At 3.30 pm, the Serjeant-at-Arms laid the Mace below the Table.
The Leader of the House stood up and addressed herself to the Clerk of Parliament.
The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Clerk, I propose, \"That Mdm Halimah Yacob do take the Chair of this Parliament as Speaker\".
[(proc text) Member Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng stood up and addressed himself to the Clerk of Parliament. (proc text)]
Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer): Clerk, I support the proposal.
[(proc text) There being only one proposal, the Clerk then declared Mdm Halimah Yacob to have been duly elected as Speaker of this Parliament. [Applause.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mdm Speaker, standing at the Table, made an Affirmation of Allegiance. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mdm Speaker went to the Chair and sat down. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Then the Mace (which before laid below the Table) was placed on the Table. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Administration of Oaths","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Mdm Speaker: Hon Members will now proceed to take their Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance at the Table, starting with the Prime Minister and thereafter in the order as arranged.
[(proc text) Members took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance, or made Affirmation of Allegiance, in the order below: (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Lee Hsien Loong (Ang Mo Kio) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 1 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Teo Chee Hean (Pasir Ris-Punggol) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Jurong) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Khaw Boon Wan (Sembawang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 2 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Lim Swee Say (East Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Lim Hng Kiang (West Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr K Shanmugam (Nee Soon) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Ng Eng Hen (Bishan-Toa Payoh) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Gan Kim Yong (Chua Chu Kang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (Holland-Bukit Timah) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (Jalan Besar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 3 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Heng Swee Keat (Tampines) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr S Iswaran (West Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Tan Chuan-Jin (Marine Parade) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien (Yuhua) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Chan Chun Sing (Tanjong Pagar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Lawrence Wong (Marsiling-Yew Tee) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (Tampines) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Ong Ye Kung (Sembawang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Ng Chee Meng (Pasir Ris-Punggol) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 4 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Sim Ann (Holland-Bukit Timah) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong (Radin Mas) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Desmond Lee (Jurong) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Chee Hong Tat (Bishan-Toa Payoh) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (Hong Kah North) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Janil Puthucheary (Pasir Ris-Punggol) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Heng Chee How (Jalan Besar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman (East Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Indranee Rajah (Tanjong Pagar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 5 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Low Yen Ling (Chua Chu Kang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Koh Poh Koon (Ang Mo Kio) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Lam Pin Min (Sengkang West) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Charles Chong (Punggol East) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Amrin Amin (Sembawang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Goh Chok Tong (Marine Parade) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 6 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai (Marine Parade) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Ong Teng Koon (Marsiling-Yew Tee) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Lee Yi Shyan (East Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Chia Shi-Lu (Tanjong Pagar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr David Ong (Bukit Batok) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 7 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Intan Azura Bte Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 8 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Yee Chia Hsing (Chua Chu Kan[(proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Sun Xueling (Pasir Ris-Punggol) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Tanjong Pagar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Zainal Bin Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 9 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (Fengshan) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Chen Show Mao (Aljunied) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Henry Kwek Hian Chuan (Nee Soon) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Saktiandi Bin Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 10 (in Malay) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Assoc Prof Fatimah Binte Abdul Lateef (Marine Parade) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Ms Rahayu Binte Mahzam (Jurong) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 11 (in Chinese) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Group 12 (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Dennis Tan (Non-Constituency) (proc text)]
[(proc text) Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency) (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Election of Speaker","subTitle":"Tribute","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, on behalf of all Members of this House, I congratulate you on your re-election as Speaker of the Thirteenth Parliament.
Madam, your election as Speaker in 2013 endowed the office with 11 years on both the Front and Back Benches. You championed passionately for the disadvantaged in Singapore. You pushed for fair treatment of workers and fought on behalf of those in need. You sought to ensure that Singapore is a country where all Singaporeans have fair access to opportunities and can enjoy the fruits of our progress. As the Minister of State for the then Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and, subsequently, Ministry of Social and Family Development, you worked tirelessly to extend needed help to women, families and children.
In the last three years as Speaker, your impartiality and decisiveness have gained the respect of all Members of the House. In discharging your duties, your fairness upheld the decorum of this House and your firmness has ensured that the proceedings are expeditious, smooth and orderly. Under your guidance, the good standing of this House will continue to be maintained.
The coming session of Parliament will present us with many difficult but necessary decisions. To provide Singaporeans with quality living, our infrastructure and landscape must be refreshed, our economy must continue to be dynamic and our social safety nets must be strengthened. We must build good homes for people to live in, provide an efficient transport system for commuters, continue economic restructuring to create good jobs for our workers and educate our students to be ready to take on those good jobs. We must also continue to maintain quality and affordable healthcare and give Singaporeans the care that they deserve. We must do all these amidst an uncertain global environment and certain internal challenges, including those of a changing demographic with a fast-ageing population.
These concerns are complex and there is no straightforward way to address them all. Facing up to them will involve making trade-offs and there will be energetic debate in this House on the course of action we must take. We welcome sincere, serious debate from Members as we discuss these vital issues affecting all Singaporeans, decide on the future that we want to create and launch the next chapter of our country's story together.
Mdm Speaker, as we consider these matters, your leadership and guidance will ensure fair debate in this House and your even-handedness will honour and maintain the trust that Singaporeans have in this Government.
Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mdm Speaker, please allow me to address in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, I am, indeed, heartened that you have been unanimously re-elected once again as the Speaker of Parliament. When you first became the Speaker of Parliament, it was a proud moment for many, including the Malay/Muslim community, women and also your friends in the Labour Movement. As a female Speaker of Parliament, you inspire all the women out there to pursue their ambition and dreams. In some of my trips to other countries, I have learnt that the reality of having enough female representation in parliament is still a distant dream for some countries. To have a female representing our House as the Speaker speaks volumes of our meritocracy and maturity as a society to the world.
I have nothing but complete faith that you will carry out the responsibilities of Speaker of Parliament with the same impeccable standards that we have had the pleasure of witnessing over the past three years. All our proceedings were guided smoothly and order and decorum were well observed in keeping with the dignity of the House. You have also shown that no matter who we are, where we come from or where our political inclinations may lie, you have treated each and every member of the House with the same level of impartiality and respect.
Indeed, you have been a role model for several of us here. Our debates may be tedious at times, but it is through your efforts that the House can come together to carry out its primary duty, that is, to serve our fellow Singaporeans.
Mdm Speaker, allow me to express my full support to your election as the Speaker of Parliament. I truly appreciate all the work you have done and it will be my honour to discharge my duties once again in the Thirteenth Parliament together with you.
(In English): Allow me to share a quote that you shared when you were first elected as Speaker of Parliament. This quote is from the great novelist and poet, Robert Louis Stevenson: \"Don't judge each day by the harvest that you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.\"
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, congratulations on your re-election as Speaker of the Thirteenth Parliament. Your re-election is, indeed, well-deserved. I believe my Parliament colleagues are just like me, feeling happy and wishing you the best.
Back in 2013, when you were first elected as Speaker of Parliament, you were the first woman Speaker in Singapore. This not only proved your strength, but also laid a new milestone in Singapore's political landscape.
As Speaker, you presided over various matters in Parliament, made sure the proceedings were conducted in an orderly manner and completed within a set time. You had also to balance the interests of different parties and ensure that Members had enough time and space to speak up. The Twelfth Parliament saw heated debates every now and then and words crossed like swords; you needed to step in at an appropriate time to make a decision to make sure the debate and other matters could carry on. The duty of Speaker also includes representing Singapore in international conferences. You have always, as expected, won applauses for Singapore. These are all challenging tasks, but you can always handle appropriately and with ease as well.
Nearly a quarter of the Members in our Parliament are women. As the first woman Speaker, your success, no doubt, has further opened the door in politics for women in Singapore and equipped women who are interested in serving the country with more confidence. Hence, your being re-elected as Speaker is like injecting another booster for us.
SG50 is just over. As we celebrate our achievements, we also look forward to the next 50 years in Singapore. I believe the President's Address later this evening will outline the broad direction of Singapore's development and the Government's policies. Therefore, the Thirteenth Parliament will be an important platform to lay the foundation for the next 50 years. I believe this means there will be more heated and exciting debates in the Chamber and your role as Speaker will be even more important.
Mdm Speaker, I look forward to the Opening of the new Parliament and I hope you can also take care of your health, because Parliament will be busy again. Once again, congratulations!
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mdm Speaker, in Tamil.
(In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, I echo my colleagues in congratulating you. It was a historic moment when you were first nominated as Speaker in 2013. You became the first woman to be Speaker in Singapore. Despite being a female and a minority from a humble background, you distinguished yourself in public service, always fighting for the vulnerable and continue to be an inspiration and role model for all in the House.
During your decades with the Union, you used your legal skills to fight for workers' rights. As an Member, you spoke up on a variety of issues and focused on vulnerable groups and, as Minister of State, you looked into policies affecting these groups directly. You continue to inspire and remind all Members that it is our duty to look out and speak up for those who need it.
You have recently become Member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee, just next door to Sembawang GRC. Already, stories of your hard work on the ground are spreading amongst residents in the Woodlands and Marsiling areas. Despite being Speaker of the House, you continue to be an active, hard-working and down-to-earth Member of Parliament and remind us, by example, of the importance of serving our residents.
As Speaker, you presided over many important and sometimes heated debates in the last Parliament. You were always fair and impartial in giving people opportunities to speak up, while keeping proceedings efficient. Of course, like all Members, I wish you would notice my hand more often, but understand the limitations.
I look forward to an exciting legislative term ahead, with you in the Chair. Congratulations once again, Mdm Speaker.
Mdm Speaker: Hon Members, please allow me to thank the Leader of the House, Ms Grace Fu, for her kind words in proposing me as the Speaker, and Mr Cedric Foo for seconding the nomination. My gratefulness also to Mr Zainal Sapari, Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Vikram Nair for their kind words in supporting my nomination and to all of you for supporting the nomination as well.
I am, indeed, most humbled by your trust and confidence in me and for re-electing me as the Speaker of the House. This is a duty that I do not take lightly as I understand the tremendous responsibilities and expectations that follow this appointment. It is a great privilege and honour to serve in this House and I will discharge my duties fairly and impartially.
I entered this House as a backbencher in 2001, and had presided as the Speaker over the last three years. Over the Twelfth Parliament, I had the honour to preside over a number of major debates. These include the most unforgettable Special Sitting to commemorate our longest-serving and truly outstanding Member of this House, our late Founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Lee's absence will be felt in this House. And I am sure that succeeding generations of Members will continue to be inspired by his work and vast contributions to this House.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new Members to this House. I know that you are raring to go and I look forward to your maiden speeches. You come from different backgrounds and will bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to the debates in this House, contributing to more robust policy-making. Being new, you will take some time to be completely immersed in your new role as Parliamentarians. Do seek the help of our Parliament Secretariat, if you need to, and I am sure that your more experienced colleagues will also be more than happy to show you the ropes.
I urge you to familiarise yourselves with the Standing Orders of the House. I am bound by the Standing Orders which are designed to ensure that we can maintain order, but, at the same time, allow you to speak freely. You are also covered by Parliamentary Privileges, which give you a fair amount of wriggle room to make your speeches. However, at all times, remember that with those privileges are attached great responsibilities, which require us to use them wisely.
I urge you to keep your speeches succinct − perhaps, if it is succinct, I can see more of your hands when you put them up − as the length of a speech is no indication of its impact. Make speeches that are honest, sincere and heartfelt. There is no need to play to the gallery. It is much easier to be convincing if you care about your topic. So, you should figure out what is important to your message and speak from your heart. Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said in this Parliament, \"You must have convictions. If you don't have convictions, you are going in for personal glory or honour or publicity or popularity. Forget it.\"
Hon Members, the forces that we have to contend with as we enter the New Year are numerous and daunting. Greater global economic uncertainties, regional insecurities and unprecedented challenges to our safety and security will require not just quiet introspection on our part but cohesiveness and single-mindedness in purpose and action. Only the collective resolve and strong determination of all Singaporeans will overcome them. As Parliamentarians, we must lead the way. Regardless of the party that we represent, or the interests that we wish to champion, we are, first and foremost, the representatives of the people and must act in their best interest. We certainly have our work pretty much cut out for ourselves − I think you will agree with me.
Let me wish all hon Members all the very best in the discharge of your duties. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Members, I wish to inform you that the President will be present in this Chamber to deliver his speech at the Opening of Parliament later.
I, therefore, suspend the sitting until 8.30 pm this evening.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 4.15 pm until 8.30 pm.
Sitting resumed at 8.30 pm
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"President's Address","subTitle":"Renewing Our Commitment to a Better Singapore","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) The President (accompanied by two ADCs) entered the Chamber, accompanied by Mdm Speaker, who was preceded by the Serjeant-at-Arms (without the Mace), the Principal Assistant Clerk, the Deputy Clerk and the Clerk. (proc text)]
[(proc text) On the Clerk announcing \"The President\", the President delivered his Opening Address. (proc text)]
The President (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam): SG50 was a defining year for Singaporeans. Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing, the National Day Parade and other special events helped us appreciate how far we have come since Independence and how precious and unique is the home we have built. We re-affirmed the values we hold dear; we celebrated the bonds that bind us; and we pledged to work together to build a better Singapore. SG50 brought us closer together.
This solidarity will stand us in good stead as we enter our next half century as a sovereign independent nation and embark on a new chapter of nation-building with the Opening of this Parliament.
We are in a stronger position than our founding generation was and have a deeper sense of nationhood. But whether it is the next five or 50 years, we cannot expect an easy journey.
The fundamental realities of our existence will not change. We remain a small country with no natural resources apart from our people. We earn a living only because we are useful to the rest of the world. And in a world where size and power still matter, Singapore thrives only because it safeguards its interests.
Our region has become more integrated with the establishment of the ASEAN Community. If ASEAN remains stable and our neighbours prosper, we, too, will prosper. But if ASEAN is fraught with tension or our neighbours stumble, we, too, will suffer.
Terrorism has become a dangerous and persistent threat. Hundreds of terrorists from Southeast Asia are fighting for ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Some of them have returned home with their networks, expertise and radical ideology. They want to establish a wilayat, a province under the ISIS caliphate, in the region. Yesterday's bomb blasts in Jakarta are a reminder of how close terrorism can strike. We are fully on guard against this threat, but we cannot rule out the possibility of an attack in Singapore.
Our economy is at a turning point. Our first 50 years saw us advance rapidly from Third World to First. But now that our economy is more mature, we will grow more slowly.
With limited land and labour and more severe global competition, we must upgrade our economy to sustain growth. But upgrading means restructuring, which means our people and businesses will need to adapt and change.
