Alvin Tan
Singapore
“And if our companies can use Johor as a complementary base to scale, serve larger markets and strengthen their regional competitiveness while retaining their core capabilities here, that is also additive integration.”
“Sir, I have answered the Member's questions specific to HDB car parks. Specifically, I think, with the provision of hose reels, fire engine access, natural and mechanical ventilations that will help in the event of a fire, and that the HDB carparks must comply with these technical specifications and safety requirements under Technical Ref…”
“Sir, all Housing and Development Board (HDB) car parks are designed and constructed in compliance with the prevailing Fire Code stipulated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). This includes provisions such as hose reels, fire engine access and natural or mechanical ventilation to disperse smoke and heat.”
“What was left unsaid was that in the emails and in the MP Appeal System (MPAS), the Member was informed that: one, he was aware of the fact that AVS had investigated the incident; he was aware of the processes; he was aware that AVS found no professional negligence or misconduct by the vet; he was aware and noted that AVS had found no rel…”
“As we have observed a growth in the range of animal-related services offered by non-vets that may pose a risk to animal health and welfare, Part 4 of the Bill will introduce various offences and penalties to safeguard against unlawful practice and misrepresentation by or about unauthorised persons.”
“Owners are responsible for providing for their pets' needs, including medical care. So, we strongly encourage prospective pet owners to thoroughly consider the full cost of raising a pet before committing to becoming a pet owner. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, vet professionals form an important pillar of our animal health and welfare system.”
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“SG Enviro, another Singapore startup focused on advanced water purification treatment using nano-bubble technology, has been working on water reclamation and wastewater treatment projects with palm oil refineries in Malaysia. Watertech companies like Hydroleap and SG Enviro have and can tap the Enterprise Development Grant to upgrade, innovate and access new markets and our Market Readiness Assistance grant to defray the costs of overseas market promotion. They can also use those grants for development of their businesses and to set up their businesses overseas. Companies which need financing for overseas expansion can also tap the Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS). Under EFS, Government offers risk sharing with participating Financial Institutions, such as for fixed asset loans for construction or the acquisition of plants and equipment. They also can access trade loans for the buying and selling of goods. We announced enhancements to some of these schemes at this year's Budget and the Ministry of Trade and Industry's Committee of Supply (MTI COS) session. I want to ensure the Member that the Government will continue to support our local water tech companies, to strengthen their global competitiveness and better position them to pursue market opportunities abroad.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, water supply is an existential issue for Singapore. Therefore, the Government has been promoting the water industry and investing in the research and development (R&D) of water technologies under Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE). Today, Singapore is globally recognised for our integrated water management and our know-how also creates opportunities for our companies to meet the needs of other countries. Enterprise Singapore, PUB and the Singapore Water Association work together to support Singapore-based companies such as Keppel and Sembcorp as they build capabilities and pursue opportunities overseas. Our biennial Singapore International Water Week has become one of the world’s leading conferences for public utilities and the water industry since its establishment in 2008. It comprises flagship events that gather suppliers and customers of innovative water, coastal and flood solutions. Co-organised by PUB, the event culminates in the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize. Events like these help Singapore-based companies and startups gain visibility and access to potential investors, partners and customers. Our agencies also regularly organise business missions to and facilitate engagements with stakeholders in key regional markets. These efforts have been particularly helpful for smaller companies. Hydroleap, a watertech company specialising in electrochemical separation, piloted its water recycling systems with Amazon Web Services (AWS) at a data centre facility in Singapore. It has since expanded to markets like Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Yip Hon Weng for his question. I am answering this Parliamentary Question in my MAS hat, but he has asked a question wearing my Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) hat. In fact, this is regard to the RTS Link, and of course there are some relationships with the Singapore dollar as well as Malaysian ringgit. In fact, earlier this morning I met with the RTS Link Task Force, of which I am chairing, to look at ways in which to enhance our local business, their competitiveness, their ability to place-make. In the MTI Committee of Supply, we have also announced many enhancements to the grants and support for heartland businesses, looking forward to both the challenges as well as opportunities of the RTS Link when it is operational at the end of the year. So, as chairman of the RTS Link Task Force, we are looking at this very carefully. We have met with the merchants. We have met with Government officials, including Enterprise Singapore, the Housing and Development Board, and the National Environment Agency this morning. And we will announce these measures in due course.”
“Sir, the Singapore dollar has appreciated against the Malaysian ringgit at an average rate of 1.3% per annum over 2020 to 2025. However, it is important to emphasise that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) manages the Singapore dollar against a trade-weighted basket of currencies of its major trading partners and not against any bilateral exchange rate. The Singapore dollar trade-weighted exchange rate has been on a gradual appreciating path since October 2021. The strength and stability of the Singapore dollar is assessed against the attainment of medium-term price stability in the economy. Non-resident labour flows into Singapore principally reflect the economy’s overall growth and employment prospects. MAS will continue to closely monitor economic and financial developments and is in an appropriate position to adjust its monetary policy stance to ensure medium-term price stability.”
“Sir, it seems that the issue of birds has dominated this. I would just say that the trial for the 35 units is ongoing. We start in March. We will end next March. Give us that time for us to test whether the half height netting works. And at the end of the trial period next year, we will share all of the findings to all Town Councils, and we welcome Town Councils to also share their feedback as well as their suggestions. I would also just say that there is no standardisation because different HDB blocks and different aircon ledges have different specifications. So, let us do the trial – 35 – and we will commit to sharing that outcome with all Town Councils.”
“Please do not feed the birds. [Laughter.]”
“Sir, I thank Mr Dennis Tan. We have really sparred on this many times and I had already mentioned that Lorong Halus did not require an EIA because the agencies assessed that it is not a sensitive nature area. I understand his point. We have a broader approach which I have articulated both in the Adjournment Motion as well as earlier on in my expansive reply. At the core of this is effectively, what do we need to steward? And we need to steward both our green spaces as well as address our competing needs for land. And that land, including for those in his area, that means greater connectivity in many other parts of Singapore. It means more schools, more housing, more hospitals. So, taking a step back, that is important. We do not have a lot of land, and we need to manage all of these, and we need to say this upfront. So, even though we have different approaches to this, I hope that he understands the approach that MND and our agencies need to take for the interest of Singapore and Singaporeans.”
