1 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Health with regard to the Government’s COVID-19 strategy in the long term when the virus becomes endemic, what steps are being taken to develop medical treatment options for patients infected with the virus in future.
2 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Health (a) how extensive is wastewater testing for traces of COVID-19 being currently conducted across the various HDB and private housing estates in Singapore; and (b) what are the lessons learned from wastewater testing in recent COVID-19 cases in Hougang and Yishun.
3 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health with regard to the mandatory 14-day COVID-19 testing for businesses in high-risk settings (a) whether the Government will provide assistance to one-man operations to help them comply with the new regulations; and (b) what form of supervision is there over their swabs.
4 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry has considered revising the guidelines on indoor versus outdoor masking protocols in light of emerging evidence that outdoor transmission rates tend to be significantly lower than indoor transmission.
5 Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Health as Singapore moves towards an endemic strategy in dealing with COVID-19 (a) whether a decrease in the number of COVID-19-related temporary roles can be expected; (b) whether the demand for such roles will be expected to vary based on the prevailing COVID-19 situation; and (c) what are the Ministry's plans to maintain flexibility in our COVID-19 response in terms of staffing so as to be able to scale up operations should the situation require it.
\tThe Minister for Health (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Mr Deputy Speaker, may I answer Question Nos 1 to 5 in my Ministerial Statement later, please?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Yes, proceed. Question No 6, Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Curbing Scam Calls Made From +65 Prefix Phone Numbers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"6 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Ministry is able to do more to limit the number of +65 scam calls made to unsuspecting Singaporeans; and (b) whether the Ministry and local telcos can expand its scam awareness outreach efforts offline particularly to the elderly who have no knowledge of such apps.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) work closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams to strengthen our whole-of-Government efforts to protect Singaporeans against scams. One key initiative, which the Member cited is our effort to combat scam phone calls from overseas. The +65 prefix which we implemented with telecommunication companies (telcos) in April last year helps to alert the public that these are calls coming from overseas and that the public should not pick up such calls if they are not expecting anyone calling from overseas. This is part of our broader anti-scam efforts, including the expeditious blocking of known numbers used to perpetuate scams or those attempting to spoof the numbers of Government agencies.
IMDA will continue to work with telcos on solutions that telcos can deploy within their networks to enhance their ability to detect and block suspected scam calls, while ensuring that genuine calls continue to be efficiently connected.
The technological solutions that we implement need to be complemented by measures to heighten the awareness and vigilance of the public. In this spirit, IMDA teaches seniors cyber safety tips such as how to identify spoofed scam calls via its Seniors Go Digital programme. The Government has also partnered key stakeholders like the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), banks and telcos to disseminate anti-scam messages. These efforts take place online and offline, in order to reach out to a wider audience, including vulnerable segments in our society.
For instance, the Police work with Residents’ Committees and grassroots volunteers to spread scam alerts to residents, including senior citizens, via WhatsApp and community events like block parties, roadshows, festive events and Community Safety and Security Programmes. The NCPC’s crime prevention ambassadors also reach out to seniors to share crime prevention tips at various community events.
A vigilant public remains critical in our defence against scams. We urge members of the public to join in the fight against scams by looking out for family members and for one another.
\tMr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. I have two supplementary questions. I believe many Members in this House have asked this question about the +65 scam calls. The first question I have is, I have been receiving a lot of questions from residents about the +65 scam calls and it seems that the trend has increased quite significantly. So, the first question is whether MCI and MHA would look into blocking the source of these +65 calls in a more concerted way.
Secondly, how much more can we educate our elderly residents and even young residents or adults who may unsuspectingly pick these calls up and combined with scam and phishing efforts of these perpetrators, lead to further worsening exposure of our residents to such efforts.
\tDr Janil Puthucheary: Mr Deputy Speaker, indeed, the Ministries and agencies involved will continue to monitor and are concerned about an increased trend in attempted scam calls and spoof calls using the +65 prefix. We will try to work upstream.
There is unfortunately a problem in that there are also legitimate calls that will end up using the +65 prefix, for example, Singaporeans who are roaming overseas and calling back home. But we will continue our efforts and we are as concerned as the Member.
As far as education, indeed, that is the key. The main prevention is going to be the vigilance of the public, the awareness of what a scam might look like, what they may be trying to get away with. In this, the education and outreach is not confined only to the specifics of a scam call or a spoof call, as our general efforts to education the public around using online technologies, digital technologies – which are often what the scam calls are trying to extract value from; as people have a comfort and understanding about those things; they will become more vigilant, more understanding about what is possible and what needs to be protected in this space. We thank all stakeholders in our community who have helped to spread the word on this.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Help for Individuals Affected by Bank-related Cyber Scams or Unauthorised Bank Transactions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"7 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Prime Minister (a) in the last six months, whether there is an increase in successful bank-related cyber scams or unauthorised bank transactions involving victims not divulging their OTPs, IDs or passwords to scammers; (b) who bears the financial loss when the unauthorised transaction is not due to the banks’ lapses or non-compliance with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) rules and the consumer has not given his login information to a third party; and (c) whether victims who suffer financial loss can be given financial help during the period of investigation and recovery.
\tThe Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong) (for the Prime Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am taking this question on behalf of the Senior Minister and Minister-in-charge of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Generally, consumers who have suffered financial losses from fraudulent transactions are protected as long as they have acted responsibly.
For online card transactions, if a merchant has not adopted a system which requires consumers to authorise transactions using one-time passwords (OTPs), a consumer will not be liable for an unauthorised transaction. For lost or stolen cards, a consumer’s liability is capped at $100 for lost or stolen cards, provided he or she has not been careless and has reported the loss promptly.
Likewise, for non-card e-payments, consumers who have practised proper cyber hygiene and have not been negligent will not be liable for any losses arising from unauthorised transactions that do not exceed $1,000. For unauthorised transactions exceeding this limit, financial institutions will investigate further on the root cause of the issue before liability is established. Where the unauthorised transaction arose because of lapses or non-compliance with MAS’ rules by the financial institution, the consumer will not be liable.
The question raised by Ms Yeo pertains to a situation where neither the consumer nor the financial institution is at fault. Specifically, the consumer has not given out his credentials to a scammer and there were no lapses or non-compliance on the part of the financial institution. Between September 2020 and February 2021, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) received a total of 89 reports of fraudulent card transactions performed with SMS OTPs, where victims claimed that they neither performed the transactions nor received any SMS OTPs to authorise the transactions. While these cases represent less than 0.1% of fraudulent online card transactions reported and the number of cases has come down since March 2021, it is nonetheless concerning.
SPF and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) are investigating these cases. MAS has however asked financial institutions to step up vigilance towards such fraud. Financial institutions have put in place additional measures, such as rejecting card payments made to common merchants previously linked to the unauthorised transactions or placing limits on the transaction amounts that consumers can transact with such merchants.
MAS also expects financial institutions to ensure that consumers are treated fairly whilst investigations are ongoing. For instance, banks have waived finance charges and late fees on the outstanding amounts or offered temporary goodwill credits on the consumers’ credit cards in the interim. For those who wish to settle on the issue, banks may also offer partial waiver of the disputed amounts, taking into consideration individual circumstances, such as financial hardship and whether there were indicators of negligence by the consumers.
MAS is working with the industry to review the existing framework to provide greater clarity on the responsibilities and liabilities of consumers and financial institutions in the case of fraudulent payment transactions. The review will include the scenario where neither the consumer nor the financial institution was remiss in allowing the fraud to occur, the scenario that Ms Yeo had asked about. The framework should provide a balance of incentives for all parties to do their part in preventing fraudulent transactions, while ensuring that consumers who are not at fault are protected.
\tMs Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Thank you, Sir and also, thank you to the Minister for his comprehensive answer. I have one supplementary question. I have seen over the past few months a rise in the number of appeal cases from my residents who have fallen victim to such cyber crimes. They tell me that they have not received any OTPs nor have they divulged their bank account information or credit card information unwittingly. When they go to their banks for investigation, their banks' usual response is that they have divulged their OTPs and hence, the victim, not the bank, is responsible for the loss.
One of my residents, who is a retiree, lost over $10,000 in a string of transactions and she is very sure that she has never given her OTP once, if any. Another resident has told me he has merely done one banking transaction online with a payment platform and before he knew it, he had $1,000 missing from his bank account.
Given the push towards online financial transactions and digital banking, what are the measures that the Ministry has put in place, especially with the banks and financial institutions, to ensure that our citizens are made aware of these fast-evolving banking and credit card scams?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank Ms Yeo for the supplementary question. I am sorry to hear about her residents who have been victims of these fraud cases.
As I cited just now in my reply, if you look at the overall statistics, the numbers have not been rising and the overall numbers are small as a percentage of transactions. Nevertheless, as I highlighted, this is concerning and we are doing a few things.
One, Police and IMDA are investigating these specific cases that have arisen and they will find out, try to determine what exactly has happened so that we can get to the root of it.
Two, MAS has also asked the financial institutions to step up vigilance, as I highlighted just now. So, they are putting in place additional measures, including making consumers more aware of such possible frauds that may happen.
Thirdly, as I also highlighted, we are working with the industry through the Payments Council to review the framework to provide greater clarity should instances arise where both the financial institution and consumer say, \"Look, we did not do anything\" and the consumer says, \"I never revealed any OTP\", as what Ms Yeo said her residents claimed. So, the banks too have put in place sufficient safeguards, complied with all the rules. What exactly went wrong there? We will have to find out but should such an incident arise and we hope in the future, less and less of it will happen, but should such an incident arise, then, we are looking at the review to see how we can provide greater clarity on the responsibilities of both parties – the banks as well as the consumers – in order to resolve such incidents.
But certainly, we want to see fewer of such incidents and the reviews and investigations by the Police and IMDA and the safeguards that MAS is putting in place with the financial institutions will hopefully result in fewer incidents in the future.
\tMs Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I just have a few questions.
First of all, my resident is also one of the victims. I would like to ask might MAS know what is the total value involved in that 89 cases spoken about? Two, these are hard-earned monies, so, I am wondering whether for some of the fraud cases where the amount that is being cheated, if it is below a certain amount, can the bank just write it off first, so that it reduces the stress on the poor victims. And thirdly, I am glad to know of the review; I am just wondering if there is an indication of the timeline for when this will be done? Technology is fast evolving and so is the nature of crime. So, the faster we can react to this, the lesser the number of victims that we will have.
\t
\t
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Mr Deputy Speaker, on the first question, I do not have the figures of the amounts that were involved in these 89 cases. The Member can file a separate question and we can always provide that data.
On the second question, indeed, the banks do offer a waiver of the disputed amounts and if there are specific cases that the Member knows about, please let us know. We will be able to look at them on a case-by-case basis, raising this with the banks because, on such instances, they are prepared to offer waiver of the disputed amounts, as I have said, taking into account the individual circumstances of the victims involved.
On the third question, on the timeline, we are working towards a review and an outcome by the end of the year. So, we are doing as fast as we can.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
\tAssoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Aljunied): Deputy Speaker, I am wondering if the Minister can clarify the extent to which a much more robust legislation, along the lines of what we see in terms of the Consumer Credit Protection Act of 1968 in the US, has been seriously considered and examined by MAS and the Ministry. For those of us that have spent some time in the US, we would be aware of the enormous comfort that is provided by the kind of consumer protection legislation where, at the very least, it means that the amount of liabilities that are faced are often capped at a certain amount, once evidence of fraud has been established. So, I wonder if the Minister can elaborate on legislative efforts along this front.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Mr Deputy Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, we are doing a review together with the industry to look at the existing framework holistically and we will not rule out whether or not legislative changes are required. But we will look at it holistically and see how best we can move forward on this issue, providing assurance to consumers but also ensuring a balance of incentives for all parties to do their part in preventing fraudulent transactions.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng, next question, please.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Accidents Involving Public Buses and Probe into Recent Accident at Bukit Batok Bus Interchange","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"8 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the cause of the accident at the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange on 11 July 2021; (b) what contributing factors had led to one of the buses reportedly falling two metres and onto its side; (c) what is being done to support and help the persons injured; and (d) whether bus interchange designs undergo stress-test evaluation to assess for potential modes of accidents and consequences thereof.
9 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many cases of accidents involving public transport buses have occurred in the last few years and whether such cases have increased; (b) what is the range of causes of such incidents; and (c) what mitigating measures can be taken to minimise these types of incidents happening so as to reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities to commuters and pedestrians.
10 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) in the past five years, what is the number of accidents reported within bus interchanges and bus depots; (b) how many of these accidents have been due to speeding or blind spots; and (c) what are the safety measures put in place at bus interchanges and bus depots to prevent accidents.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat) (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 8, 9 and 10 together?
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Yes, please.
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Thank you, Sir. On 11 July 2021, an accident occurred at the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange when a bus that was making a turn within the interchange hit another bus that had just entered the interchange. Following the incident, a bus captain was placed under arrest by the Traffic Police and has been temporarily suspended from active duty by Tower Transit Singapore. The Traffic Police is investigating the accident. As investigations are ongoing, I would refrain from commenting on the cause and contributing factors for the accident.
SBS Transit and Tower Transit Singapore have been in close contact with the passengers and the two injured bus captains, including rendering help to facilitate their medical and insurance claims. The National Transport Workers Union is also working with operators to provide support for the bus captains.
Sir, safety is a key priority for the Government and public transport operators. Bus interchanges are designed to ensure safe movement of passengers and bus captains. Prior to the commencement of operations, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts analyses and trials to ensure that buses can move around the interchange safely. Buses driving within the interchanges must adhere to a speed limit of 15 kilometres per hour and obey traffic schemes such as the stop lines and the \"Slow\" markings which are prominently painted on the driveways. Bus parking warning systems are also installed to warn bus captains of reversing buses.
All four bus operators have instituted continual safety training for their bus captains, imposed disciplinary procedures for errant bus captains as well as provide incentives for safe driving. They have also invested in telematics systems on board buses which monitor the driving of bus captains and proactively identifies those who require refresher training.
With these measures, our public bus safety record has improved in recent years and there are relatively few accidents. The number of accidents involving public buses, not just in bus interchanges but across different settings, has been falling steadily. There were 148 of such accidents between January and May 2021, as compared to 270 in the same period in 2017. The average yearly accident rate for our public buses has been on a downward trend over the last few years, from about 0.15 cases per 100,000 bus-kilometre travelled in 2017, to about 0.10 cases per 100,000 bus-kilometre travelled between January and May 2021.
Accidents that occur are often attributed to human factors, such as failing to keep a proper lookout or give way to traffic with right of way. The public bus operators and LTA have put in place a process to collate and share learning points from accidents and also near-misses to raise awareness among bus captains and reduce the risk of future accidents.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. A number of Clementi residents with family who transit through or go through that interchange have expressed concern about what happened. I understand the investigations are still ongoing, but if I may raise three supplementary questions more generally.
Can the Ministry share if the agencies have kept track of the number of accidents at this particular interchange over the past few years? Secondly, how many near misses have been reported at this interchange over the past few years. And thirdly, with regard to human factors, has it been studied whether a driver towards the end of the shift, may be more likely to be in an accident and what measures are there to better support our brothers and sisters in the transport sector who may be facing fatigue or challenging circumstances at work?
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank Dr Tan for his three supplementary questions. I share the concerns that his residents expressed about safety. As I mentioned earlier, safety is a priority for LTA and also for our public transport operators. We will continue to watch this carefully, not just safety within the bus interchanges, but also safety on the roads too.
Sir, the accidents and data for near misses for Bukit Batok Interchange is not too different from what is in the general situation that I reported earlier, in terms of the accident rate and also the number of accidents that happen within bus interchanges and also across different settings.
There is this very unfortunate accident that happened in July, as I mentioned earlier, investigations are ongoing, so I do not want to go into the details of the causes and also, the accountability of different parties. I think we let the investigation take its natural course. But what is important to remember is that the public transport operators, all four of them, have a process of collating and sharing information about accidents and near misses so that we learn. After every accident or every near miss, there is a learning process to see how we can further reduce the risk of future accidents.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Murali Pillai.
\tMr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the hon Senior Minister of State for his comprehensive response and I also want to record my thanks to the hon Member Dr Tan Wu Meng for raising this question because the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange lies within the constituency where I serve.
Sir, the accident has caused serious concerns among some of my residents, particularly the aspect, where the bus fell two metres onto its side. I recognise that the Interchange itself was built in around 1987. I wonder whether LTA is minded to look into the design, having regard to the fact that buses have become bigger. Also, there may be a need to provide for sufficient safety margins and also extra safety measures to ensure that should something untoward happen, at least there are some structures in place to make sure that the pedestrians', commuters' lives and of course, that of our bus captains', would also not be impacted.
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. Again, I want to stress that the importance of safety is something that both LTA and the public transport operators, we take very seriously. And not only do we look at how we can learn from every accident or every near miss and how we can then improve both in terms of the infrastructure, but also in terms of the safety procedures and the awareness of bus captains to pay attention to safety.
Sir, I want to assure the Member and his residents that all bus interchanges – and this includes Bukit Batok Bus Interchange – have safety features in place that meet prevailing safety standards. Notwithstanding the presence of these safety features, safe driving is ultimately the most important. Because no matter how much infrastructure we put in, if it is due to human error, the infrastructure cannot completely take that away. So, safe driving, at the end of the day, I think it is still the most crucial and this is what will help to reduce the risk of accidents.
So, I mentioned earlier in my main reply, how we have built in some of these safety features into the design of the buses, to also monitor using telematics systems the driving behaviours of individual bus captains and then to pick up those that may require further refresher training. There is also constant sharing to reinforce the importance of safety. Through this whole process in obeying speed limits, obeying, traffic schemes, both within the bus interchanges and also outside on the roads, this is what will allow us to continue to improve safety records of our public transport system.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for answering some of the questions in my Parliamentary Question (PQ). I have two supplementary questions.
The first is in relation to the types of cases. The Senior Minister of State mentioned that the number of cases has been falling and also that 0.15 cases per 100 kilometres have dropped to about 0.1 number of cases in 2021. But, to me and to many residents, every single bus accident, not just in the interchange but outside, is one too many as it involves a heavy vehicle. So, for the 148 cases, what types of cases are those? Do they involve pedestrians, cyclists or motorists?
The second supplementary question is: how much can we enhance in terms of education of our pedestrians and other commuters, especially either in the interchange or outside the interchange scenario, to understand and be aware about public buses and safety when they are commuting and going around?
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Deputy Speaker, Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about the types of cases that I reported earlier: 148 so far between January and May 2021, they are different types of accidents. Some involving pedestrians, some involving cyclists, some involving motorists. I think what happened in Bukit Batok is within the interchange and it is actually between two buses.
But Mr Saktiandi Supaat is right. Safety is not just safety within interchanges; safety is also safety in different settings, including on the roads. So, this is why, in my main reply, I emphasised that safety, both within interchanges and in different settings, is a priority. And this is something which we must continue to pay careful attention to, continue to look for ways in which we can do better both in terms of the infrastructure but also, importantly, the behaviours and safety consciousness of users – from bus captains to motorists, to cyclists to pedestrians. So, it is an ongoing effort and I would like to call upon all stakeholders to please continue to work with us because, ultimately, safety is a collective responsibility.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Refresher Road Safety Training for Drivers of Heavy Vehicles and Buses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"11 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Transport what training, continuous training and refresher courses or programmes are in place to ensure that drivers of heavy vehicles and buses stay updated on road safety and take extra precautions to prevent accidents.
\tThe Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng) (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, road safety is a core part of learner driver training and has been integrated into both practical and theory lessons and tests conducted at the driving schools. This applies for all motorists, including drivers of heavy vehicles and buses, as part of the process of obtaining their Class 4/4A or 5 driving licence.
In addition, the driving schools and the Automobile Association of Singapore offer courses that drivers can sign up for, such as courses on defensive driving and crash prevention. Drivers who have accumulated a certain number of demerit points are also encouraged to undertake corrective education through the Safe Driving Course or Driver Improvement Points System retraining courses.
Safety is also a key part of the vocational licence curriculum for bus drivers. The mandatory Bus Driver’s Vocational Licence course for private bus drivers will reinforce key road safety aspects covered under the driving licence syllabus. Public bus captains are required to pass a module on Safe Driving Techniques in order to obtain their Omnibus Driver’s Vocational Licence. Bus captains continue their training even after they are deployed, through avenues such as operator-run refresher courses or regular safety briefings. Bus operators, such as SBST, are trialling new technologies to help monitor and improve driving behaviours. Bus captains who exhibit high-risk driving behaviour are identified and promptly sent for corrective training.
\tMs Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. I have a supplementary question. I am concerned about the mental well-being of our drivers of heavy vehicles and buses. I am wondering whether there are processes and checks in place to ensure that these drivers are provided with counselling support if they require it, because this affects their ability to drive well and safe.
\tMr Baey Yam Keng: Mr Deputy Speaker, drivers can access public mental health resources, such as Mindline.sg and other community-based hotlines for support and assistance. For public transport workers, they will also be referred to medical professionals for psychological support and counselling as necessary, particularly those who may have experienced trauma, such as serious accidents, during the course of their work.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"COVID-19 Impact on Construction Costs and Estate Upgrading and Greening Plans","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"12 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) how has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted construction costs in Singapore; (b) what are the contributing factors; and (c) how will public estate upgrading and construction projects that are in the pipeline before the COVID-19 pandemic but only had the tender called this year be affected.
13 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for National Development given the current high construction costs, how will this affect the demand for green building projects and Singapore's Green Plan.
\tThe Minister of State for National Development (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for National Development): Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 12 and 13 together, please?
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Yes, please.
\tMr Tan Kiat How: Sir, construction costs in Singapore have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The contributing factors include an increase in foreign manpower costs due to border measures that limit the inflow of our migrant workers, additional costs and reduced productivity due to the Safe Management Measures at the worksite to lower the risk of transmission in the sector, as well as increases in the cost of construction materials.
The Government has implemented a suite of support measures to help construction firms cope with the additional costs arising from COVID-19. For example, the $1.36 billion Construction Support Package helps share the costs that firms have incurred for implementing safe management measures, as well as non-manpower related prolongation costs for public sector construction projects. Firms have also received support for manpower costs through the Jobs Support Scheme and Foreign Worker Levy waivers and rebates. We also provided rental waivers for tenants and lessees of Government-owned properties for industrial, office and agricultural use and are sharing the risks for bridging loans to help qualifying Singapore-based companies ease their cashflow. In addition, we put in place unprecedented legislative mechanisms to provide reliefs to construction firms. For example, the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act requires project parties to fairly share the increases in foreign manpower costs due to COVID-19.
These measures have mitigated some of the cost increases facing construction firms. That said, tender prices for public sector construction projects, including public housing and upgrading projects, have generally increased this year compared to pre-COVID-19 levels.
We recognise that public housing projects are necessary to serve the needs of Singaporeans. So, we will press on to deliver these projects and maintain a steady supply of public housing to meet demand. The increase in cost will not be passed down to flat buyers.
Since August last year, when Build-To-Order (BTO) construction work fully resumed, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been working with its contractors and consultants to keep construction progress on track and avoid further delays as much as possible, while ensuring that project quality and safety standards are not compromised. HDB is also supporting contractors to bring in more workers from various countries and working with other agencies to minimise cost increases and reduce construction delays. For upgrading projects, HDB resumed construction works progressively from August last year. HDB has also been similarly working with its contractors and consultants to minimise the delays to these projects, while ensuring that any upgrading works are carried out in adherence to prevailing Safe Management Measures.
The rise in construction costs has not adversely affected the demand for green buildings. The Gross Floor Area, or GFA for short, of developments applying for Green Mark certification has remained steady at around half of overall construction demand since 2018. One possible explanation is that the cost premium of fulfilling the Green Mark requirements is small in proportion to overall construction costs, at less than 5% for most projects.
Furthermore, the resultant energy savings during the life cycle of a building outweigh the upfront investment costs. For example, a large office building of 15 storeys which achieves the Green Mark Platinum standard can save around $300,000 in operating costs annually. The Government also provides funding support for the development and deployment of green technologies and works with financial institutions on the financing of energy efficiency retrofits.
The Government remains committed to pursue our sustainable development agenda under the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Some infrastructure projects may face construction delays in the immediate term, but we will press on with our plans and sustainability efforts. We will also continue to monitor the impact of the pandemic on the sector and work closely with trade associations and other partners to support the industry through this crisis.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.
\tMs Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): I thank the Minister of State for the reply and assurance. I have two questions.
One is on the upgrading projects. There is a Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) that was slated for McPherson constituency, it was offered before the pandemic, but the tender was only called I think sometime earlier this year. As a result of the increasing construction cost, the scope of work that we can undertake within that budget has been drastically reduced. So, I would like to ask whether the budget could be reviewed or what other measures could we consider so as to avoid or minimise disappointment from the residents.
Secondly, can I ask whether we are still on track to meeting the green targets of having at least 80% Super Low Energy buildings from 2030, as well as achieving 80% energy efficiency improvement by 2030?
\tMr Tan Kiat How: Sir, I thank the Member for her two supplementary questions.
On the first question on the various upgrading programmes, for example, the NRP which the Member has referenced, these tenders are usually scheduled to be called from the second half of 2021 onwards and work should commence in 2022. And for those which have already been called for and work has been scheduled, these are projects that we will be happy to work together with the Town Council on. For these selected NRP projects, the Town Councils have been advised to consider alternative modes to engage the residents for those which need to garner the necessary support for the projects, given that we are in a pandemic. And for those projects which are looking at scope increases and budget reviews, we will look at them on a case-by-case basis. But we encourage the Town Councils to work within their budgets and reduce upgrading items if necessary. And it is something that we will discuss with the Member if there are issues raised for that specific project.
\tOn the second question around the 2030 targets, I thank the Member for her question. The Member referenced the targets that we announced at the Committee of Supply (COS) this year. Eighty percent of buildings to be green by 2030, 80% of new developments to be Super Low Energy buildings and achieving 80% improvement in energy efficiency for best-in-class buildings by 2030.
We have been in discussion with the various industry partners including construction firms and developers. We are committed to these targets. These are ambitious targets we set for ourselves, for Singapore, under the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
As I mentioned earlier, while some infrastructure projects may face construction delays in the immediate term and we may need to absorb higher cost to implement those projects in view of the current situation, many of the projects have not been impacted. The overall progress of the Singapore Green Plan is on track. We will press on with this effort and achieve the sustainability targets that we have committed to.
Most importantly, many firms and developers see these investments in green and sustainability projects as something that are commercially viable and something that benefit them. Overall, this is a small part of the construction cost and we are committed to achieving those targets by 2030.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"HDB Resale Flat Price and Cash-over-valuation Trends in Past Year and Support for Families Opting for Resale Flats due to Construction Delays for BTO Flats ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"14 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for National Development (a) how have HDB resale flat prices and cash-over-valuation trended over the last 12 months; and (b) what are the new measures that HDB will put in place to support families opting for resale flats in view of the prolonged completion of BTO flats due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
\tThe Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee): Mr Deputy Speaker, Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flat prices registered an increase of 5% in 2020 and 6% in the first half of this year. The proportion of buyers who paid a cash-over-valuation (COV) increased from around one in five in 2020 to slightly above one in three in the first half of 2021. The majority of buyers did not have to pay any COV and the median COV has remained at zero.
For flat buyers who have been affected by Build-To-Order (BTO) delays and who cancel their BTO flats to buy a resale flat due to urgent housing needs, HDB will consider waiving the forfeiture of the option fee or 5% of the flat purchase price based on an assessment of the flat buyers' specific circumstances. HDB will also consider waiving the one-year wait-out period to allow first-time families with urgent housing needs to receive housing grants if they decide to buy a resale flat.
Resale flats are generally available for immediate occupation and buyers can choose from a wide range of flats, according to their preferences and budget. Eligible first-timer families can receive up to $160,000 in grants when they buy a resale flat. We will continue to monitor the market situation to ensure that it remains stable and sustainable.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
\tMr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Minister for his assurance and clarification. The need to get a flat urgently for young couples is significant and we also know that there is a significant delay because of COVID-19. I would like to ask the Minister if they can assure younger couples, or couples looking to get a place of their own, if there would be a significant increase in supply; therefore, being able to calm the market down and being able to keep resale flat prices at a reasonable level.
I say this because we recognise increased subsidies can also lead to an escalation in resale transaction prices.
\tMr Desmond Lee: Mr Deputy Speaker, indeed, we have increased the supply of BTO launches over the last few years to meet the needs of young families, including echo boomers or the children of the baby boomers. In 2019, we launched 14,600 flats. Last year, some 16,800 flats. And this year, we are on target to launch 17,000 flats.
For next year, we are still looking at demand and keeping track of the property market. We will announce the figures for next year's launch soon. Having said that, we do not see that we will reduce the number of flats for launch next year. Certainly, it will be at or above 17,000 flats.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms Carrie Tan.
\tMs Carrie Tan (Nee Soon): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I would like to address the Minister, to find out, due to numerous cases that I have met amongst my residents, such as divorced couples who are not first timers, but they are unable to get any Sale of Balance Flats and also, residents who because of their income, do not qualify for public rental housing, will they also be eligible to have additional subsidies if they had to opt for a resale option?
\tMr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member for her continued concern for more vulnerable families. We will assess each case on a case-by-case basis for their eligibility for rental housing or other forms of housing support. And I urge the Member to raise any specific cases to us for our consideration.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":" Increasing Supply for BTO Flats over Next Three Years to Make Up for COVID-19 Construction Delays","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"15 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB can increase the supply of BTO flats by 10,000 units per year for booking in the next three years to make up for the construction delays due to the pandemic since 2020.
\tThe Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee): Sir, the construction industry is one of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Disruptions from the circuit breaker last year, coupled with stringent safe management measures imposed at worksites, the tightening of border controls for workers from South Asia and supply chain disruptions impacting a availability of materials and components, have affected private and public sector projects, including the Housing and Development Board's (HDB's) Build-To-Order (BTO) projects. Many will take longer to complete.
We recognise that the delays to the completion of BTO flats have caused inconvenience to flat buyers and affected many of their life plans. We seek their patience and understanding.
HDB is doing its best to work with contractors and consultants to expedite the construction works as much as possible while ensuring that the project quality and safety standards are not compromised. In spite of the challenges faced, we have continued with our BTO launch plans. As I mentioned in my earlier reply, HDB is on track to launch about 17,000 BTO flats in 2021, a higher number than the 14,600 in 2019 and 16,800 flats in 2020.
We will continue to monitor the market situation closely and calibrate the supply of public housing accordingly, to ensure that the flat supply remains responsive to the housing needs of the population.
Going forward, we will continue to maintain a healthy and steady supply of BTO flats annually. There are no plans to reduce the number of flats to be launched for 2022, which we will announce when ready.
\tMr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): I thank the Minister for the reply. I echo my colleague, Mr Desmond Choo's feedback. I believe the public will understand but because of this delay, there will likely be this gap or a backlog in demand that will build up over time for these two years. That is why I am urging HDB to consider, if possible, to increase the supply for the next two or three years, per year. This will help to address this gap and stabilise the prices.
\tMr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member for his concern. Indeed, as I have articulated in this reply and the earlier reply, we will maintain a steady supply of BTO flats. We will certainly not drop below 17,000 for this year's supply when we go forward. And we will work closely with our contractors to address the issues that they face, including worker shortages, supply chain disruptions and also, work with fellow agencies to ensure that our construction projects, for existing projects, can get back on track, but without compromising the safety standards of the projects nor the quality of the homes that we deliver.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Increasing Offering of Non-Chinese Official Languages at Preschools in Sengkang","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"16 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether there are plans to increase the offering of non-Chinese official languages as a mother tongue language at the preschool and kindergarten levels for MOE-registered institutions located within Sengkang Town.
\tThe Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development): The Government has been working to increase the offering of Mother Tongue Language (MTL) at preschools. All Ministry of Education (MOE) Kindergartens offer all three MTLs. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has also been working closely with the Anchor Operators (AOPs) to expand the offering of MTL in preschools, especially in Malay and Tamil language. There are plans to double AOPs' provision of Malay and/or Tamil language education to about 350 centres by 2022. This was announced by ECDA in 2018.
However, the increase in provision of MTL requires time as the number of MTL teachers is limited. Nationally, about 1,800 or over 90% of preschools offer at least one MTL. Of these, about 160 preschools offer all three MTLs and another 270 preschools offer two MTLs.
We have at least one preschool centre offering Malay or Tamil language in almost all heartland planning areas. Within the Sengkang planning area, about 30 preschools offer Malay language and about 10 preschools offer Tamil language. ECDA will continue to work with the AOPs to ensure a good geographical spread of centres offering MTL.
To expand MTL teaching resources, ECDA has been working closely with training providers and operators to expand training capacity. For example, we introduced the Certificate in Preschool MTL Teaching (CPMTL) for Malay and Tamil Language in 2019 and have progressively increased the number of training places since then. As of June 2021, more than 300 in-service educators have completed the CPMTL for Malay and Tamil Language and have been deployed as MTL teachers in the preschools.
While ECDA continues to ramp up the supply of MTL teachers, preschools may determine their provision of MTL according to the needs and preferences of children and parents in each locality. ECDA's continued efforts to expand the provision of MTL, together with MOE's planned increase in the number of MOE Kindergartens, will offer parents a wider range of preschools that offer MTL learning.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
\tAssoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): I thank the Minister of State for her response. I noted as well that she shared that there were quite a large number of these MTL facilities located within the Sengkang planning area, I believe, were her words. Based on my background research online at the MOE portal, I was actually able to establish that within Sengkang Town, meaning Sengkang GRC, it currently only has nine institutions offering Chinese MTL, versus 12 in nearby Punggol. One offering Tamil versus two in Punggol. And four offering Malay, versus seven, in Punggol. This is despite the slightly larger population within Sengkang GRC.
So, I am wondering if this is a function of the planning radius, like what the Minister of State described, or is it a difference in demographics that accounts for these differences?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. I am not sure what specific website or source the Member is referring to. But based on the information that I have, there are a total of 97 licensed preschool centres within the Sengkang planning area, of which 95 offer Chinese language, 28 offer Malay language and 10 offer Tamil language. If there is a need for a further clarification of these numbers, I would be happy to take this up with the Member offline.
\tMs Raeesah Khan (Aljunied): I just have one clarification. I did ask a question about Mother Tongue Language education teachers in the Early Childhood level and the question was \"what was the breakdown in the number of MTL preschool educators\". The answer was that there was 10,500 for Chinese Language, 2,800 for Malay Language and 700 for Tamil Language.
I was just wondering what MOE will be doing to improve our capacities in offering Mother Tongue Languages in schools and increasing the number of teachers available.
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her question. I think I have answered the question in my main reply, which is there are plans to double the AOPs' provision of Malay and Tamil Language education to about 350 centres by 2022. And this was already announced by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and ECDA in 2018.
I would also like to clarify that the Member had referred to MOE. I think there is a need for us to distinguish between MOE Kindergartens and childcare centres. So, as I mentioned in my main reply, all MOE Kindergartens offer all three Mother Tongue Languages.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Attempts to Attack Singapore's Supply Chain Software","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"17 Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked the Minister for Communications and Information in light of the recent global cyber attack that forced Swedish Coop supermarkets to close, whether there have been any attempts to attack Singapore’s supply chain software in the past three years.
\tThe Minister for Communications and Information (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Deputy Speaker, Swedish Coop supermarkets were forced to close earlier this month due to what is known as a supply chain attack. The Coop used the Kaseya Virtual System Administrator (VSA), which is a software management platform designed to help organisations manage their IT services remotely.
Similar attacks have occurred in recent months, such as the SolarWinds breach reported in December 2020 and the attack on the Microsoft Exchange Server reported in January 2021. How are these supply chain attacks orchestrated? Essentially, they take advantage of unsuspecting companies’ introduction of new software into their systems that turn out to contain malicious elements or ransomware. Usually, neither the companies nor their vendors that supplied the software were even aware that the software had been compromised.
The same software that was afflicting tens of thousands of organisations and businesses can also find its way into IT systems in Singapore. To date, we have not observed any adverse effects on our Critical Information Infrastructure or CII and Government systems. The Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCERT) has also not received reports of any Singaporean businesses falling victim to these attacks.
Nevertheless, the Government continues to adopt a cautious stance and the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) monitors global developments very closely. Whenever potential threats arise, CSA will immediately direct our CII sectors to check for any potential compromise in their networks. SingCERT issues alerts and advisories to the public on actionable steps to take, should they be affected. Given the global and transnational nature of such cyber attacks, CSA also works closely with regional CERTs and its international counterparts to track developments and share information.
The attack through the Kaseya VSA is yet another example of how cyber attacks have spilled over into the physical realm, with real-world consequences. Attackers are clearly learning and evolving their tactics to maximise their gains from a single attack. We must expect that cyber attacks will become increasingly commonplace and sophisticated. They can strike any of us or our organisations and we must assume that our systems will be breached at some point.
As was mentioned in the response to a query on the SolarWinds attack in Parliament earlier this year, CSA is strengthening its engagements with CII sectors, enterprises and organisations to shift towards a \"zero-trust\" cybersecurity posture. This comprises two key principles: first, do not trust any activity on your networks without first verifying it; and second, ensure constant monitoring and vigilance for suspicious activities.
Organisations should also implement simple steps not only to prevent breaches, but to detect incidents early and recover quickly from them. These include keeping systems and software updated, backing up data regularly and keeping the back-up offline and practising incident response and business continuity plans to ensure that employees are well-prepared when breaches happen.
The Government is taking steps to reinforce this mindset and raise the national cybersecurity posture against this new normal. CSA will launch the CII Supply Chain Programme later this year, in partnership with the owners of such infrastructure and their vendors to ensure that stakeholders adhere to international best practices and standards for supply chain risk management. At the same time, CSA is developing the SG Cyber Safe Programme to provide businesses with actionable cybersecurity tool-kits and resources to bolster their cyber defences.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to stress that everyone must play their part. Businesses and organisations are ultimately responsible for their own cybersecurity and must take action to strengthen their posture. Conduct an assessment of the risks, consider in advance how you will mitigate them and ensure that you have business continuity plans after an attack. It is in our own interest to stay vigilant against cyber threats, even as we leverage the opportunities of an increasingly digital world.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
\tMr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister for her reply. Just one supplementary question, specifically on ransomware. That is an increasing threat around the world and while prevention is better than a cure, many companies do end up paying these ransoms in cryptocurrency. In the Colonial Pipeline case, I think the US government actually worked with the company that was victimised to help them to recover the cryptocurrency that was paid, using law enforcement methods.
I am just wondering whether this is something that the Government can assist companies with, companies who have had to pay ransomware. I am sure that such support in the systems is something that many companies would also be prepared to pay for, to bear a share of that cost in order to recover the cryptocurrency that is paid.
\tMrs Josephine Teo: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for his question. In the first place, prevention is better than cure. So, continued vigilance, I think, is the first line of defence.
Second, the Government does not recommend the payment of ransoms to cyber criminals as there is no guarantee that the business will be able to restore their business operations or get their data back. This is a very important point to keep in mind. These are criminals. They are there for financial gain and they are not necessarily going to acknowledge the payment of ransoms in order to help you to restore your systems.