Our society is rapidly ageing. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 or older. There will be only two working-age citizens for every senior citizen, down from five today. What will this mean for our healthcare system? Can we be a more caring society? Can we stay vibrant and forward-looking?
We are becoming more diverse, not only in terms of race and religion, but also in our interests and perspectives. Will we remain a cohesive society, or will our differences pull us apart?
How do we ensure our island-nation remains a shining red dot, so that our children and grandchildren will thrive?
To remain special, we must first resolve to move ahead together.
We must have a shared understanding of what unites and binds us to one another. That is why in the last term, the Government held \"Our Singapore Conversation\", so that Singaporeans could share their hopes and aspirations with one another. That is also why we paid tribute to our Pioneers through the Pioneer Generation Package. It was because of our Pioneers' determination to build a multiracial society, their ruggedness and their willingness to sacrifice that we, their children, enjoy better lives. The tribute to the Pioneer Generation reminded us of our founding values and set the tone for SG50.
Our programmes in the last term of Government reflected our commitment to move forward together. We strove to leave no one behind, even as we created opportunities for all. We dealt with pressing concerns in housing, healthcare, transport and population. Our lives improved tangibly: 81,000 families received keys to new HDB homes; there were 760 more buses on the roads; and we added 40 new stations to our rail network.
The Government also made major shifts in social policy. Building on policies since 2006, the community and the state took on greater responsibility for individuals and families who needed more support. With MediShield Life, all Singaporeans now have lifelong healthcare coverage and peace of mind. Silver Support will provide support for our seniors in need.
But we also built for a better future. We committed to long-term investments that will transform Singapore: doubling our rail network by 2030, building T4 and T5 in Changi, building more hospitals and polyclinics, refreshing old towns like Toa Payoh and planning new developments, such as Bidadari, Tengah and the Southern Waterfront City, in the longer term. We are connecting our waterways and parks and setting aside green spaces like Pulau Ubin and the Rail Corridor.
Our programmes improved the well-being of all Singaporeans and brought people closer together and will continue to do so. The people affirmed this by returning the PAP Government to office with a stronger mandate.
But the work of securing this nation and improving our lives is never-ending. We must continually adjust our programmes and politics to ensure that Singapore keeps on an upward path.
In this term of Government, we have five key aims to fulfil:
First, we will keep Singapore safe and secure;
Second, we will renew our economy;
Third, we will foster a more caring society;
Fourth, we will transform our urban landscape; and
Fifth, we will engage and partner Singaporeans in nation-building.
First and foremost, we can remain sovereign only if we are able to determine our own fate. Our geopolitical realities remain unchanged from 50 years ago. We must continue to invest in our security and expand our international space through diplomacy. We must resist the impulse to divert attention and resources from security as domestic needs burgeon. If we cannot safeguard our sovereignty, we cannot secure our livelihoods.
The threat from ISIS and terrorism has increased significantly. Attacks elsewhere have shown that terrorism can arise at home and not just come from abroad. A terrorist attack here will not only cause death and injury, but could also tear apart our social fabric.
Hence, we must keep our society united and resilient. Every Singaporean has a role to play in keeping our country safe and preserving our multiracial harmony. All must reject violence and keep working to deepen mutual understanding and expand our common spaces. If we trust and accept one another \"regardless of race, language or religion\", we will remain strong and united even if others seek to sow fear and division amongst us.
Second, we must renew our economy so that Singapore will always be a place where our children can chase rainbows and fulfil aspirations. The Committee on the Future Economy will develop strategies to ensure that Singapore remains relevant and competitive. Upgrading will entail restructuring. There will be winners and losers among companies, with some painful dislocation, but economic progress will, ultimately, benefit all Singaporeans.
We cannot predict the future, but we must adapt as the world changes. Therefore, we will continue to invest in education, from pre-school to lifelong, so that our people will always have pathways upwards. SkillsFuture must succeed because only by mastering skills can workers be equipped for the jobs of the future. We want to build a society where every individual, whatever his background, can do well if he applies himself. SkillsFuture can succeed only if it is a movement encompassing workers, companies and Government, parents and students.
Third, we will press on with fostering a caring society that is sustainable over the long term. We do not want to end up like many developed countries that cannot afford their over-generous welfare schemes. The Government will keep healthcare affordable, accessible and of high quality. We will strengthen the primary care sector, so that Singaporeans benefit from long-term partnerships with regular family doctors. We will build on our regional health systems and partner private sector and VWO healthcare providers to take care services beyond hospital walls.
But it is not enough and not sustainable to just keep funding more treatment and building more capacity. All of us can play our part by living healthily and living well. The Action Plan for Successful Ageing will help our seniors lead fuller and more fulfilling lives. They are valued members of our families, communities and workplaces.
Ours should be a society where the bonds of kinship run deep and people look out for one another, a society where we extend our concern for immediate families and friends to the broader community. A society consisting of generous hearts who treat one another with warmth and dignity – including those who have just joined us, or those who are here only a while. Building a caring society starts with each one of us.
Fourth, we will continue to build the best home for Singaporeans. We are building more affordable, high-quality public housing, supporting vibrant communities surrounded by beautiful green and blue spaces. As a compact city, we can be \"car-lite\". Walking, cycling and riding public transport must become the default for more commuters. Then, we can all have a higher quality of life.
Our major infrastructure plans will take several terms of Government to complete. These are acts of faith in Singapore's future that will benefit our children and Singaporeans yet unborn. Some, like the Southern Waterfront City and the re-development of Paya Lebar Airbase, will transform our urban landscape. Others will enliven our heartlands and everyday living spaces.
Technology will transform the way we live. As we saw in the Future of Us Exhibition, technology can open up many possibilities: for example, with autonomous vehicles, we can build a much more efficient transport network and rely less on private cars. Ours may be a compact city, but it can be highly liveable, green, energy-efficient and conveniently connected-up. We can be a \"citizen-driven\" smart nation, constantly improving through the ideas of people.
Finally, the future of Singapore is what we make of it. We must foster partnership and collaboration amongst citizens so that everyone plays a part in building our nation. During SG50, we saw how willing Singaporeans were to contribute and share a part of their lives with one another. Let us all participate in shaping our common future. In doing so, we will strengthen our bonds and deepen trust with one another.
This was the spirit of Our Singapore Conversation. Individual aspirations may differ, but we all realised that we must work together to create our common future. This spirit was sustained through our SG50 celebrations and profoundly deepened when we mourned the passing of our founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew. The SGfuture dialogues and the Committee on the Future Economy are but two national platforms for us to make our future together.
I have outlined the Government's programmes for the road ahead. We have a full agenda and much to do together. There are dreams and aspirations to be realised and challenges to be overcomed.
For our programmes to succeed, we need good politics. Good policies and good politics go together. Good policies ensure that all citizens benefit from Singapore's success, fostering a society that encourages everyone to come together in building a nation. Good politics ensures that we elect governments that develop and deliver on sound policies, strengthen the country and bring people together. This was how, for 50 years, we conceived and implemented sound policies to improve the lives of the people. We had good politics because our policies benefited everyone; and we had good policies because our politics expanded our common spaces.
How do we ensure our politics continues to work for the long-term good of Singapore?
First, we must continue to have a capable and honest political leadership. This will not happen by chance. Every generation of leaders must develop the next generation consciously and systematically. Every successive Government must take leadership renewal seriously. And every new generation of leaders must win anew the people's trust, for the right to leadership is not transferable from one generation to the next.
We must always hold political leaders to high standards of ability and integrity. Our system must make it an imperative for every politician to be honest and trusted and to do the right thing for Singapore and Singaporeans.
Second, we must have a political system that enables a government to govern effectively and in the interest of all. We often see countries suffering from deep divisions in their societies and crippled by political gridlock. Our system discourages narrow interest-based politics and encourages clear electoral outcomes. This has served us well.
At the same time, our political system must also incorporate appropriate stabilisers and checks and balances. It must give opportunities for alternative views to be considered and taken into account. It must assure the minority communities that they will not be shut out or marginalised, but can participate fully in the mainstream of national life.
This is why over the years we have modified the first-past-the-post electoral system to suit Singapore's circumstances and needs. We instituted Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) to ensure that those who voted against the governing party will always have their views represented in Parliament. We created Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) to offer non-partisan views from various sectors of society. We formed Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) to guarantee at least a minimum representation of Malay, Indian and other minority race Members of Parliament.
The office of the President is another critical element that fosters resilience and stability in our political system. Executive power is vested in the Government, but the President holds a second key, with specific custodial powers. This helps to ensure that major decisions are taken wisely and prudently, especially decisions to spend the reserves and to make important public sector appointments.
Our innovations have worked. Our political system has delivered stability and progress for Singapore. But this system must be refreshed from time to time, as our circumstances change. The Government will study this matter carefully, to see whether and how we should improve our political system so that we can be assured of clean, effective and accountable government over the long term.
Singaporeans have given the new Government a strong mandate. They have sent a clear signal that they want to work with it to build a better and brighter future. The Government will work closely with the people for the long-term interest of Singapore and Singaporeans. The Ministers will mobilise support for their programmes and policies. In particular, the younger Ministers will build their experience governing Singapore and their rapport with Singaporeans. Members of Parliament, new or re-elected, from the ruling party or the opposition, all have a responsibility to do their best for our people.
Fifty years ago, in this House, Mr Lee Kuan Yew called upon Members of Parliament to \"leave no stone unturned in seeking a just and enduring future for all the people who make up the society\". Singapore today is the cohesive and progressive society that our Pioneers strove to build.
It is for us now to write the next chapter together.
Let us renew our pledge to build a better Singapore as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion.
Let us build a Singapore that leaves a stronger mark on the world than its size suggests.
Together, we will progress as an exceptional nation with a thriving economy and a caring and inclusive society.
Adjourned accordingly at 9.03 pm.
ADDENDA TO PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS AT THE OPENING OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT ON FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 2016 \t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Communications and Information","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): MCI's mission is to connect people to community, Government and opportunity.
The infocomm and media sectors are converging due to rapid technological advancements. These technologies have the potential to drive innovation, enhance productivity for economic growth and improve the quality of life for all Singaporeans. We will restructure the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), so as to reflect the converged nature of the infocomm media industry and in order to seize new opportunities more effectively.
The Government Chief Information Office functions within IDA will be restructured as an independent entity – the Government Technology Organisation (GTO). GTO will focus on building engineering talent for the Government and support its digital transformation efforts. This will help the Government deliver world-class digital services to Singaporeans.
The industry development and regulatory functions of IDA and MDA will be combined to form the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA). As a unified authority, IMDA will be able to enact competition and consumer protection regulations in a more holistic and progressive manner. We will also update our Telecommunications Act, Broadcasting Act and Films Act to keep pace with the demands of the converged infocomm media space.
We aim to complete the nationwide transition to digital broadcasting and switch off analogue broadcast in end-2017. The freed-up spectrum will provide more capacity for mobile broadband and better support our Smart Nation development.
In the future economy, design will become an increasingly important enabler. Through design, enterprises can be more responsive to customers' needs and innovative in their product and service offerings. We will launch Design 2025, a long-term plan to make Singapore a hub for design, build up the design sector and encourage the adoption of design to transform our economy and society.
The growth of the infocomm, media and design sectors and their adoption by the rest of the economy, will create good jobs for Singaporeans. We will help Singaporeans acquire the skills that will be increasingly important in the future: computational thinking, coding, design thinking and story-telling. We will expand existing initiatives to equip our young with the skillsets needed to thrive in the future. Through SkillsFuture, we will support the development of manpower for the infocomm, media and design sectors.
We will continue to support start-ups and entrepreneurship in the infocomm, media and design sectors. To encourage innovation through experimenting, tinkering and risk-taking, we will set up more prototyping laboratories, provide greater access to networking opportunities and co-locate mutually-supporting expertise and services.
We will roll out the Smart Nation Platform, a network infrastructure of sensors to enable us to build a Smart Nation. The platform will support sensor-based services and smart system solutions and facilitate greater sharing of data to improve Government operations and the delivery of public services. At the same time, we will release more public sector data to encourage private sector development of applications that can improve our quality of life.
We will leave no one behind in Singapore's Smart Nation journey. We will continue to ensure that low-income families and senior citizens have access to the broadband Internet and enjoy the benefits of Internet connectivity.
While the Smart Nation opens up many opportunities, we must also ensure that it is built upon a secure, robust and resilient infrastructure. We will develop a national cyber security strategy to strengthen Singapore's information infrastructure. Priority will be given to our critical sectors of energy, water, transport, health, Government, infocomm, media, security and emergency services and banking and finance. To set an example, cyber security expenditure, as a share of the Government's IT budget, will increase to at least 8% in the long term. We will introduce a Cyber Security Bill that will give the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore greater powers to secure our critical information infrastructure.
We will develop the cybersecurity ecosystem in Singapore and grow cybersecurity talent and manpower. We will also seek international cooperation on cybersecurity to overcome the transnational nature of cyber threats and work with the private sector to raise public awareness of the importance of cybersecurity.
We will make Singapore's history and archival heritage more accessible to Singaporeans. Learning from the success of our Singapore Memory Project and Citizen Archivists experiences, we will continue to collaborate with our citizens to promote Singaporeans' appreciation and understanding of our history and heritage. Together with the people and private sectors, we will curate our archived materials better and co-create presentations from our National Library collections for wider public access. As a start, we will develop a Constitutional Gallery, to be housed in the National Gallery Singapore, to showcase key constitutional documents of our nation.
We will transform our public libraries to support Singaporeans' lifelong learning. Our public libraries will cater to different reading and learning preferences. We will offer differentiated collections, interactive technology and conducive library spaces to make learning more engaging and interesting.
As reading is a gateway to lifelong learning, we will start a National Reading Movement to encourage more Singaporeans to pick up reading and promote a culture of reading. We will partner the National Library Board's network of volunteers and supporters to promote this reading movement.
We will promote information, media and cyber literacy in a concerted way. We will do this by enhancing public awareness and through collaborative programmes with our communities, libraries, private organisations and other institutions of learning to promote these literacy skills to match Singaporeans' digital lifestyle.
We will continue to invest in Public Service Broadcast programmes to develop more compelling and engaging local content on our free-to-air channels and suitable online platforms to meet the diverse needs of our local audience. We are reviewing Okto and Channel U, to provide more choices for young audiences. We will introduce subtitling progressively for our live broadcast programmes to be more inclusive and reach out to a wider audience.
We will continue to engage Singaporeans on Government policies, especially in the digital space and on social media. Through regular dialogues and surveys, we aim to better understand our people's concerns and aspirations so as to develop policies and programmes that will improve their quality of life. We will also improve our capabilities in whole-of-Government crisis communications.
