1 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry has been able to track the effectiveness of ScamShield in preventing scams since it was launched; (b) what percentage of the local population has downloaded this mobile application; and (c) whether the Ministry intends to introduce ScamShield or similar measures to identify and block scammers from using social media, e-commerce platforms and messaging mobile applications like WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram to trick victims.
2 Mr Derrick Goh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the public adoption rate of ScamShield since its launch; (b) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the effectiveness of ScamShield; and (c) whether ScamShield complements malware detection apps used by banking customers.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, with your permission, may I take Question Nos 1 and 2 together?
\tMr Speaker: Please go ahead.
Ms Sun Xueling: The iOS and Android versions of the ScamShield mobile app were launched in November 2020 and September 2022 respectively. As of October 2023, there have been about 750,000 downloads. We do not track the number of unique users. A user may download the ScamShield app on multiple devices.
ScamShield has been effective in protecting users from scam calls and SMSes. Since March 2022, about 80,000 unique scam-tainted phone numbers have been blacklisted and blocked by ScamShield and about five million SMSes have been flagged to users as potential scams.
On top of phone calls blocked by ScamShield, the Police work closely with telecommunication companies (telcos) to block mobile lines suspected to be involved in scams. In the first half of 2023, more than 3,700 mobile lines which were believed to be used in scams were flagged by the Police for termination. In addition, telcos blocked about 180 million suspected scam calls at the network level during this period.
The Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) team is making enhancements to the ScamShield app so that users can more easily report scams. It is also working to improve the accuracy of scam SMS detections and to help users more easily set up the correct permission settings.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked about measures to identify and block scammers from using social media, e-commerce platforms and messaging mobile applications. While ScamShield is not designed to block scammers on these platforms, it serves as an additional layer of defence and has a reporting function that allows users to alert the authorities about the scam calls and messages they receive. It also complements the Government’s efforts to combat scams. For example, the Police, upon detecting or receiving reports from the public on scammers who are using social media, e-commerce or messaging apps, will ask the platform operators to remove these accounts. In the first half of 2023, more than 10,000 WhatsApp lines and 1,500 online monikers and advertisements that were believed to be used in scams were flagged out by the Police for termination.
The Online Criminal Harms Act, which will be operationalised progressively from the first quarter of 2024, will allow the Police to tackle online scam activities more effectively. Specifically, it provides the Police powers to direct online services to prevent suspected scam accounts or content from interacting with or reaching Singapore users. Police can also require designated online services to implement systems, processes or measures to counter scams, such as requiring the verification of user identities against Government-issued identification documents.
Mr Derrick Goh asked whether ScamShield complements the malware detection apps used by banking customers. The short answer is yes.
Major retail banks have introduced anti-malware security features on their banking apps, which seek to protect banking customers by detecting the presence of malware on their devices, and triggering actions such as blocking access to the banking app. While ScamShield is not designed to detect or block malware, it complements the anti-malware security features on banking apps by protecting users from other attack vectors, namely scam calls and scam SMSes, hence, further mitigating the risk of users falling prey to scams.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I have two supplementary questions. First, to encourage usage of ScamShield, would the Ministry consider working with the Ministry of Communications and Information and have the app pre-loaded on all new handphones? If the app is pre-loaded on new handphones, it would be easier for us to roll out educational campaigns to encourage all to use ScamShield, especially for our seniors.
Second, I understand that the Minister of State has shared that for scammers using social media, e-commerce and messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, the Ministry of Home Affairs actually works with the developers to remove these accounts from these platforms. So, my question is, are they given a timeline as to how fast they are supposed to remove such scam accounts?
Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his two supplementary questions. On the first question about pre-loading ScamShield, we have considered this before, but we have decided not to proceed. The reasons are as follows.
Firstly, not all users may consent to having ScamShield pre-loaded on their mobile devices.
Secondly, for ScamShield to work effectively, users actually have to set up permission settings. So, even if we were to pre-load the app, if the user does not know how to execute the permission settings, ScamShield will not be able to work effectively.
Thirdly, there is always a possibility that mobile users could deactivate or delete the app after we pre-load it.
So, for these considerations, we decided not to pre-load the ScamShield app, but we will keep this option open if our efforts to further encourage the download of the ScamShield app does not make progress.
On the second question, we work with the app developers as well as the platforms whenever we are informed about scams that are being perpetuated on social media platforms as well as other messaging applications. There is no fixed timeline in place, but we require the operators to remove the content as soon as possible. Sometimes, some of these platforms tell us that they require some time to investigate to make sure that on their end, it adheres to their community standards or that truly, they have conducted their investigations and that, it is, indeed, potentially a scam, and they would then need to go through their processes to remove the advertisement or the otherwise potential scam message.
So, because of these factors, there is no specific timeline that the Police has set out, but depending on the likely harm and impact, the Police would do what is within their powers to encourage the platforms to remove those scam messages as soon as possible.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Derrick Goh.
\tMr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I ask the Minister of State to share if there are plans to upgrade ScamShield protection to cover other channels like emails, WhatsApp messages and, perhaps, malware, which the Minister of State said do not help in protection so far? The reason is, Mr Speaker, the Police have reported that we have already seen losses of $660 million last year and $330 million in the first half of the year. Apart from these losses are the emotional stress on victims. So, a positive reply would be appreciated.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. We should see the use of ScamShield vis-à-vis all the other efforts that the Police together with stakeholders are implementing to prevent the scourge of scams from further impacting our community and society. ScamShield largely performs the function of crowdsourcing so that we know what are the reported scam numbers and scam messages that the Police would verify backend and then, block. But, as we know, there are other stakeholders who are involved. I have talked about how the telcos at the network level have effectively blocked 180 million scam calls at their level in the first half of 2023.
So, we have to look at the use of ScamShield together with all these other channels that we are using to prevent the scourge of scams from further impacting our community.
On the point of malware, the Member would note that in recent times, the major retail banks have already rolled out anti-malware applications via the digital banking apps. The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has also shared a list of anti-malware security apps that members of the public could download on their own. Some of these apps are for free. So, we need to consider, apart from the ScamShield app, all these other initiatives that would be helpful to the public in preventing scams from further impacting society.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Derrick Goh.
\tMr Derrick Goh: Mr Speaker, Sir, not every user of mobile phones are banking customers or mobile app users. So, to this point, would the Minister of State consider looking at a potential upgrade of ScamShield? And secondly, would the Minister of State consider further upgrades to ScamShield if further monitoring of existing initiatives do not work out as well?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his questions. I shared in my main reply that, indeed, the GovTech team, specifically, is working on improving the ScamShield app. The current area that they are looking to improve is to increase the value proposition of the ScamShield app to users. For instance, a feedback we have received is that users are not aware if the ScamShield app is actually working in the background of their phones. The reason for that is because currently, ScamShield does not actively inform the user how many calls and SMSes have been blocked. The app works silently in the background. So, that is something that the GovTech team is working on.
Other potential improvements are about in-app reporting of malicious calls and SMSes to make it more user-friendly for users of ScamShield to be able to use it, rather than have to copy and paste the scam messages and to have additional steps when it comes to reporting.
These are the areas that the GovTech team is working on. We feel that it is through improvements in the features, functionality and the user experience of the app which would be key to enhancing the app's download rate.
On the point of malware, indeed, we are not just relying on the actions of the banks, we are not just relying on the digital banking apps of the banks to prevent malware. Indeed, I am aware that there could be mobile users who, unfortunately, download malware unsuspectingly, for instance, when they click on links that are tainted APK files, for instance.
From the perspective of cyber hygiene, this is something that the CSA is working on actively on the ground, together with digital ambassadors and the Infocomms Media Development Authority, to encourage better cyber hygiene practices, so that our members of society do not unwittingly download malware. We also promote messages such as ensuring that any downloads of apps should be done from the official App Store or Google Play Store, for instance.
You would also have read that there are other stakeholders such as the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, which has recently announced the default daily withdrawal limits, the CPF withdrawal lock, so on and so forth – all of which are other ways to prevent our population, our society and our members from losing their monies through scams.
I do not think we should see the use of the ScamShield app as the only channel and the only app that would prevent our members of society from becoming victims of scams. I would urge all of us to look at the suite of measures in its totality.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Solutions to Defray Cost Increases in National Library Board's Decision to Cease Subscription to E-learning Platform","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"3 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Communications and Information with respect to the announcement by the National Library Board on 7 November 2023 that it will cease its subscription to an e-learning platform from 15 December 2023, whether the Ministry has considered any solutions to defray the cited reason of a significant increase in cost so that public will be able to continue benefitting from access to the platform.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Sir, the National Library Board (NLB) is committed to making e-learning resources accessible to all, as part of its expanded range of content formats to support reading, learning and discovery.
The current contract for Udemy Business will expire on 15 December 2023. NLB has decided not to award a fresh contract to Udemy Business because the new licensing model will cover a much smaller number of courses than what is available today and restrict the number of users allowed to access these courses. The new licensing model is also several times more expensive than the current contract. Notwithstanding this, Singaporeans who have a continued interest in courses offered by Udemy Business can use their SkillsFuture Credit for such courses and submit their claims directly to the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) for reimbursement upon completion of their course.
NLB will also continue to identify suitable e-learning resources to replace the offerings by Udemy Business and expects to make available new resources in the coming months. NLB will continue to work with SSG and other local and overseas partners to provide more online learning resources and encourage lifelong learning among Singaporeans.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Hany Soh.
\tMs Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Speaker. I have three supplementary questions for this question.
Firstly, can the Senior Minister of State share on a per user basis, what would be the cost involved if the subscriptions were kept, as opposed to how much it cost before the cost increases?
The second supplementary question is in relation to alternative platforms for the users, how do they measure up against the current Udemy Business platform?
And finally, how will the Ministry or, specifically, NLB assist members of the public with the transitions from the current platform to its replacements, especially when it comes to addressing their needs on work or studies?
\t
\tMr Tan Kiat How: Sir, the refreshed proposal from the Udemy Business on its online resources is through an open tender or an open procurement approach. I do not think it would be appropriate for me to share some of the commercial sensitivities that might be tied to the proposal. But, perhaps, allow me to elaborate. It is not just about the cost per user. It is about the restricted access to the courses that are available under this new licensing model, which we do not think will meet the needs of the learners in Singapore.
Allow me to use an analogy to explain. In the past, you go to a restaurant, you pay a price at the door, you go in. If it is a buffet, you choose what you want and you eat all you can. You can go to the cooked food section, there is a seafood section, a salad section, there are hot stations where they prepare food for you, then you have the drinks section and the desserts section. Choose what you want and eat all you can for a fixed price. But with a new model, maybe a restaurant tells you that the price that you pay at the door is a few times higher now; and when you go into the restaurant, you are only entitled to a plate of rice and maybe two or three dishes from the cooked food section. Anything else, you would have to top up or pay extra. So, now, you are no longer able to go to the salad section, you cannot go to the drinks section, you cannot go to the desserts section and you cannot go to the seafood section.
So, the question for us is: with a much more expensive and costly model, does this still meet the needs of our learners?
We assure the Member Ms Hany Soh and other Members that NLB is very concerned about the nutritional needs of our Singaporeans, especially the nutrition of the mind, their learning needs. We are actively exploring what other platforms can provide such needs for our learners.
At the same time, we also shared with many members of the public who wrote in about some of the other alternative resources. For example, you have LearnX, which is on learning.nlb.gov.sg. It is a platform where NLB provides curated resources for our learners. We also shared a list of other platforms that are available for learners to tap on in the meantime, as we look at other resources, other online platforms for our learners, in the future.
So, I wish to assure Members that this is something that NLB is very, very keen on because we want to support the lifelong learning and discovery needs of Singaporeans of all ages.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply.
I just heard the Senior Minister of State say that learners can use the SkillsFuture Credit to claim for Udemy courses. But the last time I checked on the SkillsFuture website, Udemy courses are not available. It used to be, a long time ago, but it was discontinued for some time already. And, as far as I know, there is only one online course provided called eCornell. So, can the Senior Minister of State confirm that what he said just now is still accurate?
\tMr Tan Kiat How: Sir, I would have to get back to Mr Giam for his question. [Please refer to \"Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information\", Official Report, 22 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 117, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
From the information I am given, it is possible for Singaporeans who have continued interest in courses offered by Udemy Business to use their SkillsFuture Credit for such courses and submit these claims directly to SSG for reimbursement upon completion of their course. But perhaps, if Mr Giam would like to seek specific clarification on specific courses, he can write to us. We will take a look and check it out.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Digital Cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia through Nongsa Digital Park and its Outlook","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"4 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether an update can be provided on the digital cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia through the Nongsa Digital Park (NDP) and its outlook; (b) whether the cooperation in the NDP special economic zone has led to higher growth for Singapore’s information communication technology sector; and (c) how much has this cooperation led to more jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans.
\tThe Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Low Yen Ling) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, Nongsa Digital Park is a commercial project in Batam attracting and housing tech talents to support the needs of companies in Singapore and Southeast Asia. \tNongsa Digital Park is doing well. Around 1,000 tech talents in \tNongsa Digital Park are currently servicing some 250 Singapore-based companies.
Singapore-based data centre players, such as Princeton Digital Group, GDS Holdings and Gaw Capital, have also announced data centre investments in \tNongsa Digital Park to serve Southeast Asia. These projects support Singapore and Indonesia’s digital economies and create jobs for both countries.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
\tMr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister of State for her reply. It is good to hear that there are 1,000 tech talents involved. But can I ask the Minister of State two supplementary questions?
First, can the Minister of State elaborate further on the type of sectors that the 250 companies come from? My second supplementary question is, can the Minister of State also give us an update on the Nongsa Digital Town she mentioned? How is this digital bridge helping Singapore-based companies access the growth of Indonesia's digital economy?
\t
\tMs Low Yen Ling: Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member Mr Saktiandi Supaat for his two supplementary questions. If I could elaborate and share a bit of context, Nongsa Digital Park is Singapore's digital bridge to Indonesia's digital economy. Many will remember it was launched in 2018. It has only been five years and for most of the five years, we were mired in the pandemic. Despite that, it now serves about 250 Singapore-based companies.
The close proximity of Batam, Bintan, Karimun – which we refer to as the BBK region in short – and the park's status as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), these two key factors offer our Singapore-based companies advantages to tap the promising growth opportunities of Indonesia's growing digital economy.
He asked about the profile and the sector. I am happy to update him that the 250 Singapore-based companies that I have shared earlier in my reply harness the tech talent services in Nongsa Digital Park and they include multinational corporations (MNCs), small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as startups from industries such as the financial sector, digital and creative media as well as software engineering, just to name a few.
I will cite a few companies, just to give him a sensing. Some of these big companies are AIA Singapore, which is an insurance MNC; Infinite Studios, which is a media company; and Infineon, a semi-conductor MNC. And another quick example is VA Insight, which is a Singapore-based software engineering company.
As for his question about other sectors, earlier on in my main reply, I talked about data centres and the three quick examples I shared – GDS Holdings, Princeton Digital Group as well as Gaw Capital – all these are important projects during this time. It is a vote of confidence in the potential of the Nongsa Digital Park.
I must specify that there is a difference between the Nongsa Digital Park, under which there is a launch of the Nongsa Digital Town. The Nongsa Digital Town, if you remember, was only launched two years ago by Minister Chan Chun Sing, in his capacity in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), and his counterpart. The objective of the Nongsa Digital Town really is to further bridge the tech companies and talent in Singapore and Indonesia. I am happy to share that the Nongsa Digital Town is actually designed by Surbana Jurong, and in close partnership, developed by PT Citra Sinar Global.
He asked in the second supplementary question about the progress. It has been two years, it is undergoing construction and when completed, the Nongsa Digital Town will house an additional 8,000 tech talents that will continue to serve Singapore-based companies. The Nongsa Digital Town will have co-working spaces, digital training centres, offices, lifestyle centres and hotels for business travellers. The initial phase of the development – there is one interesting development called The Hive, and it will be completed in the second half of next year. When completed, it will comprise a mixed development of food and beverage (F&B) outlets, co-working spaces and also community spaces.
So, I want to use this platform to assure Mr Saktiandi Supaat that MTI and our economic agencies will certainly work closely with our Indonesian counterparts and industry stakeholders to continue to expand partnership between Singapore-based companies and the BBK region. We will do so by leveraging the complementary strengths of Singapore and the BBK region – I mentioned the close proximity – and also identify mutually beneficial opportunities in Indonesia's digital economy.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Elderly Caregivers of Adult Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Help for Such Caregivers who Lose Mental Capacity","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"5 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry keeps a record of the current number of elderly caregivers who are caring for adult persons with intellectual disabilities, in particular those who are low functioning and, if so, what is the number; (b) what are the current avenues available to help such caregivers in the event they lose their mental capacity due to reasons including an early onset of dementia; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider developing and implementing early identification and support programmes for such caregivers.
\tThe Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Eric Chua) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development): Mr Speaker, we do not directly track the number of elderly caregivers who are caring for adults with intellectual disabilities. However, based on our records, there are about 900 adult persons with intellectual disabilities who are enrolled in our disability care services and living at home with at least one caregiver aged 65 years and above.
We encourage all seniors, including caregivers of persons with disabilities, to plan early for their own long-term care needs. This includes drawing up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), which allows a person aged at least 21 to voluntarily appoint other individuals to make decisions and act on their behalf if they lose mental capacity. For those who lose their mental capacity without an LPA, their family members can apply to the Court to be appointed as deputies and make decisions in their best interest. If there is no suitable person who can apply to be their deputy, a professional deputy can apply to the Courts to act on their behalf.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) offers the Assisted Deputyship Application Programme in Special Education schools and MSF disability care services to assist caregivers of persons with disabilities and no mental capacity to apply for deputyship. More than one caregiver can apply to be appointed by the Court as deputies for an adult person with disability and no mental capacity. Should one of the appointed deputies lose mental capacity, the other deputy or deputies can continue to support the person with disability.
We encourage caregivers of persons with disabilities to plan ahead and approach SG Enable and the Special Needs Trust Company early for future care planning support for their loved ones, including deputyship matters, financial planning, respite care and peer support.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his answers. Will the Ministry consider developing and implementing an early identification and support programme for such caregivers that is on a multi-agency basis, beyond MSF and perhaps with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), with the Active Ageing Centres (AACs) on the ground, and in fact, including other stakeholders like the Law Society and doctors? I say lawyers and doctors, because they may have to interface with such families in the course of their related work. Rather than to leave it to the families to seek help when they have illness like dementia, because at that point in time, they may not have sufficient extended family support. So, I would urge the Government to consider looking into this.
\t
\t
\t
\tMr Eric Chua: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Some of that work is already ongoing. In the reply by MOH to hon Member Mr Gan Thiam Poh's Parliamentary Question in May 2022, MOH has made clear that the outreach by AIC on LPA awareness, on things such as future care planning, is already ongoing. AIC, together with the community partners on the ground, is already doing a lot of work to make sure that the drawing up of an LPA and other related end-of-life or future care planning instruments are as well-known or as propagated as possible.
But I do note that there is always capacity to do more.
Also, in addition, the fee waiver that has been announced in March 2023 and the extension of an additional three years, these are further incentives on the ground to help encourage the drawing up of LPAs in advance. There has been some momentum, from what I know, there has been quite a bit of community ground-up efforts as well to encourage the drawing up of LPAs as well as advanced care plans. But we note that there is always room and capacity to do more.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Allowing Private Hire Car and Taxi Drivers to Install Passenger Facing Video Recorders with Audio Functions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"The following question stood in the name of Ms Yeo Wan Ling –
6 To ask the Minister for Transport in light that passengers of private hire cars and taxis have taken to videoing in-vehicle disputes on devices such as handphones, whether LTA will consider allowing such drivers to install passenger facing video recorders with audio functions.
\t
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Question No 6.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister of Transport): Since 2019, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has allowed taxi and private hire car drivers to install passenger-facing video recorders with audio functions in their vehicles, with prior permission from LTA, and only at LTA-authorised installation centres.
To protect passengers' privacy and guard against misuse, recordings made by these devices can only be accessed for investigation and enforcement purposes, such as in fare-related disputes and by authorised Government personnel and LTA-authorised persons only. They must also be stored securely.
Vehicles with such devices must be affixed with a notice to inform passengers and passengers must also be informed by operators should such a vehicle be matched to them. This is to give passengers a choice on whether they wish to take a vehicle equipped with such a recording device.
Taxi and private hire car drivers may not install and use unauthorised recording devices, such as their personal mobile phones, to record audio and/or video within their vehicles.
We encourage both point-to-point (P2P) drivers and commuters to treat each other with respect and act graciously when providing or using P2P services. In cases where drivers have been harassed by passengers who have used recording devices and shared these recordings online without the drivers' consent, drivers may seek recourse, including under the Protection from Harassment Act.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Job Openings for Fresh Graduates and Impact of Decline in Firms' Intention to Hire","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"7 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how does the job openings for fresh graduates in the third quarter of 2023 (3Q2023) compare against the same period in 2022; (b) what is the proportion of recently employed fresh graduates who secured (i) contractual and (ii) full-time roles; and (c) considering that the 3Q2023 Labour Market Advance Release reported a decline in the proportion of firms with an intention to hire due to worsened business expectations, what is the Government's assessment of the impact on fresh graduates.
\tThe Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no data on job openings for fresh graduates, which I shall use as a collective term to also include graduates who just finished National Service. This is because employers do not usually specify the demographic requirements of job applicants in their job advertisements, as this is a breach of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP).
Based on the annual Graduate Employment Survey (GES), employment outcomes for fresh graduates from our autonomous universities, polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) have remained strong. Amongst fresh graduates who were looking for jobs, about 90% of the 2022 cohort were employed within six months of graduation. Of those employed, 80% were in full-time permanent employment, which is comparable to pre-COVID levels. The remaining 20% in part-time temporary or freelance employment were mostly in such jobs by choice, with the majority doing so to pursue further studies.
Ms Nadia also asked about the proportion of fresh graduates in contractual roles. The GES does not collect this information.
Full-time permanent employment includes contracts lasting one year or more.
While hiring sentiments have dipped in the third quarter of 2023, the overall labour market remains tight. The number of job vacancies has trended downwards but remained high at 87,900 as at June 2023 and the ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons stood at 1.94.
We have been highlighting the downward trend in terms of the job vacancies because of the tougher, uncertain economic outlook that is facing us, with the economic headwinds in the next few quarters. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and we will stand ready to assist our graduates. Fresh graduates can reach out to Education and Career Coaches in their respective Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) should they require support in their job search or tap on Workforce Singapore's (WSG) career matching services.
\tMr Speaker: Ms Nadia.
\tMs Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you. I would like to thank the Minister for his reply. I just have two follow-up supplementary questions. The first, whether there is any statistics on underemployment, in terms of whether the graduates going into these roles are facing that issue? The second, I know the Minister mentioned career counselling, WSG, and so on. Are there any other more specific resources for fresh graduates that they may tap for upskilling in the interim, while looking for a job, because SkillsFuture may not be so applicable to the younger graduates?
\t
\tDr Tan See Leng: I thank the Member, Ms Nadia, for her supplementary questions. First, on underemployment, the measure that we have is time-related under-employment. Because of the tight labour market, time-related underemployment has been on a downward trend.
Today, of all employed residents in Singapore, time-related underemployment accounts for about 3% of the entire employed workforce for residents. For fresh graduates, it is way below that. It is 1.9% of fresh graduates today that have time-related under-employment.
In terms of the programmes, we have quite an extensive range of programmes to support our fresh graduates. At the IHLs, our students and graduates can tap on the Education and Career Counselling Services to find out more about jobs and what kind of opportunities and skill adjacencies they can have by upskilling.
Leading Government agencies are working with industry partners. We are also working with the Labour Movement and with the unions to facilitate the entry of polytechnic and ITE graduates into good jobs within key priority sectors with attractive starting wages and also meaningful career progression pathways.
In the information and communications technology sector, we work with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). There is a TechSkills Accelerator programme for ITE and polytechnics called the TechSkills Accelerator for ITE and Polytechnics Alliance; and this was set up in 2022. This is to drive the shift in hiring practices in the tech industry from one that is qualification-based to one that is skills-based.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is also scaling up Work-Study programmes where fresh polytechnic and ITE graduates are placed into jobs where they can deepen their skills through a structured training programme that includes on-the-job training while they are pursuing careers which are related to the discipline of study.
On top of that, we have Education and Career coaches and the career-matching services that WSG continues to provide, which offers a very good supplement to the current Education and Career Guidance programme provided by MOE as well as the IHLs.
There is an entire slew of programmes available today for them to tap on. Notwithstanding that, we anticipate this tightness to ease in terms of the labour situation because of the uncertainties that we are entering into over the next one to two quarters. We will not hesitate to step up, and step in, to help our graduates further, should the need arise.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
\tMr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Speaker, can I ask the Minister whether there is any growth in the starting pay of the most recent batch of graduates, given that inflation is very high now?
\t
\tDr Tan See Leng: I do not have the statistics offhand. Perhaps Mr Leong can file a subsequent Parliamentary Question on this. I am happy to address it. We are going to release the Labour Market Report in December. There will be statistics to show that as well. That should come out within a month.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information","subTitle":"Clarification to Question No 3","sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Speaker: Senior Minister of State, Tan Kiat How.
The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How): Sir, thank you. I just wanted to reply to Member Mr Gerald Giam's question just now. I have verified with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) colleagues. Just to reaffirm what I said – Singaporeans who have continued interest in courses offered by Udemy can use their SkillsFuture credits for such courses and submit their claims directly to SSG for reimbursement, upon completion of the courses. [Please refer to \"Solutions to Defray Cost Increases in National Library Board's Decision to Cease Subscription to E-learning Platform\", Official Report, 22 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 117, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Tackle Rising Number of Telegram Channels Selling Sexually Explicit Materials","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"8 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the current measures in place to tackle the rising number of Telegram channels selling non-consensual and illegally obtained sexually explicit materials, especially after the previous occurrence of the Telegram chat group SG Nasi Lemak; (b) what is the Government's assessment of our enforcement system’s current ability to tackle and deter such crimes in a timely way; and (c) what more can be done in working with online platforms to prevent such recurrences.
\tThe Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister of Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, we have laws against the sale or distribution of non-consensual and illegally obtained sexually explicit materials. The Police take a very serious view of such offences and have taken firm action against the perpetrators in cases which had come to their attention.
To deal with the online dissemination of such harmful content, we have updated our laws, such as with the introduction of the Online Criminal Harms Act in 2023. When the Online Criminal Harms Act is operationalised progressively from the first quarter of 2024, the Police can issue a Disabling Direction to online platforms, such as Telegram, to prevent such materials on the platform from being accessed by Singapore users.
Non-compliance by the online platforms with these Directions will be an offence. In these instances, the Competent Authority can also issue an Access Blocking Order, App Removal Order or Service Restriction Order to the Internet Service Providers or app stores, to restrict access to the online service provided by the platform or part of the online service, to prevent the criminal activity and content from being accessed by persons in Singapore.
Online platforms also have a responsibility to proactively curb the spread of harmful online content and to ensure that their services are safe for their users. Under the Broadcasting Act, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) issued the Code of Practice for Online Safety, which took effect on 18 July 2023. The Code of Practice requires designated social media services with significant reach or impact to put in place systems and processes to minimise exposure to harmful content for users in Singapore. The six designated services are Facebook, HardwareZone, Instagram, TikTok, X or formerly Twitter, and YouTube. Singapore users can report harmful content to the designated services for appropriate actions to be taken. The IMDA will periodically review the need to designate other social media services with significant reach and impact as necessary, including Telegram.
The effectiveness of our enforcement system depends on the responsiveness of the online services. To date, Telegram has not responded to Police's requests to remove access to accounts disseminating sexually explicit materials. However, there has recently been some progress in our engagement with Telegram. We will continue to work with them, and other online platforms, to better protect Singapore users from harmful content.
Mr Speaker: Ms Nadia.
\tMs Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you. I am looking forward to the Online Harms Act. Just two follow-up questions. Beyond the online platforms – and I am glad to know that there has been some progress with Telegram and here we are really talking about non-consensual and illegally obtained material – two of my supplementary questions are about how we can go further upstream, beyond the punishment for perpetrators. What more can Government and society do to create a more respectful culture between men and women and, secondly, to help survivors who have faced such incidents, which can be very traumatising?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her suggestions and feedback about the necessity of going upstream. Indeed, it is important to create a respectful culture between men and women, boys and girls, from an early age. So, I would like to cite examples from the Ministry of Education's (MOE) Character and Citizenship Education, where students are taught to respect all persons, regardless of race, language, religion, gender and age. MOE's sexuality education also seeks to help students develop positive self, social emotional competencies, healthy relationships and values.
Most of our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have, similarly, compulsory modules on respect and appropriate behaviour for the students. I understand that the remaining IHLs are working to introduce similar modules. [Please refer to \"Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs\", Official Report, 22 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 117, Correction By Written Statement section.]
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) also has several campaigns that aim to encourage respectful behaviour among family members and also when it comes to intimate partners, because if there is no practice of respect in such relationships, in the egregious cases, we might see sexual violence.
MSF reaches out to partners across the people, private and public sectors to deliver domestic violence awareness training. We also work with social service agencies on how to spot signs of violence, how to counsel victims, survivors as well as perpetrators, and also offer help to those experiencing physical violence or sexual violence.
On the Singapore Police Force end, the Police set up the sexual crime and family violence command in April, for better oversight of the management of sexual crime and family violence cases. The command is staffed by Police officers who have specialised expertise in handling sexual crime and family violence cases. They also possess good victim management skills. Police may also activate victim care volunteers, under the Victim Care Cadre programme, to provide emotional support to victims or survivors during the course of investigations.
Mr Speaker: Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Thank you, Mr Speaker. May I ask the Minister of State whether the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would consider implementing regulations to stop apps from targeting minors or vulnerable young children from accessing these apps? There was a recent CNA article in which the reporters said that some of these apps were meant to target minors who were trying to access dating apps, and as a result, there were passes, some indecent comments made to the minors.
So, would MHA consider, say, requiring these app owners to require members signing up to use their Singpass before allowing them to sign up, so this will make sure that those who are minors would not be able to sign up for such apps?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. On his specific clarification, that would come under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and IMDA, so if he were able to file a separate Parliamentary Question on it, they would be able to answer.
But what I would say is that I mentioned the Broadcasting Act earlier, and that the IMDA had issued the Code of Practice for Online Safety. So, within that framework, indeed, age verification for the use of apps and as to whether or not certain apps should be accessible to certain age groups, that is a conversation that IMDA is having with the platforms.