The payment of ransom also encourages these threat actors to continue their criminal activities and target more victims. Additionally, we also see that the threat actors will take notice that an organisation is willing to pay up and, therefore, consider that organisation to be a soft target and, therefore, strike again in future. So, the businesses have to consider what their message is to the cyber criminals. Is your message to them that, well, we have been compromised, we will cough up the ransom as you require? Or is your message that we have taken preventive measures and, yes, we were affected but we were able to recover and we will strengthen our defences? That is a very important consideration for businesses to take.
We would also suggest that they refer to the advisory that is published on SingCERT's website for further guidance on responding to ransomware attacks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Transit COVID-19-related Short-term Contract Workers into Permanent Jobs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"18 Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what proportion of training resources provided by organisations such as e2i and Workforce Singapore are conducted on a flexible basis so as to allow individuals who work shift hours to upskill or reskill themselves; and (b) what are the Ministry's plans to help individuals currently holding temporary COVID-19-related roles such as Safe Distancing Ambassadors and swabbers, to transition to permanent roles as Singapore moves towards an endemic strategy in dealing with COVID-19.
19 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many people are employed in COVID-19-related temporary roles such as swabbers, safe entry and temperature screeners, Safe Distancing Ambassadors and vaccination staff; (b) whether the number of workers required for these roles will be reduced as more residents are vaccinated; (c) what is being done for these workers to prepare them for their next job; and (d) how does the Government ensure that unemployment numbers do not increase when these jobs are phased out.
\tThe Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, since the start of COVID-19, over 15,000 workers have been placed into public sector or Government-funded short-term –
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Excuse me, Minister, just to clarify, you are taking Question Nos 18 and 19 together?
\tDr Tan See Leng: Yes, I would like to take Question Nos 18 and 19 together. Thank you for the reminder.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Yes, please proceed.
\tDr Tan See Leng: Since the start of COVID-19, over 15,000 workers have been placed into public sector or Government-funded short-term roles under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package to support COVID-19 operations, such as swabbing, quarantine operations, implementing safe management measures and providing patient services.
At some point and we certainly hope so, the demand for such roles will taper down. For the moment, however, these roles continue to remain in demand.
Among those placed into short-term COVID-19 job roles, about three in 10 were temporarily re-deployed as part of the National Jobs Council’s efforts to support workers in hard-hit areas. For example, some flight attendants from Singapore Airlines worked as Care Ambassadors in hospitals. These workers remain as employees of their parent companies and most of them are expected to return to their parent companies when demand recovers.
For the remaining workers, as well as those who are not able to return to their previous jobs due to reduced demand or who choose not to, our job matching services and ecosystem stand ready to help them.
In 2020, the combined efforts of Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute, or e2i for short, collectively placed close to 55,000 workers into suitable opportunities. It is, therefore, not beyond the ability of these networks to facilitate the job searches and to help them find placements in new sectors or activities where demand is rising. This is also supported by the Jobs Growth Incentive or JGI for short. JGI has been extended to September 2021 with eligible employers receiving support of up to S$54,000 per hire.
Employers who hire jobseekers who need to reskill can also tap onto the career conversion programmes and these programmes provide substantial wage and training support in addition to the JGI. This year, we have catered capacity for 10,000 places in these programmes.
Finally, the SGUnited Traineeships, Mid-Career Pathways and Skills programmes remain available.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Sharael Taha.
\tMr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): I thank the Minister for the clarification. Just one supplementary question for me. As we transition to living with COVID-19, can the Ministry also consider encouraging the companies employing these temporary workers to send the workers for training, possibly through an additional training grant mechanism? Having supported the frontline through this pandemic, I worry that the workers, who have been in these temporary roles, may struggle to translate their experience to a new employment.
Dr Tan See Leng: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the hon Member for his suggestion. We certainly would encourage all companies who hire short-term workers for this particular pandemic to encourage them to go for training to convert them into longer-term job opportunities.
There are many schemes available. There are also quite a number of task forces in which I personally chair and we drive, alongside with the other sector agencies to look at growth sectors. We have identified three of them: the wholesale trade, finance and infocomm. We encourage and we nudge many of the employees and workers to actually go for upskilling or reskilling to be able to fit into these new job roles and to pivot some of the existing career opportunities into newer ones. We will continue to provide support.
Employers may face hiring challenges. They should also look to consider a wider range of jobseekers. Instead of thinking with the plug-and-play mindset, we would encourage employers to open up to consider hiring them, bringing them on board and placing them collectively in training opportunities that the Government has set aside and work towards making sure the upskilling and training of these workers into their relevant industries and the jobs would result in a much better fit.
We also encourage jobseekers to stay resilient, to also keep very open minds to new opportunities and also to consider less familiar roles. So, if we all work together collectively and to the Member's point, I believe that we will come out and emerge from this crisis in a much better position.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhanced Curriculum Structure for Higher Nitec Certification and Help for Students who may Struggle","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"20 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education with regard to the new enhanced curricular structure for ITE students whereby students will experience a three-year pathway leading directly to a Higher Nitec certification (a) what are the Ministry's plans for students who find it more difficult to cope under the new structure; and (b) what are the plans to provide additional support and academic coaching to support them in completing their Higher Nitec certification.
\tThe Second Minister for Education (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Deputy Speaker, the new Institute of Technical Education (ITE) curricular structure seeks to equip ITE graduates with deeper industry-relevant skills for employment. With the enhanced three-year structure, we hope that more students can continue on to a third year and attain a Higher Nitec, instead of leaving after the two-year Nitec certification. This gives them a stronger foundation to build on for further education and skills upgrading over their careers.
ITE will do its utmost to help its students persevere in their learning journey in the following ways.
First, ITE will continue to proactively and regularly engage its students and identify those who may need more support early based on their class participation, engagement level, performance in assessments and other relevant factors.
Second, once these students are identified, ITE will provide them with targeted support in a timely manner. ITE lecturers will provide them with appropriate learning scaffolds, additional coaching as well as social and other forms of support. For those who would like more time to complete their modules, ITE will support them with a more flexible pathway to take a lower load of modules and take additional semesters to complete.
Third, ITE will beef up the industry exposure elements in its courses and raise their quality. It will provide students with early exposure to industry, jobs and careers to better engage them and strengthen their motivation for learning. The industrial attachments planned for both Year Two and Year Three will help to reinforce and strengthen what they learn in the classroom and help them appreciate the applicability of what they are learning. They will be able to sustain and deepen their learning and also strengthen their work-ready skills.
However, in spite of ITE's best efforts, there will remain some students who will not complete their three-year pathway. ITE will encourage these students to take up the second industry attachment in the third year to deepen their workplace learning. Students can still choose to exit with a Nitec qualification and transcript reflecting modules that they have already completed. ITE will also provide job placement support to help them with their transition to work, as well as customised education and career guidance. The goal is to encourage and support them to return to ITE anytime they choose to do so, to complete the rest of the modules and attain their Higher Nitec qualification, either through the full-time or part-time programmes.
ITE's strong mission of education and social support and strong industry orientation and focus has benefited many cohorts of students, equipping them with work-ready qualifications and skills to take on skilled jobs in the economy. MOE and ITE will continue to support and help ITE students thrive and succeed and fulfil their potential.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal.
\tDr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister for the reassuring reply.
The enhanced pathway, or rather the structure goes a long way into destigmatising ITEs. Having taught students who went to the Polytechnics, I truly believe that ITEs is not an acronym for \"It's the end\", but \"It's towards excellence\". So, with that, given the increased accessibility to the Higher Nitec, are there plans to increase the places for the Polytechnic intake? And will there be a transition programme for these students in this batch of ITE students as they further their studies at the Polytechnic?
\tDr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, I thank the Member for that question. It is very heartening for him to translate the much talked about ITE as \"It's the end\" to \"It's towards excellence\". I think we want to certainly work towards ensuring our students get the best technical education through the ITE curriculum.
Sir, the intent of the revised ITE curricular structure is to ensure that the ITE students are better prepared for the skills demanded by the industry and have a stronger foundation for further upgrading subsequently for their future needs. So, beyond this, we will continue to support upgrading for our ITE graduates via different pathways after their Higher Nitec qualification. The diploma programmes offered by the polytechnics is one of the pathways and there will continue to be places that will be set aside for them. And if need be, there will be programmes that will support them in the transition.
There are also other upgrading pathways available to our ITE graduates, such as the Technical Diplomas in the ITE themselves, as well as the Work-Study Diplomas offered by the ITE, which ITE is planning to expand further.
ITE graduates can also choose from across the different pathways and programmes according to their learning styles and career development needs and aspirations at the appropriate point in time and in accordance with the entry requirements of each pathway. So, there are a lot of pathways that our ITE graduates can take up at different points in time in their careers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Tracking of Mental Health and Stress Levels of Students with Roll-out of Subject-Based Banding","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"21 Ms Carrie Tan asked Minister for Education (a) whether the mental health or stress levels of students are being tracked and evaluated as the new subject-based banding system is being rolled out in the 28 pilot schools; and (b) whether there are any observations on how the new system may have improved the situation in terms of minimising the labelling and stigmatisation towards and among students so far.
\tThe Minister of State for Education (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Education): The Ministry of Education (MOE) works closely with the 28 secondary schools piloting Full Subject-Based Banding, or Full SBB, in all aspects of the implementation, including the socio-emotional development and the well-being of our students.
The pilot has started last year and we are monitoring the implementation closely. Feedback is collected through surveys and focus group discussions with students and teachers so that we know how Full SBB is impacting student well-being, social and learning experiences and outcomes.
Findings from the first year of implementation indicate that students in the pilot schools have a more diverse network of friends drawn from across the different courses, compared to schools that have yet to implement Full SBB. They form stronger friendships based on common interests and treat their peers with respect regardless of course. It is early days yet, but there are also indications of more students adopting growth mindsets.
MOE will continue to work closely with schools implementing Full SBB in the coming years to better understand the impact of Full SBB.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms Carrie Tan.
\tMs Carrie Tan (Nee Soon): I thank the Minister of State for the reply and I am glad to know that efforts are being taken to track the effectiveness of these recalibration efforts to our examination system.
I am aware through engagement with students and teachers that often, the other major challenge to mental health for our students come from expectations. And children respond to expectations of adults in their lives, whether their parents or teachers and often, their self-esteem rest on making the adults around them proud.
So, I am wondering other than the current efforts to recalibrate the examination system and the streaming system, are there current efforts by MOE to enrol parents as co-stakeholders together with teachers to redefine the narratives and expectations of what success looks like, to alleviate the stress that the students are facing in a rather hyper-competitive culture?
\tMs Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her question. MOE has been promoting the concept of multiple pathways to success and not just in relation to Full SBB. I think we heard the response from Minister Maliki earlier as well. There is a continuous conversation and continuous encouragement to society – parents, stakeholders and community partners alike – to expand the way we look at success and acknowledge multiple pathways of success. And this is to help our students develop a growth mindset and also alleviate any mental well-being concerns that may arise from academic stress.
So, it is a continuous effort and it requires really a whole-of-society effort.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of COVID-19 Border Restrictions on Entry of Migrant Domestic Workers into Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"22 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) since January 2021, what is the number of foreign domestic workers who have had their entry approval postponed due to the border restrictions; (b) how long is the waiting time before an entry approval can be given; and (c) whether the Ministry will allow the entry of these workers on an exception basis for families with a member who is delivering a baby soon, or an elderly who is immobile or with disabilities needing urgent care-giver support.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Deputy Speaker, from January to April this year, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) was able to schedule a larger number of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to enter Singapore as the regional COVID-19 situation was much calmer. From May, due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases locally and globally, the Government tightened the entry approvals given to MDWs as well as other travellers from countries with higher incidence of COVID-19, so as to manage the risk of COVID-19 importation and local transmission.
Among the travellers and MDWs coming from these countries, we found a significant number who were COVID-19-positive when they arrived. They posed a transmission risk to our frontline workers at our checkpoints and at Stay-Home Notice (SHN) facilities and had to be cared for under our healthcare system. Hence, the Government has had to restrict the numbers entering from high incidence countries.
Since May, MOM could only approve a small number of MDWs for entry every week. MOM has also had to postpone the entry of about 1,800 MDWs who had previously received approval to enter Singapore. With a much smaller number allowed to enter, MOM prioritised the entry of MDWs for families with very challenging caregiving needs.
Of those who had their dates postponed earlier, we have rescheduled one-third so far to enter Singapore. Barring any further tightening of entry approvals by the Government, we hope to progressively schedule the entry of the remaining two-thirds by the end of the year. But there are also more employers who are still waiting to submit their entry applications and we hope that the COVID-19 situation in the region improves so that we can approve more to enter.
In the meantime, we are not waiting passively for the regional situation to improve. The employment agency industry, through the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS), has begun a pilot which we announced on 14 July 2021. And this is to implement additional safe management measures in the MDW's home country before they enter Singapore. MOM is monitoring the effectiveness. If the pilot proves successful in lowering the number of imported COVID-19-positive individuals, we can progressively allow for more MDWs to enter under this arrangement.
Our priority is to ensure that the risk of COVID-19 importation is well managed so as to protect our public health as well as the safety of families where the MDWs are deployed to. Not every employer will be able to get entry approval for their MDW before the end of the year. But MOM will continue to prioritise those with urgent care-giving needs. Some prospective MDW employers may have to consider other arrangements until the regional COVID-19 situation improves. Employers may also wish to consider if using the cleaning services of providers under the Household Services Scheme may be of some help.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely but rest assured we will do our best to facilitate the entry of MDWs in a safe manner.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Ministerial Statements. Minister for Health.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos 23, 25 , 29-35, 38, 40-47, 49-51, 53-63, 65-67, 69-72 and 75 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix. Question Nos 24, 26-28, 36-37, 39, 48, 52, 64, 68 and 73-74 have been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 27 July 2021.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Fifth Update on Whole-of-Government Responses to COVID-19","subTitle":"Statements by Minister for Health, Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Finance","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Health (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, today, my fellow Co-Chairs of the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF), Minister Gan Kim Yong and Minister Lawrence Wong and I will be delivering Ministerial Statements to update Members on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore.
Our Ministerial Statements will address Oral Question Nos 1 to 5 and 26 to 28 and Written Question Nos 28, 29 and 31 to 33 on today's Order Paper. It will cover questions on the KTV and Jurong Fishery Port clusters, our COVID-19 vaccination programme and our plans to transit to live normally with COVID-19.
Mr Murali Pillai1,2, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim3, Mr Darryl David4,5, Mr Xie Yao Quan6,7, Mr Yip Hon Weng8, Mr Seah Kian Peng9, Ms Raeesah Khan10 and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin11 have filed Oral and Written Questions scheduled for future Sittings on these issues. As today’s Ministerial Statements would address those questions, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to invite these Members to seek clarifications, should they have any, on these issues after the Ministerial Statements. And should their queries be sufficiently addressed, it may not be necessary for them to proceed with their Parliamentary Questions (PQs) for future Sittings.
With that, let me start.
On Monday, 12 July 2021, MOH detected several COVID-19 positive cases amongst individuals who frequented KTV bars and lounges. These individuals included patrons of the bars and hostesses who worked in the lounges. These activities were considered very high risk and had been disallowed since the beginning of the pandemic.
The cluster grew rapidly and MOH moved in quickly to isolate infected persons. We identified rings of contacts and tested them for COVID-19. We ordered a two-week suspension of operations in all pivoted nightlife establishments from 16 July till 30 July. The pivoted nightlife establishments cannot resume operations until they pass inspections to ensure that safe management measure protocols are in place and they have received written approval.
Mr Xie Yao Quan asked if we would consider making the individuals in the KTV cluster pay for their COVID-19 medical expenses in full. We are all upset by the irresponsible behaviour of the individuals involved in this KTV cluster, but we still have a public responsibility to ensure that everyone receives the medical care that they need. We also do not want individuals, especially those who are infected, to avoid getting tested and treated, or hide where they have been from contact tracers, because they are afraid of getting penalised. This will make it harder to contain the spread and would cost us more in the long run.
We were on the path towards progressive opening and the KTV cluster was a major unexpected bump on the road. The MTF deliberated on the matter, took in advice from MOH experts and came to the conclusion that, given our extensive tracing and testing efforts and our population vaccination rate for two doses was approaching 50% at that time, on balance, we felt that the cluster ought not significantly change our plans to open up.
Hence, on 16 July, the MTF announced our decision to maintain our then current safe management posture. We made some adjustments to the rules for eating in restaurants, we called it the \"two-five rule\". Two, if you are unvaccinated; five, you can dine together, provided everyone is fully vaccinated.
Based on how the cluster has developed, we still believe that was the correct call. As of 25 July 2021, that means end of yesterday, the KTV cluster has a total of 237 infected persons. For the past three days, the daily increase in infection for the cluster was six, five and five respectively. So, it is coming under control.
Unfortunately, things got derailed due to a larger and more troublesome cluster and this is the Jurong Fishery Port cluster. On the evening of Friday, 16 July 2021, we started to detect multiple infections at the Jurong Fishery Port, as well as in Hong Lim market. This involved fishmongers, their assistants going about an honest living, collecting fishes at the fishery port, but unwittingly getting infected and then transmitting to more people in the markets and communities where they ply their trade.
MOH, with the help of NEA, took immediate steps to prevent further spread by stopping the fishmongers and their assistants from setting up stalls on Sunday, 18 July 2021. It was very tough to tell them \"You can't set up stalls\". We then issued Health Risk Warnings which required them to undergo PCR tests and isolate themselves until they get a negative result.
Of the 1,548 tested, 43 were found to be COVID-19 positive. The numbers are a bit different from what I reported earlier as we cleaned up the numbers. This indicated that significant community transmission had most likely already silently occurred in the days before 18 July 2021, Sunday.
Markets are frequented by wide segments of the public, particularly seniors, of whom one-quarter are still not fully vaccinated. The risk of infections rising uncontrollably could not be ruled out. These infections could potentially result in more cases of severe illnesses or even deaths among our vulnerable senior population.
Hence, the MTF decided to pre-emptively dial back to Phase Two (Heightened Alert). This came into effect on 22 July 2021. We did this to buy ourselves time, precious time, to get more of our population vaccinated, so that we can continue on our path towards living with COVID-19 safely.
The preliminary phylogenetic findings suggest that while the KTV and Jurong Fishery Port clusters were all driven by the Delta variant, it is distinct from the Delta variant that infected Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Changi Airport clusters. The recent clusters have a Delta strain that is more closely related to what we detected in imported cases from our immediate region. However, there are also slight genetic differences between the strains in the two clusters, suggesting that there were multiple introduction points.
As of 25 July 2021, the Jurong Fishery Port has a total of 792 cases. It is still growing, but now at a slower rate. The daily infection numbers over the last three days were 79, 79 and 46 respectively.
Overall, we have seen a high number of daily cases at over 100 for the past several days. But the situation is stabilising, with daily infections trending down.
Percentage of cases isolated or quarantined before turning COVID-19 positive is something we watch closely and it is on an upward trend which is good. That means, when a person started to be detected as positive, he is already quarantined and isolated. On 19 July, that was when the cluster first broke out, we had a total of 163 cases and only 27% were isolated before detection. Lately, this hovers around 40%. Today, we should have more than half of our cases already isolated.
If we can keep raising that percentage through tracing and testing, we can progressively suppress this wave of transmission. But our objective is not to stop transmissions completely. That is no longer possible, given how transmissible the Delta variant is and as we open up, people circulate more.
So, the only possible way now to eradicate infections is to go into a hard circuit breaker for at least a month, probably two. But we do not want to be locked up. Further, even if we do lock ourselves up, when the circuit breaker ends and we open up, cases will rise again. Eradication is, therefore, not possible nor sustainable. We must instead find ways to live with this virus safely.
Several Members, namely Mr Yip Hon Weng, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, Ms Raeesah Khan, were interested to find out more about our transition plans to live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease.
Vaccinations are key to this transition and the national programme is progressing well. As of end of yesterday, 25 July 2021, 54% of our population has received two doses of the mRNA vaccine. And our population vaccination rate is going up by about one percentage point a day. So, by National Day, almost 70% will have received two doses. By early September, it should be almost 80% having received two doses of mRNA vaccines. This means that Singapore, by then, will have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. It puts us in a strong position to transit to a COVID-19-resilient society.
Our main worry is that our seniors, especially those 70 and above, are not sufficiently vaccinated. Today, just over 70% of them have received two doses of the vaccines.
Ms Tin Pei Ling asked for an update on the home vaccination scheme. We have launched nine home vaccination teams so far. As of 23 July, 734 seniors had received vaccinations under that programme.
Further, more seniors are coming forward to our vaccination centres and also our mobile vaccination teams. We have been seeing about 500 seniors coming forward on a daily basis to receive their first doses for the past few weeks. But for the past few days, that number has doubled to over 1,000 every day now.
How did that come about? It is good news. But it may be due to heightened awareness as a result of more community transmission, the lifting of rules that had previously deferred their vaccinations – for those with medical conditions – and also our very intensive outreach efforts.
For example, our mobile teams have gone all the way to Pulau Ubin to vaccinate seniors who are living there. We know of general practitioners (GPs) who persuaded and called up their clients, the seniors, persuaded them to go for vaccinations and then opened up their clinics for them to sit in the clinics the whole day so that they feel assured that if they feel unwell, help is always nearby, help from someone they trust, their GPs.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a measure of the kind of society we are. We are making such an extraordinary effort with our seniors because we are not prepared to accept the high fatality rates amongst the elderly that other countries had or are still experiencing.
As a result of all these efforts, 77% of our seniors 70 years and above have now received their first doses. Within a month or so, they should all have received their second doses and after that, another 14 days, they should all be strongly protected against COVID-19.
Even at our current rate of vaccination – 54% or so for two doses – the preliminary evidence is that it has been effective in reducing the incidence of severe illnesses and deaths.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I show a chart on the screen, please?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Yes, please do. [A chart was shown to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Thank you. The top blue line is infection. The bottom line in orange is the number with severe illnesses requiring oxygen supplementation or ICU.
As Members can see, while daily infections had gone up sharply over the past couple of weeks, the number of patients with severe illnesses who required oxygen supplementation or are in ICU remained relatively low. There was a slight uptick but relatively suppressed.
Currently, all of these patients with severe illnesses are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. But we are watching this closely because there is a time lag of one to two weeks between infection and the onset of severe illnesses. For now, it would appear that we have successfully weakened the link between infections and severe illnesses.
While we are making good progress in vaccinating our people, we acknowledge that the recent reversion to Phase Two (Heightened Alert) has caused some confusion amongst members of the public. They are asking: is the MTF still committed to the path towards normalcy and living with COVID-19?
The answer is a definite yes. For that is the only way for Singaporeans to regain our lives and livelihoods, for Singapore to reconnect with the world again, for our young to look into the future with hope.
Some countries, like the UK, have declared a Freedom Day recently, where all social restrictions are lifted all at once. Others, like Israel and the Netherlands, opened up and saw sharp increases in infections and hospitalisations and had had to dial back very quickly.
Ours will be a controlled opening. We are not going to do a big bang because, predictably, things will then blow up. The MTF has been developing a roadmap comprising packages of measures to be implemented step-by-step over the next few months and with every step, ensuring that opening up is safe for the community.
But even as we do so, we must bear in mind that until we reach a sufficiently high vaccination rate, especially amongst our seniors, we will continue to be vulnerable to unexpected setbacks – just like what we are going through now.
A high rate of vaccination will provide us with a more solid and stable base as we proceed on this journey. The higher the vaccination rate, the more solid the ground we walk on.
So, in a way, this is the most peculiar period of our transition, where we are clear about our mission, our will is firm, we have a broad plan but we do not have enough antibodies in all of us to ensure that we can follow through our plans without a hitch.
But let us not underestimate the progress we have made. The roadmap is, in fact, being implemented as we speak. Our attention often is on the Safe Management Measures, or SMMs, such as whether we can eat in restaurants. But there at least three other important aspects, namely: (a) restoring economic and social activities, including connecting with the outside world; (b) remodelling COVID-19 healthcare protocols; and (c) shifting our collective psychology, which, I feel, is probably the hardest.
Minister Gan Kim Yong will speak about restoring economic activities while Minister Lawrence Wong will speak more about enabling more social activities. Let me talk about healthcare protocols and our collective psychology.
As we learn to live with COVID-19, our healthcare protocols must be remodelled. If COVID-19 is, indeed, endemic, having 200 or more cases may not be an unusual thing at all.
During an influenza season, our daily infection rates can go up to as high as 1,000 a day. Imagine we treat influenza like we treat COVID-19. This is what will happen.
We will put everyone suspected of influenza infections through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and then long isolated stays in hospitals. Then, everyone they come into contact with will be quarantined. A thousand cases a day. This will disrupt the lives of many people. Further, hospital beds will all be filled and many other patients who are sicker will be turned away. The healthcare system will not be able to cope and that is clearly not the way to deal with an endemic disease.
So, if we want to live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease, we cannot carry on with the current healthcare protocols. They need to shift closer to how we treat influenza today – without extensive contact tracing and quarantine in dedicated facilities and hospitalising only those who are very ill.
But that can only happen when the likelihood of developing a very serious or life-threatening disease as a result of a COVID-19 infection has been significantly reduced by effective vaccination of our population, especially amongst the vulnerable.
With our current rate of vaccinations, we have started to take the first transition step to remodel our healthcare protocols. As of last week, we had made the following changes.
First, greater use of community care facilities instead of hospitals. Vaccinated individuals aged between 45 and 59 who test positive for COVID-19 and show no or mild symptoms can be directly admitted to community care facilities instead of going first to hospitals. These community care facilities, currently, for example, are NTUC D'Resort as well as Civil Service Club (CSC) Loyang. This was already the practice for all cases aged between 17 and 45, but we are now expanding the protocol to people up to 59 years old.
With this change, we expect up to 60% of infected cases to recover in community care facilities instead of in acute care hospitals. Meanwhile, we will plan for the next step. This is just the first step. We will plan for the next one where perhaps 80% can be admitted to community care facilities and some can even start to recover at home.
The second change is, we have shortened the length of stay in hospitals and community care facilities. Our tests have shown that the viral load in infected persons who are fully vaccinated falls very rapidly to a very low level after nine days. Previously, most people, generally, were discharged only after 21 days. We are now discharging fully vaccinated persons after 14 days from the onset of illness, with a seven-day leave of absence in addition, so long as their tests show that they are COVID-19 negative or have very low viral loads.
We are reviewing our policy to allow fully vaccinated patients to be discharged even earlier and to complete the rest of the isolation period at home if their home environment is suitable.
The third change is the greater use of home quarantines. For fully vaccinated persons, they can now serve their quarantine at home instead of at a dedicated Government facility, provided that their home is suitable for isolation. We expect that up to 40% of persons under quarantine can serve their quarantine at home and this will go beyond 50% in the coming few weeks as more people get vaccinated.
These are amongst the first steps that we will take in the healthcare transition. In the meantime, what we are experiencing in this current wave of transmission is also valuable because we are also witnessing a palpable shift in our collective psychology.
The first, I think, is a shift away from always focusing on infection numbers. We used to get a shock when we see high daily numbers because this will mean that a week or two from then, we will see more severe illnesses and deaths.
However, in recent days, that mental link is starting to be broken as we know that, with vaccinations, high infection numbers need not necessarily mean more sickness and deaths.
Many people are now rightfully focusing on the number of people with severe illnesses. As of today, despite the higher infection cases over the past few days, that number is 14 and does not threaten our hospital capacity.
Many friends, including Members of this House, have been texting and asking me: why do we not publish the number of people with severe illnesses so that we know that vaccination works?
Actually, the media have been publishing these numbers every day for quite a while now. But our attention is always on the infection numbers. It is good that the attention is now shifting. I will not say that there is a huge psychological shift but I think the shift is starting to happen.
A second shift is a greater acceptance of differentiated safe management measures between those who are vaccinated and those who are not. There have been many calls to do this. Mr Xie Yao Quan has also asked about this.
This is something which the MTF has always intended to do. That was why we decided on the \"two-five rule\" for restaurants when the KTV cluster broke out. But it was scuttled with our reversion to Phase Two (Heightened Alert).
When our whole society is very highly vaccinated and we have transitioned to living with COVID-19, we should make very little differentiation between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. But during this period of transition, when we are still building up our resilience, differentiation by vaccination status is a practical way to open up some activities first while protecting those who are still vulnerable.
The MTF will revisit this during our Phase Two (Heightened Alert) midpoint review and Minister Lawrence Wong will speak more about that later.
Let me address several other questions from Members.
Mr Murali Pillai will be comforted to know that MOH actively monitors international developments in medical treatment options for COVID-19. This is done through the National Centre of Infectious Diseases (NCID) and an expert committee. They have developed national treatment guidelines which are constantly updated based on new evidence. They provide guidance to our doctors on the use of evidence-based medical treatment options for COVID-19 patients.
Our local institutions have also been participating actively in international multi-centre trials investigating novel COVID-19 therapeutics. These trials have generated important data on new COVID-19 treatments such as remdesivir.
We will continue to closely monitor developments in COVID-19 treatments, proactively procure therapeutic agents which are shown to be effective and maintain a stockpile based on projected needs.
To Mr Leon Perera’s question, factors that affect COVID-19 vaccine efficacy are an area of active study in Singapore. Persons who have contracted COVID-19 are clinically assessed for risk factors and scientific papers on the correlations may be published in future.
Antibody testing is not required after vaccination under Singapore’s National Vaccination Programme and we are actively reviewing the need for vaccine boosters. We are also continually reviewing Singapore’s portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines. We plan to bring in non-mRNA vaccines that are robustly assessed for quality, safety and effectiveness. This should happen before the end of the year, subject to supply and regulatory approval.
Testing will remain very important, even as we transit to living with COVID-19. Because it is only through testing that we can know if we are infected and do the civic-minded thing in excusing ourselves from work and staying home.
But we have to make testing simple, accessible and affordable, even more so than now, so that we can all do our part. I believe many Members have done the breathalyser testing just now. So, it is one example of a test that is non-intrusive, simple, easy, accessible and fast.
Since mid-June, we have progressively rolled out regular Fast and Easy Tests for staff working in higher-risk settings. This includes a network of 16 Quick Test Centres, which we intend to expand further. In response to Ms Joan Pereira’s question, the Quick Test Centres will support small businesses by allowing their staff to walk in and get themselves tested and have their results recorded. At some point, I believe, the Quick Test Centres should also be using breathalyser tests.
We will continue to work with NEA to deploy wastewater testing across Singapore. Mr Dennis Tan asked about this. Currently, NEA has deployed 270 auto-samplers across about 200 sites. Every site can have a few, two or more auto-samplers. We are increasing this to 500 auto-samplers across 400 sites by end of this year. Wastewater testing is an increasingly strategic resource as we learn to live with COVID-19. Where we place the sites is very important. We can deploy them in areas where we suspect transmission is happening, such as around the markets that are currently affected, or where we know many unvaccinated seniors live.
Such testing is non-intrusive and would give us valuable early warning when COVID-19 starts to take hold in a locality; we will know very early. And that will prompt us to take further public health measures in the affected residential estates.
Mr Darryl David, Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Murali Pillai asked about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. MOH has been publishing monthly safety data updates on our website. It also gives an age breakdown of the affected persons and indeed, the majority are young people. As of 30 June 2021, HSA had received 12 reports of myocarditis and pericarditis occurring in persons after receiving a dose of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. While there is a small increased risk among those in the younger age groups relative to the baseline rate, the local incidence rate remains low. One of the reported cases is a full-time National Serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces who is below 30 years old. None of the cases was from the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force.
We implemented the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme or VIFAP to give greater peace of mind to people taking the vaccinations.
But remember that with or without vaccination, there is a baseline number of disease cases amongst our population. Since the vast majority of Singaporeans have stepped forward to be vaccinated, there will naturally be numerous incidents which just happen to coincide with vaccinations. Hence, we have to do what is practical and reasonable, which is to have VIFAP applications reviewed by a panel of medical experts, who will consider them against known evidence about the vaccines.
A few Members have also asked about the Sinovac vaccine. The Sinovac vaccine is called CoronaVac but we always just call it Sinovac. Sinovac is the company; the vaccine is CoronaVac but for simplicity, we just refer to it as the Sinovac vaccine. As at 25 July 2021, about 72,000 persons have received at least one dose of the Sinovac vaccine and about 17,000 persons have received their second doses. Amongst them, 28% are Singapore Citizens and they are mostly young. Of those who have taken the Sinovac vaccine, only 10% or in fact, less than 10% are Singaporean seniors above 60 years old.
If the supply of 200,000 doses which the Government has procured is insufficient to cater to the demand, private clinics can bring in additional supply, as is the case for any other WHO EUL vaccine under the Special Access Route.
As of 9 July 2021, HSA had received 10 adverse event reports following vaccination with the Sinovac vaccine. The events comprise mainly allergic reactions such as itch and rashes.
As for concessions on safe management measures, the data on the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine against the Delta variant is still building up. Sinovac has also recently submitted the required safety data for their application for the Pandemic Special Access Route approval to HSA.
HSA and our Expert Committee are going through the various data. When the evidence justifies it, we will certainly want to extend the concessions to individuals who have received the Sinovac or other vaccines which may qualify.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me conclude. As a Government, we need to recognise that our society is diverse, with different segments of the population having different opinions, needs and wants. When these differences cannot be reconciled, we agree to disagree, we live and let live. At the same time, we do our best to unite and forge a consensus, for what is a society without shared commonalities?
This is what a responsible Government needs to do across a range of issues: from education, healthcare and public housing, to racial harmony and free trade. We must always try to strike the right balance between forging a consensus as well as respecting diverse views.
It is the same when it comes to learning to live with COVID-19. On the one hand, we have the young, vaccinated individuals who feel that we should open up and allow vaccinated individuals to enjoy more social activities. On the other hand, we still have a sizeable segment of older Singaporeans who for medical or other reasons are yet to be vaccinated and who remain vulnerable.
Differentiated safe management measures is something we have to put in place for public health reasons and to protect the unvaccinated. At the same time, we must do our best to get more of the vulnerable vaccinated. As I reported just now, we are making progress.
As for the non-vulnerable, as more of you get vaccinated, when you show more consideration to others, you are also doing your part to better protect the vulnerable. Remember, our children, our nieces or nephews, younger brothers and sisters under 12, will not be vaccinated for a while yet.
When we work together as a people, we will bring ourselves to a much stronger and more resilient position and our transition to living with COVID-19 will gather pace.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Singapore is one of the few countries to have come through the last 20 months of the pandemic with very few fatalities. And we can look forward with confidence to living with an endemic COVID-19 because a high proportion of our population will be fully vaccinated. Most of the developing world still has little access to vaccines. And even among the countries and regions which have the vaccines, Singapore is unique.
We have one group, including the US, UK, Israel and many EU countries, which went through major episodes of widespread transmission, hospitals overwhelmed, with many fatalities. They are now highly vaccinated and opening up their economies and societies. And then, there is another group, the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, maybe South Korea, who kept the pandemic under control, but are now finding it a challenge to get their people vaccinated, partly because their lives have not been very threatened by COVID-19.
This will make us perhaps the only country in the world, which has not suffered a collapse of our hospitals nor a high death toll and at the same time, achieved a very high vaccination rate in our population.
This uniqueness is due to the unity of our people, the trust amongst them and between the people and Government. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we can look towards the road ahead with confidence and optimism. [Applause.]
Mr Deputy Speaker: The Minister for Trade and Industry and the Minister for Finance will be making related Ministerial Statements. I would allow Members to raise points of clarification on all three Statements after the third Statement. Minister Gan.
The Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Gan Kim Yong): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Minister Ong Ye Kung has given Members an update on the COVID-19 situation. Let me now share with Members our journey out of Phase Two (Heightened Alert) and towards a COVID-19-resilient state, from the point of view of businesses.
About a month ago, the MTF Co-Chairs wrote a commentary, outlining a future where Singapore can live normally with COVID-19. The virus is likely to become endemic eventually, like influenza, with the vast majority of us protected against the severe outcome of the virus, as long as we are fully vaccinated. We are not there yet and we need to press on with vaccination, especially among the elderly.
As we journeyed towards this destination, we were never under the illusion that it would be straightforward and we expected to face a few bumps along the way. The KTV and Jurong Fishery Port clusters are cases in point.
Like Minister Ong, I received many questions on whether our decision to return to Phase Two (Heightened Alert) signals a reversal of our plan to transition to a COVID-19-endemic state. The answer is a clear no.
We are determined to get to our destination of being a COVID-19-resilient Singapore. But our journey must take into consideration public health realities. Sometimes, we may need to take a detour if we see hazards ahead. This way, we can ensure that we will get to our final destination safely, even though it may take a little longer.
The last one and a half years has been a very difficult ride for our businesses. This is particularly so for sectors that are more affected by the tightening of Safe Management Measures, such as F&B, retail, sports and gyms and performance arts. I know that the impact on them must be very severe.
Minister Wong and I met the F&B and Retailers' Trade Associations last week. We appreciated their feedback, which helped MTI and MOF design the support packages for them as well as other affected businesses.
At the same time, I am heartened to see that many businesses have adapted their operations in response to the challenges. Food establishments and retail shops have leveraged online platforms and gyms have turned to virtual classes or moved some of their classes outdoors. Nevertheless, we know that these efforts are insufficient to fully compensate for the loss of income from their usual business model.
The aviation, tourism and MICE sectors have also been severely impacted due to travel restrictions. With Changi Airport's passenger load at only around 3% of pre-COVID-19 levels – 3%, not 30% – demand in these sectors have plummeted. Some firms have pivoted to adjacent areas. For example, Singapore Airlines is now using some of its passenger planes to operate cargo flights to take advantage of the increase in cargo traffic, while operators in the tourism sector have come up with new and creative products to attract local visitors as foreign tourists have dried up. The Singapore Rediscover Vouchers would have helped them somewhat.
The construction, marine and process sectors are also under tremendous pressure. They have had to make difficult but necessary worksite adjustments to protect workers' health and safety. At the same time, they have had to deal with labour shortages. As a result, many have faced project cancellations and delays or shied away from taking on new projects.
We fully understand the challenges and uncertainties that our businesses and their workers are going through. Since the start of this pandemic, MTI has worked closely with the industry and other Government agencies to help businesses cope.
We delivered eight Budgets over one and a half years including the Supplementary Supply Bill that we will be debating later, to marshal resources to support businesses and protect jobs. We introduced several schemes, such as the Jobs Support Scheme, Jobs Growth Incentive, rental relief and tax rebates. We ensured that firms that ran into cashflow problems could gain access to credit by enhancing our enterprise financing schemes and working with the banks to put in place a moratorium on loan repayment. Together, these efforts have helped avert massive business failures, a much deeper recession and higher unemployment.
Businesses and workers have told us that while these support measures have been critical and helpful, they can only serve as temporary pain relief. They would much prefer to resume their business fully and for the economy to grow again. Many are therefore transforming their businesses to seek out new opportunities and prepare for the recovery. I think this is the right attitude to have.
Even as we manage the short-term impact of the pandemic, we should not lose sight of the future. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on almost every single economy in the world, but those which can respond well and take the opportunity to adapt and transform quickly will emerge stronger and move ahead of others. To ensure that we do not get left behind once the dust settles, we must turn this once-in-a-generation crisis into a once-in-a-generation opportunity, to transform our businesses, develop new areas of growth and strengthen our connections to the global economy.