MCI's strategic priorities and plans aim to build an Engaged and Connected Singapore in close partnership with our people and private sectors, in order that we may provide a good quality of life for all Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): MCCY's mission is to build social capital and inspire the Singapore Spirit. In this new term of Government, MCCY will focus on strengthening our national identity and building a cohesive and caring community. To do this, we will step up our community and youth engagement efforts, whilst continuing to develop a vibrant arts, heritage and sports landscape.
We have come a long way as a nation in a short span of 50 years. We will build on the momentum from our SG50 Jubilee celebrations so that we embark on the next phase of nation-building with an even stronger sense of national identity and unity. We will deepen engagement efforts through various platforms, including digital means.
We will bring Singaporeans together in charting our shared future, through the SGfuture engagements. Focused discussions will be organised by various Government agencies as we partner with citizens to make Singapore a better home. Through these engagements, we hope that Singaporeans will have a stake in our nation's future and will partner with us in shaping that future.
We will engage youths on issues that matter to them. We will better support youths as they transit between life stages and rally youths to contribute to the community, so as to deepen their connection with the nation.
Our confidence in the future is anchored on the firm foundation laid by our founding fathers and the contributions of the Pioneer Generation. We will do more to help Singaporeans appreciate and celebrate our history. The ongoing engagement process for the Founders' Memorial, overseen by a citizen-led Steering Committee, is an avenue for participants from all walks of life to share ideas on how the memorial should reflect our founding values and inspire future generations.
We will continue to research, profile and preserve facets of our heritage that we treasure. The revamped National Museum and Asian Civilisations Museum and the new National Gallery Singapore will play a significant role in telling the Singapore Story for future generations and strengthening our national identity through their programmes and outreach initiatives.
We will continue to extend pathways for arts and sporting excellence, to inspire greater national pride in the achievements of Singapore artists and athletes. We will continue to invest in strengthening Singapore's arts and sports ecosystem, to support our athletes' and artists' pursuit of excellence and professional development. For example, we are setting up the new National Youth Sports Institute as a platform to identify sporting talent amongst our youths and to support them in their pursuit of sporting excellence, both within the Singapore Sports School and in mainstream schools.
We want to make giving a part of our national DNA. We will work with partners in the people, private and public sectors to inspire a culture of giving. We want to encourage volunteerism and philanthropy at every life stage, starting with our youths. The National Youth Council (NYC) will reach out to more youths through the Youth Corps Singapore and its partners and will rally youths to contribute to society.
We want to inspire more working adults to volunteer and will engage employers and corporate partners to promote best practices for employee volunteerism. The Public Service will take the lead by adopting more charities. We are also increasing support and recognition for senior volunteers, through the Silver Volunteer Fund and President's Volunteerism and Philanthropy Award.
We will create more opportunities for Singaporeans of all walks of life to live, learn and play together. We will focus on building stronger community bonds amongst youths, by expanding NYC's Outward Bound Singapore adventure learning programmes and *SCAPE's music, media, dance and personal development programmes for youths.
We will continue to work with partners to promote good neighbourliness and everyday norms of graciousness. We will strengthen mutual appreciation and cooperation through the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, as well as increase community capacity in handling neighbour disputes.
To encourage deeper community bonding through the arts and heritage, we will reach out to new audiences, especially in the heartlands, through PAssionArts programmes, community Heritage Institutions, Heritage Trails and Community Arts and Culture Nodes. We will also seek to strengthen cultural understanding within and between communities.
Through sports, we will expand opportunities for Singaporeans to live better and bond as a community. We will enhance access to sports for all Singaporeans through improvements to sports infrastructure. We will also promote an active lifestyle and community bonding through ActiveSG programming. As a legacy of the 8th ASEAN Para Games, we will promote greater sports participation among persons with disabilities, so that everyone can play a sport regardless of ability.
In the last 50 years, we made the leap from Third World to First World and built a cohesive society that we are proud to call home. Going forward, it is this solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility for the future of Singapore that will see us through to SG100. We invite all Singaporeans to write the next chapters of the Singapore Story together, to make Singapore a better home for all of us.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Defence","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Defence (Dr Ng Eng Hen): The security landscape Singapore faces today is more complex than ever before. Many countries in our region are modernising their militaries against a backdrop of growing nationalism, difficult maritime and territorial disputes and persistent threats from terrorists and cyber attacks. In the past year, attacks in Sydney, Paris and Ankara underscore the challenges of keeping Singapore safe and secure. A strong and credible defence remains crucial for Singapore's security, independence and sovereignty.
Today, the SAF is a full-spectrum, networked force that is effective and flexible. Its operational readiness has been validated by deployments around the world to support regional and international operations, such as our deployments to the anti-ISIS coalition in the Middle East, the anti-piracy forces in the Gulf of Aden and to various countries for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The SAF will continue to participate in such deployments as part of its efforts to contribute to international peace and stability.
However, the operating environment for MINDEF and the SAF is changing rapidly. Technologies that used to be the domain of professional militaries are becoming cheaper and easier to obtain and used by less advanced militaries and non-state actors. As our economy and society rely more on technology that allows us to function with ease and efficiency, cyber criminals and attackers have more avenues to disrupt and destabilise Singapore.
To guard against the wider range of threats, the SAF will develop new fighting concepts and pursue technological advancements in areas, such as unmanned systems and robotics, to make the SAF more potent and flexible. Such technologies have the added benefit of greater precision while using less manpower, enabling the SAF to adapt to a shrinking workforce. MINDEF and the SAF will also develop new capabilities to defend against threats in the cyber domain.
MINDEF recognises the importance of good stewardship in ensuring prudent spending. MINDEF takes a long-term view in developing the SAF's capabilities and will spend only what is needed to build up the SAF's capabilities to defend Singapore's sovereignty and security in an evolving and uncertain security environment.
National Service (NS) remains the cornerstone of Singapore's defence and security. MINDEF has, therefore, invested significant effort into improving the NS experience. Over the past year, half of the 30 recommendations made by the Committee to Strengthen NS (CSNS) were implemented. Enlistment wait-time was reduced to allow more full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) to enter the workforce or further their studies earlier. Career fairs were enhanced to include a wider range of companies and Institutes of Higher Learning. NSFs who are interested in a science and engineering career in the SAF can consider the enhanced Science and Engineering Scholarships.
This year, we continue the CSNS implementation efforts by launching initiatives that support our National Servicemen and celebrate key milestones in their lives. Gifts will be given to active National Servicemen who are newly-married or have babies. We will provide basic life and personal accident insurance coverage for our National Servicemen. More National Servicemen who perform well during their NS training will receive gift vouchers to enjoy with their families. To encourage employers and businesses to step up support for their NSman employees, we will launch the \"NS Mark\", an accreditation scheme to recognise companies with supportive human resource practices.
NS has provided the backbone for Singapore's fighting force, ensuring that we have the security and stability necessary for Singapore's progress and prosperity. In 2017, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of NS. We will plan a series of \"NS50\" activities to show appreciation and recognise the contributions of National Servicemen, past and present, as well as the wider community. Singaporeans' continued support for NS is instrumental to ensure the peace and security of our country for the next 50 years and beyond.
There is broad-based societal support for NS and the launch of the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) has enabled the broader community, including women, first generation permanent residents and new citizens, to contribute to Singapore's defence. The inaugural cohort of 226 SAFVC volunteers completed their Basic Training in 2015 and some have been deployed as Auxiliary Security Troopers and as Bridge Watchkeepers for navigational duties on board Landing Ship Tanks. We are heartened by the positive response and will expand our efforts for the SAFVC.
Singapore will continue to work closely with our neighbours and regional partners to enhance regional stability and deal with common security challenges. As part of our efforts to deepen our network of bilateral partnerships, we will strengthen our cooperation with China through the 2014 Four-Point Consensus, implement the recently enhanced and revised Defence Cooperation Agreements with the US and India respectively, as well as conclude defence cooperation agreements with Australia as part of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. These partnerships help the SAF secure access to advanced defence technology as well as realistic and demanding training areas around the world.
An open and robust regional security architecture is key to enhancing strategic trust and regional cooperation, to ensure continued peace and stability in our region. Singapore is not a claimant in the South China Sea territorial disputes, but our interest is to ensure all claims are settled peacefully and in accordance with international law. To this end, we will continue to work with partners to grow multilateral platforms, such as the Shangri-La Dialogue and the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)-Plus for strategic dialogue and practical cooperation. In May this year, Singapore will co-host the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism Exercise involving all 10 ASEAN countries and eight key partners. The exercise will strengthen the region's capability in combating terrorism and practise the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea to reduce the risks of maritime incidents. We will also leverage on operational platforms, such as the Information Fusion Centre and the Changi Regional HADR1 Coordination Centre, as well as use our Chairmanship of the ADMM in 2018, to foster a rules-based security architecture that underpins the peace and stability in our region.
With the support and partnership of all Singaporeans, MINDEF and the SAF will continue to provide a strong defence to ensure our nation's peace and prosperity.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)."],"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Education","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Acting Minister for Education (Schools) (Mr Ng Chee Meng) and The Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung): We mould the future of Singapore and aim to bring out the best in every child. We seek to nurture them into upright, confident, knowledgeable and skilful young adults, equipped with a strong and lifelong curiosity and passion for learning.
Together with parents and our partners in the community, we will build on our efforts to bring out the best in every child, regardless of his or her starting point. We will guide, inspire and support every child to nurture a love for learning and pursue a meaningful and purposeful life through a student-centric, values-driven education.
We will provide wider exposure and opportunities for students to discover and build on their interests and talents in a range of areas and develop important life skills from a young age. At the same time, we will continue various efforts to reduce excessive focus on academic results, so that learning is more enjoyable, examinations are not overly perceived to be high-stake endeavours and students have more time and space to pursue a broader range of interests, sustain their curiosity, cultivate an innovative spirit and pursue a well-rounded education.
In the preschool sector, we will continue to develop, refine and share with the wider sector quality kindergarten curriculum and age-appropriate teaching and learning resources.
We will strengthen programmes in Primary schools to help students discover their strengths and interests in areas, such as arts, music and sports. A stronger emphasis will be placed on outdoor education, to build up ruggedness and resilience in our students.
We will create a diverse landscape of Secondary schools with distinctive programmes in various domains and applied learning opportunities, to provide more options for students to develop their interests in their chosen field.
The delivery of 21st century competencies will be strengthened in the Junior College (JC) curriculum to better prepare JC graduates for further learning and to develop individuals with sound character, resilience and humility to serve and lead the community.
Beyond imbuing values and imparting knowledge and skills, education is a critical leveller of societal gaps, so that no child gets left behind. We will continue to strengthen our school-based levelling-up programmes to support academically weaker students and provide financial support for students from financially challenged families to cope with the costs of education. We will also expand Student Care Centres to provide an after-school environment conducive to learning for more students from a less advantaged background.
We will step up efforts to support children with special educational needs through school-based programmes, specialised services, special education schools and programmes in collaboration with employers to smoothen transition from school to work.
The use of infocomm technology resources will be deepened to better achieve our desired education outcomes. Through providing access to quality MOE-developed or curated online resources, students can learn anytime, anywhere, at their own pace and in collaboration with their peers.
Our educators are instrumental in educating our next generation. We will enrich pedagogical skills and content mastery of teachers by strengthening teacher training and ongoing professional development, so that they can better impart 21st century competencies and sound values like respect, responsibility, integrity, care, resilience and harmony, which remain core to our desired outcomes of education.
Young people have diverse aspirations and desire to contribute to society, nation, and mankind in a variety of ways. We have established Education and Career Guidance (ECG) Centres, with a structured ECG curriculum and deployed ECG Counsellors to Secondary schools, JCs, ITEs and Polytechnics. They interact with students and help them better understand their strengths and uncover their passions and aspirations for the future.
We will support students by developing multiple pathways, spanning diverse fields from science and technology to social services, creative arts and hospitality, at the post-Secondary and tertiary levels to develop their knowledge and skills in their areas of interest. Whatever the pathway chosen, our students will learn the latest knowledge and skills and build a strong foundation for continual learning throughout their lives. This is the best way to prepare them for the future.
ITE, through its three comprehensive campuses, will continue to develop useful hands-on and industry-relevant skills for our young. Polytechnics will continue to provide high quality, practice-based education in a dynamic and progressive education environment. We will focus on learning not just in school, but also in the workplace. Accordingly, we will place greater emphasis on industry attachments, as well as other learning formats, such as the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme – a modern apprenticeship programme.
We will increase cohort participation rates for publicly-funded University places from 32% today to 40% by 2020. Our University offerings are expanding. Aside from quality offerings in traditional fields, there are many more possibilities in the Universities to cater to individuals of varying strengths and interests. NUS has the NUS Overseas Colleges to nurture entrepreneurs; Yale-NUS' Liberal Arts Programmes cater to students with broad thirst for knowledge; NTU and SUTD are developing new generations of engineers through their Renaissance Engineering and innovation and design-centric programmes respectively; SMU offers many double major programmes and is strengthening its emphasis on inter-disciplinary learning; and SIT and UniSIM will launch more applied degree programmes, with a strong nexus with industry, to develop talent with specialised skills and an ability to innovate.
We will continue to ensure strong regulation for the private education space, to ensure that students are protected and both institutions and courses meet or exceed minimum quality standards.
Very importantly, our young must leave the education system with the desire and curiosity to continue to learn and hone their skills throughout their lifetimes. The objective is not to chase after more and higher qualifications, but to achieve mastery in everything we do. As a society, economy and nation, we need to recognise and celebrate different forms of successes and embrace a culture of lifelong learning.
To achieve this, enabling a better matching of interest and course of study will be key to achieving higher levels of engagement and a passion to deepen one's learning and skills. Institutes of higher learning will increasingly expand the use of holistic selection practices to assess students based on attributes beyond academic scores.
Whatever highest qualification a student leaves the education system with, we want him or her to continue the journey of education through his or her lifetime – learn the latest technology and thinking, practise his or her trade to perfection, plug into and acquire auxiliary know-how. We will increase the number of part-time programmes and skills-based modular courses at the post-Secondary education institutions to facilitate this lifelong learning process. The enhanced ECG, individual learning portfolios and enablers, such as the SkillsFuture Credit, will better empower individuals to take charge of their own skills improvement journey.
To make the learning experience seamless, lifelong learning will be overseen by MOE. This entire effort – to discover passions, provide possibilities for a range of pursuits, nurture curiosity and learn for a lifetime to achieve mastery – is SkillsFuture. With a strong foundation of skills, expertise and an ability to learn and relearn, we can innovate and adapt to changes much better, both as individuals and as a social and economic collective.