But in the actual execution, and what the IMDA can do about it and how they can hold those platforms accountable, it would be through the amended Broadcasting Act as well as the Code of Practice on Online Safety, which I had mentioned earlier.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data Security Incident Involving Personal Data of Members of Shopping Loyalty Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"9 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Communications and Information with regard to the data security incident involving the personal data of about 655,000 members of a shopping loyalty programme operated by a luxury resort operator in Singapore (a) whether the incident was reported to the authorities and, if so, when was it reported; and (b) what was the reason provided to the authorities for the three-week delay in notifying affected members.
\tThe Minister for Communications and Information (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Speaker, on 7 November 2023, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) announced a breach of its customers' loyalty programme membership data that took place on 19 and 20 October 2023. MBS has since notified affected individuals.
Singapore takes breaches of personal data seriously. The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) requires all organisations to put in place reasonable security measures to protect the personal data in their possession or control, to prevent unauthorised access, disclosure or modification. The Guide on Managing and Notifying Data Breaches under the PDPA sets out clear timelines and requirements that organisations must comply with.
MBS discovered the data breach on 20 October 2023, and notified the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) on 24 October 2023. This meets the timeframes for notification to PDPC as set out in the earlier mentioned guide.
The Member may ask why notifications are not required to be made immediately. That is really because in the usual follow-up to the discovery of a data breach, there are usually four things that we would like the organisations to undertake.
First is that they must immediately seek to contain the breach. So, that is the immediate priority. The second is that they must then make best efforts to assess the degree and the extent to which the data breach has resulted in loss of data. The third is then they must assess whether this falls within the requirements for notification, and if it does, then they must proceed to make the report. And the fourth is that they must then evaluate their containment efforts, whether they are secure.
So, there are these four steps, and because the priority is on containment and assessment, PDPC does give the organisation a little bit of time before they make the notification report to the PDPC.
With that as background, let me assure the Member that PDPC is conducting investigations into this incident. It will ascertain whether there was significant harm to affected individuals and correspondingly, whether affected individuals were notified in a timely manner. PDPC will provide their findings in due course.
Mr Speaker: Ms Hany Soh.
\tMs Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): I thank the Minister for her response to my Parliamentary Question. I have a few supplementary questions in relation to that.
Firstly, in relation to the PDPC's investigation findings, do we have an estimated timeline as to when that will be completed and whether that would be subsequently published to the public for information?
Secondly, subsequent to the reporting by MBS to the PDPC, whether the PDPC has received any reports from members who are affected, especially, and how this particular incident has affected these members and whether any of them has been further assisted since then?
Thirdly, this is in relation to whether the Ministry or the PDPC would consider it necessary to impose further specific or enhancement of obligations to these organisations that possesses large volumes of personal data, for example, through licensing conditions, where applicable?
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for her supplementary questions. Let me try to address them in turn.
The first is on whether the findings of its investigations will be made public – the answer is yes. As to how long that will take, it goes to the complexity of the investigations. And so, it is difficult to say in advance what the duration is likely to be.
Her second question relates to whether there were any follow-ups from affected members of MBS. The PDPC received reports from two of those members who were affected. Essentially, they wanted to draw the PDPC's attention to this, in case it was not notified, or it was not yet aware of the breach. And the second is that they also asked that the PDPC take MBS to account for this breach which, of course, the PDPC intended to do in any case.
As to how these affected members were being assisted by MBS, I think, in the first place, it is most important for the members to know what types of data have been accessed or revealed as a result of this breach. And so, when MBS notified the affected members, it did clarify that the types of personal data that were revealed, included the name, contact information, country of residence and membership number as well as tier. This was the extent of the breach that the MBS was able to ascertain.
It further provided advice to the affected members on how they could safeguard their accounts with MBS, as well as other kinds of personal information. As a responsible measure, they provided a contact for follow-up enquiries, in case the affected members wanted to clarify on various other aspects.
Ms Soh's third question had to do with the organisations that could be in possession of large volumes of data. Our position today already states that a higher standard of personal data protection is required when organisations hold large quantities of different types of personal data or hold data that might be more sensitive, such as insurance, medical and financial data.
In such cases, organisations are required to implement enhanced data protection practices as stipulated in the PDPC's guide to data protection practices for information and communications technology (ICT) systems.
In addition, the PDPC has issued an advisory guideline on enforcement for data protection provisions that makes clear that failure to put in place adequate safeguards for large volumes of sensitive personal data can be taken as an aggravating factor in calculating the level of penalties to be imposed on an organisation. I hope that addresses the Member's questions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Inclusion of Risdiplam in Rare Diseases Fund to Treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"10 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Health in view of the Health Sciences Authority's assessment of risdiplam which cited data showing improvements in motor function following 12 months of risdiplam treatment as compared with placebo or historical data, whether the Rare Diseases Fund can include medications, such as risdiplam, to treat spinal muscular atrophy.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, my answer will also address Question Nos 24 and 25 for written answer in today's Order Paper.
The Rare Disease Fund (RDF) is a charity fund for which the Government matches donations three-to-one, and it is managed by the RDF Committee (RDFC) comprising community representatives under the advice of a panel of medical experts.
The RDFC oversees the RDF's fundraising efforts and donor engagement. The expansion of RDF to cover Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy Products (CTGTPs) and the ability to draw on the principal donation to spend on CTGTPs are fairly recent arrangements, and the RDFC will communicate with new donors.
On Mr Ong's suggestion to publish an annual report, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will relay this to the RDFC for its consideration.
\tCurrently, the RDF has listed seven treatments for five conditions. This is based on the clinical effectiveness of these treatments and if the RDF is adequate to support all known patients requiring the same treatment. Since November 2022, the RDF has received and supported applications from eight patients.
We hope that donors will consider supporting the RDF so that more treatments and conditions can be listed, and more patients can be supported.
Separate from the RDF, MOH will review the clinical and cost-effectiveness of spinal muscular atrophy treatments for subsidies and mainstream financing. In the interim, subsidised patients who face concerns affording these treatments may approach Medical Social Workers to apply for MediFund.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Ong.
\t \tMr Ong Hua Han (Nominated Member): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her reply. It is good to know that the RDF is continuously reviewed to improve access for rare disease patients and is also considering greater transparency of the fund. I just have one supplementary question.
While I understand that the RDF is ultimately limited by donor contributions, are there considerations to modify the medicine eligibility criteria of the RDF, such that all the medicines that clearly enhance quality of life can be included, even if extension of life span is not evidenced?
\t
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: I thank the Member for the question. I appreciate his concern. The RDF is actually set up and gets advice from an expert panel of senior doctors with experience in rare disease management and decides on a list of medicines and conditions covered under the RDF. So, actually, there is expertise in that space and many of them would be able to guide as to what would then be included in that list. Medicines, as explained, can only be listed if there is sufficient investment income to support all known patients for that same medicine. So, these are some of the limitations of the RDF.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rental Caps for Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar 2024 and Similar Caps for Hawker Centres and Government-leased Commercial Properties","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"11 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the rental cap announced for Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar 2024 will be a permanent feature at festival related bazaars going forward; and (b) whether the Government will consider such rental caps for NEA hawker centres and commercial properties leased out by Government agencies.
\tThe Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai): Mr Speaker, in the course of planning for Bazaar 2024, Wisma Geylang Serai (WGS) has reviewed the proposed rental for Bazaar 2024 in light of several learning points from the bazaar held in 2023. This includes feedback received from the stakeholders, including stallholders as well as patrons. WGS has also considered that Bazaar 2024 would likely be held on a smaller scale due to redevelopment works of the Geylang Serai Cultural Belt and would also be held for a slightly shorter duration. Given the above, WGS decided on introducing a rental cap for Bazaar 2024.
The People's Association (PA) and WGS will continue to review the operation of the rental framework in the light of prevailing conditions before deciding on subsequent bazaars and trade fairs, which it organises.
On part (b) of the Parliamentary Question, other Government agencies may have different policies and considerations in relation to the pricing of rentals for hawker centres and commercial properties, which are quite different matters from considering the pricing of a bazaar like the Ramadan Bazaar.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just one supplementary question for the Minister. I understand the reasons which the Minister has shared in terms of the shorter duration and smaller scale; hence, the price cap.
I was wondering whether the Ministry will consider instituting mechanisms similar to a price cap, but also considering some of these factors just to ensure that there is greater pricing visibility and so that we do not see a repeat of what happened in the last two years where, I think the last price cap was in 2019, and subsequently, we saw the rent shoot up quite significantly.
\t
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Thank you, Sir. I understand the point. If you look at the mechanism behind calculating the bazaar, I think Mr Chua said he understood the slightly shorter duration. So, what we did was we looked at the average rental 2023 and looked at the number of stalls that are available and the duration and, by and large, when we work out the average rental in 2023, against the number of stalls that were available this year, the average rental would be about $500 per day, roughly.
The cap that is going to be introduced in 2024 is designed to keep it at around, roughly, the same level or a little bit below. But the point is that there is a certain basis on which stall operators can now make a bid for the stalls, knowing that there will be this cap. And I think, to that extent, there is certainty. That is one immediately good outcome of this.
But the other factors, such as, what are the prevailing conditions, how large it will be, for how long it will be held, and those sometimes vary from year to year. So, we will take all that into account in subsequent years and bear in mind what Mr Chua has said, but look at, overall, achieving the optimal experience for both stall holders as well as for patrons.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Subsidies for Fertility Screening and Introduction of New Category of Fertility Screening for Use of MediSave","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"12 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health whether the Government can (i) provide subsidies for fertility screening and (ii) introduce a new specific category of fertility screening for the use of MediSave.
\tThe Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, the Government provides means-tested subsidies of up to 70% for fertility tests that are medically indicated. This helps to keep fertility tests affordable for all patients.
There are many requests for tests and treatments to be eligible for MediSave deduction. They need to be prioritised and carefully considered, to strike a balance between improving healthcare affordability, ensuring MediSave adequacy and keeping CPF contribution rates reasonable for all. The Ministry of Health (MOH) will continue to review our financing schemes including MediSave to ensure fertility healthcare services remain affordable.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Thank you, Sir. And I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I think there was a recent report which \tshowed that Singaporeans, in general, spend about 3.4 years of trying to conceive before finally getting help when they cannot. And we know as well that the trend is that Singaporeans are getting married later in life. So, time is of the essence here.
Could I ask: one, whether MOH is looking into how to create more awareness about the importance and the need for fertility testing at a younger age; and two, I really think that price might be a factor and so I am hoping that subsidies can be extended to all, rather than a selective few?
\t
\tMs Rahayu Mahzam: I thank the Member for his question and his consistent and persistent advocacy on this issue. I note the concerns. I will answer his second question first in respect of the funds and subsidies. As I have mentioned, these tests are medically indicated. It means that, if the patient or the couple goes to the doctor, they will then recommend the specific test that the patient requires, based on their conditions. It is very couple-centric. I think that is important because then, you are sizing the subsidy and support for that.
And when they are medically indicated and refer to the specialists outpatient clinics in our public healthcare institutions, they get subsidies and it is up to 70%. So, in that sense, there are already sufficient subsidies that ensure that if they need the support, they need the help, they will get the subsidies needed.
There is a problem then. The issue is they are not going to get the help needed and I think that is an important point you raised. It is something that we need to continue looking at. Already, as it stands, we have the guideline for couples, especially for women, who are below 35 years old, if they are below 35 years old and they have been trying to conceive for a year and have not been able to conceive, they are encouraged to go to see a doctor. If they are above 35 years old and they have been trying to conceive for six months, they are asked to already go.
I believe that with various efforts by different partners who are also supporting this message, hopefully, there will be greater awareness. I think there are a few things that we can perhaps leverage on. We have organisations, like \"I Love Children\", which also encourages checking for fertility treatments. And as we are also rolling out our Marriage and Parenthood packages, these also opportunities for us to encourage couples to take note of these things. I am also thinking that with Healthier SG, especially if it continues to be rolled out to the younger groups, you have opportunity for more individualised healthcare plan.
Through these channels, we hope to see better awareness and people are more encouraged to then check on their fertility status.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Sir, just one more quick question. It is back to the subsidies again because I do think it is important. Could I just ask whether MOH has done a cost benefit analysis? I know I am always asking Government to spend more, but perhaps, if we spend more in getting people to do their fertility screening at a younger age, we might then spend less in providing subsidies for IVF treatment, which is even more expensive and which costs the Government quite a fair bit currently.
\tMs Rahayu Mahzam: I am glad the Member asked that question. As I have mentioned, this is something that we continually review. But, as it stands, currently, there are no evidence-based population level fertility screening tests because it makes more sense for the test to be ordered and recommended when they are medically indicated, rather than to give a screening to the whole group. So, in that sense, there is no cost-effectiveness to roll it out at that level. I think it is something we will continue to monitor and when the evidence changes or if there is some data to the contrary, these are the things that we can look at.
\t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employers with Insufficient Insurance Coverage for Migrant Domestic Workers' Medical and Hospitalisation Bills","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"The following question stood in the name of Ms Yeo Wan Ling –
13 To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past five years, how many employers have insufficient medical and accident insurance coverage for their migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to pay for their MDWs' medical and hospitalisation bills; and (b) whether there are avenues of financial support for employers who are unable to pay for their MDWs medical and hospitalisation bills.
\t
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Question No 13.
The Minister of State for Manpower (Ms Gan Siow Huang) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, employers are responsible for their Migrant Domestic Workers' (MDWs) medical expenses. To support employers in meeting these obligations, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires all employers of Work Permit holders, including MDWs, to purchase medical insurance for their workers.
In the last five years, about 95% of all hospitalisation bills by MDWs fell within $15,000, which was the minimum insurance coverage required before 1 July 2023. MOM has since enhanced the medical insurance requirements for new policies or renewals and this took effect from 1 July 2023. The higher annual claim limit of $60,000 is estimated to cover about 99% of all bills.
We encourage MDW employers to transition to the enhanced medical insurance early, even if their existing medical insurance policy is not due for renewal yet. This will better protect employers against large unforeseen medical bills. Employers who face financial difficulties paying for their MDW's medical bills may approach medical social workers at the public healthcare institutions for assistance.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for her reply.
Many Singaporean families rely on foreign domestic workers as key family caregivers, looking after young children, seniors and infirmed members of the family. Over the past year, I have seen a number of cases at my Meet-the-People-Session families who have been caught in medical emergencies with their helpers.
Given that healthcare costs are likely to rise in Singapore and we have more instances of retired and lower-income families dipping into their savings to pay for the unexpected hospitalisation fees for the helpers, could the Ministry consider the use of the employer's MediSave for their helpers? Could the Ministry also consider financial counselling, as a module during the employer's orientation programme?
\t
\tMs Gan Siow Huang: I thank hon Mr Yip Hon Weng for the two supplementary questions. On the first one, MediSave is a national saving scheme and it is meant to help Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents set aside part of their income to meet their healthcare needs. We should protect this intent of MediSave.
Individuals will not be able to use MediSave to pay for medical bills incurred by their MDWs who should be covered by the medical insurance mandated by MOM. Employers who face difficulties paying the medical bills of their MDWs despite the insurance coverage may approach medical social workers, which I mentioned earlier on.
On the second question of financial planning to be included in the employers' orientation programme, this is a short programme that has been introduced to educate and also help employers understand their responsibilities towards caring for their MDWs. This includes the requirement for them to purchase medical insurance for the MDWs and also keeping their homes and workplace conditions safe for MDWs, such as the use of the bamboo poles for hanging laundry outside the flats of high-rise buildings.
The intent of this programme is really very targeted and focused. We prefer to keep this course tight, so that employers are able to complete this very important course.
Again, for employers who are unable to meet their obligations of paying for the medical expenses of their migrant domestic workers, we ask that they approach the medical social workers in our public healthcare institutions for advice.
\t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Incidents of Pet Abductions Reported and Outcomes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"The following question stood in the name of Dr Tan Wu Meng –
14 To ask the Minister for National Development in the past two years (a) how many incidents of pet abductions have been reported; (b) what proportion of these cases have had the pets rescued and returned to their owners well and unharmed; and (c) what is the approach when alleged abductions of community cats, which do not have specific named owners but are well-known in the local community, are reported.
\t
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Question No 14, Sir.
The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for National Development): Sir, I understand that Dr Tan is not feeling well, which is why he is not in the Chamber. But he texted me to remind me that this question is on behalf of his Clementi residents.
Sir, instances of pets being abducted or stolen from their owners may be regarded as theft and such cases should be reported to the Police. Over the past two years, the National Parks Board (NParks) has not encountered any such cases.
\t
As for community cats, they live in the open and move about freely, making it challenging to trace their exact whereabouts. There could be various reasons for a community cat going missing. It may have succumbed to other health and safety risks from its environment, such as exposure to the elements, road traffic accidents and diseases. It could also have been adopted. That said, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a community cat has been abused or mistreated, NParks will investigate and take the appropriate enforcement action.
NParks will continue to work with stakeholders, including community caregivers and animal welfare groups, to promote the welfare of pet and community animals. This includes encouraging responsible pet ownership and community caregiving, as well as the rehoming of suitable animals.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Thank you, Sir. I am asking this on behalf of Dr Tan Wu Meng and, of course, on behalf of his Clementi residents also. He reminded me to say that.
Dr Tan had a resident who had a community cat which was taken away by another resident who was not from Clementi. Dr Tan was wanting to ask whether there is any recourse or approach to be taken when there is a community cat which is known to the community, but there are no official owners and there are eyewitnesses sharing that the cat was being taken away and there are concerns about this and the cat appears to be distressed as well.
\t
\tMr Tan Kiat How: Sir, the adoption of a community cat into one's home does not constitute theft, as such cats do not belong to anyone. That said, in the circumstances that the Member has raised, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the community cat has been abused, mistreated or is in distress, please let NParks know, NParks will investigate and take the appropriate enforcement action.
\t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhanced Action Against Drivers of Vehicles with Illegally Modified Exhaust Systems ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"15 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Traffic Police will monitor and take action against drivers of vehicles with illegally modified exhaust systems that cause noise pollution along expressways, such as the East Coast Parkway; and (b) whether enhanced action can be taken against such drivers.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, enforcement against illegal modification of vehicles, which includes illegal modification of exhaust systems, is done by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). LTA conducts regular enforcement operations to deter and detect illegal modifications. The Traffic Police (TP) will refer such cases it comes across to LTA.
Individuals or workshops that make illegal modifications and individuals who drive illegally modified vehicles may be fined up to $5,000 or imprisoned up to three months, or both. Repeat offenders may be fined up to $10,000 or imprisoned up to six months, or both. The vehicle may also be detained.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Lim.
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for the reply. Unfortunately, despite all the punitive actions to be taken, the problem does not seem to be mitigated. So, my Mountbatten residents are also complaining that vehicles travelling down the East Coast Parkway, because of their modified exhausts, are making a lot of noise. So, either we step up the enforcement or if I can ask the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) whether they would implement any other kind of regulations to deter people from modifying, speeding and creating noise at unearthly hours.
\t
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Indeed, we not only look at specific issues but we also look at the feedback that we receive. We also carry out joint operations when we receive such information. We will not only look at the area but we also relate them to the different devices as well as information that each agency would have. So, we will continue to look into the specific area that the Member has shared and see how we can address the issue.
Nevertheless, what is key is that we continue to monitor the situation in such issues that have been raised in certain areas. So, coming from the TP side, we work very closely with the ground and, if need be, we will also work with the community in the area.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
\tMr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): I thank the Minister of State. May I ask if there is a guideline on the acceptable noise level between a modified vehicle and a sports car?
\t
\tAssoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Indeed, there are guidelines and, in fact, if you look at it, over the years, especially starting from this year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has taken on a more stringent approach. So, you can see that things are more stringent and tighter today. What is key is that we need to work together with the community as well as the whole-of-Government agencies. This is something that we have been doing. There may be cases here and there, but we will look at them and address the issues together with the community and the agencies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Sufficiency of Manpower at Child Protection Service","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"16 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry considers there to be sufficient manpower at the Child Protection Service (CPS); and (b) whether there are plans to increase the number of CPS officers.
\tThe Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Eric Chua) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development): Sir, the number of Child Protection Officers (CPOs) managing cases has increased over the years, in line with the increase in cases managed by the Child Protective Service (CPS). CPS is in the process of hiring more CPOs to meet evolving needs.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Ng.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the very short reply. I understand the caseload currently is at an average of 40 cases for each CPO, which is quite a lot, considering there are really difficult cases. So, could I ask whether Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has an ideal number of cases for the caseload of a CPO?
Secondly, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that they are planning to increase the numbers. Could I check what the target number of CPOs is?
\t
\t
\tMr Eric Chua: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I appreciate and share the Member's concern.
I trust the Member would agree with me that, actually, the situation is a function of several factors, one of which is the number of CPOs retiring or leaving service prematurely; two, our ability to recruit more CPOs; and three, there is a lag in time due to the need for professional and proper training for our CPOs.
The challenges and complexities that our CPOs face in their daily work, I think that I do not have to say more and the nerve that the CPO actually needs to exhibit just to discharge his or her duty, I believe many Members of the House, members of the public and the Member Mr Louis Ng himself are able to appreciate. So, it is definitely not a job for the faint-hearted and it is not a job that all that many would readily take on, given the high level of dedication and a strong sense of mission that one needs to really show as a CPO.
So, we also do not want to just loosen our requirements just to make sure that we can make up the numbers because we want to enforce a higher standard so that our children and our families are properly protected.
So, I hope the Member does not misconstrue the situation as the Ministry being reticent to act. Quite the contrary; we are aware of the situation. We salute our CPOs, they are doing good work and we want to support them so that they have every chance to do their work well.
But given the compendium of the three factors that we are talking about, we are trying to ramp up recruitment and, at the same time, retain our officers. So, I am afraid I cannot commit to a very firm and hard target for the Member.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng. A short supplementary question, please.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: A short supplementary question but that was a much longer reply though.
Again, I think there has to be some arbitrary number as to how many cases a CPO can take. This is actually a much larger number of caseload than for a social worker, for example. So, I hope we can set some benchmark in terms of the number of cases an officer can take and also have some target numbers in terms of the number of officers we need.
\t
\tMr Eric Chua: I can agree that 40 is perhaps a tad high. We are trying to go below 40. But for us to commit to a firm number is probably going to be quite hard because of the complexity and the different challenges faced in each case. So, how do you define 40 cases or 38 cases? And what do 38 cases comprise, if 38 is the magic number? Is it made up of 32 complex and six easy cases? Is it going to be six complex and 32 easy cases? It is not going to be a hard number that we can reach.
So, I hope the Member can see where I am coming from. I also think that 40 is a little bit too high. We are trying to bring that number for the caseload down, but I do not think we can arrive at a magic number.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Allocation of Resources for Singapore Medical Council to Process Complaints","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"17 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current allocation of resources for the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) to process complaints; and (b) how does the Ministry plan to ensure that SMC receives sufficient resources to facilitate the timely investigation and expeditious resolution of complaint cases.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) depends on both its own manpower resources as well as an external volunteer pool, such as doctors and lawyers, to support the handling of various complaints and discipline cases. SMC has expanded its resources over the past few years to better manage their workload.
Equally important is to have processes that are streamlined and efficient. The amendments to the Medical Registration Act in July 2022, resulting in the introduction of Inquiry Committees and the ability for SMC to tap on a wider pool of chairmen for complaints-related committees, has helped improve the efficiency of SMC. SMC has also enhanced training for committee and tribunal members and worked with the Academy of Medicine Singapore and the College of Family Physicians Singapore to expedite the processing and completion of expert reports. These efforts have resulted in improvements where 70% of the complaints lodged in 2022 were concluded within the year, compared to the 23% in 2018.
The Ministry of Health will continue to work with SMC to facilitate the timely conclusion of complaint cases.
\tMr Speaker: Mr Yip Hong Weng.
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. I have a very short supplementary question.
Besides increasing the resources to deal with resolution of complaint cases, will the Ministry also consider enhancing the policies and processes to weed out baseless or frivolous complaints which contribute to congestion within the system and this includes perhaps implementing penalties for individuals who file these cases?
\t
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: I thank Mr Yip for his supplementary question.
We do have some processes in place. If the Member would like specific details about the management of the complaints process and the outcomes, I suggest he files a separate Parliamentary Question. This one was about resource allocation.
But if I could just take him through the thinking and framework that we have for the SMC's disciplinary process; it is not a single process. There is not a single committee. I say this because it depends on how you define \"baseless\".
The reason for a complaint is that the complainant, the family or the patient has a concern. There may be an issue of communication or the care that is delivered. So, there needs to be some investigation and some processes to ascertain the facts, whether or not there are lessons to be learnt or actions taken. So, we have Inquiry Committees, Complaints Committees and the Disciplinary Tribunal. We also have the processes that potentially could go up to the High Court.
So, where you then define \"baseless\", I think it is not necessarily particularly useful because what is important is that, with the concern, the investigation has proceeded and the facts are established, and then the appropriate action is taken.
I think the Member has a separate point, which is whether or not there should be action taken to prevent frivolous complaints. I think the main thing that we would need to have is a clear sense of responsibility among the care teams to engage with the families and the patients to explain the processes for their care so that, when there is a misunderstanding, this can be dealt with long before a formal complaints process is engaged with.
That is the starting position that we have around this issue. But we are happy to take in suggestions and optimise our processes further.
Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Orders of the Day.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix, unless Members had asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Moneylenders (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Law (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for Minister for Law): Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Law, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
Sir, the Moneylenders Act (MLA) regulates the licensed moneylending industry to ensure that a balance is struck between protecting borrowers and facilitating efficient and effective business processes.
The MLA was last amended in 2018, in part to introduce a designated credit bureau known as the Moneylenders Credit Bureau (MLCB). With this, we made it mandatory for licensed moneylenders to submit borrower information to the MLCB and to obtain a credit report of the loan applicant before granting a loan. Licensed moneylenders must also update the MLCB whenever borrowers repay their loans. The 2018 amendments have helped to professionalise the moneylending industry.
To ensure we keep up with changes in our operating environment, the Registry of Moneylenders continues to engage the industry regularly to obtain feedback and identify areas for improvement.
Today’s Bill proposes amendments that arose from these engagements and are part of the Ministry of Law's (MinLaw) ongoing efforts to enhance the licensed moneylending industry.
This Bill seeks to do three main things: first, improve data sharing and usage policies; second, enhance MLCB’s functions through the sharing and use of data maintained by the MLCB; and third, facilitate digitalisation in the licensed moneylending industry. The Bill also contains technical amendments to reduce ambiguity and increase operational efficiency for licensed moneylenders.
Let me now elaborate on the key amendments in this Bill.
First, the Bill introduces amendments to improve data sharing and usage policies.
Currently, the MLA restricts the purposes for which data can be shared. For example, the Registrar is only able to share data with other public agencies for policy formulation or review and not for other purposes, such as improving operational processes.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
Clause 26 of the Bill introduces new provisions to align the licensed moneylending data sharing framework with the whole-of-Government data sharing approach. Moving forward, the Registrar will be able to share data in accordance with and to the extent permitted by a data sharing direction given to the Registrar under the Public Sector (Governance) Act (PSGA).
The PSGA contains the necessary safeguards to protect information that is shared. These safeguards include provisions that prevent unauthorised disclosure or improper use of the information shared and unauthorised re-identification of anonymised information.
The MLA also limits whom licensed moneylenders can share data with. For example, other than the MLCB, licensed moneylenders are currently unable to share their borrowers’ credit application and repayment information with other credit bureaux offering credit-related information. This has hampered comprehensive credit checks on borrowers.
To illustrate this point, let us consider the situation when a borrower approaches a licensed moneylender for a loan. The latter would want to check on the borrower’s credit worthiness including his credit history.
To do so, the licensed moneylender’s only recourse now is to purchase credit reports from the MLCB, which do not provide a complete picture of a borrower’s credit history. The licensed moneylender is also unable to approach other non-designated credit bureaux to purchase credit reports on the borrower, as he is not allowed to disclose the borrower’s ID number. This may enable over-borrowing by individuals who choose to withhold or inaccurately declare their credit information.
Hence, clause 16 introduces amendments to allow licensed moneylenders to disclose borrower information to more third parties, such as a prescribed list of credit bureaux. These credit bureaux will then be able to provide additional information on the borrower’s credit worthiness and indebtedness, leading to more informed and responsible lending practices.
In addition, licensed moneylenders will be able to share borrower information with any prescribed person for purposes related to the welfare and protection of applicants, borrowers and sureties. Licensed moneylenders will also be allowed to share borrower information with third parties engaged to provide IT support or to recover debts. This ensures the smooth delivery of business operations.
To safeguard information of loan applicants and borrowers, MinLaw will exercise prudence when prescribing the list of organisations that licensed moneylenders can share borrower information with, by taking into consideration whether the organisation has the necessary data protection and security measures that safeguard borrowers’ information.
The extent of the borrower information that can be shared will be limited to what is necessary. For example, in the case of purchasing a credit report from a prescribed credit bureau, the disclosure of the identification number of the loan applicant will be necessary.
The Bill will also enable licensed moneylenders to obtain records from public agencies to verify the accuracy of information submitted by loan applicants.
To ensure the security and integrity of borrower information, clause 17 introduces amendments to enhance security arrangements that licensed moneylenders must undertake to safeguard information in their possession or under their control which they have obtained or received under or for the purposes of the MLA, such as preventing unauthorised access to or use of the information.
Second, the Bill enhances the MLCB’s functions beyond just producing credit information reports and serving as a repository of data.
While the MLCB was originally launched to facilitate better tracking and monitoring of unsecured loans issued by licensed moneylenders, data held by the MLCB can be better utilised to benefit both borrowers and licensed moneylenders. For example, the Bill will allow the MLCB to provide credit reports of loan sureties to licensed moneylenders during loan applications.
To illustrate, consider a case where a loan applicant applies for a loan from a licensed moneylender and where the surety has outstanding loans with other licensed moneylenders. Currently, the MLCB is unable to provide the surety’s credit report for the licensed moneylender to independently verify the surety’s debt obligations with other licensed moneylenders. The licensed moneylender would thus be unable to make a complete assessment of the surety’s credit worthiness. With this amendment, licensed moneylenders will be able to conduct more comprehensive credit checks before granting a loan, thereby helping them manage their credit risk.