“Sir, I will respond to Ms Nadia Samdin's first two clarifications and I will leave Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun to respond to her latter two. First of all, I wanted to thank Ms Nadia Samdin for her work with the Friends of Marine Park, and that is why she is very interested in this. For the second Marine Park, the intent is to safeguard the ecologically significant habitats around the area, and also to enhance the existing biodiversity with the existing ones on Sisters' Island. The intent is also to provide spaces for recreation, for research, for outreach and for education. In this regard, the Friends of Marine Park stakeholders are very important, together with Youth Stewards for Nature, as well as other researchers, outreach, policy groups. They form our key stakeholder group for us to look into addressing and also enhancing many of these features for the second Marine Park. We will then also review any of these compatible features that we can put in after taking into consideration their feedback. With regards to the Marine Science Centre, it is a nationally coordinated research programme. So, the new Marine Science Centre will in fact work with the Oceanarium and others to coordinate research about marine science capabilities and biodiversity. It will provide a unique strategic vision across all of these different stakeholders and critically involve youths, Government stakeholders, industry researchers, universities, building talent so that we can build a good talent source to research into all the critical marine biology topics that are critical for our area. Finally, we will also be able to then partner with regional institutions to enhance understanding of marine biology and preservation.”
“Today, frontline staff have learned more skills and can handle problems more quickly. For example, if a cleaning staff discover uneven pavement on the walkways, they can immediately cordon off the area and notify the maintenance team. Landscaping staff who notice soil subsistence can also proactively fill it up to prevent residents from tripping, and also to prevent mosquito breeding. In this way, problems can be resolved more quickly. Residents are happier and satisfied, and participating companies and employees have also learned new professional skills. Last year we began discussions with operators on how to further expand this model. They have expressed strong support for this. Therefore, we will expand the Integrated Municipal Services model to surrounding towns. We will implement in phases to give operators sufficient time to adapt while carefully listening to their feedback and incorporating it into our planning. (In English): Mr Chairman, our tiny island home is ours to steward. And even as we build our homes, our schools, our hospitals, our airports, our connectivity hubs for our people, we continue to carefully steward our nature and places which hold special memories for us. Sir, as I have mentioned many times in this House and in this Chamber, we do not have much to work with. And as responsible stewards of our land, we will always be upfront with Singaporeans about what we can do and what we cannot do so that we can continue to shape our tiny island nation into one of the most liveable cities in the world.”
“Many of our reservoirs, as I mentioned, are active water sports hubs and we have multiple water activity outlets where residents can rent equipment and take part in water sports activities like kayaking and canoeing. Our upcoming PAssion Wave Outpost at Bayfront, located at Marina Reservoir, will further give Singaporeans direct access to water recreation opportunities right at our city's doorstep. We hope that these play spaces will bring more Singaporeans together and make our city a little bit more vibrant, a little bit more endearing. Sir, we also need to steward the place where we live. In 2014, we formed the Municipal Services Office (MSO), so residents need not navigate a maze of agencies just to resolve a municipal services problem. Today, they only need to submit issues through our OneService Channels. Our backend systems will do the rest, with AI and smart routing capabilities directing about 90% of cases to the right agency or Town Council. At the same time, I have been working together with our OneService team to improve the functioning of the app and to make it even easier for residents to input their feedback. Even as we upgrade and improve on the OneService app, we also continue to challenge ourselves to improve how we deliver municipal services. Sir, allow me to share how we do so, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In 2022, the MSO launched the integrated municipal services trial in Tampines and expanded it to Pasir Ris and Punggol. Under this model, we consolidated simple municipal services provided by various Government services and assigned them to a single management operator. This allows us to focus our energy on solving problems rather than determining which Government agency the problem belongs to.”
“We will also retain part of the former parade square as a public space for community use. We will weave these elements into a new Mount Pleasant estate that will bring 6,000 homes together with heritage and nature. Sir, in 2022, we launched the Heritage Impact Assessment Framework for projects that may significantly impact sites with heritage significance. The findings from the assessment guide how we plan our developments, conserve or adaptively reuse heritage elements and engage stakeholders. Take Bukit Timah Turf City for example. A 2024 assessment recognised its 66 years as one of Southeast Asia's top racecourses. Even as we transform the site into a housing estate, we will conserve the two grandstands that once housed thousands of spectators, as well as the former Bukit Timah saddle club clubhouse. We will sensitively adapt and integrate these landmarks into future developments to keep the area's history alive Today, we have conserved over 7,200 buildings and structures. Where we cannot conserve, or there are constraints to conserving, we honour a place's history through thoughtful design and storytelling. We will also strengthen the appeal and character of the six identity corridors which are familiar neighbourhoods with landmarks that resonate with Singaporeans. This keeps us rooted in our past, even as we build for the future. Mr Cai Yinzhou also asked if we can better use our freshwater bodies for recreation. Today, many of our reservoirs are active water sports hubs and we have multiple water activity outlets across our island. As an advisor to the Singapore Canoe Federation, I use those water bodies very often.”
“This is based on the site's current state, not its zoning. Projects in, or near sensitive areas or that have potential transboundary impact, must undergo in-depth consultation with technical agencies, and we require an EIA if there is potential significant environmental impact from the development. Where an EIA is not required, agencies may still impose measures to mitigate impact. So, it is not just mitigate, as Mr Tan has said. In many instances, it is also avoid and adapt. Through our EIAs, we consider needs for housing, jobs and others, alongside the ecological and biodiversity impact of the proposed development. Decisions are made only after carefully weighing these very difficult trade-offs. Mr Henry Kwek's example of how MND officers engaged him and his residents 22, 23 times is a case in point. This approach protects our most ecologically sensitive sites while balancing against our pressing developmental needs. [Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair] Sir, we are also stewarding places which hold our collective shared memories. Mr Cai Yinzhou asked if we will consider a social and heritage assessment framework for urban development projects. This is already part of how we plan. We partner stakeholders to identify built heritage that is architecturally and socially significant, consulting groups like the Heritage and Identity Partnership and the National Heritage Board's Heritage Advisory Panel upstream in planning. We have evolved our approach over time. In 2018, we piloted a heritage study of the Old Police Academy at Mount Pleasant. That is in Mr Cai's constituency, upcoming and opposite mine. We have conserved six of the most significant buildings and given them new uses, including as a Neighbourhood Police Post and an SPF Heritage Gallery.”