Education is a partnership among teachers, lecturers, students, parents, counsellors, schools, institutions, employers and communities. We will continue to strengthen these partnerships, so that this is a lifelong journey we share to nurture our young and mould the future of Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Finance","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Finance (Mr Heng Swee Keat): MOF supports Singapore's growth towards a value-creating economy, a thriving city and an inclusive society anchored on shared values. We aim to sustain this through sound public finance policies and management and an effective and efficient Government that seeks to innovate and deliver value for money.
Today, Singapore is in a position of strength and able to make substantial investments to meet our economic and social needs. This is because we have always emphasised prudent spending and built reliable, broad-based revenue sources. We have also invested our reserves prudently and spent the investment returns in sustainable ways.
Global economic weakness, coupled with a more mature economy, will mean slower growth. In this environment, we must continue to focus on spending within our means. Even as expenditures on transport infrastructure, healthcare and housing increase, we must emphasise value-for-money in every programme and maintain the approach of targeting subsidies towards those most in need. In a future with tighter constraints in land and manpower, we must strive to be more productive and innovative to deliver better outcomes.
Over the longer term, we should build up Government revenues to meet the higher spending needs of an ageing population. We must do so in a way that keeps the economy vibrant and the tax system progressive.
To transform from a value-adding into a value-creating economy, our firms must shift from competing on cost or adding incremental value, to creating new, innovative and differentiated products and services. MOF will support the development of a conducive environment for businesses to restructure, innovate and internationalise.
In this next phase of development, our focus will be on partnering firms to acquire deep capabilities to innovate and succeed in overseas markets. We will align Government support with these goals to ensure that innovative, growth-oriented businesses can access this support more easily and effectively. Where appropriate, we will form partnerships with Trade Associations and Chambers, develop new industry platforms, like the National Trade Infrastructure, and capitalise on private sector financing and expertise to help firms to grow and transform through better use of technology and new business models.
To make it easier to do business in Singapore, we will review existing regulations to reduce compliance burden and costs, particularly for small companies, as well as further leverage infocomm technology to deliver improved services to businesses.
On the international front, we will continue to advance Singapore's economic interests through active participation in major regional and global financial fora, such as ASEAN, APEC and G20. We will also partner actively with international organisations like the IMF and World Bank to ensure international financial stability and sustainable economic development. In addition, we will maintain our competitiveness in attracting and retaining substantive business activities here.
For our firms to create value, we need people with deep skills and passion for their work and the capacity to innovate. Through SkillsFuture, we will invest in our people to maximise their potential. We will collaborate with unions, employers and training providers to develop a high quality, integrated system of education and training that responds to the evolving needs of our businesses and the economy. These are critical partnerships to chart out the future skills and jobs of the economy.
We must provide opportunities for all Singaporeans to do well and realise their potential throughout life. We will invest more to provide every child with access to quality pre-school to ensure a good start in life. In the schooling years, we will continue to build multiple pathways to success.
We are also doing more to help our seniors stay healthy, lead active lives and contribute their skills and expertise. Many of our seniors will be our baby boomers, who are now in their 50s and 60s and they will be at the forefront of successful ageing. We will continue to build on our healthcare and retirement adequacy systems. We have introduced the Pioneer Generation Package, implemented MediShield Life and raised healthcare subsidies for lower- to middle-income Singaporeans. There will be more opportunities for seniors to learn, volunteer and take part in activities within their neighbourhoods.
We have also made significant changes to our CPF system to help CPF members accumulate more CPF savings, for example, by providing additional extra interest on lower balances of older members. The Silver Support Scheme will provide an income supplement for the bottom 20%-30% of elderly Singaporeans. Singaporeans will also be given more choices and flexibility in their retirement planning through the CPF system.
A cohesive and inclusive society is anchored on personal responsibility, strong families and communities. For families, we will enhance care support to help Singaporeans balance their aspirations in work and family life. For stronger communities, we will support Singaporeans to volunteer and contribute to causes meaningful to them, through improved matching with volunteer opportunities and providing volunteer training. In addition, we will ensure affordable access to community infrastructure to be inclusive, to promote social mixing and to strengthen social cohesion.
We will enhance Singapore's living environment and support economic vibrancy through continued investments in greenery, housing and public transport. We are improving bus services and expanding our rail network. While we do this, we will also make better use of our existing transportation infrastructure through the development of regional growth clusters that bring jobs closer to homes.
The public sector will itself need to transform to be ready for the future and digital technologies will be an important means to do so. To improve the delivery of services to Singaporeans, we will provide better and more integrated services digitally, including through mobile platforms. For Singaporeans who may be less familiar with technology, we will continue to provide digital assistance and access so that every Singaporean can benefit. Within Government, we will also leverage technology to drive efficiencies and use data analytics to improve operations and support policy-making.
As part of our efforts to co-create solutions with citizens, we will increase opportunities for collaboration with the public through various platforms. We will share more data so that the private sector and the public can help create innovative applications to meet economic and social needs.
Finally, we are introducing greater flexibilities in the way the public sector procures goods and services, so that, in addition to ensuring careful spending, we also support and encourage vendors to adopt more productive and innovative solutions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Singapore will have to navigate an increasingly complex and unpredictable strategic and security landscape. The shifts in global power and competition for influence among the major powers, particularly in the Asia Pacific, will impact the global and regional order, bringing both unprecedented risks and opportunities for us as a nation. The rise of nationalism, protectionism and the polarisation of society in many regional countries have further exacerbated the challenges faced by Singapore. The geopolitical challenges in the Middle East, particularly the threat of the Islamic State, and the disputes in the East and South China Sea, will remain intractable. Economically, the global outlook is uncertain, although landmark initiatives, such as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), offer promising prospects.
In this challenging environment, MFA will focus our efforts on three key thrusts: (a) maintaining Singapore's relevance to the world and expanding its international space; (b) creating opportunities overseas for Singaporeans through economic, cultural and public diplomacy; and (c) supporting our nationals living and travelling abroad through community outreach and consular assistance.
ASEAN remains a cornerstone of Singapore's foreign policy and provides the necessary bedrock for a stable, peaceful and prosperous region. ASEAN creates a platform for us to engage key major powers at a regional level. Singapore will continue to work actively to enhance ASEAN integration and centrality in the evolving regional architecture, as well as deepen ASEAN's relations with its external partners.
Singapore will assume the role of ASEAN Chair in 2018. We will host a number of important meetings in Singapore, including the ASEAN Summit, ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS), presenting us an opportunity to showcase and advance the interests of Singapore and ASEAN to the world. We will make a concerted effort to promote ASEAN identity and awareness among Singaporeans through the mainstream and social media, as well as through initiatives, such as the Annual Youth Model ASEAN Conference, which aims to educate and engage younger Singaporeans about the workings behind ASEAN. As we embark on a year-long series of celebrations and projects to mark Singapore's chairmanship, MFA will partner key stakeholders, including the business community and civil society.
As a small nation-state, developing strong, sustainable and multifaceted partnerships at all levels is vital for Singapore's long-term security and continued prosperity. We will endeavour to strengthen our relations with our immediate neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, which have made steady and substantive progress in recent years. With upcoming projects like the joint developments in Singapore and Iskandar Malaysia, the High Speed Rail and the Rapid Transit System, there is a strong impetus for closer cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore. In the case of Indonesia, we seek to expand our mutually-beneficial cooperation, following President Joko Widodo's introductory visit to Singapore in July 2015, where both countries signed agreements to strengthen collaboration in various sectors, including public policy, youth and sports and economic development.
Boosting economic and people-to-people ties with other ASEAN member states is another priority. Beyond Southeast Asia, Singapore will continue to intensify our engagement with the major powers. MFA will identify new avenues to maintain and strengthen our close political, economic and strategic ties with the US, China and other regional stakeholders. The recently enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement with the US provides a broader framework to expand our bilateral cooperation with the US. The establishment of the \"All-Round Cooperative Partnership Progressing with the Times\" with China, the third Government-to-Government project in Chongqing and the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement will add new impetus to our bilateral cooperation with China. With other key partners like Australia, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and the European Union, we will seek to strengthen bilateral cooperation in economic as well as security areas, such as counter-terrorism and cybersecurity. India and Singapore, for instance, have elevated relations to a Strategic Partnership and both sides will expand cooperation in areas, such as skills development and urban solutions. With Australia, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will enhance cooperation across economic, defence, security and people-to-people fields.
To further expand Singapore's international space, we will continue to play a constructive role in various multilateral fora. Through the UN, WTO and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), we will actively contribute to the global agenda, including climate change, sustainable development, trade liberalisation and upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system. We will continue to demonstrate Singapore's usefulness to the G20 process through our convenorship of the Global Governance Group (3G).
Singapore will reinforce its role as a responsible member of the international community by extending technical assistance to, and sharing our developmental experience with, other countries through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). Since its inception in 1992, more than 100,000 foreign officials have been trained in a range of SCP courses with various partner countries and international organisations. Singapore will work towards implementing the new Sustainable Development Programme, which was announced during the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit, by partnering relevant UN agencies to provide technical assistance programmes in a wide range of fields, including public sector leadership, sustainable cities, urbanisation, as well as water and sanitation solutions.
Regional initiatives, such as the AEC, TPP and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will create new trade and investment opportunities for Singapore companies in a broader economic hinterland. The AEC will integrate ASEAN into a single regional market, thereby facilitating a freer flow of goods, services, investment and capital among member states. To this end, Singapore will do its part by enhancing the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) programme in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to accelerate their economic integration into ASEAN, thereby opening up new opportunities for Singaporeans in these countries. Singapore will work towards expediting the ratification and bringing into force the TPP, the largest regional free trade agreement. The negotiations on the RCEP are ongoing and, when concluded, will transform ASEAN and its FTA partners into an integrated market. Together, the AEC, TPP and RCEP are key pathways to the eventual realisation of a Free Trade Area in the Asia Pacific.
Singapore will continue to expand our political relations and economic space in new emerging markets in Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Russia and Turkey. Through active diplomacy by our overseas missions, non-resident Ambassadors and Honorary Consuls-General and in collaboration with our economic agencies, MFA will facilitate access to overseas markets for Singapore companies in sectors where they have comparative strengths, such as infocomm technology (ICT) and urban planning. We will promote Singapore as a major global and regional business hub for foreign companies seeking to expand to the region while, at the same time, promote Singapore's vibrancy through greater cultural and people-to-people linkages and public diplomacy.
The engagement of Singaporeans living and working overseas remains a priority for MFA. Through a variety of socio-cultural community events, our aim is to foster a sense of belonging and national identity amongst a growing number of overseas Singaporeans all over the world. We will continue to work closely with the Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU), as well as Singapore associations, to achieve this goal.
With more Singaporeans travelling and residing overseas, MFA will expand our consular outreach by leveraging on modern technology and expanding our diplomatic network, while partnering key stakeholders, including the media as well as public and private sector organisations. With increasing occurrences of natural disasters and other emergencies, MFA will work closely with other Government agencies and foreign governments to render consular assistance and ensure the safety of our Singaporeans abroad.
Singapore must aspire to be an extraordinary nation by strengthening our bilateral, regional and international relations and our international standing. We must be cognisant of our vulnerabilities, yet constantly search for fresh opportunities to enhance our relevance and expand our political, economic and diplomatic space. MFA will work closely with other Government agencies, private sector organisations, as well as our fellow citizens, to safeguard and advance Singapore's interests in an interconnected world.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Health","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Health (Mr Gan Kim Yong): MOH's vision is for all Singaporeans to live well, live long and with peace of mind. We will continue to invest in improving the health of Singaporeans and enhancing accessibility, affordability, quality and sustainability of healthcare for Singaporeans, as outlined in our Healthcare 2020 Master Plan introduced in 2012.
In the past few years, MOH has increased the capacity of our healthcare system, in line with our Healthcare 2020 Master Plan. We expanded the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) to allow about 1.4 million Singaporeans, including our Pioneers, to benefit from subsidised care at private general practitioners (GPs) and dental clinics. In partnership with the private sector, we established Family Medicine Clinics to care for the increasing number of Singaporeans with chronic diseases. We opened the Changi General Hospital-St Andrew's Community Hospital Integrated Building, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Jurong Community Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital, adding a total of 1,800 beds when fully opened. We increased the capacity of nursing homes, senior care centres and home care services. We also introduced new care standards for nursing homes, as well as guidelines for centre-based and home care, to improve the quality of care for our seniors.
We invested in expanding, upgrading and recognising our healthcare workforce to raise the quality of healthcare. In particular, we worked with the Singapore Institute of Technology to launch new local allied health degree training programmes in Academic Year 2016. A CARE (Career, Autonomy, Recognition, Education) package was introduced to boost the nursing profession.
We made healthcare more affordable for lower- to middle-income patients through significant subsidy enhancements for outpatient drugs, subsidised specialist outpatient care, community hospitals and long-term care. We also allowed more flexibility in the use of Medisave. The Pioneer Generation Package has significantly helped our Pioneers with their medical expenses and given them greater peace of mind with respect to healthcare costs.
MediShield Life was rolled out on 1 November 2015, providing better coverage and higher payouts so that patients pay less for large hospital bills. MediShield Life will cover all Singaporeans and PRs, including the very old and those who have pre-existing conditions.
To support successful ageing, we worked with the community to develop holistic health and social programmes and invested in infrastructure to create senior-friendly communities and make ageing a fulfilling journey. In addition, under the Health Promotion Board (HPB)'s Healthy Living Master Plan, we launched new initiatives, both within the community and at workplaces, to enable Singaporeans to stay fit and healthy.
We faced renewed public health threats from emerging infectious diseases, such as Ebola and MERS, as well as haze, and continued to strengthen our emergency preparedness against these.
MOH's foremost mission is to help Singaporeans stay healthy. We will continue to invest in Singaporeans' health by enabling citizens to adopt healthy lifestyles in workplaces, schools and the community. In partnership with other Government agencies, we will step up efforts to reduce obesity and smoking and also work in tandem with Singaporeans to overcome barriers to leading a healthy lifestyle.
We will collaborate with various Government agencies, the people and private sectors, to jointly implement the Action Plan for Successful Ageing. The Action Plan aims to promote active ageing, build a cohesive community with inter-generational harmony and improve our city infrastructure to enable seniors to age confidently in place.
Our vision is to achieve \"One Singaporean, One Family Doctor\", where more Singaporeans will establish a long-term partnership with a regular family doctor. Over time, the family doctor, being the first stop of care, will develop a more holistic understanding of each family member's health needs. This will enable them to provide care that is most appropriate for the patient. We will continue to engage and work closely with the primary care community to strengthen the sector and provide convenient, affordable and good quality care to Singaporeans.
