Ang Hin Kee
Singapore
“But the COVID-19 pandemic has already compelled even countries to relook at their longstanding economic strategy and even geared up to becoming less reliant on others.”
“Will the Ministry consider mirroring the approach taken in the pre-school sector? Childcare centres and kindergartens are licensed under the regulatory framework. This helps to enhance the affordability, accessibility and quality of our pre-schools.”
“Chairman, I have a clarification for the Senior Minister of State Lam. Beyond monitoring the take-up rate of training for aviation crew. I know that the Senior Minister of State takes a personal interest in many transport workers.”
“While we are happy to see those businesses continue to protect and look into the riders' interest but, in the longer term, we may need to consider whether we need to license the operators so that the responsible actions of a few will be the standard for all that are in the industry. With that, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Mr Speaker, on the quarantine allowance, over the week, we have spoken to some taxi drivers and private hire drivers, they are very assured that if anyone of them is quarantined, there is a $100 daily allowance given by the Government.”
“One further point of clarification. Grab and Gojek and the likes of Uber are platform operators. When they came onto the Singapore scene, we spent quite a lot of time to persuade them to co-contribute to the MediSave; to find ways to support them in their training; to support them for their healthcare needs although they are freelance dri…”
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“But the COVID-19 pandemic has already compelled even countries to relook at their longstanding economic strategy and even geared up to becoming less reliant on others. Similarly, we must help reduce the risks self-employed persons face, support them to acquire new skills and leverage on digital tools to optimise their access to work assignments. Due to the pandemic, more of us have begun to better understand the needs of the over 200,000 self-employed persons in Singapore. All businesses and service buyers, and yes, including Government as buyers, can help by looking beyond the boundaries of contractual relationships and support our self-employed persons. It is imperative that we work towards ensuring that the self-employed persons workforce that contributes significantly to the development of many sectors remain viable and intact even after the pandemic has ended. Mr Speaker, I support the Budget. 3.48 pm”
“The NTUC's Employment & Employability Institute has been conducting job-matching for self-employed persons who would like to consider temporary jobs or make a career switch. The recently announced National Jobs Council is indeed a further boost to this effort. There are sectors that are still hiring and the most pressing task now is to quickly acquire the skills needed and match workers to those vacancies. But are our self-employed persons ready and have the appropriate mindset to make such switches? I have spoken to many drivers, taxi drivers and private hire drivers, who have changed career tracks and become bus captains as well as event emcees and tour guides, who have taken on temporary roles as temperature screeners or swabbers. Also, we read recently that over 10,000 taxi and private hire drivers have moved from serving commuters to delivering food, groceries and parcels – this is thanks to the MOT's help to liberalise the current point-to-point regulations. The drivers learnt the skills of engaging customers on delivery matters, use cashless payment and even made adjustments to their daily routine – no more do they queue outside at the airport, but outside of restaurants or supermarkets in order to collect the delivery on time. Our workers are indeed adaptable. To support them, I hope that the National Jobs Council can look at enabling more self-employed persons attain more vocational skills and to earn income from various channels. This way, our scarce manpower can be better deployed across various industries. It will also support self-employed persons reduce their downtime through matching them with various assignments. There may be concern that this multi-skilling of self-employed persons would eat into the domain of other trades.”
“Therefore, I would like to propose that MOM spearhead a whole-of-Government approach to have more groups of SEPs issued with a vocation licence or to form accredited professional guilds or join the union. This will allow for proper assessment of their professional needs and provide them with support during a downturn. The NTUC has, in the past, formed unions for different groups of SEPs and we stand ready to work with the Government to do more. Mr Speaker, there is a need to do more for this group but we need the recognition by the industry and the Government agencies in order for the guilds and the unions to take work. Only then will guilds be effective and more SEPs see a need to join. This has been my experience as an advisor with the union, working together with the Point-to-Point Operators and MOT. Because of the strong tripartite relationship, we were able to deliver strong support swiftly to many taxi and private hire drivers. My other union colleagues shared the same experience when they work with the travel operators and MTI to help our tour guides. Moving forward, we must ensure that more SEPs can benefit from such a tripartite arrangement. Furthermore, I would like to repeat my call for a one-off co-funding by the Government to self-employed persons who make voluntary contributions to their MediSave. This will also go towards ensuring that more of them will be able to save up for their immediate and future medical needs. And finally, we also need to look at ways to help self-employed persons find new sources of income. Many lost their income when their clients stopped buying services from them because of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“One common issue they face is the lack of a licensing regime to verify if they are SEPs and whether they are struggling with a severe drop in income. Many also had not been diligent in contributing to their MediSave or filing their income tax returns. This added to the lack of information to verify their status. Previously, in this House, I have appealed for more groups of SEPs to be issued with a licence. I have also called upon the Government to offer co-contributions to help them contribute to their MediSave. I would like to repeat that call today. For instance, SEPs, such as private hire drivers and tour guides hold a vocational licence and are contracted with an operator. That allowed accurate identification of those who have suffered a severe drop in income. Furthermore, those SEPs who are registered with the unions could grant and gain immediate access to help offered by the NTUC. This covers people such as those who in the National Instructors and Coaches Association who are dealing mainly with people who are sports instructors and coaches offering services. However, we do not yet have a licensing regime for people such as tuition teachers, photographers, performers, dancers, riggers, sound system men in the self-employed group. Whether it is to offer financial assistance or training help, much effort is needed to ensure that genuine freelancers in need are identified and assisted. MOM had earlier launched the Contribute-As-You-Earn initiative to help SEPs contribute regularly into their MediSave account. However, it is only in its early stage and has not reached many of the 200,000 SEPs in Singapore. It is a useful scheme.”