“Chairman, we face many competing needs as we develop Singapore and we balance these needs through careful master planning, taking a long-term view informed by Singaporean's aspirations. Minister Chee Hong Tat shared how one of MNDs key priorities is to ensure that we develop Singapore sustainably and balance our land use requirements. But some trade-offs will always be with us because of our limited land size and land constraints. 2.45 pm Even as we steward our green and blue spaces, we must also carefully steward this balance between nature and development, as Ms Nadia Samdin has urged. I want to assure her that we take the ecological impact of planned developments seriously. Mr Dennis Tan again raised concerns over Serangoon Forest and the Lorong Halus bus depot and asked for baseline studies for all forested plots. I have already addressed this in response to its Adjournment Motion in January, but I will briefly reiterate because these are important points. We have to balance many competing needs, including for housing, education, green spaces, within our constraints, our limited land. Mr Tan spoke also how other countries are safeguarding and revitalising brown field sites with nature-based solutions. As I have said, we do not have the luxury of land and space that other countries have. Instead, we must make do with what little we have. But I want to assure him at the same time that we already have a robust framework in place to balance developmental needs against conserving green spaces that all of us enjoy. This is not a binary approach. Under our Planning Act, no development can take place without planning permission. And as part of the planning approval process, we assess a site's potential ecological and biodiversity value.”
“For Hort Park, we will make Hort Park an even more inclusive, welcoming gardening hub, where the community can gather and participate in hands-on programmes. We will keep Labrador Nature Park serene and natural, while adding new features to showcase its heritage and biodiversity. So, I thank park users, the community and residents for their valuable feedback, and look forward to enhancing these parks and more. Let me next move from our parks and our green spaces to our blue spaces. In 2014, we established Sisters' Islands Marine Park, which has become a safe haven for turtle conservation and a living gene bank for our corals. In fact, I visited the Marine Park last year to release 76 baby hawksbill turtles that NParks had uncovered at East Coast Park. The Marine Park is a popular nesting site, with the turtle hatchery there, keeping baby turtles safe from human traffic, from predators and high tides. This year, we will formally designate a second marine park at Lazarus South and Kusu Reef to provide more opportunities for recreation, conservation, research and education. Sir, protecting our waters also means understanding them better. We will therefore invest $60 million in a new marine science research centre of excellence. This Centre will be hosted by the National University of Singapore and supported by Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 funds. The centre will bring together expertise across disciplines to develop local capabilities and talent, working with institutions like St John's Island National Marine Laboratory and partners across the marine community. NParks is partnering the National University of Singapore on the Centre and will share more details later this year.”
“We will expand our current Kingfisher Wetlands precinct, with over 600 mangrove and coastal plants that you can kayak through. It will be three times the current area, three times the number of plants. We will also build a new canopy boardwalk over the wetlands, connecting Gardens by the Bay MRT station to key attractions within Bay South Garden. We will also build Glade Lawn, a new community green space that will host events and activities, and also serve as a place for visitors to relax and unwind. We are also starting work on a new pedestrian bridge that directly connects Bay South and Bay East Garden and we expect to complete the bridge by 2028 – so visitors do not need to go all the way across Marina Barrage to the other side. Beyond the Gardens, we are also rejuvenating and linking 13 parks in southwestern Singapore, including three destination parks. Today, I am happy to share some key ideas from about 2,500 responses that will shape these parks. Many of you who joined this consultation asked for better accessibility and amenities along key stretches, such as more recreation options, restrooms and shaded areas. At the same time, you also told us that you wanted us to preserve the greenery and the tranquility of the parks, while adding experiences for different users So, we will explore inclusive nature-based trails connecting the southwestern parks to bring the community closer together through discovery and play. We will enhance West Coast Park's coastal charm by integrating maritime and cultural heritage elements across the park. We will also introduce new amenities, thoughtfully taking care to protect West Coast Park's tranquil nature.”
“This includes ensuring the shooting trajectory is always directed upwards, cordoning safety zones with the appropriate signages and deploying personnel to manage public access and restrict unauthorised movement during crow shooting operations. NParks will resume crow shooting progressively from the second half of this month. We will select locations based on a range of factors, including public feedback and technical feasibility of the crow shooting operations. But ultimately, in spite of everything that we are doing, we need everyone to work together, a shared responsibility. Please do not feed the birds. Keep our environment clean. These small things will help keep our living environment all the more liveable for all of us. Sir, just as we carefully steward and manage the animals in our midst, we must also steward and manage our green and blue spaces. I agree with Ms Nadia Samdin that nature is important to our long-term resilience as a city. That is why we are expanding our green spaces as part of our City in Nature vision. And we are on track to building more than 25 new parks and 50 kilometres of park connectors in the next five years. We are also enhancing ecological connectivity across our island. We are planting more native trees and shrubs along roads that mimic the multi-tiered structure of forests. These Nature Ways help animals, like birds and butterflies, move between our nature reserves, parks and gardens. Together with park connectors and parks, they will form broader Nature Corridors that connect habitats across our most biodiverse areas. We are also making our parks even more welcoming and accessible, like our iconic Gardens by the Bay. Today, I am pleased to announce that Gardens by the Bay will welcome an all-new Wetlands by the Bay.”
“We will review all suggestions carefully before engaging the wider public later this year. Sir, this year, we are also reviewing the Code of Animal Welfare, focusing on groomers and adding a new chapter for dog trainers. There is currently no licensing scheme for these sectors and standards vary. We will consult stakeholders and the public, as we continue to raise standards and professionalism across these sectors. Meanwhile, we must also manage pest bird species to protect public health and public safety. Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked how we can better manage pigeon roosting and defecation at air-conditioner ledges. Ms Lee Hui Ying, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Pritam Singh asked also how we can manage pigeon, myna and crow populations more effectively. To keep pest bird populations under control, we must tackle the root cause, which is food. We therefore work with partners to improve food waste management, enforce against illegal bird feeding and, very importantly, educate the public. In June 2025, we expanded our Pigeon Management Plan to Jalan Besar, Marsiling-Yew Tee and Nee Soon. We will roll this out across Singapore in phases. HDB is also trialling half-height netting in Punggol and Toa Payoh to prevent pigeon nesting at the air-conditioner ledges of HDB blocks. We will share HDB's findings with all Town Councils after this trial. Mr Pritam Singh and Ms Lee Hui Ying also asked about the safety protocols for crow shooting. NParks has worked with the Ministry of Home Affairs and its relevant agencies to develop strict shooting protocols.”