We will build on our six Regional Health Systems (RHSes) to reshape healthcare delivery by bringing care beyond hospital walls and integrating preventive, primary, hospital, long-term and home care services. This is so that patients can receive seamless care that is convenient, appropriate and cost-effective. The RHSes will strengthen partnerships among public sector, private sector and VWO healthcare providers and also leverage on technology, to provide care that is organised around patients' needs. We will redouble efforts to enhance patient safety and the quality of care in our healthcare system.
The quality of our healthcare system relies on the knowledge and skills of our healthcare professionals. We will embark on efforts to develop a future-ready healthcare workforce by leveraging on SkillsFuture initiatives to strengthen healthcare career pathways. We will also continue to recruit and retain healthcare workers and enhance efforts to raise productivity and become leaner in terms of manpower. In parallel, we will invest in the development of telehealth and robotics to enable us to achieve higher productivity in healthcare and bring better care closer to Singaporeans, while being manpower-efficient.
We will continue to invest in healthcare research to improve care delivery and outcomes. As our population ages, we will also need to develop innovative methods to help Singaporeans remain healthy and dynamic even as the average lifespan increases.
From 2015 to 2020, MOH will continue to add more healthcare facilities to cater to the needs of our ageing population. Within this period, we will add more than 10,000 beds in acute hospitals, community hospitals and nursing homes, as well as more than 7,000 places to community care, home care and palliative home care. We will also increase primary care capacity through partnerships with GPs and the development of primary care facilities.
Following the introduction of MediShield Life, MOH will work on developing a standardised private Integrated Shield Plan. We will also continue to review our financing policies to keep health and aged care affordable for Singaporeans.
To ensure long-term affordability and sustainability for patients and society, we will also need to focus attention on providing appropriate and cost-effective care, to ensure that new treatments, drugs, devices/implants and medical technology are effective in improving health outcomes.
Our plans will enable Singaporeans stay healthy and active throughout their lives. We will have access to high quality care and those of us who need support and assistance will receive them. Together, Singaporeans will age with confidence and live more fulfilling lives as members of a cohesive and caring Nation for All Ages.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Home Affairs","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Safety and security are cornerstones of Singapore's stability and economic development. To keep Singapore safe and secure, the Home Team will maintain a high level of operational excellence and preparedness. We will also step up efforts to deal with new and growing challenges.
At the global level, terrorism, cybercrime and transnational crime continue to pose serious threats to our safety and security. The ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq and the rise of ISIS have heightened the global terrorism threat. The recent attacks in Paris and elsewhere demonstrate that the global threat of violent extremism is real and present. In our region, the situation has become more serious. ISIS has attracted many foreign fighters to join its fight in Syria and Iraq. Regional authorities estimate that as many as 1,000 Southeast Asians have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS. When these people return, they will have the capacity to do harm, given their combat experience and networks. In Singapore, we have had to detain a small number of radicalised Singaporeans who were planning to stage \"lone-wolf\" attacks in Singapore.
Transnational crime and cybercrime will also pose a challenge. The movement of people and goods across countries has made crime increasingly cross-border in nature. Syndicates and individuals are exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of the Internet to commit or enable crimes, such as theft and fraud. Our law enforcement agencies have detected the work of transnational syndicates behind serious criminal offences, such as drug trafficking and illegal bookmaking. With our high Internet and mobile penetration rates, cybercrime has also been on the rise, which is driving up overall crime rates.
These security and crime trends are taking place amid attempts to change global norms and Singapore's demographic shifts. An example is drug control policy. There are attempts by some countries to decriminalise drug consumption and possession, as well as to adopt practices, such as drug-substitution therapies and needle-exchange programmes for intravenous drug-users. For countries where drug consumption rates are high and out of control, they believe that such approaches will reduce the collateral harm of drug abuse. On the domestic front, Singapore's population will age and become more diverse. Traveller and cargo volumes at our checkpoints will increase due to upcoming developments, such as Changi Airport Terminal 4. While our work will grow in load and complexity, there is a limit to how much we can grow the size of the Home Team, given Singapore's manpower constraints. We will have to develop new operating models and concepts and make better use of technology.
Over the next term of Government, MHA will focus on four key areas.
First, we have to further step up our security responses to the evolving terror threat. This will be on several fronts. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will strengthen border security capabilities to bolster our first line of defence. Inland, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) will complete the installation of Police Cameras at all HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks in 2016. SPF will consider the feasibility of installing more Police Cameras in our HDB estates, including HDB blocks, as well as other public areas, to enhance our ability to prevent, deter and detect criminal and terrorist threats.
SPF will work with commercial and private establishments to enhance their security measures. We will also engage our community partners and grassroots organisations on programmes to strengthen community vigilance, cohesion and resilience. Terrorists aim to strike fear and divide society. We will build upon the Community Engagement Programme to ensure that our communities remain vigilant against such threats and stay united should an attack take place. We will conduct regular and realistic exercises to develop local communities to be better prepared and resilient in the event of crises.
Second, the Home Team will review the way it operates and develop new operating models, to cope with increasing demands amid manpower constraints. We will adopt a data-driven, tiered and differentiated frontline response model to serve the public better. For example, emergency ambulance calls are increasing at a rate of 5% a year. It will not be realistic for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to continually expand its ambulance fleet and personnel at the same rate. SCDF will review how it can better tier its emergency ambulance response – in terms of speed of response and manpower deployed – based on the severity of the cases. Data analytics is a crucial enabler for such a response model. It allows us to analyse the data, discern patterns and deploy our resources dynamically to where they are most needed.
Third, we will adopt a holistic approach towards safety and security issues that covers not only intervention, but also upstream measures. We will review our laws to keep them relevant and effective against emerging threats. We will also scale up our public education efforts. For example, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) is expanding its outreach to parents to get them involved in keeping their children away from drugs. SPF will also be stepping up its engagement efforts to tackle the rising incidence of cybercrime.
Community engagement is a key plank of such an approach. We have been working closely with local communities, through initiatives, such as SPF's Citizens-on-Patrol and SCDF's Save-a-Life. In the coming years, we will take community partnerships to a higher level. SPF will reach out to millions of mobile device users for real-time crime-reporting and leads, through extending its crowd-sourcing reach to mobile platforms.
We will deepen our cooperation and partnerships with international organisations, such as INTERPOL, ASEAN and the UN. This is critical, given the transnational nature of crime and security threats. To combat terrorism, we will share intelligence, as well as support international initiatives, to counter radicalisation and address the root causes of extremism. To combat the scourge of drugs, we will work with like-minded countries to affirm a zero-tolerance stance to prevent harm from drug abuse and stand firm against pressures to decriminalise and legitimise drug consumption. To address emerging threats more effectively, we are actively exploring new partnerships. For example, we will tap the expertise of organisations, such as INTERPOL, to develop our horizon-scanning capabilities. This will allow us to better detect emerging trends that have security implications, before their effects are manifest. To combat cybercrime, we will work with INTERPOL and regional counterparts to set up information-sharing platforms.
Fourth, we will build a stronger and more integrated Home Team. This will help us better deal with issues that span different Home Team Departments. We will more holistically integrate intelligence efforts, investigations and operations across Home Team Departments.
Our Home Team officers are at the heart of everything we do. We will step up efforts to recruit, develop and retain capable and committed people. Degree and non-degree holders will be placed on a single scheme of service within each Home Team Department. We will also develop specialist career tracks to build officers with deep expertise in specialist domains. We will partner leading institutions, such as local Universities, business schools and corporate universities, to deliver high-quality training and develop Home Team officers to their fullest potential.
Our transformation plans for Home Team NS will see more NSFs and NSmen assume leadership and specialist positions. By better leveraging their capabilities, we hope to make their NS experience more challenging, meaningful and satisfying.
The Home Team will maintain a high level of operational excellence and preparedness, even as we embark on our long-term transformation efforts. We will strengthen community resilience and ensure that our society remains cohesive and united. We treasure the trust and confidence that Singaporeans have placed in us. Together, with the community, we will keep Singapore safe and secure.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Law","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Law (Mr K Shanmugam): MinLaw will continue to work towards realising our vision of \"A Trusted Legal System; A Trusted Singapore\". We will do this through advancing access to justice and the Rule of Law in Singapore and developing our legal services to support our economy and society.
We have worked to ensure that our laws and legal framework are progressive and practical. As part of the Community Disputes Management Framework, the Community Disputes Resolution Act came into force on 1 October 2015, providing a new course of action and tribunals for neighbours locked in intractable disputes.
We are looking into substantive reforms in civil and criminal law. Our aim is to improve the civil justice system, improve enforcement of civil judgments and, where possible, remove unnecessary complexities in the civil justice system. In the family law sphere, we are working on reforms to the Guardianship of Infants Act, the Intestate Succession Act, and the Inheritance (Family Provision) Act. We will also ensure that our criminal justice system continues to protect society from crime and maintain law and order, while upholding due process for all and adhering to the Rule of Law.
We will work closely with law practices and lawyers to drive Singapore's development as a hub for international legal services and dispute resolution. With the establishment of the Singapore International Commercial Court and the Singapore International Mediation Centre and continued growth of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Singapore is well-positioned to offer commercial parties a comprehensive suite of dispute resolution options to support their business needs. We will build on our strengths, help legal practitioners develop expertise in key practice areas, as well as enhance our supporting infrastructure, such as through the expansion of Maxwell Chambers, Singapore's flagship dispute resolution facility.
We will look into ways to help the legal industry remain forward-looking and keep up with a rapidly changing economic, social and technological landscape. We will encourage Singapore law practices to raise productivity, deepen service and practice capabilities, encourage product innovation and adopt new technologies.
On the intellectual property (IP) front, we have made progress to develop Singapore into a global IP hub in Asia. The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has commenced operations as an International Authority for patent search and examination work under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). We are also reviewing Singapore's copyright and design protection regimes to address new developments in technology, as well as to facilitate the growth of the creative sector and copyright and design-related services.
We will work with MOE and UniSIM to build up the UniSIM Law School, to train lawyers who will serve the needs of the community in the areas of criminal and family law. This will also introduce a new pathway for mid-career individuals to join the legal profession. In line with SkillsFuture, we will also work with the Singapore Academy of Law, Singapore Institute of Legal Education and the Law Society to develop initiatives that support the continuing professional development of lawyers. In this way, we can ensure a continued pipeline of high-quality legal talent to meet the needs of our economy and society.
We promote the Rule of Law by providing timely and quality legal policy input to all primary legislation. We also aim to propagate legal policy principles among public officers and cultivate better public awareness of the law to promote confidence and trust in our legal system.
Internationally, we will continue to contribute to the discourse on international law issues. We will advance Singapore's interests by implementing and ratifying the Hague Convention on Choice of Courts Agreements, which will make it easier for the judgments of the Singapore Courts to be enforced in other countries, in instances where a Singapore Court is the chosen Court to hear the dispute. This goes in tandem with the overall review that we are undertaking on how the cross-border enforcement of Singapore judgments can be strengthened for the benefit of businesses and the legal industry. We will also promote Singapore as a neutral venue for inter-state disputes through collaboration with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for maritime disputes to be heard in Singapore.
Working with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), we will continue to ensure optimal use of our land resources and maximise the potential of state land and state properties to help meet Singapore's social and economic objectives. We will explore greater use of subterranean space as Singapore becomes more built-up. We will also promote more innovative use of spaces and allow for greater enjoyment of previously unused state land, such as land under viaducts, for sports, recreational and social purposes.
To strengthen Singapore's geospatial capabilities in support of the Smart Nation initiative, SLA, together with IDA, will lead efforts to formulate Singapore's Geospatial Master Plan. Our smart cadastre capability will also be enhanced. We will continue to push boundaries in technology to improve business processes and land data management. The implementation of a paperless registration system will simplify the title registration process and enable more self-service transactions.
MinLaw has started funding the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, which is run by the Law Society's Pro Bono Services Office. We will encourage law firms and the legal profession to continue to partner us in delivering legal aid. This will ensure access to justice for less privileged Singaporeans.
The Registries of Moneylenders and Pawnbrokers work to ensure that borrowers are able to access credit in a safe environment. We will be implementing a series of measures to strengthen the moneylending regime, including the setting up of a centralised credit bureau for moneylenders and the introduction of an aggregate unsecured borrowing cap. We have also recently modernised the pawnbroking regime. For example, auctions have been abolished, allowing cost savings to be passed on to pawners. We have also introduced measures to strengthen the governance of the industry, such as requiring pawnbrokers to appoint an auditor to conduct a yearly audit of their business transactions.
We will be introducing a more rehabilitative system that allows bankrupts to be discharged within clear timeframes. We will also implement reforms to encourage credit providers to undertake better risk assessment and borrowers to work responsibly towards clearing their debt. In parallel, we will update and unify the individual bankruptcy and corporate insolvency regimes into a single piece of legislation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Manpower","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Manpower (Mr Lim Swee Say): MOM seeks to help Singaporeans take on good jobs, build fulfilling careers, enjoy sustained increases in real incomes and have a more secure retirement. In doing so, we support the goal of building a nation of opportunity and a society that cares for its people.
Singapore is at a turning point. We have a more educated generation with diverse aspirations and needs. We have an ageing population with Baby Boomers retiring in increasing numbers over the next decade. We face a volatile global economy, keener competition and faster technological change.
To sustain a nation of opportunities, we need to transit from a manpower-led to a manpower-lean economy. Even as we reap the benefits of growth, we must be inclusive in our approach so as to build a society that cares.
MOM will work closely with the other Government agencies and our tripartite partners to strengthen the Singaporean Core in the workforce and ensure Singaporeans of all ages have fair opportunities for leadership development and growth.
To strengthen the Singaporean Core in the workforce, we need to speed up our economic restructuring efforts and create more higher quality jobs to which Singaporeans aspire. Companies need to embrace productivity and innovation and reduce reliance on low-skilled foreign manpower. MOM will help companies become more manpower-lean and strengthen their Singaporean Core in all major sectors of the economy. We will support employers to redesign jobs, processes and workplaces to fully tap on the experience and contributions of all workers, especially our mature workers.
To maximise their full potential, we will enable Singaporeans of all ages to pursue good jobs and build fulfilling careers. As the economy restructures, we will help Singaporeans, especially those in mid-careers, to adapt and remain employable. We will enhance our employment support to prepare our workers and minimise potential job-skill mismatch.
We will work to ensure that Singaporean workers are fairly considered by employers when hiring and have fair opportunities for leadership development and growth at all levels.
Quality growth should lead to better jobs and higher incomes for all. We will seek to achieve this through the three Ps – Protection, Progression and Pride.
Protection. We have enhanced the Employment Act to protect more workers and extended the Industrial Relations Act to cover more Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs). We will raise the re-employment age from 65 to 67 by 2017. We will also expand our suite of dispute management services for workers and employers. We will step up efforts with our tripartite partners to enhance Workplace Safety and Health. We will strive for a culture of prevention to safeguard the well-being of our workers in safer workplaces. We will also enhance protection of injured workers to facilitate their return to work.
