Agency (NEA) conducts daily enforcement operations against smoky vehicles at both the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints, as well as along major roads in Singapore. In 2015 and 2016, a total of 16,755 smoky vehicles were fined. Out of these, 6,339 smoky vehicles were foreign-registered.
Smoky foreign vehicles spotted entering Singapore will be stopped for a \"free acceleration\" smoke test. Drivers of diesel vehicles that emit smoke exceeding 40 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) and petrol vehicles with visible exhaust will be fined. Beyond the fine, diesel vehicles that emit excessive smoke exceeding 70 HSU will be turned back. In 2015 and 2016, 390 smoky foreign vehicles were turned back at the Checkpoints.
Members of the public who spot smoky vehicles are encouraged to inform NEA via their hotline (1800-2255-632), online feedback form at the NEA website or the \"myEnv\" mobile application.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Conversion or Bridging Programmes for Non-Ministry Kindergarten Teachers to Gain Access to Ministry's Kindergartens","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Education (Schools) whether there are conversion or bridging programmes to allow kindergarten teachers who are currently not under the Ministry's group of early childhood educators to gain access to join the Ministry's kindergartens so as to expand the pool of qualified early childhood educators at these kindergartens.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: To date, there are 15 Ministry of Education (MOE) Kindergartens (MKs) and three more will open in 2018. Like other preschool operators, MOE employs experienced preschool educators from the sector, as well as fresh graduates from early childhood education courses, for example, the Diploma in Early Childhood Studies from Temasek Polytechnic. There is no need for conversion or bridging programmes for qualified preschool educators crossing over from the other preschools to MKs.
To increase the recruitment pool of MK educators, MOE has partnered Ngee Ann Polytechnic to run the full-time Diploma (Conversion) in Early Childhood Teaching programme, targeted at mid-careerists who do not have the requisite qualifications in early childhood education to prepare them for their role as MK educators.
MOE will continue its efforts in attracting and retaining good MK educators.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on PSLE Cohorts and Their Progression to Alternative Qualifications","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education (Schools) for the past five years (a) what is the number of students for each PSLE cohort; and (b) what is the percentage of students in each PSLE cohort who go on to take alternative qualifications, such as the Integrated Programme or International Baccalaureate diploma, instead of the GCE \"O\" level examinations.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: The number of students who sat for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) from 2012 to 2016 is as shown in the table below.
The Integrated Programme (IP) is a six-year programme that culminates in the GCE A-levels, the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science Diploma. Students in IP do not sit for the GCE O-levels.
The Ministry of Education has planned the IP intake to be able to cater to about 10% of the PSLE cohort each year, starting in the early years of the IP expansion with a smaller percentage and gradually expanding this to reach about 8% in the 2012 PSLE cohort and 10% in the 2016 PSLE cohort.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Fees Charged to International Students Studying in Government Schools, Colleges, Polytechnics and ITEs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Education (Schools) whether the fees charged to international students in primary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education reflect the full cost of the education system or only take into account the direct operating costs of the school.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: As the priority of our education system is to provide a quality education for students who are Singapore Citizens (SCs), fees are differentiated by nationality across our publicly-funded education system to reflect the privileges of citizenship, from primary schools to university. International students (ISes) pay the highest fees, followed by Singapore Permanent Residents (SPRs) and SCs. The fees for ISes are much higher than those for SCs and SPRs.
However, in determining the various fees to be charged, we may not charge the total costs incurred in running these programmes. We would also take into consideration other factors, such as the benefits that ISes can bring to our schools, institutions and students. ISes add to the diversity and vibrancy in our schools and institutions and provide opportunities for our SC and SPR students to interact and develop the cross-cultural skills and versatility needed for the global workplace in the future.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of International Students Studying in Government Schools, Colleges, Polytechnics and ITEs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Education (Schools) what is the percentage of international students studying in primary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Out of the total enrolment in our national schools, that is, primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges, around 5% are international students.
International students make up around 1% of full-time students in the Institute of Technical Education and less than 10% of full-time students in the polytechnics.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"First-Year JC Enrolment for 2013-2017 and Projected Enrolment for 2019","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"38 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what has been the enrolment of first-year junior college students for the years 2013-2017; and (b) what is the projected enrolment for first year junior college students for 2019.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: The number of first-year junior college students from 2013 to 2017 is as follows:
The decrease over this period is due to falling birth rates, with the exception of 2017, which corresponds to the 2000 dragon year cohort.
The projected enrolment for first-year junior college students for 2019 is about 12,800.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Programmes to Teach Students to Discern Fake News","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) whether there are programmes to teach students how to discern fake news; (b) if so, how are the programmes designed and rolled out; and (c) if not, whether there are plans to develop and roll out such programmes in a specific timeline.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: \"Communication, Collaboration and Information Skills\" is one set of the 21st century competencies that the Ministry of Education (MOE) develops in our students. It includes the development of information literacy, which refers to the ability to create digital products, connect with others to learn and work with digital information, and curate digital resources and critically discern its authenticity.
In schools, information literacy is infused into a variety of subjects like English, History and Social Studies where there are lessons that teach students to critically evaluate different sources of information, both online and offline, during information search. Teachers guide students in distinguishing fact from opinion, applying logic and verifying the authority of sources. Students are taught to cross-check the information and views presented with other sources to determine their trustworthiness and usefulness for drawing substantiated conclusions.
Information literacy is also taught in the Cyber Wellness (CW) syllabus for primary and secondary schools as part of the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum. Students are nurtured to be safe and responsible users of digital space by learning how to verify the credibility and authenticity of online information sources and refraining from sharing unverified posts.
To further reinforce the learning from the Cyber Wellness lessons, schools are provided with timely teaching and learning resources on the latest cyber trends and issues which include real-life case studies and tips to raise awareness on online misinformation. Teachers, for instance, are given tips on how to nurture students to be discerning of the things they read online to avoid falling prey to scams and fake news. Schools are also regularly provided with CW resources to engage parents as our partners to educate their child to be discerning users of digital space.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":1414,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Er Dr Lee Bee Wah","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20170508/vernacular-Lee Bee Wah(1).pdf","fileName":"Lee Bee Wah(1).pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}