We recognise that it is not easy for businesses to juggle everyday challenges during the pandemic and the need to change and transform for the future. We need focused efforts. This is why we set up the Emerging Stronger Task force, or EST, at the height of the crisis in May last year, to look at how Singapore should refresh and re-imagine our economic strategies going forward. The EST formed nine Alliances for Action, or AfAs, as a new model of public-private partnership to allow our businesses to move quickly and bounce back stronger.
Some of the AfAs have delivered promising results. For example, the AfA on Safe and Innovative Visitor Experiences enabled us to testbed several ideas for safe MICE events, which provided some relief for the MICE sector while also elevating its international profile. The AfA on Supply Chain Digitalisation saw the growing demand for supply chain transparency and resilience and created SGTraDex, which stands for Singapore Trade Data Exchange. As a digital infrastructure, SGTraDex allows businesses to share data with each other in a trusted and safe manner, thereby allowing them to optimise their supply chain flows through Singapore. With more trades coming through Singapore, our position as a key node in the global supply chain is further strengthened.
For sectors that are doing well despite the pandemic, the Government's focus is to add wind to their sails, to help them create new products, forge new partnerships and break into new markets. These include the financial, ICT, biomedical manufacturing and electronics sectors. In particular, the biomedical manufacturing sector expanded significantly by almost 25% last year, while the electronics sector grew around 12.5%. The AfA on medtech product development is another good example of our new partnerships. Recognising the increasing prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases, it identified in-vitro diagnostics as a key sub-sector that we can grow.
We will continue to work closely with industry and partner businesses in this endeavour to give them the support they need to raise their productivity, innovate and grow beyond our shores.
We will also help workers to be ready for the challenges in the new normal. As businesses transform to remain competitive and seize new opportunities, workers will also need to learn new knowledge and acquire new skills. The need for workers to upgrade and upskill is more urgent than ever.
The Government is committed to walking this journey with our workers, every step of the way. We introduced the SkillsFuture Movement in 2015 and intensified our efforts through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package since the pandemic started. We will work with MOM and the unions to encourage and support workers to tap on these schemes to stay relevant in their current jobs or retrain to enter new jobs. I also call on employers to continue working with the Government and the tripartite partners to upgrade and redesign jobs and invest in workforce training.
Even as we plan ahead, we know that businesses are naturally concerned about what an endemic state means for their daily operations and the adjustments they may need to make as we get there. Let me sketch out the path forward and give businesses a sense of what to expect to help them plan ahead. Some of the details are still being finalised and we will share them in future.
As our vaccination coverage increases, we will be in a much stronger position to ease our COVID-19 measures safely and confidently. We will begin to adjust our Safe Management Measures in stages, while keeping an eye on the number of serious cases. For example, restrictions on social gatherings will ease and we can expect larger dining-in group sizes and lower requirements and higher capacity for various events. We will take a differentiated approach: vaccinated individuals will be able to engage in a wider range of social activities and in larger groups, while those who are unvaccinated will only be able to do so with a negative Pre-Event Test (PET) result.
With this, F&B, retail and other businesses that provide in-person services, such as gyms and beauty services, will see a return in demand. Sectors, such as tourism, cruise and MICE will also get some relief as capacity limits are progressively raised, although foreign tourists will still take some time to return. Workplace restrictions will also be eased and progressively, more workers can go back to office. Businesses will be able to conduct important face-to-face meetings or hold workplace events that are important for networking or team-bonding.
Businesses can do several things to prepare for reopening. First, encourage and facilitate all medically-eligible employees, especially those involved in high-touch point activities, to get vaccinated and deploy those who cannot be vaccinated to lower-risk settings.
Second, integrate the use of ART self-tests into your work processes, especially for businesses that provide high touchpoint services or which tap on a pool of workers that frequently change. Encourage employees to self-isolate and get themselves tested if they are not feeling well or if they suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Doing so can help detect cases early and limit the extent of disruption to your business. I know of several employers who have made bulk purchases of testing kits, so their staff can easily access them if needed. This is a good idea and I encourage more employers to do the same.
And third, continue allowing flexible work arrangements and putting in place business continuity plans to strengthen operational resilience.
We are also looking at relaxing our border restrictions safely. As a small and open economy, we simply do not have the luxury of closing ourselves off to the world. Many parts of our economy require a steady flow of people in and out of Singapore, be it workers or visitors. As a business hub, many of our executives have to travel to manage and grow their regional businesses. Our tourism and MICE industry, as well as our air hub status, also critically depend on international connectivity.
We should also not forget the international community based here. Many have not been able to return home to visit their families since the start of the pandemic. This is because if they go home, they may not be able to return to Singapore. There are also Singaporeans whose loved ones are stranded overseas. This has not been easy for many of them.
Therefore, as our vaccination coverage increases and the majority of residents here are protected against COVID-19, we will also progressively facilitate international travel with countries that have managed COVID-19 well and allow fully vaccinated persons to travel and to do business more freely. This is a critical move that will allow us to reassert Singapore's position as a business, travel and talent hub. We are working this out carefully and engaging our partner countries and will provide more details when ready.
We will continue to push for higher vaccination coverage and if the incidence of severe illness from COVID-19 remains low despite clusters emerging from time to time, we will eventually be able to arrive at a truly endemic state. Practically all social and workplace restrictions can be lifted, although some critical measures, such as mask-wearing and precautions for large events may remain. This means that domestically, infected cases will create much less disruption than they do today and our businesses can largely return to normal operations.
For the majority of cases, businesses will not have to shut down their premises for deep cleaning and we need not commit huge resources towards contact tracing. Instead, infected individuals with mild symptoms may be able to recover from home and close contacts will likely just be required to monitor their health without the need for quarantine or self-isolation. This is similar to how we treat influenza cases today.
Globally, Singapore will likely be one of the highest vaccinated countries in the world. We will be able to regain strong air and maritime connectivity to a large number of countries, while ensuring that our healthcare system is well-functioning and not over-stretched by COVID-19 cases. This will make us one of the best places to work and live in the region and across the world.
Businesses have in fact continued to show confidence in our strong fundamentals during the pandemic. Despite the challenging environment, investors committed S$17.2 billion in investment in 2020, the highest in 12 years. More recently, we also attracted significant investments from major biomedical and electronics companies, such as Sanofi in April, BioNTech in May and GlobalFoundries in June. But we cannot take this for granted. We will continue to work hard to pursue projects that help companies grow and create good jobs and meaningful careers for Singaporeans.
Before I end, I would like to thank Singaporeans, our businesses and our workers for walking this journey with us for the last 18 months. It has been tremendously difficult for many of you and we are deeply appreciative of the commitment and grit that you have shown.
We are so close to reaching the end of the tunnel. We will soon achieve a high vaccination coverage which will allow us to move decisively to a COVID-19-resilient state. I want to appeal to everyone to not lose heart and work together to press on in our journey. [Applause.]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister Wong.
The Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, like many countries around the world, our fight against COVID-19 has been difficult and full of ups and downs.
The latest outbreak is a major setback for all of us. Many have been surprised at the size of these new clusters. It shows how easy it is for the Delta variant to spread and cause large outbreaks with the potential to overwhelm our hospital system. Furthermore, in a mixed population of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons, we are more likely to see large clusters because vaccinated persons can be infected but experience very mild symptoms. Consequently, they may not realise they are infected and inadvertently, become asymptomatic carriers. By the time the cases pop up, days or even weeks would have passed and the infection would have spread to many people.
Because of these large clusters, we faced a heightened risk of widespread community transmission before we attained adequate vaccine protection. We must remember that the proportion of people with two doses and with two weeks after their second shot was still less than 50%. This was when we moved into Heightened Alert. And we are especially worried about our seniors because there are still over 200,000 seniors aged 60 and above who are not fully vaccinated. If they catch the virus, many would likely become severely ill or even succumb to the infection.
That is why, as you heard just now from my Co-Chairs just now, the MTF made the difficult decision to scale back activities and return to Phase Two (Heightened Alert). This will help to slow down transmission in the community and crucially, this will give us time to push up vaccination rates further and protect our seniors.
I know the restrictions have caused much inconvenience to everyone. We seek your forbearance and understanding. I hope our explanations will help you understand why we had to reintroduce these painful but necessary measures to protect our seniors.
We also know these measures will be difficult for our workers and businesses. This is why MOF announced a new $1.1 billion support package last Friday to cushion the impact. I will elaborate on this in my Statement later this afternoon on the Supplementary Supply Bill and we hope the support measures will help affected workers and businesses tide over the Heightened Alert period.
As we bring the current outbreak under control and continue to speed up vaccinations, we will be able to get our reopening plans back on track. The key is to open up at the correct juncture. Some countries have decided to open up fully, even though their vaccination rates are less than ideal. For example, the Netherlands lifted all restrictions when 45% of its population was fully vaccinated. Cases surged ten-fold to an average of 10,000 a day within two weeks. They have since reimposed restrictions. The UK has about 55% of its population fully vaccinated, although its coverage of its seniors is much higher at above 90%. It lifted all restrictions on 19 July, its \"Freedom Day\". Cases have surged to 50,000 a day, more than two-thirds of its peak in the last wave and are likely to rise further. Hospitalisation and death rates are starting to creep up again, almost entirely amongst unvaccinated individuals.
We are watching what is happening in these countries very closely. What is clear to the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) and our medical advisors is that we should be very careful about lifting restrictions when a significant proportion of our people are still not fully vaccinated, especially our more vulnerable seniors.
While other countries may have come to terms with a certain level of COVID-19 cases and even deaths, this is not the choice we want to make in Singapore.\tHere, we look out for one another and we take care of each other. We do not want to see large numbers of COVID-19 patients in intensive care, on oxygen supplementation, let alone succumbing to the virus. So, we must give our fellow Singaporeans more time. Today, many younger Singaporeans are still waiting for their second dose of the vaccine. And many of our seniors who had been hesitant about getting vaccinated are now starting to step forward. So, we will see continued improvements in our vaccination rates.
At the same time, there is no need to wait for everyone to be vaccinated before we begin to open up. That would mean holding back the entire re-opening timeline until much later in the year, which is not tenable.
So, what is our approach? Let me explain.
We will synchronise our reopening with our vaccination coverage, not just of the overall population, but also amongst our seniors, who are the most vulnerable. And we will do so in a series of controlled steps. So, this is what we can all expect in the weeks ahead.
In early August, at the midpoint of the Phase Two (Heightened Alert) period, we plan to review the current set of measures. We will assess the overall infection situation. We will also monitor the status of the infected cases to confirm that the link between infection and hospitalisation has been weakened by the vaccines, like in the chart which Minister Ong showed just now. Importantly, by then, two-thirds of our population would have received two doses and we would have vaccinated about three-quarters of our seniors aged 70 and above. So, if the clusters are under control and hospitalisation rates remain low, we will be able to ease some of the Phase Two (Heightened Alert) measures.
But the easing will be differentiated and extended to only vaccinated persons because they are much better protected against the effects of the virus. This means that if you want to attend a large event or a religious service involving more than 100 persons, you have to be fully vaccinated. If you want to go out to dine in a restaurant or work out in a gym, you have to be fully vaccinated.
By around early September, we expect to vaccinate about 80% of our population with two doses and we hope to cover a similar proportion of our seniors aged 70 and above. We would then be able to ease the restrictions further, including allowing larger groups to get together, especially if they are fully vaccinated. We would also begin to reopen our borders, especially for vaccinated persons to travel. We will start by establishing travel corridors with countries or regions that have managed COVID-19 well and where the infection is similarly under control. Fully vaccinated persons will then be able to travel to these countries or region without needing to serve the full 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) in a hotel when they return. Depending on the risk level of the country they visit, we will either replace the SHN with a rigorous testing regime or shorten the SHN to seven days at home. This will allow vaccinated persons to travel more freely. Those who are not vaccinated can still travel, but will be subject to the prevailing SHN requirements.
Beyond that, we will continue with a series of progressive easings. As we do, we must expect cases to rise. Partly because there is still ongoing cryptic transmission in our community, which can easily break out into new clusters with increased activity levels. Also, as we open our borders for people to travel without SHN, we will see more imported cases and infected persons slipping through from time to time. But at that stage, as you heard just now, our main focus would no longer be on daily case numbers. Because the vast majority by then would have been vaccinated and even if they caught the virus, they would be much less likely to become very ill. Instead, our focus will be on the much smaller number of infected persons who need supplementary oxygen or require intensive care.
So, at each stage of easing, we will monitor the health outcomes, especially the hospitalisation and ICU cases, closely. We will ensure that these remain acceptable and stable before we proceed to the next step. But if hospitalisation cases, or worse, severe illnesses were to shoot up, we will have to be prepared to slow down, or even pull back.
In particular, we have to expect new variants to emerge, which may be more transmissible, more lethal, or more successful at evading the present vaccines. We will find solutions to these variants, especially through booster shots or updated vaccines, which we may need to roll out nationwide. But we must be prepared that the new variants can lead to more severe outbreaks and may well force us to introduce restrictions again from time to time.
In short, there are still considerable uncertainties about how the pandemic will unfold globally. But our best bet is to push ahead with a high level of vaccine coverage for our people. This will give us the best chance to resume more normal lives, while keeping our morbidity and mortality rates low.
I have provided an overview of the roadmap for our transition to a COVID-19-resilient society, where we learn to live with COVID-19 as part of our daily lives. The MTF is still fleshing out the details and we will share more when ready. I assure everyone that we are committed to seeing through these plans.
The current Heightened Alert is a temporary, limited timeout. With better vaccination coverage, we will soon be able to resume our plans to reopen progressively, while keeping everyone safe.
But I underline: vaccination is key, especially vaccination for our seniors. If many among our seniors are not vaccinated, we will continue to worry about our hospitalisation and ICU cases, as well as fatalities. So, I make a special plea to all who remain unvaccinated or have not registered to be vaccinated, especially our parents and grandparents: please come forward. And if you cannot get out of the house, we will send a team to your homes for the vaccination.
As part of our controlled and phased reopening, Safe Management Measures (SMMs) will still remain relevant and important. Basic SMMs like keeping a safe distance from others and wearing a mask can help reduce transmission effectively. So, we must stay disciplined and continue to maintain these practices, even as we transition towards the new normal. For example, we would probably not want to do away completely with our mask requirements. We may consider dispensing with masks when outdoors, but it would still make sense to wear them in an indoor enclosed environment where transmission risks are greater. So, this may well be one of the last rules to go in the new normal.
At the same time, we will continue with our regular enforcement checks and take strict actions against any breaches of the rules. Several Members have asked questions about this, especially how our nightlife establishments are monitored and I believe Minister Shanmugam will be sharing more on this later, especially efforts by MHA and the Police.
But let me just say that our enforcement agencies are doing everything they can, under very challenging circumstances. Since April last year, a multi-agency task force comprising various Government agencies, including the Police, have been coordinating the enforcement of Safe Management and Safe Distancing Measures in public venues, including F&B outlets and massage and spa establishments. They have been doing daily enforcement checks. Where laws were flouted, offenders, both operators and individuals, have been taken to task and cases publicised. Our Safe Distancing Ambassadors and enforcement officers will continue to do their best and we should give them our full support.
Most importantly, we must all do our part and continue to exercise individual and social responsibility. We cannot rely on enforcement efforts alone to get us through this pandemic. Our society will be much safer if we demonstrate social solidarity and a collective sense of responsibility to do the right things together.
There are a few simple but very effective precautions which we should all incorporate into our daily routines. I have said probably like a million times but I think it is worth repeating. Practise good personal hygiene. If you are not feeling well, stay home. See a doctor and get yourself tested. Do so even if you are vaccinated. Remember what I said earlier at the start that vaccinated persons can get infected and may feel very mild symptoms or even no symptoms. So, if you are feeling unwell – even vaccinated – feeling unwell with very mild symptoms, get yourself tested. If you receive an SMS alert, come forward to be tested as soon as possible and minimise your social interactions until you have a confirmed negative test result.
There is no excuse not to be tested, since testing is now more affordable, accessible and convenient than it used to be and will continue to be so in the future. The Antigen Rapid Test Kits – self-test kits – are widely available at all general retailers now. If you buy in bulk, it is cheaper too. So, you can buy a few and have them at home.
The MTF is also distributing these test kits to households. We are starting with those who live near markets where large clusters have been identified and we will progressively scale up and distribute to everyone in Singapore. As you heard just now, we are also rolling out new methods of testing, be it wastewater surveillance in our estates, or breathalyser tests at our checkpoints. Now, we have the breathalyser test in Parliament too before each Parliamentary session. So, regular testing and the social consciousness to get ourselves tested regularly, will protect us and keep us safe as we transit to the new normal.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are all disheartened and upset when we hear of people breaking the rules, acting irresponsibly and causing new clusters to break out. But over the past year and a half, the vast majority of Singaporeans have shown tremendous discipline.
Many have also been working tirelessly in our fight against COVID-19. It is not just our healthcare workers like our doctors and nurses at our hospitals, clinics and community care facilities. It is also our fellow Singaporeans on the frontlines elsewhere, some in less expected settings, others in less visible places. They include our Safe Distancing Ambassadors, food delivery riders, cleaners and many more. They work hard to keep Singapore going and to keep all of us safe.
Like Mr Lok Chun Kiet, a cleaner with CBM Pte Ltd. He attends to high-risk locations where positive cases have been detected. The cleaning work that he does is not easy under normal circumstances. But now, with the exposure to the virus, he and his team have to put on full personal protective equipment (PPE) and adhere closely to stringent procedures while they work. It is because of people like Chun Kiet and his team that we are able to quickly deep-clean our infected premises and minimise the risks of fomite transmissions.
Or Ms Siti Zulaina Bte Md Said, a senior medical technologist with the National Public Health Laboratory at the NCID. She leads the team to investigate outbreaks and undertake testing surveillance. It is mission-critical work that requires long hours, stretching into weekends and public holidays. You can imagine the load coming through recently with the surge of cases we have had in the community. It is because of people like Siti and her team that we are able to detect and ringfence infections early.
There are many more Chun Kiets and Sitis out there. Many more unsung heroes and heroines quietly and steadfastly contributing to our fight against COVID-19. I am sure the entire House will join me in saying to all of them a big heartfelt \"Thank You\". [Applause.]
Sir, these actions of our fellow Singaporeans inspire us and give us confidence and hope that we will get through this together. We are all disappointed by the latest outbreak and the Heightened Alert restrictions. But we will recover and bounce back.
It is always darkest before the dawn. So, let us be strong and keep the faith. The dawn is coming. Let us approach it with renewed strength as one people. [Applause.]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister K Shanmugam.
The Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law (Mr K Shanmugam): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would like to address some of the questions that have been raised in relation to the enforcement against KTV outlets, specifically.
In this House and outside, there have been a number of questions related to KTVs: why were KTVs and nightclubs allowed to operate as F&B outlets; the enforcement regime in respect to these outlets; why were hostesses allowed in those places; and the immigration status of these providing hostessing service at these places.
For example, I can refer to a Facebook post by Mr Alan John, former editor of The Straits Times, raising some of these questions in a very succinct way and making a number of fair points based on his understanding of the facts. I will address these questions.
First, why were KTVs allowed to change into F&B operations?
During the circuit breaker last year, nightlife outlets were shut from 27 March 2020, together with many other businesses. From Phase Two in June 2020, many businesses were allowed to reopen, including dine-in at F&B outlets. Massage establishments were also allowed to open with conditions but KTVs were not allowed to reopen. We took a stricter approach with KTVs because singing was considered a high-risk activity in an indoor setting and has a higher risk of transmission.
In August 2020, the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA), the Singapore Entertainment Affiliation (SEA), other associations as well as individual businesses appealed for KTVs to re-open. They had been closed by then for several months. Jobs, the livelihoods of those in the KTV industries, the workers and their jobs were at risk and badly affected even with financial support from the Government.
Our assessment is that they probably employ about 10,000 local workers as of end 2019. Some of us met directly with the KTV businesses in August 2020 and listened to them. There were several townhall sessions.
They asked to have singing and dancing to resume and they proposed a pilot with a maximum of five persons in a room. Masks would be worn when not singing and disposable microphone covers would be used and they referred to other countries, including South Korea, where this had been allowed.
Others proposed changing their business models to F&B outlets. They needed help to get new permits, change their use for F&B and so on; and for many, the situation was desperate.
We considered their suggestions and weighed the risks. At one time, we considered possibly allowing a pilot project for KTVs with very strict conditions but eventually we did not proceed.
So, the first point to note is that from March 2020 until now, KTV operations remain forbidden. It is illegal to have any kind of KTV operations. We did not allow those.
Then, to the group that had asked to move over to provide F&B on a temporary basis, we said okay to that; again, with several conditions. Why? Because basically, anyone can offer and open an F&B outlet. The Government cannot specifically say no to KTV outlets which want to become F&B outlets, provided they have the space to be an F&B outlet, the premises allow F&B outlets and they can get the approval from Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the land-use permissions and so on.
And conditions were imposed. The pivoted businesses would need a food preparation area to prepare and serve food, adequate indoor dining area for customers to be seated, to have their meals and with safe distancing in place. Once converted to F&B, they were subject to the same safe management measures (SMMs) imposed on F&B outlets, meaning no inter-mingling amongst patrons and staff, no live music, no performances and various other conditions.
So, in summary, from March 2020: one, KTVs were not to operate; and two, some KTVs were allowed to become F&B outlets; as well as some pubs and bars, as they were also allowed to pivot to F&B outlets.
So, as of March of this year, after several months of operations of these massage establishments, former pubs, bars and KTV businesses pivoting to being F&B outlets and so on, the situation was stable and the number of infections was generally low. So, that is the context and the background to why pubs, bars and KTV outlets were allowed to pivot and provide F&B.
Secondly, it has been suggested that we should have assumed or known that KTV operators will cheat and allow themselves to become semi-brothels even though they were only allowed to provide F&B. There have been suggestions ranging from: we were in effect in cahoots with KTVs, which is a suggestion in a recent and quite unbalanced Nikkei article; or alternatively, we were very naive to not realise what happens at KTVs.
The truth – we were neither in cahoots with the KTV operators nor are we as naive as some suggested. Let me explain.
I think most people will accept it will be wrong to treat all the 430-odd businesses – KTV operators, pubs and bars – who want to change to provide F&B automatically as crooks. Several are genuine operators. They want to pivot over to provide F&B, that is the only way they can survive.
If you ask SNBA and SEA, there are KTVs which cater to families, there are many which do legitimate business and they were crying out for help. More than 400 such businesses converted and about 100 exited the nightlife industry.
At the same time, we were considering this, that yes, MTF and the Government do know that there are some KTV operations, pubs and bars with dodgy reputations. Should we have said to them, \"No, you cannot convert to F&B\"? For some, if you look at their premises, darkened rooms, not the most optimal for dining and people might well say, \"Why would I want to go here for dining?\" It appears common sensical to say this is dodgy and doubtful.
But in law, it is not so straightforward. If a person comes to you and says, \"Yes, I want to convert and I will keep to the rules. My business was perfectly legal in the past and now, I will continue to be legal.\" Then, the agencies will have to look him in the eye and say, \"You cannot get a licence to become a food place because we do not think you are going to keep to the law in future. We think you are going to break the law, even though you have committed no offence and even though you confirm that you will follow the rules.\" I will come back to this later.
So, in addition to seeing if we can say no to those with dodgy reputations, part of the answer has got to be enforcement. I will also say, realistically, the people who are going to cheat, going to do illegal things, will do them anyway. They will use lounges, flats, warehouses, various places. It has gone on and I am sure it goes on, regardless of whether we allow the change to F&B. And there have been several illegal operations in different places outside of KTV outlets or ex-KTV outlets which have been busted.
As of November 2020, it was a risk-assessed approach and in general, it was working if you look at it as of March this year with a relatively low number of cases. We then had the Delta variant, completely different transmissibility. That variant came into the KTVs and created a cluster.
There is some public confusion. The Minister for Health, my colleague, has spoken about it a number of times to clarify it. The confusion is that the KTV cluster was somehow the reason for the recent Phase Two (Heightened Alert) tightened restrictions imposed on 22 July, but that is not so. He has clarified it. It is not so.
If we had only the KTV cluster, then we would not have had to move to Phase Two (Heightened Alert) or the tightened restrictions. In fact, the MTF, as the Minister pointed out, considered the KTV cluster and decided we can manage it without having to impose any additional restrictions. As he has said in his speech, the KTV cluster has been brought under control fairly quickly: tracing, testing, ringfencing the cases. So, we have about five new cases linked to the KTV cluster each day for the past few days. He gave you the figures. I have the figures as of 24 July: 232 cases, 49 in the hospital, none have been in or are in the ICU.
So, let me summarise by making three points. About 430 businesses pivoted to F&B for several months. Cases of infections overall in Singapore were low. The new Delta variant caused a KTV cluster that has been brought under control. And finally, if we were facing only the KTV cluster, there would have been no need for any tightened measures.
The tightening of the measures was due to the cluster at the Jurong Fishery Port (JFP). It has spread from the ports to the markets and the hawkers and into the wider community. My colleagues have explained how this happened.
Some are under the misimpression that the virus went from the KTVs to the fishery port. The evidence that we have does not suggest that. The virus seems to have come from the region to our port, JFP.
With this background, there is a live issue which I will share with Members. The SNBA has sent an open letter, appealed for the industry to work more closely with the Government to report illegal activities, among other things, and they have also pointed out pivoting has helped many legitimate businesses to survive.
So, should we allow them to reopen and continue as F&B operations? This brings me to the earlier question I posed. Some of them, when you look at the premises, you do question if they can really be F&B, but it requires us to say, flat out, to the operators, \"Regardless of what you say, I am not going to believe you and I am not going to allow you to operate as an F&B\". Agencies are working on the conditions that can be imposed like CCTVs, various other conditions, over and above what is applied to F&B outlets. They will also have to consult with the AGC, \"Can we say no to an operator if we think it might be dodgy, even if the operators undertake to comply with the conditions?\" It is not so straightforward. Once these issues are assessed, the MTF has to decide on whether the opening or reopening can be allowed.
I will now deal with the questions which have been raised on enforcement. During the period October 2020 to 10 July 2021, the Police conducted 202 operations against pivoted outlets as well as other outlets which were operating illegally. So, this is what I said earlier. Assume we had said no to all pivoting of F&B operations, there would still be places which offer sex and meet-up opportunities; that was always going to happen. So, we had one Police operation every single day on average since October 2020. This, I think, should put to rest any questions about enforcement actions by the Police; one operation every day. That has resulted in the detection of 58 Public Entertainment Act, Liquor Control Act infringements, 595 SMM breaches, 142 arrests for offences under various laws including the Public Entertainment Act, Liquor Control Act, Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, Immigration Act; not all in pivoted places but also completely illegal operations.
To share a few examples, in October 2020, Police raided units along Ubi Road and Kallang Pudding Road, 57 persons were investigated for breach of SMMs. In November at Genting Lane, 24 persons were investigated for breach of SMMs, 10 women were arrested for work pass-related offences. In February 2021 at Admiral Hill Road and, again, at Genting Lane, 88 persons investigated for breach of SMMs, one man arrested for working without a valid work permit. In April, at Kitchener Road and Verdun Road, 45 persons investigated for breach of SMMs, seven men and one woman arrested. In all the cases, items such as karaoke equipment, liquor, were seized; operators are being investigated.
Enforcement operations were also conducted over 20 weekends at every single festive occasion since October 2020. About 400 F&B outlets including pivoted outlets were inspected in each operation. To date, agencies have imposed around 100 closure orders on F&B outlets including on about 40 pivoted outlets. As I said to the House just now, there were about 437 pivoted outlets, so roughly 10% have been acting illegally and about 60 other F&B outlets also were in breach. So, SFA has revoked the food licence of seven pivoted outlets as of 23 July.
Let me now move to this business of hostesses. Since the onset of COVID-19, the rules are that hostessing is not allowed in any setting. The women who were caught were likely in breach of their visit or work pass conditions and they were operating illegally. The first woman linked to the KTV cluster, much attention has centred on her, had come into Singapore in February 2021, through the \"boyfriend/girlfriend\" category, under what we call the Familial Ties Lane and I will refer to it as FTL, sponsored by a Singapore Citizen who applied for her on the basis that he was her boyfriend.
Let me explain this boyfriend/girlfriend category. At the start of COVID-19 last year, we banned short-term visitors from coming into Singapore. So, as of September last year, the ban on short-term visitors continued. Basically, only Singaporean residents can come back, some of their relatives and some business travellers. In October last year, we introduced flexibility to allow boyfriends and girlfriends to come into Singapore. And why? We had almost a complete ban on short-term visitors, so boyfriends/girlfriends could not come in. There were many appeals.
For background reference, between 2000 and 2019, there were about 120,000 Singapore Citizens who married non-residents. About one in four citizen marriages were between Singaporeans and non-resident partners. So, it is quite common for Singaporeans to have relationships with non-Singaporeans. This boyfriend/girlfriend category was specifically introduced in the context of the ban on short-term visitors, to allow Singaporeans who were in relationships with foreign partners to be reunited because they had been separated for a long time due to border restrictions. This was after numerous appeals on this were received.
Meanwhile, there was a parallel development around September/October 2020. We announced Unilateral Opening to specific countries and regions which were of lower COVID-19 risk, including Vietnam, Brunei, New Zealand, Australia except Victoria state. Our assessment was the risk of importation of the virus was assessed to be low.
Vietnam, specifically, had a comprehensive public health surveillance system, had displayed successful control over COVID-19 at that time. In the last four weeks of September 2020, it had zero local COVID-19 cases. So, under the Unilateral Opening, travellers could seek entry into Singapore by applying for an Air Travel Pass and this means short-term travellers from these countries were allowed to come in.
In February 2021, due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in Vietnam, we suspended the Unilateral Opening between Singapore and Vietnam, which meant that short-term travellers from Vietnam could not come in from February 2021 under the Unilateral Opening.
ICA then began to receive many applications for Vietnamese to come into Singapore under the \"boyfriend/girlfriend\" category; people are quite inventive. So, to emphasise, once we suspended the Unilateral Opening with Vietnam in February 2021, there were many applications under the \"boyfriend/girlfriend\" category. We looked at it, scratched our heads, the applications raised concerns.
I will just give examples. There will be one Vietnamese applicant and multiple sponsors claiming to be the lady's boyfriend. There will be Singaporean sponsors, many who applied for multiple girlfriends. It is possible. But sponsors who are already married to someone else applying. Many men claiming to be a single lady's boyfriend, I mentioned it earlier. And sponsors who are unable to substantiate when we asked questions, \"What relationship do you really have with this person who is proposed to become sponsored?\"
But as Members of Parliament will know, the residents will come to the Members of Parliament and say, \"I am a Singapore Citizen, I have done National Service, why are you not allowing my girlfriend to come in?\" We all have received such appeals. ICA has received them! But when we looked at these applications for girlfriends and they are all primarily girlfriends, to come in, we decided this would not do, we have to stop this. So, in March 2021, this \"girlfriend/boyfriend\" category was removed. You can no longer appeal for a boyfriend or girlfriend to come in.
ICA moved quite fast. In February, the Unilateral Opening with Vietnam was suspended. The next month, in March, the \"boyfriend/girlfriend\" category was scrapped because we took the view that this was being abused.
We created this \"boyfriend/girlfriend\" category during a pandemic last year in October because we wanted to be compassionate. If you wanted to rank the organisations in terms of compassion, I do not think most people will put ICA at number one on the list. And MHA will not usually be accused of being the most compassionate either.
But we did want to try and be compassionate and helpful because of the number of appeals and people want their loved ones to come in and we want to try and help. But if the system is abused, then we have to stop it. If it is mutated, we have to stop it. But, unfortunately, what that means is that many legitimate applications are now being refused. ICA has also taken action in respect of dodgy applications by rescinding the approvals, barring the travellers from entry into Singapore and suspending the sponsors and travellers from future applications.
Apart from the FTL category, we have other avenues for foreigners to enter into Singapore during this pandemic but very limited. They include MOM's Work Pass Holder Lane and MOE's Student's Pass Holder lane. Applicants are required to submit their application to MOM and MOE respectively for entry approval and are subject to screening, obviously.
There are also short-term visitors who were already in Singapore before the border controls were imposed in March 2020. For these persons, ICA assesses their application for extensions of their Short-Term Visit Pass on a case-by-case basis. It takes into consideration factors including restrictions on international travel, flight availability and whether the applicants have family ties in Singapore.
Tying that back to the Police's recent operations against nightlife outlets, 29 women, aged between 20 and 47, of various nationalities, have been arrested for offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and other laws. The 29 include Permanent Residents, Work Pass holders, S Pass holders, Short-Term Pass holder; one who came in under the Unilateral Opening, five who had come in under the \"girlfriend\" category; Long-Term Visit Pass holders, other passes, Student Pass, Dependant's Pass.
Permanent Residents, unlikely to have committed any offence except for maybe safe distancing measures. Others on Work Pass would be in breach of their Work Pass conditions if they were performing services as hostess, but those on visit passes would be in breach as well by working without a Work Permit. But if they say they were not working, then we have to show that they were in breach. And it is often cat and mouse. And as Members will know, we cannot use the TraceTogether data for this.
So far, 16 women have had their passes cancelled and they have been or will be deported. Investigations are ongoing in respect of the other women. And, of course, the operators' operations, some of them are pivoted outlets, several of them are not, in other places, in warehouses and so on. We continuously have to look for them, rely on tip-offs as well as our own intelligence and keep trying to keep it under control.
Sir, I think I have dealt with many of the questions that have been raised.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have a few questions for Minister MTI, Mr Gan Kim Yong and originally, Minister for Health, but I think I will direct them to the Minister for Home Affairs.
The first series of questions pertain to the differentiated regime between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, which is part of the coming to terms and treating COVID-19 as endemic in the community. The query pertains to the negative pre-event tests that unvaccinated individuals will be required to undertake. A few days ago in Israel, the Prime Minister announced that the unvaccinated individual there will pay for the test. I do not believe Minister clarified who pays for that test in Singapore. So, it would be helpful for the Minister to clarify that.
The second question directed at Minister Gan pertains to supply issues of the vaccine. I think, previously, in updates that the MTF had given, is this still a problem or are we on track to open the economy in concert with the plan that MTF has announced, by, I believe, it is September now?
The questions specifically on the KTV issues, indeed, as Minister Ong Ye Kung has mentioned earlier, lots of disappointment amongst Singaporeans, but I thought it would be important to have at least some understanding of common facts before coming to conclusions.
So, the first question is with regard to the enforcement regime at the pivoted establishments, was it a heightened sort of enforcement regime? The Minister mentioned a few numbers – 202 enforcements from October last year to July this year. But was there some specific attention paid on pivoted KTV establishments? I think earlier on, Minister Lawrence Wong spoke in a Facebook post about a cat and mouse game. The Minister referred to that as well. Were additional conditions imposed on certain operators in view of their past record or reputation, so to speak? And in this regard, again, was there a differentiated regime from the enforcement agencies to pay more attention to some of these establishments?
The Minister spoke of, I think, a total of seven establishments – and I stand corrected if I am wrong – seven establishments that have seen their licences revoked but about 10% of the pivoted KTV establishments have been in breach of regulations. Are the licences for that 10% – which I think will extend to 40 establishments – going to be revoked as well?
And, finally, I have received some emails from members of the public about warnings that they have given the authorities about some of these KTV establishments. How many warnings or pieces of feedback did – not just MHA but also MOH and the other agencies – receive on egregious SMM violations in KTV establishments?
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Let me first address the question on economic reopening. It is still on track and the key is to look at the progress in our vaccination programme, which, as Minister for Health has explained just now, is picking up momentum. But it is important for us to focus a lot more on the vaccination of our senior population which is of a greater concern to all of us. As soon as we are able to reach our vaccination rate of 80% and above around September or October, we will be able to move in a bigger way to reopen the economy.
But I also want to point out that we are not likely to have a big bang reopening because it is important for us, as Minister Ong and I have mentioned earlier, to continue to monitor the number of severe cases. If we do have many serious cases, we will have a problem with the capacity of our healthcare system which will then result in a higher mortality rate. So, we need to continue to keep an eye on our number of serious cases and at the same time, make sure that our vaccination rate is high. Then, we will be able to progressively, step-by-step, reopen our economy or open up our borders to allow for travel in and out of Singapore. And as I have mentioned in my speech, these details are still being worked out and we will share more details later on.
I will ask Minister Lawrence Wong to talk about testing because this relates to the national policy on testing.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Thank you. The question, I believe, was about who pays for the cost of tests, if the person is unvaccinated, to get into a venue. The thinking is that the rule is that for certain activities, certain settings, we will require vaccinated persons only. And from the Government's side, the rule will be that if the person is not vaccinated, not fully vaccinated, then he will have to produce a confirmed negative test. That is the requirement.
How to go about that? We will let venue operators and owners decide. They may want to do it free. They may want to set up an operation. A restaurant might want to do that; a venue operator might want to do that; a MICE event organiser might want to do that, because it says, \"Look, I want to do that to let unvaccinated persons come in.\" If not, then, he may well say, \"Look, it is up to the individual. The individual has to go to the clinic, get a test and then show me the result.\"
So, the Government sets the rule, the framework. Individual organisations that are looking at the framework can then decide whether or not they want to provide the test for their customers, or if they will require their customers to get the test from a clinic.
Mr K Shanmugam: As I noted, I think there were four questions, if I got it right, from Mr Pritam Singh.
First, on the enforcement regime, I think Mr Singh wanted to know if it is heightened. We can assume that if there was one enforcement action per day, it is quite intense and it has been so from October of last year to July of this year, right from the beginning. This is quite apart from what Safe Distancing Ambassadors and so on do.
Second, I think Mr Singh wanted to know if there was a particular focus on pivoted outlets. I gave the breakdown just now. Not all were targeted at pivoted outlets. In fact, there were a number who were not to be operating at all and, in fact, totally illegal operations. And I would say, in terms of seriousness, those are particularly pernicious, in terms of transmission, the kind of activities and so on. And nothing is supposed to be happening in a warehouse. They set up and they do everything. So, those kinds of operations were busted as well. So, a broad range and also F&B operations which were not pivoted operations, just simply reopening. Also, some of them had been in breach. Do not mistake me to think that every single one was, therefore, engaging in what we might consider to be shady activities. Sometimes, there were breaches also. But we needed to target a broad range.
Third, I think Mr Singh wanted to know – seven have been closed, but I pointed out that 10% were in breach, about 40-odd out of the 400 which had pivoted. And are they going to be closed? I assume Mr Singh is not asking for the closing down of every operation as long as there is any breach. There is a framework. Depending on the nature of the breach, there will be a penalty. The penalty is transparent and the penalty will be imposed according to the kind of breach that has been committed. And I think most people will know that there is also a point system for breaches which lead to closure. Of course, got egregious breaches, there will be closure. But I would not ascribe to Mr Singh the suggestion that Police now should get even tougher and just close everyone down as long as there is one breach.