Progression. The tripartite partners are developing Sectoral Manpower Plans to help create diverse career pathways for Singaporeans to fulfil their aspirations, while meeting the manpower needs of industry. We will pay special attention and care to the older and lower-wage workers, by helping them achieve higher wages through better skills and improved productivity.
Pride. We want all workers to take pride in their work and all employers to value their workers. We will work with tripartite partners to promote progressive HR practices, invest in human capital and create workplaces where workers in all jobs are respected and valued.
We want Singaporeans to have greater peace of mind in retirement. We will continue to enhance the flexibility and adequacy of the CPF system while ensuring its long-term sustainability. We have accepted several recommendations from the CPF Advisory Panel which aimed to improve the CPF system. The Panel comprised experts and community leaders and took into consideration feedback from citizens. We will work towards the smooth implementation of these recommendations.
For elderly Singaporeans who have lesser means in their retirement years, we will implement the Silver Support Scheme to provide quarterly cash supplements.
We can only achieve and sustain better jobs, higher incomes and financial security for all if employers, unions, workers, Government agencies and the community at large work in unity. Together, we can instil pride and confidence in co-creating our desired future of a better workforce and progressive workplaces for Singaporeans and Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of National Development","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for National Development (Mr Lawrence Wong): MND seeks to build an inclusive and endearing home, nurture cohesive communities and develop Singapore into a sustainable and thriving City in a Garden.
Homeownership is a key tenet of our social compact. We will ensure that our housing policies continue to help young couples start a family, uplift the lower-income and vulnerable to a better future and facilitate our seniors to age gracefully.
We remain committed to help Singaporeans own their homes and keep housing affordable for future generations. We have addressed the demand-supply imbalance in the housing market, which is on track for a soft landing. We have helped first-timer families own their first HDB home and increased the quota for second-time flat buyers where possible. We will help families live closer together so that they can better care for their parents and young children. We will provide a range of choices so that there is a home for every budget and need.
We will press on with efforts to ensure that our housing programme remains inclusive. The Fresh Start Housing Scheme will help second-timer public rental families, who are committed to improving their situation, own a home again. We will work closely with social agencies to support these families in a holistic manner; including helping them to find employment and keeping their children in school to ensure that they can sustain progress and homeownership. For others who have fallen on hard times and need shelter while they get back on their feet, we will build more public rental flats and integrate them within larger HDB estates. We will also look into ways to support other vulnerable groups, including divorcees and low-income singles.
We will help our seniors to age gracefully and with peace of mind in their retirement years. We have enhanced the Lease Buyback Scheme to enable more seniors to age-in-place and unlock some value from their flats. We have also implemented the 2-Room Flexi Scheme to provide choice and flexibility for seniors looking to right-size to a smaller home. We will continue to build on such options to meet the housing and retirement needs of our seniors. Our estates will continue to be accessible to all, including our seniors. New smart-enabled homes will empower residents to adopt solutions, such as the Smart Elderly Monitoring and Alert System, in their homes, so that seniors live in a safer and more conducive environment.
We have made new flats available to singles since 2013 to respond to changes in our society. We have seen strong demand from singles and will continue to help singles own their homes.
Beyond individual homes, we aim to create more shared spaces to nurture a vibrant and cohesive community where neighbours come together to celebrate the Kampong Spirit. We will build more town plazas and neighbourhood centres with projects and activities to engage the community. Heartland shops will be revitalised into vibrant commercial nodes and social spaces for community bonding through the Revitalisation of Shops Scheme.
We will create spaces to meet community needs. Childcare centres, elder care centres and other social communal facilities will be provided in Build-To-Order (BTO) projects. We will also explore co-locating and integrating some of these to encourage inter-generation bonding among families and neighbours.
We will partner all Singaporeans to improve our communities. Through the Municipal Services Office's OneService Mobile App, residents can give feedback about municipal issues they face in their environment. We will continue to work with residents, grassroots organisations, civic groups and partner agencies to build an engaged community that cares and actively participates in improving our living environment.
Singaporeans can enjoy more lush greenery near their homes. We will make greenery more accessible to Singaporeans, with 90% of households living within 400 metres of a park or park connector by 2030. Communities in Singapore will also be connected by an expanded network of green corridors, which will grow from 300 kilometres to 400 kilometres. We will activate green spaces and intensify greenery horizontally and vertically and work with passionate Singaporeans to conserve our biodiversity and celebrate our built heritage.
We will develop a sustainable and thriving city, one that is highly productive with efficient use of resources and minimum wastage.
We will continue to help our construction industry improve productivity. We will spur the adoption of cleaner, quieter, highly productive construction methods, foster collaboration across the construction value chain and continue to upgrade and upskill the construction workforce. Industry clustering and development of shared facilities across all relevant sectors will be explored to reduce land demand and increase productivity.
We will press on with our efforts to revitalise our older estates. The Remaking Our Heartland programme will continue to inject new life into these towns through comprehensive makeovers. At the precinct and block level, our Neighbourhood Renewal Programme will enhance the living environment while ageing flats will be upgraded through the Home Improvement Programme. We will continue with our Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme in old estates where redevelopment is viable economically and where there are suitable sites to house residents together.
We will bring jobs closer to home, reducing travelling time to work. This will better support the needs of our families and our ageing population. We will also foster a safe and convenient environment for everyone to walk and cycle in our towns. Ang Mo Kio and Tampines will be piloted as model walking and cycling towns while new areas, such as Marina South and Kampong Bugis, will feature more walkable ground spaces with social and retail amenities and reduced road space and car usage.
We have made good progress in greening our new and existing buildings to be more energy-efficient. We will also make it easier for people to adopt greener practices in their buildings, for instance, through adopting smart systems that enable users to better manage their energy consumption.
In addition to diversifying our overseas food supply, we will look for new avenues to improve our local food supply. We must continue to develop technologies and innovate to increase productivity of our local farms. We must also optimise the use of agricultural land.
We will continue to build our future Singapore, with Singaporeans and for Singaporeans. Through the ongoing Future of Us Conversation, we invite Singaporeans to imagine the future and share their vision for our nation. Communities will be empowered to be more involved in enlivening public spaces and improving our greening efforts.
Singapore is our home, where we belong. Together, we can build an inclusive home and a sustainable future for all Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Social and Family Development","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Speech","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Tan Chuan-Jin): The social needs of our citizens and families are becoming more complex as the demographics, economics and family structures in Singapore change. Our social policies and services must evolve so that we can continue to nurture resilient individuals and strong families. Our societal culture must also evolve so that we can become a more inclusive and caring society where no Singaporean is left behind.
MSF will focus on (a) strengthening marriages and families, (b) providing a good start for our young, (c) extending a helping hand for the vulnerable, and (d) fostering a caring community.
The family must remain the basic building block of our society. The Ministry is committed to making Singapore a great place for families. We will work with Government agencies, businesses and employers, as well as community organisations, to create a conducive environment for Singaporeans to start families and raise children, enjoy family life and experience meaningful family ties.
We will provide greater support for couples to prepare for and strengthen their marriages and offer evidence-based parenting programmes in our schools and community. These will include marriage preparation and support programmes for young couples and Singaporeans marrying foreigners.
MSF will also strengthen support for vulnerable families so that they can overcome their challenges and become more stable and resilient. We will look into new ways of engaging such families early and work with social service agencies to assess their needs holistically to provide more coordinated and effective assistance.
Children are our hope and future. The Ministry will strive towards giving all our young children a good start in life. We will extend greater attention and support to those from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds so that they, too, can realise their potential.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will continue to expand childcare capacity, particularly in housing estates with more young children. There will be one childcare place for every two children by 2017. ECDA will provide parents with more good quality and affordable childcare options through its Anchor Operator and Partner Operator schemes. It will also continue to enhance the quality of preschool education and the professional development of early childhood educators.
To help vulnerable children from low-income or disadvantaged families, we will work with other Government agencies and community organisations to identify them and support their developmental needs during their early years. We will also introduce initiatives to help these families improve their home environment for the children's learning and development, as well as support the children at pre-schools.
For children who need protection or care outside of their own homes, we will broaden the care options available to them. This will include working with VWOs and volunteers to increase the number of foster families who can offer a nurturing environment for these children to grow up in. To better help youths-at-risk, we will strengthen both Government and community systems, programmes and capabilities in prevention, early intervention and rehabilitation.
Those with less and those in need will receive an extra helping hand to overcome their difficulties and improve their lives. We will continue to strengthen our social safety net, review legislations and policies and improve services to keep in step with emerging needs.
We have completed the network of 24 Social Service Offices (SSOs) across Singapore, as well as the first phase of the Social Service Net (SSNet) – an integrated information sharing and case management system that will link MSF with other Government and VWO help agencies. Building on their reach on the ground, SSOs will further improve the coordination in planning and delivery of social services for residents within each HDB town. We will also expand SSNet to cover more help agencies. Together, these efforts will ensure that Singaporeans with complex social support needs receive more holistic and integrated help.
For persons with disabilities, we will develop the next Enabling Masterplan to build a more inclusive society where they can lead more meaningful lives and become integral members of society. Through assistance in early intervention, education, training and employment, we will help them maximise their potential at different stages of their lives. We will also render greater support for caregivers. We will work with employers, businesses, community organisations and volunteers to raise public understanding and acceptance of persons with disabilities within our communities.
To safeguard the interests of the growing number of the elderly in Singapore, the Government will review legislations, policies and services to better protect those who are subject to abuse, neglect or self-neglect. We will also look into strengthening support for vulnerable adults in residential care through streamlining regulatory and care standards for residential homes.
The future of caring in Singapore is one where Singaporeans come together to look out for and support one another, especially those amongst us who need a helping hand. Government agencies, VWOs, corporates, community organisations, social service professionals and the wider public all play a part. Through what we do and how we do it, the Ministry hopes to nurture a culture and spirit of giving in Singapore.
Professionals, including early childhood educators, learning support specialists, social workers, counsellors, therapists, psychologists and care workers, lie at the forefront of the social service sector. Through ECDA and the Social Service Institute (SSI), we will groom a larger pool of committed and skilled social service professionals and leaders. We will also expand opportunities for them to develop their capabilities and build fulfilling careers.
VWOs play a critical role in mobilising volunteers and donors to complement the work of social service professionals and the effort of the Government. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) will work with VWOs to improve their organisational capability and management of volunteers so as to involve more Singaporean individuals and groups in enriching volunteering experiences. The Community Chest will extend its reach by tapping on new platforms and partnerships to raise funds and rally public support to meet social needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M): Through the foresight and dedication of Singaporeans over the past 50 years, we have built an endearing home and a clean and green city with high environmental standards that we can be proud of. As we embark on the next chapter of our nation's growth, we will build on this rich legacy so that a sustainable environment will become an intrinsic part of our unique Singaporean heritage.
The Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015 outlined our vision and plans to ensure that Singapore remains the best home for Singaporeans to enjoy a good quality of life. We will work with Singaporeans, the larger community and industry partners to realise our vision for a Liveable and Endearing Home, a Vibrant and Sustainable City and an Active and Gracious Community.
We will work hard to achieve an even cleaner and healthier environment whilst ensuring that Singaporeans continue to have access to fresh air and clean water. To achieve this, we will further reduce sources of air pollution by tightening vehicular and industrial emission standards. We will also strengthen our regulatory regime to ensure more stringent levels of food hygiene and leverage scientific advancements to minimise the transmission of vector-borne diseases.
As our population grows, the demands on our existing infrastructure to meet our daily waste management needs will increase significantly. Given our land and resource constraints, we will leverage innovative technologies and solutions to uphold our high standards of waste management. At the same time, we will encourage and facilitate the efforts of Singaporeans to reuse, reduce and recycle more as we work towards a Zero Waste Nation.
Everyone has a part to play in upholding high standards of cleanliness and public health. We will work closely with the community to reinforce these positive social norms such that it becomes an inherent part of our Singaporean identity and values. We will empower the community and provide more opportunities, such as extending the \"Bright Spots\" programme, for individuals to adopt greater ownership of our environment and to nurture values of graciousness and mutual respect together.
We recognise that spaces are important in connecting individuals and forming communities that care for our environment together.
Our hawker centres not only provide hygienic and affordable food, but are also well-loved and vibrant community spaces that enrich our lives. We have embarked on a review to strengthen the role of hawker centres, support innovation and work with the community to promote our local hawker culture and social graciousness. More of our new hawker centres will be integrated with facilities and spaces for meaningful daily interactions among residents.
We will also further expand our ABC Waters Programme to transform more waterways and waterbodies into recreational, social and community spaces closer to our homes and hearts. We are actively engaging and co-creating with our citizens during the design and construction phases of the ABC Waters projects, as well as working with them to keep our waterways and waterbodies clean.
Economic growth and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive. We will work with industry partners and regional governments to support economic growth in an environmentally responsible manner. Our experience with transboundary haze in the past few years has shown the devastating environmental, social and economic impact of irresponsible business practices. We will take decisive and sustained action to tackle haze, such as increasing collaboration with industries and key interest groups, to adopt sustainable land clearing practices. We will not hesitate to take tough actions against errant businesses.
Last December, the world adopted a historic agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP-21) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris to combat climate change. Singapore is a responsible global citizen and we have put in place ambitious plans to achieve our pledge. This requires all of us – the Government, industries and individuals – to each play our part to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Significant adjustments will be needed as we put in place higher emission standards. We will work with industries to adopt greener practices and enhance their energy efficiency. As individuals, we will also need to reduce our energy consumption and, to enable this, we will share more information under our energy labelling scheme and work with community groups to drive greener purchasing decisions.
Our Government, as a large consumer of goods and services, remains committed to taking the lead in sustainability and will do more through more ambitious energy and water efficiency targets for the public sector.
Lastly, we are keenly aware of our vulnerability as an island state with limited resources. We will continue to invest in good environmental infrastructure and technology for a more resilient future. We are reviewing the Water Master Plan to ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply for generations to come.
While we continue to do our part in reducing our carbon footprint, we need to protect ourselves from the wide-ranging impacts of climate change. Singapore takes a proactive, long-term approach towards climate adaptation. We will build greater resilience into our infrastructure and systems within MEWR. On the broader front, we are working with other Government agencies to build resiliency in our key national assets. These adaptation plans will be regularly reviewed as new knowledge becomes available to ensure that we are prepared for potential climate change impacts.
MEWR will work closely with all our stakeholders – Government agencies, businesses and the community – to realise the vision outlined in the SSB 2015. Just as our forefathers have left us this City in the Garden, we must leave our children with a greener and cleaner home.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Trade and Industry","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (Mr Lim Hng Kiang) and The Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (Mr S Iswaran): MTI aims to achieve sustainable economic growth so as to create good jobs for Singaporeans.