Next, clause 20 introduces a new section 74A in the MLA to allow the MLCB to produce business reports for licensed moneylenders. These business reports will assist licensed moneylenders in the development and improvement of their business strategies or practices, thereby raising industry standards.
If a credit report, business report or loan information report is delivered in error, clause 23 gives the Registrar the ability to direct these recipients to dispose of these reports within a specified time frame. Failure to comply would be an offence.
Third, the Bill facilitates digitalisation in the industry.
Clause 8 of the Bill allows licensed moneylenders to provide borrowers with statements of account through modes of communication other than mail and email. Licensed moneylenders can instead, for example, use their own app, website or business WhatsApp accounts, thereby increasing business efficiency. As a safeguard, both the licensed moneylender and the borrower must agree in writing on these new modes of communication.
The last area of the Bill deals with miscellaneous amendments that update and standardise provisions in the MLA.
To prevent miscommunication between the borrower and the licensed moneylender, clause 7 mandates that the rate of interest charged stated in any advertising or marketing material, be stated as a percentage per annum, month or other period that the licensed moneylender charges for offering loans. The Bill also makes it an offence for licensed moneylenders to demand payment from borrowers of sums other than the fees permitted or sums exceeding such fees.
To ensure consistency in business practices, the Bill extends the deadlines for licensed moneylenders and the MLCB to notify the Registrar of certain events from seven days to seven business days.
The Bill also imposes record-keeping obligations on licensed moneylenders to start keeping loan application forms and copies of supporting documents from the date the loan application form or supporting document is received. Similarly, licensed moneylenders must start keeping the note of contract from the date they issue it.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, over the past decade, the Government’s regulatory reforms have raised industry standards and provided better protection for borrowers. The amendments proposed in this Bill seek to do the same.
In summary, this Bill will allow data to be used in meaningful ways that are aligned with the whole-of-Government standards and will facilitate better business practices by licensed moneylenders. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to begin by taking this opportunity to call for the better protection of all parties – moneylenders, borrowers and their sureties. We need to strengthen our system to boost our protection of licensed moneylenders and ensure that there is an even playing field for them within a healthy business environment and better risk management while holding them up to higher standards.
It is also important to protect borrowers and sureties to help them better manage their loan exposures. While they may have access to licensed moneylending services in a fair and equitable way, their personal data, histories and backgrounds should not be used unfairly against them.
Would the Ministry share with the House the regulatory and enforcement frameworks to safeguard their data and to limit the usage of their personal information for only approved purposes? What are the safeguards that MinLaw has put in place to ensure that the prescribed credit bureaus will keep borrowers' information secure and confidential?
I would also like to ask under what circumstances would borrowers' information be shared with other public agencies?
Next, I have some concerns about the proposed amendment to permit a licensed moneylender to request from the credit bureau a credit report on a surety without having to obtain the surety's consent.
While I am generally supportive of this measure, there may be instances where persons who have agreed to become sureties are not aware that their credit reports can be accessed by licensed moneylenders.
Would the Ministry consider building in a process to ensure that this is made known and explained to them before they agree to be sureties for the loan applicants? Can a surety object to a licensed moneylender retrieving his or her credit report?
Additionally, for cases where applicants have access to a free copy of their credit reports when applying for a credit line, could this be provided to sureties as well? Madam, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Next, I have some concerns about the proposed amendment to permit a licensed moneylender to request from the credit bureau a credit report on a surety without having to obtain the surety's consent. While I am generally supportive of this measure, there may be instances where persons who have agreed to become sureties are not aware that their credit reports can be accessed by licensed moneylenders.
Would the Ministry consider building in a process to ensure that this is made known and explained to them before they agree to be sureties for the loan applicants? Can a surety object to a licensed moneylender retrieving his or her credit report? Additionally, for cases where applicants have access to a free copy of their credit reports when applying for a credit line, could this be provided to sureties as well?
(In English): Finally, I hope that the Ministry would continue to work with the various stakeholders to build up the professionalism of this sector. The professional standards can be raised, for example, for the engagement of clients and methods of loan recovery without resorting to threatening or unsavoury practices. Licensees can benefit from more support from the Ministry for the training of their staff.
Would the Ministry also share about the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) measures for this sector? I support the Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Neil Parekh.
Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant (Nominated Member): Mdm Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join this debate.
Before us today is the Moneylenders (Amendment) Bill. First of all, I would like to point out the unique role moneylenders play in our economy. Outside of not meeting the strict criteria of traditional banks, people often seek moneylenders for faster loan approval rates and for the ease of getting short-term urgent loans.
Also, the presence of licensed moneylenders helps us regulate and reduce the influence of unlicensed moneylenders, who are often predatory in their behavior.
I believe tightening our laws for the betterment of society is an ongoing commitment and these amendments serve to strengthen the role and work of licensed moneylenders. For a small but a very competitive economy like ours, these amendments help to further enhance Singapore's standing as a financial centre.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, the amendments to the Moneylenders Act will impact both businesses and borrowers. There are also some potential challenges which the concerned professionals will have to face. Allow me to elaborate on these issues.
I would, first, like to address the impact of this Bill on businesses.
Those business owners engaged in moneylending activities will face both challenges and opportunities. Borrowing could potentially be made easier as the Bill will bring changes to the credit reporting process, which will allow moneylenders to request credit reports on sureties without explicit consent, potentially streamlining the loan approval process. Borrowers with favourable credit histories may benefit from potentially expedited loan approval processes as moneylenders can assess creditworthiness more efficiently.
These amendments also enhance transparency and foster an environment where borrowers can expect fair and accountable lending practices. This may lead to quicker assessments of borrowers' creditworthiness. It also contributes to a more regulated and accountable financial ecosystem. Also, with the Expanded Borrower Information Disclosure in clause 16, licensees will have the ability to request and disclose borrower information for specific purposes, which might provide moneylenders with more comprehensive insights, potentially allowing for more informed lending decisions.
However, on the flipside, borrowing could be made harder as the enhanced security measures will require increased resources for compliance with the new regulations.
As credit reporting takes centre stage, it expands the functions of designated credit bureaus through clause 12, which aims to provide more information for assessing creditworthiness through the collection, use and disclosure of borrower information and data. While this could be beneficial, it may also introduce additional steps in the lending process. Borrowers, especially those seeking loans with sureties, will be directly affected.
These amendments also introduce new requirements for information submission to designated credit businesses and empower moneylenders to request credit reports on sureties without explicit consent. These new requirements could impact the loan application and approval process. For example, specifically for small and medium enterprises already grappling with higher operational and labour costs, these new requirements introduced by the Bill may perhaps be a significant hurdle.
This Bill also introduces clauses on digital statements and record-keeping. While these options could enhance convenience, there might be challenges for borrowers if there is an eventual full transition to digital methods and could deter less tech-savvy borrowers.
The designated credit bureaus will see expanded functions, including the collection, use and disclosure of borrower information. Will this expanded authority of the designated credit bureaus and data sharing with public sector agencies raise privacy concerns among borrowers and potentially deter borrowing? Balancing the greater need for information sharing with protecting borrower privacy becomes a delicate challenge.
Along these lines, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I have the following clarifications for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary.
Empowering the Registrar to share borrower or loan information with public sector agencies raises questions about the safeguards in place to protect individuals' privacy. Could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary please clarify on the criteria for information sharing, data security measures and oversight mechanisms, especially in light of recent information leaks?
The amendments also empower moneylenders to request credit reports on sureties without explicit consent. I would also request clarification on the conditions and limitations surrounding this provision.
In the amendment, there is also the introduction of a new criminal offence for wrongful demands of payment. Could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary please explain what constitutes a \"wrongful demand\" and the factors considered when determining this?
In summary, I believe the Moneylenders Bill and the amendments protect consumers and maintain financial stability. Notwithstanding my request for some clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Madam, this Bill will allow licensed moneylenders access to relevant credit information before deciding to grant a loan. The Bill will also require licensed moneylenders to take additional steps to protect information and records kept.
These amendments will support the MLCB's work in encouraging financially prudent borrowing. I have three points of clarification.
My first clarification is on a licensee's discretion to obtain a credit report on a surety of the application before deciding whether to grant a loan. The new section 66A(4) permits but does not require a licensee to obtain a credit report on a surety. Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary share if any guidance will be provided to a licensee on situations where a licensee is recommended to obtain a credit report on a surety? Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary clarify how it will ensure that licensees do not request credit reports for purposes other than to assess the creditworthiness of a surety?
I understand licensees face a fine or imprisonment for misrepresenting the purpose of a credit pull. Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary explain how such misrepresentations will be detected and policed? After all, when licensees make credit pulls, they are not obligated to inform those targeted about it.
My second clarification is on providing notice to the surety if the surety's information is submitted to MLCB or other parties. There is a requirement under section 66(4)(b) that the licensee must inform the applicant in writing that certain information from the applicant will be submitted to MLCB to obtain a credit report. The licensee must also inform the applicant that the information may be disclosed to other parties.
However, section 66A(7) provides that a licensee is not required to seek the surety's consent before requesting a credit report on them. Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary clarify why a licensee must inform an applicant that it is submitting the applicant's information to MLCB to obtain a credit report and that the information may be disclosed to other parties, but it does not have to inform a surety when the surety's information is actually submitted to obtain a credit report?
My third and final clarification is on the safeguards for borrower information disclosed. Under the new section 69(3A), a licensee may disclose borrower information, including information in a credit report to certain third parties. These third parties include an assistant of the licensee to collect debt, a contractor or agent to maintain the information system and any public agency to obtain any public record. Additionally, the licensee can disclose information to MLCB and any prescribed persons for purposes related to the welfare and protection of applicants.
Firstly, can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary share what it considers to be purposes \"related to the welfare and protection of applicants\"? Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary also share who the prescribed persons are intended to be?
Secondly, there are requirements on how long a licensee can retain information and on safeguards that a licensee must have to protect information. A licensee must dispose of a credit report five years after the date the loan is fully repaid or the contract is terminated. If the loan is not granted, the credit report must be disposed of within one business day that MLCB is informed of the reasons for declining the loan.
The licensee is also required to make reasonable security arrangements to protect the information, including information in a credit report. Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary share how these safeguards are extended to information provided to other third parties, such as assistants, contractors or agents? What steps will a licensee have to take to ensure that the information provided to third parties is kept secured, not used for other purposes and properly disposed of? Madam, notwithstanding these clarifications, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Members for their support of the Bill.
Members also made comments and suggestions on: (a) usage and protection of borrowers' confidential data; (b) obtaining credit reports in respect of sureties; (c) the offence of a wrongful demand of payment; and (d) Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) measures for the licensed moneylending sector.
Let me address each group of issues in turn.
First, I deal with the usage and protection of borrowers' confidential data. Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Neil Parekh asked about the circumstances under which borrowers' information would be shared with other public agencies and the safeguards in place to protect such information.
Whilst I mentioned the circumstances and safeguards in my opening speech, I would like to highlight that the proposed amendments are aligned with what is practised across the Government as set out in the Public Sector (Governance) Act.
The Public Service has in place a data-sharing framework and is governed by Instruction Manuals, which amongst other things, oblige public agencies to safeguard data against security threat, protect personal data and access information only on a need-to-know basis. These data sharing provisions will enable better policy analysis, planning and formulation and better delivery of services.
Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Louis Ng asked about the safeguards to ensure that the prescribed credit bureaus and other third parties will keep borrowers' information secure and confidential.
The prescribed credit bureaus and other third parties are subject to the obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act. For example, they must protect the data in their possession by making reasonable security arrangements to prevent unauthorised access, use or disclosure. Their ability to do so is something we will consider carefully when deciding whether to prescribe particular credit bureaus to be able to receive borrower information.
On a related matter, Mr Louis Ng referred to the proposed amendments for licensees to disclose information to any prescribed person for purposes related to the welfare and protection of applicants, and sought clarification on what these purposes are and who the prescribed persons are intended to be.
For a start, we intend to prescribe social service agencies (SSAs) which have been assisting borrowers in negotiating debt consolidation loans or restructuring plans with licensed moneylenders. The disclosure of loan information to such SSAs is essential for effective negotiation and should ultimately benefit the borrower.
More broadly, in deciding whether any person, organisation or otherwise should be permitted access to the confidential information, MinLaw will, among other matters, assess and consider the need for the possible disclosure and consequential benefits.
Next, I turn to the obtaining of credit reports on sureties.
Mr Louis Ng and Mr Neil Parekh sought clarification regarding situations where a licensee is recommended to obtain a credit report on a surety. Mr Louis Ng also asked how MinLaw will detect and ensure that licensees do not request credit reports for purposes other than to assess the creditworthiness of a surety.
Licensed moneylenders can only obtain a credit report of a loan applicant or a surety when a loan application is received. It is a risk management call and a business decision for a licensee whether it requires a surety's credit report for its creditworthiness assessment.
The Registry of Moneylenders conducts regular inspections and investigates breaches of the Moneylenders Act. This will help ensure that credit reports are only obtained for proper purposes.
Members of the public can also lodge a report on potential infringements with the Registry of Moneylenders.
Additionally, Mr Louis Ng and Ms Joan Pereira asked about the notice provided to a surety that his or her information will be submitted for the purpose of obtaining the credit report. Ms Pereira also asked whether a surety may object to a licensed moneylender retrieving his or her credit report.
As I mentioned earlier, the credit report can only be obtained when a loan application is made. In other words, the applicant and surety would be fully aware that the licensed moneylender would conduct due diligence to assess the creditworthiness of both the applicant and the surety.
In the event a surety objects to the retrieval of his or her credit report, the licensed moneylender may make an alternate lending decision to manage its risk accordingly.
I thank Ms Pereira for her suggestion for sureties to be given a free copy of their credit report. We will consider this.
Next, in terms of a new offence being introduced, Mr Parekh sought clarification on what constitutes a licensee making \"wrongful demand of payment\" from a borrower. This amendment clarifies that it is an offence if a licensed moneylender, without reasonable excuse, demands payment from a borrower of a sum that is either not permitted or which exceeds the permitted amounts. Licensees found to have committed this offence can be fined up to $20,000 or imprisoned up to six months, or both.
Finally, Ms Pereira asked about the AML/CFT measures for the licensed moneylending sector. The AML/CFT measures for licensed moneylenders are mainly set out in the Moneylenders (Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism) Rules. These rules are aligned with the international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.
In the conduct of its business, a licensed moneylender must have measures in place to assess the risk of, detect and prevent money laundering and terrorism financing. Measures include the screening of persons and the conduct of customer due diligence.
I would like to conclude by thanking the Members once again for their support of the Bill and for their invaluable comments and suggestions.
The proposed amendments to the Act will allow data to be used in meaningful ways that are aligned with the whole-of-Government standards and will facilitate better business practices by licensed moneylenders.
MinLaw will continue to monitor and improve the standards of the licensed moneylending industry while ensuring that borrowers are adequately protected.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Any clarifications? None.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Ms Rahayu Mahzam.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 5.00 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 4.33 pm until 5.00 pm.
Sitting resumed at 5.00 pm.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No 3) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong) (for the Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, “That the Bill be now read a Second time.”
Sir, the Bill before the House amends the Constitution to create frameworks for the President and Ministers to take on international appointments in their private capacities if the national interest so requires.
Let me first set out the background relating to the amendments for the President.
Under the Constitution, the President is the Head of State. As the Head of State, the President performs a vital symbolic and unifying role. He symbolises our sovereignty at home and abroad, and is an important part of our international diplomacy.
In performing these roles, Presidents have, from time to time, taken on additional appointments in their official capacities. This is done on the advice and with the support of the Cabinet.
For example, domestically, Presidents have served as university chancellors and patrons of charitable or other organisations, lending the prestige of the highest office of the land to worthy causes that unify Singaporeans.
Internationally, Presidents can take on appointments in their official capacity in furtherance of Singapore’s national interest. For example, Dr Tony Tan was inducted as a member of the Honorary Senate of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in 2012 during his tenure as President.
Such appointments reflect the high international standing of the individuals who have served as our President.
In deciding whether to advise the President to take on an appointment in his official capacity, Cabinet applies the following principles:
(a)\tdomestic appointments must be in furtherance of the President’s symbolic and unifying role;
(b)\tinternational appointments must be in furtherance of Singapore’s national interest;
(c)\tthe President’s public life must be carried out in a manner that is compatible with his status and role as the Head of State – he is apolitical and cannot become involved in issues or events that might generate political controversy;
(d)\tin addition, the appointment must not undermine or be incompatible with the President’s discretionary functions under the Constitution, including his custodial functions as the Elected President;
(e) the appointment must not contravene Article 19A(1) of the Constitution, which among other things, prohibits the President from being actively engaged in commercial enterprises.
The Cabinet will continue to apply these principles in deciding whether to advise and support the President to take on domestic and international appointments in his official capacity.
Today, President Tharman is the Chancellor of the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, and patron of numerous organisations like the Singapore Red Cross, Singapore International Foundation, Philanthropy Asia Alliance and the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
President Tharman is also currently holding the following international positions in his official capacity as President, with the advice and support of the Cabinet, and these are:
One, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Group of Thirty (G30). This oversees the governance and directions of the G30, which is a grouping of eminent thought leaders in economic policymaking, academia and the financial industry.
Two, Member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF). This is an advisory board. It helps shape the strategic directions of the WEF without directly overseeing the running of the organisation.
Three, Co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW). This is an independent Commission that was convened to examine and make recommendations to the United Nations (UN) and other international forums on how to improve the way societies govern, use and value water for the common good.
Four, Co-chair of the United Nations Human Development Report (UNHDR) Advisory Board. This provides intellectual guidance and advice on the overall vision, direction and messages of the UN HDR.
These are appointments that President Tharman held when he was Senior Minister and before assuming his current office. Cabinet has considered the matter and agreed that it is in the national interest for him to continue holding these appointments as President currently in his official capacity.
And for the information of the House, the President does not receive any remuneration or other benefits from these appointments.
The Government’s original intention was for President Tharman to continue to serve in these international appointments in his official capacity. But after reviewing the matter carefully, we were advised by the Attorney-General that this arrangement was not ideal. Let me explain why this is so.
The four international bodies mentioned earlier want their distinguished appointees to carry on with their official roles, and to bring with them their official status and reputations, such as President Tharman’s former status as Senior Minister and now as Head of State. These international organisations want their distinguished appointees to carry with them their official statuses, but they also want their appointees to contribute independently to achieve the aims of the respective bodies.
To illustrate, the WEF Board of Trustees includes the deputy prime minister of Canada, the heads of the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, and leaders of major private organisations. But these Trustees are expected to give their views independent of the governments or organisations they head, so as to shape the strategic directions of the WEF in keeping with its goals of serving the interests of the global community.
Similarly, the G30’s Board of Trustees includes current and former heads of central banks around the world, but they are expected to contribute independently of these central banks. Likewise, the UNHDR Advisory Board and the GCEW expect their members to contribute independently, in the global interest.
If the President were to serve in these international bodies purely in his official capacity, then he would be limited to representing the official Singapore position in everything he says. That would not be in keeping with the requirements of these organisations, nor would it be in the interest of Singapore for our President to be so limited, as it restricts our ability to shape global conversations and initiatives.
From Singapore’s perspective, there is value to have the President represented on these international bodies. It enables us to be plugged into global conversations and to understand and help shape the thinking that takes place in these important and influential international bodies. But for this to happen, the President must be able to function credibly in these international bodies, by lending his expertise to advance the agenda on broader issues of concern to these organisations.
So, we are presented with a novel issue: should the President now be allowed to contribute independently in his private capacity when he takes on these international appointments? That is what this issue is about.
Cabinet considered this carefully and we concluded that the President should be allowed to do so to contribute to these international appointments in his independent and private capacity as this is beneficial for Singapore. These are reputable international bodies with global reach, and with eminent persons serving on their respective boards. The President’s continued involvement in these organisations is in Singapore’s national interest.
To be clear, when we say that the President serves in his “private capacity”, it does not mean that he is doing this outside of his work duties. These international appointments are core to the President’s international diplomacy role. As Head of State, they are, in fact, how we project Singapore’s influence and strengthen our networks in the world. But allowing the President to serve in his private capacity allows him to act independently in achieving the aims of the international bodies, subject, of course, to the necessary safeguards of our national interest.
Such an arrangement would then enable the President to take on appointments that help to expand Singapore’s influence and network, while acting independently on these international bodies.
The Attorney-General, however, advised that such an arrangement is currently not clearly provided for by the Constitution. And that is why constitutional amendments are needed to enable the President to take on roles where he acts independently in his private capacity.
The provisions in this amendment Bill will put in place a proper framework under which these and future appointments are governed. The framework would not just apply to this President and this Government, but also to future Presidents and future Governments.
In developing the framework, Cabinet had regard to the following broad considerations.
One, the framework would only apply to appointments in international organisations. It would not apply in the domestic context. In the domestic context, the current position will continue to apply, and the President will not have an independent role outside of the specific discretionary powers conferred on him by the Constitution.
Two, any international appointment for the President to act in his private capacity must be justified by the national interest. Importantly, our own policy matters must remain the responsibility and prerogative of the Cabinet. Any appointment must therefore be supported by the Cabinet in the first place. If need be, Cabinet must be able to intervene to advise the President on how he acts in these appointments.
Three, at the same time, the President should have a say in deciding whether to take on such appointments. He should be able to decline such appointments if, for example, he considers them to be incompatible with his constitutional functions. And any appointment must be on the public record, in the interests of transparency and accountability.
Sir, these are the considerations behind the new Article 22Q. Article 22Q(1) will enable current and future Presidents to accept international appointments in their private capacities, subject to three conditions.
First, the President cannot contravene the disabilities imposed by Article 19A(1), which include a prohibition on active engagement in commercial enterprises.
Second, the Cabinet must assess and advise the President that it is in the national interest for the President to accept the appointment. In making this assessment, Cabinet would be guided by similar principles as those I set out earlier.
Third, the President, acting in his discretion, must concur with the advice of the Cabinet.
The President cannot accept an international appointment in his private capacity outside of the framework set out in this Article.
Article 22Q(2) will enable the Cabinet to advise the President on his execution of such a role so that it is in our national interest, including ensuring that it does not undermine the President’s status as constitutional Head of State or contradict the President’s powers under the Constitution. The President must act in accordance with any such advice.
As a general rule, the Cabinet will advise the President against commenting on domestic politics, laws and policies; making any commitments on behalf of the Government or Singapore, whether formally or informally; and retaining any remuneration or benefits in connection with the appointment. Subject to any advice by the Cabinet, the President may act independently in his private capacity.
Article 22Q(3) goes on to require the President to relinquish an international appointment if so advised by the Cabinet.
And finally, Article 22Q(4) requires the acceptance or the relinquishment of an international appointment to be published in the Gazette. This Gazette notice will include the term dates of the appointment.
Conceptually, the new Article 22Q will be a specific and defined extension of the President’s international role as the Head of State. It is not part of the Elected President’s custodial powers. The President is therefore not required to consult the Council of Presidential Advisers and is not subject to any time limit in deciding whether to take up an international appointment under the Article.
I should also mention that, out of an abundance of caution, we have backdated the new Article 22Q to 14 September, when President Tharman assumed office. But, in fact, we do not need this backdating. Because, as I mentioned earlier, President Tharman currently holds his appointments in an official capacity, on the advice and support of the Cabinet, as provided for in the Constitution.
Should the Bill be passed by Parliament, Cabinet intends to advise the President that it is in the national interest for the President to continue in his existing international roles in his private capacity, and this will take effect on a forward-looking basis.
Sir, I move now to the position for Ministers.
Today, Ministers take on external appointments in their official capacity in connection with their responsibilities. For example, when Singapore was a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Prof S Jayakumar, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs then, served as the President of the Council.
The Code of Conduct for Ministers also permits Ministers to take on external appointments in their private capacities if the Prime Minister considers it to be in the national interest and grants permission.
Currently, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean sits on the TotalEnergies’ International Advisory Committee. This appointment was approved by the Prime Minister and was published in the Gazette. Senior Minister Teo donates the honorarium he receives from TotalEnergies to charity.
There are no general legal impediments to Ministers taking on external appointments today. However, as we are putting a legal framework in place for the President to take on international appointments in his private capacity, we will also create a legal framework for Ministers. This is found in the new Article 33A.
The framework is similar to Article 22Q, except that Ministers must obtain the permission of the Prime Minister and are subject to his instructions.
As a general rule, Ministers taking on international appointments in their private capacities will be instructed against breaching collective Cabinet responsibility; against making any commitments on behalf of the Government of Singapore, whether formally or informally; and against retaining any remuneration or benefits in connection with the appointment.
The new Article 33A will supersede the relevant portions of the Ministerial Code, and the Prime Minister intends to give permission to Senior Minister Teo to continue with his TotalEnergies appointment under the new framework.
I should add that the new Article 33A does not apply to the Prime Minister. Previous and current Prime Ministers have not undertaken any such international appointments, and we do not expect future Prime Ministers to do so. Hence, the provision in the new Article 33A only applies to Ministers.
In conclusion, Sir, the Bill provides a principled framework to govern how the President and Ministers take on international appointments in their private capacities, if required by the national interest.
The proposed additions of Articles 22Q and 33A in the Constitution seek to ensure that we safeguard the dignity and status of the roles of the President and Ministers in Singapore, while enabling them to make significant contributions in international bodies and shape global thinking, if these contributions are in the interest of Singapore. In this way, we can make the most of the expertise, experience and personal standing of the individuals we elect to office, so as to advance Singapore’s interests and reinforce our value to the world. Sir, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Ms Denise Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Sir, I rise in support of the Bill to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.
The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Constitution to enable Singapore's President and Cabinet Ministers to assume roles in foreign and international organisations in their private capacity, when it serves the national interest. I will now present three compelling reasons to support this Bill, and then raise four common concerns, to which I seek the Deputy Prime Minister's response.
Three reasons to support the Bill: one, enhanced international influence. First, granting the President and Cabinet Ministers the opportunity to take on external roles, albeit in their personal and private capacity, can boost Singapore's visibility and status internationally.
Singapore, as a small nation state, is often recognised for its effective governance and economic and social development. Our leaders can offer essential insights for achieving progress and stability, beneficial to global policy-thinking and global policy-making.
Foreign and international organisations present an excellent platform for small nation states, like Singapore, to actively participate in shaping global policies, which may in turn affect Singapore positively. And this was what the Deputy Prime Minister said about plugging into global conversations.
However, not every international organisation is formal or has the resources to appoint leaders in their official state roles. Therefore, our collective support for our senior leaders to join these organisations, when it aligns with national interests, is crucial and strategic.
For example, President Tharman's significant contributions to entities, such as the IMF, the G20 Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial Governance, the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW) and so on, have positively impacted our nation's reputation. President Tharman's continued involvement will offer valuable perspectives on global policymaking, which is especially beneficial for Singapore during these challenging economic and geopolitical times.
During the last presidential election, there was widespread opinion that it would be a loss if Mr Tharman's ascent to the presidency hindered his international contributions. But President Tharman is not the only one whose insights are valued globally. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, for example, has also frequently represented Singapore globally, enhancing our country's visibility, influence and reputation on the world stage. And so have other public office holders; we heard about Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, for instance.
Therefore, supporting this Bill is strategic and will offer Singapore the opportunity to punch above its weight, influencing global thinking and policymaking.
The second reason for supporting this Bill is the establishment of a framework, the creation of a formal framework, to prevent potential abuse. In the case of the President, clause 2 in Article 22Q of the Bill spells out the conditions under which the President can accept and hold office in a foreign or international organisation, in his private capacity. The Cabinet must advise the President that the appointment is in Singapore's national interest; and also against saying or doing anything against Singapore, in performing that role.
Clause 3 similarly inserts provisions to apply the same framework to Ministers and empowers the Prime Minister to approve such appointments. The new provisions of both the clauses create a formal framework to ensure greater transparency, accountability and governance when the President and Cabinet Ministers perform non-local roles in their private capacities. And these are much welcomed steps.
Third, this Bill encourages a shift in mindset from individual success to significance for our senior public leaders and nation alike.
Already, the Government has an existing practice of encouraging senior public servants to engage in non-commercial roles in their private capacity, fostering civic engagement and volunteerism. Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), for example, a large charity for the intellectually challenged, has Permanent Secretary Augustin Lee as Chairman. Where I volunteer, in the autism charities, Deputy Permanent Secretary Poon Hong Yuen provides invaluable insights on our Boards. There are many others.
So, when senior public office holders, such as Presidents and Ministers, contribute beyond their formal roles, and extend their expertise and experience globally, they too move the needle, from individual success to significance, benefiting wider communities and nations.
I will next touch on four common concerns that are raised when the public, for example, read about this Bill.
One, the first concern relates to the potential impact on the President and Cabinet Ministers' official duties. Some people worry that engaging in international roles in their private capacity may divert their attention from the elected and appointed responsibilities of the President and Ministers.
The Deputy Prime Minister has shared some background to why this is happening and mentioned about international diplomacy in the President's role in such a case, but exactly what is the tipping point when one's overseas engagements are perceived as excessive? Therefore, guidelines from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will be necessary to strike a suitable balance between the public and private roles of the President and the Ministers.
The second concern is how the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers will determine the potential benefits of these roles to the country. While it is an honour to be invited to key positions in foreign organisations, not all roles may serve Singapore's interests. Therefore, an objective assessment approach should be adopted to weigh the tangible benefits and drawbacks. What is the meaning of \"serving national interest\"? What are some examples of what might be beneficial or not quite beneficial to the nation? Some clarity in decision-making criteria and assessment weightage would be appreciated from the Deputy Prime Minister.
The third concern is advising the Prime Minister under a similar situation. I know that the Deputy Prime Minister spoke about how current and past Prime Ministers do not have roles beyond their official duties in foreign and international organisations. But when such a situation happens, how would we move forward in this?
For example, if the Prime Minister himself is invited to hold office in a foreign or international organisation in a private capacity, what will happen? The Bill currently outlines advice mechanisms for the President and Cabinet Ministers, but lacks clarity regarding the Prime Minister's situation. It will be useful for the Deputy Prime Minister to clarify that.
And lastly, on security administrative support. Although it is stated that the Bill will not involve the Government in any extra financial expenditure, it may not be so, in reality. There is, hence, a fourth concern pertaining to the need for at least basic security and administrative support, even as one tries to distinguish between official and private engagements for the President and Cabinet Ministers.
In cases involving national interest spaces like the economy, security, human development and healthcare, the Government's provision of such support should be considered. There will be times when it is essential to help ensure the organised conduct of the businesses, to ensure that the status of the President and Cabinet Ministers are at least retained for the image of Singapore.