“Mr Chairman, I have spoken in this Chamber about how we must thoughtfully steward the little we have been endowed with. And this means being aware and upfront of the trade-offs with our people as we build homes, schools and hospitals, connectivity nodes for them, and also safeguard our green and blue spaces. It also means taking care of our animals, while managing human animal conflicts when they arise. Let me start with our animals. Ms Lee Hui Ying called for stronger legislative levers to deter animal cruelty. We are indeed strengthening our animal health and welfare ecosystems. First, we will establish a Veterinary Council as a professional regulatory body to uplift standards for veterinary professionals. The council will register veterinarians, accredit veterinary training programmes and set continuing education requirements. It will also investigate cases of misconduct, where needed. I will introduce the Veterinary Practice Bill to establish the proposed Council this week and I thank our veterinary sector and other stakeholders who have worked with us since 2021 to shape this Bill together. Second, we are reviewing legislation and codes to improve animal health and welfare, and strengthen safeguards against animal cruelty and abuse. Since 2022, we have consulted widely on the Animals and Birds Act review, to better understand how we can strengthen powers for animal disease prevention and control. We are also studying how to better deter acts of animal cruelty and abuse. That includes reviewing imprisonment terms, fines and disqualification orders for animal welfare offences. I have also met with Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to discuss their White Paper on this issue.”
“Chairman, I thank Mr Saktiandi Supaat for his interest in Sentosa. Sentosa is just one part – a very important part, of course – of our overall Tourism Strategy 2040. We expect tourism receipts to reach about $47 billion to $50 billion. And this is our key strategy: to attract high quality tourism. With respect to the Greater Sentosa Master Plan Phase One, which I mentioned earlier, once it has been completed, Greater Sentosa is expected to attract approximately 5.3 million international visitor arrivals in 2045. With all of the different phases that we will be building across the years, many new theme parks and also attractions, I think Sentosa will transform. We welcome Singaporeans and visitors to visit and add to our tourism vibrancy.”
“We have met the workgroup and look forward to developing measures to better help our companies raise private capital and pursue other non-public exits. Sir, together, these initiatives strengthen support for our startup ecosystem, across the growth stages of our companies. Mr Chairman, I have spoken of how we will continue to make Singapore more attractive to visitors. I have also spoken about how we will continue to make us even more attractive to startups, to founders and to enterprises, by strengthening our startup ecosystem and helping innovative companies thrive and seek funds. I will now handover to Minister of State Gan Siow Huang to speak about how we are addressing their need for space.”
“To address this, we are strengthening options for companies to raise capital in both public and private markets. Let me first speak about our public markets. In 2022, we set up the $1.5 billion Anchor Fund to attract and anchor listings of high-growth companies, including promising startups. We have deployed the bulk of this fund to support companies in their journey towards public listing in Singapore. We will now launch the second $1.5 billion tranche of the Anchor Fund, or Anchor Fund 2. Like the first tranche, we will co-invest in Anchor Fund 2 with Temasek. This is the second move arising from our ESR Entrepreneurship Committee's work. This will complement the new initiatives from the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Equities Market Review Group, which has seen our equity market achieve some early wins with increased IPO activity and higher average daily trading volumes. Our upcoming SGX-Nasdaq dual listing bridge will also allow eligible companies to simultaneously list on both exchanges with one set of prospectus. I will open NASDAQ's new Singapore Office next week with NASDAQ's management and we look forward to working with the NASDAQ team in the run-up to the launch of the Global Listing Board. Sir, with these measures, we aim to strengthen our public markets as a compelling choice to anchor growth companies as they raise capital and grow from Singapore. But we recognise that not every company will want to raise capital through our public markets. We must thus help our startups better access private capital to meet their diverse financing needs. Minister Chee Hong Tat has convened a new workgroup to develop strategies to strengthen Singapore as a leading centre for growth capital.”
“We now have maturing crop of high-potential deep tech startups like Nuevocor, a biotech firm that develops potential life-saving medicines for heart muscle diseases caused by genetic mutations. Nuevocor closed a US$45 million Series B funding round in May 2025 and will enter clinical trials across the US and Europe. Growth-stage deep tech startups like Nuevocor need substantial capital to scale beyond our early-stage support. This is how we are supporting them. First, we will directly invest in growth-stage deep tech startups like Nuevocor. This will provide them with the capital they need to scale their operations, strengthen their teams and enter new markets while remaining anchored in Singapore as their home base. Second, we will invest in global growth-stage deep tech VC funds. By expanding our fund-of-funds approach, we will attract top-tier growth investors to establish their presence in Singapore. They will bring capital, global networks, expertise and deep experience in scaling frontier tech, helping to grow and expand our deep tech startups globally. Third, we will continue co-investing with third-party investors into early-stage deep tech startups. By sharing risks with credible investors, we will catalyse private capital and strengthen market discipline for our early-stage startups. Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked if the Startup SG Founder programme only applies to first-time founders. In April 2024, we have made the programme more flexible. While the main applicant needs to be a first-time founder, they can now partner founders who have previous startup experiences to apply. Dr Neo Kok Beng pointed out that our startups receive great support during the seed stage but face difficulties as they start to mature, due to uncertainty of exit liquidity for investors.”
“Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh asked how we can strengthen pathways beyond capital incentives so Singaporeans of all stages and all groups can venture into entrepreneurship and return to employment without being disadvantaged. We are developing further measures under our committee and we welcome members of the public to share your ideas. Our committee has been working on ideas to expand startups' access to capital, and I will share how we are doing so. First, we will set aside $1 billion to expand the Startup SG Equity (SSGE) scheme. This will be to continue to invest into early-stage startups as well as expand into growth-stage deep tech startups. Today, SSGE supports new and early-stage deep tech startups by co-investing with qualified private sector investors and investing in global VC firms that in turn invest in these startups through a fund-of-funds approach. One such fund is Matter Venture Partners, a Silicon Valley-based HardTech VC. Matter has invested in early-stage Singapore-based startups, encouraged its portfolio companies to have a strong business and R&D footprint in Singapore, and mentored local startup founders. SSGE also benefits early-stage deep tech companies like Blue Whale Energy (BWE), which builds and operates a Virtual Power Plant platform, combining its own sodium-ion batteries with edge-based control software to create a flexible energy network. SSGE funding can help BWE crowd in private capital and speed up its development for large-scale deployment in Singapore and expansion into other markets. Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked about the gap we are trying to close with the additional $1 billion injection.”