The confluence of a slower than expected recovery of the G3 economies and the moderation of growth in China has resulted in weaker global economic growth. Against this backdrop, there are pockets of opportunities that Singapore can continue to exploit. The ASEAN economies are expected to continue to grow, driven by a rising growing middle class.
To position Singapore for the future, we must persevere with restructuring to enhance our companies' capabilities and our people's skills. At the same time, developing growth clusters will keep Singapore resilient amidst slower global economic growth and create good jobs that provide opportunities for Singaporeans.
In the Advanced Manufacturing cluster, existing capabilities will be enhanced to expand into new types of high-value manufacturing. Our investments in technology, like 3D printing and robotics, will help grow competitive niche segments.
We will also develop industries around Smart and Sustainable Urban Solutions. As cities urbanise in Asia, there are many opportunities to commercialise innovative urban solutions developed in Singapore, which can be scaled and exported overseas.
The Logistics and Aerospace industries will support growing trade within and out of Asia. Deepening specialised logistics capabilities will help keep Singapore well-connected and maintain our position as one of the leading air and sea ports in Asia.
The biomedical sciences cluster, which comprises global market leaders in medical technology and pharmaceuticals, is vital for Singapore to tap on emerging opportunities in Applied Health Sciences. MTI will support companies in this sector to meet the needs of a rapidly ageing population in Asia, as well as to target emerging segments, for instance, in geriatrics and preventive care.
To sustain these growth clusters, industrial and energy infrastructure will be enhanced, along with Singapore's status as a vibrant global city. This will ensure that Singapore remains attractive to investors, companies, talent and visitors.
Investment in R&D is a key enabler in our plans to develop the identified growth clusters. Under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 plans, MTI will partner the National Research Foundation (NRF) to leverage R&D to support innovation-led growth for our enterprises. This will involve promoting collaboration between companies, research institutes and startups and also enhancing access to technology for small local companies.
For startups, we will continue to foster an attractive environment for entrepreneurial talent to thrive in Singapore and facilitate their expansion overseas. We will deepen our partnership with Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) to support SMEs to restructure and raise productivity.
Beyond developing a strong business ecosystem in Singapore, expanding market access overseas will create opportunities for our companies and for Singaporeans. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), ASEAN Economic Community and our expanding network of FTAs will mean lower tariffs, improved market access and greater transparency for companies. MTI will also support companies in developing capabilities to internationalise through the expanded Enterprise Development Fund.
Singaporeans will need deep skills to access good jobs and remain relevant as technology changes the nature of work. To equip Singaporeans at all career stages for jobs of the future, MTI will partner MOM, MOE, industry players and unions in SkillsFuture initiatives.
Employers are also a vital part of the SkillsFuture journey. MTI will continue to support the development of sectoral manpower plans to support industry growth and productivity efforts in key sectors. SkillsFuture Mentors will also help guide SMEs as they upgrade their training and development capabilities.
Our efforts to prepare Singaporeans for the future represent a commitment to bring both our economy and our people forward together into a better future.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ministry of Transport","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Transport (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Our mission is to connect Singaporeans from doorstep to destination in Singapore and to the rest of the world.
Our aviation and maritime sectors are the lifeline of Singapore's economy. They provide the global connectivity needed by companies and keep Singapore at the heart of international business and trade. They ensure our attractiveness as a global city, facilitating the flow of people, goods, services and ideas. They contribute about 13% of our GDP and more than 330,000 jobs.
We cannot take this for granted. We face increasing competition from new hubs, market restructuring and alternative flight and shipping routes. We face strong headwinds, such as the heightened security environment and the global economic slowdown, which will also affect the growth of our airport and seaport and, hence, the livelihoods of Singaporeans.
Within Singapore, we have laid the foundations for a public transport system that is reliable, convenient and affordable. We aim to have three out of four commuters take public transport as their main mode of travel by 2030 and at least 85% by the 2050s. We will support this shift by making it much easier to walk and cycle in Singapore, since this is how almost every public transport commuter gets to the MRT station or bus stop today. With safe and comfortable facilities, we hope, too, that Singaporeans will increasingly walk or cycle to neighbourhood amenities. Technology and innovation, such as self-driving vehicles, the sharing economy and new urban designs, will also support a new mobility paradigm that does not revolve around the private car.
Indeed, a car-centric transport system is not sustainable in land-scarce Singapore. Already, one million private vehicles ply the roads today and 12% of our land is used for roads. A growing number of cities are also decisively moving their transportation model away from private cars, for an improved urban environment and higher quality of life. We should, too.
We will further strengthen the competitiveness of our air and sea hubs.
To this end, we are undertaking major infrastructure projects. Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Jewel Changi Airport are on track to commence operations in 2017 and 2019 respectively, while Pasir Panjang Terminal Phases 3 and 4 will grow our seaport capacity by more than 40% come end-2017. In the longer term, the first set of berths of the new Tuas Terminal will be ready by 2021. Changi Airport Terminal 5 is expected to be completed in the second half of the 2020s while a three-runway system will be in place in the early 2020s.
Second, we will focus on innovative design and cutting-edge technology that maximises the efficiency and productivity of our air and sea ports. Our new infrastructure projects offer the best opportunities to do so, but we will also retrofit existing facilities.
Third, we will deepen the services, capabilities and skills that anchor our competitiveness as a global aviation and maritime hub. We will continue to build up a comprehensive ecosystem of services and companies which make up Maritime Singapore. We will invest even more in air traffic management capabilities to remain top of the class, capable of providing the highest standards of safe and efficient air traffic services in our busy and complex airspace. We will continue to work with the industry, unions and educational institutions to train and develop Singaporeans so that they can seize the exciting and rewarding career opportunities in the aviation and maritime sectors.
Our aspiration is for walking, cycling and riding public transport to become the way of life for Singaporeans.
Improving rail reliability will continue to be our top priority. LTA and the operators will be recruiting many additional engineers and technicians in order to further enhance maintenance capacity and capabilities. It will be implementing more stringent maintenance requirements to better detect deficiencies upstream. Major renewal works for the North-South and East-West Lines will be completed by 2018, which will further improve their reliability. In addition, the service levels of existing MRT lines and public buses will be raised further in the next five years. Bus regularity and punctuality, for example, will see marked improvement under the bus contracting industry model.
At the same time, the expansion of our public transport capacity continues apace. The Government is investing heavily in public transport, with a projected $36 billion in capital expenditure in the next five years. We are on track to double our rail network to 360 kilometres in the next 15 years, with a new line or MRT extension opening almost every year between now and 2021. By then, there will be an MRT station within a five-minute walk from any location in the central area, and eight in 10 households will be within a 10-minute walk of a station by 2030. Our transport network is also planned to enable the development of alternative business districts outside of the city centre, where jobs will be closer to homes.
New housing estates will be designed and existing estates retrofitted towards this \"Walk, Cycle, Ride\" aspiration. Over the next five years, we will quadruple the length of covered walkways and build dedicated cycling paths in more towns. Ang Mo Kio and Tampines will pilot a fully integrated and seamless walking and cycling network. Kampong Bugis will pilot new design concepts for private developments that facilitate seamless walking and cycling, while Bidadari Town will have a walking greenway and cycling paths connecting to its two MRT stations.
Our aspiration is also motivated by the desire for safer streets. We can go a long way towards a future of zero road fatalities by designing streets for the more vulnerable users – children, the elderly and other pedestrians – rather than cars. To this end, we plan to have more \"silver zones\" and \"school zones\" that allow the elderly and vulnerable to move about safely. We will build on these concepts for the town centres and our city centre as well, to create a more pleasant and safe walking experience for everyone.
For longer distance connectivity, we will reconfigure the planned North-South Expressway to be part of a \"North-South Corridor\" that will include express bus lanes and a cycling trunk route to the city. We will restore Bencoolen Street, upon completion of the Downtown Line, with wide pedestrian paths and a dedicated cycling lane to connect to Rochor Canal and Bukit Timah to the north and to the city centre to the south, amongst other cycling connectivity improvements like the Queenstown-City Link and the Bishan-Kallang Link.
Looking further ahead, self-driving vehicle technology will enable new concepts of mobility. We are planning and conducting trials and simulation studies to facilitate their future deployment, which will complement and radically improve the public transport experience, for example, in the first and last mile.
With the support and partnership of Singaporeans, we hope to forge a society where people will give their cars a break and choose instead to \"Walk, Cycle, Ride Singapore\".
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prime Minister's Office (Monetary Authority of Singapore)","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies (Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam): MAS will provide an effective anchor for economic and financial stability during a period of global and regional uncertainties.
We will also actively promote innovations in finance. Technology will challenge many existing players, but is a major opportunity for our financial centre. We will work with the industry to use technology to increase efficiency and lower costs of payments, enable financial institutions to expand their reach abroad, as well as better manage risks and provide benefit to customers, including ordinary savers.
Our core MAS policies should not change fundamentally. Our monetary policy decisions recognise that inflation is low today, but is likely to rise over the medium term amidst a tight labour market. They aim to secure price stability during a period of transition when cost pressures are still significant and while the economy moves gradually towards productivity-led growth. Financial sector supervision, the other major prong of MAS policies, will remain focused on pre-empting systemic risks to the financial system, promoting the safety and soundness of our financial institutions and ensuring well-functioning financial markets.
MAS will also work with the industry to deepen our capital markets and the foreign exchange and derivatives markets; strengthen the asset management and insurance industries; and build a vibrant RMB ecosystem. We will regulate unconventional collective investment schemes to ensure consumers' interests are adequately safeguarded, while there will be wider bond and equity investment choices for retail investors.
The Singapore economy is experiencing modest growth, against the backdrop of uneven global economic health and ongoing restructuring of the domestic economy. The divergence in monetary policies in the advanced economies, volatile capital flows and financial vulnerabilities in some emerging economies also pose new risks for the global system.
MAS' monetary policy of a gradual appreciation of the nominal effective exchange rate of the Singapore dollar since 2010 has brought inflationary pressures under control. In 2015, MAS eased monetary policy in a calibrated manner, in line with the softening of inflation and growth. MAS will continue to focus monetary policy on minimising overall economic volatility, while ensuring price stability in the coming years.
Since the global financial crisis, MAS has strengthened the regulatory framework for banks and insurance companies. Capital and liquidity standards have been enhanced. Last year, MAS introduced a framework to strengthen the ability of domestic systemically-important banks to withstand shocks. MAS is reviewing the capital framework for insurance companies to make it more risk-sensitive. We are also collaborating with the industry and other public agencies to strengthen the cyber resilience of the financial sector.
To strengthen Singapore's securities markets, MAS and SGX have been working to implement reforms, such as a minimum trading price for shares, short position reporting and collateralised trading. To make OTC derivatives markets safer, MAS will implement central clearing and reporting of trades, as appropriate.
The financial sector is a critical gatekeeper in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. MAS has kept our rules in line with international standards and will continue to ensure that financial institutions have strong safeguards against illicit funds.
In recent years, we have stepped up efforts to empower Singaporeans to better manage their finances and safeguard their interests. MAS has expanded the suite of savings and investment options for retail investors by: (a) improving the availability of corporate bonds for stable, long-term returns; (b) enhancing access to exchange-traded funds for diversified equity returns; and (c) introducing the Singapore Savings Bonds for flexible risk-free returns. MAS will also regulate precious metals buy-back arrangements and collectively-managed investment schemes, to better safeguard consumers' interests when investing in such products. We are also reviewing the use of a complexity-risk ratings framework for investment products, to facilitate sound financial decision making.
We are building a vibrant financial innovation ecosystem in Singapore. We will actively collaborate with the industry to make swift, simple and secure digital payments available to all individuals and businesses, encourage financial institutions to set up innovation laboratories in Singapore to test-bed solutions and provide a conducive regulatory environment for such innovation. MAS has also committed $225 million over the next five years to support initiatives under the Financial Sector Technology and Innovation scheme.
Technology will open up new opportunities and change the nature of jobs in finance. Financial institutions will also face challenges from new players who are out to disintermediate them. MAS will work actively with the industry to maximise the potential of technology and will make full use of SkillsFuture to deepen skills, at all levels of the financial sector workforce. We will also ensure a strong Singapore Core in the financial sector. We will work closely with financial institutions to provide Singaporeans with more opportunities to gain cross-functional and overseas exposure and to develop leaders with capabilities to take on responsibilities in Asia and beyond.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prime Minister's Office (National Climate Change Secretariat)","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security (Mr Teo Chee Hean): As a small, low-lying city state, Singapore is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and more frequent extreme weather events. We will strengthen our resilience against the risks from climate change and manage our greenhouse gas emissions to achieve economic growth in a sustainable manner. We are already on track to fulfil our existing commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 16% below business as usual by 2020.
A historic, new global climate agreement was adopted in Paris in December 2015 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Singapore played an active role in forging consensus on the Agreement. In line with the Agreement, Singapore has made a further commitment to reduce our Emissions Intensity2 by 36% from 2005 levels by 2030, and stabilise greenhouse gas emissions with the aim of peaking around 2030.
Our UNFCCC pledge is an ambitious one and will require concerted effort by all stakeholders, including the Government, businesses, households and individuals. Existing policies and measures will need to be enhanced; new initiatives will also be introduced. This will involve significant adjustments to the way we lead our daily lives. Stakeholders will be engaged to gather feedback on the enhancements and new measures needed.
Enhanced energy efficiency will play a key role in our efforts to manage emissions. We will promote the adoption of more efficient industrial and power generation technologies and encourage the use of more energy-efficient buildings, transportation and household appliances.
Our industries will have to step up efforts to re-examine their processes and implement measures to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions. This will be complemented by mandatory measures under the Energy Conservation Act, as well as various capability building programmes, incentives and financing schemes. We will also study ways to harness more clean energy. For example, solar deployment will be scaled up from the current 47 MWp, to provide around 350 MWp of electricity by 2020.
Household energy efficiency will continue to be improved through the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme, which provides information to help consumers make more informed decisions when purchasing household appliances. The Minimum Energy Performance Standards scheme will ensure that only household electrical appliances3 that meet minimum energy performance standards can be sold in Singapore. More categories of appliances will be added to the scheme over time. With reduced energy consumption, businesses and consumers will enjoy cost savings.
We will also continue to invest in research and technology to develop innovative solutions to address Singapore's needs in the areas of energy, emissions reduction, water and land use. As Singapore's base of green companies expands, Singaporeans can look forward to more high-value jobs in exciting new areas, such as solar energy, energy storage solutions and clean transportation, and contribute to improving our quality of life and living environment.