The last point I think was whether warnings given by the public were taken seriously. I do not do the operations obviously, but I think most Members will know how, in general, the Police intel system is expected to work. Police have their own intelligence framework, their own ground framework and public tip-offs. A lot of crimes are solved by public tip-offs and they are important, they are taken seriously and I assume that goes into the assessment framework on what operations to conduct.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: There is a last question by Mr Pritam Singh on vaccine supplies. Supplies continue to be in shortage throughout the world. Many developing countries are still trying to secure supplies and, in the earlier stage of the pandemic, we, too, were short of supplies. But, fortunately, we had negotiated advance purchase agreements (APAs) with major suppliers in the early stage of the pandemic. And, lately, we were able to bring forward and confirm some of the deliveries. So, as of now, for the past month or two, we have not had a supply problem. Our constraint now is we need more people, especially our seniors, to come forward and get vaccinated.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister Gan, you have a clarification?
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I just wanted to add a point to what Minister Lawrence Wong had explained on the testing strategy. As time goes on, the testing system will also evolve. For example, in time to come, if you have gotten a negative test result, you may be able to attend multiple events and multiple premises. So, it is not just one event to one test. So, we just have to bear that in mind.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Nadia Samdin.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker and thank you to the Ministers for the update. I have two groups of clarification points.
The first is stemming from a worry about discrimination on treatment between those who have been vaccinated versus those who are unable to and those who do not wish to be vaccinated and the treatment that they receive. On the one hand, I empathise and hear the calls of those saying, \"What is the point of being vaccinated if I am still faced with certain restrictions or why are we being penalised?\" But at the same time, I know full well the impact of some of those who are unvaccinated for various medical reasons, in particular, our seniors and the social impact of the isolation not being able to be involved in activities.
As such, I wonder if, in the TraceTogether app, for example, we might consider amending it to show those who are vaccinated, those who are not vaccinated and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and if there can be differentiation of treatment. If so, how? And also, how this might take into account, for example, families who have seniors or children who are unable to be vaccinated.
Moving to my second group of clarification points, I think we have spoken about the KTV cluster. But I would also like to ask about the Jurong Fishery Port cluster as this spread has impacted stallholders, workers and residents alike in both my Cheng San and Chong Boon markets as well as food centres.
Firstly, with the closure of Jurong Fishery Port and seafood stalls in the markets, what is the impact on the supply of our seafood and what are the measures which have been taken to mitigate disruption to these supplies?
Secondly, some are also very worried about the safety of eating seafood during this time. Could the Minister please elaborate what led to the spread of COVID-19 in the Jurong Fishery Port, whether there are clearer findings on the mechanism of transmission of COVID-19 into the Port and subsequently into our local markets and whether our seafood is safe for consumption?
Finally, as we look towards reopening, while we understand that there have been efforts to make the operations at the Port contactless, we also understand that it is hard work and working in the markets can be strenuous and there are, inevitably, close interactions between the workers. Do our SMMs need changing and how can we ensure the safe reopening of Jurong Fishery Port and our markets and hawker centres?
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Thank you. I will provide some answers, then I will invite Minister Grace Fu to supplement with her clarifications.
First, on the differentiation. I would not call it discrimination because there are good public health reasons to differentiate the treatment between those who are vaccinated and not vaccinated. The differentiation helps protect those who are not vaccinated. The Member asked about whether TraceTogether app can indicate vaccination status. I believe it already does. Mine does; it says that I am vaccinated. You can check yours.
Second is that children or seniors who, because of medical conditions, are not allowed to be vaccinated, whether they get left out. Earlier on, when we came out with the \"two-five rule\", one of the criticisms is that it was so confusing. And indeed, the confusion arises because of the exemptions we were trying to give. For example, in a group of five, all vaccinated, but you allow up to two children below 12 who cannot get vaccinated, but can join part of the group. So, I think, when we do our mid-term review, we will also take into account these provisions. And as for those who cannot be vaccinated or unvaccinated for some reason, but want to join such a group, we had earlier also allowed them to take a PET (Pre-event Test). If you are negative, you can join the group. This is something we will consider as we do our mid-term review.
Lastly, I do want to reiterate a point I made earlier. When we get to a very high level of vaccination rate, there should be very little differentiation between vaccinated and unvaccinated, because collectively, we will be very resilient. By then, there will probably be justification for lesser differentiation.
As for the point on whether seafood is safe, seafood is absolutely safe to consume. How did the virus get into the Jurong Fishery Port? As I mentioned earlier, phylogenetic study shows that there is likely to be multiple points of entry because there are slight genetic differences in the virus and the infections across the cluster. We will continue to see if we can trace the sources of the infections. But as of now, it does not help us to suppress the cluster. It helps us understand the infections, the infiltration, how it happened and it helps us strengthen the safe management measures in future.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister Grace Fu.
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Thank you, Deputy Speaker for allowing me to address the clarifications that Ms Nadia Samdin has sought. Because of the important impact that the cluster has on this topic, I think it is important for us to give the House an account on the Jurong Fishery Port (JFP) as well as our food supply and its impact on hawker centres and markets. So, with your permission, Deputy Speaker, may I address some of the Parliamentary Questions (PQs) that Members have filed on a related subject as well?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Yes, please.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Members Mr Dennis Tan12,13,14 and Ms Nadia Samdin have filed PQs on the same subject set down for a later Sitting. Several Members have also filed related PQs for a later Sitting, which I will address together. Members Yip Hon Weng15 and Mr Dennis Tan on measures taken to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 at our fishery port and key food facilities. Mr Dennis Tan on assistance given to the companies and workers at JFP, Mr Darryl David16 on support given to stallholders at markets and hawker centres.
Mr Deputy Speaker, on food resilience. We have worked closely with industry partners over the years to build diversified food supply chains. This include our seafood supplies. JFP handles about 30% of our total seafood imports and is complemented by Senoko Fishery Port (SFP), which handles about 4% of seafood imports. The remaining two-thirds of our seafood imports are distributed to the industry via other routes. So, it is a very diversified distribution platform. Our seafood supply has remained stable, despite the closure of JFP and local disruptions at our markets.
Following the closure of JFP on 17 July, Singaporeans were understandably worried. Some had rushed to buy seafood over that weekend. We saw an increase in footfall at supermarkets, after the market seafood stallholders were required to get tested on 18 July. They could open their stalls only after receiving a negative PCR swab test result. All JFP workers were quarantined, thus affecting the operations of many suppliers. The Phase Two (Heightened Alert) restrictions on dining in moderated the demand.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) responded quickly to facilitate distributors and supermarkets to activate alternative arrangements. These arrangements include diverting supplies directly to the supermarkets' distribution centres and retail outlets. Supermarkets themselves increased their stock of fresh produce through their suppliers. They have been keeping their retail shelves well-stocked with a variety of seafood including the frozen seafood varieties. Meanwhile, SFP remains in operation.
As the market seafood stalls resumed operations, some switched to SFP for their supply or sourced from alternative suppliers. We have sufficient stocks of frozen seafood. I visited the Jurong Cold Store last Wednesday which stocks supplies of frozen shrimp, sea bass and grouper among others.
The cold store facility serves many wholesalers, supplying to the supermarkets and food establishments islandwide. At the same time, retail food establishments are adjusting by switching to frozen alternatives. Our local farms also produce a good variety of seafood such as sea bass, tilapia and grouper and some of them have reported many-fold increase in inquiry and orders. And they can be found online, for example, on Lazada's RedMart, FairPrice online shop and at the supermarkets as well, such as Prime and FairPrice. I encourage Singaporeans to broaden their choices of seafood and where they buy their seafood from.
We have been reviewing the longer-term plans for this sector. Since 2020, SFA has been conducting studies on the enhancement of the wholesale fresh produce sector and it is working with NEA to study the wet market sector to better meet the future demands of consumers and industry. We will factor in lessons learnt from this episode to better future-proof the sector. This episode has truly tested the resilience of our supply chains. Our overall seafood supply situation has remained stable because of our diversified supply and distribution channels.
SFA and ESG will work with industry partners to strengthen their business continuity plans. And I would also like to thank all the industry players for stepping up in this period of crisis.
Next, at JFP and key food facilities. Our fishery ports, Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre (PPWC), abattoir and slaughterhouses are key nodes in our food supply chain. SFA has begun working with the companies operating in these facilities to implement Safe Management Measures (SMMs) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objectives are to protect public health by minimising the spread of the virus and to ensure business continuity.
To minimise risk of infection from foreigners, contactless delivery for the truck drivers and boatmen was implemented. Controlled access to these facilities has been in place with only workers and registered trade visitors allowed to enter. So, public can no longer go there for a \"look-see, look-see\".
Workers at these facilities have been encouraged to get vaccinated quickly. To date, 76% of workers at JFP are fully vaccinated, while 86% have received at least one dose of vaccine. Unfortunately, COVID-19 managed to breakthrough these defences, with many cases detected at JFP over the past month. The cases further spread to the markets and hawker centres through the stallholders who had visited JFP. In order to break the chains of transmission, MOH made a difficult, but necessary decision to close JFP for two weeks from 17 to 31 July with all 684 workers issued Quarantine Orders.
Investigations by MOH and SFA are ongoing to determine how transmission had taken place in JFP and we have all heard from Minister for Health earlier on. We are not waiting for the investigations to complete because as Minister Ong has mentioned, it is important for us to act immediately to protect public health. So, on our own, our preliminary review has identified some areas for improvement.
First, the humid and laborious environment made it uncomfortable for workers to wear their masks for prolonged periods of time. This meant a higher propensity for workers to adjust their masks or take them off momentarily. Second, the workers could have taken off their masks while they take their breaks, smoking breaks, for example, and socialise in close proximity. Third, JFP, being a marketplace, meant that the workers and traders mix freely throughout the facility. It is just like the market that we are used to, shoppers going around, traders going around and sometimes, between stallholders they mix as well as they move stocks from one to another. Some contactless delivery measures were not strictly followed. Finally, we are investigating the possibility of fomite transmission in JFP.
We will address these areas in our SMMs, with practical solutions and enforcement before we re-open JFP. The first round of deep cleaning of JFP was done on 18 July and we will be conducting another round before it is re-opened. Common areas and crates will be regularly cleaned during its operation. SFA will work with companies to implement seven-day Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) for all workers at JFP and all workers will be encouraged to get vaccinated.
Contactless delivery protocols for truck drivers and boat men will be stepped up. Trade visitors who are not on any COVID-19 testing regimes, such as RRT will be subjected to an Antigen Rapid Test (ART) before entering. More frequent patrols will be carried out to ensure compliance with the SMMs. We are working closely with MOH and when informed of their epidemiological investigation, we will adjust these enhanced measures if necessary, to better protect both the workers and trade visitors.
SFA has audited the SMMs at SFP and PPWC. It will progressively cover all the other key food facilities. One-time PCR swab test of all workers is being carried out. We are almost at the tail end. I am very glad to report that we are not seeing big clusters in these facilities. Seven-day RRT and enhanced SMMs will be rolled out to these facilities as soon as possible.
We will monitor the operation closely and take enforcement action for any non-compliance with SMMs at these facilities. An alternative site is being made available for use in the event of another closure of the fishery ports or PPWC. The Delta variant is a formidable foe. Collective responsibility is required to keep everyone safe.
Next, on assistance extended to JFP and related businesses. The relevant agencies are working with companies to provide the necessary assistance during this difficult period. We have been facilitating companies to redirect supplies directly to the supermarkets' distribution centres and retail outlets so that they can continue operations despite the closure of JFP. We are also coordinating closely with the companies to ensure that their workers have been swabbed and are healthy before we resume operations at JFP next week. As announced by MOF last week, the Government will provide an additional four-week rental waiver for qualifying tenants on Government-owned commercial properties.
Eligible workers and self-employed persons can apply for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant-Temporary. Those under quarantine can also apply to MOH for financial assistance under the Quarantine Order Allowance Scheme.
And as to the support for stallholders in markets and hawker centres, the Government is committed to supporting our hawkers and working with them through this difficult period. A one-off cash assistance of $500 under the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund will be disbursed to each stallholder of cooked food and market stalls in centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators in August. Stallholders need not apply for this relief. The money will be directly credited into the bank accounts of the stallholders. This is on top of a third month of rental waiver and subsidies for fees for table cleaning and dish washing services provided this year.
Those under quarantine can apply for the Quarantine Order Allowance Scheme and those eligible may apply for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant COVID-19 Recovery Grant-Temporary.
For hawkers that continue to face financial issues, they can also approach NEA, who will review their case and provide case-by-case support.
On Ms Nadia Samdin's question about measures to improve safety at our markets and hawker centres, NEA will be putting in place tightened SMMs at all markets and hawker centres to ensure that they remain clean and safe for stallholders and patrons, bearing in mind that many of our hawker centres and markets are frequented by elderly patrons. So, we are taking extra precaution to make sure that their health and safety are protected. We will carry out Rostered Routine Testing for stallholders once every 14 days. We will facilitate the testing, such as setting up more quick testing centres, as announced by MOH and explore teaching hawkers to conduct self-testing at steady state.
Mandatory SafeEntry check-in will be implemented at all markets and hawker centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators to facilitate more effective contact tracing.
We had previously introduced e-payments to go cashless and will encourage hawkers and patrons to use this mode of payment to minimise contact and also possibility of fomite transmission.
About 90% of those working in markets and hawker centres – these include our stallholders, our hawkers as well as our cleaners at the centres – have received at least one dose of the vaccine. So, it is a very high vaccination rate, 90%. And we are calling up, encouraging those who have yet to do so to go for vaccination as soon as possible.
While we will continue to ensure the cleanliness of our hawker centres through regular cleaning and disinfection, I also want to remind all patrons to adhere to SMMs and to observe personal hygiene.
When dine-in resumes, patrons are reminded that they can do their part by returning their own used trays, crockery and litter to help create a cleaner dining environment.
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): I thank the Ministers for their Statements. By way of clarification, I would like to raise three questions. A number of Clementi residents feel very much affected by the recent outbreak. Our central market has had to close. Many worried parents, seniors, families are concerned about the way forward.
The first question is relating to the Jurong Fishery Port cluster. What measures can we take to better identify workplaces that may have a higher risk of transmission compared to elsewhere?
Three weeks ago, I filed a Parliamentary Question on detecting COVID-19 virus in the built environment. Can I ask the task force what efforts are being made to look for other areas and workplaces that could be potential hotspots but which have not yet come to surface, but which are still at higher risk?
Second question is on our schools. A number of parents in Clementi have been watching the reports of some schools having students infected, possibly by transmission at home and they want to know, given the Delta variant, what measures are being taken to maintain the safety of students, especially younger children, who are not yet able to be vaccinated? For example, how soon can we roll out breathalysers and tests, which are easy enough for a child to do it themselves?
Third question, Sir, even as we open up and transition, I ask the Ministries that we must maintain many of the capabilities built up during this pandemic and internalise the lessons learnt because we know that a worse variant of COVID-19 or even a future Disease X, a worse pandemic, is just a question of \"when\" rather than \"if\".
So, I thank the Ministers and our public servants for their efforts and I seek these questions as clarification.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Sir, on the three questions, firstly, we are constantly looking at the landscape to identify areas of risk where we might want to take greater attention. I would say there are three broad criteria.
Firstly, anything that interfaces with the outside world is at risk and, therefore, we take greater attention. That includes our airport, our seaports, the different interfaces with the external environment and, there, we want to put in greater precautions, safeguards, including regular testing, for the people who are working there.
Secondly, any domestic or local activity that has high touch interactions with many people and where people are not wearing masks or potentially are in an indoor environment and that includes dining, spas, massage establishments, beauty services and that is why we have also identified, discussed higher-risk settings and we have asked the people who are in these settings to be put on a regular testing regime, using the Antigen Rapid Test kits.
Thirdly, it is an assessment of areas where we think SMMs may not be effectively done. So, we look around and there is a qualitative assessment, our SDAs are out there, enforcement officers are out there and if we see that, potentially, in this particular industry, in this particular work site, SMMs are not followed, then that raises the alarm bells and we will want to take a closer look at that. So, this is constantly being done and we are always looking at potential areas of risk where we would want to put more attention or require more testing to be done.
On schools, that is also something we are watching carefully. I think the school protocols have, fortunately, been very tight. Up to now, in the recent outbreaks, we have not had school-based transmission. We have had students who have been infected from their home, from family members, but not yet school-based transmission. We hope that can continue and that is, in part, because our schools have been very stringent in keeping and complying with these protocols. But still, beyond just having safe management measures, we would certainly look at putting in place a testing regime, especially when there are more convenient methods of testing which can be scaled up.
Finally, we completely agree with Dr Tan Wu Meng's point that we have to continue to build up our capabilities because the battle is not over yet. New variants, future pandemics. We just have to continue this process of building better capabilities to protect ourselves.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Hazel Poa.
Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank the Ministers for their Statements. I am asking this question on behalf of some seniors who have conveyed to me their frustration that while they are being urged to get vaccinated, they are unable to get an appointment for a Sinovac vaccination. I think we do have a group of individuals who prefer vaccinations using the traditional approach and have reservations about newer technologies.
So, given that we are especially concerned about vaccination for our seniors, what avenues are there available for these seniors who prefer the traditional approach? Are there plans to further expand the Sinovac vaccination?
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Thank you. I think, first of all, is to try to explain to the seniors, which I have tried a lot, which is that the mRNA vaccine actually has been developed for many, many years. It is not something so novel and so new. It went through all the rigorous evaluation by different authorities and then approved and, so far, even in Singapore, a few million people have taken it, around the world even more and it is proven to be safe and effective.
Every vaccine will have side effects, including Sinovac, including mRNA. So, it is a good vaccine and, as far as possible, we want to persuade everyone, including our seniors, to take the mRNA vaccine.
But for those who are simply not comfortable or they are contra-indicated for mRNA vaccine and they want to take the Sinovac vaccine, we now have made it available under the Special Access Route. They can make an appointment. It may involve some waiting, but they will eventually get their vaccinations. I have reported just now that 72,000 people have gotten their doses. For all those who have taken the Sinovac vaccine, only 10% are Singaporean seniors above 60 years old. So, the great majority of Singaporean seniors actually still prefer the mRNA vaccine. So, make the appointment. You have got to wait a while, but you eventually will get the vaccine.
Ms Hazel Poa: Sorry, Minister, I should clarify that they actually tried to make the appointment but they are told that it is fully booked.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Oh, it should not be the case. But if you can give me the contact, we will be more than happy to help them facilitate and make an appointment. There are 20 over clinics that are doing that now.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Sir, businesses, especially the F&B sectors, are finding this series of start-stop activities really disruptive and there are growing frustrations, low morale, fatigue setting in. They asked why the F&B sector seems to be bearing the brunt of each of the heightened measures. So, can I ask the Minister why did we reverse on the 19 July decision to have fully vaccinated five-person dine-n? It appears to be a reasonable proposition where the diners among them are fully vaccinated and this is, indeed, the kind of scenario we are looking at. And with that kind of de-risking, why do we not allow that to continue? I would like to hear this from the Minister.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Thank you. I thought I spent half an hour explaining why we need to revert to Phase Two (Heightened Alert). Let me try again.
When we introduced the \"two-five rule\" we were prepared to go ahead with it, until we found that there was a significant number of transmissions within the community and the vaccination rate of our seniors was still relatively low. Therefore, the risk profile was significantly different from when we first started planning for the \"two-five rule\" framework. Therefore, we had to make a very painful decision. I must share with you that we deliberated at length on this issue. Of course, one option was to proceed with it, come hell or high water. But the risk was that you may see a significant number of seniors being infected and because they would still be unvaccinated, they would still be at risk of severe outcome and even mortality.
You may think that, well, that is okay, then just do not allow the unvaccinated to go to the restaurants. But you must also remember that those who go to the restaurants and are vaccinated may still be infected and bring the virus back home to the families where there are seniors who are unvaccinated. Therefore, it was important for us to weigh the pros and cons between proceeding with the two-five rule, or to make a painful decision to reverse the decision and give ourselves more time to allow the vaccination rate to improve, both the general vaccination rate as well as the seniors' vaccination rate.
We fully appreciate the challenges the F&B sector is facing and is still facing today until we are able to restore dining-in. We have been working with MOF to roll out support packages to help them tide over this difficult and challenging phase, and the Minister for Finance and I met them and tried to understand their concerns and to also reassure them that we are aware of their challenges and we will do what we can to help and support them.
I must also say that the reason that they usually face the brunt of our measures is because as Minister Wong pointed out earlier, they are front-facing. And there is a lot of interaction in restaurants and F&B outlets. The most critical difference is that their activities are mask-off, as customers have to remove their masks when they eat and drink. Therefore, it is one of the very high-risk settings and we have to be extra careful and exercise additional caution. Unfortunately, when we have to tighten our measures to protect the community, we will need the F&B sector to work with us.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, according to the MTF, the infections in the Jurong Fishery Port cluster were likely introduced via the sea from Indonesian or other fishing boats that brought fish into the port. The exact mechanism for transmission is unclear up to now.
Were these foreign fishermen required to take any COVID-19 tests or be vaccinated before entering the fishery port? If not, can this be introduced immediately to prevent further import of the virus where the countries where the pandemic is raging?
Next, regarding the Sinovac vaccine, is the relatively lower efficacy rate of the Sinovac vaccine, compared to the mRNA vaccines, the reason why those who got the Sinovac vaccine are not considered fully vaccinated in Singapore? This lower efficacy rate has been known for some time. Why did MOH not make this known clearer that they will not be giving the same recognition to the Sinovac vaccine as the mRNA vaccines yet, for the purpose of differentiated measures? Because this could have blunted the demand for the vaccine, which was mentioned earlier, and convinced more people to get the mRNA vaccines.
Third, as we reopen our borders, many more foreigners will be entering Singapore. Are there plans to require vaccinations for both short- and long-term visitors so that they do not inadvertently reduce our overall vaccination rate?
Lastly, a recent British study found that a longer period of eight weeks between vaccinations produces a higher immune response than a spacing of three weeks. In our haste to get people fully vaccinated, where we are encouraging people to book their second dose three weeks after the first dose, will we be compromising on maximising durable immunity to COVID-19 in the longer term?
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to address Mr Gerald Giam's first question on crewmen. Indeed, I think that there is a hypothesis that the cluster may have come through or punched through a fisherman on a fishery boat. That hypothesis actually has not been confirmed at this point in time, but we are not waiting for that. We are looking at how to strengthen the SMMs at the border.
We have already started contactless delivery since April. That is along with the strengthened, heightened SMMs at the PPWC. We have instituted that also for Senoko and Jurong Fishery Ports.
But with regard to the question about whether we should subject them to vaccinations or Antigen Rapid Tests (ARTs), that is something that we are considering at this point in time. Whatever we do, I think we are looking for practical solutions where we can do it without increasing the risks.
The crewmen right now, they are actually contactless, in other words, they are not allowed to land, they will stay on the vessel and they will use the vessel equipment to move their buckets of fish onto the shore and our shore workers will take over. We actually do not allow them to land on our shore.
If we subject them to frequent tests, that may be a way for them to actually be landing more frequently on our shore. So, we have to evaluate these options and look for practical and effective solutions.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: There were a couple of questions. One on the Sinovac vaccine. Actually, if one is vaccinated with Sinovac now, it does reflect in your Health Hub app and in brackets the letters \"SAR\". So, it is recorded that you are vaccinated. I think the question is whether it should then be conferred the concessions, should we have differentiated safe management measures?
I would say that, currently, there are different vaccines and every vaccine has a different efficacy. From a public health point of view, it would not make sense to just treat every vaccine the same.
I mentioned in my Statement just now that the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine against the Delta variant, because of the places that it has been applied and administered, that data is still being built up. At the same time, when Sinovac applied to HSA for Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR) approval earlier, the data was not yet complete.
But that data has now been submitted, early this month. So, we have a lot of data now before us. The data on efficacy against the Delta variant is building up. We have got data submitted to HSA. We will assess them robustly and if it is approved under PSAR, naturally, it will be recognised.
The third question, if I get correctly, is if we allow travel lanes to open, whether we will ensure that travellers to Singapore are also vaccinated. As explained by Minister Lawrence Wong just now, I think we have to open up travel very carefully, step by step. If not, you will inject infections into our community and make things go out of control again.
So, for example, we have unilateral opening for very safe regions. So far, it has not caused community spreading because we assessed those regions and know that they are very safe.
The next step is for those regions that have also controlled their infections and have a risk level about the same as ours – we can, for example, open up for vaccinated travellers, to and fro, without the need for Stay-Home Notices (SHNs) but require a series of tests.
I think whatever step we take, we must always make sure that it does not raise our risk level but maintain or even lower our risk level. That would be our approach.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the MTF's focus on future differentiated treatment for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. It is perhaps one of the tools in the kit to persuade and encourage, nudge and cajole those who are still considering. However, I wish to return to a suggestion I made at the very beginning of the national vaccination programme, which is to consider making vaccinations mandatory.
A lot of effort has gone into encouraging Singaporeans to be vaccinated because it makes sense. I therefore considered it our civic duty to be vaccinated if there are no medical grounds to refuse. Ultimately, the fear is that the freedom of a minority to choose not to be vaccinated will affect the freedom of the majority who have chosen to be vaccinated for the sake of themselves, their families and the community.
The second clarification I seek is with regard to the effectiveness of TraceTogether and SafeEntry for contact tracing. Over the last few days, with regards to the KTV cluster and also partially to the Jurong Fishery Port cluster, we heard some limitations vis-à-vis contact tracing because people who do not bring their phones with them or their dongles with them because of fear of being detected in certain places. So, whether or not the MTF can comment on whether contact tracing has been made more difficult recently.
Lastly, on differentiated treatment, I quote a comment that was made by fellow Member Nadia Samdin on differentiated treatment. While I welcome it, how will we eventually distinguish between those who knowingly avoid vaccination and those who do not have a choice, for example, the young and the medically excused? This is, of course, if we do not introduce mandatory vaccination.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: I did not quite get the second question so maybe Minister Lawrence Wong can help answer that later.
Whether we can make vaccination compulsory like we did for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and others, it is not time yet to think about that proposition. Because as of now, the use of the vaccine is under PSAR, the Pandemic Special Access Route. So, it is under emergency use, in a pandemic situation. To make it mandatory, I think is not quite consistent. In time to come, when COVID-19 is really endemic, maybe it is a policy that governments around the world will have to consider.
On the third question, which is related to Ms Nadia Samdin's question, how do we distinguish between those who knowingly choose not to vaccinate versus those who cannot get vaccinated? From a public health point of view, they are actually the same. They are equally vulnerable and we ought to treat them the same. If you are not vaccinated, to protect you, best not to join the big events. It cannot be that because your intention is different, we let you join. That would not make sense from a public health point of view.
Having said that, as I mentioned earlier, we will think of measures, such as you get yourself tested and you can join or, in time to come, when our vaccination rate is very high and our collective resilience is so strong, we actually do not need much of that differentiation.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The second question is on contact tracing, the effectiveness of TraceTogether and SafeEntry. I would say generally, even in the recent episode, we have seen that the systems are in place. Most people, the vast majority, are using the TraceTogether tokens or the app properly; establishments are having proper gating and check-ins using SafeEntry. And so overall, we still find this to be very effective in doing timely contact tracing and ringfencing.
Are there people who abuse this, who do not use the TraceTogether app? Yes, obviously, there are. But by and large, it has still been very effective and we want to make it even more effective, which is why for markets and hawker centres, previously, we had not put SafeEntry check-in requirements for all markets and hawker centres; because we all know it is very difficult. It is open. It is porous. People come in from all the different places. So, we only did it for the very popular markets.
But now, we are planning, based on the lessons we have learned and realising how effective it is, we are planning to put in SafeEntry check-in requirements across all markets and hawker centres. It will lead to some inconveniences on the ground with many of your residents. So, I seek Members' understanding to explain to your residents why this is necessary in order for us to have effective contact tracing during this pandemic.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Sorry, Mr Deputy Speaker, I missed out one question by Mr Gerald Giam just now. He mentioned whether we are rushing dose one and dose two by keeping only a three-week duration and whether a longer duration will make the vaccine more effective.
That is the hypothesis of one study and it is not conclusive. There are many other studies that show that three weeks for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and four weeks for the Moderna vaccine is an appropriate duration and delivered good efficacy. So, I think the conclusion is not definite.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have a supplementary question on the Quick Test Centres. May I check if the quick test centres for the fast and easy testing can be opened for extended hours to cater to one-man operations and other businesses who may have to go for their mandatory swab test every 14 days outside of their operating hours?
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The answer is yes. I think the quick test centres, in time to come, are likely to be almost a national infrastructure for living with endemic COVID-19. I can imagine buildings and employers requiring that their employees should be tested once every 14 days or seven days before coming to work as a precaution, as part of living with COVID-19. And the easy way to do it, either you buy a self-test kit from the pharmacy or you walk into one of these quick test centres, do a self-swab or do a breathalyser test.
And, under those circumstance, I think we need to study the demand pattern and, if need be, we will need to operate on more days of the week or for longer hours. Right now, it is five days, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, I think, because many of the F&B outlets find that weekends are not suitable for them. But as we move into the next phase and, judging by the demand, we will have to adjust the timing.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Earlier on, Minister Ong Ye Kung had noted that the vaccination rate was progressing at an impressive 1% per day and that we could expect a 70% coverage by around mid-August and, possibly, 80% by September.
I am wondering what the basis for such an optimistic projection is, in part because once we factor in the under-12 in the population, for instance, that would not qualify for vaccination, you get something in the order of 10%-12%. So, it only assumes an 8%-9% vaccine hesitancy share of the population. Elsewhere, it has been demonstrated that at far lower coverage rates, populations have seen a point of inflection where there is resistance. I guess the question is: how would we get this coverage to this 80% that, I agree, would certainly be welcomed?
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The basis of projection is because we watch the number every day. I do. Right now, those who have taken the first jab, it is already 76% and that is over the whole population, including those under 12. And if you break it down by age bands, it is well over 80% – 85% to 88% – except for the most senior group, age above 70, which is at 76%.
So, just based on who has taken the first dose and so long as they turn up for second doses which they tend to, by the time we reach National Day, we should be close to 70% receiving two doses. And we believe that if that momentum continues, by September, I think there is a very good possibility that we will reach 80%.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim is right that, if that comes about, that means vaccine hesitancy in Singapore is actually much lower, compared to other countries. And I think this is a function of us working together as a united people, trusting each other, with trust between Government and people. And that is what helped us overcome vaccine hesitancy. We still have a lot of work to do for those who are older, but let us continue this work.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Dr Lim Wee Kiak.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Thank you, Sir. I have two clarifications. One is on Sinovac. I think when the task force announced that we are going to release the Sinovac vaccine to the people, many rejoiced, they were very happy about it. But this rejoicing was short-lived after it was announced that the Sinovac vaccine – once you are vaccinated – is not considered as part of the national vaccination programme. I also understand that there are overseas Singaporeans who are vaccinated with AstraZeneca or other vaccines and I think MOH is prepared to accept them if they do a serology test. And if the serology test shows that they have immunity, they can be included in the national registry.
My question is: for Singaporeans who have received the Sinovac vaccine, if they are willing to go through a serology test and the serology test shows that their immunity is there, can you register them in the national registry? So, when next month or the month after next, when the restrictions are lifted for the vaccinated, can they be considered as part of the vaccinated instead? That is the first clarification.
Second clarification is on the supply of vaccines. I am very happy to hear that there is enough vaccine for all of us and, by September, we probably will hit about 80%. I read in the papers, our neighbour, Johor Bahru, has about 15% vaccination as of last month and I think Batam's was 23%. My question is: can Singapore help our immediate neighbours with their vaccination once we have hit our 80% because, if our neighbours are not safe, we are not safe as well.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Thank you. On the issue of the Sinovac vaccine, I have explained earlier. Rather than doing serology tests – and amongst our experts, there are also different interpretations of serology tests – I think the easiest thing is to go back to what I have said just now. As of 5 July, Sinovac has submitted all the required data for us to do a proper evaluation under our PSAR framework. So, let HSA do its work. It is trying to do it as fast as it can. And if the Sinovac vaccine or other vaccines in time get approved under PSAR, naturally, we will want to take a more inclusive approach in recognising them.
As for helping our immediate neighbours, all these purchase agreements have quite strict contractual requirements. So, we cannot take delivery and then donate to another country or region. Our contracts require us to discuss with the suppliers. But, certainly, where we can help, we will want to help our immediate region because it is only when every country around the world and in the region recovers from COVID-19 that we will really be able to live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Xie Yao Quan.
Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong): I thank the Ministers for their Statements and I am particularly heartened to hear the concrete roadmap that Minister Lawrence Wong has provided as to how we will ease ourselves out of Phase Two (Heightened Alert) and the differentiation for vaccinated versus unvaccinated persons in this particular roadmap.
The clarification I would like to seek pertains to the longer term. So, beyond immediate easing and reopening, when we are well and truly into a new normal of endemic COVID-19; in this new normal, as Minister Ong Ye Kung has noted, we will have reached a high level of vaccination and, therefore, COVID-19 resilience in the population and the need for differentiation between vaccinated and unvaccinated persons would be less. But Minister Lawrence Wong has also said that, as we reopen, we must expect the case numbers to rise.
So, to take this a little bit further, in the new normal, there is still a possibility that we get a major flare-up in infections from time to time. And in such a scenario, the few hundreds of thousands or half a million persons or so who remain unvaccinated will be the ones at greatest risk of severe illness and therefore, at greatest risk of loading our healthcare system.
And so, in such a scenario, I would like to ask the MTF how might we tame the flare-up and would the MTF then consider in such a scenario a sharper differentiation, albeit a transient or interim one in SMMs between vaccinated and unvaccinated persons so that we can protect the unvaccinated but yet not cause a major disruption to normal life for the vast majority like we now have in Phase Two (Heightened Alert)?
And more to the point, do we think we still need to pull back – to use Minister Lawrence Wong's words – pull back sharply as a population from time to time in the new normal or can we finally expect to see the last of Phase Two (Heightened Alert)?
Mr Lawrence Wong: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have tried to give some clarity on what we can expect in the weeks ahead. Mr Xie would like clarity in the months forward. Unfortunately, with the current situation being so fluid and uncertain, it is very hard. We do not have a crystal ball. That is why, beyond, I said early August, mid-term of the Phase Two (Heightened Alert), we have one move. When we get to about 80% coverage, we make another move. Maybe in September and beyond that, we will consider sequential moves.
But each time we do so, we do it step-by-step and we do it in a controlled manner, not a big bang. And whenever we make one move to ease, we monitor health outcomes very closely, precisely for the concerns that Mr Xie has highlighted, that there will still be unvaccinated persons and we are concerned that when we make one step to open, cases go up. We have to watch the health outcomes and the hospitalisation and ICU cases.
If these were to spike, then as I have said, we might either have to slow down on the next step of reopening or, in the very worst case, if indeed, a lot of unvaccinated persons and a lot of elderly turn up sick in the hospitals, then we may really have to pull back, as I have mentioned. The worst case in my mind would be when a new variant strikes. No one knows exactly when this will happen and what what sort of new variants we will see. But the risk is not trivial. And if a new variant emerges down the road that is much more transmissible or worse, lethal and more resistant to the current batch of vaccines, then it is almost like you are dealing with a new virus frankly. Therefore, the defences have all got to go up again.
So, while we are embarking on this journey of reopening, let us understand that there are still risks, there are still uncertainties ahead and, therefore, we are taking this controlled step forward, remain alert, remain vigilant and continue to be flexible and adaptable in adjusting our posture, based on the latest assessment of risks and the external environment and how the pandemic proceeds.
Mr Deputy Speaker: I will take two more clarifications before closing the debate. Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Just one clarification for the Minister for Health. There will be some individuals who have both doses and who still have very low resistance to the virus due to them being immuno-compromised for genetic reasons or to reasons due to having certain risk factors.
Is the Government actively looking at – and this can relate to the Parliamentary Question that I have filed – is the Government actively looking at giving a third jab to such individuals if the science actually supports that that will help them to raise their resistance to the vaccine? And I understand that the US Centres for Disease Control is actively looking at this question right now.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: If I am not wrong, the US has not come to a conclusion and neither have we. We are studying this actively whether we need a third dose as a booster, when and what kind of strategy – whether you use back mRNA or use a heterologous strategy. So, these are all being studied. And when the Expert Committee has made a decision, we will make the information public.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Just a change to direct my question to Minister Shanmugam. I had earlier filed a Parliamentary Question for a later Sitting but I thank the Minister for answering it earlier.
I just have a follow-up question which is: given that there were rules to disallow hostessing and yet there was blatant disregard for the rules and now, with the spotlight on these KTVs or pivoted outlets, I am just wondering whether there is a risk that more of these vice activities may then be driven underground to other settings.
Therefore, how will the surveillance and enforcement be stepped up to control this? I know the Minister had addressed this in quite some detail but I am just wondering how will the surveillance and enforcement be stepped up further, given the current possibility and especially in areas, such as industrial spaces, where perhaps office or factory spaces could be used for parties at night, based on some anecdotal feedback that we have heard?
Mr K Shanmugam: I thank Ms Tin for that question.
I think we have to rightly focus on the people who are the cause of the spread, people who operate illegally and the people who patronise. But, before the pandemic, what was our framework? Singapore never made prostitution illegal because we knew that countries which had tried and for thousands of years people have tried, it is not going to work. So, you need to be realistic about what is doable and what is not doable. Pimping is illegal. Prostitution was neither illegal then nor is it now, except, I suppose, when there are safe distancing measures.
When we allowed the nightlife outlets, pubs, bars, KTVs, those who wanted to pivot, what was our understanding of the situation? Supposing we had said no to all of them, there would have been a great deal of loss of jobs. But does that mean that, immediately, all dodgy activities would have stopped? Ms Tin is right. Precisely, this issue, it would have gone underground much more and it would have been very difficult to trace.
So, pivoting is not the issue. The issue is that there is money to be made in making available the services and there will always be people, because there is a huge demand, regardless of the rules and there is – I would not say unlimited supply but there is some supply. There will always be arbitraging opportunities to make money. That is why flats, industrial spaces, warehouses – you would have seen it in the newspapers – they even organised illegal KTV operations.
So, if we remove the two issues, it is not that one is not connected to the other. The pivoting of some operators is not connected to illegal activities. They go on and, by definition because of our rules, if all these activities are \"underground\", in the sense that they are not in the open, then we have to go and use our intelligence to find and deal with them. Some are in these outlets; some are in outlets that are not obvious. We have to keep continuing at it and whatever rules we come up with, this is not going to stop. It is just a question of whether it is more or less of the activities.
It puts a heavy onus on the regulatory authorities. We can urge everyone to be responsible. But as you saw from the example I gave, immediately after the unilateral opening was closed, there were many girlfriends standing up with Singapore sponsors with a variety of reasons and this will go on. We just have to try and deal with them.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. We have completed our proceedings on the Ministerial Statements on the Fifth Update on whole-of-Government Responses to COVID-19. Next is the Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Finance on Support Measures for Phase Two (Heightened Alert).
Before we take the much anticipated tea break, allow me to say that the debate so far shows how we are all trying to fly our Singapore flag high throughout this pandemic. But I thought it would be good to invite this House to show its strong support for our Team Singapore in Tokyo who are doing their best and their finest to fly our Singapore flag high at the Olympics. [Applause.]
Thank you. And with that, I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 6.20 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 6.05 pm until 6.20 pm.