“Mr Speaker, during this whole entire period of COVID impact, our union leaders also went down to the ground to gather with the operator staff, the officials from the Ministry, to hand out masks, take temperature, give out food packs and bentos to the drivers in need. This is indeed tripartism in action. MOT has also supported not just full-time drivers but part-time drivers as well. Part-time private hire drivers who do not qualify for the daily rental rebates under the Special Relief Fund was given a $300 Driver Care Fund which the Ministry provides for part-time driver. NTUC helped administered the Fund and over 3,500 drivers have benefited from that scheme. We handled the administration because we know the ground and could handle the appeal process swiftly. As takings are unlikely to return to pre-COVID levels anytime soon, the Ministry has extended the Special Relief Fund to help full-time drivers with rental costs. But the Driver Care Fund has not been extended for part-time drivers who are also struggling. I hope MOT and MOF can consider giving part-time private hire drivers a second tranche of Driver Care Fund and to review the eligibility criteria and allow more drivers to qualify. Secondly, the second support I would like to propose is in licensing and accreditation for SEPs. To help them deal with a sudden drop in income, we heard earlier about the $9,000 Self-employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS). SIRS, based on eligibility criteria, benefited 130,000 SEPs who are auto-qualify to benefit. Those who do not meet the criteria have submitted applications. Understandably, many SEPs who are not in the auto-qualify group are anxious.”
“Mr Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the livelihood of over 200,000 freelancers and self-employed persons (SEPs). Thankfully, many received support in various forms during this period. Unfortunately, their income continues to be severely affected. To assist SEPs cover their immediate and future needs, I have three proposals to make. These are: support to mitigate income drop, support for licensing and accreditation and support in finding new income sources. Firstly, we need solutions to help them deal with a sudden and likely prolonged drop in income. This is a most pressing need. A case in point is with the two largest groups of SEPs in Singapore, namely, taxi and private hire drivers. Together, the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, the Point-to-Point operators and MOT worked out several solutions to deal with a severe drop in passenger numbers and earnings. Mr Speaker, in the past, in this House and outside this House, I have debated actively with the Ministry and the operators on things to improve and tackle challenges faced by drivers. But this is a time where we collaborate and work together. And, as a result, we were able to pool our resources and swiftly rolled out rental rebates and financial aids to drivers. We, in the NTUC, were also able to extend further assistance to those who were union members. On their part, I am very grateful to the Point-to-Point operators who gave additional support such as rental waiver, which means they did not collect a single dollar in rental during the circuit breaker period from the taxi drivers and rental reductions even after the circuit breaker period has ended. Drivers I spoke too are deeply appreciative of the various support given.”
“Will the Ministry consider mirroring the approach taken in the pre-school sector? Childcare centres and kindergartens are licensed under the regulatory framework. This helps to enhance the affordability, accessibility and quality of our pre-schools. Consequently, there are also clear skills frameworks and mandatory training programmes to ensure that there is uniformity in how pre-school centres deliver their care and supervision programmes. I believe this can serve as a useful guide to the SCCs to provide a positive and developmentally appropriate physical environment for our students. With a better trained workforce and clearer career progression, it can also seek to improve the professional image of the student care sector and attract more Singaporeans to join the sector. Will the Ministry consider having funding support to assist the centres invest in staff training so that we can have a sound and reliable after-school care support system?”