The first phase of the 2nd National Climate Change Study completed in April 2015 provides the long-term climate projections for Singapore. We will build on these projections to assess the impact on Singapore and develop plans to enhance our resilience in areas, such as coastal protection, water resources and urban infrastructure.
Meeting our climate commitment will require everyone to play a part. We will promote climate awareness through public education and outreach programmes. We will build capacity in and support efforts by the people, private and public sectors for climate action. Together, we can build Singapore as an enduring and sustainable home which current and future generations of Singaporeans can enjoy and be proud of.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["2 : Emissions Intensity refers to the amount of greenhouse gas emitted per dollar GDP. It is a measure of how efficient a country is in terms of greenhouse gas emissions relative to its economic activities.","3 : The scheme currently covers air-conditioners, refrigerators, clothes dryers and general lighting."],"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prime Minister's Office (National Population and Talent Division)","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security (Mr Teo Chee Hean): Our goal is to ensure that Singapore remains a cohesive and resilient society with a sustainable population. We aim to make Singapore a great place for starting families and raising children and where Singaporeans can have good jobs and enjoy a quality living environment.
Singapore is a multicultural society where everyone who shares our ideals and is committed to Singapore has a place, regardless of race, language or religion. To remain relevant, we must continue to tap on a global blend of people and ideas to move Singapore ahead and, in doing so, create more opportunities for Singaporeans. We will continue to welcome talent to augment our economic vitality while ensuring that Singaporeans get the necessary education and training to do well in the global economy. Singapore must be a place where everyone is treated fairly and have equal opportunities to succeed based on merit and hard work, regardless of background. We will foster greater mutual understanding and appreciation between different people living in Singapore, through facilitating more social interactions and raising awareness of shared societal values and norms.
We will promote a pro-family environment where Singaporeans can fulfil their family and work aspirations. In the last two years, citizen marriages and births were among their highest levels in more than a decade. We will try to keep this up. We have strengthened support for marriage and parenthood, for example, through enhanced housing and childcare policies. Even as we improve these measures, we must recognise the need for broader societal support. As more mothers remain active in the workforce, there is room for fathers to play more active roles in bringing up children. Employers are also critical in ensuring good workplace support. We will partner people-sector organisations which share our family focus to cultivate stronger social support for marriage and parenthood.
Singaporeans based overseas are part of our Singapore family. While we encourage Singaporeans to gain overseas experience, we will also engage them closely and facilitate their transition back home when they wish to return.
Singapore has one of the most rapidly ageing populations in the world, with the number of seniors projected to double to 900,000 by 2030. While we encourage marriage and parenthood, we will need a carefully calibrated number of new citizens to keep our citizen population stable. We will also need foreigners to complement our Singaporean workforce in areas where we are short. But we cannot grow our population indefinitely. We will strike a careful balance, so that Singaporeans do not feel crowded out and we can meet the needs of our ageing citizen population and workforce. We have slowed the growth of our foreign workforce substantially and, as a result, our total population growth rate last year was the slowest in more than a decade.
Our population challenges are complex and multifaceted. There are many needs to be fulfilled and we will strive to strike the right balance. We will take an open and consultative approach in our population strategies to ensure that all views are heard. This is critical in achieving the balance we strive for. We will work hand-in-hand with Singaporeans to co-create our future together.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prime Minister's Office (National Research Foundation)","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Teo Chee Hean): Singapore's research, innovation and enterprise efforts will play a key role in our future economy and in enabling Singapore to be a Smart Nation. NRF partners scientists, technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, companies and Government agencies to transform our economy and society through knowledge and technology. We seek to grow more innovative Singapore-based companies, create more good jobs for Singaporeans and improve the lives of Singaporeans.
Singapore has achieved a good standing internationally in R&D. Our Universities and research institutes conduct high-quality R&D that creates economic and societal value for Singapore and Singaporeans. Many international partners have set up R&D centres in Singapore. We have catalysed new economic activity through strategic research programmes in sectors, such as Marine & Offshore, Satellite and Cybersecurity, which have attracted active participation from the industries. More companies are investing in corporate laboratories in our Universities and research institutes. We have a vibrant and growing ecosystem of startups, venture capitalists, incubators and accelerators, leveraging Singapore's strengths as a financial centre and a trusted location to protect intellectual property. The growing number of successful companies based in Singapore or founded by Singaporeans, built from knowledge and technology created in Singapore, spur young Singaporeans to take up careers built around science and technology.
The Government will sustain our commitment to research, innovation and enterprise. We will set aside $19 billion for the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 Plan for 2016-2020. We will continue to invest in research but sharpen our focus on how we create and capture value from our R&D investments. We will grow our capabilities in research translation, innovation and facilitating startups, so that scientific breakthroughs improve our lives. We will support industries to get better at investing in new ideas and facilitate the flow-through of researchers into industries.
Our investments will be focused in domains where Singapore has a strong competitive edge and where research and innovation can be applied to our economic and social needs. We will work with our companies to grow industry R&D capabilities and nurture innovative enterprises, to strengthen economic competitiveness and create value and good jobs for Singaporeans. We will build stronger linkages across the value chain in our research, innovation and enterprise ecosystem – scientists, technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, venture funds, MNCs and homegrown companies – to bring technology from our laboratories into our industries and grow stronger industry clusters. These efforts will be aligned with the work of the Committee on the Future Economy.
Singapore must also leverage technology to seize new opportunities, become a Smart Nation and overcome our challenges. Deployment of technologies to make our lives better, solve problems and address our needs is important to realise the benefits of our scientific enterprise and grow our companies' capacity for innovation. We will build up capabilities of our Government agencies to lead in the use of new technologies and collaborate with companies to pilot and test-bed innovative solutions. The Government will also organise stakeholders across the national landscape and facilitate appropriate policies and regulations to enable new industries to grow.
We will upskill Singaporeans to play a central role in our research, innovation and enterprise efforts, while continuing to partner with and learn from the global community. In line with SkillsFuture, we will involve industries in providing postgraduate research training for Singaporeans through new programmes, such as Engineering Doctorates, and by expanding EDB's Industrial Postgraduate Programme. We will facilitate industry internships for our postgraduate research students to deepen skills and expand career choices.
In a competitive world changing rapidly with technological advances, our research, innovation and enterprise efforts will be crucial to bringing Singapore and Singaporeans forward in the next stage of our development. We must continue to invest in science and technology to support growth and innovation and exploit new knowledge to diversify and create new industries, so that Singapore continues to thrive as an island of opportunity where Singaporeans progress together.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prime Minister's Office (National Security Coordination Secretariat)","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security (Mr Teo Chee Hean): Singapore faces an increasingly challenging threat landscape. While we have built up our social resilience and strengthened our security forces, our national security can be undermined in many ways, including a terrorist attack, a virus, whether medical or cyber, food contamination and social fissures. Online self-radicalisation and spread of terrorist methods enable copy-cat attacks.
The role of the National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) is to look ahead at possible threats and work with relevant Government agencies and stakeholders to develop plans to ensure that we are well-prepared to tackle new and emerging threats. Everyone has a part to play to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe.
NSCS works with schools, businesses and people from all walks of life to raise public awareness of security issues and prepare them for potential threats and risks. Now in its third year, the \"Let's Stand Together\" campaign has grown in following. Members of the public engage actively in both online and offline activities to offer views and suggestions. Many support greater civic consciousness and social responsibility to ensure Singapore's national security. NSCS will use the feedback and suggestions to shape the next phase of the \"Let's Stand Together\" campaign.
NSCS also studies the linkages between various critical infrastructures across sectors, such as energy, water, health, infocomm, banking and finance and transport. The intent is to identify and address potential vulnerabilities and danger areas that may arise due to the interdependencies, so that if a problem occurs in one part of the system, the impact on other parts, or other systems, can be limited and minimised.
Social resilience is a key ingredient of national security. NSCS has been working with Government agencies and community groups from the social sector, to develop a stronger understanding of the factors that affect social resilience, such as attitudes towards crises and emergencies, social capital and social trust, in a time of changing demographics and family resilience. Social media is a new factor which allows the rapid spread of information and directions to quickly manage a situation and restore confidence and order, but it can also spread rumours and disinformation which complicates the task of restoring order and exacerbates the situation. In the event of a crisis, it is not just the security agencies that will be called to respond. Our society as a whole will also be tested. We must ensure that we can bounce back from any incident and emerge stronger and more united.
Singaporeans are already among the most networked and connected in the world. As we strive to become more integrated as a Smart Nation, we will become even more interconnected. NSCS works with MHA, MINDEF, IDA, EDB and NRF to engender research and develop practical solutions for cyber security and InfoComm Technology (ICT) challenges, to keep Singaporeans safe in the cyber world.
While we can never be certain of where the next security threat may emerge, we need to prepare ourselves and develop robust plans that can be adapted for different threat scenarios. Standing together, we stand a better chance of ensuring our national security.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prime Minister's Office (Smart Nation Programme Office)","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Singapore is striving to be a Smart Nation, where citizens live meaningful and fulfilled lives empowered by technology; where digital connectivity leads to stronger community bonds; and where there will be many opportunities for Singaporeans to pursue their aspirations and contribute to Singapore's future.
Various Ministries have mentioned in their respective Addendum how they intend to leverage technology to improve services and capabilities for citizens. The Smart Nation Programme Office (SNPO) under PMO coordinates the overall development of infrastructure, policies, ecosystem and capabilities, to achieve a Smart Nation. The Office will collaborate with citizens, industry and Government agencies, so that, collectively, we leverage technology in a concerted and integrated manner to address our national challenges, improve quality of life and benefit the society and economy.
We will focus on areas in which technology can create the greatest positive impact on our daily lives. For example, in public transport and the enhancement of the commuting experience, we have begun to collect more data through the use of bus and taxi sensors and we are sharing these with commuters to empower them to plan their trips. For the longer term, we have begun to experiment with future modes of public transport provision, including autonomous vehicle solutions.
Another area is the use of technology and innovation in our homes and housing estates, to help achieve resource savings, create a more liveable environment and support ageing in place. We are working with industry to pilot some of these technologies in the Yuhua housing estate, with a view to more widespread deployment in due course. The pilots involve residents providing feedback to ensure that the solutions are human-centric and designed to meet their real-life needs.
We want to position Singapore well, as part of the global value chain that will seize opportunities arising from the global digital revolution. Singapore can be the living laboratory for companies to prototype and co-develop proof-of-concepts with our own researchers and innovators. The innovative solutions that work can be piloted, scaled up quickly in Singapore and adapted beyond our shores as global solutions. To this end, various test-beds have already been established in Singapore: for smart home solutions, autonomous driving, outdoor sensor connectivity and others. Such opportunities, to test out new approaches and to give good ideas the runway to take flight, will also contribute to an attractive environment for startups and entrepreneurs.
Indeed, entrepreneurship is a key ingredient of the Smart Nation we are building. We will continue to foster an attractive environment for entrepreneurial talent and strengthen our startup ecosystem to create exciting avenues for our young entrepreneurs to thrive and succeed. For various industries, Smart Nation also presents opportunities to leverage on technology to improve processes and productivity and generate new revenue streams.
Finally, we want to strengthen cohesion in our communities through technology and online platforms. A key thrust of this is our push to make Government data open, shareable and machine readable as much as possible, without compromising personal data protection or national security. We have taken the first steps to do so, to allow citizens to co-create solutions to address the needs of the community.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prime Minister's Office (Public Service Division)","subTitle":"Addendum to President's Address","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security (Mr Teo Chee Hean): The Public Service will support the Government's efforts to work with all Singaporeans to build a better and brighter future for Singapore. Singaporeans, whether individuals or community and volunteer groups, are increasingly interested to contribute their ideas and energy to make Singapore a better home for everyone. The Public Service Division will help public agencies and officers build capabilities and strengthen partnerships with Singaporeans.
Our Ministries and agencies will strengthen community partnerships, so that Singaporeans can work with the Public Service to innovate and deliver better solutions. Singaporeans can also offer their views and ideas to help the Public Service in developing, reviewing and implementing policies. We will also draw from more diverse groups of individuals to serve on our boards, councils and advisory panels. We will continue our practice of deploying more public officers and leaders to operational functions.
To enable a smoother experience when Singaporeans interact with different Government agencies, our Ministries and agencies will improve coordination and collaboration across agencies and integrate frontline operations across agencies where possible. We will also communicate our policies more simply and clearly.
To serve Singaporeans better as we move towards a Smart Nation, the Public Service will make better use of technology, such as data analytics and automated systems, to better understand citizens' needs, improve public services and raise productivity and efficiency. We will encourage our officers to form professional communities to share best practices, acquire new expertise and adopt new technological solutions.
The Public Service will also strengthen its core of engineering expertise and engineers so that it can better plan for, deliver and maintain public infrastructure in a systematic, integrated and sustainable way.
Most importantly, our public officers must have the necessary skills and aptitude to do their work well. The Public Service will continue to recruit officers who are committed to the ethos of Public Service and seek to develop and retain them, by providing meaningful and fulfilling careers. We will continue to develop officers to their full potential, based on performance and potential, rather than academic qualifications or divisional status.
We will promote lifelong learning in line with SkillsFuture and help our officers deepen their skills as they progress through their careers. PSD and the Civil Service College will expand the range of development programmes, by adding new disciplines, for example, public engagement and technology management, and using new, engaging methods of instruction, such as simulation, gaming and online learning. Officers working in professional areas will be supported to seek certification and accreditation, to keep pace with advancements in their fields and become more proficient in their work.
The Public Service will also maintain its policy of paying market-competitive salaries to recruit and retain public officers of good quality to serve Singaporeans well.
We will also enhance leadership development in the Public Service, so that Public Service leaders not only lead their teams well, but also foster a culture of collaboration across agencies to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans. We will also help leaders at all levels to inspire and coach officers and to care for their well-being and development.
We will continue to stress the importance of values in selecting and developing leaders and officers. All public officers and leaders must believe in and hold themselves responsible for the mission of the Public Service. Leaders at all levels must set the tone and build the right culture to inculcate the Public Service values of Integrity, Service and Excellence. These values are at the core of maintaining a high-quality Public Service which is honest and capable to serve Singapore and Singaporeans.
As we progress towards SG100, the Public Service looks forward to strengthening its capabilities and partnering Singaporeans to build a brighter future together.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":343,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Zainal Sapari","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20160115/vernacular-Zainal Sapari(1).pdf","fileName":"Zainal Sapari(1).pdf"},{"vernacularID":344,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Ms Tin Pei Ling","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20160115/vernacular-Tin Pei Ling(1).pdf","fileName":"Tin Pei Ling(1).pdf"},{"vernacularID":345,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Vikram Nair","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20160115/vernacular-Vikram Nair(1).pdf","fileName":"Vikram Nair(1).pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}