Sitting resumed at 6.20 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme can be extended to cover cases where there is a preliminary medical basis to conduct investigation on patients who experience adverse side effects to determine if such adverse side effects are related to the COVID-19 vaccines taken by such patients even if, subsequently, it is determined that there is no correlation.","2 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health what steps have been taken to develop a comprehensive intelligence collation strategy on a whole-of-Government basis to detect commercial entities which are believed to have flouted, or likely to flout, the safe management measures enforceable under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.","3 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what regimes have been put in place to monitor and manage the interactions between patrons as well as social hostesses at KTV lounges or clubs even as they operated as food and beverage outlets during the Phase Three (Heightened Alert) period; (b) whether the hostesses linked to the KTV COVID-19 cluster are subject to these controls; and (c) whether enforcement has been stepped up for KTV operators to ensure adherence to safe management measures since the emergence of the cluster.","4 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Government can provide an update on cases of young adults who have suffered heart-related issues after their COVID-19 vaccinations and whether there is any link between the vaccinations and these heart-related issues.","5 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether safe distancing ambassadors are regularly sent to nightlife venues that have pivoted to food and beverage (F&B) outlets to ensure that these venues are complying with safety management measures; and (b) whether regular checks are done to that these nightlife venues are indeed operating as bona fide F&B outlets.","6 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether COVID-19 positive cases with definitive links to activities at KTV venues that have been in breach of safe management measures can be made to pay in full for their medical expenses for COVID-19-related treatment; and (b) whether a COVID-19 positive case with a definitive link to any other activity in egregious breach of safe management measures can be made to do the same in future.","7 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Finance whether the Multi-Ministry Task Force is considering an eventual differentiation in permissible activities for individuals who remain unvaccinated without a valid medical reason in a new normal of endemic COVID-19.","8 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) when will Singapore move to an endemic model to deal with the COVID-19 situation; and (b) how different will the situation under the endemic model be compared to the current one and the associated measures to combat the pandemic.","9 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will consider exempting individuals who take the Sinovac vaccine due to health reasons from the requirement to undergo pre-event testing; and (b) whether individuals who have received the Sinovac vaccine will be allowed to receive a second vaccination of the mRNA-based vaccines.","10 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what are the criteria that will allow individuals who have received the Sinovac vaccine, either locally or overseas, to receive doses of the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines under the national vaccination programme; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider extending this to returning/incoming residents who have received doses of other vaccines other than Sinovac which have been shown to have a lower efficacy rate than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.","11 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Multi-Ministry Task Force will consider limiting KTV lounges from operating as F&B outlets unless steps are taken to convert their business premises into conventional F&B outlets that can easily comply with safe management measures.","12 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what assistance will be given to stall owners as well as workers in the Jurong Fishery Port for any loss of earnings suffered during the period of its closure; and (b) what assistance will be given to market stall vendors selling fish and seafood whose businesses may have suffered due to the closure of the Jurong Fishery Port or due to the COVID-19 cluster which developed from the Jurong Fishery Port.","13 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether there is a need to review the operations of the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre so as to avoid the same experience of a COVID-19 spread at the Jurong Fishery Port; and (b) what are the COVID-19 mitigation measures currently in place at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre and whether any enhanced measures have been introduced since the close of the Jurong Fishery Port.","14 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of the recent closure of the Jurong Fishery Port due to COVID-19 cases and its consequences on the supply of fresh fish and seafood to Singapore, whether the Government will re-consider a more diversified wholesale arrangement for fish and seafood supplies to our markets, supermarkets and eateries.","15 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what steps are taken to prevent future recurrence of COVID-19 infection from overseas fishermen; and (b) what measures are introduced to ensure there is social distancing, proper mask-wearing and compliance with other hygiene protocols at Singapore's fishery ports.","16 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what kind of support is given to stall holders and vendors at hawker centres and wet markets who have to be temporarily closed on short notice due to a COVID-19-related situation."],"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support Measures for Phase Two (Heightened Alert)","subTitle":"Statement by Minister for Finance","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mdm Deputy Speaker, my fellow MTF Co-Chairs and I have just provided an update on the latest COVID-19 situation and explained why we had to go back to Phase Two (Heightened Alert).
I recognise that businesses in the affected sectors have been working very hard to adapt to the changing regulations and are deeply disappointed by this turn of events. Last week, Minister Gan Kim Yong and I spoke with representatives from the Singapore Business Federation and several trade associations from the food and beverage (F&B) and retail sectors. We have also received feedback from several business owners.
Many told us that their situation is more strained this time. It is not just having to enter into another Heightened Alert. But it is the broader challenge of having to endure more than one and a half years’ worth of restrictions, as well as continued disruptions to their business.
Despite this, they understood the need for the latest restrictions and have been appreciative of the support rendered. They have continued to show resilience and the resolve to ride out the storm. So, I thank them for their understanding. Our economic agencies will continue to engage closely with businesses and workers and unions to hear their concerns.
The additional support measures I announced last week have taken this feedback into account, so, let me provide a quick summary.
We will continue to help enterprises retain their local workers by increasing and extending the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) enhancements for affected sectors by four weeks until 18 August.
In response to the concerns and feedback of businesses, we are providing higher wage support this round to further mitigate the impact of protracted safe management restrictions and uncertainties. For sectors that are required to close or suspend most of their activities, we are providing 60% JSS support, up from 50% previously. This will benefit the F&B, sports, performing arts and arts education sectors.
We also enhanced support to 40%, up from 30% previously, for sectors that are significantly affected by the restrictions. These include footfall-dependent sectors such as retail, museums, art galleries, historical sites, cinema operators, affected personal care services and family entertainment centres. The tourism sector will also receive 40% support as their revenues are likely to be impacted by the restrictions. This will benefit attractions, hotels, cruise and regional ferry operators, meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) organisers and travel agents.
Subject to the eventual situation, the JSS support will be tapered to 10% for two weeks as businesses reopen, from 19 to 31 August.
We will also help small and medium enterprises and eligible non-profit organisations with cash flow by providing relief for rental costs. We will do this through an additional four weeks of rental waiver for qualifying tenants of Government-owned commercial properties and an additional two weeks of rental relief cash payout for qualifying tenant-occupiers and owner-occupiers of privately-owned commercial properties under the Rental Support Scheme.
Many commercial tenants have asked the Government to intervene and mandate their landlords to extend rental relief. The Government has set out the principles before. Our starting point is always the sanctity of contract; we do not lightly intervene. But we are prepared to intervene in specific situations and in a carefully scoped manner. We decided to do so last year when we introduced emergency measures during the circuit breaker.
In the last Heightened Alert, we did not require private landlords to extend rental relief. Instead, we encouraged landlords to do their part to match the Government relief. However, many tenants, especially those in the affected F&B and retail sectors, have told us that not all landlords were forthcoming in providing such rental support.
This time, in light of the difficulties faced by many businesses, the Government intends to require landlords to provide a matching two-week rental support to their tenants. We recognise that not all landlords are in the same financial situation; some may have difficulty sharing the burden with their tenants. So, for landlords which are genuinely facing hardship, we will put in place a process to take their circumstances into consideration. More details on this measure will be announced by MinLaw in due course.
To assist our hawkers impacted by the dine-in restrictions, we had earlier announced on 16 July an additional one month of rental waiver and subsidies for dishwashing and table-cleaning fees. We recognise that our hawkers and market stallholders are affected disproportionately this time round, with many of them facing loss of earnings. Those operating in markets with active transmission have been required to close. Those who can operate have also been affected by reduced footfall due to public reservations about visiting markets and adjoining hawker centres. This is why we have introduced a new Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund, which provides a one-off cash assistance of $500 per stallholder who operates in Government hawker centres and markets.
To help our hawkers adapt to these disruptions, Enterprise Singapore will also reintroduce the Food Delivery Booster Package to help our hawkers defray the costs of using online food delivery platforms.
We will provide greater assistance to taxi and private hire car drivers under the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund from 22 July to 30 September 2021 in view of the anticipated drop in ridership.
We will also continue to help workers tide through this difficult period. In particular, to ensure continued assistance to individuals impacted by the safe management measures, we have extended the COVID-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary scheme’s income-loss coverage period from end-July to end-August. Eligible workers who continue to be impacted can re-apply to receive a second payout.
This latest round of support measures for the current Phase Two (Heightened Alert) is expected to cost $1.1 billion.
I had said previously that given the stronger position we are in today compared to last year and the fact that most of the economy remains open, we should not be drawing on past reserves. This remains the case.
We will therefore fund the support package through Budget reallocations, in keeping with our principles of fiscal responsibility and prudence. Let me explain how the reallocation will be done for this additional $1.1 billion worth of measures.
First, we have worked with agencies to identify $0.9 billion of one-off under-utilisation in operating and development expenditures. These are due to delays brought about by COVID-19, so, they are one-off in nature. They include postponement and cancellation of activities in schools due to COVID-19 and construction project delays. Of course, these delayed expenditures will still need to be incurred in the future, once we recover from COVID-19.
Second, as part of the Supplementary Estimates I had presented in early July, we had provided a buffer of $0.2 billion in anticipation that this might be needed for modest enhancements or extension of the support measures. We are now making use of the buffer for this package.
The Supplementary Supply Bill which I am introducing today will reflect this reallocation together with that announced in my previous Statement. In all, we are providing more than $2 billion worth of support to workers and businesses over the two periods of Heightened Alert from May.
Given that we are funding this support package via reallocation, we expect the overall fiscal position for FY2021 to remain unchanged with an overall deficit of $11 billion or 2.2% of gross domestic product (GDP).
We do not expect this latest period of Heightened Alert to derail our economic recovery. The domestic consumer-facing sectors like retail and F&B will continue to face challenges during this period. But as we continue with our reopening plans, demand should pick up. About 70% of our economic activities are in outward-oriented sectors. We should remain on track to achieve GDP growth of 4% to 6% this year, so long as external demand remains healthy.
The bigger uncertainty to our recovery therefore, is the impact that the Delta variant may have on the major economies in Europe and the US and on external demand.
On the whole, most economists are still projecting a robust global economic recovery this year. But there are growing fears that as countries open up and the Delta variant spreads, the resurgence in cases could lead to higher hospitalisations and fatalities, especially among the unvaccinated populations. This in turn could force a return to lockdowns and impinge on global economic growth.
We will continue to monitor global developments, paying attention to any derailers which can affect us.
To conclude, we must continue to stay agile and nimble and keep on updating our COVID-19 and economic strategies based on the latest developments around us.
Ultimately, the best way to support our businesses and workers is to bring the infection under control, push up our vaccine coverage and reopen our economy – all the things we talked about just now during the MTF Statements. So, these continue to be our key priorities. We will continue to work hard across all fronts to help everyone tide through this Heightened Alert and to emerge stronger together.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Minister for Finance.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Deputy Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order No 44, I beg to move, \"That the Ministerial Statement made by me be considered by Parliament.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Lawrence Wong: Deputy Speaker, to give Members some time to consider my Statement, I would like to adjourn the debate. I beg to move, \"That the debate be now adjourned.\"
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Resumption of debate, what day?
Mr Lawrence Wong: Tomorrow, Madam.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: So be it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Courts (Civil and Criminal Justice) Reform Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to amend the Interpretation Act, the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act 2016, the Arbitration Act, the Attorney-General (Additional Functions) Act, the Civil Law Act, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Evidence Act, the Family Justice Act 2014, the International Arbitration Act, the Legal Profession Act, the Prisons Act, the State Courts Act, the Supreme Court of Judicature Act and certain other Acts, to reform, modernise, update and enhance court processes in the civil and criminal justice systems\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry (Ms Low Yen Ling) on behalf of the Minister for Law; read the First time; to be read a Second time at the first available sitting in September 2021, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Supplementary Supply and Budget Adjustments (FY 2021) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to make supplementary provision out of the Consolidated Fund to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, and to reduce certain appropriations from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund for that financial year due to exigencies\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) recommendation of President signified; presented by the Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah); read the First time; to be read a Second time after the conclusion of proceedings on the Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for FY2021/22, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to 11.00 am tomorrow.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Strengthening the Singaporean Core","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Patrick Tay.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): Mdm Deputy Speaker, in the last Parliament session, I had shared my views and suggestions on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and the impact to our Singaporean professionals, managers and executives (PMEs).
The Labour Movement acknowledges the need for FTAs in this age of globalisation but we too recognise the need to support our local workforce's aspirations and to address their concerns and anxieties.
The economic disruption brought about by COVID-19 has amplified the fears and anxieties of Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs), particularly on the increased competition for jobs and employment. Mature PMEs are especially impacted and vulnerable in this recession. We will therefore need to take further steps to strengthen the Singaporean Core by levelling the playing field for our Singaporean PMEs and ensuring fairness whether in terms of hiring opportunities and practices in the course of employment or when the employment relationship is terminated.
Co-chairing the NTUC PME task force, we have engaged more than 9,000 the last six months. I can feel the fears and anxieties of our local PMEs, especially over job security. Besides ground sentiments on intense competition from the influx of foreign PMEs, I have a compendium of anecdotes of unfair employment practices by employers who favour hiring foreigners and discriminate against our locals.
Just last Thursday, one mature PME who used to be from the financial sector and is now with one of our institutes of higher learning (IHLs) wrote to me an email to share how he witnessed first-hand discriminatory practices at the workplace, resulting in a fellow mature local PME being displaced.
In our recent survey of 1,000 mature PMEs aged 40 and above, about one in two of them said that the tightening of the employment pass quota in sectors which have weak hiring practices of Singaporeans will help to protect their jobs.
While the Government had implemented several changes to the foreign manpower policies over the past years, many PMEs feel that the policy tweaks are insufficient to curb unfair competition as there are still companies that continue to engage in unacceptable practices.
Some PMEs view the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) job advertisement requirement as mere window dressing as employers may already have a foreign candidate in mind when they post their job advertisements. In addition, many PMEs opined that there is currently no proper framework for the transfer of knowledge for roles which employers claim in which there are skill shortages.
One of the PMEs shared with me on how he had received a job offer from an IT company with unfair terms and conditions, such as having to pay for damages, including incremental cost of finding replacement and other associated costs like advertisement and consultant fees in the event of his resignation. He believed that this is an underhand tactic by the company to eventually inform the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) that they had offered the job to Singaporeans but none accepted it so that they are able to hire an Employment Pass (EP) holder.
I am heartened that in my past 10 years of lobbying and advocating for a stronger Singaporean Core that many measures have been put in place to support and protect our Singaporean PMEs and provide them with a fair and level playing field in the job market. That said, more needs to be done to strengthen the Singaporean Core.
We must further develop our local workforce's capabilities and protect our locals from being unfairly discriminated against. Our local PMEs are unhappy when many of the roles which they can undertake and do are instead taken up by foreign PMEs. It is important to recognise the role that foreign manpower plays, which is to complement and enhance the capabilities of the local workforce and not to replace it.
I would like to put forth some proposals.
First, we can enhance fair hiring practices through: one, improving our HR standards and practices to ensure that companies are equipped with adequate knowledge of employment legislation and regulations to improve compliance with fair employment practices; and two, strengthening enforcement and imposing stiffer penalties for errant companies with discriminatory hiring practices.
Besides reviewing and publishing the \"triple weak\" watchlist which MOM and Tripartite Alliance Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) maintain, I submit that MOM should review the existing legal and policy framework and give TAFEP more teeth and bite through legislating expanded powers of investigation, enforcement and punishment against companies, employers and even individuals who discriminate in an employment context. This will then send a clear message against workplace discrimination and eradicate unfair hiring practices, whether it is with respect to age, gender, marital status, nationality, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation and so on.
Second, we can level the playing field for local PMEs by enhancing the EP application review process to move beyond looking at the individual applicant's educational qualification and salary.
We can incorporate a point system, factoring in: one, support from sectoral tripartite expert committee; two, whether the employer has been investing in hiring and developing local workers; and three, diversity of nationalities. The point system will then be used to evaluate and approve the EP application.
Finally, we need to ensure that locals have fair access to PME roles and progression opportunities to improve localisation of jobs in high growth sectors. We must ensure concerted, structured, institutionalised and mandatory skills and knowledge transfer from these foreign PMEs to our local PMEs within a stipulated and agreed time frame in the spirit of complementarity. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Faced with the triple challenges posed by industry transformation, digitalisation and COVID-19, our PMEs are worried about employment and job competition. I urge that we strengthen relevant measures, policies and legislations to build a workforce with a Singaporean Core.
First, we should have stronger enforcement and tougher penalties for errant employers and give TAFEP more teeth in investigation, enforcement and meting out penalties against these employers.
Second, we can strengthen fair employment through improving HR standards.
Third, we should also enhance the EP application process, looking beyond the education qualification and salary of the applicants.
Finally, we need to ensure that local PMEs are given fair opportunities and treatment in job search and career development.
(In English): Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Labour Movement has consistently advocated for a stronger Singaporean Core and will continue to champion for our workers' interests to ensure that there must be fairness and zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind.
It is ever more critical for us to ensure that Singaporeans are considered and treated fairly, especially in the current economic and employment climate. In the same vein, we will continue to collaborate with our tripartite partners to nurture and develop our workers through training and skills transfer so that they will benefit from better careers and development opportunities in a progressive work environment.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to declare that I am a member of the Board of TAFEP. In my speech, I will talk about three types of discrimination that are commonly complained about in the workplace: racial discrimination, ageism and preferential bias for foreign employees over local employees. Similar to my 2019 Adjournment Motion, I want to again propose enhancing anti-discrimination laws, localising the workforce through targets and according more resources and powers to the TAFEP. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] These days, Singaporeans feel more encouraged to speak up on social media about racial discrimination. Among these allegations, many are of malpractices in our workplaces, where the race of an employee is used as a conduit to gain unjust preference against others. An IPS-OnePeople.sg study in 2019 revealed that almost 60% of Malays and 56% of Indians perceived discriminatory treatment at work. This was a slight increase from the 58.7% of Malays and 52.6% of Indians who said this five years ago.
These incidences suggest that racism and stereotyping persist in our workplace. Victims are unaware or perhaps doubt the effectiveness of official channels to seek help, so they post it on social media instead. Resultantly, it appears or is perceived on the ground as the authorities' approach to discrimination being more reactive than proactive, which is not a true reflection of the efforts of TAFEP and MOM.
(In English): While our younger Singaporeans can turn to social media to vent about their unpleasant experiences with racism and prejudice, it is different for our older employees who have faced similar discrimination at their age. Some are simply not active social media users or are not comfortable with the potential attention from netizens and they are suffering in silence. About one in five Singaporeans experience age discrimination in their workplace, according to global payroll and human resources leader ADB’s new Global Workforce Review 2020 report. The rate of age discrimination in the Singaporean workforce is higher than the average of 12% in the Asia Pacific region.
We also have locals feeling that they are being discriminated against when applying to a company with many foreign management staff. They believe that foreigners in a hiring position are more inclined to hire and promote people of their own nationality. According to TAFEP’s annual report for fiscal year 2018/2019, the top issue handled from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 was fair consideration for Singaporeans, whereby one in four felt that they were victims of preferential treatment to their foreign counterparts. Some may argue that these are mere general statistics. But I have seen residents coming to me for help for alleged discriminatory practices by employers in these areas above.
We must be more assertive against discrimination of any kind. The UK, for example, has very comprehensive and explicit laws to tackle hiring discrimination and it covers from gender, race, age, marriage, maternity, to disability. The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out different ways in which it is unlawful to treat someone. The Act also specifically puts the onus on employers to produce justification for setting age criteria for their employment process.
Currently, our equality laws are ambiguous and some employers take advantage of loopholes or feign ignorance.
In addition, on addressing the prejudice experienced by Singaporeans in companies with a large population of foreign employees, I would suggest legislation to include that all foreign management staff in hiring positions should be made to undergo compulsory training on employment and hiring practices in Singapore. This is so that there are no excuses for anyone to claim ignorance of our commitment to non-discriminatory work practices.
Next, I would ask for concrete targets to localise our workforce. Hiring foreigners to fill skill gaps is a necessity, but allowing this to continue with no effort to localise after an extended period of time, is simply not reflective of good corporate citizenship. Our localisation efforts can be targeted for a range of skills and companies can incorporate elements of training for eventual local employment and with a specific localisation target, for example, in three to five years. The HR departments of companies would be a good place to start as they handle recruitment, training and welfare of employees.
As part of the localisation strategies, I would like to reiterate my proposal to expand the Capability Transfer Programme (CTP) to support the transfer of capabilities from foreign employees currently employed in Singapore to local employees.
Finally, TAFEP should be billed as our go-to fair consideration employment centre for Singaporeans and be given more resources and the powers to wield a bigger stick – as Member Patrick Tay has mentioned – in a targeted sustainable manner; working with employers to provision for opportunities for our workers whilst at the same time making business sense. I would go as far as to suggest TAFEP and MOM form a dedicated enforcement unit to focus efforts on helping companies to localise and to identify and penalise recalcitrant offenders that are guilty of poor corporate citizenship. A single brand for both enforcement and developmental efforts.
Some employers are so intoxicated by their discriminatory practices that they are inured to the penalties. We need to go beyond issuing them fines or temporarily suspending work passes which perhaps to them is a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things that matter to them.
TAFEP is here to act and I believe so too MOM. So, let us not hesitate to act with more punch against errant employers. TAFEP should not shy away from naming the errant employers so that this can exert a strong pressure on the company, or the culprits in the company who are practising discriminatory practices.
By giving TAFEP powers, this will hopefully send a stronger signal to trigger whistle-blowers who can provide leads to check on suspected companies. I also urge trade unions to mobilise their members to whistle-blow and report suspect cases of discrimination. Unions may consider embedding this in their Collective Agreements.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, there is a fine balance to strike between encouraging foreign companies to invest and set up office here and protecting our workers. With the current global labour competition and economic climate likely to be sustained moving forward, Singapore needs to strengthen our measures, take a leaf out of other countries’ legislation on fair employment and hiring practices and look into anti-discrimination laws to protect our Singaporean workers and future workforce.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Madam, it is not fair. Today, I will speak about the unfair discrimination women and mothers face before they take even a single step in the workplace.
I am speaking up about this again because it is clear that women are treated unfairly at the workplaces. Based on MOM’s data, women earned a median salary of $342 less than men, even those doing the same type of job.
Our female labour force participation rate also shows a disparity. The most recent quarter of data shows that women’s labour participation rate was 61.2%, far below the 75.4% for men.
Working mothers in particular face unique struggles. Last year, a female resident shared worrying concerns with me. She said, \"I have just been to an interview. The HR personnel called me a mother before they even called me by my name. I am in the line of recruitment and such stories are a dime a dozen. My take is that the focus should be on whether we are up for the job. It should not be on whether we are a mother and then assume that we are not able to do the role.\"
I have personally witnessed the conditions my resident talked about. At one job fair that I visited just this past year, I was encouraged by the efforts to help locals find new jobs. What was less encouraging to see was that almost every single booth that I visited asked in their application forms about the marital status and number of children of the applicants. These questions have nothing to do with how capable an applicant is and they disproportionately hurt the chances of women and mothers to find employment.
A study by researchers at Cornell University found that women who did not have children were two times more likely to be called for an interview, as compared with similarly qualified mothers.
Questions about marital status, number of children and plans to have children are not one-off. They are widespread in our economy and a standard part of many companies’ recruitment processes.
Last year, I launched a public survey about this. Eighty percent of female respondents said they had been asked about their marital status at the point of recruitment. Fifty percent were asked whether they have had or planned to have children. More than 60% felt that having children or planning to have children would make them more likely to be rejected or to be offered a lower salary.
One respondent said, \"At a final interview with a local bank, they blatantly told me that I should not get pregnant if I were to take on the role.\"
Over the weekend, just this weekend, another young mother shared with me about the numerous times she faced discrimination during job interviews. She was asked about her childcare arrangements, who would pick up and drop off the child and even whether she would not do work when her child is unwell. She shared with me, “My husband has never once been subjected to questions similar to those which I have received at interviews or ever been \"grilled\" about our childcare arrangement; or whether he is sure he can put in the work required even when his interviewers are aware that he is married and has a child”. The young mother asked me, “Is it fair that they get penalised for it before even being given the opportunity to prove their worth?”
Indeed, questions about marital status and number of children are harmful. They hurt the job prospects of all women, with mothers particularly suffering. They hurt employers as they may miss out finding the best candidate for their roles. They hurt our nation’s standing as a society that provides fair opportunities to women.
Fortunately, we do not have to start from scratch in tackling such discrimination. We have the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practice, or the Tripartite Guidelines for short. The Tripartite Guidelines on job application forms prohibit questions on age, gender, race, religion, marital status, family responsibilities and disability.
The Guidelines are a step in the right direction by setting out fair and responsible employment and hiring practices.
However, the Tripartite Guidelines remain that – guidelines. In the meantime, questions that clearly flout the guidelines are openly asked on application forms and in job interviews. The reality is that these Guidelines are a weak deterrence and are routinely flouted. The current penalty of curtailing work pass privileges for non-compliance is neither appropriate nor sufficient.
It is inappropriate because it makes no sense. We are telling companies that treating women with fairness is important if you want to hire foreign workers. It is insufficient because it does not cover every employer. If you do not hire foreign workers, how would you be hurt by curtailment of work pass privileges?
I know I usually ask for many things. Today, I only have one thing to ask. And that is for us to legislate the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. It would address not only discrimination on the basis of gender or marital status, but also protects against workplace discrimination based on age, race, religion and disability.
It would also provide more methods for enforcement and a wider range of penalties to tackle workplace discrimination. If we are serious about tackling discrimination, we should not tie our own hands by wielding only the blunt tool of work pass privileges.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Ng, please round up.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Most importantly, legislating the guidelines will send a loud and clear message to employers that discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated. It will be illegal and unfair practices will be punished by law. It is time that our laws on workplace discrimination match the seriousness and pervasiveness of the problem.
Madam, the common thread that runs through all three of our speeches today is that we all agree that we need to legislate the Tripartite Guidelines. We know that MOM is the most compassionate Ministry and I hope MOM will say yes to us.
Madam, I am speaking up about this not just for my three daughters who I want to be treated fairly, not just for all women, but for all of us and for our society as a whole and mostly because it is the right thing to do. Let us end the discrimination.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Minister Tan See Leng.
The Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Louis Ng for sharing their views on strengthening the Singaporean Core and ensuring workplace fairness. They have been championing these issues for many years, together with other People’s Action Party (PAP) and Labour Members of Parliament, both past and present. I am grateful for their advocacy.
These issues are indeed top of mind and longstanding priorities for MOM too.
We will address them in two ways today: one, enabling Singaporeans to succeed as industries and jobs transform; and two, tackling workplace discrimination. I will speak on our key efforts in these areas and plans to strengthen fair employment standards.
By accelerating technology adoption and equipping Singaporeans with skillsets for future jobs, we will enable them to seize new opportunities and succeed at the workplace. Businesses will also have a strong local talent pool to support their transformation efforts and growth to compete globally. This is a win-win for all of us.
Jobs and skills for Singaporeans are at the front and centre of MOM’s as well as sector agencies’ plans. The 23 Industry Transformation Maps guide our efforts to upskill and reskill Singaporeans at various stages of their careers. Our graduates are equipped with industry know-how at our Institutes of Higher Learning and we support lifelong learning and skills mastery through the national SkillsFuture movement. Middle-age workers making mid-career switches are supported through Career Conversion Programmes or CCPs. CCPs provide up to 90% training and salary support during the period of training to employers who hire and reskill our mid-career jobseekers. Today, there are over 100 CCPs across 30 sectors and more are being added every year.
Our close partnership with employers, with industry associations ensure that training is always relevant to employers' needs and this means our workers see direct benefits. Programmes such as the Technology in Finance Immersion and TechSkills Accelerator help Singaporeans gain exposure and experience in key tech areas in the financial services sector and allow company-led training programmes to accelerate professional development in 5G, Internet of Things and cybersecurity respectively.
MOM is also working with sector agencies to develop Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs) with detailed job-level insights on the impact of technology on each industry. We have already launched three JTMs: one for HR, one for logistics and another one for the financial services sector. We have plans for 12 more. These JTMs will be a useful compass to prepare all of our workers for the future of work. For example, following the financial services JTM, financial institutions have committed to reskill and to redeploy more than 5,000 employees to take on new and enhanced roles.
We have also ramped up employment facilitation efforts through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, placing more than 110,000 locals into jobs and skills opportunities as of end-April this year. To encourage local hiring, we introduced the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) in September 2020. Within six months it supported 42,000 employers who hired more than 270,000 new local workers.
Mdm Deputy Speaker, all these programmes are for our Singaporean Core, from the young to the old, including those with disabilities as well as ex-offenders. In fact, our efforts to support our local workforce in tackling accelerated structural changes have been commended by the International Monetary Fund. The work is, of course, never finished and we will continue to press on.
Next, I will address workplace discrimination. I can understand the anxieties that Singaporeans feel in an open and competitive labour market. But I assure you that MOM deals with workplace discrimination with utmost seriousness. We will ensure that Singaporeans are considered fairly for employment opportunities.
In my Ministerial Statement on 6 July, I elaborated extensively on how our work pass framework ensures that Singaporeans have fair access to jobs in a very dynamic labour market. However, I want to also reiterate the importance of staying and remaining open. The combination of skilled locals and a diversity of foreign expertise is a key competitive advantage for us in drawing many international companies here, creating more good jobs for Singaporeans.
Beyond nationality-based discrimination, we will and we must also tackle other types of discrimination as well, including on grounds of sex, age, religion, race and disabilities and this must happen across all phases of employment. In fact, MOM has been working on this for more than two decades, progressively stepping up our efforts.
We started with the Tripartite Guidelines on Non-Discriminatory Job Advertisements in 1999 and we formed the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices in 2006. We launched the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) in 2007, which clearly outlines the principles and the practices which employers must adopt at different stages of employment. Since 2013, we have penalised employers who do not abide by the TGFEP by suspending their work pass privileges. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse.
The Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) was also introduced to set clear expectations of employers to consider the workforce in Singapore fairly. More recently, we have also stiffened penalties for all forms of workplace discrimination. The current approach has worked well for us thus far.
Employment outcomes for groups such as women and seniors have improved. And they are, in fact, better than in some advanced economies. If we look at the employment rate of women aged 25 to 64, it has risen steadily from about 66% in 2010 to 73% in 2020, holding steady amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Our adjusted Gender Pay Gap is also lower than in some advanced economies. TAFEP's experience has also been that most employers are cooperative in working with them to close HR gaps.
In recent years, several Members have raised the possibility of legislation to give more enforcement bite to the TGFEP and the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF). We received similar feedback through the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development.
We have never been closed to such suggestions. Legislation could give us more enforcement powers against errant employers beyond suspending work pass privileges and it can confer better protection on employees who whistle-blow. It can also send a clearer signal on what we, as a society, will not tolerate as bad behaviour on the part of employers.
However, laws alone do not guarantee better employment outcomes. We must therefore carefully study our options. We must weigh the costs and benefits and we must determine what would work best in Singapore's interest and in the Singaporean context. So, on the one hand, legislation will provide a clear premise to publicise the names of companies found to have breached the law, but on the other hand, we should also be mindful of the unintended consequences.
For example, if not properly designed, the legal framework could become overly onerous and inadvertently deter employers from setting up shop here and hiring the very groups that we seek to protect.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Minister, I need you to round up.
Dr Tan See Leng: Nonetheless, we empathise with Singaporeans' concerns and apprehensions. So, I am therefore setting up a Tripartite Committee to examine if legislation is the best policy option to advance on the gains that we have made.
Government, union and employer representatives will deliberate thoroughly whether legislation should be pursued, taking into consideration potential ramifications. The Committee should be able to arrive at a decision on the approach that is in the best interests of workers and Singapore.
In conclusion, Mdm Deputy Speaker, Singapore has made good progress in giving opportunities to our workers and treating them fairly. Like many Members in this House, we want to build on the progress we have made. We want to work towards fairer and more progressive workplaces, while preserving our competitiveness.
Legislation has its merits. It is not a panacea and it is not a silver bullet. We need a balanced suite of measures and to not be hampered by an overly rigid framework that hurts all parties involved. Only then can we continue to give Singaporeans the best chance to get ahead and to secure their livelihoods.
Mdm Deputy Speaker: Order. The time allowed for the proceedings has expired.
[(proc text) The Question having been proposed at 6.38 pm and the Debate having continued for half an hour, Mdm Deputy Speaker adjourned the House without Question put pursuant to the Standing Order. (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 7.08 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":"Rising Prices of Vegetables and Fresh Produce Imported from Malaysia","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"23 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the prices of vegetables and fresh produce imported from Malaysia have risen since June 2021; (b) if so, what are the underlying causes; and (c) how can the Government help to mitigate the impact of cost increases, especially for families.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: MTI does not capture the consumer price index (CPI) of specific food sources. However, the CPI of leafy and fruit vegetables, which Malaysia is a source for, rose by less than 1% in June 2021. This small increase was likely contributed by increased business costs due to Malaysia’s recent Enhanced Movement Control Orders (EMCO) across the country, as well as seasonal weather that reduced crop supply.
To mitigate the impact of such supply fluctuations, Singapore has been diversifying our import sources of vegetables and produce to keep prices stable. The Government also continues to assist Singapore families in various ways. For example, MSF’s Social Service Offices (SSOs) provide ComCare assistance to low-income households to support their daily living expenses such as food, clothing, transportation and communications. From time to time, the Government also introduces one-off support measures to help Singaporeans with their household expenses during periods of economic uncertainty, such as the Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers Scheme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Common Causes of Home Fires in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"25 Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the common causes of house fires in the past five years; (b) how has the SCDF been spreading awareness about fire safety at home within the community; and (c) whether SCDF plans to come up with new initiatives to increase awareness about fire safety at home.
Mr K Shanmugam: The common causes of residential fires are unattended cooking, indiscriminate disposal of lighted materials such as cigarette butts and fires of electrical origin, which include overloading of electrical sockets and use of uncertified electrical devices.
SCDF has been raising awareness about fire hazards and sharing fire safety tips with the public through community events and targeted outreach. For example, it works with community partners such as the Community Emergency and Engagement Committees (C2Es) to organise community engagement events, which provide hands-on training on the use of fire extinguishers and disseminate fire safety educational materials. After a fire incident, SCDF partners the C2Es to conduct door-to-door engagements with residents of the affected blocks to share fire safety tips and assuage possible concerns. SCDF also organises Community Emergency Preparedness Programmes (CEPP) that members of the public can sign up for to learn lifesaving and emergency response procedures.
SCDF regularly reviews its outreach and introduces new initiatives every now and then to enhance the public’s knowledge of fire safety. When the COVID-19 situation stabilises, SCDF will introduce Community Resilience Days, where it will organise roadshows in the heartlands to teach basic lifesaving and emergency preparedness skills. We encourage the public to participate in these events.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Design of Common Areas in Residential Areas to Promote Greater Social Interaction","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"29 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB has conducted any studies on the effectiveness of the various architectural designs of the common areas of HDB blocks such as the corridors and lift lobbies over the years in facilitating social interaction between residents in a particular block; and (b) whether the common areas on a floor, block or precinct level can be better designed to promote greater social interaction among residents.
Mr Desmond Lee: HDB precincts are designed with a variety of common spaces and communal amenities, and HDB has made a conscious effort to design such spaces and amenities to facilitate interactions amongst residents and promote community bonding. These communal spaces include those at the block level catering for smaller groups to meet and interact, as well as larger spaces at the precinct level for larger gatherings and events. HDB ensures that the amenities are suited for users of all generations and that they are strategically located to ensure convenience and maximise interactions among residents.
The design of HDB blocks has evolved over the years and HDB continually reviews its planning norms and enhances the provision and design of communal areas within the precincts and blocks to ensure that they meet the needs of residents and facilitate community bonding. For instance, in newer blocks, HDB has introduced furnished Community Living Rooms where neighbours can meet and bond. Standalone precinct pavilions are also provided for larger social functions and community activities, such as group exercises and weddings. HDB also ensures that there are sufficient social community facilities such as childcare centres and active ageing hubs, some of which are co-located to encourage inter-generational bonding and increase interactions among residents.
Beyond the block, HDB towns are provided with facilities and spaces at the town and neighbourhood level, such as markets, eating places, neighbourhood parks and community plazas.
Through the Sample Household Survey (SHS) conducted every five years, HDB obtains useful data and feedback on the facilities within HDB precincts, their usage by residents and the level of interactions among neighbours, amongst other matters. The proportion of households who agreed that there were sufficient places for neighbourly interactions has remained consistently high at around 97% in the 2013 and 2018 SHS. The SHS also shows that neighbourly interactions tend to take place most commonly at public spaces within the block, with the proportions of residents meeting and interacting with their neighbours within the block in fact increasing over the past 10 years. This is consistent across blocks of different ages.
Building thriving communities is an ongoing process. HDB will continue to explore new ways of designing community spaces, to meet our residents’ evolving lifestyle needs and preferences. We invite all Singaporeans to contribute ideas to shape their estates through the ongoing public engagement for the Long-Term Plan Review, or programmes such as HDB’s Lively Places Programme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Shortage or Surplus of Social Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"30 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether there is a current shortage or surplus of social workers; and (b) if there is a shortage, what are the plans to address this shortage.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: In the past five years, the number of social workers has grown with the launch of Singapore University of Social Sciences’ Bachelor in Social Work programme in 2016. This augments the pipeline of graduates from the National University of Singapore, Bachelor of Arts in Social Work programme. Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes in the form of part-time undergraduate degrees, graduate diplomas and master’s by coursework programmes also contribute to the pipeline of social workers.
MSF and National Council of Social Service (NCSS) also support mid-career professionals who are interested to join the sector as a social worker through the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP). The PCP enables mid-career professionals to undergo skills conversion and move into new job roles as social workers.
As of end-2020, there were 2,100 registered social workers1. We expect the supply of social workers to be sufficient to meet the increase in demand in the coming years.
The demand for social services is expected to grow with demographic changes and the growing complexity of needs. MSF and NCSS will continue to work with MOE to plan the pipeline of graduates from the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) with social work qualifications. We will also continue to work with Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to ensure the attractiveness of jobs in the sector, through measures such as improving SSAs’ human resource competencies and promoting the Sector Salary Guidelines that provide a reference for SSAs to offer competitive remuneration packages.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : The figure includes all registered social workers (for example, in the social service, healthcare sector and so on.) and does not capture social workers who are not registered with the Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board."],"footNoteQuestions":["30"],"questionNo":"30"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Utilisation Rates and Profile of Residents at Safe, Sound Sleeping Places","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"31 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many Safe, Sound Sleeping Places (S3Ps) are currently in existence; (b) what is the current utilisation of spaces in S3Ps; (c) what proportion of current S3P users are regulars; (d) what is the median number of nights spent by users at S3Ps; (e) whether the Government is keeping track of the profile of S3Ps users; and (f) whether the Government aims to continue working with the expanded number of S3Ps post-COVID-19 to maintain continuity and accessibility.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: As of 31 May 2021, there were 20 Safe Sound Sleeping Places (S3Ps) operated by community partners under the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network. S3Ps are unfunded ground-up initiatives that provide rough sleepers and homeless persons with a safe environment in which they can rest for the night. They also make it easier for befrienders and social service agencies to keep in touch with rough sleepers and homeless persons to provide social support in a timely manner.