Therefore, in conclusion, I believe that the benefits of this Bill outweigh the concerns. Hence, while operational challenges may arise, and notwithstanding my seeking clarification for some of the concerns that I have raised, I am confident that they can be addressed through transparency, accountability and a commitment to serving the public interest. And therefore, I stand in support of this Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, this constitutional amendment Bill provides for the President and Ministers to accept appointments in foreign and international organisations in their private capacities, if it serves the national interest. The PMO asserts that such appointments can enhance Singapore's international standing and help to advance our national interest.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam currently holds several international appointments, including Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the G30, Co-chair of the advisory board of the UN Human Development Report (UNHDR), Co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW) and a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The Deputy Prime Minister said in his Second Reading speech that he is on all these boards in his official capacity.
Internationally, it is a common practice for political office holders to resign from their private positions before being sworn into office. Recently, Mr David Cameron resigned from various business and charitable positions, including as president of Alzheimer’s Research UK, when he made a comeback to government, saying, \"I have one job – to be foreign secretary and work with the prime minister for the UK to be as secure and prosperous as possible in a difficult and dangerous world.\"
Conversely, there are many examples of former politicians who are now leading high profile international bodies, but only started serving in these organisations after their political tenure in their home countries. Examples include Mr Antonio Guterres, the current Secretary-General of the United Nations, who was a former prime minister of Portugal, and Mr Charles Michel, who became the President of the European Council after stepping down as the Belgian prime minister.
The presence of currently serving Senior Public Officials in international organisations has led to controversies in the past. In 2018, the European Union Ombudsman called on the then-European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi to resign from the G30, the same organisation whose Board of Trustees President Tharman is now Chairing. She said, \"Mr Draghi's membership of the G30 could give rise to a public perception that the independence of the ECB could be compromised\". Adding that, \"For the ECB to allow this perception to arise over several years constitutes mal-administration on its part.\"
The PMO stated that, from time to time, the President or Ministers are invited to take up key positions in foreign and international organisations. Prior to this, did any of our past Presidents assume positions in foreign organisations in their private capacities while they were still in office, or is Mr Tharman the first? Additionally, have there been other invitations extended to the President for positions in foreign and international organisations that he has not yet accepted?
Could the Deputy Prime Minister provide the House a comprehensive list of his external commitments, both present and potential, so that Parliament can ascertain the extent of the President's involvement in these organisations and his expected annual time commitments for these roles?
Prior to his election, Mr Tharman articulated his vision for the presidency, emphasising the need for a different character to the Presidency in Singapore's next phase of development. He underscored the role of the President in checking the governance system, fostering unity and evolving Singapore's norms and culture. During his inauguration, he committed to using his mandate to strengthen multiracialism and enhance respect among communities. His plans include promoting interaction between different communities, ensuring cultural vibrancy and fostering inclusivity through active community participation, civil society and support for the arts and sports.
These are substantial commitments that will demand a significant investment of the President's time and effort. All of us – including the President – have only 24 hours each day. Any time he spends serving private interests will be time taken away from his national duties to his constituents – who are the people of Singapore. Surely, the role of the President is significant enough to merit his undivided attention.
The President also draws a salary of $1.57 million a year. If we include his entertainment allowance, the salaries of his personal staff and other expenses, the total budgeted expenditure of the President's office in the current financial year is over $12 million. This is a substantial amount of taxpayer money. It is only reasonable for Singaporeans to expect that he dedicates all his time and energy in his official capacity to meeting his promises to the people.
The Government may argue that the President serves Singapore by accepting these key positions in international organisations. However, we must note that the proposed Article 22Q specifies that he will act in his “private capacity”, not in the exercise of his functions under the Constitution.
We must more closely examine how these private roles, separate from official duties, genuinely advance Singapore's national interests. How will the Government ensure that the President, when acting in his private capacity, follows the Cabinet's advice about what to say or do in his role, since many of these organisations hold their meetings behind closed doors in foreign countries?
The Deputy Prime Minister said just now that international organisations would want our President to continue in his official role. They also want their appointees to contribute independently. But if the Cabinet can instruct the President what to say or not to say, how is that contributing independently?
Invoking the \"national interest\" cannot grant the Government unrestricted authority to pursue its every desire. There are varying degrees of national interest. Is there any objective test that the Cabinet will employ to assess the degree of national interest of the President taking up foreign or international roles?
Mr Speaker, I accept that the President may sometimes take up roles in international organisations in his official capacity, in order to enhance Singapore's international standing and advance our national interests. However, Singaporeans justifiably expect him to wholeheartedly dedicate his time and energy to fulfil his national responsibilities. Allowing the President to take up external appointments in his private capacity could detract from his substantial public duties. For this reason, the Workers' Party (WP) will vote against this Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Speaker, Sir, we are certainly feeling proud as a Singaporean when our then-Senior Minister Tharman was invited and appointed to serve at prestigious international organisations. He was appointed to Chair the G20 Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial Governance. He also Chaired the Board of Trustees at the G30 and so on.
The jobs of our President and Ministers, who are also Members of Parliament (MPs) with constituency duties, are demanding. While it may be beneficial for our national interest to have them appointed in foreign and international organisations and champion for Singapore, the concern is whether the demands of these appointments will have a negative impact on their ability to fulfil their local ones.
One of Singapore's greatest challenges is our small pool of top local citizen talent which the Public Service, political and private sectors need to compete for. Perhaps, one of the intents of this Bill is to overcome the constraints.
Will the Government limit the numbers and type of appointments Ministers can take on in their private capacities? We can understand that foreign and international organisations have their reasons for inviting the Ministers or the President. If they should take these on, they might have to let go of other appointments to ensure that they have the time and energy to fulfil their main responsibilities as Ministers and MPs.
How would the Cabinet screen, vet and make recommendations for appropriate invitations to be approved? We must also put in place mechanics to prevent conflict of interest for the President and Ministers with such appointments. I am in full support of the Bill because for Singapore, one of the smallest nations in the world, having our Ministers or President on select, curated international organisations, will allow us to put our views across and have a say in how certain future international rules will be designed. It is easy for the international arena to ignore tiny nations like us. We need to have a presence wherever possible.
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, today, we are debating amendments to the Constitution to create a framework for the President and Ministers to perform foreign and international roles in their private capacity.
This Bill also appears to address, urgently, the circumstances of the President since his inauguration on 14 September 2023. President Tharman is extremely respected by and popular among Singaporeans. He has brought honour to Singapore with his international achievements. Personally, I have great respect for him, and it was my honour to have worked with him briefly in the mid-1980s when I was an Investment Officer at GIC and he was an Economist at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
So, the objections that I will raise in this speech have nothing to do with President Tharman personally or his international appointments specifically. Rather, they arise from this Bill's violation of established legal principles and principles of sound governance, which I will move on now to elaborate on.
Mr Speaker, the first question I like to raise is: are the President's international appointments currently unconstitutional? Currently, under Article 19A of the Constitution, the President is not allowed to hold any other office created or recognised by this Constitution, actively engage in any commercial enterprise, be a member of any political party or be a Member of Parliament.
The Constitution is silent on whether the President can take up foreign or international appointments. But President Tharman has been holding such appointments when he was a Minister, before he was elected as the President. Other Ministers have also held international appointments over the years without question, despite the Constitution also being silent on this matter. The most notable example was Mr Lee Kuan Yew who sat on the JP Morgan International Council while he was Minister Mentor.
So, why is it so pressing to rush through these constitutional amendments now and create this framework for the President and Cabinet Ministers to take up international appointments? Is it simply because no other past President had held international appointments in their private capacity while in office? If so, then the Government should explain why there was no rush to create such a framework when a Minister took up foreign or international appointments for the first time many years ago.
The second question the Government has to clarify is: why is it necessary for these constitutional amendments to be rushed through Parliament and backdated? The Constitution is the bedrock of our nation and any changes to it should be made with prudent consideration, transparency and in the best interest of only the nation.
The constitutional amendments that we are debating today were brought to this House for First Reading less than three weeks ago and Parliament has been recalled today specifically to approve this fait accompli.
Parliament is also being asked to backdate these proposed constitutional amendments to 14 September 2023, the date of President Tharman's inauguration, through clause 1(2) of this Bill. The retrospective amendment of any law should not be taken lightly.
The speed with which these constitutional amendments are being enacted, as well as the fact that they are being backdated, have created unnecessary unease among Singaporeans. A segment of Singaporeans now perceives that the Constitution is being specially amended to enable President Tharman to continue serving in international organisations despite taking up his new office as President of Singapore.
Some other Singaporeans believe that the Government is establishing this framework to control what the President can or cannot say internationally under the new Article 22Q, clause 2. Either way, this has tarnished the elected presidency. Many Singaporeans wonder, if any other person had been elected President, would the Government have enacted these constitutional amendments?
Mr Speaker, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) believes the framework proposed in this Bill by the Government to govern the performance of foreign and international roles by the President and Ministers is not sufficient. It is a universally recognised principle of good governance that situations of conflict of interest should be avoided as much as possible, in order to maintain the integrity of public institutions. While such situations cannot be totally eliminated, the Constitution should certainly not be amended to enable such situations to arise.
The public/private capacity divide itself is controversial. If the President or Minister is truly acting in his private capacity, why then would the national interest be involved? It is not easy, or might even be impossible, to ensure that one capacity does not lead to advantage in the other.
If the Constitution can be amended to enable the President and Ministers to take up foreign or international appointments of an executive nature, as opposed to mere ceremonial roles, an important question would arise – where does the buck stop? What more is permissible or impermissible or what principles or guidelines would such decisions be based on?
Therefore, PSP is of the view that it is better for the President and Ministers to devote themselves entirely to their public offices in Singapore.
As for these other international or foreign appointments, PSP is confident that there are other Singaporean talents suited for them.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, we need a more complete explanation from the Government as to why it has rushed to pass this Constitutional amendment and backdate them to President Tharman's inauguration. If President Tharman's foreign and international appointments are not unconstitutional, then it is perplexing why the amendments need to be backdated or even made at all, given that Cabinet Ministers have taken up such appointments over the years without such a framework and without any question of their legality and constitutionality.
If there is a possibility that President Tharman's foreign and international appointments are unconstitutional, then what this House is doing today creates a worrying precedent. This House is being asked to change the highest law in the land and backdate the change to enable a specific individual to remain within legal boundaries.
On the other hand, some Singaporeans believe that the Government has pushed through these amendments to strengthen its control over what the President says and does abroad.
From the feedback we have gathered, there is confusion on the ground and Singaporeans need a full explanation from the Government. Mr Speaker, the PSP does not support the Bill. For country, for people.
Mr Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Speaker, our Parliament has to decide today whether to allow the Government’s amendment of the Constitution to create a framework for the President and Ministers to perform foreign and international roles in their private capacities.
Under the proposed Article 22Q which is being introduced by this amendment Bill, the President may accept and hold an office in a foreign and international organisation in his private capacity if, and only if, the President is not disabled by Article 19A(1) from performing the functions of that office; the Cabinet advises the President that it is in the national interest for the President to accept and hold that office; and the President, acting in his discretion, concurs with the advice of the Cabinet.
The PMO said in a statement that, from time to time, the President or Ministers are invited to take up key positions in foreign and international organisations, and I quote: \"Accepting such positions can enhance Singapore’s international standing and help to advance our national interest...\"
It has already been reported in The Straits Times that if the Bill is passed, it would allow President Tharman to continue with his roles in the WEF and G30. We are told that President Tharman currently holds several international appointments, including being chairman of the Board of Trustees of the G30, a member of the WEF’s Board of Trustees, Co-chair of the GCEW, and Co-chair of the Advisory Board for the UN Human Development Report (UNHDR).
Mr Speaker, it is indisputable that our President’s appointment is a full-time position having a substantial salary, which makes it one of the best-paid elected heads of state in the world.
Mr Speaker, aside from what Deputy Prime Minister said about President Tony Tan serving on the Senate of the Nobel Laureates, I am not aware of any report of any of our past elected presidents holding any concurrent positions in a foreign or international organisations in their private capacity. Certainly, this issue of a president accepting and holding office in a foreign or international organisation in his private capacity has not been brought up for discussion in Parliament until today.
I am also not aware of there being other elected heads of state elsewhere in the world who are allowed to hold any concurrent positions in foreign and international organisations in their private capacities while they are in office.
President Tharman himself noted, when he was a presidential candidate, that the demands of the office have grown in the face of profound global risks and uncertainties. My colleague, the hon Member for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Mr Gerald Giam, has shared with us earlier how President Tharman has articulated his vision for the presidency during his presidential campaign, including the roles he had expected to play and the work he had expected to carry out. Suffice to say, the roles and work he has envisaged are very substantial and will take time and effort. But every person, including all heads of state and our own Head of State, the President, only has 24 hours a day. Whether the President has enough time is just one consideration. Ought the President be allowed to do so is another question altogether.
Mr Speaker, when this Bill was introduced, many Singaporeans I spoke to shared with me and MPs from the WP that they expect our President to concentrate fully on his role as President and they hope our President would not be distracted by the roles he is holding in his private capacity. Indeed, I agree with them. The roles he is holding in international organisations do show that he is held by many with high regard and respect. I can also agree with the Government’s argument that such positions can possibly enhance Singapore’s international standing and help to advance our national interest.
However, the time spent on serving foreign and international organisations, no matter how fruitful they can be for our President and even for Singapore, equates to time not spent on his presidential responsibilities, including the roles he had campaigned on. From the conversations I have had, I think there is a very strong argument for a serving president to concentrate wholeheartedly in his or her presidential responsibilities. In fact, undistracted by other external private responsibilities, our president can be encouraged to serve our country and people more fully, not unlike the way President Tharman has shared in his campaign.
The Government has argued that it has safeguards built into this amendment Bill, for example, under Article 22Q(1), the Cabinet must be able to advise the President that it is in the national interest for the President to accept and hold that office and, under Article 22Q(2), the Cabinet may, from time to time, advise the President against saying something or doing anything in the performance of the functions of any new office that the President is holding privately and the Cabinet may require the President to relinquish his responsibility under Article 22Q(3).
Some safeguards may well be necessary if this Bill is to be passed to expressly allow the President to hold an office in a foreign or international organisation in a private capacity. But are the proposed safeguards sufficient or ever sufficient? Will the proposed safeguards create other complications or unintended outcomes?
Mr Speaker, while the Cabinet needs to be satisfied that any such appointment must be in the national interest, this does not preclude the possibility that the role that a president is initially allowed to assume in an international organisation may, unforeseeably, later on turn out to require more time and attention, for example, to handle an unexpected international crisis or an important issue affecting the organisation or the community which the organisation serves, which was unforeseeable or not expected at the time of appointment.
Yes, the Cabinet may be able to ask the President to relinquish his responsibility under Article 22Q(3). However, it may also be conceivable to argue that, at a time of crisis for such an international organisation or the community it serves, it may be morally or as a matter of conscience, difficult to step down and walk away from such a position of leadership. If done, it may even affect the standing of our President or our country. But if the President does not walk away and the Cabinet does not require him to relinquish, whether rightly or wrongly, it may still add to the time and responsibilities of the President within this foreign or international organisation which may, in turn, reduce or affect the time or attention he has on his actual role as our President.
Conflicts of interest may happen when one is double-hatting. An example of potential conflicts of interest situation with the President assuming board or leadership positions on foreign or international organisations would be when such organisations were to, after our President’s appointment, hold certain views or may introduce policy reforms or changes in conventions where some such changes may not be completely acceptable to our Government or are inconsistent with our policies; being compelled to not speak up within that organisation, or even to resign at that point in time, may not look impressive to our international friends.
What are the remedies when an actual case of conflict of interest were to happen? Beyond Article 22Q(2) providing for the Cabinet to advise the President against saying or doing anything in his capacity as appointment holder of such a foreign or international organisation, the Cabinet can ask the President to relinquish the external position he is holding pursuant to Article 22Q(3) and, under this provision, he must so relinquish, when asked. However, beyond relinquishing, the Bill, significantly, does not provide for how the President can be held accountable when such a situation happens. In comparison, the Ministerial Code provides that a breach of the Code can result in a Minister’s removal from office. Also, what would be the recourse under the law if a President were to disagree with the Cabinet and does not step down for whatever reasons he may have?
Mr Speaker, the amendment Bill allows the President to hold appointments in foreign or international organisations in his private capacity. The Bill is silent on whether time and expenses incurred in the course of attending to the President’s duties in the foreign or international organisations in his private capacity would be strictly regarded as private and personal, since the appointments were made in his private capacity.
Will taxpayers have to foot the bill for the travel and accommodation expenses of the President and that of his support staff and even the security detail from the Istana? What about the salaries of these civil servants? The Bill, as it stands, does not expressly allow taxpayers’ monies to be spent in the examples I have mentioned, especially as these appointments are held in a private capacity.
The Bill is also silent on the right of the President to accept remuneration from the foreign or international organisation. Will such remuneration be allowed?
Will the President, in his private capacity, have to take a leave of absence when attending to meetings of such foreign or international organisations in his private capacity? Indeed, my questions above are also for the amendments in the proposed Article 33A pertaining to Ministers holding appointments in foreign and international organisations in their private capacity.
I would be grateful for the Deputy Prime Minister’s clarifications on the above as they relate to the use of taxpayers’ monies and the proper conduct of Government officials.
Mr Speaker, in closing, our President, as our Head of State, should focus fully on his official Presidential duties and responsibilities for which he has been elected to do. Allowing the President to take up appointments with foreign or international organisations in his private capacity could detract from his official Presidential duties. The WP will, therefore, vote against this Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Don Wee.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, the invitations to our President and Ministers to take up key positions in foreign and international organisations are testament to the good regard in which Singapore is held. I agree that having our men and women on the seats of these bodies will be highly beneficial to Singapore in providing the opportunity to present our perspectives, shape discourse and advance our national interests. Having a seat at the table makes a difference to Singapore.
If we cast our eyes overseas, there are example of ministers from other countries who are part of international organisations. For example, Canada's deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Ms Chrystia Freeland, and Rwanda's minister of information communication technology and innovation, Ms Paula Ingabire, are members of WEF's Board of Trustees.
As a small island state with no natural resources, Singapore has thrived due to its people's capabilities and their connectivities with our global partners. We need to continue to promote Singapore well.
Indeed, the appointments of our leaders to such institutions will enhance Singapore's visibility and international standing, which include intangible qualities which have tangible and significant impact on our development and progress as a nation. Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I have one concern. How would the offices of the President and Ministers manage potential conflict of interest which may arise due to the appointment in their personal capacities? Parliament should have more clarity on this issue.
How can we be assured that all input by our President and Ministers at these bodies will be in our national interest? What happens if they put forth views not representative of, or even contrary to, the Government at these meetings? How do we separate the stances of the private individuals from the office they hold?
(In English): In addition, what would be the criteria set by the Cabinet for the organisations to be deemed acceptable? Will there be any control over the type and number of organisations that the President and Ministers may participate in? What are the guidelines that determine which roles may be approved? How will the Government ensure that these individuals will not take on too many roles which may have a detrimental impact on their ability to fulfil the requirements of their main jobs?
I would also like to ask how different are these international roles from the non-executive ones, such as patrons, which our President and Ministers undertake concurrently? For example, President Tharman is the Patron of the Digital for Life Movement.
Other questions which arise are about to whom or which office will be paid the fees and honorariums from the organisations and the billing of expenses, such as travel, security detail and accommodation, if any.
Despite these concerns, I would like to conclude with my support for the Bill in view of the benefits and glory such appointments will bring to Singapore.
Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Mr Speaker, the proposed constitutional amendments to allow the President and Ministers to privately take on foreign and international roles in the national interest raises numerous concerns, most of which my Workers' Party (WP) colleagues Gerald Giam and Dennis Tan have articulated.
I will focus my remarks on clause 1.2 of the Bill, notably, the retrospective dating of stipulations to September 2023.
I appreciate that Deputy Prime Minister Wong has indicated earlier that the backdating was not necessary per se but introduced it out of an abundance of caution. If so, for me, this is even more worrisome, for reasons that would become evident over the course of my speech.
Retrospective applications of the law, sometimes referred to as retrospective or ex post facto laws, involve backdating the legal status of actions undertaken prior to the enactment of the law. Legislative retrospectivity may affect previously established legal relationships and rights and may attach new legal consequences to earlier decisions made by parties that did not anticipate these consequences under prior law.
Ex post facto laws are, indeed, permissible in Westminster-style parliamentary systems such as ours because of the principle of parliamentary supremacy.
Yet even legislative sovereignty must be located within the legal order where the rule of law remains absolute. Whether one subscribes to a thicker or thinner conception of the rule of law, the general principle that laws should be prospective, open and clear is not contested. This is for good reason.
If we routinely amend laws and apply them after the fact, then we erode the very stability of the rule of law. These are consequences not just for the institution of the rule of law. Retroactive laws compromise both efficiency as well as equity. You can also, in the words of our own Court of Appeal, \"undermine expectations\".
Retroactivity becomes especially thorny when applied to matters involving the Constitution. Constitutions are meant to embody deep, fundamental principles that form the legal basis for the governance of sovereign countries. Indeed, in many jurisdictions worldwide, constitutions or Bill of rights form the very basis for prohibitions on retroactive legislation. This includes Brazil, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines and Russia.
Even in countries when the constitution does not explicitly prohibit ex post facto laws, they are almost always circumscribed, especially for criminal law.
Retroactive legislation enacted elsewhere has also been challenged on constitutional grounds, often at the very highest levels.
In the last session of Parliament, this House was very careful about enshrining specific provisions and rights into the Constitution precisely because of the notion that matters of policy that may not be sufficiently enduring should not garner constitutional amendments. It stands that we wish to be very careful about introducing retroactive clauses into any constitutional amendments because doing so would open up avenues for other future changes that could likewise be dated retroactively.
Based on a search in Hansard for the term \"deemed to have come into operation\", I was able to identify only a handful of other instances of Bills where retroactive applicability was hardcoded into the language of the Bill.
One is the Republic of Singapore Independence Act (RSIA), which was raised for First and Second Readings only in December 1965 but commenced on Singapore Day, 9 August, for obvious reasons. Since the RSIA has constitutional significance, this clearly justifies its retroactive application.
Another has to do with certain Bills related to pensions. The Pensions Act, enacted in 1956, was retroactively set to commence in 1939. Amendments to the Parliamentary Pensions Act were made retroactive from the commencement of the original Act, and the Act to eventually abolish such pensions was likewise rendered operative a little than a year earlier, relative to when it was passed.
This retroactive applicability was to align either with when the principal Act come into operation or with actual practice, when pensions had already been frozen since May 2011. This is, again, justifiable since the nature of pensions is such that they are accrued incrementally. So, the timing of pension applicability matters.
The most recent example is in the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. Certain parts of the Act, notably on conducting in-person meetings, were backdated to March that year. Given the limited understanding surrounding a novel and deadly disease, it is reasonable to expect the need to predate policy changes made in the fog of a life-and-death battle.
To be clear, Mr Speaker, there have been other instances where retroactivity was applicable but not hardcoded into the Bill. Section 8D of the Internal Security Act embeds a commencement provision that applies the amendments to proceedings that predate the Act. Amendments to the Singapore Military Forces Act, which affected reservists, were also ante-dated to two years prior, to be consistent with the functions assigned to the then Defence Forces Record Officer. In 1992, proposed changes to the mandatory death penalty for homicide offences were also applied to existing cases.
But, importantly, as far as I can gather, the common thread among these instances is that the case for retroactivity was always heavily justified, based on the importance of implications that could result were the law not applied retroactively – and it has never been applied to any constitutional amendment since 2007.
I believe Members of this House will, therefore, agree with me that all instances where retroactive legislation making is enacted to be sparing and any such cases should be justifiable by the gravity of otherwise not doing so. As suggested earlier, this basic argument should hold with even greater force when we are looking at a constitutional amendment, lest we run afoul of the underlying principles that undergird the rule of law as embodied in the highest law of the land.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that there is any incoherence between the Bill at hand and our Constitution itself since the right to due process implied by Article 9 of the Constitution pertains to life and liberty, neither of which are threatened with compromise by the proposed amendments, nor does the present Bill appear to be in contravention to Article 11, which offers protection against retrospective criminal laws.
Nevertheless, we are left with an uncomfortable position of asking ourselves whether the stipulations of the proposed constitutional amendments rise to the level of the sort of circumstances spelt out in the prior instances where legislative retroactivity was accommodated.
Sir, in the run-up to the 2020 elections, I expressed concerns in a public debate over how, were the People's Action Party (PAP) not denied a supermajority in Parliament, that would tantamount to handing them a blank cheque. The stipulations in today's Bill only serve to reinforce that fear.
After all, if one deems the matters raised by this Bill as sufficiently serious, why were they not considered for passage previously? After all, the PMO statement on the Bill suggests that invitations to the President or Ministers to take on international roles arise \"from time to time\".
If so, why was this sort of accommodation not previously drafted into prospective law rather than now, retroactively, and as a constitutional amendment no less? Or has the Government itself treated the matter lightly, taking for granted the fact that, with a supermajority in Parliament, it is able to alter the Constitution at will and, hence, it would simply be a fait accompli to roll out a retroactive amendment?
It would be useful for this House to know when the Government was first made aware of a possible conflict with the Constitution which would necessitate a potential amendment. If it was prior to the most recent presidential election, could our present need to pass a retroactive law have been avoided with a law that was enacted earlier instead of seemingly taking the passage of the constitutional amendment for granted?
And, if so, why was this matter of the President taking on or retaining such extracurricular appointments not clearly identified as an election issue so that the electorate would be able to make more informed voting choices when they cast their vote?
Sir, allow me to close by putting my main point simply.
Does this House regard the use of retroactive lawmaking embodied in this Bill – that we should retrospectively allow the President and Ministers to take on positions in their private capacity should it serve the national interest – as one that is sufficiently grave as to justify bending away from the sound, general principles of prospective lawmaking? Or is it bordering on an abuse of the Parliamentary supermajority to effect constitutional amendments of this nature at will?
For me, it is closer to the latter and, for that reason, I and the WP cannot support the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Mr Keith Chua.
Mr Keith Chua (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to speak on this proposed amendment Bill.
We may be a small nation, but Singapore has gained international respect and admiration in several areas since our founding. The world today is yet again facing a series of challenges. After recovering from the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 with seeming peace and financial stability, COVID-19 hit. I use \"seeming peace\" because there were still areas of conflict and, if those were not contained, could have certainly brought global disruptions.
Geopolitical tensions between the United States (US) and China have deepened, although there may seem to be some ray of hope recently, and Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, triggering political and economic fallout.
Regionally, we are seeing the continuing issues in Myanmar. Most recently, we are witnessing the Israel-Hamas war, with ripples through racial and religious communities despite statements that this is neither a racial nor a religious conflict.
Singapore's domestic well-being depends on regional and global well-being. As a country dependent on regional and global peace and prosperity, we cannot look the other way when and where events occur that impact trade, financial systems, peace and global order. This, of course, must also include the ongoing efforts to address the urgent needs concerning climate change and the environment.
The proposed amendments may seem like a couple of sentences. But the potential impact will likely be much more. I refer to potential positive impact on a regional and global scale. And I believe, harnessed wisely, this will, in turn, reap positive impact for us domestically.
Our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, put Singapore on the world map despite our small nation status. He was supported by a capable and able strong team, as he often acknowledged. He also made it a practice to bring younger leaders along with him to observe, listen and learn. Many are in the House today. After handing over political leadership, Mr Lee remained highly sought after internationally for his advice, his views and his outlook on a whole range of matters. He also concurrently provided guidance and advice when requested on domestic matters.
Global institutions continue to be dominated by the global powers. Often, this comes down to fundamental dominance by size and funding. Global institutions, though, are also facing the risk of losing relevance. There are many different views why this is the case. Despite this, it would be against our interests to ever feel that we, as a small nation, cannot contribute. It may take time, effort, persuasion, trust, cultivating relationships.
If our leaders are invited to perform foreign and international roles in their private capacities, we should, therefore, encourage this if this is in our national interest.
The recent rapid increase in interest rates from a decade of almost zero interest may continue to test the global economic fabric. Stock markets remain volatile and rise and fall in anticipation of whether the US Federal Reserve will increase interest rates. The ability to navigate the global financial uncertainty in the coming years will need the best minds and, of course, sound fiscal policy.
This is all happening at a time when global trade is becoming increasingly protective. We, therefore, need to protect our future interests, both domestically and internationally. And we have been doing so and we must continue to do so.
As our leaders with sharp minds, expertise and experience debate and discuss issues of importance at international forums, we play our part in contributing to global solutions and actions. Participation at international forums will also be a channel where we remain open to learning from others and, perhaps, bringing back lessons that may improve our own policies and practices. I trust our leaders will be bringing along younger leaders to observe, listen and learn.
Our private and people sectors have also contributed on the global stage over the decades. It may be timely to see whether more public, private and people sector collaboration may be beneficial in selected global arenas. As a financial hub, we will have gained much private sector knowledge and expertise and continue to attract a significant amount of funds under management. We have also gained significant experience in establishing and stewarding our Sovereign Wealth Funds.
The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) has been mobilising the people sector in cross-border engagement. Since 1991, SIF has brought together communities in a variety of initiatives with the aim to connect and collaborate for positive change. One programme, the Young Social Entrepreneurs Programme, brings together social entrepreneurs from the region each year to sharpen their socially driven initiatives, undergo mentoring and, eventually, participate in a final pitching session. Social entrepreneurs emerging from this programme have brought positive impact and change to a whole spectrum of communities.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are currently behind schedule and many are unlikely to achieve the targets set for 2030. If the SDGs are achieved, the world should be in a better place. The SDGs have attracted both public and private funding and have been often used to benchmark philanthropic giving across all levels.
While we may not specifically align our various public and private philanthropic endeavours with the UN SDGs, we are, nevertheless, engaging in many of these goals through many ongoing public programmes and private and people initiatives.
I hope that as our leaders engage at the highest levels, there will be consideration for building a whole-of-society approach to global engagement. Working with young and aspiring leaders and also, in particular, social entrepreneurs, they have much to offer to the Singapore of today and tomorrow.
Allow me, Mr Speaker, to conclude with this well-known quote from Mr Lee Kuan Yew: \"For the young, let me tell you the sky has turned brighter. There is a glorious rainbow that beckons those with the spirit of adventure. And there are rich findings at the end of the rainbow. To the young and to the not-so-old, I say, look at that horizon, follow that rainbow, go ride it.\" I cling onto the few words that say, \"not-so-old\".