“This year, we will host PGL Major Singapore 2026, the first Counter-Strike 2 Major event in Southeast Asia. This year's F1 will also be different and more exciting, because we have secured our first ever F1 Sprint event. This means that F1 teams will also compete for championship points on Saturday. We are one of only six circuits to host this in 2026. F1 fans will know it will make our race weekend even more exciting. Our MICE industry also continues to attract quality visitors and position ourselves to cement Singapore as a business destination. We will host major events this year such as the Passenger Terminal Expo Asia and the RECHARGE Wind Power Summit Asia Pacific. We will host many ASEAN events as chair next year, including the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2027. This is an important event for us to strengthen regional tourism cooperation and showcase Singapore to our neighbours. Sir, these collective efforts position us as an attractive destination. I will next speak about how we are going to be attractive to startups. Our startup ecosystem has evolved significantly over the years. Venture capital (VC) funding to startups more than quadrupled in the past decade, from US$1 billion in 2014 to US$4.8 billion in 2024. We are ranked fourth in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025, up from 16th a few years ago. To date, we have over 4,500 tech startups, 220 incubators and 500 VC firms. As co-chair of the ESR Committee on Entrepreneurship, alongside Minister of State Dinesh Vasu Dash, we have engaged stakeholders across the startup ecosystem to develop recommendations to enhance their access to capital, markets and talent.”
“We are also enhancing our cruise infrastructure and reinforcing our position as one of Asia's leading cruise hubs. In October, we increased Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore's capacity, from 6,800 to 11,700 passengers. This enables two large cruise ships to berth concurrently, allowing us to welcome more cruise lines, like Disney Adventure, which will call Singapore home. I look forward to attending the ship's christening this week. 2.15 pm Second, our people. Our tourism workers and businesses shape how every visitor experiences Singapore. We will continue to equip them with the tools to excel. For example, our Tourism Leadership Excellence and Advancement Programme equips tourism professionals with skills in both tech and sustainability. Our tourism businesses have also been using AI and other tech, and we will help them better use these tools. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will unveil the Industry Digital Plans for the Travel Agents and MICE industries, alongside a GenAI Roadmap, at our upcoming Tourism Industry Conference in May. Finally, we must put on a good show and curate an exciting line-up of events that attract visitors. We continue to be attractive to art lovers. In addition to kicking off Singapore Art Week 2026 in January, we have brought "Botero in Singapore" to Gardens by the Bay. Singapore is the first and only stop here in Southeast Asia. Like art fans, music fans have been attracted to Singapore over the last few years. This year, they will enjoy acts like BTS World Tour in December, made possible through STB's partnership with HYBE and Klook. It will be BTS' longest-running Asian stop outside of Korea and Japan. We have also made Singapore an attractive e-sports destination over the years.”
“In 2019, then-Prime Minister Lee talked about building the Greater Southern Waterfront, including developing Pulau Brani together with Sentosa. I am pleased to update that we have commenced the first phase of our Greater Sentosa Master Plan. In Phase One, we will upgrade Sentosa's infrastructure. We will add a new transport hub to link Sentosa and Brani, which are collectively known as Greater Sentosa. It will also house lifestyle and hospitality developments. We also plan to replace the Sentosa Express to improve connectivity. We will also rejuvenate our beaches and add coastal protection measures, so visitors can enjoy a day on the beach, even as we protect Sentosa from rising sea levels. We will also create new icons in Sentosa, like Imbiah Canopy, which will become a beacon atop Mount Imbiah that leads visitors to heritage buildings and nature trails. We will share more details about our Greater Sentosa Master Plan later this year and I invite the public to share your ideas with us as we continue to reimagine and shape Greater Sentosa. I would also like to update Singaporeans on our progress to refresh Orchard Road. The historic Emerald Hill will be part of this refresh. We will launch a tender in the coming months to transform 37 Emerald Hill, site of the former Singapore Chinese Girls' School. This will be a mixed-use development featuring unique hotel concepts, lifestyle offerings and community and public spaces. We are also on track to complete the Grange Road Event Space in the fourth quarter of 2026. The 3,000-capacity venue can host international touring acts and local artistes – bringing live music, community and cultural events right at the heart of Orchard Road.”
“Mr Chairman, Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling spoke of how we are helping businesses weather uncertainty. To do so, we must stay relevant in two ways: first, remain attractive to visitors; second, build a vibrant startup ecosystem that is attractive to founders, here and beyond. Let us start with how we are making Singapore more attractive to visitors. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked for updates on Tourism 2040. Tourism 2040 is our long-term roadmap that is anchored on quality tourism. We are expanding our reach in segments and markets that can drive higher tourism returns and working with our industry to create more exciting and distinctive experiences. Our 2025 performance reflects this shift. Last year, we welcomed 16.9 million international visitors, a 2.3% increase from 2024. Importantly, our tourism receipts reached $23.9 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, a 6.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024. There are a few reasons for this good performance. Last year, we continued to deliver world-class events, including concerts by Lady Gaga and the World Aquatics Championships 2025. We also hosted major meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events and opened major attractions, such as Rainforest Wild and Illumination's Minion Land. Building on this momentum, we expect international visitor arrivals to reach between 17 million and 18 million this year, bringing in approximately $31 billion to $32.5 billion in tourism receipts. To remain attractive to visitors, we will strengthen our stage, our people and our show. Let me start with our stage. These are our precincts and infrastructure. One of our key tourism precincts is Sentosa.”
“In that project, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has worked with biodiversity experts and the nature groups on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Yishun Chencharu Build-To-Order flats to enhance nature planting, and also to build in advance and then implement an environmental monitoring management plan to design green spaces and linear parks. And in that regard also, we have worked very closely with our nature groups and environmental efforts. So, I also wanted to take this opportunity to also respond to Member He Ting Ru's point on Wednesday about our engagements with nature groups being one-sided. That is not true, because we work with our nature groups very extensively. I met with them even on Valentine's Day last month. And I worked with Dr Shawn Lum, for example, on the Nature Society Singapore. In this particular Yishun Chencharu project, Dr Shawn Lum has offered his expertise to co-create planting palette with HDB. I appreciate the Member's suggestion in looking at external examples, but I think that is not quite appropriate to Singapore's context. We have a larger, more holistic, more coordinated approach to enhancing biodiversity. I thank him for his continued work with us in pursuing this very important mission.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Dennis Tan for his commitment to working together with MND and the National Parks Board (NParks) in pursuing our City in Nature vision. And we have discussed this multiple times, so thank you for working together with us first. Let me touch on the UK's BNG framework and also look into how it has its own fair share of limitations. In fact, I did some study last night and the UK developers have cited the BNG as costly and also imposing delays to building homes for UK citizens. The UK government in itself has also proposed rollbacks to the BNG, because it is impacting their ability to build homes. Even the UK, with their larger land sizes, has difficulty building their homes and are reviewing this, so I think we need to exercise caution when thinking about applying that to our context. And in that regard, I also wanted to take a larger holistic view on how we are safeguarding biodiversity. The LUSH project, now in its third iteration, is just a one part of our overall strategy to enhance and to preserve biodiversity in Singapore. I mentioned earlier on my Parliamentary Question reply that we have also safeguarded 7,800 hectares of green spaces and will establish additional nature parks, restore core habitats, conduct species recovery for rare, threatened and endemic species. This is a holistic approach towards enhancing biodiversity, in addition to what we are doing with LUSH, which is a downstream measure, and it is in aim to build and incorporate livability into our urban spaces. In that regard, I thought it is also being very, very helpful for us to give a concrete example about this. In Chencharu, Yishun, for example, we are balancing development together with biodiversity. And this illustrates the point that I am trying to make.”