As of 31 May 2021, the occupancy rate of S3Ps was 93%. The median number of nights spent by residents at the S3Ps was approximately five months. About 45% of those who stay in S3Ps have sought shelter there regularly for at least six months.
In terms of the profile of S3P residents, some of them are unable to return home; or have lost their accommodation due to tensions with family members or co-tenants; loss of income; or other issues such as divorce. Some others have been affected by travel restrictions due to COVID-19 and are unable to return to their country of residence. Those who are waiting out the travel restrictions and looking for alternative housing options have been some of the longer stayers at S3Ps.
MSF has been working closely with our community partners to link up residents at the S3Ps with help agencies so that they can get the appropriate support. Individuals who are prepared to work with social workers to secure stable long-term housing are referred to MSF-funded Transitional Shelters. We also refer them to appropriate help agencies such as the Social Service Offices (SSOs), Family Service Centres (FSCs) and HDB that can work with them on their immediate needs and underlying issues to improve their circumstances.
S3Ps are an important initiative of the PEERS Network. They have embodied the Singapore Together spirit as the Government and community partners work in collaboration to support those who sleep rough. MSF will continue to work with our partners to provide social support to the S3P residents and to explore the possibility of setting up new S3Ps as needed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Single Unwed Parents Who Apply for Interim Housing while Awaiting Completion of New Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"32 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development for each year in the past five years (a) how many single unwed parents applied for interim housing under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) while awaiting completion of their new flat; (b) how many of such applications have been successful; and (c) for applicants who are rejected, whether HDB followed up with them and offered alternative housing.
Mr Desmond Lee: Since 2016, two single unwed parents have submitted applications under the PPHS and both applicants were invited to select a flat. One applicant was allocated a PPHS flat, while the other applicant did not select a flat when invited to do so.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Ban Use of Styrofoam Packaging for Food Takeaways","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"33 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider banning the use of Styrofoam packaging for food takeaways.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: We currently have no plans to ban the use of Styrofoam packaging for food takeaways. Styrofoam packaging is of concern in countries where waste is sent directly to landfill, as it is non-biodegradable and remains in the landfill for a long time. In Singapore, all incinerable waste, including Styrofoam packaging, is incinerated safely at waste-to-energy incineration plants fitted with pollution control equipment.
Reusables remain the more environmentally friendly option. We encourage the public to use reusables for food takeaways and avoid excessive consumption of all disposables, including Styrofoam.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation of Micro-investment Products","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"34 Mr Desmond Choo asked Prime Minister in view of a broader trend of financial institutions and companies selling micro-investment products (a) what is the situation in Singapore; and (b) how will MAS seek to regulate such products and educate Singaporeans about such investments.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): Micro-investment products, as their name suggests, require small minimum investment amounts – some as low as $1. The product range largely mirrors those of investment products available for larger minimum investment amounts. Examples of micro-investment products include regular investment savings plans, investments in exchange-traded funds, as well as private equity or debt investments. Given the small minimum investments required, these products are aimed at retail investors.
The offer of micro-investment products1 to retail investors, so long as these are capital markets products, is subject to regulation and business conduct requirements by MAS. These include rules on assessing investor suitability, fair dealing, minimum product disclosures, as well as safe custody and segregation of customers’ monies and assets.
The current take-up of micro-investments among Singapore investors remains fairly low. As at end-2020, approximately $3.4 billion was invested in such products with MAS-licensed banks, robo advisers and securities crowdfunding platforms, and this constitutes less than 3% of the financial industry’s total assets under management for retail funds. Nevertheless, there is growing interest amongst investors for such micro-investment products.
MAS through MoneySense undertakes ongoing initiatives to educate consumers on the factors to consider prior to committing to an investment. Beside understanding the product’s features, benefits and risks, investors should also deal only with entities regulated by MAS. Investors can access MoneySense content through the MoneySense website and social media as well as public seminars and workshops.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Capital markets products include both equity and debt securities, collective investment schemes, futures, and over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives."],"footNoteQuestions":["34"],"questionNo":"34"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Applications for Digital Token Service Provider Licence","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"35 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister (a) to date, what is the total number of digital payment token service provider applicants, with a breakdown by applications that are (i) withdrawn (ii) rejected and (iii) approved; (b) what is the number of entities currently exempted from holding a licence under the Payment Services Act for the provision of digital payment token services; and (c) what is the average duration of exemption to date.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): The new Payment Services Act (PS Act) commenced on 28 January 2020. As part of the transitional arrangements, entities that were engaged in regulated activities before the commencement of the Act were exempted from holding a licence if they submitted licence applications before the end of a specified grace period. The specified grace period for digital payment token (DPT) service providers ended in July 2020, six months after the commencement of the PS Act. The exemption remains in force until the applications are approved or rejected by MAS or withdrawn by the applicant.
There are currently around 90 DPT service providers that operate under this exemption. The list of entities that have been granted an exemption from holding a licence is available on the MAS website.
Since the commencement of the PS Act, MAS has received over 480 licence applications. Of these, around 170 applicants (or 35%) have applied to provide DPT services. To date, 30 DPT applications (or 18%) have been withdrawn after engagement with MAS and two have been rejected. Thus far, MAS has not issued any licence to DPT service providers, but several applications are in the final stages of review.
MAS closely scrutinises all applications and considers various factors. These include the applicant’s understanding of risks relating to money laundering and financing of terrorism (ML/TF) and the technology risks posed by their business model, as well as the adequacy of controls instituted to mitigate such risks. We will reject applicants who fail to meet the required standards for ML/TF and technology risks set out in MAS' regulations and notices.
MAS will continue to closely monitor the rapid developments in the DPT services sector and will ensure that risks are effectively managed as part of the licensing and supervision process.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for CPF Contributions to be Paid when Foreign Spouses of Singaporeans Work","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"38 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry can allow the foreign spouse of a Singaporean who is holding a Long-Term Visit Pass Plus and who has Singaporean children to have CPF contributions that can be used to help support the family's housing loan.
Dr Tan See Leng: The CPF system is designed to support Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents in their retirement, healthcare and housing needs. Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus holders married to Singapore Citizens are supported by other measures and such couples also receive support in the area of housing. If these foreign spouses are granted Permanent Residency, the requirement to contribute to CPF will begin.
A spouse on Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus can support the family’s housing loan through cash. For HDB flat owners, HDB exercises flexibility and considers appeals to include the foreign spouse’s income for the computation of the loan amount on a case-by-case basis.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Introduction and Rollout of EV Common Charger Grant","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"40 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether he can give an update on the introduction and rollout of the EV Common Charger Grant; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider extending the grant beyond the first 2,000 chargers.
Mr S Iswaran: As announced last week, the EV Common Charger Grant will be open for application from 29 July 2021. The Grant will co-fund the cost of installation for up to 2,000 electric vehicle chargers at non-landed private residences in Singapore, such as condominiums and private apartments. Eligible cost components will receive 50% reimbursement, subject to an overall cap of S$4,000 per charger. Up to 1% of residential parking lots per development can benefit from the Grant. More details can be found on LTA’s website. Interested parties may apply via the Government’s Business Grants Portal from 29 July 2021.
MOT will monitor the take-up and effectiveness of the Grant, and review if there is a need to extend the Grant in due course.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of En Bloc Sales on Environmental Damage and Rise in Housing Prices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry has conducted any studies on the environmental impact of private en bloc sales; (b) whether the Ministry has conducted any studies on the price impact of en bloc sales; (c) if so, what are the results of such studies; and (d) whether the Ministry will introduce legislation limiting en bloc sales of newer developments in order to prevent unnecessary environmental damage and rises in housing prices.
Mr Desmond Lee: Under the Land Titles (Strata) Act, buildings that are 10 years in age or more are required to obtain consent from 80% of owners before the collective sale can proceed. For buildings less than 10 years in age, consent is required from 90% of owners, so the threshold is higher for newer developments.
Even if the required consent threshold is reached, the eventual outcome of the en bloc sale is dependent on many factors, including prevailing market conditions, developers’ demand for land, and sellers’ price expectations. As with any other land sale site, the impact of en bloc sales on property prices is also contingent on different factors, including the attributes of the site as well as market conditions. For example, the increase in dwelling units due to the intensification of an en bloc sale site could help to meet housing demand in a particular area, and may hence help to moderate property prices.
Let me now move on to the environmental impact. Every development proposal goes through a robust planning evaluation process which assesses not only its potential environmental impact, but also other aspects such as traffic, public health and heritage. As part of this process, technical agencies may require more detailed studies to be conducted, before planning approval is given.
To minimise the environmental impact when buildings are demolished and rebuilt, we also promote the adoption of sustainable construction practices. For example, BCA’s Code of Practice for Demolition provides guidelines for improving the recovery of waste from demolition. In 2020, over 99% of debris from demolition was recycled for further use in the Built Environment sector. BCA’s Green Mark scheme also awards points to developments that make use of resource-efficient building designs and conserve existing buildings onsite. This approach allows us to undertake development in an environmentally responsible manner, while meeting the housing needs of Singaporeans.
","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 Commuters with Issued Public Transport Concessions Cards","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"42 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) to date, how many public transport concession cards are issued to commuters; (b) what is the breakdown between the different demographics; and (c) how much does the Ministry spend annually in subsidies for these concession cards over the past 10 years.
Mr S Iswaran: As at end June 2021, there are about two million valid public transport concession cards.
The majority of the concession cardholders are senior citizens and students, who account for 47% and 31% of the cards respectively. Child concession cards make up 6% of the cardholders while adult monthly travel cards and full-time NSF concession cards each make up 3% of the concession cards. These travel/concession schemes are subsidised by adult-fare paying commuters.
The remaining 9% and 1% of cardholders are beneficiaries of the Workfare Transport Concession Scheme and Persons with Disabilities Concession Scheme respectively. These two schemes are subsidised by the Government and depending on the number of cards issued and travel pattern that year, the subsidy ranged from $14.5 million to $18.3 million per year since their inception in 2014.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons for Unsuccessful Six-month Trial of On-demand Public Buses in Joo Koon, Marina-Downtown and Central Business District to Bedok/Tampines","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"43 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the reasons behind the unsuccessful six-month trial of on-demand public buses in Joo Koon, Marina-Downtown and the Central Business District to Bedok/Tampines; (b) whether the concept of on-demand public buses can work for new towns with low ridership demand and limited public transport connectivity such as the upcoming Tengah estate; and (c) whether the Ministry is open to conducting such a trial in Tengah.
Mr S Iswaran: The six-month trial for on-demand public bus was conducted from December 2018 to June 2019 in Joo Koon, Marina-Downtown and Central Business District to Bedok and Tampines. During the trial, commuters could request via a mobile app to be picked up and dropped off at any bus stop within a pre-specified area.
There was low take-up for these on-demand buses. The average ridership per kilometre ranged from 14% to 27% of the scheduled bus services operating in the above areas.
Due to the nature of their operations and lower ridership, on-demand public buses require substantial amounts of public subsidies to remain commercially viable. These are resources which could be used to serve a wider segment of commuters, such as feeder buses to connect residents of new BTO projects to key transport nodes in their towns.
For new residential towns such as Tengah, there are plans to provide residents with good public transport connectivity. These include feeder bus services to the rail network, such as the future Jurong Region Line which will serve Tengah town.
If there are proposals from service providers on further ways to enhance the first-and-last mile connectivity in new towns, LTA will be happy to explore these ideas together with the industry.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for Limited Trial of Four-day Work Week in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"44 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Government has undertaken a study on shorter work weeks; and (b) whether the Government can consider a limited trial of a four-day work week in Singapore.
Dr Tan See Leng: Any employer wishing to pilot a four-day work week with their staff can do so, as there is no legal impediment to implementing such a scheme.
We have noted reports of such small-scale pilots in some countries and their initial results. Given the current economic situation in Singapore, the Ministry is prioritising core issues such as uplifting low-wage workers, job creation, developing the Singaporean Core and enhancing the effectiveness of fair employment rules. We also continue to promote work-life harmony by supporting initiatives such as flexible work arrangements and the Alliance for Action on Work Life Harmony that was launched earlier this year.
Having said that, we welcome research or studies by others that can contribute to the development of policies that are pro-worker and pro-business.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Limit Human Traffic to Core and Sensitive Nature Areas","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) as visitorship at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has increased from 400,000 to 700,000 people in 2020, what is the ecological impact of the increased footfall on the core nature areas; (b) what are the visitorship rates at adjacent buffer parks like Hindhede, Dairy Farm and Bukit Batok Nature Park; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider limiting the traffic to core nature areas through strategic trail closures and by redirecting the public to less sensitive buffer parks.
Mr Desmond Lee: We have seen high visitorship to our parks and nature reserves during the COVID-19 pandemic, including nature parks adjacent to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
NParks has taken steps to mitigate ecological impact to our core nature areas. For instance, NParks has realigned trails in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to direct human traffic away from the Reserve’s core conservation areas, allowing these areas to serve as wildlife refuges undisturbed by human activity. NParks has also installed railings along the trails to help visitors keep to designated trails. In addition, our nature reserves and many of the surrounding nature parks are closed to the public from 7.00 pm to 7.00 am daily. This protects the nocturnal rhythms of the animals from human activity.
NParks will continue to expand the network of parks, including nature parks, so that more Singaporeans can enjoy nature-based recreation. This will help to spread out the demand for such recreational experiences. We would also like to remind park users to be responsible towards our flora and fauna, so that our native biodiversity can continue to thrive in our green spaces.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Designate Areas around Southern Islands as Protected Zones","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"46 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many visitors have been to our Southern Islands between June 2020 and June 2021; (b) whether the Government will consider designating specific sea spaces around the Southern Islands as protected areas for purposes such as environmental conservation and education, scientific research and protection of our marine biodiversity and ecosystems, and recreational use; and (c) whether the Government sees a need to issue guidelines for public education on the same.
Mr Desmond Lee: Between June 2020 and June 2021, a monthly average of about 17,000 people visited St John's Island, which is also land-linked to Seringat Island, Lazarus Island and Kias Island. This is an increase from a monthly average of about 6,800 visitors in 2019.
Agencies such as NParks and SLA have taken steps to protect our marine biodiversity and ecosystems, even as more visitors explore the Southern Islands. For example, in 2014, NParks designated the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park as a marine protected area due to the rich marine biodiversity in its waters. Within the Marine Park, some conservation and research sites are not open to the public and can only be accessed by authorised individuals for scientific research, habitat restoration and species recovery activities. NParks also has plans to develop a floating boardwalk at the Marine Park, to allow visitors to observe marine life up-close without disturbing them. NParks, in consultation with the marine community, will continue to assess the need to designate other areas around the Southern Islands as marine parks for the purposes of biodiversity conservation or scientific research, while allowing visitors to enjoy our natural spaces.
NParks works with stakeholders, including the Friends of Marine Park, to organise public education and outreach programmes on marine conservation, such as seminars, workshops, guided nature walks and citizen science activities. NParks also deploys officers and installs signs around the intertidal and subtidal areas to educate visitors on how to interact responsibly with marine wildlife. NParks will continue to work with stakeholders to step up public outreach and education efforts to raise awareness about protecting our marine biodiversity.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Expanding Sentencing Options for Wildlife Feeding Offence to Include Mandatory Treatment Order and Community Work Order","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"47 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development whether sentencing options for the offence of wildlife feeding under section 5A of the Wildlife Act can be extended to include the mandatory treatment order and community work order to deal with the prevalence of repeat offenders and offenders with psychiatric issues.
Mr Desmond Lee: NParks adopts a holistic, multi-pronged approach to tackle illegal wildlife feeding. For repeat offenders or those with psychiatric issues, NParks partners Town Councils, Municipal Services Office (MSO), PA, and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to find out their motivations and to discourage them from continuing to feed wildlife. NParks also partners the AIC to offer nature-based activities to these feeders. For example, since January 2020, NParks has engaged repeat feeders of wild birds and offered them activities such as community gardening and bird-watching to discourage them from illegal bird-feeding. In addition, the AIC offers mental health assistance to repeat offenders with underlying conditions, where appropriate. Such engagement efforts have enhanced NParks’ management of illegal wildlife feeding.
Sentencing options such as the mandatory treatment order (MTO) or community work order (CWO) may not always be suitable in dealing with repeat wildlife feeders or those with psychiatric issues. For example, an MTO is only appropriate if the offender and his or her psychiatric condition are suitable for treatment and the psychiatric condition of the offender is a contributing factor to the offence. As for the CWO, it may be challenging for elderly offenders with other health or mobility conditions to perform CWO sentences.
NParks will continue to review its wildlife management efforts and take a reasonable, multi-pronged approach to address issues of wildlife feeding.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Encourage Utilisation and Expansion of Elderly Befriender Services to Reduce Elderly Suicide Rates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"49 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Health (a) how many elderly persons have benefited from CareLine since its rollout and what is being done to raise awareness and encourage its usage; (b) whether more resources will be given to befriender services and suicide prevention groups; (c) whether the Silver Generation Office can increase the number of house visits to seniors living alone; and (d) what is the protocol when the senior declines assistance.
50 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health with elderly suicides on the rise, whether the Ministry can provide resources to religious organisations to help address this issue.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: MOH adopts a multi-pronged approach, comprising upstream prevention, supportive care as well as crisis intervention for those at-risk of mental health difficulties. Under this approach, there are several channels of help:
The Institute of Mental Health (IMH)'s Mental Health Helpline, available to the public 24 hours daily, provides counseling for those suffering from psychological and psychiatric problems.
Within the community, Family Service Centres (FSCs) provide case management and counselling support to low-income and vulnerable individuals and families, to help them deal with financial and other difficulties.
In addition, there are dedicated programmes for the young and old. IMH’s Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) conducts outreach and mental health assessments for young people between 16 and 30 years old. In 2020, CHAT has performed more than 760 mental health assessments and close to 200 webCHAT sessions.
The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has been working with community partners to provide persons at risk of mental health conditions or dementia, with related information and link them to community resources. As of end 2020, we have set up 50 community outreach teams and reached out to more than 54,000 people in the community. AIC also supports and conducts e-training courses and provides relevant materials for community partners, including faith-based organisations.
Various initiatives are also in place to pre-empt social isolation, which is often associated with higher rates of depression and higher suicide risks. For example, befrienders based in Eldercare Centres (ECs) make regular home visits and check-in calls to seniors needing support.
The Silver Generation Office (SGO) complements this, by conducting targeted and frequent outreach to frail seniors and seniors who are living alone. If seniors decline assistance, SGOs will continue to build trust with the senior’s caregivers or community partners and establish at least one emergency contact whom the senior can approach in times of need.
CareLine, a 24/7 social support hotline, provides tele-befriending as well as emergency response services to seniors in distress. As of May 2021, CareLine has supported around 10,000 vulnerable seniors and has been collaborating with SGO and the ECs. Seniors may also contact other support hotlines such as The Seniors Helpline operated by Sage Counselling Centre, and Samaritans of Singapore Hotline, which provide counselling and suicide prevention resources.
MOH will continue to work closely with our partners to develop community resources and build their capabilities to better support the mental health and well-being of the population.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Smoking-related Enforcements Meted Out","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the current number of NEA enforcement officers who carry out surveillances and enforcements on smoking related offences; (b) what is the average number of complaints related to smoking received each month; and (c) what is the average number of smoking related enforcements meted out.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: National Environment Agency (NEA) enforcement officers carry out surveillance and enforcement operations on a range of public health offences such as littering and spitting, in addition to smoking in prohibited places.
In 2020, NEA received a monthly average of 3,100 instances of feedback related to smoking and issued 1,500 tickets monthly for smoking in prohibited places.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on HDB Flat Transactions Affected by Ethnic Integration Policy and Help for Flat Sellers or Buyers Impacted by Policy","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"53 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) (a) whether the Ministry will consider introducing a discount to the fixed resale levy payable by non-Chinese home owners selling at lower prices in Chinese-constrained transactions as a way to reduce the economic impact of the EIP on minorities; and (b) if so, what may be a suitable price benchmark to determine such a discount.
54 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB can consider other policy options to alleviate the financial burden of HDB flat owners who are unable to secure a purchaser of a particular race in adherence with the Ethnic Integration Policy such as by providing greater subsidies to attract potential buyers of that particular race to purchase such flat units.
55 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development given that HDB flats tenanted out in the open market are not subject to the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP), whether HDB monitors the frequency and tenure of the letting out of HDB flat units and take a proactive step to ensure that the EIP is adhered to in spirit, especially for longer-term leases or HDB flat units which are frequently leased out.
56 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) and resale flats sold below market valuation due to EIP constraints (a) in each of the last three years, what was the median price differential (i) in absolute terms and (ii) as a proportion of the respective prevailing market valuation; and (b) whether HDB will consider establishing a risk pooling mechanism to underwrite and reduce the economic impact for home owners selling below market valuation due to EIP constraints.
57 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for National Development what is the difference in the gains from sale of HDB flats in neighbourhoods where the Ethnic Integration Policy limits are reached and the open market, broken down by (i) BTO flats and (ii) resale flats at the time of purchase.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) seeks to ensure that our HDB estates remain diverse and inclusive, and to foster interactions and shared understanding amongst Singaporeans of various races. The EIP applies to all ethnic groups and caps the proportion of flats in each HDB block and neighbourhood that can be owned by households of each ethnic group. The EIP limits are higher than the national demographic proportion of each ethnic group to allow for local variations in each block and neighbourhood.
The EIP applies to the sale and purchase of all HDB flats, as well as in the allocation of HDB public rental flats. Tenants who rent HDB flats or rooms on the open market are not subject to the EIP, as their stays are typically more temporary in nature. That said, to prevent the formation of foreigner enclaves, HDB introduced the \"Non-Citizen Quota for Renting Out of Flat\" in 2014 to cap the number of flats that can be wholly rented out to non-Malaysian non-citizens within each block and neighbourhood. The non-citizen quotas at the block and neighbourhood levels are 11% and 8% respectively.
When the EIP limits are reached for an ethnic group, sellers from other ethnic groups are unable to sell their flats to buyers from that group. With a smaller pool of eligible buyers, sellers may have to lower their asking price or may take longer to sell their flat. This happens across all races, including Chinese sellers who are affected by the non-Chinese EIP limits. That said, we do receive more appeals from sellers from the minority races who find it more difficult to sell their flats at their desired price. This is because Chinese buyers form a larger proportion of the market and the impact on individual non-Chinese sellers is therefore larger when the Chinese EIP limits are reached.
However, it is difficult to size the exact impact of the EIP on financial outcomes. The selling price of a flat could be affected by many factors, including the location, storey height and the physical condition of the flat. Timing also matters, as market sentiments change over time. Similarly, the price of a flat at the point of purchase also depends on multiple factors. In particular, if a flat had been purchased on the resale market and was affected by the EIP limits at the point of purchase, the current seller could have bought the flat at a lower price, a positive financial impact from the EIP at that point. As such, the financial gains would vary for each transaction and for reasons other than and even due to the EIP.
As I shared in Parliament earlier this month, we are studying the situation carefully, including what more we can do to help affected sellers. We appreciate the suggestions raised by Mr Xie Yao Quan, Mr Zhulkarnain and Dr Tan Wu Meng, and will consider them in our review. But let me say that any potential measure must apply to all races and should be targeted at addressing the unintended effects of the EIP. For example, it might not be appropriate to tie the resale levy to the EIP as they serve different policy objectives. The resale levy is intended to reduce the size of the second housing subsidy from HDB and hence, applies to those who buy a second subsidised flat from HDB. Not all EIP-constrained flat sellers will buy a second subsidised flat and be liable for a resale levy in the first place.
HDB will also continue to exercise flexibility for EIP-constrained owners on a case-by-case basis. For instance, HDB may give the household more time to sell their flat, or even waive the EIP limit if there are exceptional circumstances. We will keep working to smoothen the rough edges of the policy and seek Singaporeans' continued support for the EIP and the vital role it plays in fostering racial harmony and understanding.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for National Service-component in Starting Salaries of Public Service Employees","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"58 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Prime Minister (a) whether the Public Service takes into account the completion of National Service when deciding on starting salaries; (b) if so, what is the rationale and how many positions’ starting salaries factor this in; and (c) whether there are current efforts to equalise salaries between the genders as Public Service employees' careers progress.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): The Civil Service strongly supports the role that male Singaporeans play in contributing to Singapore’s security through their service of full-time National Service (FTNS). We accord all Singaporean male officers salary increments for their duration of FTNS at the point of their first appointment into the Civil Service. This is to bring them on par with their peers in the same age cohort who did not serve FTNS. Once officers enter the Civil Service, their salary and career progression are based on individual merit and performance and not differentiated by gender.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Singaporean Students Admitted for Computer Science Degrees at Local Universities and Sufficiency of Such Numbers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"59 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Education (a) how many Singaporean students have applied for computer science degrees in each Autonomous University in each of the last 10 years; (b) of these, how many have been offered admission in each year and each University; (c) why has the number of local graduates holding computer science degrees been insufficient to meet demand in the local IT sector; and (d) what plans have been considered to increase the intake of computer science students to meet industry demand for tech talent.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: MOE works closely with MOM and economic agencies to plan the supply of degree places across different course clusters every year. The Ministry takes into account their inputs on industry demand and national manpower needs across different sectors, as well as students’ interests and aspirations.
Given the rise in industry demand for tech talent, we have increased the number of places in Information & Digital Technologies (IDT) degree courses over the past 10 years. Today, on average across the Autonomous Universities (AUs), about half of the applications received are offered a place. A single applicant may put in multiple application across the AUs.
The number of local IDT undergraduate places rose four-fold from 800 in 2010 to 3,100 in 2020. As a proportion of all AU places, the number of IDT undergraduate places increased from 7% in 2010 to 17% in 2020. The breakdown of the 2020 IDT intake of 3,100 places across the AUs was: 1,200 in National University of Singapore (NUS), 600 in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), about 500 each in Singapore Management University (SMU) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), and about 100 each in Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).
Apart from students in IDT courses, some undergraduates in other AU courses, for example engineering, also take up tech jobs when they graduate. According to Graduate Employment Surveys conducted by the AUs in the last five years, about half of the fresh graduates employed in tech jobs did not major in IDT and they take up roles such as Software Engineer and Data Analyst. This is because the AUs have been facilitating students from various disciplines to take on IDT-related minors or second majors.
Our industry needs cannot be met by fresh graduates alone. Even as we grow the number of IDT places overall and encourage more students to take on second majors or minors in IDT, we have to balance this with the manpower needs of other sectors, given our shrinking birth cohorts and limited graduate supply. To supplement this, MOE and sector agencies are ramping up Continuing Education and Training (CET) pathways significantly. This includes expanding TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) programmes under IMDA, which has placed over 8,000 Singaporeans into tech jobs since its inception in 2016.
MOE will continue to work closely with economic agencies and the AUs to further strengthen the local talent pipeline for tech jobs in the Singapore economy.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Noise-related Complaints at HDB Estates and Measures to Ensure Conducive Work-from-home Environment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"60 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB has received increasing numbers of noise-related complaints since December 2020; and (b) what are the new measures implemented to provide a more conducive work-from-home environment.
Mr Desmond Lee: From December 2020 to June 2021, feedback about noise from neighbouring HDB units, excluding renovation noise, remained generally stable at about 1,400 cases per month. During the same period, feedback about renovation noise ranged from 1,200 to 2,300 cases per month, with an increase in May 2021 likely due to the return to default work-from-home arrangements.
Neighbours should respect and be considerate to one another, especially when we spend more time at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When a household’s actions affect neighbours, we encourage them to communicate with each other as a first step towards resolving the matter. When HDB receives feedback from residents affected by noise disturbance from neighbours, HDB will convey the feedback to the neighbours and seek their understanding to keep the noise level down. When alerted to such feedback, most neighbours will take measures to minimise the inconvenience to other residents.
Should disputes remain intractable, residents can seek help from community leaders or the Community Mediation Centre for mediation to resolve the issue amicably. As a last resort, they can also file a case at the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal. MCCY is currently leading an inter-agency review to strengthen the Community Dispute Management Framework, which seeks to promote neighbourliness to minimise disputes and to encourage the amicable resolution of disputes via mediation.
HDB has also put in place additional measures to address the issue of renovation noise, since more residents are now working or studying from home. For instance, before carrying out renovation works, all contractors listed in HDB’s Directory of Renovation Contractors are currently required to notify the neighbours within a radius of two-units all around the flat that will be undergoing renovations, three days in advance. HDB is exploring the possibility of extending the advance notice period to give residents more time to make alternative arrangements.
In addition, HDB residents are now able to receive and view notices for upcoming flat renovation works at their blocks through the OneService App. The advance notice will allow affected neighbours to make alternative arrangements or to approach the contractors to adjust the renovation schedules. Residents who need further assistance can approach HDB, who will help to facilitate alternatives, including providing information on the available alternative work and study spaces, such as those in community centres and commercial co-working spaces, and working with MOM to see if the resident can return to the office, subject to safe management measures.
To promote good neighbourliness, HDB actively engages residents through exhibitions, volunteer networks like the Friends of Our Heartlands and campaigns such as the recent collaboration with the Singapore Kindness Movement. The Municipal Services Office (MSO) also has an ongoing study to better understand noise issues in specific feedback hotspots in HDB estates so that we can develop new strategies to approach this issue. In addition, MSO is working with residents, grassroots organisations and community stakeholders in various Divisions across Singapore through the Love Our ’Hood Initiative to design community solutions to address neighbourly disamenities, with the next location being Pioneer. Ultimately, good communication and neighbourliness amongst residents are key to minimising neighbourhood disamenities.
Given the current COVID-19 situation, we empathise with residents who need to work from home, who could be affected by neighbourly or renovation noise. In Singapore’s high-density living environment, some amount of give-and-take will be necessary. We seek residents’ patience and understanding to exercise mutual understanding and accommodation as we all adapt to new work-life arrangements and tackle the COVID-19 pandemic together.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Contribution to COVID-19 Pandemic Management in ASEAN","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"61 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) how has Singapore supported ASEAN countries in mitigating the effects of COVID-19; and (b) how can Singapore help to build a concerted effort for better COVID-19 and pandemic management in ASEAN.
62 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) how much of Singapore's contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund has been used to procure critical supplies; (b) with the worsening of the COVID-19 situation in some ASEAN countries, whether Singapore is exploring further solutions and provision of resources; and (c) how many countries have approached Singapore for bilateral assistance and how has Singapore responded to their requests.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have provided assistance to a number of ASEAN Member States.
Following the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, we have launched an \"Oxygen Shuttle\" programme to send more than 500 tonnes of liquid oxygen in regular shipments to Indonesia from July to August 2021. We have also provided oxygen cylinders, ventilators, and oxygen concentrators, as well as medical supplies and equipment, such as surgical and N95 masks, gloves, and gowns. These were dispatched in two batches from Paya Lebar Air Base on 9 July and Changi Naval Base on 11 July respectively.
We had previously sent Universal Transport Media (UTM) swabs, hand sanitisers and face masks to Malaysia, as well as COVID-19 diagnostic tests and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine to Brunei.
We also contributed 3,000 diagnostic tests and one polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine to the Philippines in March 2020. A total of 27,000 diagnostic tests, two PCR machines, one million surgical masks and 200,000 bottles of hand sanitiser were also sent to Myanmar in March and October 2020.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister has also announced that Singapore intends to donate our vaccine allocation through the COVAX Facility to other countries. The COVAX Facility is a global vaccine distribution scheme that aims to guarantee fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.
Many Singapore-based private sector entities and philanthropic organisations have also played crucial roles. Temasek Foundation made generous donations of diagnostic tests, PCR machines, oxygen concentrators, ventilators and BiPAP machines to Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, while the Singapore Red Cross has also donated surgical masks and coveralls to our ASEAN neighbours. Likewise, some of our neighbours, such as Thailand and Vietnam have donated medical supplies to us in our times of need.
We remain committed to working together with our neighbours. We are exploring the provision of further assistance to our neighbours and will continue to support regional and global efforts to combat the virus.
Turning to ASEAN, Singapore has actively contributed to ASEAN’s efforts to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we pushed for ASEAN to coordinate its response and this resulted in the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies. In 2020, the Working Group agreed to, among others, establish the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund.
Prime Minister Lee announced Singapore’s contribution of US$100,000 to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund at the 37th ASEAN Summit in November last year. This added to the initial contribution from all ASEAN Member States, and numerous other pledges we have received from individual ASEAN Member States as well as ASEAN’s external partners. Since then, ASEAN has agreed to use the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund to purchase vaccines for ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. This effort, which is underway, is led by Brunei as the ASEAN Chair and the ASEAN Secretariat.
Mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic goes beyond medical supplies. We need a multi-prong strategy for the region’s recovery from COVID-19. Consequently, we supported the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its Implementation Plan launched by the ASEAN Leaders last November. Beyond enhancing health systems, the Implementation Plan also addresses steps that the region must take to strengthen human security, improve economic integration, accelerate digital transformation, while working towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
Singapore has actively engaged in discussions with ASEAN Member States on various initiatives to improve the region’s response to future public health emergencies. ASEAN announced the launch of an ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies in November last year. Singapore supports the Centre’s establishment as this will help boost the long-term capacity of ASEAN Member States to detect and respond to emerging diseases.
We also finalised the ASEAN Strategic Framework for Public Health Emergencies and agreed to start an ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies. The Framework is envisioned to provide ASEAN’s standard operating procedures in response to public health emergencies, strengthen the capacity of ASEAN’s public health networks and complement existing ASEAN agreements on health matters and relevant international agreements.
Tackling the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in ASEAN is not something Singapore or any ASEAN Member State can do alone. We will continue to support ASEAN’s efforts, as well as work with our external partners to forge our response to the scourge of COVID-19. No one is truly safe until everyone is safe.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Progress on Implementation of ASEAN Five-Point Consensus on Situation in Myanmar","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"63 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he can provide an update on the Ministry’s assessment of any meaningful progress on the implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus for an end to violence and start of dialogue in Myanmar.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The Five-Point Consensus was agreed to by all the ASEAN Leaders and the Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar military. The Five-Point Consensus called for (i) the immediate cessation of violence and all parties to exercise utmost restraint, (ii) commencement of constructive dialogue among all parties to seek a peaceful solution, (iii) the appointment of a special envoy or envoys of the ASEAN Chair to facilitate mediation and (iv) for the envoy(s) to be given access to all parties concerned; and (v) the provision of humanitarian assistance through the AHA Centre. ASEAN Leaders also called for the release of all political detainees. Brunei, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair for 2021, visited Myanmar from 3 to 5 June 2021 with the ASEAN Secretary General to hold preliminary discussions with the Myanmar military authorities.
ASEAN Member States are working on the implementation of the Consensus, including the nomination of an ASEAN envoy comprising a team of eminent individuals, the modalities of sending such an envoy, as well as how and when to disburse humanitarian assistance.
The implementation of the Five-Point Consensus has been very slow so far and we are working within ASEAN to expedite this process. It is imperative that the Myanmar military authorities uphold their commitment to implement the Five-Point Consensus, which is totally unrelated to their Five-Point Roadmap. The stakeholders in Myanmar must decide to come together to seek genuine dialogue, negotiation and reconciliation. There are no quick fixes for the situation in Myanmar. The process is a difficult one and will take time. Singapore, along with ASEAN, stands ready to help.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Incidents of Foreign State-sponsored Disinformation Campaigns about COVID-19 Vaccines and Associated Health Issues on Private Messaging Networks","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"65 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) how many incidents of foreign state-sponsored disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic and associated health issues on private messaging networks have been detected since January 2020; (b) what is the nature of such disinformation efforts; (c) what impact have they had on national cohesion and Singapore's response to COVID-19; (d) how such cases have been dealt with; and (e) what plans are being considered towards reviewing and improving on current responses.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The Member asked whether we have faced foreign state-sponsored disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines.
We have observed numerous examples of disinformation from many sources around COVID-19 and vaccines, some of them emanating from overseas. We cannot rule out that some may be state-sponsored, though we have no evidence of a deliberate hostile information campaign directed against us on vaccines.
Our national vaccination programme has one core purpose: to protect the health and safety of Singaporeans. Thus, it is guided by the objective expertise of our scientific and medical authorities, not political pressure, whether foreign or domestic.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Dealing with Social Media and Digital Communication Platforms Based Overseas that Target Singaporeans with Political Messages","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"66 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Communications and Information with social media and digital communication platforms widely used to promote various political materials from overseas, with several addressing audiences in Singapore (a) how is the Ministry tackling this matter especially materials which can undermine trust in our public institutions and our social stability; (b) whether the Ministry tracks who are behind such propaganda; and (c) how will the Ministry remind Singaporeans to stay vigilant and not be swayed by the onslaught of propaganda.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Social media and digital communications platforms have made it easy for foreign actors to propagate content to manipulate public discourse and sow discord in order to advance their own agendas. Their attempts may not be obvious or attributable and they can therefore act with impunity. The Government takes a serious and targeted approach to online content that attempts to harm our national interest, especially materials which can undermine trust in our public institutions or affect our social stability.
One of our key levers to tackle such harmful online content is legislation. For example, under the Broadcasting Act, IMDA has powers to direct Internet Content Providers to take down prohibited material, such as those which are objectionable on the grounds of public interest, public order, public security, national harmony, or prohibited by applicable Singapore laws. This covers, for example, material that glorifies, incites or endorses ethnic, racial or religious hatred, strife or intolerance. IMDA can also direct Internet Service Providers to block access to websites that contain such prohibited material.
Under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, a Minister can also issue a direction to the communicator and/or the social media platform to require a correction to be tagged to a falsehood, or for it to be taken down, where it is in the public interest to do so. A direction can also be issued to require prescribed entities to communicate a correction to all end-users. Where there is evidence of coordinated inauthentic behaviour or inauthentic accounts used to peddle falsehoods, a direction can be issued to require prescribed entities to prevent communication through these accounts.
The Courts are one of our key public institutions. Where there are publications which are in contempt of court, the Attorney-General may, if satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so and with the leave of Court, issue a non-publication direction under the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act. This can require the publisher, including Internet Content Providers, to cease publishing the matter.
The Government is also building capabilities and preparing legislation to be able to more effectively deter, detect and mitigate hostile information activities by foreign actors.
Legislation is an important lever, but given the dynamic and borderless nature of the Internet, it is not possible to block every website with undesirable content. Neither is it practical to issue correction directions on all falsehoods. The Government therefore, seeks to build up a well-informed and discerning citizenry through a range of public education efforts.
For example, in schools, information and media literacy skills are infused into subjects like English, History, Social Studies and Character and Citizenship Education (CCE), to help students learn how to critically evaluate online and offline sources of information. Teachers guide students to distinguish fact from opinion, apply logic and verify the authority of sources. The National Library Board’s S.U.R.E. (Source, Understand, Research, Evaluate) Programme teaches participants to be responsible producers and consumers of information. Besides the Government, the Media Literacy Council (MLC) also runs campaigns and programmes to promote information and media literacy.
In summary, it is not enough to rely on regulations and we must all do our part to secure our digital spaces. It was in this spirit that the Government also launched Digital Defence as the sixth pillar of Total Defence in February 2019. As citizens, let us respond to its call to be secure, alert and responsible online.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Companies' Compliance with Code of Corporate Governance","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"67 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister with regard to the Code of Corporate Governance (a) in the past five years, what is the total number and percentage of companies that fail to comply with (i) Provision 8.1(a) and (ii) Provision 8.1(b); and (b) whether MAS has plans to mandate compliance and what are its considerations for doing so and not doing so.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): Let me first explain how the Code of Corporate Governance is designed to be applied on listed companies and Provision 8.1 of the Code.