Mr Speaker, Sir, though a non-voting Member of this House on constitutional matters, I strongly encourage and support our leaders, our President and our Ministers, to perform foreign and international roles in our national interests and I thank them, particularly where this is in their private capacities to contribute towards a much-needed better world.
Mr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise today to seek clarification on several aspects of the Bill.
First, Mr Speaker, Sir, the Bill seeks to allow the President or Ministers to hold and accept office in their \"private capacity\". The distinction between whether the President or the Minister is acting in the capacity of a Singaporean officeholder or a foreign one is important. This is especially considering the potential for perceptions that they are still acting as officeholders even in a private capacity.
Will it be apparent as to whom the President or Minister represents when wearing these different hats? The potential switching between roles raises concerns about the clarity of representation. The public must be able to discern whether the President or Minister is acting on behalf of Singapore, the foreign organisation or both.
Second, Mr Speaker, Sir, the role of the President and Ministers in foreign organisations must not run counter to our national interests. How do we ensure that individuals holding these roles align with our national priorities? Are there restrictions on the types of organisations that they can serve in?
Is the President and are the Ministers prohibited from serving on foreign bodies, even remotely, if the foreign organisation's agenda poses a conflict of interest? This consideration is paramount in preventing Singapore's officeholders from using privileged information gained from their positions or accidentally disclosing official secrets.
Another key consideration is the connection that exposes them to vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may exploit. In addition, if a Minister had served, for instance, in the Ministry of National Development but is now transferred to another portfolio, is there a moratorium on their service in a foreign organisation that could pose a conflict of interest?
Were there prohibitions in place before the appointment as President? Do the amendments apply to the appointments made before the role of the President was assumed? I ask these questions because if the constitutional amendments are made retrospectively, it would be a practice not commonly observed in legislative amendments.
Fourth, Mr Speaker, Sir, I am concerned about the potential impact on the President's and the Ministers' abilities to fulfil their duties to the nation. With this amendment, are we confident that they will have sufficient time and bandwidth to execute their roles in both the external organisation and their official capacities? Is there a time limit for serving in these foreign or international organisations? We must prevent a scenario where our leaders become entangled in external commitments to the detriment of their duties to the nation. Should a rule prioritise their national duties?
Finally, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask about financial considerations. We must address the issue of remuneration for these external positions. Do they retain the remuneration they receive? Who bears the expenses associated with travel for these appointments? Besides the monetary aspects, it touches upon the very image and perception of the office. How palatable would it be for the President to receive full wages alongside additional remuneration for a secondary appointment?
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe that the net benefit of such engagements holds the potential to significantly enhance Singapore's global standing. Participation in international organisations provides our leaders with an exceptional platform to establish diplomatic connections with influential leaders across diverse nations and sectors. These networks can translate into collaborations and partnerships that ultimately benefit Singapore.
Such appointments also provide the opportunity to showcase their expertise at an international level. This not only elevates their personal standing but further amplifies the influence and reputation of our nation. These international roles often involve addressing pressing global challenges, such as climate change. Our leaders, in such capacities, can contribute to meaningful solutions on a broader and international scale.
In addition, by actively participating in international organisations, our leaders become effective advocates for Singapore's interests on a global stage. This may encompass negotiations on international agreements and influencing global policies in favour of our nation. Hence, achieving a balance among these diverse roles, all the while steadfastly prioritising Singapore's national interests, is critical. In doing so, we would allow for the optimal utilisation of our leaders' skills on both the domestic and international fronts, ultimately contributing to the advancement of Singapore. My clarifications notwithstanding, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mr Speaker: Leader of the House.
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Mr Speaker: Mr Christopher de Souza.
Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill.
I have listened to the speeches of the Opposition Members of Parliament. They are entitled to their views, but I take a very divergent view. In my view, the amendments are fundamentally about Singapore's voice in the international arena and how we keep our little red dot shining brightly.
Why oppose that? Why oppose something that should be done in Singapore's interests? Sir, I give seven reasons why I support this amendment. These reasons also track broadly why I disagree with the Opposition's broad points. And having listened to the Opposition's aversions towards the amendments, I will end off giving my own personal view on the subject at hand from personal experience.
The first point is this: we are a small country, yet we have done well. We are privileged to have gained respect around the globe for what we have built and for the people we have become. It is broadly on that basis that members of our Cabinet have been invited to participate in various international organisations and contribute generally globally.
Second, our Ministers have accepted these international roles to extend Singapore's standing abroad, so long as it is aligned with our national interests.
The third point, today, we are debating whether to extend this practice to the President as well. The proposed Article 22Q allows the President to accept and hold an office in a foreign or international organisation in his private capacity. This, of course, is limited by Article 19A(1), meaning that he cannot actively engage in any commercial enterprise. The President can only accept such a role if the Cabinet advises him that it is for the national interests and he himself concurs.
Furthermore, even after the acceptance of such a role, the President is limited against saying or doing anything in that role if the Cabinet so advises, and must relinquish the role if so advised by the Cabinet. This means that even as the President takes on a role, the Cabinet will continually consider if this role aids our national interests and how it helps Singapore and Singaporeans.
Fourth, this Bill is built on the backbone of our strong and established relationships with partners from around the world, as we seek to advance Singapore's national interests on the global stage and to gain international and commercial perspectives on issues that all countries face today.
Being a part of such international groups and committees is essential as we look to bring Singapore forward. Not only does it put Singapore on the map and allows us to contribute to issues beyond our borders, but we can gain insights into the considerations of other leaders in their respective countries and fields. The commercial insight we gain helps us to keep abreast with how policies are affecting the economy and vice versa. By understanding the ramifications in both the public and the private spheres, we are able to chart a better way forward for Singapore.
Fifth, over the years, our Cabinet has been invited to be a part of many international groups. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, when he was Minister Mentor, took on such positions. He was a special advisor to Citigroup Inc. back in 2006, as well as being a part of the JP Morgan Chase International Council.
And, of course, President Tharman, when he was Senior Minister, took on several roles, including being a member of the WEF Board of Trustees, Co-chair of the GCEW and the G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for pandemic preparedness and response.
Sixth, Mr Speaker, all these roles our Ministers have taken on have been appointments that have advanced Singapore's national interest and allowed our Cabinet to have a broader perspective, which they can utilise in governing Singapore.
Seventh, in the same way, to extend this role to our President, will serve Singapore well internationally and allow for greater global cooperation between us and the world. We can continue to build and strengthen relationships and significantly forged new ones, so that Singapore will always have a seat at the international table.
My ultimate point, before I go on to discuss the speeches before me, is one that comes from personal experience and deep personal belief. Perhaps I can give a personal account to drive home my point as to why international memberships are good for Singapore.
Just late last year, in 2022, I travelled with Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on a Government trip to Egypt, and then to Paris, France. In Egypt, our objective was to get a sense of the security situation in North Africa, the region, southern Europe and the Middle East, and how movements there would impact Singapore.
We took a flight from Cairo to Paris. Our mission in Paris was to get a good sense of the Russia-Ukraine war, whether there was an end in sight – all in Singapore's interests.
On the third day of our Paris leg, Senior Minister Teo attended the meetings of the TotalEnergies International Advisory Committee. At the same hotel we were staying at were Senior Minister Teo's fellow industry advisory committee members from TotalEnergies. I met them socially at breakfast and spoke with them. The calibre of Senior Minister Teo's counterparts was exceptional. That is my own honest, personal and real-life experience. Captains of global industries, leaders in science and global experts in their fields. That Senior Minister Teo was invited to be among such peers is both a credit to Singapore and to the Senior Minister.
I was left in no doubt, I repeat, I was left in no doubt that memberships at these high-level international bodies put Singapore on the map and advances our interests. But equally important, it advances global interests and our common humanity.
Is it any coincidence that Senior Minister Teo is also our Minister-in-charge of climate change? His perspectives add value to the global debate.
While Senior Minister was at the TotalEnergies meetings, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) kept me occupied with bilateral meetings at the French Senate. No time was wasted, and no resources were wasted; back-to-back meetings trying to advance Singapore's interests and global interests.
Now, returning to the President. Like Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who was invited to international boards, or Senior Minister Teo, if our President is also held in such high esteem and his views are sought to advance a better world, why say no? Why say no?
It is a feather in the cap for Singapore, and what more Singapore gets a seat at the table. And many a time, global goals – eradication of poverty, protection of water supplies and mitigating climate change – are in concert with, in other words, are consistent with our own national priorities.
There is little divergence. And that is why voting in favour of this constitutional amendment is a vote in favour of Singapore.
We are talking about the highest office of the land. I listened carefully at the Opposition Members' speeches and had to say to myself, \"I must respond to some of their arguments\".
So, let me start off with Mr Gerald Giam. Mr Gerald Giam has four points, or arguments rather, the hon Member uses some – and here, I speak through you, Mr Speaker, Sir – the hon Member has some reservations about some members of boards and committees who may not be in full integrity of the role they occupy on the board, given their other occupations.
Also, Mr Giam's view is that Mr Tharman should be focused predominantly on inclusivity, arts and sports, and provide undivided attention to some of the declared objectives while he was on campaign.
But there is no divided attention. Is arts, sports and inclusivity not also a global goal? Ought Singapore not be seen at boards and international meetings and conferences, promoting this global ideal? Where is the undivided attention? If anything, there is economies of scale of attention to put forward this value.
Mr Giam also says, \"The Cabinet can say what he cannot say\". But it does not say that the Cabinet has to dictate what he has to say beyond what he cannot and therefore, there is free play, and we all know President Tharman, or most of us would know President Tharman as a man of his own thinking and deep integrity to his values.
So, I do not agree with the positions taken by my hon fellow Member Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Dennis Tan goes on to talk about how no other Head of State acts like this and there are only 24 hours in a day. I think Members of this House would know that former Senior Minister Tharman, now President Tharman, packs a lot in, in 24 hours of his day.
I do not see there to be binary duties between what Mr Dennis Tan, or as I understood Mr Dennis Tan to say, is a domestic role and more of an international role. The President is our top diplomat. He represents the state, and therefore, he has both to fulfil to the maximum of his ability and his or her talent the obligations at the international stage in addition to the domestic stage, which are not incompatible.
Mr Dennis Tan then talks about what if there is a crisis and where should the President's attention be? But if you look at some of the institutions that the President is now party to, they include the Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
So, if indeed we are talking about a crisis or a pandemic, ought it not be to Singapore's fillip, to Singapore's advantage, to Singapore's utility, that we have a person there, a reputable person, stating his own personal views, subject, of course, to the constraints and fetters offered by Cabinet, if any?
Let me move on to Mr Leong Mun Wai. Mr Leong says there is a violation in what we are doing today. There is no violation. We could have easily carried on the status quo of having the President carry out duties in his official capacity. But as I understand it and as I understand Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's speech, it was the organisations who said, \"Yes, you have brought forth an even greater ballast by your elevation to Head of State, and brings with the credibility to the organisation, but actually what we really want are your personal views, so you are not fettered by what the government of the day thinks.\"
And that presented a novel situation, which, in good conscience, the Attorney-General flagged out, and which we are ironing out today.
So, I hope that puts in perspective the good faith nature of what we are doing today. There is no surreptitious, outflanking manoeuvre. It is honest and transparent Parliamentary business that we are passing today.
And if, indeed, there are any disagreements, which I think Mr Leong, or maybe another Member alluded to, that is exactly why we have Article 22 to Article 22Q, which places in conditions what the President can do and cannot do.
And the last limb, if I am not mistaken, if the Cabinet is of the view that the President does not carry on these duties, he must relinquish them. It is not a \"may\", if I read it correctly. It is a \"must\". And let us hope that never comes to it.
So, we are not in a situation of a binary choice where we have to say, \"Look, no memberships because we do not want our President being overly distracted by international duties\" or \"we want a largely domestic President to be on the ground\". In the President, in who is elected, we can actually have both, and what a fillip advantage that would be for Singapore.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim then speaks about retroactivity, and I think when I listened very carefully, the hon Member talked about some element of retrospectivity and raised Article 11.
I do not have Article 11 with me here now, but Article 11 actually talks about criminal offences. And therefore, it is not, strictly speaking, relevant to what we are debating today. So, what we are doing today is not incoherent with the Constitution.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim ended off with really what was a political point, and what was the political point of today's debate among the Opposition Members of Parliament, in my humble view – which was a political point, \"Thank goodness that we have Members in this House, that if we had enough Members, we could railroad and prevent this amendment from going through if we had the one-third. But we do not.\"
I would like to take that conclusion and flip it on its head. I am humbly proud, that I am part of the two-thirds that pushes through constitutional legislations that are robustly in favour of our national interests. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): I thank the Member, Mr de Souza, for responding to my speech. I think Mr de Souza is making a strawman argument. He is arguing that the WP does not think that our President and Ministers should sit on international boards. This is not what I said. What I did say is, I accept that the President may sometimes take up roles in international organisations in his official capacity, in order to advance Singapore's international standing and advance our national interests.
We have no issue with him taking up these roles in his official capacity. What we disagree with him, is him taking up these roles in his private capacity. I think Mr de Souza has not addressed that in his speech. In fact, the Deputy Prime Minister already clarified that these international organisations are happy to have our President and Ministers in their official capacity. So, I do not see what the issue is.
Mr Christopher de Souza: I am afraid the Member is incorrect on two counts. The first is that the private bodies see the elevation of Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the President, as Head of State, to be an advantage to their organisations. But as I understood it, they did not want him to be just stating what the Government's position on things would be. They wanted his personal view. And this was never contemplated in the Constitution, because the Constitution always had official capacity.
So, Cabinet looked at this. They were upfront about it. They did not sneak it under the carpet and said, bygones be bygones. Just carry on with official capacity and let the President say what he wants to say in private capacity. No, that would be wrong, even if nobody found out.
The Attorney-General said, \"Look, based on the tools, the framework and the mechanics of the Constitution, this may not – this may run into a little bit of trouble. So, why do we not allow memberships via private capacities, but fetter them?\" Fetter them by Cabinet, and that is why we have Article 22C. So, it was out of an abundance of caution that we are doing what we are doing today. That puts it in perspective.
Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Sir, Mr de Souza himself said in his speech, that Mr Tharman has a mind of his own, I am just paraphrasing him. He said, but Mr Tharman has been on these Boards in his official capacity all this time. Deputy Prime Minister Wong has confirmed that all these positions that he is currently on, are in his official capacity and he has been speaking his mind all this time. So, what is wrong with that?
Mr Christopher de Souza: Mr Tharman is now the Head of State. And therefore, we have to have a structure, predictability, a framework in order to resolve what could be internationally prickly situations. And if you look at the explanatory statement, it states very clearly under Article 22C what the Cabinet can advise the President to do.
Three conditions must be met before the President may do so.
First, the President must be disabled by article 19A(1) from performing the function of the office. Second, the Cabinet must advise the President that it is in the national interest for the President to accept and hold the office. Third, the President acting in his discretion must concur with the Cabinet's advice.
In deciding whether to give his concurrence, the President is not subject to a time limit. And the President must relinquish the office if so advised by the Cabinet. So, Mr Tharman has now been elevated to Head of State. And this provides, I think, both His Excellency and the regulators in the form of the Cabinet to have a very predictable framework to deal with these issues.
And let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are issues that are facing the globe which our Ministers and also the President have unique, deep insights to contribute towards. So, do we put a roadblock or do we find a workable solution? And in the Singapore way, we find a workable solution.
Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Thank you, Speaker. Let me start by clarifying that my citation of Article 9 on due process, as well as Article 11 on retroactivity, was to say that I actually did not believe, and I quote myself, \"that there was any incoherence between the Bill itself and the Constitution\". So, let me first put that on the record.
But, if I heard Mr de Souza correctly, he suggests that one impetus for this Bill is that it was to accommodate, potentially, the concerns of these international organisations, about the independence of our potential representatives were we to send them there. Perhaps I should ask the question: what does it say about us as a nation, as a sovereign nation, if we are amending the highest law of the land, just so that we can potentially appease the desires of international organisations?
Mr Christopher de Souza: If you are not at the table, you are on the menu. So, when you get invited to these organisations, they speak well of Singapore, they speak well of the person who has been invited. The door is ajar, Singapore's interests can be presented by way of osmosis and the whole ecosystem, in the boardroom or the committee room, you get a sense of each continent's political difficulties and economic difficulties. So, why say no?
We are not pandering to the requests of international organisations. The fact that people who I have mentioned – Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Teo, other esteemed Cabinet Ministers and Senior Minister Tharman – continue to be sought after, after years in Government, speaks well that they are relevant.
But they want not just the official line. If there is room to share from their own experience and their own wealth of knowledge, what they have been through, how they think things can pan out, not just for Singapore, but for the world and for the region, why veto that? Why shut that out? How can that be construed as us pandering to international organisations when it is a feather in the cap to actually be invited in the first place? And then set down rules as to what can or cannot be done, so that the international organisations know the rules of engagement and so do we, both on His Excellency's Head of State side and on Cabinet side.
So, I turned it on its head and say we are not pandering. We should be honoured and humbled, and accept, as far as possible, subject to national interests.
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Mr Speaker. When I listen to the debate, especially the points raised by Member Christopher de Souza. I am very confused. So, I want to make one clarification. Can I make a clarification to the Deputy Prime Minister?
Mr Speaker: You can raise your clarification with respect to his opening speech, but later, he will have a chance to give his closing speech.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: Yes, because I would like to develop further the issue about official capacity and private capacity. I am totally in support of the WP's position, explained by Member Gerald Giam. We are in support of the official capacity if our Ministers perform the international appointments in their official capacities.
But I want to make one clarification with the Deputy Prime Minister. Our Ministers have, in the past, been always taking up all these international appointments. Is it the first time, through this Bill, that we are differentiating official capacity and private capacity? I would like to raise this clarification first.
The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mr Speaker, I will just take this opportunity to wrap up and, in the process, clarify the issues that have been raised. I thank the Members who have spoken in support of the amendment. In fact, many of the questions from Members, if you had listened carefully to my opening remarks, were already addressed in my opening remarks. But nevertheless, let me go through some of these points again.
First, on why this does not apply to the Prime Minister. We have got the President, we have got Ministers, but why not the Prime Minister? In my opening remarks, I said we do not intend, the Government does not intend for either the current or future Prime Ministers to serve in international organisations. So, this is not relevant to the Prime Minister.
Second, what is the status of President Tharman's current appointments? The present status are the four appointments which I have highlighted just now. They are appointments in the official capacity and they are not unconstitutional. They are made in accordance with the advice and support of the Cabinet. These are not full-time appointments; these are not executive appointments. They are roles as Board of Trustees, advisory roles; so, it is quite different from some of the examples that Mr Giam had cited earlier too.
Third, on the issue of backdating, I had addressed that too. But let me go through that again. Backdating, as Assoc Prof Jamus Lim correctly said, should be done sparingly. It is really the exception rather than the norm and we do it very, very rarely. Why so? Because backdating upsets expectations and prejudices individuals who rely on the existing law.
And so, if you backdate, then the ones who had relied on existing law may well be prejudiced. But this is not the case here. No one is prejudiced under this backdating. But in any case, setting aside the principle of it as I had highlighted just now, we are doing this out of an abundance of caution. We will not use this provision, and the approval of the President's appointment will be done on a prospective basis.
Let me now go through the rest of my remarks on the additional queries and issues that have been raised.
There were several Members who asked how the Government would assess invitations for the President or Ministers to participate in these international bodies.
The framework that we are setting out makes it clear that the President or the Minister, can only hold a foreign or international role in their private capacities, if it is in the national interest to do so. The critical phrase is \"national interest\".
Then, you might ask, what do we mean by \"national interest\"? In general, the President or Minister's participation should be helpful in advancing Singapore's standing and interests on the international stage. There should be benefits, be it direct or indirect, to Singapore as a whole or the Government agency which oversees the sector that the organisation operates in.
There might also be clear outcomes we want to help progress through these arrangements. For example, the President or the Minister's participation could help advance views that are aligned to Singapore's outlook and approach on issues to help shape the global agenda in areas that are critical to Singapore.
These benefits could also take the form of staying plugged into global discussions on topics salient to Singapore or generating mindshare for Singapore among influential thought leaders and networks. So, that is what we would say broadly is in the national interest.
But what I want to reiterate, and it is important and a substantive point to reiterate here, undertaking this role in a private capacity does not mean that the President or the Minister is somehow doing some extra-curricular activity, something that is outside of his work duties. That is not the case.
When the President serves in this capacity, he is contributing to his national responsibilities, and he is undertaking his presidential duties. As Mr Christopher de Souza correctly said, the presidential office is not a President for domestic or international, it is a President serving both domestic and international interests. A key role of the President is as Singapore's top diplomat. International dimensions are part and parcel of the President's role and how he contributes to Singapore. So, this is not a trade-off, as though doing this is outside of his presidential duties; they are integral to his presidential duties.
Another misunderstanding from what I have heard so far is a confusion between private views and private interests. A lot of the comments suggest that when the President serves in his private capacity, he is serving in his private interests. That is not the case.
We are allowing him, when he serves under this new clause, to serve in a way that allows him to contribute his private views, subject to safeguards, as I mentioned in my earlier speech. Safeguards are not so much that we control what he says, but we say that he is not able to comment on domestic policies and politics. That is the safeguard.
Beyond that, we allow him to contribute independently to these organisations in his private capacity. But when he does so, he does so in the national interest. So, he is not serving in his private interests, he is serving in the national interest.
So, I hope that clarifies what this envisages, this provision allows the President and Ministers to do.
Approving an appointment, when the Cabinet agrees to the President or to a Minister undertaking these assignments, we are doing this for the national interest. We are doing this so that the President can project Singapore’s influence and strengthen our networks in the world, fulfilling his presidential duties.
Approving an appointment in its private capacity is a way for us to facilitate the President acting independently to achieve the aims of the organisations, subject to the necessary safeguards of our national interest.
You could say – and I think, Mr Gerald Giam and Mr Leong Mun Wai asked just now – this is the first time we are doing this. Yes, it is for the President. Previously, Ministers have served in organisations with the approval of the Prime Minister and when they did so, they did so in their private capacity. There was no legal impediment for Ministers to do so, but now, we are dealing with a novel situation where it comes to the President.
The President had in the past served in international organisations in his official capacity before. And the Government could very well, as an alternative to what we are discussing today, have said, \"Maybe we should just allow the President to continue holding the international appointments in his official capacity. After all, had been done before, Dr Tan had served so why not continue to do so with President Tharman?\"
And, indeed, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, this was our thinking. And we only came to the realisation after President Tharman's election, as we were deliberating over the matter. We could have said we will continue with this arrangement, let him serve in his official capacity. In fact, we might even have given him latitude to express some independent views while contributing to these organisations. We could have done that.
We asked the Attorney-General’s Chamber (AGC). AGC said this is not expressly prohibited by law and if we had taken this approach, people would be none the wiser. The Opposition would not even have objected to it, I assume, from what I gathered from Mr Gerald Giam just now. But is it correct? Is it correct?
Our conclusion was that this will not be ideal for us, for Singapore; and neither will it be ideal for the international organisations.
Why? Because the nature and parameters of the President's involvement would be unclear. Is he speaking for Singapore or is he speaking for himself? He will essentially be operating in a new, novel and grey zone.
And that is why the Government decided it is far better to be upfront, transparent and direct about this matter instead of operating in an area with some ambiguity. We come to Parliament, pass a proper and principled framework and work within this framework going forward. That is the proper thing to do.
So, when I heard some of the speeches from Opposition Members and their opposition to this Bill, with phrases suggesting that this is not proper, that somehow it is unconstitutional and\t that this is some violation of established principles – this is completely unfounded. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Let us not use this technical language to camouflage political grandstanding. Let us come back to the substance of what this is about. Ultimately, this is about Singapore, or as Mr Leong Mun Wai would say, \"This is for country, for people\".
So, we have to ask ourselves the substance of these provisions. Do they further the interests of Singapore? Do they bring benefits to Singapore and Singaporeans? That is what the substance of it is. And from the Government's point of view, the provisions are very clear. This will enable our little red dot to shine brightly on the international stage. It is a plus for Singapore.
On that basis, if that is the case, how about resourcing support for the President when he undertakes these international roles in his private capacity or for that matter when a Minister does so? Based on the explanation I said just now, precisely because when the President serves, he is not serving in his private interest, he is serving in the national interest.
Therefore, the resourcing support is no different from how the Government supports the President when he undertakes an official trip. This will just be a working trip. He contributes his private views to these organisations, but he is going on these trips on the basis of national interest, not for his private business.
In the President’s case, this will include staff support to review the materials, provide briefs for the meetings he attends, as well as funding for the travel costs of President and his delegation as and when there are international meetings. In other words, this is like a working trip; no different from any other working trips the President or the Minister undertakes in the national interest.
In fact, while some of the international organisations, the ones I cited, would be willing to pay for the President's cost, we think it is proper that the Government foots the Bill because when we do this, when the President goes on these trips, as I said, it is on the advice of the Cabinet and it is in the national interest that he holds these national appointments.
So, remember, private views are not the same as private interests.
This Bill allows him to express private views but still serve in the national interest, doing duties that are integral and part and parcel of presidential duties.
Then there were questions of possible conflicts of interest. These could arise, for example, if the foreign or international organisations were to take positions that are different from the Government or if a President or Minister were to take steps that are detrimental to the nation’s interest.
But such potential conflicts of interest or questions of conflict will be considered in deciding whether or not to support an appointment in the first place. Clearly, it would not be in Singapore’s national interest to support appointments that place the President or a Minister in conflict with their official functions.
And furthermore, as I explained in my opening remarks, the President and Ministers will not be able to make any commitments on behalf of the Government of Singapore in the course of such engagements in international bodies.
If the questions of conflict do arise later on in the course of an appointment, the individual can take steps to remove the conflict, for example, by recusing himself or herself from a particular decision that would conflict with their official duties.
The Cabinet can also advise the President accordingly. The Prime Minister can likewise instruct a Minister.
If there are serious questions of conflict that cannot be resolved, the President or the Minister would have to relinquish the appointment. If necessary, Cabinet would advise the President to do so, and the Prime Minister would instruct a Minister.
And if the President, as I think, Mr Dennis Tan says, intentionally refuses to follow the Cabinet's advice, then that would be grounds for removal and there are procedures set out for such removals.
On the issue of remuneration, I confirm that that the President and Ministers may not retain any remuneration or benefits in connection with appointments in their private capacity.
The President has not received any such remuneration or other benefits, like an honorarium from the international bodies that he is represented on currently. And should he be offered such benefits, the President is expected to decline it or to donate the sum to charity. This is already the current arrangement for Ministers, and it will continue to be so under the new framework.
Again, Cabinet will advise the President, and the Prime Minister will instruct Ministers, to this effect.
Then, there were some questions about bandwidth. This is having accepted that the President's roles cover both domestic and international, but I suppose there will be questions asked about emphasis and bandwidth and how you spend the time. These are legitimate questions.
And so, in assessing invitations to the President, the Cabinet will consider, among other things, the commitments expected by this international role. Cabinet will also consider the meeting load and travel demands, and whether these are reasonable. So, this will ensure that the President’s holding of these roles remains to Singapore’s benefit and will not, in any way, affect his ability to exercise the rest of his constitutional duties. The Prime Minister will likewise do the same for roles involving Ministers.
At the end of the day, it would not be in the national interest for the President or a Minister to take on external appointments that affect their ability to perform their official duties. All assessments made by Cabinet will carefully weigh any potential bandwidth concerns against the potential benefit the appointments will bring.
So, Sir, at the end of the day, I think we have to come back to the substance and merits of what this amendment Bill is about. Do we want the President to take on these international roles in his independent and private capacity, when it is in the national interest? And if so, do we want to put in place a proper legal and governing framework for such an arrangement rather than to pretend, fudge the issue and just operate in this ambiguous, grey zone without being upfront?
The Government’s position is very clear. We want to have a principled framework to govern how the President and Ministers take on international appointments in their private capacities, where required by the national interest.
And we want to do so sooner rather than later. We have identified the issue, it came up, we looked at it and we settled on a solution which is being proposed in this House. The sooner we get this done, the sooner the President can embark on his engagements under a clear constitutional framework. There is nothing to be gained by delay.
Up to now, out of an abundance of caution, I should say, President Tharman has not attended any formal meetings of the four international bodies that he has been appointed to since 14 September and prior to this reading in Parliament. That is out of an abundance of caution because he has been appointed in an official basis, but he has decided not to attend any formal meetings.
Should Parliament pass this amendment Bill, then the new framework will be in place and President Tharman will be able to attend future meetings under this new governing arrangement. And, indeed, there are upcoming meetings, including the G30 Winter Plenary in New York next week.
Sir, this Government will always take a sensible, rather than a dogmatic or ideological, approach to the Constitution. We know that the Constitution is a living document. It should not be amended frivolously, but it also cannot stay static. It has to evolve as our needs change over the years.
And indeed, it was Cabinet that assessed the need to move this constitutional amendment. We agreed that it would be a positive and necessary structural change and would increase the ability of individuals to contribute to Singapore while ensuring the relevant safeguards and ensuring greater accountability.
Sir, as a small and open economy, Singapore has always recognised the importance of staying engaged with the international community. Our survival depends on us being able to respond to the changing global landscape and to deliver value to the world.
Opportunities to take up office in respected international institutions where we can actively contribute to shaping global norms – these do not come by all the time. It is not as though these institutions will say, \"Look, any Singaporean also can come and serve in my organisation.\"
But the few occasions when these invitations come by, I think we should treasure them. They are invaluable for Singapore. And this is indeed how we have built strong relationships with other countries, while safeguarding our interests and ensuring that our voices are heard on the global stage.
I cannot emphasise how much Singapore has gained because our top officials are regularly tapped on by international bodies and foreign governments. And this was the case from our founding generation of leaders. Dr Goh Keng Swee, for example, was tapped on by the Chinese government in 1985 to advise them on the setting up of the Special Economic Zones in China. He was then Deputy Chairman of both the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and GIC. While he was Deputy Prime Minister, he was also tapped on by the Sri Lankan government to advise them on the restructuring of the economy.
The Chinese and Sri Lankan government did not ask Dr Goh because they wanted him to act in the interest of the Singapore Government in China or Sri Lanka, obviously. They asked him because they knew his record as the architect of Singapore's economy and hope that he would be able to help them.