“Sir, the Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) programme integrates green spaces into our urban environment through a mix of planning requirements and incentives. Under LUSH, developers must provide replacement greenery within new developments, which can be up to 40% of the development site area in some cases. Since its inception in 2009, LUSH has supported the implementation of over 440 hectares of greenery, which is more than the size of 600 football fields. This supports biodiversity, enhances liveability and mitigates urban heat. Despite our land constraints, we are committed to enhancing biodiversity even as we undertake developments to meet different land use needs for our people, such as housing, education, healthcare, transport and jobs. For example, we are safeguarding more green spaces, establishing additional nature parks, restoring core habitats and conducting species recovery for rare, threatened and endemic species. These efforts work in tandem with LUSH to improve biodiversity in Singapore. We are mindful not to adopt practices in other countries without first understanding their suitability for our local context. We assess that our balanced and coordinated approach to enhancing biodiversity can achieve better outcomes for Singapore, compared to the United Kingdom's (UK's) Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) framework approach of imposing biodiversity targets on individual development projects.”
“In fact, by 2030, I announced that we aim to have 30 therapeutic gardens and we are working with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and SingHealth to make this happen. On the Member's third point on heat resilience, we do have heat resilience mitigation measures. In fact, in our planning considerations, we incorporate wind flow considerations into urban planning. And we also have adaptation measures, including heat stress advisories, which can help the community to plan their activities. But our City in Nature vision moves beyond, and it is really beyond the OneMillionTrees movement. We have a broad project in place to ensure that Singapore remains a City in Nature, of which the OneMillionTrees movement is one particular goal, as well as one particular initiative.”
“Sir, I thank Ms Poh Li San for her thoughtful three supplementary questions. I will say first of all that we are committed to build Singapore as a City in Nature – that is our vision for the long term. And indeed, green spaces and the preservation of green spaces are critical. But we also need to balance between green spaces as well as our building needs, as I have mentioned in this House prior. In that regard, the National Parks Board (NParks) has been working very closely with MND to safeguard our green spaces, including over 7,800 ha of green spaces and that includes nature reserves, nature parks, parks, park connectors and includes our four nature reserves, which contain some of the most sensitive and biodiverse habitats. We are also on track to safeguard an additional 1,000 ha of green spaces and we have also already developed 130 ha of parks in the last five years. On her second supplementary question about the link between green spaces and mental health, that is something that we look into very carefully. We do think that there is a strong link between green spaces and the ability and opportunities for us to enjoy these green spaces, which have benefits to mental health. In that regard, last year, I announced the Parks for Health Framework under NParks, where we have identified 15 contemplative landscape sites, including Farquhar Garden at Fort Canning Park and the Learning Forest at Singapore Botanic Gardens. In that regard, we are building these contemplative landscape sites and more rest points along park connectors in areas with more seniors. We are also bringing these areas and parks closer to the community, including our therapeutic gardens in neighbourhoods and within healthcare institutions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under the City in Nature pillar of the Singapore Green Plan (SGP) 2030, we aim to add 1,000 hectares (ha) of green spaces by 2035. These 1,000 ha of green spaces have been safeguarded in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA’s) Master Plan since 2019 and we will be progressively implementing them. We are also on track to plant one million trees by 2030 to foster greater stewardship of our greenery and nature in Singaporeans. As of January 2026, over 832,000 trees have been planted, involving over 150,000 community participations.”
“Mr Speaker Sir, on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister-in-charge of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), I move, "That this Parliament, in accordance with section 6A(2)(d) of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act 1966, resolves that the maximum amount of grants that the Monetary Authority of Singapore may give under the bilateral agreement (or its subsequent variations) to be made by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore) with the International Monetary Fund to support Sudan's debt relief efforts via the Trust for Special Poverty Reduction and Growth Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, is 4,480,000 Special Drawing Rights (approximately US$6,100,000)". Mr Speaker, I beg to move.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Members for speaking and supporting the two Motions. Members have highlighted the importance for Singapore to contribute to the IMF and to help other vulnerable economies, especially in today’s volatile and fragmented global environment. Let me address some of the questions they have raised in the debate. First, they have asked whether Singapore should continue contributing to the international community in the current global environment. Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Shawn Loh asked about Singapore's strategy in a more fragmented world and our interests as part of the global and international community. I agree with them. We do indeed face a very different global operating context today, with multilateralism under threat amid wars, rising protectionism and intensifying geopolitical tensions. Prime Minister Wong had emphasised that even as multilateralism comes under threat, Singapore must do our part to preserve multilateral frameworks that matter and to lay the foundation for a more stable global order to emerge in the years ahead.”
“With multilateralism under threat, we should support multilateral institutions such as the IMF to help them to play their role in maintaining the stability of the global system. It is also in Singapore’s interest to do so, because we are a stakeholder in the international community and it is our role to support the IMF. As a small open economy with multiple connections to global markets, Singapore has an interest in supporting initiatives that promote global resilience to crises and to safeguard stability in the global monetary system. Singapore also joins a broader base of other countries in supporting IMF programmes. Sir, the impact of our contributions on our official foreign reserves (OFR) is not significant. As noted earlier, Singapore’s OFR increased by 3.73 billion SDR following IMF’s 2021 SDR allocation. Against this, our contribution to the PRGT will thus draw from Singapore’s allocation of the SDR, resulting in a reduction of MAS’ OFR by a relatively modest 21 million SDR, approximately US$28.6 million. The contribution to the PRG-HIPC Trust will be funded from Singapore’s share of IMF’s existing resources in IMF accounts and will not affect the size of MAS’ OFR. The proposed grant amounts are also proportionate to Singapore’s quota share at the IMF and are consistent with Singapore’s standing in the international financial system. Mr Deputy Speaker, MAS has issued a media release on 28 January 2026 to inform the public of its intention to participate in the package of contributions to the IMF, including the grants for which it would seek Parliament’s approval. Following Parliament’s resolution to fix the maximum amount of grants that MAS can allocate to the IMF’s PRGT and PRG-HIPC Trust, MAS will publish in the Gazette key information about the grants.”