The Code comprises two layers: Principles and Provisions. Principles set out the characteristics of good corporate governance and compliance is mandatory. The relevant Principle here is providing transparency on the remuneration of directors and key management personnel of a company.
Provisions in the Code are more specific and operate on a \"comply or explain\" basis to support companies' compliance with the Principles. Provision 8.1 of the Code states that companies should disclose in their annual reports, the company’s policy and criteria for setting remuneration. Specifically, companies should disclose the amount and breakdown of remuneration of each individual director and the CEO. They should also disclose the remuneration of at least the top five key management personnel (who are not directors or the CEO) in bands no wider than S$250,000 and the total remuneration paid to these key management personnel together.
Companies may either comply with the Provisions or explain how their practices, which may vary from the Provisions, still comply with the Principles. This \"comply or explain\" approach recognises the diversity of listed companies and provides them flexibility to adapt the Provisions to suit their business models or commercial circumstances. For example, while one Provision in the Code asks for a Board Risk Management Committee to be set up to specifically oversee risk management and internal controls, some companies with smaller boards have found it more efficient to have a single committee covering both risk management matters as well as the duties of an Audit Committee.
SGX reviews the annual report disclosures of listed companies. Companies may be issued a public query where there is no disclosure made for deviation from a Provision or if the disclosure is not satisfactory. The companies’ responses to such queries can be accessed by the public on SGX’s website. Apart from SGX, if shareholders or the investing public find the disclosures or explanations offered by listed companies unsatisfactory, they can ask these companies for further explanation.
Based on the Singapore Board of Directors Survey 2019 jointly conducted by the Singapore Institute of Directors and SGX RegCo, in respect of Provisions 8.1(a) and (b), 46% of the listed companies surveyed disclosed remuneration of their CEO and each individual director on a named basis, and 72% of the companies disclosed the remuneration of their top five key management personnel in bands of $250,000 respectively. Companies which did not comply with these Provisions cited reasons to do with confidentiality of an individual’s remuneration, potential poaching by competitors, internal comparisons affecting staff morale, or upward pressure on remuneration due to potential comparisons.
The Corporate Governance Advisory Committee, an industry-led body set up to advocate good corporate governance practices, will undertake a survey later this year to assess the compliance of SGX-listed companies with the Code, as well as the quality of corporate governance-related disclosures. Remuneration-related disclosures will be one of the focus areas. MAS and SGX RegCo will review the survey findings and CGAC’s recommendations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Uncompleted Rectification Works for Ceiling and Wall Water Leakages in HDB Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"69 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for National Development (a) from 2020 to March 2021, what is the total number of rectification works for ceiling and wall water leakages in HDB flats that have yet to be completed; and (b) what is the plan to complete the outstanding rectification works before the start of the rainy season in November this year.
Mr Desmond Lee: The external walls of HDB blocks are common property under the Town Councils’ management and maintenance. Residents who encounter water seepage through their walls typically report such cases to their Town Council. HDB does not have information on the number of cases pending repair by each Town Council. As external walls are subject to wear and tear over time, Town Councils are advised to keep them in good condition by carrying out regular maintenance and repairs where needed. Town Councils should also take the opportunity to seal the minor wall cracks and repaint the external walls during their repairs and redecoration works cycle.
Ceiling leaks may occur within HDB flats as a result of wear and tear over time. The responsibility for repairs falls jointly on the upper- and lower-floor flat owners. In most cases, ceiling leaks can be amicably resolved when flat owners exercise mutual understanding and cooperate with one another in the investigation and repairs.
On a goodwill basis, HDB offers assistance under the Goodwill Repair Assistance (GRA) scheme to help upper and lower-floor owners to repair ceiling leaks. There are about 900 cases received by HDB between 2020 and March 2021 still pending repair.
Due to disruptions from COVID-19, the average waiting time to complete each case under the GRA scheme has increased from one to two months, to four to six months. Some repairs have also been delayed on the request of home owners for works to be deferred till the COVID-19 situation stabilises. HDB is doing its best to continue with the necessary works under prevailing Safe Management Measures and will prioritise urgent or critical works, and assist residents wherever possible. We seek residents’ understanding on this.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number, Educational and Work Experience Profile of HR Professionals in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"70 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower for each of the years from 2010 to 2020 (a) how many persons are working as human resource professionals; (b) which industries are they in; (c) what human resource function are they working in; and (d) what is the breakdown for such persons in terms of whether they are in full-time or part-time employment, educational qualifications, age, gender and number who are Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans.
Dr Tan See Leng: The number of human resource (HR) practitioners in Singapore has grown from about 23,000 in 2010 to over 40,000 in 2020. About nine in 10 of these are Professional, Managerial, Executive or Technicians (PMET) jobs in roles such as Learning and Development Manager, Performance and Rewards Manager and HR Operations Executive. Locals have consistently filled close to nine in 10 of HR PMET positions. More than eight in ten local HR practitioners have diploma or degree qualifications. About seven in 10 are women.
HR practitioners are found across the economy as HR plays a vital role in supporting businesses. This is why MOM partnered NTUC and SNEF to set up the Institute for HR Professionals in 2017, to professionalise and upskill HR professionals through certification and training. We will continue to work with our partners and the industry to ensure that the HR sector continues to provide good jobs for locals.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Implications of Claims-based Health Insurance Pricing on Older Policyholders and Those who Choose to Move to Public Healthcare System","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"71 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Health with regard to the introduction of claims-based health insurance pricing, what avenues exist to protect the interests of older policyholders and policyholders with pre-existing conditions.
72 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Health with regard to the introduction of claims-based insurance pricing, what is the number of Integrated Shield Plan holders who have switched to MediShield Life and moved into the public healthcare system.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Riders are optional private insurance products that are paid for by policyholders in cash, to provide as-charged and zero co-payment coverage. Since 2019, MOH has required a minimum 5% co-payment for all new rider products to mitigate the risk of a \"buffet syndrome\" and avoid unsustainable healthcare cost and insurance premium increases. Some insurers have chosen to implement the co-payment directly, through claims-based pricing (CBP), or a combination of the two.
Regardless of the healthcare insurance plans they choose, all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are covered under MediShield Life, which is a basic health insurance plan that provides lifelong protection against large hospital bills regardless of pre-existing conditions. This protects the interests of all policyholders, including older Singaporeans who have pre-existing conditions. This can be supplemented with optional Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) if higher coverage is preferred. MediSave can be used for MediShield Life and IP premiums, and these are not subject to CBP.
Policyholders should carefully assess the terms of their private rider policy plans and consider discussing with their insurer a plan that is suitable for their needs.
There is currently no evidence to show that CBP shifts claims to public hospitals.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Different Concentration and Formulation in Different Batches of Oral Morphine Syrup and other Medications","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"75 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health with regard to oral morphine syrup used to treat patients with pain and breathlessness (a) why have certain batches been procured with different concentration and formulation containing 10% ethanol; (b) what is done to minimise error risk from different medication concentrations especially when administered by care-givers at home; and (c) for patients uncomfortable with ethanol-containing medication, what has been done to help patients access ethanol-free alternatives.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The only registered Oral Morphine one milligram per millilitre (1mg/ml) Syrup (Statex) in Singapore was discontinued in 2019 as the plant ceased manufacturing the product. The Agency for Logistics and Procurement Services (ALPS) then brought in Oramorph 2mg/mL syrup, which contains Ethanol, for use in public healthcare institutions (PHIs). This was the only alternative that we were able to source for at that time.
Doctors were advised to offer non-alcohol based medications with the same analgesic effect instead of oral morphine solutions for their patients who could not take ethanol containing medication. ALPS has since procured a non-ethanol containing morphine syrup, Ra-morph 1 mg/ml preparation for the PHIs.
Each preparation is clearly labelled with the formulation and dosage instructions. Doctors, pharmacists and nurses work together to educate patients and caregivers on the differences in the medications and help them to switch from one formulation to another, when necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans on Incorporating Vaccination Status Information into Singpass Record","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Prime Minister whether there are any plans to consider incorporating vaccination status information into the Singpass record, which is the most official register of personal information that can also potentially be recognised abroad, instead of just the TraceTogether or HealthHub app.
Mrs Josephine Teo (for the Prime Minister): The digital vaccination certificate which is issued to eligible individuals can be viewed in the Singpass app's Inbox. MOH issues this digital vaccination certificate to individuals who have been fully vaccinated through Singapore's COVID-19 vaccination programme, to facilitate recognition abroad. Eligible individuals can request for the certificate by logging in to the Notαrise website (https://www.notarise.gov.sg) with Singpass. Besides being available in the Singpass app's Inbox, the certificate is also sent to the user's email.
Travellers will need to check with the immigration authority or embassy of the destination country on the travel requirements and accepted documentation. Singapore is in discussions with several countries on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates, to ensure that the certificate issued by MOH would be recognised.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Current Number of Singapore Permanent Residents from Southeast Asia, Europe and Elsewhere","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the current number of Singapore Permanent Residents who are from Southeast Asia, Asia, Europe and others, respectively.
Mr K Shanmugam: As of June 2020, the breakdown of our Permanent Resident (PR) population by region of origin is as follows:
3 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs what are the plans to prevent large quantities of potentially dangerous substances, such as fuel, from being misappropriated and landing in the wrong hands.
Mr K Shanmugam: MHA is cognisant of the security risks posed by certain chemicals and together with other regulatory agencies and the industry, has a framework in place to safeguard them. These chemicals are also known as security-sensitive materials (SSMs). We adopt a risk-based approach in regulating such substances, applying controls according to the hazards they pose.
We have clear laws and processes to regulate the management of SSMs, from handling, to storage and transportation. These laws are overseen by the respective regulatory agencies, based on the properties of the substances. For instance, SSMs which are flammable are regulated under the Fire Safety Act by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and those which are toxic are regulated under the Environmental Protection and Management Act by NEA.
To illustrate, SCDF imposes both safety and security requirements to safeguard flammable SSMs stored at oil and gas facilities. These installations are required to install protective security measures, such as perimeter barriers, access control and closed-circuit television monitoring systems. Vehicles transporting large quantities of SSM must be fitted with a Hazmat Transport Vehicle Tracking System (HTVTS). The HTVTS tracks the movement of the vehicle and it would be immobilised if it deviates from its approved route or timing. SCDF conducts regular audits and inspections of licensees to ensure compliance.
MHA and other regulatory agencies work closely with the industry to regularly review the SSMs and the control measures, while remaining facilitative for their legitimate use as far as possible.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Conviction and Punishment of David Roach for Bank Robbery in 2016","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the process by which the Government will fulfil its assurances to the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) that Mr David Roach, who was extradited from the UK, will not suffer the punishment of caning that has been imposed on him by the Singapore Courts upon his conviction for robbery of a bank in 2016.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Government gave an undertaking to the government of the United Kingdom (UK) that any sentence of corporal punishment imposed by a Singapore Court on Mr David James Roach for the offences for which his extradition was sought, would not be carried out. To fulfil this undertaking, the President, on the advice of the Cabinet, has exercised her powers under Article 22P(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to remit the sentence of six strokes of the cane imposed on Roach.
It was necessary for the Singapore Government to give such an undertaking because the UK’s extradition laws would have prohibited the extradition of Roach to Singapore in the absence of such an assurance. It was in the public interest to secure Roach’s extradition to Singapore to face justice for the crimes he committed here.
This is not the first time such an undertaking was given to another Government. For example, in 2005, the Singapore Government gave an undertaking to the Australian government that Briton Mr Michael McCrea, who was then suspected of the 2002 Orchard Towers double murder, would not face the death penalty if convicted of murder, as Australia would not extradite suspects who could face the death penalty. McCrea was eventually convicted on offences that were not punishable with the death penalty. As a result, Singapore did not have to take further steps to comply with the assurance given to Australia.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans to Protect and Promote Natural and Historical Heritage of Southern Islands","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Law whether there are concerted island management plans to protect and promote the natural and historical heritage of our Southern Islands, so that people can visit and access them safely while not damaging the natural environment and protect the rich biodiversity of the Southern Islands.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) works closely with relevant Government agencies and other stakeholders to safeguard the biodiversity and heritage of the Southern Islands so that the rustic charm and rich habitat of the islands can be enjoyed by many generations to come.
SLA and NParks have taken steps to protect our marine biodiversity and ecosystems, even as more visitors explore the Southern Islands. For example, in 2014, the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park was designated as a marine protected area due to the rich marine biodiversity in its waters. Within the Marine Park, some conservation and research sites are not open to the public and can only be accessed by authorised individuals for scientific research, habitat restoration and species recovery activities.
There are also efforts to raise the public’s awareness about protecting the marine biodiversity and historical heritage of the Southern Islands. For example, on St John’s Island, NParks works with community stakeholders, such as the Friends of Marine Park, to organise outreach activities on marine conservation including seminars, workshops, guided tours, and citizen science programmes. NParks has also installed onsite storyboards and conducts monthly guided walks to educate the public on the rich history and biodiversity of the island.
These public education efforts are supported by initiatives to document and safeguard the heritage of the Southern Islands. For example, the National University of Singapore, supported by the National Heritage Board (NHB), conducted a two-year research and documentation project, which concluded last year, on the Southern Islands’ cultural and natural heritage. The project included an exhibition and public tours, which helped give Singaporeans a deeper understanding of the history and heritage of the Southern Islands. In addition, NHB has included the traditional pilgrimage to Kusu Island in the national inventory of Singapore’s intangible cultural heritage.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Economic Impact on Singapore from Surges in COVID-19 Cases in ASEAN Countries","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the economic impact on Singapore from surges in COVID-19 cases in ASEAN countries; and (b) whether it will have a material impact on Singapore's economic growth this year.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Given the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in some of our Southeast Asian neighbours, they have implemented social and mobility restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. The Singapore Government is closely monitoring the impact of these restrictions on our imports of essential supplies. Thus far, the flow of goods and supplies from our neighbouring countries remains stable. Overall merchandise trade between Singapore and our Southeast Asian neighbours also continues to grow. In the second quarter of 2021, total merchandise trade between Singapore and Southeast Asian countries was S$68.9 billion, an increase of 30.3% compared to the same period last year.
While the implementation of social and mobility restrictions will likely weigh on the economic recovery of our neighbours, the overall GDP growth forecast for the region remains positive. Domestically, Singapore’s economic recovery remains on track. Based on advance estimates, GDP expanded by 14.3% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2021, albeit from a low base. GDP is likely to continue to recover gradually over the course of the year in tandem with the economic recovery globally and in the region. For the full year, MTI expects GDP growth to come in at between 4% and 6%, compared to the 5.4% contraction in 2020.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Singaporeans Hired by Singapore-Based Companies with Investments in India and Attributable to Signing of India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many of the 97,000 locals hired by Singaporean companies with investments in India are new jobs that can be attributed to the signing of the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA); and (b) how many are existing jobs that are redesignated.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The number of locals employed by Singapore-based companies that invested in India was 97,000 in 2019. This does not include Singapore-based companies that were not invested in India, but that were trading with India.
As companies consider multiple factors before they hire new employees, define job scopes, or redesignate existing positions, specific data in response to the question is therefore not available.
Our various business-related policies and Singapore’s 26 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), work together to support the business ecosystem within which our companies and workers operate. It is this ecosystem that supports local jobs. For example, FTAs make it easier for local companies to enter international markets through reduced tariffs on their exports into overseas markets, enhanced access to services sectors and protection for their investments, amongst other benefits. This encourages Singapore companies to expand their business activities, thereby supporting local job creation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Fulfilling Obligations for Mutual Recognition Agreements in Article 7.11 of India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what actions will the Government take to fulfil its obligations for Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) under Article 7.11 of the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Article 7.11 of the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) is titled Recognition and is a part of the Chapter on Trade in Services.
In paragraph 2 of this Article, India and Singapore agreed to ensure that our respective professional bodies in the service sectors of accounting and auditing, architecture, medical (doctors), dental and nursing negotiate and conclude, within 12 months of the date of entry into force of CECA, any such agreements or arrangements providing for mutual recognition of the education or experience obtained, requirements met, or licences or certifications in those service sectors, the details of such agreements or arrangements, including the exact extent and scope of recognition.
In paragraph 3 of Article 7.11, India and Singapore similarly agreed, for any other regulated service sector, to encourage the relevant professional, standard-setting or self-regulatory body to enter into negotiations within a reasonable period of time from the date of a request being received in writing from one Party to the other Party.
Importantly, since the negotiations are conducted by the respective professional bodies, paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 7.11 also qualify that any delay or failure by these professional bodies to reach and conclude agreement on the details of such agreements or arrangements shall not be regarded as a breach of a Party’s obligations under the paragraphs.
At present, India and Singapore have one Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) under CECA in Nursing Services, negotiated, agreed and signed by the Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) and the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
Under this MRA, a Bachelor of Nursing qualification from the Indian nursing schools listed in the MRA is treated as equivalent to a qualification from an accredited nursing programme in Singapore, but the graduate must also pass SNB’s licensure examination and meet the prevailing work pass criteria before he/she can work in Singapore as a nurse. The MRA does not give a graduate from these Indian nursing schools unfettered access to employment in Singapore. Correspondingly, a qualification from any of the Singapore schools listed in the MRA is recognised by the INC as equivalent to a Bachelor of Nursing qualification from the Indian nursing schools listed in the MRA. A Singapore nurse may apply to be registered as a nurse in India if the Singapore nurse meets the other requirements for such registration.
MRAs do not guarantee automatic approval for foreign professionals to be employed in Singapore. All foreign professionals, including those who meet the requirements in the MRAs, must also meet our prevailing work pass criteria.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Licences and Special Lanes to Improve Safety and Insurance Coverage for Cyclists","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport whether compulsory licences can be issued to all road cyclists after they complete online courses on the Highway Code.
10 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport whether the Government will consider creating special bicycle lanes on public roads so as to increase safety for both pedestrians and cyclists.
11 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport whether introducing mandatory insurance for cyclists and registration of bicycles will increase accountability and provide better coverage for cycling-related accidents.
Mr S Iswaran: Cycling is a healthy and an environmentally friendly way to travel. The key is to facilitate cycling while ensuring the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
Where possible, we will build more off-road cycling paths, which are safer for cyclists of all proficiencies. We plan to triple our cycling path network from about 460 kilometres (km) today to 1,320 km by 2030. However, it is not always possible to have separate paths for cyclists in land-scarce Singapore. To enhance road safety, it is important to have clear rules for motorists and cyclists, and for all road users to follow these rules.
The Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) is reviewing the safety rules and regulations for on-road cycling, including areas such as licensing, registration and third-party liability insurance (TPLI).
AMAP has adopted a fair and balanced approach by consulting widely and hearing from different groups of stakeholders. Some are in support of licensing and bicycle registration, so that errant cyclists can be more easily identified. Others have expressed concerns that such measures would increase costs, pose entry barriers for cycling take-up and affect the livelihoods of Singaporeans who use bicycles for work and commute. The experiences from other countries also show that most jurisdictions do not impose licensing, registration and mandatory TPLI.
Road safety is a collective responsibility of all road users. Besides ensuring compliance with rules, we will also look at ways to enhance public education and encourage gracious behaviours on the road. AMAP is studying the different options and trade-offs carefully and will publish the outcomes of its review in due course.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Protocol for Unidentified Aircraft Detected Flying within Singapore's Flight Information Region","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport when any unidentified aircraft is detected flying within the Flight Information Region under the responsibility of Singapore Air Traffic Control Centre (SATCC) (a) whether SATCC or its air traffic controllers will make contact with such aircraft to establish their flight intentions regardless of whether they are civil aircraft which failed to make prior declarations or state aircraft; and (b) whether SATCC will provide the necessary advisory to other civil aircraft flying near such aircraft in the interest of air safety.
Mr S Iswaran: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)’s role as the Air Traffic Services authority for the Singapore Flight Information Region (FIR) is to ensure the safe and efficient flow of air traffic within the Singapore FIR.
In the event of any unidentified aircraft operating within the Singapore FIR, CAAS will take steps to establish the identity of the aircraft, in accordance with the applicable International Civil Aviation Organization rules. This includes attempting to establish two-way communication with the aircraft and to obtain information on the aircraft from adjacent ATS authorities and other aircraft in the area.
In order to ensure flight safety of other aircraft operating in the area, CAAS will also provide information on the unidentified aircraft’s location and flight path, where available, to pilots of these aircraft and advise them to exercise caution.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Calls by International Maritime Organisation to Provide Vaccination Services for Foreign Seafarers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport as the Government seeks to support the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s call to provide vaccination services for foreign seafarers (a) whether such vaccination will be provided to both foreign crew arriving in Singapore onboard the vessels they are serving as well as crew members flying to Singapore for crew change; and (b) whether Singapore will consider also allowing vaccination services directly on board visiting vessels.
Mr S Iswaran: As a major transhipment hub port and international maritime centre, Singapore strongly supports the International Maritime Organization’s efforts to set up a global network of seaports to facilitate the vaccination of international sea crew. This initiative provides additional protection for seafarers against the virus, reduces the risk of exposure for port workers working on board vessels in our port and enhances global supply chain resilience.
The Singapore Shipping Association, PSA, maritime unions and MPA are working out the necessary protocols for seafarers to receive their vaccinations as part of the crew change process when they sign on to their vessels at the port of Singapore. This approach minimises public health risks as seafarers undergo stringent pre-arrival isolation and testing under our crew change process. We also reduce the risk exposure for our healthcare professionals, as they would not need to board visiting vessels. It is therefore more prudent to start with this arrangement, before reviewing how we can extend to other categories of international seafarers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Improve Cleanliness in Public Restrooms in Markets and Food Centres","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what will be done to improve cleanliness and surveillance in public restrooms in markets and food centres given the likely spread of viruses via the restrooms.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: NEA conducts regular inspections of public toilets, including at markets and hawker centres, to ensure high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Enforcement action is taken against premises owners and operators for cleaning lapses.
NEA has worked with stakeholders on initiatives to improve toilet cleanliness. The SG Clean movement was launched in February 2020 to rally individuals and local businesses to raise standards of cleanliness and public hygiene. Premises that meet a set of sanitation and hygiene requirements including enhanced toilet cleaning are recognised with the SG Clean Quality Mark certification. To date, 107 out of 114 markets and hawker centres have been certified SG Clean.
NEA has also implemented the Hawker Centre Toilet Improvement Programme since October 2020. The programme provides co-funding to Town Councils (TCs) to improve toilet designs and install sanitary fittings that facilitate better cleaning and maintenance. To date, eight TCs have applied for co-funding to upgrade the public toilets in 11 hawker centres.
By end 2021, markets and hawker centres will have to adhere to mandatory baseline environmental sanitation standards under the Environmental Sanitation regime. These premises will be required to perform daily cleaning and disinfection of specific areas, including toilets, at enhanced frequencies. In addition to routine cleaning, markets and hawker centres will have to undergo thorough periodic cleaning once every three months.
NEA will continue to work closely with organisations such as the Public Hygiene Council, the Restroom Association (Singapore) and the Singapore Kindness Movement to promote the cleanliness of public toilets, through free training programmes for cleaners, toilet cleanliness audits and provision of educational materials for display in toilets.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Encourage Singaporeans to Patronise Hawkers and Creation of Platforms to Support Hawkers in Need","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what can be done to continue encouraging Singaporeans to patronise hawkers in view of the pandemic and stiffer competition from food delivery apps and portals.
16 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of the desire of many young Singaporeans to support hawkers, whether more platforms can be created and more awareness can be raised for hawkers in need such that the support can be channelled appropriately.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: To encourage Singaporeans to continue supporting our hawkers, we as individuals can rally our family, friends and networks to buy food from our hawkers. Many grassroots leaders, Hawkers’ Associations and community groups have done so, for example, through social media. The Government is also committed to supporting them during this difficult period. NEA has provided stallholders with three months of rental waiver and subsidy for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services this year to help defray their operating costs.
To provide assurance on the cleanliness and hygiene standards at our hawker centres, NEA has been working closely with stakeholders, such as cleaning companies and Town Councils, to conduct more frequent cleaning of hawker centres, with emphasis on the sanitisation of tables and toilet cleanliness. Patrons can do their part by adhering to safe management measures, such as wearing their masks properly, returning used trays and crockery and binning their litter.
Food delivery services provide hawkers with an additional option to boost their day-to-day business. To help hawkers increase their online presence and adopt the food delivery service that best suits their business needs, NEA has convened an Alliance for Action (AfA) with the Infocomm Media Development Agency (IMDA), involving multiple stakeholders, such as delivery companies, hawkers and hawker food advocates. There are also community-driven and ground-up initiatives on social media platforms that promote our hawkers through authentic and well-curated content. Recognising the influence of these platforms, the AfA will look into ways to increase consumer awareness of and demand for hawker fare through both digital and offline means. Details of the AfA’s recommendations will be shared when ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for Measures to Reduce Consumption of Animal Protein in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"17 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the impact of meat production on climate change and the environment (a) whether the Ministry has set any targets to reduce the consumption of animal protein in Singapore; and (b) what measures there are to encourage Singaporeans and residents to consume less meat and dairy products.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: An individual’s dietary preferences is a personal choice. The Government has no plans to introduce measures to nudge Singaporeans to lower their intake of meat and dairy products.
Consumers can do their part for the environment by reducing food wastage. This will conserve the resources needed to produce, distribute and dispose of food and lower our carbon footprint. Consumers should also avoid the use of disposable cutlery and containers when doing takeaways.
The Singapore Food Agency is working closely with our local farmers to harness technologies to \"grow more with less\", in a sustainable way. Consumers can look out for the new Clean and Green logo on local farm produce from certified farms that use resource-efficient practices in a clean and sustainable environment.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of 30% Reduction in Waste-to-landfill on Semakau Landfill's Lifespan","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how much waste is expected to be sent to Semakau landfill every year if the 30% reduction of waste to landfill per capita target is achieved; (b) what is the expected lifespan of Semakau landfill if the 30% reduction of waste to landfill target is achieved; (c) what measures, beyond increasing recycling rates, will be taken to meet the target of 30% reduction of waste to landfill per capita; and (d) what will Singapore do with our incinerated waste after Semakau landfill reaches its full capacity.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The target of reducing waste-to-landfill by 30% by 2030 is intended to extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill till at least 2035. The target translates to a reduction of waste sent to Semakau Landfill each day, from 0.36 kilogrammes (kg) per capita in 2018 to 0.25 kg per capita by 2030.
The Resource Sustainability Act was enacted in 2019 to impose upstream regulatory measures on the three priority waste streams, namely e-waste, food waste and packaging waste. One example is the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for e-waste which was introduced in July 2021, where producers of regulated products are required to pay for the collection and recycling of their products at end-of-life. Such upstream regulations will send economic signals to producers to account for the cost of environmental externalities and to redesign products to require less materials, last longer and be more easily recycled.
To encourage more people to switch from disposables to reusables, the \"Say YES to Waste Less\" campaign by NEA raises awareness of simple everyday actions that the public can adopt to reduce waste. We have also started public consultation on a charging model for disposable carrier bags handed out at supermarkets.
We are developing innovative ways to close our waste loop. NEA is conducting trials to turn incineration bottom ash into NEWSand, which can be used as construction material, so as to divert waste away from Semakau Landfill. Together with other initiatives under the Zero Waste Masterplan, we will work towards keeping Semakau Landfill from reaching capacity even beyond 2035.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Deployment of Blue Recycling Bins in Private Condominiums and Amount of Recyclables Collected Per Year","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many blue recycling bins have been deployed in private condominiums; (b) whether there are requirements for condominium management to engage a licensed public waste collector to collect the recyclables from the blue bins in the condominiums; and (c) how much recyclables are collected from condominiums every year.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Under the Environmental Public Health Act, all condominiums and private apartments are required to provide one recycling receptacle for each block in their development and to send the recyclables for recycling. There are more than 9,000 recycling bins in condominiums and private apartments.
Condominiums and private apartments that are on the Public Waste Collection scheme are provided with blue recycling bins and the recyclables are collected by licensed Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) appointed by NEA. Condominiums and private apartments that opt out of this scheme are required to provide their own recycling receptacles and engage a licensed General Waste Collector to collect and send their recyclables to recycling facilities.
On average, about 750 tonnes of recyclables were collected from condominiums and private apartments served by PWCs every year for the past two years. NEA does not have data on the recyclables collected from premises that have opted out of the Public Waste Collection scheme.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Efforts by Schools in Educating Students to Report Attempts of Improper Sexual Conduct by Staff Members","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education what are the efforts made by schools in educating students to report any attempts of improper sexual conduct by any staff member towards them.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Through Character and Citizenship Education, starting from Primary One, our students learn about personal safety and protection from abuse. Students are taught to report any inappropriate sexual conduct to a trusted adult. If the perpetrator is a staff member, students should report the incident to their parents, School Leaders or the Police. Students are also taught to look out for their friends and seek help for those who display any signs of distress. Our teachers, School Counsellors and Student Welfare Officers are trained to look out for signs of distress in students and support them where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Sufficiency of Places in Social Work Undergraduate Degree and Continuing Education and Training Programmes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry is considering increasing the number of places for full-time undergraduate degrees and Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes (such as part-time undergraduate degrees, graduate diplomas and master’s by coursework programmes) in social work so as to increase the supply of social workers; (b) if so, when will the increase likely take place and by how many places; and (c) if not, why not.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: MOE and the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) work closely with economic and sector agencies to distribute the supply of Pre-Employment Training (PET) full-time undergraduate degrees across disciplines. This takes into account industry demand, employment outcomes, as well as student interest. For Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes (such as part-time undergraduate degrees, graduate diplomas and Master's by course work programmes), institutions also take into consideration industry demand for the CET programmes, when they plan for capacity.
Over the past five years, the number of graduates in social work from PET and CET programmes has increased by about 50%. MSF's assessment is that the supply of social workers is expected to be sufficient to meet the increase in demand in the coming years. There are currently no plans to further increase the number of degree and training places in social work and we will continue to monitor the situation. We will continue to work with MSF to monitor and review the number of degree and training places in social work in order to sustain workforce needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number and Percentage of Loss-making Companies and Breakdown of Total Revenues and Taxes Paid by SMEs and Non-SMEs Over Last 10 Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Finance (a) in each of the last 10 years, what is the total number and percentage of companies that are loss-making and their (i) total revenues (ii) loss before tax (iii) corporate income tax paid and (iv) average effective tax; and (b) what is the breakdown by SMEs and non-SMEs.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Companies pay corporate income tax (CIT) based on their chargeable income and not their accounting income. Tax adjustments are made to the accounting income to arrive at the chargeable income, on which CIT is paid. For example, there would be adjustments for non-tax deductible expenses such as depreciation, as well as for tax allowances such as capital allowance. As a result, companies with accounting losses may still pay CIT. Apart from trade income, other sources of income that are taxable such as interest, dividends and royalties, are also included in chargeable income.
Table 1 shows the requested information for all companies making accounting losses (\"loss-making companies\"). The information is based on companies assessed by IRAS for CIT in each Year of Assessment (YA).
SMEs (companies with revenue of up to S$100 million) generally comprise about 98% of all companies assessed by IRAS for CIT. In both YA 2010 and YA 2019, about 99% of all loss-making companies are SMEs and 1% are non-SMEs.
The average ETRs for loss-making SMEs are generally lower than the average ETRs for loss-making non-SMEs. In YA 2010, the average ETR of loss-making SMEs was 0.56% and that for loss-making non-SMEs was 3.22%. In YA 2019, the average ETR of loss-making SMEs was 0.39% and that for loss-making non-SMEs was 2.61%.
The sustainable way to improve profitability is to help our companies to move up the value chain. We have a comprehensive suite of support measures, especially for SMEs, to improve productivity, innovate and access bigger markets.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Families Benefiting from Extension of Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession and Home Caregiving Grant for Care of Adult Family Members with Cognitive Impairments","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Social and Family Development since the extension of the foreign domestic worker levy concession and Home Caregiving Grant to families with adult members suffering from cognitive impairments (a) how many families have benefited from these schemes; and (b) what steps have been or are being taken to increase awareness of these schemes.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Government offers the Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) levy concession to families of persons who require assistance with at least one Activity of Daily Living (ADL)1. As of 31 March 2021, there were more than 3,000 families who benefited from the FDW levy concession under this criterion. The levy concession allows caregivers to pay the FDW levy at a concessionary rate of $60 a month, instead of $300 for the first FDW.
The Government also offers the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) to provide additional support for long-term caregiving needs. The HCG provides a monthly $200 cash payout to eligible persons who require assistance with at least three ADLs and can be used flexibly to defray caregiving expenses. As of 31 March 2021, more than 31,000 beneficiaries have received the HCG.
Individuals can qualify for either or both schemes if they require assistance with ADLs, regardless of whether the assistance is required due to physical or cognitive impairment. The Government does not collect data on whether beneficiaries of the FDW levy concession and HCG have cognitive impairments, as the qualifying criterion for these schemes is functional impairment. Information on both schemes are available on the websites of the MSF, MOH, MOM, SG Enable and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). Social Service Agencies in the disability sector also help to share information on these two schemes with their clients. Families can apply for both schemes through the AIC.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) refer to: Eating, Bathing, Dressing, Transferring, Toileting and Walking or moving around."],"footNoteQuestions":["23"],"questionNo":"23"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Steps Taken by Ministry to Continue Programme to Celebrate Couples' Golden Jubilee Wedding Anniversaries in Midst of COVID-19 Pandemic","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what steps has his Ministry taken to continue with the programme to celebrate couples’ Golden Jubilee wedding anniversaries in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Golden Jubilee Wedding Celebrations (GJWC) is an initiative to celebrate both Civil and Muslim marriages that last 50 years or more. It honours couples in Singapore who exemplify commitment and strong marriages and provides the opportunity for them to celebrate a memorable milestone with their families. This initiative was suggested by Mr Murali Pillai in 2017 to celebrate and reinforce family values, which led to the inaugural GJWC held at the Istana on 17 March 2018. The following GJWC was held on 13 April 2019 at the Raffles City Convention Centre.
While we were unable to hold a physical event for the GJWC in 2020 due to safe management measures for the pandemic, we continued to celebrate the Golden Jubilee anniversary of 152 couples who had signed up for the event. This included the delivery of special commemorative packages to the couples, containing a commemorative certificate from President Halimah Yacob, a congratulatory note from Minister Masagos Zulkifli, a medallion and a photo memento. We also featured their stories on local media platforms and congratulatory Facebook messages were posted by President Halimah Yacob and Minister of State Sun Xueling.
This safe manner to celebrate with the Golden Jubilee couples was well-received by the couples who appreciated the arrangements. It also garnered positive responses with almost 2,500 likes along with 250 positive comments on the posts and videos published. Singaporean netizens congratulated the couples on the celebration of their marriages.
This year, we will continue to commemorate the Golden Jubilee Wedding Celebrations in a safe manner. We believe that celebrating Golden Jubilee marriages in the midst of COVID-19 will serve as an inspiration and a reminder to us all that marriages can and do emerge stronger from life’s storms and challenges.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Cases of Women and Their Children Seeking Help and Receiving Shelter from Family Service Centres and Family Violence Specialist Centres in Past Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"25 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development for the past three years broken down on a yearly basis (a) what is the number of cases of women and their children who have sought help from Family Service Centres and Family Violence Specialist Centres and received shelter; (b) what is the average duration of their stay at these shelters; and (c) what is the proportion of them that move on to either rental housing or transitional shelters upon discharge from these shelters.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Persons experiencing family violence may seek help from the Family Service Centres (FSC) and Family Violence Specialist Centres (FVSC). Where the safety risk is high or there is no safe and suitable alternative accommodation option, FSCs, FVSCs and the Police can refer women and children facing violence to community-based crisis shelters for temporary accommodation, while social service professionals work through safety plans and longer-term housing arrangements with them.
The crisis shelters do not track the source of the referrals, although a majority of their residents are known to either FSCs or FVSCs. On average, crisis shelters take in about 180 family violence cases each year. The average duration of stay for residents in the crisis shelters was as follows:
Residents are discharged from crisis shelters when they have found alternative safe accommodation. Many stay with their families and friends, or return to their own flats. A small proportion go on to reside in public rental housing or transitional shelters:
26 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether there is any requirement for MOE-registered preschools and kindergartens to conduct meet-the-parent sessions in English unless the parent specifically requests that meetings be conducted in a vernacular language.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Strong parent-centre partnerships are important to support the development and well-being of children in preschools. The quality of these partnerships is enhanced when there is regular communication between parents and the preschool.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), which oversees the licensing of private childcare centres and kindergartens in Singapore, as well as MOE, which oversees MOE Kindergartens, requires preschools to record their observations and assessment of children’s key areas of learning and development and to share this information with parents or guardians at least once every six months. For infants, this must be done every three months.
Preschools typically share the child’s progress in learning and development with parents during parent-teacher meetings. MOE and ECDA do not stipulate the language to be used for parent-teacher meetings and preschools have the flexibility to conduct these meetings in the language that is most comfortable for both the parents and teacher. The meetings are usually conducted by the preschool teacher according to the teacher’s medium of instruction (that is, in the English Language (EL) for the EL teacher and in the respective Mother Tongue Language (MTL) for the MTL teacher). However, where the parent is unable to communicate in a particular language, the teacher may choose to communicate in a language that the parent can understand, if the teacher is able to. The EL teacher may also support the MTL teacher in communication with parents, where required.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Successful Applications for COVID-19 MUIS Support Grant","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs out of the 7,700 applications received for the COVID-19 MUIS Support Grant, how many applications are successful and how many of the successful applicants will continue to be supported by Zakat or other financial assistance schemes.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Our social assistance framework comprises multiple lines of assistance. At the national level, ComCare is a key component of our social safety net, which provides eligible low-income families who are unable to meet their basic living needs with a comprehensive package of assistance.
The COVID-19 MUIS Support Fund (CMSF) was launched in August 2020 to provide one-off financial assistance to eligible Muslim households who were economically impacted by the pandemic. Households that had a per-capita-income (PCI) of between $400 and $1,000 and were not receiving assistance under the Zakat Financial Assistance (FA) or ComCare schemes were eligible to apply.
There were 5,547 successful applications for the one-off financial assistance under CMSF. Those who qualified were also encouraged to apply for the Zakat FA. Today, about 370 of these households continue to be supported with monthly Zakat FA. MUIS also directs Zakat FA beneficiaries who are eligible for further ComCare support to the Social Service Offices (SSOs).
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Myocarditis Incidences Linked to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines and Approval of Alternative non-mRNA Vaccines","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health (a) how many incidences of myocarditis linked to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been recorded in Singapore; (b) what are the most commonly affected age groups; and (c) whether any cases have been recorded amongst SAF and Police cohorts.