The Prime Minister then Mr Lee Kuan Yew readily agreed to Dr Goh playing these roles because they brought credit to Singapore. They underlined our usefulness to the world and projected our influence abroad.
Likewise, these international bodies are not asking President Tharman to continue playing a role in their organisations because they want him to represent Singapore's views or the views of the Singapore Government. They are asking him because they know his record in the Singapore Government and hope he would be able to give sound advice on global issues. And Cabinet has readily agreed to President continuing in these roles because they bring credit to Singapore, underline our usefulness to the world and project our influence abroad effectively.
And so, we are amending the Constitution so that the President can act independently to bring value to the organisations he operates in, while serving our national interest, because he is the Head of State, and this is why it is novel. Previously, it was okay for Ministers, but now we are dealing with the President. It is a new situation and because he is the Head of State, we have put in place a framework to ensure his participation in these international bodies does not affect in any way his constitutional responsibilities to Singaporeans or the discharge of his custodial duties.
The President will not be directly representing Singapore's official positions in these bodies or commenting on any of Singapore's domestic or foreign policies abroad. And when there is any danger of him being put in a difficult position or in conflict with national interest, the Cabinet will advise him not to take part or even to withdraw from the body.
Sir, this Bill recognises and supports the Government's commitment to always look out for opportunities to further advance Singapore's interests, in this case, through facilitating arrangements to tap on deserving individuals' experiences and personal standing.
And it also reflects how this Government works – to deal with issues squarely to be upfront and transparent and to act in a way that is consistent with sound legal and governance principles.
So, I will ask the WP and the PSP, having heard my explanations to reconsider your positions. There is no need to oppose for the sake of opposition. There is no need to oppose something that will clearly advance Singapore's interests and bring benefits to Singapore and Singaporeans.
In some ways, Singapore is at the stage of our development where our national interests are becoming more closely intertwined with global interests. So, we need to find ways to achieve this intertwining, and this Bill is one of the ways to achieve this. So, let us all, hopefully everyone in this House will agree, give your support for the Bill, do our part to strengthen Singapore's voice on the international stage, to add to our participation in influential global forums and to ensure that this little red dot continues to shine brightly in a dark and troubled world. Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker: Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister for answering my question clearly that, in the past, when the Ministers have taken up international appointments, they would have also taken up appointments in their private capacity. I have two more clarifications for the Deputy Prime Minister.
One, is the current position taken up by Senior Minister Teo in TotalEnergies in his private capacity?
Two, if, in the past, Ministers had been taking up positions in their private capacity and so, now for the President, the Cabinet is being advised by the AGC that there are some issues. I think to be a responsible Opposition, we still want to understand what are the issues that the AGC has raised? Is it pertaining to the fact that: one, that the Cabinet does not have complete control over the President's appointments and that is why we need this Bill? Or is it because there are certain appointments, just like what the WP and us are saying, where he can perform his role in his official capacity, that should be no problem. But if certain appointments require a private capacity, what are those appointments? Is the AGC's position along those lines? Can I seek the Deputy Prime Minister’s clarification, please?
Mr Lawrence Wong: Sir, the answer to the first question is yes. Senior Minister Teo or, for that matter, the many examples I cited before him – Dr Goh Keng Swee and other Ministers – were acting in their private capacity in these international organisations. And that is because they were authorised to do so by the Prime Minister. There is no legal impediment for the Prime Minister to so authorise Ministers to act in their private capacity, subject to safeguards and principles, which I have just described. And so, this has been happening not just with Senior Minister Teo, but even way back with Dr Goh and many other examples.
Then, you say, why can you not do it for the President? And as I have explained, the Prime Minister cannot authorise the President to do likewise. The AGC has advised this is an area that the Constitution does not clearly provide for. And that is why we debated, and we thought about it. One option, as I described just now, was for us to, rather than authorise the President to act in his private capacity, allow the President to serve in his official capacity, but with some latitude to express his private views. And AGC said that is not clearly, expressly prohibited. But it is not ideal.
That was what I tried to explain in my speech – not ideal. It leads us into new grey and ambiguous areas because no one will know whether what the President says is reflecting his personal views or the Singapore Government's views, official views, what is it? And we prefer not to operate like that in such an ambiguous manner. We prefer to be upfront. We prefer to be transparent. And we prefer to do this in a principled manner, with a clear governing framework, hence the amendments before this House.
Mr Speaker: Any further clarifications for Deputy Prime Minister Wong? Alright. The question is, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
Pursuant to Article 5(2) of the Constitution, a vote is taken to ascertain that the Second Reading of the Bill is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, which is 60 Members. Clerk, ring the division bells.
[(proc text) After two minutes – (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Serjeant‐at‐Arms, lock the doors.
Before I proceed to start the electronic voting, may I remind Members that they are to be seated at their designated seats and should only start to vote when the voting buttons on the arm rest start to blink.
[(proc text) Question put, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\" (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Take a vote. You may now begin to vote. May I remind Members to depress their vote button firmly in order to register their vote in the system.
Members are advised to check that their names are registered according to their vote indication when the voting results are shown on the display screens.
Before I proceed to declare the results of the vote, are there any Members who wish to claim that his or her vote has not been displayed or displayed incorrectly on the screens? Ms Carrie Tan.
Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon): I think my vote is not registered. I vote yes.
Mr Speaker: Thank you. We will record it as such.
Mr Speaker: I will proceed to declare the voting results now. There are 75 \"Ayes\"; eight \"Noes\"; and zero \"Abstentions\". The Second Reading of the Bill has been carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament.
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Lawrence Wong] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee, reported without amendment. (proc text)]
Third Reading
Mr Speaker: Third Reading, what day?
Mr Lawrence Wong: Now, Sir, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Third time.\"
Mr Speaker: The Question is, \"That the Bill be now read a Third time.\"
Pursuant to Article 5(2) of the Constitution, a vote is taken to ascertain that the Third Reading of the Bill is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, which is 60 Members. Clerk, ring the division bells.
[(proc text) After one minute – (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Serjeant-at-Arms, lock the doors.
[(proc text) Question put, \"That the Bill be now read a third time.\" (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Take a vote. You may now begin to vote. Again, may I remind Members to depress their vote button firmly in order to register their vote in the system.
Members are advised to check that their names are registered according to their vote indication when the voting results are shown on the display screens.
Before I proceed to declare the results of the vote, are there any Members who wish to claim that his or her vote has not been displayed or displayed incorrectly on the screens? No.
Mr Speaker: I will proceed to declare the voting results now. There are 75 \"Ayes\"; eight \"Noes\"; zero \"Abstentions\". The Third Reading of the Bill has been carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Elected and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament.
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Leader.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Ms Usha Chandradas (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to address the House today on Singapore's creative economy. Before I start, I would like to declare my interest as both an art historian and the owner of a digital art magazine.
I would like to start my speech with a trip back in time, specifically, let us travel back to the year 1995. In that year, a man boldly walked up to the then-President of Singapore, Mr Ong Teng Cheong, at a major art event. That man spoke to the President briefly, the President nodded and the man proceeded to put on a jacket. That jacket had bright gold lettering on the back of it and that man was none other than Mr Tang Da Wu, one of Singapore's most celebrated artists, and the gold lettering on his jacket read, \"Don’t Give Money to the Arts.\"
Once the jacket was on, Tang passed the President a handwritten note which also said, \"I am an artist. I am important.\"
This performance has entered into the annals of Singapore's art history. As with many pieces of performance art, it is dripping with irony and wit. The pointed message on the jacket about funding, contrasts with the genuine plea in the note that the artist is, in fact, important. It is a concern that was relevant in 1995 and continues to be relevant now. This jacket now hangs in the National Gallery across the road and is part of Singapore's national art collection.
This artwork is perhaps one that immediately comes to mind – at least amongst Singapore art historians – when one thinks about the creative economy. The creative economy was one of the key pillars in the latest National Arts Council (NAC) Arts Plan, which was issued in September this year. In it, Minister Edwin Tong referred to a desire to \"unlock Singapore's creative economy and to create good jobs.\" The term \"creative economy\" then goes on to appear more than 20 times in the body of the Arts Plan.
While there is no single definition of the \"creative economy\", the Arts Plan refers to the United Nations Committee on Trade and Development, which defines the creative economy as the intersection of human creativity and technology or products that have economic value. The Plan then elaborates that, \"This includes a wide variety of sectors, such as architecture, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts and television.\"
In Singapore, a tremendous amount of Government funding has been poured into the arts community. From 2013 to 2021, a total of approximately $3.16 billion had been provided to the sector as a whole. Under Singapore's law, charitable purposes, in respect of which charities may be constituted, include the advancement of the arts and heritage. So, while there are many for-profit arts businesses in the space, our legislative framework for charities and the practices of the Government lend support to the view that arts offerings are also public goods, which fulfill an important social aim.
And this is an important point. Our creative economy relies both on private enterprise and public support. As Minister Edwin Tong has said in his foreword to the Arts Plan, the arts have an important role in forging a connected society. He said, in particular, \"Our social fabric is changing…[and] the arts have the power to unite our communities and anchor us to our core Singaporean identity.\"
This very important role of the arts identified by the Minister is something I absolutely agree with and cannot emphasise more. Considering the creative economy within this framework, which takes into account both the broader social impact of the arts as well its bread-and-butter concerns, I would like to highlight four areas in which more support can be rendered to assist artists and art entities.
First, more direct support can be put in place to assist creative workers, businesses and universities. This is a topic of pressing importance in the arts community. Just this past weekend, I attended a standing-room only panel discussion at 7879 Gallery & Clayworks. This is a space where many arts workers came together to discuss how to build sustainable art careers.
The Government, undoubtedly, has a very important role to play as a facilitator of assistance and networking space for creative businesses in the arts. Our Arts Resource Hub and grant framework under NAC are excellent initiatives, but much more can be done.
The Government may wish to consider the case study of Creative UK. This is an independent network for the United Kingdom's (UK) Creative Industries, which is partly funded by The National Lottery. It has set up a Creative Growth Finance fund, which provides scale-up financing for promising for-profit creative businesses in the country. It also works to connect potential investors with creative businesses, while educating arts entities to provide them with the necessary knowledge for securing various forms of investment – and these range from equity to debt and grants. It would be very helpful to have a similar centralised networking portal in Singapore for arts entities in order to help such entities gain access to potential investors.
Our local context also offers signposts on how affordable professional services may be rendered to suitable arts businesses and charities.
With my own personal experience serving as a volunteer with the Pro Bono SG office, I can share that Pro Bono SG has achieved some success with its low-bono initiatives under its Family Justice Support Scheme.
Here, legal representation at discounted rates is available for needy family law litigants who are not eligible for assistance from the Legal Aid Bureau. The benefits of this scheme are clear – subsidised legal assistance is given based on need. This creates greater access to justice but, at the same time, there is an element of sustainability, in that service providers are not left out-of-pocket either. I would like to ask the Government to consider building a similar pool or repository of \"low-bono\" service providers for creatives who are in the early stages of setting up their freelance activities, charities or small businesses.
A scheme like this could help arts and cultural workers and arts businesses to be \"match-made\" with key service providers, such as lawyers, accountants, technology experts, human resources (HR) professionals, marketers and more. Anyone who is willing and able to support the arts through the rendering of discounted services should be assisted with being given access to the entities that actually need this help.
Finally, we should not forget about financial aid for our tertiary institutions which educate artists and cultural producers. These need to be supported as well, so that our arts institutions are well-equipped with high-quality staff and programmes.
One example I would like to highlight today is the challenge that is presently being faced by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). NAFA is one of the founding members of the newly launched University of the Arts Singapore (UAS). Despite being an Institution of Public Character, NAFA does not benefit from the typical matched funding support provided by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), and these include Institutes of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics and autonomous universities.
Young autonomous universities, like the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), are able to receive Government matching on public donations in ratios that can go well beyond simple dollar-for-dollar amounts. NAFA, being a private institution under UAS, does not enjoy the same privileges.
Instead, NAFA seeks dollar-for-dollar matching assistance for donations through the Cultural Matching Fund (CMF) and this is something that is overseen by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
Since 2022, CMF rules have become much more restrictive. Amongst other conditions, CMF matching grants above the first S$300,000 per application window are now assessed on a project-by-project basis. What this means is that, in the last few years, NAFA has not been able to benefit fully from direct donation matching under CMF.
I also understand that this situation creates a disincentive for private donors to donate to the institution. And we can see why. It is because their donations are likely to have a bigger overall impact, if applied to, say, autonomous universities instead, where private donations will be matched in higher ratios by the Government.
The issue here is a simple one: without good and well-funded arts schools, we will not be able to produce good artists and cultural producers who are the very backbone of our creative economy.
In this regard, I would like to urge the Government to ensure that our new UAS as well as its member institutions are able to enjoy the same fundraising benefits as our other young universities in the country.
Next, Mr Speaker, I would like to address how we can do more to align the development of our arts sector with Singapore's larger economic goals and, in particular, with respect to our tax policies.
The first area I would like to highlight is in connection with the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Earlier this month, the hon Member Mr Sitoh Yih Pin talked about the GST \"cow\" being milked as a political tool, and I can assure this House that I have no intention of doing that today. All I would like to do is highlight that, in Singapore, we do not include the supply of artworks under the Fourth Schedule of the GST Act, which exempts certain transactions for the purposes of GST.
Hong Kong, by comparison, which is major art market in the region, does not have a regime of goods and services or value-added taxes. The result then is that it is often more cost-effective for art dealers to transact higher-value sales through Hong Kong than in Singapore.
In Singapore, local sales attract an additional GST charge. I have been told, anecdotally, that this has been a long-standing issue for art gallerists in the visual arts space, as it makes large art deals hard to conclude in Singapore.
A case can be made for the removal of GST in these instances; and it would not be the first time that this House and this Government would have granted such a thing. The provision of financial services, sales of residential properties and, more recently, supplies of digital payment tokens, are just some examples of transactions that are presently exempt from GST.
There are technical reasons why financial services are exempt from GST; many other jurisdictions offer this exemption as well. But I would like to highlight that in his 2012 Budget Statement, the then-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, introduced a GST exemption for investment-grade gold and other precious metals.
He recognised that this exemption would, \"facilitate the development of gold trading, which can draw on Singapore's strengths as an international financial centre and trading hub, to meet strong demand for investment-grade gold in Asia.\" I think what we can see is that where there are wider economic aims to be achieved, tax exemptions may be harnessed as a useful tool to grow important industries.
The explanation for a GST hike next year is well-understood. But, as the examples I have raised show, where there are wider aims to be achieved, such as the health of our creative economy and the livelihood of our creative professionals, tax exemptions may well be harnessed as a useful tool to grow what Singapore believes to be important industries.
The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting in 2023 states that art market sales, globally, reached an estimated US$67.8 billion in 2022. This was their second highest ever level. In its latest art market report, Art Basel and UBS noted that while performance was mixed across Asia for sales of post-war and contemporary art, Singapore was a notable exception.
In 2022, it showed double-digit growth. This growth was said to be driven by the Sotheby's sale of modern and contemporary art, its first auction in the country after a 15-year hiatus. ART SG, the leading international art fair for Singapore and Southeast Asia, will return in 2024 for a second edition after a very successful run this year.
The point I would like to make is this: Singapore is home to excellent galleries, they exhibit to an international audience and are making sales to reputable institutions all over the world. And so, the question to be asked is this: how can we scale this to our advantage and make Singapore a world-class art trading hub? A relook of our GST policy is, perhaps, one way to start.
Presently, the Government offers a 250% tax deduction for donations made to Institutions of Public Character, and these include many art charities. The deduction also extends to donations of certain types of artefacts and pieces of public art. This is extremely commendable and it is heartening that the incentive has been extended to 2026.
However, I would ask the Government to consider whether more dynamic incentives could be introduced, potentially those which can have more of a direct impact on working artists and on art consumption. In France, for example, a deduction is offered to taxpayers who purchase pieces of art made by living artists, provided that the artworks remain on display to the public or in places accessible to employees.
In Ireland, artists themselves can enjoy an exemption from income tax on revenue derived from artistic works which are deemed to be original, creative works and which are generally recognised as having cultural or artistic merit.
Tax policies, such as those I have just mentioned, are just a very small selection of the economic tools that we have to stimulate demand in our art market, and I hope that what I have mentioned today gives the House an idea of some of the ways that structural economic incentives can be considered to support our creative industries. I would like to urge the Government to consider these in more detail.
The next aspect of the creative economy that I would like to address, Mr Speaker, is the resilience and fortitude of the people who live and work in that economy.
One aspect of that resilience is the acquisition of a multidisciplinary skillset, one which enables artists to, in the words of the Arts Plan, \"cross-pollinate\" from within the creative economy to other adjacent industries. Sir James Dyson, for example, is an alumnus of the Royal College of Art in London and an excellent example of how an artistic background can inform pioneering achievements in other fields, such as engineering and design.
This multidisciplinary approach is something that is already being embraced by UAS. The hope here is that by creating more avenues for our arts practitioners to acquire multidisciplinary skillsets, we diversify the economic opportunities and jobs available to these arts practitioners.
This approach is absolutely spot on, but we should be careful to frame this narrative in a responsible way as we move forward. Many arts workers, and I count myself as one of them, we juggle portfolio careers to ensure that creative production is financially sustainable. This means taking on job after job after job, very often with little respite.
The result is often emotional stress, mental burnout and, eventually, attrition. People with talent, passion and potential will leave the industry because they are exhausted and simply cannot afford to be in it any longer.
In a paper released in February 2019, Danish economics Prof Karol Jan Borowiecki analysed census data in the United States, which went back to 1850. The study compared the socioeconomic backgrounds of artists and other creative professionals and found that, for every $10,000 in additional family income, a person would be around 2% more likely to become a creative professional.
So, in other words, the richer you are, the easier it is to sustain an artistic career. This is a situation we must try to avoid at all costs. Our arts producers must come from every sector of society, so that all types of subject matter and walks of life are well-represented.
It, therefore, follows that artists – all artists – must be able to earn a decent living from their practices. And so, how do we get there? Well, that brings me, Mr Speaker, to my last point, which is about education for art consumers.
For the creative economy to thrive, the audience must value the products created by artists. A common refrain that is heard amongst artists is why Singapore consumers will think nothing of spending thousands of dollars on designer handbags but will hesitate when it comes to spending similar amounts on works of local art.
Here, education for consumers is key. I urge the Government to remember that, in addition to schools and institutions, working artists and independent art spaces also have a key role to play in educating the public about why art is necessary and about what good art is.
The latest Arts Plan refers to the conducting of Data Insights Clinics for arts Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) and arts organisations, and this is so that participants would be able to better understand the preferences of different audience segments. While it is important for arts workers to produce works that are actually in-demand and will sell, we must not forget the value of the avant garde and the experimental in the arts.
These kinds of works push boundaries and play an important role in challenging and educating audiences on art and cultural appreciation. The Substation, for example, was and continues to be a safe space for experimental art to develop, although some might say its role is somewhat smaller now.
Independent art spaces, like Comma Space, Supper House, Starch, DECK and I_S_L_A_N_D_S Peninsula – these are just some examples of many, many small arts groups around that do important work. Entities like these do the hard work of developing young talents and more offbeat art offerings.
It is my hope that in our pursuit of a vibrant and sustainable creative economy, we do not forget to support – financially, if necessary – creatively rich spaces like these which sit outside of the mainstream. A vibrant creative economy is one that is not just lucrative for its workers but also one which retains its diversity, its heart and its soul.
To conclude, I would like to return to Mr Tang Da Wu's somewhat biting exhortation for Singaporeans to not give money to the arts. I hope I have been able to make a case today for us to not only give money to the arts, but to work towards developing a viable and sustainable ecosystem for artists and creative producers to flourish and thrive.
Mr Speaker: Minister of State Low Yen Ling.
The Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (Ms Low Yen Ling): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank Ms Usha Chandradas for her invaluable suggestions on building a vibrant and sustainable arts and culture sector, and creative economy.
And indeed, the arts and culture are critical in fostering a more caring people, a cohesive society and a confident nation. The arts connect our communities to foster our identity as a people and as a nation. And it is this conviction in the role and the value of the arts has remained steadfast in the various masterplans that the Government has rolled out since the 1980s.
I shared with Members in this House in October 2020 that these plans have built a foundation for our nation's development and continued growth. We strive to do more as our operating environment and our arts landscape evolve. The recently launched Our SG Arts Plan 2023 to 2027, that Ms Usha Chandradas mentioned earlier, has this in mind as we seek to bring our flourishing arts sector to the next level.
We have made significant shifts in how we support the arts, expanding from traditional forms to a more diverse and inclusive approach that embraces different artistic expressions. So, on that note, I would like to highlight four areas. Ms Usha Chandradas highlighted four suggestions. I would like to highlight four areas that chart the progress of these efforts that I talked about earlier.
Firstly, on capability development – she touched about that earlier – we are building a dynamic and talented arts workforce to support a strong and vibrant arts sector. As nearly one-third of the arts workforce is self-employed, we have ramped up our support to enhance career pathways and progression of self-employed persons (SEPs). With structured assistance, SEPs can better navigate their career path and acquire resilience, work experience and skills.
Just as supporting capability development in artistic excellence is always a priority, supporting the holistic growth of our arts practitioners is also critical. Four years ago, in 2019, we launched the Arts Resource Hub (ARH) after very extensive consultations with our arts and culture practitioners. The ARH aims to help independent arts practitioners unlock new opportunities that Ms Usha Chandradas cited and access resources like wellness and welfare. We have also provided our arts SEPs with resources, such as talks on copyright, financial literacy, information on personal branding and well-being, as well as access to co-working spaces for sustainability practices.
More than 2,800 arts SEPs have already subscribed to ARH to benefit from its spaces and programmes. We will continue to review ARH to ensure that it serves the evolving needs of the arts SEPs. In fact, this follows from my engagement session in February this year with a group of SEPs from the arts sector to discuss how we can better support them and how we can work together to co-curate solutions together. Sir, I want to assure Ms Usha Chandradas that ongoing feedback from the wider arts community, including those raised by Ms Chandradas, will certainly help us to finetune the ARH to further enhance the capabilities of our arts practitioners.
Most recently, in September 2023, the NAC and SkillsFuture Singapore developed the Skills Framework for the Arts. This identifies the occupations, job roles, training programmes, as well as existing and emerging skills that are required in arts education as well as technical theatre and production sectors.
Looking ahead, I want to assure Ms Chandradas that the Government will certainly continue to support arts SEPs, strengthening their continuous education and training while providing different pathways for skills development and acquisition. Because by fostering a culture of lifelong learning and providing avenues for skills enhancement, we seek to empower our arts professionals to navigate their career landscape successfully.
Second, we are continuing to expand our arts infrastructure beyond presentation purposes, diversifying the spaces for artists and creatives to incubate, to experiment and to collaborate.
Twenty years after we opened Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, we continue adding to Singapore's portfolio of first-rate performance and presentation spaces. In fact, just last year, we inaugurated the Singtel Waterfront Theatre, a state-of-the-art venue with the grandeur and the technical capabilities to showcase our artists' talents on an international scale. We also added the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) at Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD) to the growing pool of arts spaces. This former industrial warehouse has really become a unique location for art showcases. Because of the voluminous gallery spaces accorded at TPD for the Singapore Biennale 2022, SAM was able to commission Singaporean artist Ong Kian Peng to develop an immersive audio-visual piece titled \"The Viscous Sea\", where viewers could experience the impact of climate change as they walk around the large-scale installation. I think this is really quite precious in Singapore.
Today, under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Community/Sports Facilities Scheme, we have seven co-located arts groups in commercial spaces. NAC also has a mix of small- and medium-sized venues for both creation and presentation purposes. We also look forward to the development of Kampong Java and, Ms Chandradas mentioned earlier, 45 Armenian Street, two work-in-progress spaces identified for artistic incubation, multidisciplinary experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration. These new spaces are really part of our ongoing efforts to provide artists and audiences with various facilities and exciting opportunities to engage with the arts. They complement and enhance our arts scene, providing vibrant avenues and adding attractive aesthetics to our city.
Third, Ms Chandradas talked about funding. I must also talk about that. To boost the development of our creative economy, we have injected strategic funds and rolled out targeted initiatives to support the growth of our arts and culture sector. Ms Chandradas will remember the Arts and Culture Strategic Review in 2013, the CMF in 2014. In fact, its $150 million top-up just last year, as well as the Arts and Culture Resilience Package in 2020, have all been instrumental in fortifying our arts and culture sector.
I want to assure Ms Chandradas and the House that MCCY and NAC will not let up our efforts in supporting the development of our arts practitioners and organisations. From 2019 to 2023, NAC supported the sector with nearly $100 million in various grant support. Looking ahead, we will find opportunities to support areas that reap synergies across the cultural as well as the creative sectors, strengthening the value proposition for the arts within the broader creative economy.
Beyond the Government grants, private sector giving and participation are, indeed, vital for a vibrant arts and culture landscape. We will continue to foster a breadth of private sector arts partnerships to nurture a culture of giving to the arts. In 2021, we introduced the stART fund to catalyse support for developing organisational capabilities and programmes in smaller arts organisations. Since then, more than $1 million from the private sector has been disbursed to 31 arts organisations. Because of these generous contributions, we can support efforts such as Superhero Me's \"One-on-One Mentorship to Market\" programme. This is a programme that really tugs at the heartstring of a lot of people, because this fosters inclusion through the arts by partnering children with special needs with other children.
The stART fund alleviated the concerns of Superhero Me organisers regarding startup costs, allowing them to quickly focus on enabling children with special needs to participate in artmaking and showcasing their works at the 2022 Singapore Writers Festival.
Last but not least, Ms Chandradas has highlighted that our creative economy needs audiences to thrive. So, it is really about audience development.
Since the pandemic, new dynamics have emerged to reshape the relationship between artists and their audiences, for example, the change in consumption patterns from in-person attendance to hybrid platforms. To address this evolving landscape, it is crucial to understand the changes in audience preferences to regain audiences and to grow paying audiences. In this regard, we agree with Ms Chandradas' observation that there is a need to educate and, in fact, cultivate our audience.
To that end, we recently launched the beta version of Catch.sg. I hope Ms Chandradas has checked it out. This is a one-stop digital platform aggregating arts and culture content in Singapore. It aims to drive audience attendance and enhance the accessibility of Singapore's arts and culture. This initiative is led by NAC, with the support of the National Heritage Board, the Arts House Limited, National Gallery Singapore and Esplanade.
More than 700 events from the arts community since September have enjoyed a boost in marketing since its launch and we are working to increase its local as well as international reach in the coming months through strategic partnerships. For example, Members of the House can look forward to catching up on our arts news when you take the SMRT trains or when you catch a Singapore Airlines flight. It is on them. And we want to thank all our partners for playing a role in broadening the reach of the arts in and beyond Singapore.
Mr Speaker: Minister of State, you have got about 30 seconds left.
Ms Low Yen Ling: So, Mr Speaker, Sir, we are standing on a solid foundation to develop our creative economy to greater heights. Since I have 30 seconds left, I have to pick and choose.
Our arts and culture landscape has really come a long way. We will continue to strive and make strides to develop our arts workforce, create diversified spaces for the arts, provide funding support and grow discerning audiences. Together with my colleagues at MCCY and NAC, we are committed to ensuring that the arts thrive and blossom in Singapore. I want to work with Ms Chandradas and the sector on this.
Through the power of the arts, we can bring our people together. We can inspire creativity and innovation and enrich lives. Together, let us grow a vibrant arts and culture ecosystem to enhance our creative economy, deepen our shared identity and make Singapore a distinctive city and home we love.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 8.10 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":"Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion","questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Restrictions on Use of $180 Million Annual Funding to SPH Media Trust","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"18 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Government specifies restrictions in the use of the $180 million annual funding to SPH Media Trust (SMT), such as on transactions involving Mergers and Acquisitions; (b) whether the Government has information on the price paid by SMT in its acquisition of independent technology media company Tech In Asia; and (c) what measures are put in place to prevent agglomeration risks in the local media industry. \n \n
Mrs Josephine Teo: Funding for SPH Media Trust (SMT) is earmarked for three key focus areas, namely, Technology Development, Talent Development and the Preservation of Vernacular Media. To ensure prudent use of public funds, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has been closely monitoring SMT’s performance and its utilisation of funding in support of these areas.
Earlier this year, SMT had informed MCI of its plans to acquire Tech in Asia (TIA) and to fund the acquisition through existing resources. As a commercial entity, SMT will have to undertake independent and sound decisions to carry out its mission, including how best to bring about its transformation. While the Government does not get involved in such decisions, we note that the acquisition supports SMT’s transformation and is aligned with the intent of Government funding. We also note that SMT and TIA will not be disclosing the financial terms of this transaction, in view of market sensitivities.
On the Member’s concern about agglomeration risks, we should take a broader and more updated view of the media landscape. With the advent of social and digital media, the media industry has seen increasing fragmentation and intense competition both globally and locally, with diverse forms of content offered across a wide range of online and offline platforms. Nonetheless, as with other industries, the Government will continue to protect consumers and prevent anti-competitive practices and will take measures to promote fair and efficient market conduct where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Allocation of More Funds for Aesthetic Covered Linkways Near Founders' Memorial Area and Other Tourist Attractions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"19 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport whether the Land Transport Authority can allocate more funds for covered linkways near the Founders’ Memorial area and other tourist attractions so that such linkways can look aesthetically nicer and not be merely functional.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): There will be covered linkways provided within the Founders’ Memorial area, that link Gardens by The Bay, the Founders’ Memorial development and the Founders’ Memorial MRT station. These covered linkways will be designed to be functional and aesthetically appropriate to this area.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Nuisance from False Alarms Emitted by Home Fire Alarm Devices in Unoccupied Public Rental Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"20 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in each of the past three years, what is the number of false alarms emitted by the Home Fire Alarm Devices (HFAD) that are installed in public rental flats; (b) what measures has HDB put in place to ensure that false alarms triggered by HFAD in unoccupied rental flats are attended to as soon as possible; and (c) what measures will be taken to reduce the number of such incidents of nuisance.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) does not track the number of false alarms triggered by HFADs. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) only tracks HFAD false alarms that occur at unoccupied public rental flats. In the past three years, HDB has been alerted to seven such cases. In these cases, HDB would promptly arrange for a contractor to gain access into the flat to reset the HFAD.