“However, resources in the PRG-HIPC Trust have been insufficient to finance debt relief to the remaining two HIPC countries with protracted arrears to the IMF – that is, Somalia and Sudan. The IMF has thus initiated separate fundraising efforts to mobilise the resources needed for it to cover its share of debt relief to Somalia and Sudan. In 2021, following Parliament's approval, Singapore contributed SDR 0.68 million, approximately US$0.93 million to Somalia's debt relief. There has been no request for further contribution to Somalia. Sir, turning to Sudan. Sudan is amongst the world's poorest countries, with an estimated two thirds of its population living in poverty. Its history is marked by political instability, internal conflict and isolation from the world economy. Following Sudan's efforts to re-engage with the international community in 2020, it met the necessary conditions to begin receiving debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. Completing this process would allow Sudan to regain debt sustainability and help it implement essential reforms to free up resources to tackle poverty and improve the social conditions for its people. For Sudan, the IMF has requested Singapore to contribute 4.48 million SDR, equivalent to approximately US$6.1 million. The quantum of our contribution is determined based on our quota share at the IMF. Similar to the PRGT, Singapore’s contribution towards the debt relief for Sudan is part of a broader multilateral effort, with 122 members also having pledged to contribute, including our ASEAN-4 neighbours: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Why should Singapore make these contributions to the IMF, considering today’s uncertain global environment?”
“The IMF is hence seeking voluntary contributions from economically stronger member countries to support the PRGT's longer-term financial sustainability. The IMF has requested that Singapore provide a contribution of 21 million SDR, equivalent to US$28.6 million. Sir, Singapore's contribution will be part of a broader multilateral effort, with 45 member countries, including the United States (US), having also pledged to contribute to the PRGT. The quantum of our proposed contribution to the PRGT is commensurate with our quota share at the IMF, which stands at 0.82% today. Next, Singapore's grant contribution to the PRG-HIPC Trust to support Sudan's debt relief. Let me first provide some background on the broader PRG-HIPC Trust. The IMF and World Bank launched the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in 1996. It is to ensure that no poor country faces an unmanageable debt burden. To be eligible for the HIPC Initiative, countries need to meet certain criteria and also to commit to policy changes to reduce poverty, and then demonstrate a record of doing so. In 2005, the HIPC Initiative was supplemented by the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. This allows countries to receive 100% relief on eligible debts by the IMF, the World Bank and the African Development Fund after demonstrating sustained economic performance, implementing key structural and social reforms and also maintaining macroeconomic stability. IMF financing for the HIPC Initiative comes from bilateral contributions from members and IMF resources, mainly investment income on proceeds from the IMF's gold sales in 1999.”
“7 billion SDR we received from the IMF in 2021. Singapore will also be providing these contributions as part of broader, multilateral effort to support IMF's capacity to assist vulnerable, low-income countries. Sir, the Bretton Woods Agreements Act enables the MAS to make grants through the IMF as part of international efforts to assist countries in need. This is subject to four conditions. First, the IMF requests Singapore to assist in support of a fund programme for the benefit of one or more countries. The PRGT and PRG-HIPC Trust are such fund programmes. Second, at least one other member country has provided or intends to provide similar financial assistance. This condition has been fulfilled, with a good representation of member countries pledging support or already contributing to the two programmes. Third, MAS publicly discloses key information about the financial assistance via a Gazette publication. Fourth, Parliament fixes by resolution the maximum amount of the grants. I will now explain the specific context and considerations for the two grants. First, Singapore's grant contribution to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). The PRGT supports the IMF's concessional lending to low-income countries. It plays a central role in debt resolution for distressed countries and provided emergency support to many low-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMF's annual lending commitments increased five-fold compared to the pre-pandemic period to 5.5 billion SDR per annum during 2020 to 2023. This surge in lending during the pandemic, coupled with the sustained high financing needs post-pandemic, driven by tighter financial conditions and rising food prices, have placed significant strain on the PRGT's finances.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, as part of its mandate to ensure the stability of the international monetary system, the IMF provides financial assistance to countries experiencing balance of payments difficulties. To carry out this important function, the IMF relies on resources provided by member countries, including Singapore. This has allowed the IMF to respond to external shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, by stepping up financing support to member countries. The IMF has been stepping up its financial support for member countries to build resilience in an increasingly fragmented and fragile external environment. Since the pandemic, it has deployed US$1 trillion in global liquidity and reserves through lending and allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR). Notably, it made the largest SDR allocation of US$650 billion to its member countries in 2021. This SDR allocation was made to enable all members to address the long-term global need for reserves, build confidence and foster resilience of the international economy through a series of disruptive events. As required under the IMF's Articles of Agreement, the US$650 billion SDR general allocation was distributed in proportion to the quota shares of IMF's members and not according to the relative needs of its members. Singapore received 3.73 billion in SDR, notwithstanding that we did not require an augmentation of our resources. The IMF is now calling on members with strong economic fundamentals and ample official foreign reserves to channel some of their SDR to various IMF trusts and programmes to support more vulnerable IMF members. The amounts that Singapore has been asked to contribute are in line with Singapore's quota share at the IMF and a relatively small portion of the 3.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), I move, "That this Parliament, in accordance with section 6A(2)(d) of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act 1966, resolves that the maximum amount of grants that the Monetary Authority of Singapore may give, under a bilateral agreement (or its subsequent variations) to be made by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) is 21,000,000 Special Drawing Rights, approximately US$28,600,000." Sir, I will be moving a second Motion for a separate grant of SDR 4.48 million, approximately US$6.1 million to the IMF's Trust for the Special Poverty Reduction and Growth Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (PRG-HIPC Trust), to support Sudan's debt relief. Sir, with your permission, I would like to propose that the substantive debate on both of these Motions takes place now, to allow the key considerations to be covered in a single debate. Subsequently, I will move the second Motion separately, in compliance with Parliamentary procedural requirements.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Saktiandi Supaat for his supplementary questions. We do not track those data, so we will take his suggestion into consideration. With regard to the support for many of these independent operators or SMEs, or even heartland shops, I would like to assure the Member that, in fact, in addition to the SME Centres, Enterprise Singapore works very closely with heartland shops as well as SMEs on a variety of programmes. Every year, in Budget 2023, 2024, 2025, we have announced new measures to help SMEs. We have also new programmes that help them. Recently, we have the food services productivity report, which allows for SMEs to benchmark themselves with their peers to see what are the best practices, for example. Then, we have the Food X Programme, for example, that enables them to maybe outsource some of the more operationally difficult or expensive parts of their operations. And then, we also have a Process Optimisation Programme which helps them to adopt new technology to help to streamline their businesses. At the same time, we work very closely with the trade associations and commerce; for example, the Restaurant Association of Singapore and the Singapore Retailers Association. In fact, I just met them earlier this week to speak about these as well as other issues to help to raise the competitiveness of our SMEs and our heartland merchants.”