29 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health (a) to date, what has been the take-up rate of the Sinovac vaccine; (b) what are the cases of adverse reactions; (c) given that HSA has been unable to obtain the required data on Sinovac, whether there are plans to purchase more of this vaccine for any future booster shots; and (d) whether HSA is reviewing the approval of alternative non-mRNA vaccines besides the Novavax vaccine.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: These questions have been addressed via a Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Health, in his capacity as Co-Chair of the Multi-Ministry Task Force, on 26 July 2021. [Please refer to \"Fifth Update on Whole-of-Government Responses to COVID-19\", Official Report, 26 July 2021, Vol 95, Issue 33, Ministerial Statement section.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government Expenditure on Each Elderly Person Cared for in Nursing Homes or Other Residential Care Facilities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"30 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Health on a monthly and annual basis, how much does the Government spend on each elderly person who is cared for in nursing homes or other residential care facilities including salaries for staff, hygiene consumables and other paraphernalia related to care costs.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: In 2020, the Government provided around S$349 million in subsidies to 13,850 nursing home residents for nursing home services. This translates to an average of S$2,100 monthly or S$25,200 annually spent on each subsidised nursing home resident.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update and Details of Home-based COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, Take-up Rate among Seniors and Plans to Manage COVID-19 as Endemic Disease","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the latest status of the home-based COVID-19 vaccination programme; (b) how many recipients of this programme are seniors; and (c) how effective may this programme be in encouraging seniors to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
32 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health in order to encourage more senior citizens to vaccinate against COVID-19, whether the Ministry will consider enlisting the help of volunteer nurses to work with grassroots volunteers during its house-to-house engagement efforts.
33 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Health in light of plans to manage COVID-19 as an endemic disease and to scale down case-by-case information releases, whether the Ministry will consider the routine release of more aggregate summary statistics to the public such as estimates of Reproduction Number (R0), case counts for each variant, and source country/region for imported cases.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: These questions have been addressed via a Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Health, in his capacity as Co-Chair of the Multi-Ministry Task Force, on 26 July 2021. [\tPlease refer to \"Fifth Update on Whole-of-Government Responses to COVID-19\", Official Report, 26 July 2021, Vol 95, Issue 33, Ministerial Statement section.\t]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Referral of Vulnerable Pregnant Women by Medical Personnel to Avenues for Support and Assistance During and Post-pregnancy","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Health (a) whether it is mandatory for medical personnel to refer vulnerable pregnant women they encounter (including but not limited to single mothers or teenage mothers) to avenues for support and assistance during and post-pregnancy; and (b) what types of assistance are available to such individuals.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Healthcare professionals are legally required to notify the Police if they suspect that an offence, such as suspected sexual assault or physical abuse, has been committed under section 424 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). In addition, healthcare professionals are bound by professional ethical codes to make decisions in the best interests of their patients and to refer patients with needs that they are unable to address, to other avenues for appropriate care.
Pregnant women with identified needs are provided with psychosocial support and referred to medical social workers, nurses, care coordinators, as well as social and community services for relevant assistance as part of routine obstetric care.
For example, to better support pregnant women from low-income families with symptoms of depression and anxiety, the National University Hospital (NUH) launched a pilot programme, Promoting Parental emotional health to Enhance child Learning (ProPEL), in 2018 to provide tailored interventions to these women during pregnancy and until the child turns one year old. Under this programme, case managers and social workers provide support and deliver cognitive-behavioural therapy and occupational therapy-based interventions through home visits, where necessary.
In addition, under the KidSTART Home Visitation Programme, which is led by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), in partnership with the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and NUH, home visitors equip low-income pregnant mothers and parents or caregivers of newborns with knowledge on early childhood development, health and nutrition up till the child is three years old.
To complement the efforts of public agencies, there are several ground-up initiatives within the community to support vulnerable pregnant women. Safe Place, an initiative by Lakeside Family Services, provides unsupported pregnant women and mothers with newborn babies a temporary place to stay for up to four months after giving birth and offers them case management and counselling services. In addition, Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support provides casework and counselling for teenagers aged 21 and below who have difficulty in coping with their pregnancy, to help them make informed decisions regarding their pregnancy and parenting roles and provide them with parenting and self-care skills. It also offers befriending services to support the teenagers in their social and emotional well-being.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Suicides and Attempted Suicides by Age Group in Past Five Years and Programmes and Funds Dedicated to Prevention and Promoting Awareness","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Health in each of the past five years (a) what is the number of suicides and attempted suicides by age group; and (b) in 2021 to date, what is the number of programmes and amount of funds dedicated specifically to suicide prevention services and promoting awareness of suicide warning signs.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The number of suicide cases by age group is publicly released in the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths by the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) on an annual basis. The annual number of suicide cases by age group in the past five years is summarised at Table 1.
Persons who are greatly distressed and attempt to take their own life require help and the criminal justice system may not be the best option to deal with attempted suicides. As of 1 January 2020, attempted suicide was decriminalised via the Criminal Law Reform Act 2019. The number of attempted suicides that the Police had attended to in the past five year is summarised at Table 2.
Suicide prevention spans several sectors including health, social and education, and are based on four key strategies: (a) building mental resilience; (b) encourage help seeking and early identification; (c) supporting at-risk groups; and (d) providing crisis support. Efforts under these strategies are integrated with mainstream mental health and well-being programmes implemented in various settings. These programmes received over $28 million from Government grants and community funds in Financial Year 2020.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Quarantine Procedure for Arriving Foreign Domestic Workers and Circumstances for Their Early Release from Stay-Home Notices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current quarantine procedure for foreign domestic workers (FDWs) arriving to work in Singapore; (b) under what circumstances can these FDWs be released early from their Stay-Home Notices (SHNs); and (c) to date, how many FDWs have been released early from their SHNs.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Today, all travellers, including foreign domestic workers (FDWs) who have a recent travel history to higher-risk countries/regions within the last 21 days prior to departure to Singapore would be subjected to a 14-day isolation at a dedicated Stay-Home Notice (SHN) facility. They are also subjected to a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on arrival and on Day 14 of arrival, as well as self-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) tests on Days three, seven and 11 of arrival. All travellers must test negative on their Day 14 PCR test to be released from the SHN.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown of Inpatient Admission Rates and Outpatient Attendance Rates of Singaporean HDB Residents over Age 65 by Flat Type and Residents with Barrier-free Access from Their Homes to Lift Landings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health (a) in each of the past three years, with regard to HDB-resident Singaporeans over the age of 65, what are the median, 75th, 90th and 95th percentile outpatient polyclinic and specialist outpatient clinic attendance rates in the public hospitals, broken down by flat type; and (b) whether the Ministry can provide statistics on whether such residents have barrier-free access from their home to the nearest lift landing.
38 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health (a) in each of the past three years, with regard to HDB-resident Singaporeans over the age of 65, what are the median, 75th, 90th and 95th percentile inpatient admission rates in the public hospitals by frequency of admission and total inpatient days, broken down by flat type; and (b) whether the Ministry can provide statistics on whether such residents have barrier-free access from their home to the nearest lift landing.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Over the past three years, the polyclinic attendance rate, specialist outpatient clinic (SOC) attendances rates, inpatient admission rates and impatient bed days in the public hospitals for Singaporeans over the age of 65 and living in HDB estates, have remained generally stable1. Those residing in smaller HDB flat types generally had higher utilisation of inpatient and polyclinic services, but lower utilisation of SOC services, compared to residents living in other housing types. Please see the table below.
The Government has taken measures to ensure barrier-free accessibility in our housing estates. In 1990, the Code on Barrier Free Accessibility in Buildings was first introduced to set minimum standards for barrier-free accessibility in and outside buildings. Since then, all new HDB estates are built with barrier-free access features, which include wider corridors for wheelchair movement and a wheelchair accessible bathroom within the flat. Following the implementation of the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) for over 5,000 HDB blocks, the majority of HDB residents have barrier-free access from their home to the nearest lift landing. Residents of the remaining 2,000 flats without direct lift access who have medical or mobility issues can apply for the Lift access Housing Grant (LHG) of up to $30,000, to buy a new or resale HDB flat with direct lift access.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : The outpatient polyclinic statistics only include doctor visits to align with other settings. Non-doctor visits (example for dental or allied health only) have been excluded."],"footNoteQuestions":["37","38"],"questionNo":"37-38"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for Exclusion of Waist Circumference Measurement in Obesity Screening under Screen for Life Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health given the recommendation in the HPB-MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines on Obesity (2016) that waist circumference measurement should be used in conjunction with Body Mass Index to identify increased disease risk (a) what is the rationale for the exclusion of the waist circumference measurement in obesity screening under the Screen for Life programme; and (b) whether the Government will consider the inclusion of waist circumference measurement in the Screen for Life programme and other standardised health screening tests.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: MOH takes reference from the Screening Test Review Committee (STRC) recommendations for the population-based screening tests offered under the Screen for Life (SFL) programme. The STRC reviews robust scientific evidence to ensure that the tests are safe, suitable and cost-effective in detecting the condition screened for at a population level.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference are both considered suitable population screening tests for obesity by the STRC. The BMI test was first included under SFL over the waist circumference measurement as the former was considered a more practical method to measure overweight/obesity, especially in mass screenings and is done together with screening tests for diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. To complement the BMI test, MOH is already in the process of including waist circumference measurement under SFL to assess individuals for abdominal obesity, as it is an indicator for higher cardiovascular risk and will be implementing it soon.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Single Unwed Parents Helped Via HDB's Website Dedicated to Addressing Their Common Housing Queries","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"40 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the new section in HDB's website dedicated to addressing common housing queries from single unwed parents (a) to date, how many single unwed parents has HDB helped; and (b) to date, how many of these single unwed parents have secured housing from HDB.
Mr Desmond Lee: In September 2019, HDB updated the HDB InfoWEB to explain how we support the housing needs of Single Unwed Parents (SUPs). SUPs who are in stable employment and can afford to buy a flat can buy up to a 3-room flat in the non-mature estates from HDB, or a resale flat on the open market. Those who cannot afford to buy a flat will be considered for public rental flats.
From September 2019 to June 2021:
(a) HDB approved requests from about 190 SUPs to apply for a new flat under HDB’s sales exercises, of whom about two-thirds were subsequently successful in their flat applications. Of the successful applicants, half of them have booked a flat, a quarter of them did not book a flat when they were invited to do so and the remaining are waiting for their flat booking appointment; and
(b) HDB approved requests from about 55 SUPs below the age of 35 to buy a resale flat, of whom half have completed their purchase.
In the same period, HDB also approved about 380 applications from SUPs to rent a flat under the Public Rental Scheme.
HDB will continue to review every request from SUPs holistically and render housing assistance to them in the best interest of their children.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Priority Scheme for First-timer Applicants for BTO Flats in Non-mature Estates Who Failed Three or More Times","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"41 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for National Development whether first-timer applicants who have applied for BTO flats in non-mature estates and still failed to secure a flat three or more times can be placed in a priority scheme beyond being given additional ballot chances and provided with access to a HDB officer to guide their next BTO application to exclude failure due to application errors.
Mr Desmond Lee: HDB recognises that the housing needs of first-timer applicants are more pressing and hence accords greater priority to them in their flat applications. Currently, first-timer families are given two ballot chances when HDB shortlists flat applicants to book a flat. Those who have been unsuccessful in two or more attempts for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats in the non-mature estates will be given an additional ballot chance at their subsequent application for a BTO flat in the non-mature estates. This is provided they have not been invited to select a flat for any of their earlier BTO or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) applications.
As a result, virtually all first-timer families have been successful within their first three tries for a BTO flat in the non-mature estates over the past few years. Hence, there is no need to have a new priority scheme for such first-timer applicants. HDB will continue to monitor the success rates of these applicants.
To guide them in their flat application journey, flat buyers can refer to the HDB InfoWEB for information on the flat application process and related policies. If they have queries about their application status, the application procedures and policies, or require more guidance, they may contact HDB through the various channels listed on the HDB InfoWEB.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of First-timer Applicants Who Failed to Secure a BTO Flat in Non-mature Estates after Their First, Second and Third Attempts for Each Year Since 2019","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"42 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for National Development for each year since 2019, how many first-timer applicants failed to secure a HDB flat from Built-To-Order (BTO) exercises in non-mature estates after their (i) first attempt (ii) second attempt and (iii) third attempt respectively.
Mr Desmond Lee: The details of first-timer (FT) families who were unsuccessful in the Build-To-Order (BTO) exercises in the non-mature estates in 2019 and 2020 are tabulated below. These figures include applicants who may have been successful in applications outside of BTO exercises in the non-mature estates, but chose not to select a flat.
43 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the HDB Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) (a) what is the ethnic breakdown for all HDB neighbourhoods in percentage terms on an annual basis from 1989 at 31 December each year to date, including the population size of each neighbourhood as at the same date; (b) how many blocks in each neighbourhood surpassed the EIP limits for at least one race at any given year from 1989; and (c) since 1989, how many times has HDB purchased a flat affected by the EIP at the flat’s posted price, market price or valuation price.
Mr Desmond Lee: Under the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP), limits are set on the proportion of flats that can be owned by households from each ethnic group. When an EIP limit for a specific ethnic group is reached, sellers from the other ethnic groups cannot sell their flats to buyers from the affected group. However, sellers from the affected ethnic group may sell their flats to buyers from any ethnic group, including the affected ethnic group.
For example, when the Indian/Others block limit is reached, Chinese and Malay sellers in that block cannot sell their flats to Indian/Others buyers. However, Indian/Others flat owners can sell their flats to buyers from any ethnic group, including Indian/Others buyers.
In view of the large number of HDB blocks and neighbourhoods, and the long time period involved, we have provided aggregated statistics at five-yearly intervals for the number of HDB neighbourhoods and blocks affected by the EIP limits. Please see Tables 1 and 2 for details.
Until 2000, HDB accepted the voluntary surrender of flats for any reason. Flat owners who chose to surrender their flats to HDB were not required to indicate a reason for doing so and HDB did not track if surrendered flats were affected by the EIP limits. After 2000, as the resale market had become more developed and sellers had more options for sale on the resale market, HDB stopped accepting the voluntary surrender of flats that are eligible to be sold on the open market.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of HDB Flats Installed with Elderly Monitoring System, Its Average Yearly Activation Rate and Plans to Upgrade or Expand System","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"44 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many HDB flats have been installed with the Elderly Monitoring System; (b) what is the average yearly activation rate; and (c) whether there are plans to upgrade or expand the system.
Mr Desmond Lee: In 2016, HDB launched the “My Smart HDB Home @ Yuhua” trial under which residents could purchase smart home applications and services, including the Elderly Monitoring System (EMS), directly from vendors of such solutions. The trial concluded in March 2018.
HDB has taken in learning points from the trial in the development of the HDB Smart Enabled Home Initiative, where digital infrastructure is provided within HDB flats to support the adoption of smart home solutions such as the EMS. For example, flats at the recently completed Northshore Residences I and II are equipped with a smart distribution board for residents to better manage energy consumption within their homes and to facilitate residents’ adoption of smart home solutions, including the EMS.
Various packages for sensor-based EMS are available commercially and residents who wish to install EMS can directly engage a service provider which best suits their needs. HDB does not track the total number of flats that have been installed with EMS. For residents’ convenience, HDB has included a weblink in the appointment letter issued for keys collection for residents of 2-room Flexi flats to find out more information on commercial providers who offer the EMS. Interested residents can also approach HDB’s InfoWeb for more information.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Number of Workers from China Recruited for Construction Industry Following Relaxation of Measures and Average Monthly Outflow of Migrant Workers in Construction Sector","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"45 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many workers from the People’s Republic of China have entered Singapore to join our construction industry since May 2021 following the relaxation of measures for construction companies to recruit workers from China; (b) what is the average monthly outflow of migrant workers in the construction sector who have decided to return home since April 2020; and (c) what more can be done to stem the acute shortage of manpower that the construction sector faces.
Mr Desmond Lee: BCA has worked with MOM to temporarily allow new construction Work Permit Holders (WPHs) from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to obtain their skills certification in Singapore instead of at Overseas Testing Centres (OTCs) in the PRC, from 7 May 2021 until the end of this year. Thus far, about 600 new PRC workers have entered Singapore to work in our construction industry.
The average net outflow of migrant workers in the construction industry from April 2020 to June 2021 was about 1,900 workers per month. The Government is working closely with the industry to mitigate the impact of the ongoing manpower crunch. In addition to facilitating the entry of new workers from PRC, MOM has been exercising greater flexibility for firms to retain their existing WPHs. It is also looking into extending the temporary flexibility granted to PRC construction WPHs to obtain their skills certification in Singapore, to workers from other sources.
The construction industry has also recently adopted an Alliance for Action (AfA) approach to bring in migrant workers safely, in partnership with our agencies. This pilot comprises a tightened end-to-end process, involving protocols such as a stringent COVID-19 testing regime for workers over a 14-day period at dedicated facilities in source countries before they depart for Singapore, to minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases. The pilot started with a small number of migrant workers from India and we will explore scaling up the process in a sustainable manner if the pilot is successful.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Demand and Availability of Rental Flats under Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"46 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the total number of rental flats available under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS); (b) in the last five years, what is the yearly demand for PPHS rental flats; and (c) what percentage of this demand has been met.
Mr Desmond Lee: Various Members have previously asked about the supply and demand of flats under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS). The PPHS provides an additional temporary housing option for households awaiting the completion of their new flats.
The supply of PPHS flats is limited and depends on the availability of vacant flats. The mainstay of supply is HDB flats pending demolition, such as vacated SERS flats, that are not immediately needed for redevelopment. As at June 2021, HDB has about 840 rental flats available under PPHS. The majority of these are occupied and tenants usually stay for two years or longer.
Since 2020, the supply of PPHS flats has tightened due to a shortage of construction workers to spruce up flats that have been returned to HDB before they can be let out to new tenants. Delays in BTO completion have also slowed down the return of PPHS flats to HDB. At the same time, the demand for PPHS flats has increased, likely due to delays in BTO completion, working from home and competition for open market rental from others who need to rent flats.
The number of unique PPHS applicants in the last five years and the corresponding percentage of applicants who had a chance to select a PPHS flat are shown in Table 1 below. While the demand for PPHS flats has increased since 2020, about half of the applicants who were offered one or more chances to select a flat since 2020 did not turn up or did not select a flat, suggesting that not all applicants have an urgent housing need and some may have other housing options.
Given the limited supply of PPHS flats, we are considering how to fine-tune allocation to give priority to families in greater need of temporary housing. We are also studying ways to increase the supply of PPHS flats to better support flat buyers who need temporary housing. We will provide more details on these measures when ready. Meanwhile, on a case-by-case basis, HDB may offer interim rental housing to low-income households with no other housing options.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Expedite Enforcement of Orders for Removal of Flammable or Hazardous Items from Hoarders' Homes and Surroundings","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"47 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether more manpower and resources can be allocated to expedite enforcements of orders to remove items, especially flammable or hazardous ones, from the hoarders' homes and surroundings; (b) whether penalties can be increased due to the danger that such items pose; (c) whether authorised personnel can be empowered to enter their homes to remove fire hazards; and (d) whether those with hoarding issues can be ordered to attend counselling sessions with mental health professionals.
Mr Desmond Lee: Hoarding behaviour is characterised by excessive acquisition and persistent difficulty in making decisions to discard possessions. This behaviour can lead to a variety of concerns, including disamenities to immediate neighbours. The Municipal Services Office (MSO) leads a multi-agency workgroup to coordinate hoarding cases. The workgroup includes HDB, NEA, NParks, Animal and Veterinary Services (AVS), MSF, People's Association (PA), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) so that enforcement, social, community, health and medical interventions can all be considered in an effort to address the issue holistically and in a coordinated manner.
The agencies have jointly developed a Hoarding Management Framework (HMF), which includes a set of standard operating procedures to guide ground officers in their day-to-day management of hoarding cases. When public feedback is received, cases are assessed and prioritised based on whether there is threat to public health and safety. For severe cases, regulatory agencies can already enter the home to make an assessment of the severity of the existing hoarding situation. For example, NEA for vector or mosquito issues, or SCDF if the materials hoarded comprise particularly flammable materials, such as petroleum or petroleum products. Likewise, SCDF works with the Town Councils and Management Corporation Strata Titles (MCSTs) to remove hoarding in the common areas, which increase fire safety risks by obstructing fire evacuation routes.
While we recognise that compulsive hoarding is a behavioural problem, the majority of hoarders do not have treatable underlying mental illnesses such as obsessive compulsive disorder. There are thus no clinically proven medical treatments that could fully address hoarding behaviour and would apply to all hoarders. The interventions for each case will have to differ depending on the hoarder's underlying motivations and available support, such as from family members and community (for example, neighbours and social service organisations).
The process to fully resolve a hoarding issue through counselling can be long-drawn and is highly dependent on the hoarder’s willingness and ability to change their behaviour. Therefore, we will need strong support from the hoarder’s family and community. In many of the successful interventions, family members and neighbours have worked closely with agencies and grassroots leaders to encourage and assist the hoarders such that their behaviour does not recur. Premature mandated interventions may be not conducive to successful resolution as trust amongst the stakeholders may be eroded. MSO and the agencies involved will continue to review the need for more legislative powers, manpower and resources in tackling this issue.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Current Policy and Introduction of CPF Contribution Scheme to Employment Pass and EntrePass Holders","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"48 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will review the current policy and introduce the CPF contribution scheme to Employment Pass and EntrePass holders.
Dr Tan See Leng: This was addressed in MOM’s Ministerial Statement on 6 July 2021. Since 2003, all foreigners working in Singapore have not been allowed to contribute to CPF or receive CPF contributions from employers. The CPF system is designed to support Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents in their retirement, housing and healthcare needs. As foreign PMEs are not working in Singapore on a permanent basis, we are not responsible for their retirement adequacy or home ownership needs. CPF coverage and benefits are not extended to them. Foreign PMEs should make their own financial plans for retirement and can leverage on available financial products.
The idea that this disadvantages Singaporeans is misconceived. We set a qualifying salary for Employment Pass (EP) holders in order to maintain a level playing field. The minimum qualifying salary is currently $4,500 for the youngest EP applicants. The qualifying salaries for older and more experienced EP candidates increase such that those in their 40s will need to earn around double the minimum qualifying salary for the youngest applicants. The setting of this qualifying salary takes into account CPF contributions as part of the cost to employers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Outcome of Cases of Workplaces Breaching Safe Distancing Measures and Concerns of Effects of Whistle-blowing on Jobs and Businesses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"49 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in the recent Phase Two (Heightened Alert) period, how many reports have been received concerning employers and workplaces breaching safe distancing measures; (b) how have these cases been dealt with; (c) how does the Ministry take into consideration employees’ concerns about losing employment and causing the business to be shuttered if they whistle-blow; and (d) how does the Ministry address employers’ concerns with the goal to create a safe and pandemic-proof workplace.
Dr Tan See Leng: Since the start of Phase Two (Heightened Alert) on 16 May 2021, MOM has received over 3,500 reports concerning Safe Management Measures at workplaces. Some of the reports were misunderstandings that were resolved following clarifications with the complainants. For example, there were cases of employers and employees misinterpreting the work-from-home requirement to mean that no employees could return to the workplace, when employees whose work is of a nature that cannot be performed from home are allowed to do so.
For the rest, MOM takes a balanced and calibrated approach. Our goal is not to find fault with employers, or to penalise them unnecessarily. Doing so will put further stress on the business and may even affect the livelihood of the employees. Most instances of non-compliance are minor, such as employees improperly wearing masks, or employers not enforcing the use of workplace SafeEntry check-ins. In such cases, MOM will advise the companies to rectify shortcomings. In a small minority of cases (66 of the reports received), MOM imposed a composition fine. These include cases where safe distancing was not observed at the workplace and where employees were back at the workplace at their employer’s instruction, even though their work could be done from home.
In our inspections, the identities of all informants are kept confidential. Employers therefore do not know if the visit is part of MOM’s routine inspections or arises from a whistle-blowing report.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Incidences and Contributory Factors of Poor Safety Practices or Inappropriate Procedures Logged at Workplace in Past Year","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"50 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past year, how many incidences of poor safety practices or inappropriate procedures have been logged at the workplace; (b) whether the current manpower crunch is giving rise to more workplace accidents; and (c) how is the Ministry working with employers to ensure that workers’ mental well-being does not affect their ability to deliver quality work in a safe manner.
Dr Tan See Leng: There was a reduction in the number of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) composition fines (CFs) and notices of non-compliance (NNCs) for safety in 2020 to around 3,000, compared with nearly 9,000 in the preceding year. This is due mainly to the suspension of workplace activities in the second and third quarters of 2020 to manage the COVID-19 outbreak. Notwithstanding, the unsafe practices detected remain largely unchanged, with the most common being unguarded openings and open sides, poor maintenance of heavy machinery such as excavators, boom lifts and forklifts and insufficient safeguards when operating machinery.
Preliminary investigations into the recent fatal accidents and ongoing inspections present a similar picture. However, while COVID-19 border restrictions have meant fewer workers, it is unclear the degree to which these factors have contributed to the increase in workplace injuries. Nevertheless, regardless of COVID-19, all stakeholders, especially employers are very clear that the safety of the workers cannot be compromised.
With respect to mental well-being of the workforce, the WSH Council promotes this as part of its Total WSH programme and through platforms such as its annual National WSH Campaigns. This year’s campaign was launched in April 2021 and emphasises workers setting aside Care Time to pause at work to take care of their safety and health. Simple actions like having sufficient sleep, keeping hydrated and doing regular exercises can improve one’s physical and mental health and allow workers to become more alert to unsafe acts or conditions at their workplaces.
The WSH Council’s Total WSH Programme guides employers on how they can manage safety and health, including mental well-being, at workplaces. This includes offering organisations free access to mental well-being talks and workshops. Similarly, the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) Workplace Outreach Wellness (WOW) Package also includes mental well-being programmes to strengthen workplace support for employees. Beyond supporting employers, these programmes are also readily available to help employees themselves manage stress and build mental resilience. Employers may also refer to the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces for practical guidance, including recommendations and available resources, to support the mental well-being of their employees.
We hope that all employers will provide their workers with a conducive and psychologically safe environment to conduct their work safely and healthily.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints against Employment Agencies for Obscuring Important Information of Migrant Domestic Workers in Each of Last Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"51 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in each of the last five years, how many employers have lodged complaints against employment agencies for having obscured important information such as the past employment records of migrant domestic workers; (b) what are the outcomes of any investigations that took place relating to these incidents; and (c) what redress or compensation is extended to employers who are found to have been victims of unlawful actions by employment agencies.
Dr Tan See Leng: Employment agencies (EAs) are required under the Employment Agency Act to provide accurate information relating to the employment of any person. They are further required under the licence conditions to furnish the employment history and biodata of Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) to prospective employers.
Between 2016 and 2020, out of 520,000 MDWs placed by EAs, a total of 30 complaints related to providing inaccurate or incomplete information were received from employers. Twelve complaints either lacked sufficient information to substantiate the complaint, or were caused by misunderstandings between employers and EAs. Eighteen of them were investigated by MOM. Six resulted in composition fine or warning issued to the EA. No further action was taken for the remaining cases as the EAs were able to provide documentary evidence that the employer had been provided with the information on the MDW.
In cases where the MDW was unable to continue employment due to the EA’s failure to provide the relevant information accurately, the EA will have to either refund the fees paid by the employer or provide a replacement MDW.
The provision of accurate information to prospective employers is important to facilitate informed decision-making by employers. MOM takes every complaint seriously and will take enforcement action against the EA if the complaint is found to be substantiated.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints Lodged by Migrant Domestic Workers against Employers for Abuse or Exploitation and Outcome of Investigations in Each of Last Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"52 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in each of the last five years, how many complaints have been lodged by migrant domestic workers against their employers for abuse or exploitation; (b) how many have been found, after investigation, to be frivolous and vexatious; and (c) what actions have been taken against workers who make such allegations.
Dr Tan See Leng: Between 2016 and 2020, an average of 259 reports of Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) abuse were made to the Police each year. The Police investigates all such reports of abuse of MDWs. The Police does not track specifically the number of reports of abuse filed by MDWs which are frivolous or vexatious. MDWs who are found to have lodged false reports of abuse to the Police may be investigated for providing false information to a public servant. If convicted, they may be punished with up to two years’ imprisonment, fine or both.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), employers are required to provide due care to the MDWs working in their households. When a complaint by an MDW is received, MOM will interview the MDW and the employer to establish the facts. This is to ensure fairness to both parties.
MDWs found to have provided false information during investigations may be fined, imprisoned or both. They will also be barred from working in Singapore. Between 2016 and 2020, 14 MDWs were warned, seven prosecuted and both groups were debarred from working in Singapore, for providing false statements to MOM.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Ratification of International Labour Organization Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No 111)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"53 Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Government has considered ratifying the International Labour Organization (ILO) Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No 111); (b) if so, what are the reasons why Singapore has not ratified the Convention; and (c) if not, whether the Government will consider ratifying the Convention.
Dr Tan See Leng: Singapore takes its treaty obligations seriously. We have a longstanding policy to only consider ratifying an International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention if we can fully comply with it in law and in practice.
That said, non-ratification of a Convention does not mean that our policies and measures are not aligned with the spirit of the Convention.
We agree with the intent of the ILO Convention on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), also known as C111, which requires ratifying member states to “pursue a national policy designed to promote, by methods appropriate to national conditions and practice, equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation, with a view to eliminating any discrimination in respect thereof”.
In line with this, we require employers to treat all jobseekers and employees fairly based on merit. Employers who do not adhere to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices are investigated by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). Where there is evidence of discrimination, the case is escalated to MOM, which takes strong enforcement action against errant employers. In this regard, MOM also stiffened penalties in 2020.
Besides enforcement, we believe that it is important to tackle discrimination through education. TAFEP has thus been underscoring the importance and benefits of fair hiring through mass media, collaboration with industry and community partners and workshops.
We continually review how to better tackle workplace discrimination in line with the intent of C111. MOM recently stated, via a Ministerial Statement on 6 July 2021, that we will do more to clamp down on egregious employers with discriminatory employment practices and alongside our tripartite partners, study various options to strengthen our efforts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Ensure Employers Have Obtained Work Pass Holder's Written Consent Before Applying for Work Pass Renewals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"54 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how does the Ministry ensure that employers have obtained a work pass holder’s written consent when applying for the renewal of his work pass; (b) to date, how many complaints have been received by the Ministry from work pass holders objecting to renewals of their work passes; and (c) what penalties have been imposed on employers who are found to have applied for work pass renewals without first obtaining the work pass holder’s written consent.
Dr Tan See Leng: Employers must obtain their workers’ written consent when they apply to renew their work passes. For workers on work permits, employers are required to upload the workers’ written consent when submitting the application for renewal. For workers on employment passes or S Passes, employers must declare that they have obtained the written consent and may be called upon to furnish proof of such consent to MOM.
In 2021 to date, MOM has received disputes from 23 migrant workers objecting to renewals of their work permits. Most of these disputes were resolved with the work permit holders deciding to either terminate their employment or continue their employment with the existing employer. There are currently three cases under investigation.
Employers found to have falsely declared that they have obtained the workers’ written consent may be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and fined up to $20,000 or jailed for up to two years or both. Similarly, workers found to have furnished false information to the authorities may have their work pass privileges curtailed. In 2021 to date, no such penalties have been meted out to employers or migrant workers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Current Unemployment Rate of Citizens by Wage Decile Based on Last Drawn Salary","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"55 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower what is the current unemployment rate of citizens by wage decile based on last drawn salary.
Dr Tan See Leng: MOM does not track unemployment rates based on last drawn salary, which can be influenced by several factors such as age, education, hours worked, industry and occupation. Instead, as with the approach taken globally by other national statistical agencies, we track unemployment rates disaggregated by age, gender, education qualifications and occupations. These figures are released on a regular basis through our labour market reports.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints Received from Employees not Granted Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19-related Conditions and Procedures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"56 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has received complaints from employees who are not granted paid sick leave for COVID-19 related conditions and procedures such as quarantine orders and severe side effects from vaccination; and (b) if so, how many complaints have been received to date.
Dr Tan See Leng: Employees are legally entitled to paid sick leave if they are medically certified to be unfit for work or are under quarantine. Employees who are denied their contractual or statutory sick leave entitlements can approach the Ministry or the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) for assistance.
In the past 12 months, TADM managed eight sick leave claims relating to COVID-19. All of these cases were resolved with the employers accepting the claims and making good on the payment following mediation by TADM.
Despite the COVID-19 disruptions, employers have generally been responsible and supportive of their employees in the provision of sick leave. Some employers have exercised flexibility and compassion to provide additional paid sick leave to employees who have exhausted their leave entitlements. Others have allowed employees to count COVID-19 related medical certificates towards hospitalisation rather than outpatient sick leave quotas. We encourage employers to continue to be flexible in supporting employees’ needs amidst this pandemic.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Breakdown by Monthly Salary Bands of Employment Pass Holders Employed in Finance, Infocomm, Professional Services and Other Sectors","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"57 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower with regard to Employment Pass holders employed in the finance sector, infocomm sector, professional services sector and other sectors, what is the breakdown by monthly salary bands of (i) less than $6,000 (ii) $6,000 to less than $8,000 (iii) $8,000 to less than $10,000 (iv) $10,000 to less than $12,000 (v) $12,000 to less than $16,000 (vi) $16,000 to less than $20,000 and (vii) $20,000 and above, for each respective sector.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Member will know that monthly salary is one of the criteria for the Employment Pass (EP). The current minimum qualifying salary for EP holders is $4,500 for the youngest applicants (for the Finance sector, it is set higher at $5,000). The salary requirement increases with age to reflect the EP candidate’s experience and length of time in the workforce, and to provide sufficient protection for our mature workers. As such, the qualifying salaries for EP candidates in their 40s are around double the minimum qualifying salary for the youngest applicants.
The median EP monthly salaries as of December 2020 in the Finance, Infocomm, Professional Services and Other sectors were around $12,000, $7,600, $8,800 and $7,600 respectively. Locals outnumber EP holders in every one of the salary bands and in every one of the sectors specified by the Member.
As explained in the Ministerial Statements on 6 July 2021, competition between EP holders and locals is not a zero-sum game. In fact, the presence of EP holders who complement the local workforce with skills in short supply enables us to attract more investments and create even more good job opportunities for locals.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Work Passes Issued to Dependants of Permanent Residents, Employment Pass Holders and S Pass Holders under \"Other Work Passes\" Category","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"58 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower (a) as at June 2021, how many work passes have been issued under the “Other Work Passes” category of the foreign workforce numbers published on the Ministry's website; and (b) how many of these are attributable to dependants of permanent residents, Employment Pass holders and S Pass holders respectively.
Dr Tan See Leng: The foreign workforce numbers published on MOM’s website are correct as of December 2020. The 32,200 “Other Work Passes”1 make up a small fraction of all work pass holders (2.6%). About 1% points are dependants of Employment Pass (EP) holders on a Dependant’s Pass (DP) who are holding a Letter of Consent (LOC). The remainder are largely dependants of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are holding an LOC or pre-approved LOC (PLOC), who in fact make up the majority of “Other Work Passes”. Dependants of S Pass holders are not eligible to apply for LOCs.
The proportion of “Other Work Passes” contributed by dependants of EP holders is expected to drop significantly over the next few years, as with effect from 1 May 2021, DP holders who wish to work in Singapore will have to obtain a relevant work pass. Therefore, it would not be meaningful to track the number of dependants of EP and S Pass holders issued with work passes under the “Other Work Passes” category going forward.
The foreign workforce numbers as at June 2021 will be published on MOM’s website in September 2021.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : “Other Work Passes” includes Letter of Consent (LOC), pre-approved LOC, Training Work Permit (TWP) and Training Employment Pass (TEP)."],"footNoteQuestions":["58"],"questionNo":"58"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Breakdown of Local Professionals, Managers and Executives","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"59 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower from 2005 to 2020, what are the annual breakdown numbers of local Professionals, Managers and Executives.
60 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower from 2005 to 2020, what is the annual breakdown number of self-employed workers.
Dr Tan See Leng: The information can be found in the annual Labour Force in Singapore reports, which are available online. For the year 2020, for example, the information is contained in Table 35 (Resident PMEs) and Table 52 (Resident Own Account Workers). Longer time series data from 1991 onwards for these two groups is also available on MOM’s website.
61 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower what is the current number of citizens, Permanent Residents, Employment Pass holders and S Pass holders in each of the (i) finance (ii) infocomm (iii) professional services and (iv) other sectors.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Member will be able to find the number of employed residents by industry sector in the Labour Force in Singapore reports. This is published annually and available on MOM's website.
MOM does not further break down employed residents in each industry sector by Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. This is aligned with international practice and ensures international comparability, as statistical agencies worldwide typically cover the population residing in their country without a breakdown by nationality. We question the Progress Singapore Party’s fixation on drawing lines, first between Employment Pass (EP) holders and locals and now drawing lines among locals. In any case, the Member will also be able to note that in a 2020 Occasional Paper, MOM reported that Singapore Citizens consistently make up around 85% of the resident labour force.
As for the number of EP holders in the industry sectors, the Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Manpower on 6 July 2021 already stated that there were around 177,000 EP holders in our overall workforce in 2020. The Infocomm and Professional Services sectors account for around one-fifth each, while the Finance sector accounts for another one-seventh.
As for S Pass holders, there were around 174,000 S Pass holders in 2020. The Finance, Infocomm and Professional Services sectors collectively account for around one-eighth of S Pass holders.
The Member is advised to refer to published data to get the information she is interested in.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Improve Non-Discrimination in Employment by Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"62 Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Manpower in light of efforts to improve non-discrimination in employment by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) (a) what are the measures being considered to improve existing corrective and signalling instruments; and (b) whether there will be a review of changes to such instruments and, if so, how and when will it occur and be publicly reported.
Dr Tan See Leng: MOM takes a serious view of all forms of discrimination at the workplace. We have put in place education and enforcement measures to tackle it. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has been supporting employers with advisory services and resources to adopt fair employment practices. In addition, TAFEP works with employers to correct any gaps in their HR processes, including through clinics to help employers better understand their obligations under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices and implement the right practices. Where MOM finds that employers have been discriminatory, we also take firm enforcement action against them.
These measures have been progressively enhanced over the years. Just last year, we introduced stiffer penalties for all forms of workplace discrimination. This sends a clear deterrent signal that the Government does not tolerate such behaviour.
As stated in the Ministerial Statement on 6 July 2021, we will do more to clamp down on egregious employers with discriminatory employment practices and alongside our tripartite partners, study various options to strengthen our efforts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null}],"writtenAnswersVOList":[],"writtenAnsNAVOList":[],"annexureList":[{"annexureID":1941,"sittingDate":null,"annexureTitle":"Annex 1","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210726/annex-MS MOH 26 July Visuals.pdf","fileName":"MS MOH 26 July Visuals.pdf","sectionType":"OS","file":null}],"vernacularList":[{"vernacularID":4521,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210726/vernacular-Patrick Tay Adj 26July2021-Chinese.pdf","fileName":"Patrick Tay Adj 26July2021-Chinese.pdf"},{"vernacularID":4522,"sittingDate":null,"vernacularTitle":"Vernacular Speech by Mr Saktiandi Supaat","filePath":"d:/apps/reports/solr_files/20210726/vernacular-26 July 2021 - Mr Saktiandi Supaat - Adj Motion (Strengthening Sporean Core).pdf","fileName":"26 July 2021 - Mr Saktiandi Supaat - Adj Motion (Strengthening Sporean Core).pdf"}],"onlinePDFFileName":""}