For false alarms triggered in occupied rental flats, HDB would contact the tenant as soon as possible so that the tenant can reset the HFAD or allow a contractor to access the flat to reset the HFAD.
To minimise false alarms, home owners are encouraged to regularly test their HFADs and maintain them according to the HFAD manufacturers’ guidelines. HFAD testing can be done by pressing the \"Test\" button on the device. Owners of HFADs should contact their HFAD supplier if they suspect their HFADs to be faulty. Residents in HDB public rental flats who encounter such issues can contact the HFAD supplier, HDB or SCDF.
For public rental flats that are returned to HDB, HDB will check that the HFADs are working, as part of sprucing works before handing over the flat to the next tenant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"High-rise Littering Cases Reported and Individuals Charged Since Introduction of Presumption Sections in Environmental Public Health Act 1987","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"21 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since the introduction of presumption sections in the Environmental Public Health Act 1987 for littering from residential flats (a) how many cases of high-rise littering have been reported; and (b) how many individuals have been charged for such offences.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The statutory presumption provision for littering from residential flats came into force on 1 July 2023. Between 1 July 2023 and 8 October 2023, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received and followed up on close to 7,800 feedback cases on high-rise littering. Over the same period, about 140 acts of high-rise littering from over 80 residential flats were recorded by surveillance cameras deployed by NEA. Enforcement action has been taken against 36 offenders, of which four individuals have been charged under the statutory presumption provision after they failed to respond to NEA’s letters providing them with the opportunity to justify why the presumption provision should not be applied to them. As high-rise littering is a serious offence, NEA will continue to take swift and firm enforcement against offenders.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing ActiveSG App to Provide Real-time Updates on Closures of Swimming Pools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"22 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Ministry plans to enhance the ActiveSG app to provide real-time updates on closures of swimming pools due to bad weather and, if so, what is the timeline for implementing this improvement.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Sport Singapore (SportSG) uses real-time information from the National Environment Agency (NEA)'s Lightning Information Service to decide the closure of ActiveSG swimming pools. This information is also available to the public through NEA’s myENV app.
SportSG will consider incorporating this information in its future upgrades of the ActiveSG app so that it is more convenient to its users.
I thank the Member for his suggestion.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Campaigns to Encourage Public Transport Users to Exercise Greater Consideration for Other Commuters","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"23 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport whether updated public education campaigns will be conducted to encourage public transport users to exercise greater consideration for other commuters, such as using earbuds while watching videos or taking video calls and moving towards the back of buses or the centre of train cars to allow other passengers to board.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): The Land Transport Authority and Public Transport Council have a range of programmes, such as our annual Graciousness Campaign and the Caring Commuter Champion programme to encourage positive commuter behaviour. To inculcate gracious and caring norms from young, we work with partners, such as Social Service Agencies, the Ministry of Education and the Singapore Kindness Movement, to develop educational content for school children. These programmes and campaigns are continually reviewed and refreshed. Public transport workers, such as station staff and bus captains, are also trained to handle commuters who are being a nuisance to others.
Beyond efforts by the Government and transport operators, building a gracious and caring commuting culture is a shared responsibility for all commuters. We encourage all Singaporeans to play a part to collectively shape a good commuting experience for everyone.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Unannounced Inspections on Families with Children Returned from Place of Safety or Foster Home","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"24 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in each of the past five years, what is the mean and median number of unannounced inspections conducted on homes of families with children who have been returned to their families after being placed in a place of safety or foster home.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Children placed in out-of-home care are reunited with their families only after safety and risk concerns have been addressed. Following reunification, case officers work with community partners to do safety checks at least once a month, including through home visits, which could be announced or unannounced. The exact frequency and form of such checks would depend on the case circumstances and needs of the family.
Aside from home visits, other checks may be done by case officers and community agencies, such as schools, social service agencies and healthcare institutions, to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. For example, case officers may check with school personnel on the children’s attendance and progress in school.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Banking Solutions for Singaporeans with Frozen Bank Accounts on Law Enforcement Grounds to Receive E-payment of Salary and Government Support","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"25 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) since 2022, how many Singaporeans have had an existing bank account frozen on law enforcement grounds; (b) how many of such individuals have been prevented by the same bank or other banks from opening a second bank account; and (c) what banking solutions are available for such individuals so that they can apply for jobs which require e-payment of salary or access Government support where payments go to a bank account.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) only freezes bank accounts when there is reason to suspect that they are involved in criminal activities.
In 2022, the SPF’s Anti-Scam Command froze more than 16,700 bank accounts which were suspected to be involved in scammers’ operations. SPF does not track whether these bank accounts belonged to Singaporeans or foreigners, the number of bank accounts frozen due to suspected involvement in crimes other than scams, nor the number of individuals whose bank accounts were frozen and subsequently prevented from opening other bank accounts.
For individuals whose bank accounts are frozen, banks may decide to offer new accounts, but these may come with restricted access to certain facilities or be subject to enhanced monitoring measures. Such restricted accounts will still meet the basic banking needs of the individuals, including receiving their salaries and Government support.
Banks may decline to offer new accounts, if the individuals concerned are deemed to be of high risk, for example, those who have committed serious crimes, such as being involved in the financing of terrorism.
Individuals whose bank accounts are frozen can make an application to the Courts to withdraw money for reasonable living or legitimate expenses.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Retention of Shuttle Tebrau Service after Commencement of Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"26 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider retaining the current Shuttle Tebrau service after the commencement of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link to enable an alternative cross-border travel option and, if not, why not.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): On the KTM Tebrau shuttle, Singapore and Malaysia have an agreement that all Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) railway services in Singapore will cease operations within six months from the commencement of passenger services for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link).
The RTS Link will have a peak capacity of 10,000 people per hour per direction. In comparison, the KTM Tebrau shuttle currently has a maximum capacity of less than 10,000 people per day. Beyond the RTS Link, cross-border bus and ferry services will continue to be available to commuters after RTS Link service commencement, as alternative travel modes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Construction Companies Transporting Workers in Rear Decks of bizSAFE Level 3-certified Lorries and Risk Management Audits Carried Out","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"27 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has data on the percentage of construction companies which transport workers in rear decks of lorries that are bizSAFE Level 3 certified; (b) whether the risk management audits on such companies for bizSAFE certification incorporate checks on the new legal requirements and recommended practices set out by the interagency advisory on safe transportation of workers effective 1 January 2023; and (c) if so, whether companies which have been certified before 1 January 2023 will be re-audited.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not collect data on the percentage of construction companies which transport workers on rear decks of lorries that are bizSAFE Level 3-certified. However, more than 50% of all construction companies are at least bizSAFE Level 3-certified.
bizSAFE is intended to help companies build their workplace safety and health (WSH) capabilities using a Risk Management approach, and renewal for bizSAFE Level 3 is done every three years.
The bizSAFE audit focuses on ensuring that companies have adequate risk management systems and processes in place to identify, address and eliminate WSH risks to their workers, including those transported on rear decks of lorries. bizSAFE auditors will focus on what they assess to be the top three risks for each company, which may or may not include lorry transport, depending on the nature of the companies’ work activities.
MOM conducts inspections to check for employers’ compliance with the legal requirements introduced since 1 January 2023, such as appointing a “Vehicle Buddy” and ensuring that dual role drivers have a rest break before driving. Non-compliant employers are issued notices and are required to comply.
Beyond MOM’s requirements, there are other safety requirements, such as requirements by the Land Transport Authority for the front passenger cabin to be fully occupied before the rear deck can be used to transport workers, and for lorries transporting workers to be fitted with canopies and higher side railings. Employers and other stakeholders should refer to the Inter-Agency Advisory on Safe Transport of Workers which consolidates new and existing legal requirements and recommended practices to enhance safety of workers on lorry transportation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Further Assistance for Potential Buyers of HDB Resale Flats Unable to Afford HDB 2-room Resale Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"28 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether further assistance can be granted to potential buyers of HDB resale flats who are assessed to be eligible only for lower amounts of HDB loans and are still unable to afford HDB 2-room resale flats for their immediate housing needs.
29 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry has performed any reviews to assess the impact on potential buyers of HDB resale flats whose incomes cannot catch up with the rise in HDB resale flat prices.
Mr Desmond Lee: My response to Question No 28 filed by Mr Gan Thiam Poh on assistance granted to buyers of Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flats will also address his Question No 29 on the HDB resale market.
The HDB flat buyers may apply for a housing loan from HDB or financial institutions (FIs) if they need financing for their home purchase. HDB provides up to two housing loans at a concessionary interest rate to eligible Singapore Citizen households. To ensure flat buyers exercise prudence in their flat purchases and do not overstretch themselves financially, HDB considers factors, such as age, income, financial commitments and repayment records, in assessing a housing loan application. HDB loans are also subject to mortgage financing rules.
HDB provides generous grants to support home buyers in the resale market. To improve resale affordability for first-timers, the CPF Housing Grant was recently increased in February 2023. Together with the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Housing Grant (PHG), eligible first-timer families buying a resale flat can now enjoy up to $190,000 in housing grants. Second and nth-timers resale flat buyers can tap on the PHG of $20,000 to live within four kilometres of their child or parents, or $30,000 to live with their child or parents for mutual care and support, if they have not already tapped on the PHG. Typically, based on data at key collection, eight in 10 HDB flat buyers are able to service their mortgage with little to no cash outlay.
Home buyers can also buy a subsidised flat directly from HDB. Eligible first-timer buyers may receive means-tested grants of up to $80,000. Seniors aged 55 and above can buy a 2-room flexi flat on short lease from HDB.
For low-income and other vulnerable groups who have no other housing options or are in transit between longer-term housing options and have no family support, they can approach HDB for assistance for public rental or interim rental housing.
The Government regularly reviews our policies, including means-tested grants for lower- and middle-income households, to ensure that public housing remains affordable and accessible to Singaporeans.
The Government will continue to watch the property market closely and adjust our policies where necessary to ensure a stable and sustainable property market.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing Resilience from Lessons of Extended Large-scale Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack on Public Healthcare Institutions on 1 November 2023","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"30 Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for Communications and Information with the recent cyberattack and disruptions experienced by the public healthcare institutions (a) whether there are wider implications for the public and other critical services given the greater reliance on digital services, including Government services; and (b) whether there are further measures required to enhance Singapore's resilience against such cyberattacks.
31 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what are the lessons learnt from the extended and large-scale distributed denial-of-service attack on the websites of public healthcare institutions on 1 November 2023; (b) what steps are being taken to upgrade protections to Singapore’s key civilian services and infrastructure and to reduce such disruptions; and (c) when will the authorities release a report on the event to the public.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The Government recognises that, as we digitalise more, we become more dependent on digital services and infrastructure. We can never rule out cyber incidents or service disruptions happening. The Government and system owners will mitigate and manage these risks, taking into account how critical a given system is. We allocate more resources to harden the most critical systems and ensure a baseline of measures for all systems. Cybersecurity defence has to be complemented by business continuity plans that mitigate the impact of e-service disruptions when they occur.
The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) identifies and regulates Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) that are necessary for the provision of essential services in sectors, such as the Government, infocomm, banking and finance and others. For instance, in 2022, Government agencies maintained an availability uptime of at least 99.5% for most of our critical systems, which is equivalent to less than four hours of unscheduled downtime per system per month. Sector regulators also impose requirements on service providers in their respective sectors, such as requirements for service availability in the telecommunications, banking and healthcare sectors.
While some disruption might be inevitable, prolonged disruptions should not be the norm. In addition to prevention, we must also focus on recovering quickly. The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has been reviewing our measures to ensure they remain relevant and fit for purpose. For example, CSA is in the midst of reviewing the Cybersecurity Act to look beyond CII and consider other digital infrastructure and services that are important to the nation. MCI will provide more details when ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Lessons from Seven-hour Disruption to Websites of Major Public Healthcare Institutions on 1 November 2023","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"32 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Health (a) what caused the inaccessibility of the websites of major public hospitals and polyclinics for more than seven hours on 1 November 2023; (b) what was the impact on users of these websites; (c) what lessons were learnt from this disruption; and (d) what measures will be put in place to mitigate the risks and prevent the reoccurrence of similar disruptions.\n\n\n
33 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Health (a) what was the cause of the seven-hour disruption to the websites of several public healthcare institutions on 1 November 2023; and (b) what remedial measures have been instituted to mitigate against future disruptions.
34 Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has any insight on the motive of the distributed denial-of-service attack on 1 November 2023 which caused disruptions to polyclinics and other public healthcare institutions; and (b) what are the implications on healthcare and other services provided by public healthcare institutions as reports indicate that such attacks are likely to continue.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Internet connectivity disruption for public healthcare institutions on 1 November 2023 was triggered by abnormal spikes in Internet traffic, also known as a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. The abnormal traffic circumvented the anti-DDoS blocking services and overwhelmed the firewall. This caused the firewall to filter out the traffic, as well as other services requiring Internet connectivity, including websites and Internet-reliant services, which became inaccessible.
Throughout the incident, patient care was not compromised. Mission critical systems needed for clinical services and operations at the public healthcare institutions, including access to patient records, continued uninterrupted. There has been no evidence to indicate that public healthcare data and internal networks have been compromised.
DDoS attacks are on the rise, with changing attack methods. Those who deploy them have a variety of motives, from hacktivism to petty misdemeanor. The defences against DDoS attacks will have to constantly evolve to keep up with developing threats. The public healthcare sector will take this opportunity to learn from the episode, review its defences against DDoS attacks and improve its incident response and recovery time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Trend of Household and Individual Debts and Profile of Debtors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"35 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Prime Minister (a) over the last five years, what has been the trend of (i) household and (ii) individual debts; (b) in each of the last five years, what is the breakdown of the number of debtors by (i) types of non-performing loans, (ii) income levels, (iii) age and (iv) ethnicity; and (c) what more can be done to get debtors out of debt as soon as possible.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): In dollar terms, the aggregate household debt increased by 5% over the past five years. But, as a percentage of GDP, it decreased from 70% five years ago to 56% today. Household debt also decreased from 1.4 times of personal disposable income (PDI) five years ago to 1.2 times PDI today.
Household and individual credit quality has remained healthy. As of the second quarter of 2023, non-performing loan (NPL) ratios for housing loans and other loans to individuals have remained low and stable over the past year at about 0.2% and 0.6% of total loans, respectively.
MAS does not collect data from financial institutions (FIs) on their individual debtors by age, income levels or ethnicity, as requested by the Member.
Granular information on individual debts is available from the Consumer Credit Index report published by the Credit Bureau Singapore. Its latest published data on mortgage, credit card and motor vehicle loans show stable delinquency and default rates across age groups over the past three years.
The overall household debt situation in Singapore has remained manageable. Nonetheless, there are pockets of vulnerable borrowers who may come under strain if economic conditions worsen. Borrowers in distress can seek help from various avenues. Those who have taken unsecured debts with FIs may sign up for the Debt Consolidation Plan, which is offered by participating FIs. The plan enables borrowers to restructure and consolidate their debt. Borrowers can also approach Credit Counselling Singapore, which offers debt management guidance and has helped distressed borrowers to work out sustainable debt repayment plans. Borrowers in mortgage loan arrears can similarly approach their FIs to seek assistance and explore potential loan restructuring solutions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation of Credit Bureau Companies Against Producing Inaccurate Credit Records","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"36 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Prime Minister whether and how the Monetary Authority of Singapore regulates credit bureau companies from producing inaccurate credit records of citizens, for instance, by linking citizens to legal suits against companies where they are merely shareholders and not litigants.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) licenses credit bureaus that collect consumer credit information from banks and other financial institutions (FIs) in Singapore. The FIs are members of the credit bureaus and may use the credit reports generated by the bureaus for credit assessment of consumers. Licensed credit bureaus are required to implement appropriate measures to safeguard the confidentiality, security and integrity of consumer credit information.
Credit bureaus generate consumer credit reports based on information provided by its members and relevant publicly available information. Litigation records are displayed in a consumer credit report only when the consumer is a litigant, in his personal capacity. The credit report will not include lawsuits where the party involved is not the consumer himself but a company in which the consumer is a shareholder.
Consumers have the right to access, review and dispute their credit reports. Should a dispute be raised, MAS requires credit bureaus to investigate and correct any erroneous data within 10 business days.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number and Profile of Skilled Tradesmen Working in Singapore and Future Demand","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"37 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current number of skilled tradesmen working in Singapore; (b) what is the breakdown in number by (i) Singaporeans, (ii) Permanent Residents and (iii) foreigners; (c) what are the (i) average and (ii) median salaries; and (d) what are the (i) average and (ii) median ages.
38 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what will be the trend of demand for skilled tradesmen in Singapore’s future economy; and (b) what has been the outcome so far on the Government’s efforts in attracting more young Singaporeans to trade jobs.
Dr Tan See Leng: There are a total of 53,000 residents and 133,000 non-residents employed under the major occupational group of “Craftsmen and Related Trades Workers”. This occupational group covers a wide range of trades requiring varying levels of skill, including building and related trades workers, metal and machinery workers, and electrical and electronic trades workers. The median and average salaries of full-time employed residents in this occupational group are $2,700 and $3,100 respectively, while their median and average ages are 56 and 53 years.
Demand trends for skilled trades workers differ across trades. Some trades, such as plumbing and electrical works, provide essential services and will always be in demand, even though the nature of these jobs will evolve as technology augments various tasks. Today, there are various learning and training programmes in place to develop a sustainable pipeline of locals for skilled trades.
For example, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) delivers entry-level ITE Skills Certificate courses in Electrical Wiring and Residential Plumbing as well as related Part-time Nitec and Higher Nitec courses for adult learners in these fields.
Apart from ITE, there are also training institutions offering upskilling courses, including courses funded by SkillsFuture Singapore, for mid-career tradespeople. Examples include the Building and Construction Authority’s BCA Academy and the Singapore Institute of Power and Gas.
A whole-of-society effort will be needed to better recognise the diverse contributions of tradespeople whose services are essential to our daily lives. As part of Forward Singapore, the Government is working with NTUC, industry associations and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to develop new initiatives to professionalise skilled trades, such as by offering clearer career and skills progression ladders. At the same time, consumers and employers must also be willing to fairly reward tradespeople who have honed their skills to provide high quality services. We will announce details of these initiatives at a later date.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Lessons from Feedback on Centralised Cooling System by Tengah Town Home Owners","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"39 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development given the recent feedback about the centralised cooling system by Tengah Town home owners (a) what are the learning points for the Ministry in implementing such built-in systems for new HDB flats aimed at improving Singapore’s sustainability goals; and (b) how will HDB implement future similar systems for new HDB flats, especially in terms of communications to residents and vendor management.
Mr Desmond Lee: Tengah Town is Singapore’s first smart and sustainable town, planned with green and sustainable features and smart technologies. One key initiative has been the development of a centralised cooling system (CCS) in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in collaboration with SP Group. The CCS pilot at Tengah provides HDB home buyers the option to subscribe to a more energy-efficient cooling solution, compared to conventional air-conditioning systems.
As part of the pilot, HDB provides CCS-ready infrastructure, such as roofs of HDB blocks that are designed and strengthened to support cooling towers, risers for CCS pipes, and electrical infrastructure necessary for the operation of the CCS plant. SP Group designs, installs, operates and maintains the CCS cooling towers and distribution network, including the fan coil units and trunkings within the flat. SP Group is also responsible for resident communications and engagement to facilitate sign-ups and contracts directly with flat owners for the installation and supply of CCS in their units.
The Ministry of National Development and HDB are aware of feedback from some Tengah residents relating to water seepage and air flow from the CCS fan coil units not being cold enough. These issues arose from the compressed flat delivery schedule of the Tengah BTO projects due to extensive delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This, in turn, resulted in insufficient time for comprehensive testing and commissioning by SP Group before key collection. We understand most of the defects have since been resolved and SP Group is working closely with residents to address the remaining feedback. SP Group is also offering a dedicated quality assurance service check for all CCS subscribers who have already received their keys, to ensure that all CCS-related issues are addressed to the satisfaction of flat owners. While this is ongoing, SP Group has announced that it will waive usage charges for all Tengah CCS customers for the rest of the year.
As we implement and pilot new systems at scale, like the CCS in Tengah, we can expect teething issues to surface. However, these do not detract from the sustainability or technological viability of CCS. HDB will continue to monitor the feedback on CCS and support SP Group to ensure the smooth rollout of CCS in Tengah.
In developing new systems and technologies in support of our sustainability objectives, HDB engages residents, contractors, service providers and local stakeholders closely to take in their feedback, explain the benefits and facilitate smooth implementation on the ground. Specifically for CCS, as it is new in a residential setting in Singapore, HDB has, additionally, also provided the option of an air-con ledge for flats that are built in Tengah. HDB will continue to study the performance and ground feedback on CCS before reaching a decision on wider-scale implementation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of ERP 2.0 on Heavy Road Users and Measures to Prevent Operators from Transferring Costs to End Users","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"40 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has studied the potential cost impact of ERP 2.0 on heavy road users, such as taxi, private hire and delivery platform drivers; and (b) whether any cost alleviating measures will be considered for these road users to prevent operators from transferring costs to end users.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): This question has been addressed in the Oral reply to Question Nos 55 to 58 at the 6 November 2023 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to \"Cost, Lifespan and Expected Outcomes for Installation of Next Generation ERP 2.0 System On-Board Units in Vehicles\", Official Report, 6 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 115, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Individuals Caught for Wildlife Feeding and Mental Wellness Programmes or Counselling for Repeat Offenders Besides Fine","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the past 18 months, how many people have been caught for wildlife feeding, in particular, the feeding of pigeons; and (b) besides incurring a fine, whether the Ministry will consider putting in place mental wellness programmes or counselling for repeat offenders.
Mr Desmond Lee: From April 2022 to October 2023, 309 individuals were found to feed wildlife illegally. One hundred and eighty-six of these individuals were feeding pigeons. The National Parks Board (NParks) takes appropriate enforcement action based on the circumstances of each case. This may include issuing an advisory, warning or composition fine. Offenders may also be prosecuted in Court.
For repeat offenders, NParks partners the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Municipal Services Office, People’s Association and Town Councils to understand their motivations and discourage them from continuing to feed wildlife. For example, some may feed wildlife due to loneliness or because they are concerned that the animals are not getting enough food in the wild.
NParks offers these feeders nature-based activities as alternatives to feeding. This includes community gardening, which creates opportunities for them to be engaged socially with others, and birdwatching, where they can observe how wild birds forage naturally without human-generated food sources. For individuals with mental health needs, AIC will link them with appropriate services, such as counselling, for support.
NParks also works with the Singapore Food Agency, NEA and Town Councils to raise general public awareness on the negative impacts of feeding wildlife. This is part of NParks’ holistic approach to wildlife management, which also includes measures, such as food source reduction, habitat modification and population control.
All of us can play our part to keep the populations of wildlife species under control and safeguard public health and safety by not feeding wildlife and keeping our environment clean.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Maximum Reimbursement of Dental Expenses for Public Officers and Quantum Adjustment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister (a) for each year since 2010, what percentage of Public Officers have fully utilised the maximum reimbursement of dental expenses, which currently stands at $120 per year; and (b) whether the Government plans to adjust this quantum in line with the rising cost of healthcare and, if not, why.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): In the last five years, on average, less than 20% of officers in the Civil Service fully utilise their dental benefits of $120 per year. We regularly review compensation and benefits to ensure that the overall package remains suitable for our needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown of Senior Civil Servants on Superscale Grades","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister what is the current breakdown of senior civil servants on superscale grades that are at grade MX9 and above, by (i) race and (ii) gender.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): The racial and gender proportions of the Civil Service as a whole are broadly aligned to that of the national population.
Racial and gender diversity are but two of the many dimensions of diversity we look for. Other equally if not more important dimensions include the wide range of experiences and capabilities needed to deliver our national outcomes. Given the diversity of roles in the Civil Service, we do not and should not expect every sub-sector or grade to mirror the national profile.
What is also important is for the Civil Service to establish engagement structures and processes to ensure that the necessary breadth and depth of perspectives and interests are taken into consideration. Ultimately, what matters most to our Public Service work are not necessarily the input indicators of race or gender, but the outcome indicators of efficiency, effectiveness and resilience.
The Member may wish to refer to our reply to Parliamentary Question No 44 at the 5 April 2022 Parliament Sitting on our approach in building diversity in the Public Service leadership. [Please refer to \"Diversity in Gender, Ethnicity and Background at Top Levels of Civil Service\", Official Report, 5 April 2022, Vol 95, Issue 61, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Constitutional Status of President's International Appointments","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister (a) what are the President's current international appointments; (b) whether the Government has taken advice from the Attorney-General on the current constitutional status of the President's international appointments and, if so, what is that advice; and (c) whether the President's current international appointments are, at present, unconstitutional.
Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): As of 22 November 2023, the President is: (a) Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Group of Thirty (G30), (b) Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW), (c) Co-Chair of the United Nations Human Development Report (UNHDR) Advisory Board, and (d) a Member of the BoT of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
For now, the President is holding these appointments in his Official capacity. The Attorney-General has confirmed that this is not unconstitutional. After the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No 3) Bill is passed and comes into force, the President will, subject to the framework in the new Article 22Q, be able to exercise his roles in these appointments independently and in his private capacity.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Citizens on Patrol Scheme Recruitment Statistics Since 2018","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many persons have been recruited to join the Citizens on Patrol scheme for each year since 2018.
Mr K Shanmugam: Volunteers on the Citizens on Patrol (COP) scheme patrol their community and neighbourhoods and alert the Police when they observe suspicious activities or persons. They also engage the community on crime prevention measures.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) started tracking the annual COP recruitment numbers only from 2019 onwards. The numbers are in Table 1 below.
SPF run COP recruitment booths at events, such as the Police Community Roadshows and the Home Team Festival. SPF have also launched their volunteer recruitment campaign in October 2023, which showcases various volunteering opportunities available in SPF.
Members of the public who are interested in signing up as a COP volunteer may refer to the SPF website at https://www.police.gov.sg/Join-SPF/Volunteer-Schemes/Citizens-on-Patrol-COP for further information.
5 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the existing sentencing guidelines for outrage of modesty against children are adequate; (b) when was the last review of sentencing guidelines for such offences; and (c) when will the next review be conducted.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Penal Code provides for enhanced punishments for outrage of modesty committed against children. Outrage of modesty against a child below 14 years of age can be punished with imprisonment of up to five years, a fine, caning, or a combination of these penalties. This is higher than the punishment if committed against an adult, which is imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, caning, or a combination of these penalties. This enhanced punishment was introduced in 2007.
If the child was hurt or restrained during the commission of the offence, the maximum imprisonment term is 10 years; and in addition, there will be a mandatory minimum imprisonment term of three years and mandatory caning as well. This enhanced punishment was introduced in 1984.
Our assessment is that these punishments are adequate for now.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures Ensuring Restriction of Import, Delivery or Purchase of Stun Devices into Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the recent case of two Traffic Police officers who were allegedly injured by a stun device (a) whether the Ministry has information on how such a stun device had come into the possession of the alleged perpetrator; and (b) what are the measures to ensure the restriction of the import, delivery or purchase of such stun or similar devices into Singapore.
Mr K Shanmugam: Under the Arms and Explosives Act, individuals who wish to import, export, sell or possess arms, including stun devices, are required to obtain a licence from the Police. Individuals who possess such items without a valid licence are liable for a fine of up to $5,000 for each stun device and imprisonment not exceeding three years. Individuals who import, export or sell such items without a valid licence are liable for a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment not exceeding three years.
The Police work with stakeholders, such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and e-commerce platforms, to detect and prevent the unauthorised import and sale of arms, including stun devices.
We are unable to comment specifically on the case, including how the stun device had come into the possession of the suspect, as it is currently before the Courts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics of Mediations Over Vehicle Leasing Disputes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Law (a) since 2019, how many mediations were conducted by the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) on vehicle leasing disputes; (b) in each year from 2019, what are the (i) top three vehicle leasing issues disputed, (ii) average sums of money contended, (iii) average mediation fees incurred and (iv) average hours expended in mediation; and (c) what is the (i) number of cases where the lessee of vehicles received financial assistance that helped to alleviate the mediation fees charged by SMC and (ii) average quantum of financial assistance rendered.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai (for the Minister for Law): We understand from the Singapore Mediation Centre that it does not track information specifically on vehicle leasing disputes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics of Applications to Public Defender's Office","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Law since the establishment of the Public Defender's Office (PDO) (a) how many applications have been received by the PDO; (b) how many applications have been rejected; and (c) what is the breakdown for the unsuccessful applications in terms of the applicants failing the (i) means or (ii) merits test.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai (for the Minister for Law): As of September 2023, the Public Defender's Office has received around 1,300 applications, of which close to 580 were assessed as eligible for criminal defence aid under the Public Defenders Act.
Out of about 420 rejected applications, about half did not satisfy the prescribed means criteria. Almost 30% were assessed to have a lack of merits. Other reasons for rejection include the applicant already being represented by a private lawyer or not yet charged in Court.
The remaining 300 applications are either ongoing or closed due to reasons, such as withdrawal or applicants not following up.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Outlook of Tourism Industry in Next Eight Quarters","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in each of the next eight quarters (a) how many new gazetted hotels are projected to commence operations; (b) how many new hotel rooms are expected to come onstream; and (c) what is the expected impact on tourism receipts.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Seven new hotels are expected to be completed in 2024, with another nine in 20251. This will add approximately 3,300 new rooms over the next two years, which is a 4.6% increase in total hotel room stock as of 15 November 2023.
The new hotels, which include a mix of economy to luxury hotels, will provide more options for visitors. The extent of increase in tourism receipts will depend on actual market conditions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : These are hotel projects that have been granted planning approvals from the Urban Redevelopment Authority as of the third quarter of 2023. The Singapore Tourism Board is unable to determine if these hotels will meet the gazetting criteria before hotels put in the application to be licensed."],"footNoteQuestions":["9"],"questionNo":"9"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Considerations for Placing Cap on Private Hire Fares","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider placing a cap on the fare charged for commuters of private hire cars as an incentive to make it an attractive alternative to car ownership.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): Ride-hail fares for trips on private hire cars are not set by the Land Transport Authority; they are dynamically priced based on demand and supply. When demand is high, fares rise, attracting more drivers to take up jobs to meet the increased demand from commuters. Conversely, during periods of lower demand, commuters benefit from lower fares.