“If an insurer falls short of this, MAS will step in and can require them to review the earlier decision or to pay back the consumer. Second, if you cannot agree with your insurer, FIDReC is there. It is independent, impartial and low cost. And over 85% of their cases are resolved through mediation or adjudication, and it remains a very effective channel for Singaporeans.”
“But when a case does go into adjudication, as in that 4%, it is usually because it is complex or difficult. Think about our Meet-the-People Session cases, when they come to us, it is already quite complex. But these cases fall into two broad categories, which I thought is important to share with the Member. First is on policy terms. If the adjudicator found that the insurer followed the specific terms and exclusions of the policy, that is one case; and even as the policyholder may disagree with the result. Second is when there is an event of a non-disclosure. And this happens when the policyholder leaves out certain medical history that he thought was not important at the start but actually was. For example, to make it concrete, a person might not mention that he or she has a stomach condition when they apply for an insurance policy, and that if they later try to claim for a stomach-related issue, the adjudicator may rule that the insurer was right to exclude it because the information should have been shared from the start. But while there is only a small number, which the Member mentioned, 4%, that result in an award for policyholder, I wanted to share with the House that there is a silver lining. Because we are seeing that the total number of cases needing adjudication has been dropping over the last few years. This indicates that maybe the insurers and consumers are getting better at speaking to one another and resolving issues early through mediation and negotiation, rather than the alternative of letting things escalate. But behind every statistic is a person. And when a claim is rejected, it can be distressing. So, we have designed our system to address these issues to ensure fairness. First, MAS expects insurers to pay legitimate claims promptly.”
“Sir, I thank Dr Hamid Razak for his questions regarding the safeguards for consumers where they potentially face so-called unreasonable rejections of claims and pre-authorisation. The onus is on the insurers themselves to demonstrate that the non-disclosure of the health condition to a question asked in the application form is material to the underwriting outcome before they reject a claim for non-disclosure. And both MOH and MAS expect insurers to process these claims fairly, according to the policy terms. MAS will take action against insurers who fail to do so. Consumers who, nonetheless, believe that their claims have been unfairly rejected, should, first, contact their insurers who are required to handle these complaints independently, effectively and promptly. If a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached, consumers may file for mediation and adjudication at FIDReC, which offers independent, partial and low-cost dispute resolution services. But I thought it is also important to put that 4% into context and take a look at the overall denominator. If you look at the numbers in perspective, every year, insurers naturally process and pay out claims in large numbers, large volumes. The numbers of disputes and complaints that eventually end up in FIDReC or MAS, respectively, represent less than 0.01% of all insurance claims. So, if we think about this one out of every 10,000 claims end up as disputes or complaints, which FIDReC or MAS then addresses. But the vast majority, 9,999 of these 10,000 are processed and they are paid out. This indicates that for the vast majority of cases, the process works and most people settle their claims without needing any third-party help.”
“Sir, I refer the Member to the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') response to Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Mr Ng Shi Xuan for the Parliament Sitting on 4 November 2025. Over the same three-year period of between 2022 and 2024, the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC) completed an average of 246 annual mediation and adjudication claims related to disputes on insurance claim liability and amounts awarded. Of these, an average of 95 were health insurance claims. Independent assessors ruled in favour of the policyholders in 4% of the health insurance claims.”
“But where there are breaches to this code, they can be used to support prosecution under the ABA [Animals and Birds Act] and where unnecessary pain or suffering has been found to be inflicted on the animal, that is section 42 of the ABA, or failure of duty of care is found, section 41C of the ABA, NParks then can take an appropriate enforcement action under ABA.”
“But where there are breaches to this code, they can be used to support prosecution under the ABA [Animals and Birds Act] and where unnecessary pain or suffering has been found to be inflicted on the animal, that is section 42 of the ABA, or failure of duty of care is found, section 41 of the ABA, NParks then can take an appropriate enforcement action under ABA. [Please refer to "Review of Enforcement Measures Against Pet Groomers and Proposal for Mandatory CCTV Recordings in Pet Grooming Facilities", Official Report, 14 January 2026, Vol 96, Issue 14, Oral Answers to Questions section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Mr Alvin Tan circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual correction to my reply given during the Sitting of 14 January 2026. My statement should read as follows:”
“I thank you for partnering us in this collective effort to build Singapore into a home that we are all proud of, for our generation and generations to come. [Applause.] [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 7.18 pm.”
“Sir, beyond the bus depot, agencies are reviewing potential development plans for the remaining areas along the eastern bank of Sungei Serangoon. Agencies will continue to carefully plan for the provision of greenery and recreational spaces in the area. In conclusion, Sir, I would like to thank the Member for raising the matter, to grassroots advisor Marshall Lim for engaging residents and agencies, to Tony O'Dempsey and our friends at Nature Society Singapore for advocating to protect their surrounding environment and to the residents themselves for sharing their views. I know it matters to all of you. And it does matter. It matters because we all want our green spaces, we all want our homes, our hospitals, our schools, our jobs, our workspaces and transport facilities to get us around. I wish we have an abundance of land and space to do all that without trade-offs. But the reality is that we are a city state. Unique. And unlike other countries where choices are less stark, Singapore has always been about making the best of what we have and not what we wish we had. Our survival and present quality of life are the result of deliberate, often difficult, trade-offs. We build upwards and downwards and constantly repurpose our land for evolving uses. At the same time, it is our responsibility to be upfront about we can do and what we cannot do. We must mitigate impact where we can and make adjustments where possible. But ultimately, we must take a view and make a decision. And that is on us. These decisions will continue to confront us as we build our city in nature and provide homes and jobs to Singaporeans – just as it has confronted our predecessors. Mr Speaker and to all who are concerned about this matter, I ask for your support and your understanding.”