Capping fares for private hire cars will affect the incomes of drivers and inadvertently lead to a bad outcome for commuters. If fares are artificially capped and do not accurately reflect the demand and supply situation, there will be insufficient drivers during periods of high demand and commuters will, in turn, find it more difficult to secure rides.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Traffic Impact Assessments for Faber Hills Estate and Mitigation Measures for Better Traffic Connectivity","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether there are plans to review the traffic impact assessments for the Faber Hills estate in view of new housing developments approaching completion and taking into account the lived experiences of residents staying in the neighbourhood; and (b) if so, whether LTA will consider introducing additional traffic mitigation measures, including the provision of better traffic connectivity.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): For all new major developments, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) requires the developer to conduct a Transport Impact Assessment (TIA), including the need for any additional infrastructural improvements or mitigation measures.
In March 2019, a TIA was carried out in view of the new housing development in the Faber Hills estate. To meet the expected increase in vehicular traffic, road improvement measures were identified and have been progressively implemented. These include widening roads and improving junctions so that traffic performance will not be significantly affected. LTA will continue to monitor the traffic conditions for the Faber Hills estate after the completion of the new development.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics of Personal Mobility Devices and Personal Mobility Aids in 2023 and Regulation of PMA Devices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Government has data on the number of personal mobility devices (PMDs) and personal mobility aids (PMAs) sold or are in use in 2023 compared to previous years; (b) whether the number of notices and offences year-to-date involving PMDs and PMAs has increased in 2023; and (c) whether the Government will consider regulating the use of PMAs to only those with mobility challenges certified by registered medical professionals to prevent abuse of such devices.\n
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): The number of registered personal mobility devices (PMDs) decreased from about 12,300 as at end-2020 to about 5,100 as at October 2023. Personal mobility aids (PMAs) are currently not required to be registered with the Land Transport Authority.
Between January and October 2023, there were about 1,200 PMD-related offences and four PMA-related offences, compared to an average of about 1,600 PMD-related offences and three PMA-related offences between January and October each year between 2020 and 2022.
The Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) is reviewing the rules for safe and proper use of PMAs and has engaged various stakeholders. AMAP will announce its recommendations after the review.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics of Category E (Open) COEs Used To Register New Vehicles in Other Categories","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Transport over the last 12 months, how many COEs from Category E (Open) were used to register new vehicles in other COE categories.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): Over the last 12 months, 4,206 Open Category E Certificates of Entitlement (COE) were used to register new vehicles in other COE categories.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Allowing Disabled Persons to Work as Private Hire Drivers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider allowing cars registered under the Disabled Persons Scheme to be used as private hire cars (PHC) to allow disabled persons to earn a living as PHC drivers.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): All cars, including private hire cars (PHCs), must have the requisite Certificates of Entitlement (COE) and Additional Registration Fees (ARF) paid for.
An exception is given for cars purchased under the Disabled Persons Scheme (DPS). To support the commuting needs of persons with disabilities, the DPS exempts Singapore Citizens with permanent disabilities who cannot take public transport, from paying COE premiums and ARF when they purchase a vehicle for the primary purpose of travelling to and from work. This exemption does not apply to vehicles used as PHCs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enforcement Actions Against Drivers for Failing to Conform to Requirements of Fourth Schedule of Road Traffic Rules","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Transport in each of the last five years, how many vehicles have had enforcement actions taken against the drivers or vehicle owners for failing to conform to the provisions of the requirements of the Fourth Schedule of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules relating to specifications for identification marks, as broken down by vehicle type.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): The number of enforcement actions taken for vehicle registration number plate or identification mark offences over the last five years, broken down by vehicle type, is in Table 1 below.
16 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Transport how is the quota for Category E (Open) of the Certificate of Entitlement determined.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (for the Minister for Transport): This information can be found at LTA's website: www.lta.gov.sg.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Application of Beverage Container Return Scheme to Funeral Industry","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"17 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how will the Beverage Container Return Scheme apply to the funeral industry when implemented in April 2025, in view of the higher rates of bottled water consumption at funeral wakes; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider partnering Town Councils and the funeral industry to set up temporary collection points for beverage containers and cardboard boxes at or near funeral wakes.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: When the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) is implemented, consumers can get a refund of their deposits when they return empty beverage containers at designated return points. This includes containers from beverages consumed at funeral wakes.
The National Environment Agency will work with the BCRS Operator to engage premises owners and other stakeholders to set up accessible and convenient return points, as well as other suitable take-back arrangements. The locations could include premises at or close to where funeral wakes are held.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Status of Bukit Batok Hawker Centre","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether an update may be provided on the expected start and completion dates for building the Bukit Batok Hawker Centre that will be co-located with the assisted living residential flats pilot in Bukit Batok Town as announced during the Committee of Supply debates in 2019.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The hawker centre at Bukit Batok, which is co-located with assisted living residential flats, is currently in the construction stage. As the hawker centre is part of a larger Housing and Development Board (HDB) development, the completion date of the hawker centre will be aligned with the overall progress of the HDB development, which will be completed in 2024. The National Environment Authority is coordinating with HDB on the project timeline and will share the expected completion date of the hawker centre when the plans are confirmed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Status of Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre at Block 202C Woodleigh Link in Bidadari Estate","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) when will the Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre at Block 202C Woodleigh Link in the Bidadari estate be completed; and (b) what is the projected opening date of the hawker centre so that Bidadari residents may enjoy convenient access to food and beverage services at the hawker centre.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The construction of Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre is targeted to be completed by end of the year and is projected to open in the first half of 2024.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Safety of Tap Water After Leakage of Chemical Compound Found","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI) study regarding a chemical compound which could be leaking in minute traces into the tap water (a) what are the steps that PUB will take to ensure the safety of tap water post-treatment; (b) what is the public outreach to allay any concerns on the safety of tap water; and (c) whether the Ministry will be studying the outcome of the research by NEWRI, once concluded, to explore any follow-up actions.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The study by the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI) sought to understand the highest potential for contaminants to form in drinking water from the leaching of polymer additives by performing \"stress\" tests under experimental conditions, such as higher chlorine concentrations and extended contact time between tap water and the plumbing fittings. These conditions are not representative of Singapore's water distribution system. The concentration of chlorine in our tap water is usually about half of the four milligrammes per litre concentration used in the study. The contact time between tap water and the plumbing fittings is also a matter of seconds, compared to the two-week period used in the study. PUB's tests of our potable water under actual conditions indicate that the risk of formation of these contaminants is very low.
PUB has a comprehensive and robust sampling and monitoring programme that runs from source to tap. It ensures that water supplied is safe for consumption. This includes conducting over 500,000 tests annually, covering a range of physical, chemical, radiological and microbiological parameters, such as pH, chlorine and Escherichia coli.
PUB welcomes NEWRI's research, which helps to improve our understanding of potential contaminants of concern. PUB has been actively engaging the research team to further understand the implications of the study findings on public health in the Singapore context and will continue keeping abreast of the research and developments in international benchmarks in this area.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics of Children and Young Persons Removed by Child Protective Service","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development for each year in the past five years, what is the number of children and young persons who were removed by the Child Protective Service (CPS) and subsequently returned to the same family of origin more than once.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: In the past few years, less than 1% of cases investigated each year by the Child Protective Service involved instances where children and young persons were removed and subsequently reunified with their families more than once.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing Clampdown Against Vaporisers and Electronic Cigarettes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health in light of the increasing trend of vaping amongst youths and students, what are the plans to tackle online advertisement and the ease of purchasing vaping devices on social media and online messaging platforms, such as Telegram.
23 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider allocating more resources and manpower to the Health Sciences Authority within the next five years for enforcement against offences relating to the purchase, use or possession of vaporisers or electronic cigarettes.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health will be prepared to resource the Health Sciences Authority to step up enforcement against vaping, including detection and removal of online advertisements and sales of e-vaporisers.
However, this will not be enough. We need to also work with partner agencies, such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, National Environment Agency and Ministry of Education, to strengthen enforcement against possession and use of e-vaporisers and intensify education and awareness initiatives.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Rare Diseases Fund Application and Awareness of Donor Options","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Health (a) how many applications has the Rare Diseases Fund (RDF) received since November 2022; (b) how many RDF applications in this period sought funding for non-listed medications; (c) how many RDF applications in this period have been successful; and (d) whether annual reports on the RDF highlighting the number of applications received and the financial status of the fund can be published.
25 Mr Ong Hua Han asked the Minister for Health (a) how are donors to the Rare Diseases Fund (RDF) being informed that they have the option of specifying that the principal sum of their donations can be drawn down for Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy Products (CTGTPs); and (b) whether these donors can be informed on what constitutes the expendable component of the RDF as stated in the RDF donation form.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: These questions have been addressed in my oral reply to Question No 10 on the Order Paper for 22 November 2023. [Please refer to \"Inclusion of Risdiplam in Rare Diseases Fund to Treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy\", Official Report, 22 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 117, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Studies on Alcohol Consumption Among Singaporeans Aged 30 and Below","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Health (a) whether any local studies have been conducted to examine the prevalence of alcohol consumption among Singaporeans aged 30 and below and its corresponding impact on these young adults' health; and (b) if no, whether the Ministry can consider commissioning a local study to examine the long-term health impact of excessive alcohol consumption during early adult years.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Data related to alcohol consumption can be found in the Ministry of Health (MOH)'s National Population Health Survey report and the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. Details of both studies are publicly available.
There is extensive, well-documented evidence in international studies showing that regardless of age, excessive alcohol consumption may result in alcohol dependence and increase the risk of alcohol-related harm, such as the development of chronic disease, violence and high-risk behaviours. Alcohol consumption from a young age can affect brain development in adolescence and have long-term adverse effects on cognitive functions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Number of Cyberattacks on Public Healthcare Institutions Annually","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Health (a) over the past five years, what is the average number of cyberattacks faced by our public healthcare institutions annually; (b) what safeguards are put in place to protect such critical systems; and (c) what allowed the cyberattack on 1 November 2023 to succeed in bringing a seven-hour disruption to the websites of several public healthcare institutions.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Synapxe receives and blocks an average of 3,000 malicious emails per day and 1.7 million attempts to bypass Internet-facing firewalls per month.
Critical Information Infrastructure in the healthcare sector are regulated under the Cybersecurity Act. We adopt a layered Defence-In-Depth approach to safeguard our systems. In addition, we have an Advanced Security Operations Centre with detection and response capabilities; incident response processes calibrated against actual security incidents; and aligned to the National Cybersecurity Incident Response Framework. More than 10 cybersecurity table-top exercises have also been conducted in the last five years.
The Internet connectivity disruption for public healthcare institutions on 1 November 2023 was triggered by abnormal spikes in Internet traffic, also known as a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. The abnormal traffic circumvented the anti-DDoS blocking services and overwhelmed the firewall. This caused the firewall to filter out the traffic, as well as other services requiring Internet connectivity, including websites and Internet-reliant services, which became inaccessible.
Since the disruption, Synapxe has enhanced its anti-DDoS measures. The public healthcare sector will take this opportunity to learn from the episode, review its defences against DDoS attacks and improve its incident response and recovery time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enabling Low-income Seniors Access to Shingles Vaccines","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Health having regard to the fact that more than 90% of Singaporeans of and above the age of 50 carry dormant varicella-zoster virus and a study in the US suggesting that up to one in three adults can experience the reactivation of the virus in the form of shingles, whether the Government will study ways to enable seniors from low-income backgrounds to have access to shingles vaccines which are currently viewed as expensive.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health is currently evaluating the shingles vaccine's clinical and cost-effectiveness, with a view to decide if it should be included in the National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS). If yes, it will be eligible for subsidies and MediSave usage.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data of Patients From Specialist Outpatient Clinics at Public Hospitals and Polyclinics Declining Collection of Medication in Last Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"29 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) in each of the last five years, how many times have patients from specialist outpatient clinics at public hospitals and polyclinics declined to collect their prescribed medication; (b) what is the average price of medication declined to be collected by patients; (c) what are the common reasons cited for non-collection; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider collecting such data if it is not currently doing so.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health does not track the number of times patients from specialist outpatient clinics at public hospitals and polyclinics declined to collect their prescribed medication. We also do not monitor the average price of such medication.
A research study published in March 2023 concluded that a wide range of non-cost-related factors influenced medication adherence. This includes concern about side effects, lack of knowledge of the medication and the disease.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown of Applications to Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund Within Seniors Aged 60 and Above","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"30 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Health for each year from 2019 (a) what is the breakdown in terms of number and proportion of those aged 60 and above who (i) have applied to tap on the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) (ii) have been successful in their applications and (iii) have been unsuccessful and offered alternative solutions beyond the $200 voucher for assistive devices, respectively.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: My response will also cover the matter raised in the question by Ms See Jinli Jean1 who filed a Parliamentary Question, which is scheduled for a subsequent Sitting.
The Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) supports seniors to age-in-place by providing eligible Singaporeans aged 60 years and above with means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of home healthcare items and assistive devices.
On average, of the 16,400 unique seniors who applied for SMF device subsidies annually since 2019, more than 99% were successful. This is because applicants are usually advised on their eligibility before they make an application. Applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or whose applications were rejected may approach their healthcare providers or visit any Agency for Integrated Care Link should they require further assistance.
Project Silver Screen (PSS) is a community functional screening programme that assesses seniors' needs and provides prescription for spectacles and hearing aids. And 99% and 7% of SMF beneficiaries who received spectacles and hearing aids respectively participated in PSS. The remaining beneficiaries directly obtained their subsidised devices from our healthcare institutions.
We do not currently track SMF applicants by economic activity.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health for each year from 2019 (a) how many seniors who applied to tap on the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) are economically active; (b) for those seniors who have been unsuccessful in their SMF applications, what is the respective breakdown between those who failed because of income as a criteria and annual value of their residences; and (c) how many have undergone HPB's functional screening."],"footNoteQuestions":["30"],"questionNo":"30"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Framework for Allocating and Pricing Land for Places of Worship","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the progress on implementing the revised framework for allocating and pricing land for places of worship; (b) whether any tenders have been launched under the new framework and, if so, what are the outcomes of such tenders; (c) whether any religious organisations have applied to renew their leases under the new framework and what are the outcomes of these applications in terms of lease renewal premiums; and (d) whether the Government has received any feedback on the new framework.
Mr Desmond Lee: On 28 May 2023, the Government announced changes to the framework for allocating and pricing land for Place of Worship (PW). Future PW land will be allocated through a ballot system rather than through a competitive tender. There will be upfront price certainty as religious organisations will pay a predetermined price, reflecting the fair market value of the site, as determined by the Chief Valuer.
On 14 September 2023, the first two sites were launched under the revised framework – a church at Jalan Kayu and a Chinese temple at Gambas Crescent. These sites are currently open for application, which will close on 14 November 2023.
As of 30 October 2023, the Singapore Land Authority has also received applications from 32 religious organisations (ROs) to renew their leases, of which seven ROs have completed the renewal process and the remaining applications are being processed. The lease renewal premium is determined by the Chief Valuer, with adjustments made to the price based on site specific factors, such as location and the remaining lease tenure. The average rate paid by the seven ROs is, on average, around 47% less than the rates for new PW sites in recent tenders prior to the implementation of the revised framework.
Religious leaders represented in the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony welcomed the Government's efforts to ensure that PW land is allocated in a more sustainable manner.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Urban Crow Population Management","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what strategies are being considered to manage the urban bird population, especially that of crows; and (b) whether there are considerations on issues, such as locations and the number of trees that are planted in neighbourhoods, behind strategies to discourage the roosting of birds.
Mr Desmond Lee: The National Parks Board (NParks) adopts a science and community-based approach to managing Singapore's population of pest birds, including crows. This comprises measures, such as food source reduction, habitat modification and population control.
As bird-feeding and human-generated food sources are key drivers of pest bird population growth, NParks works with the Singapore Food Agency, National Environment Agency and Town Councils to raise public awareness on the negative impacts of bird-feeding. NParks also conducts surveillance and enforcement against such acts, and partners agencies and Town Councils to encourage proper food waste management by residents and food establishments.
In addition, NParks works closely with stakeholders, including Town Councils and the industry, to conduct population control for pest birds in a sustainable and humane manner. For example, NParks conducts regular surveys of crow nests in estates and advises Town Councils to remove them, where relevant. The trapping and removal of crows are carried out humanely, in line with international standards.
NParks also shares best practices and guidelines to support Town Councils' greenery management efforts in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates. For example, to reduce bird-related disamenities to residents, Town Councils are advised to prune trees to discourage roosting or to plant tree species that are less attractive to birds, such as mynas and crows. This is informed by NParks' studies to understand the ecology of birds, including their roosting patterns and movements.
NParks will continue to regularly review its measures to manage the pest bird population and mitigate disamenities to residents. All of us can also play our part by not feeding pest birds and keeping our environment clean.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Increasing Amenities and Connectivity in Lentor Area","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development in view of the many upcoming new private housing developments in the Lentor area and to make living more convenient for the residents there, whether there are plans to (i) increase the amenities in the area, such as hawker centres, car parks and other community facilities, and (ii) improve the traffic connectivity around the area's vicinity.
Mr Desmond Lee: When planning for new residential areas, the Urban Redevelopment Authority works closely with relevant agencies and developers to ensure sufficient infrastructure provision and amenities for future residents.
The Lentor Hills Estate is planned with a mix of medium and high-rise residential developments and new supporting amenities, such as retail, F&B and a neighbourhood park to serve both existing and future residents. It is also well-served by hawker centres and eateries in the vicinity.
The Lentor Hills Estate is well-served by public transport, including the Lentor MRT Station on the Thomson-East Coast Line. Traffic studies and road improvement works were completed upfront to ensure that the road capacity is adequate.
Agencies will continue to work closely with local stakeholders to take in feedback and meet the needs of residents.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Checks on Commercial Properties to Prevent Unauthorised Business Usage","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for National Development (a) how often does URA conduct checks to ensure that commercial properties are used according to their authorised business use; (b) how many violations had there been in each of the last three years for unauthorised business use; and (c) how will the Ministry strengthen its enforcement against such violations.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) investigates potential infringements involving commercial properties based on public tip-offs and regular checks. Where infringements are detected, enforcement action is taken against both the occupiers and owners of the properties.
The number of violations that URA detected and took enforcement action against for unauthorised commercial uses from 2020 to 2023 is shown in Table 1 below.
35 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB home owners who decide to cancel the installation of the centralised cooling system pioneered in Tengah can be granted a full waiver of the cancellation and dismantling fees; (b) whether HDB has plans to continue rolling out such a centralised cooling system in future HDB BTO projects or those that are currently being built; and (c) whether such centralised cooling systems have been installed and tested in commercial buildings managed or owned by HDB.
Mr Desmond Lee: Tengah Town is Singapore's first smart and sustainable town, planned with green and sustainable features and smart technologies. One key initiative is the development of a centralised cooling system (CCS) in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, in collaboration with the Singapore Power Group (SP Group). The CCS pilot at Tengah provides HDB home buyers the option to subscribe to a more energy-efficient cooling solution, compared to conventional air-conditioning systems.
The contract between SP Group and residents who have subscribed to the CCS pilot provides for a 30-day cooling-off period, within which residents can terminate the contract without incurring any charges. If residents terminate the contract after the cooling-off period, but before installation of CCS equipment in the unit, they will be charged 35% of the installation charge to reflect the costs incurred in preparation for installation. Once installation is complete, customers will have to pay the full installation charge. In response to feedback received and the initial issues encountered, SP Group has offered to reduce the installation charge by 50% for residents who choose to terminate the contract. For residents facing financial difficulties, SP group will work with them to develop instalment plans for repayment, on a case-by-case basis.
While chilled water-cooling systems have been adopted commercially, the CCS pilot in Tengah is the first time these technologies are deployed at scale within a public housing setting. There are no commercial buildings managed or owned by HDB that are installed with CCS. Given that it is still in the early days of the pilot, HDB will continue to monitor the performance and feedback on CCS, before making a decision on wider-scale implementation of CCS.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Projected Number of HDB Rental Flat Blocks and Units to be Cleared Over Next Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development what is the projected number of HDB rental flat blocks and units that will be cleared over the next five years.
Mr Desmond Lee: As part of the Government's broader estate renewal strategy and to refresh our rental housing stock, eight public rental blocks are planned to be cleared progressively over the next five years. We will provide relocation support for tenants living in these blocks and facilitate their move to a newer rental flat or to buy a new flat if they are able to. We are also building new rental flats as part of our redevelopment plans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government's Approach and Policy on Governing Safe and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Development","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what is the Government's approach and policy governing the safe and responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI) in Singapore; and (b) what are the subsequent steps that the Government is planning to take in AI governance following the signing of the Bletchley Declaration.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Singapore's approach to the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) has been explained at the Sittings on:
(a) 21 April 2023; [Please refer to \"Regulatory Framework for Artificial Intelligence Governance in Singapore\", Official Report, 21 April 2023, Vol 95, Issue 101, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
(b) 9 May 2023; [Please refer to \"Ensuring Development and Maintenance of Ethical Artificial Intelligence Standards\", Official Report, 9 May 2023, Vol 95, Issue 103, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
(c) 6 July 2023; [Please refer to \"Feasibility of Establishing Body to Regulate Artificial Intelligence\", Official Report, 6 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 108, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
(d) 6 November 2023. [Please refer to \"Encouraging Companies to Enrol in IMDA's AI Verify Foundation to Uphold Responsible and Ethical Use of AI\", Official Report, 6 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 115, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
Singapore has been consistent in our support for international efforts that enhance alignment on AI governance. These provide greater certainty and clarity to businesses and citizens, as developers and deployers of AI. Recent initiatives include the Bletchley Declaration in November 2023 and the completion of a joint mapping exercise between IMDA's AI Verify and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology's AI Risk Management Framework in October 2023. We will build on these through our partnership in research and development with the UK AI Safety Institute and our bilateral AI Governance Group with the US respectively, in addition to supporting existing multilateral, multi-stakeholder efforts at the United Nations, World Economic Forum and Global Partnership on AI.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ensuring Awareness of Sports School's Updated Safety Policies and Protocols for Freelance Instructors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"38 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether instructors engaged by Government schools and agencies will be held to the Singapore Sports School's updated safety policies and protocols; and (b) if so, what steps will the Ministry take to (i) ensure such instructors know the expectations and obligations, (ii) guide a fair division of responsibilities and liabilities between main and sub-vendors, (iii) assist freelance instructors to address the cost of liability coverage and (iv) ensure organisers take ownership and accountability for safety protocols when engaging contractors.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Ministry of Education has safety policies and processes in place to guide schools to conduct co-curricular activities safely. The Singapore Sports School (SSP) is a Specialised Independent School that focuses on developing aspiring national athletes in pursuit of their sporting and academic aspirations. Its safety policies and procedures are, therefore, tailored to the specific context and needs of the student-athletes in SSP.
SSP is working with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on a thorough review of the school's safety policies and protocols, to identify areas for further improvement, as detailed in my reply to Parliamentary Question No 59 on 6 November 2023.\t[Please refer to \"Review Procedures at Singapore Sports School to Protect Safety and Well-being of Students\", Official Report, 6 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 115, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
SSP aims to complete the review by the end of the year but will also progressively implement any improvements when ready. Any changes in SSP's safety policies and processes will be communicated to SSP's internal and external stakeholders, including its employed coaches, staff and vendors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Involuntarily Unemployed and Financial Impact of Unemployment Support Scheme on Taxpayer","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has accurate data on individuals who are involuntarily unemployed; (b) how will the Ministry define what is a sufficient monthly payout quantum for individuals under the SkillsFuture’s unemployment support scheme; (c) what is the estimated financial impact of this scheme; (d) how does the Government intend to fund this scheme; and (e) whether it will lead to potential tax hikes, such as GST or income tax.
Dr Tan See Leng: \tThe Ministry of Manpower is studying the parameters for the scheme to support involuntarily unemployed workers to bounce back into jobs. More information will be announced at a later stage.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Feedback or Requests Received Through FWMOMCare Mobile Application","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"40 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower for each year in the past five years, how many instances of feedback or requests specifically received via the FWMOMCare mobile application have been about (i) illegal employment; (ii) criminal kickbacks; (iii) false declarations of salary; (iv) employment agency's failure to refund agency fees; and (v) illegal deployment respectively.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has earlier provided the average annual substantiated cases received through various channels broken down by the five categories. The Member may refer to the written reply to Question No 63 for the Sitting on 6 November 2023. [Please refer to \"Feedback or Requests Received by Forward Assurance and Support Team Officers\", Official Report, 6 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 115, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Depending on their individual preferences, migrant workers can reach out to MOM through calls, emails, MOM Service Centre, the Forward Assurance and Support Team (FAST) or the FWMOMCare mobile application. Unless the Member has a specific reason for asking about the FWMOMCare application, the breakdown of cases received through the different channels is not meaningful.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Ex-offenders Benefiting From Uplifting Employment Credit","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"41 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many employers have employed ex-offenders to benefit from the Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC) since it was implemented in April 2023; and (b) how many ex-offenders are employed to date as a result of UEC.
Dr Tan See Leng: The data requested is not available, as the Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC) has just been introduced in April 2023 and the first payout for UEC will only be made in May 2024. The number of ex-offenders supported can only be computed closer to the payout date, as the scheme is still open for applications.
Since UEC was introduced, Yellow Ribbon Singapore has been raising awareness of UEC amongst employers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown of Dependant's Pass Holders Gaining Employment Since 1 May 2021","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"42 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Manpower in view that Dependant's Pass (DP) holders have been required to secure applicable work passes in order to work in Singapore since 1 May 2021, what is the breakdown by the number of DP holders who (i) have gained employment and (ii) are unemployed.
Dr Tan See Leng: In May 2021, Dependant's Pass (DP) holders who were working on a Letter of Consent (LOC) constituted about 1% of all work pass holders.
As at September 2023, DP holders who have obtained a work pass continue to constitute around 1% of all work pass holders in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Dependant's Pass Holders Losing Passes Due to Unforeseen Circumstances","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"43 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Manpower in each of the past five years (a) what is the percentage of Dependant's Pass holders who lost their passes due to (i) divorce and (ii) death of their spouse respectively; and (b) what percentage of individuals who lost their Dependant's Passes subsequently obtained (i) employment pass and (ii) S-pass.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower does not collect data on whether the cancellations of Dependant's Passes were due to divorce or death of the main pass holder.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Conveying Enhanced Heat Stress Management Measures to Foreign Outdoor Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"44 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower in view of the enhanced measures to reduce heat stress for outdoor workers (a) whether the Ministry has avenues to directly convey these enhanced measures to foreign outdoor workers; and (b) if so, whether communication can be done in their respective native languages.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council disseminate information to migrant workers regularly through various communication channels, such as the FWMOMCare application, TikTok, Facebook and \"Connect with ACE\", which is an e-newsletter for migrant workers.
The FWMOMCare application is available in six languages, namely, English, Mandarin, Bengali, Tamil, Thai and Vietnamese, and all migrant workers are asked to download it during the Settling-in Programme. Bite-sized information and simple pictograms on heat stress management in migrant workers' native languages were disseminated via the FWMOMCare Application earlier in May. Heat stress-related information was also published in the June 2023 issue of \"Connect with ACE\".
These direct communications channels complement education efforts by employers. As part of the enhanced heat stress measures to reduce heat stress risks for outdoor workers, companies are required to educate their workers on preventive measures to take when working outdoors, such as hydrating regularly, resting under the shade and recognising early signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses.
MOM and WSH Council will continue to send heat stress-related information and reminders to workers and companies ahead of the hotter seasons.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reason Behind Delay in Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme Rollout","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"45 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the reasons behind the delay in rolling out the Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme that was proposed by the CPF Advisory Panel in 2016; and (b) what is the expected timeline for setting up this Scheme.
Dr Tan See Leng: There are headwinds in the global investment environment. Against the backdrop of inflationary pressures, tighter monetary and fiscal policies in the global economy have slowed economic growth and increased financial market stresses. Hence, we need to carefully study and update our planning assumptions to strike the right balance between risk and return in the design of the Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme, in order to safeguard CPF members' retirement adequacy. We will provide updates when ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Own Account Workers In Each Percentile of Income Groups Annually Since 2019","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"46 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Manpower for each year from 2019 (a) what is the number of own account workers in each percentile of the income groups based on average monthly household income respectively; and (b) what is the proportion of own account workers in each percentile of the income groups respectively.
Dr Tan See Leng: The number of own account workers (OAWs), by gross monthly income, since 2019 is as follows:
The proportion of OAWs out of all resident full-time employed residents, by gross monthly income, since 2019 is as follows:
47 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry tracks how many companies have established boundaries on after-hours work communication between supervisors and staff since the Alliance for Action on Work-Life Harmony was launched; (b) whether the Ministry has any plans to encourage more companies to adopt such good workplace practices; and (c) whether the Ministry can consider including after-hours work communication policy as a requirement under the Tripartite Standard for Work-Life Harmony.
Dr Tan See Leng: In 2021, about 1,900 companies1 in Singapore had established an after-hours work communication policy, based on a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) survey.
Since the Alliance for Action on Work-Life Harmony launched the after-hours work communication policy template in September 2021, more than 700 company representatives have attended the Singapore National Employers Federation's workshops and briefings, which equip human resource professionals to implement the after-hours work communication policy.
Establishing and communicating an after-hours work communication policy is already one of the ways for employers to fulfil the requirements under the Tripartite Standard for Work-Life Harmony. Other aspects that employers could include in their Work-Life Harmony Policy are employee support schemes, such as enhanced leave benefits and health and well-being initiatives. Employers should engage their employees to identify appropriate ways to support them in achieving work-life harmony.
MOM will continue to work closely with the Tripartite Partners to encourage the adoption of the after-hours work communication policy and other employee support measures.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Refers to private sector companies each with at least 25 employees."],"footNoteQuestions":["47"],"questionNo":"47"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WS","content":"[(proc text) The following statement was in the reply given by the Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) during the oral reply for Parliamentary Question No 8 at the Sitting of 22 November 2023: (proc text)]
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): Most of our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have, similarly, compulsory modules on respect and appropriate behaviour for the students. I understand that the remaining IHLs are working to introduce similar modules. [Please refer to \"Measures to Tackle Rising Number of Telegram Channels Selling Sexually Explicit Materials\", Official Report, 22 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 117, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
[(proc text) Written statement by Ms Sun Xueling circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)]
I wish to make the following factual correction to the reply given for Parliamentary Question No 8 at the Sitting of 22 November 2023. My reply should read as follows:
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): All Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have compulsory modules on respect and appropriate behaviour for students.
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