“In 2018, MSF announced a new Mother Tongue teaching certification programme jointly launched by ECDA and the National Institute of Early Childhood Development. The programme was launched last year with the aim of enhancing the oral skills of pre-school teachers and deepening their understanding of the relevant cultures and traditions. The programme will cater to Malay and Tamil teachers initially. May I know whether there are similar plans for the Chinese language teachers? Student Care Services (In English): Dual-income families are becoming the norm and, naturally, demand for more full-day pre-school and after-school student care services. It was announced in last year's Committee of Supply that all Primary schools would have after-school care facilities within the school compound by the end of 2020. As we ramp up capacity to meet demand, how do we ensure that fees across all school-based Student Care Centres (SCCs) are fair? Does the Ministry also track the pricing of fees by all registered centres and publish this information for comparison by parents? In a recent response from MSF to my Parliamentary Question, it was noted that close to half of parents' feedback concerning SCCs are related to issues, such as hygiene and child management. The rest relates to affordability, capacity and issues, such as enrolment process, to the requirements imposed on registered SCCs. Currently MSF only provides SCC operators guidelines in aspects, such as staffing, layout, programme, hygiene and safety, recommended educational qualifications and training for their supervisors and staff. All SCCs are also required to meet standards in the areas of supervision, physical environment, operating hours, safety, health and hygiene and provide a structured daily programme.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to speak in Mandarin for my first cut. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Because of COVID-19, some of our expatriate pre-school Chinese teachers must be quarantined and cannot return to Singapore to resume work. Their colleagues who continue working and their students all miss them. They are being told not to worry as the pre-school centres are working hard to ensure that students can attend lessons as usual. During this critical period, everyone is working together to overcome difficulties. I would like to know, currently, how many pre-school teachers specialise in teaching Chinese and, among them, and how many are foreigners? How many of these foreign teachers have been affected by the outbreak? Using this outbreak as a learning point, will MSF consider adjusting the ratio of foreign and the local pre-school teachers to prevent the recurrence of a similar situation where there is a sudden drop in teaching staff? I understand recruiting Singaporean pre-school Chinese teachers is a challenge. I would like to know how many pre-school Chinese teachers we need to meet future demands and whether we are close to achieving this target. I have met many Singaporeans who are passionate about the Chinese language and some of them are mid-career individuals. Does MSF have new plans to attract more Singaporeans and mid-career individuals to join the pre-school education sector? We must also provide schemes for upskilling, as well as education resources, to help Chinese language teachers gain new knowledge and deepen their teaching capabilities to help nurture students' interest in the Chinese language.”
“Chairman, I have a clarification for the Senior Minister of State Lam. Beyond monitoring the take-up rate of training for aviation crew. I know that the Senior Minister of State takes a personal interest in many transport workers. I would like to invite the Senior Minister of State, together with SSG, WSG and CAAS to have a dialogue and attend a training class. Hopefully, the class can start within the month so that we can get a sense of whether the $112 million support to the aviation sector is reaching the workers and what has the workers' response been. I believe the training programmes are available. We have a Skills Framework and the Industry Transformation Map. So, delivering training to the workers should be something that the training bodies and the various partners can deliver. And I would like to invite the Senior Minister of State to do that visit soon.”
“Mr Chairman, the aviation sector has been adversely affected by COVID-19. Many airlines and their crews are feeling the brunt because many flights have been cancelled and the passenger numbers for other flights have been reduced. I have been to the airport several times over the last two or three weeks. The situation is very tough – very few passengers. Consequently, even taxi drivers share with me that they wait for about three hours for passengers. That has never happened before in the past. The Government announced a slew of packages involving training and support assistance. I would like to ask how has our airlines and staff, including the ground crew and cabin crew, responded to the help? Has it cushioned the impact and whether measures such as sending workers for upskilling have been implemented and well-subscribed? I know we are asking for some things to be sped up in the midst of these recent announcements, but indeed, the income and the flight hours have been shortened tremendously; and the help needs to be very imminent and fast. Both local and foreign crew also operate as effective teams. We do not just need the Singapore crew. A lot of times, we need our foreign workers and our partners who fly and service the planes, and do all the necessary work at the airport. It is indeed critical that we retain and ready the core team for the upturn, following COVID-19. Are there concerns among workers in the sector that remain unresolved and what more can we do to cushion and mitigate the impact? COVID-19 and Point-to-point (P2P) Drivers”
“Chairman, in 2017, we celebrated 50 years of National Service in Singapore. Amidst rising threats of terrorism, cyber-attacks and other challenges, we will need to evolve our approach towards NS. To this end, the NS experience must be constantly shaped and re-shaped to address the pressures, demands and desires of our future economy and future generations. Everyone, meaning all Singaporeans, our institutions and community has a role to play in ensuring we have a robust NS system. Thus, our families, employers, schools and community groups are key pillars of support so that our Servicemen can focus on their training. Many of us have seen and participated in the regular Singapore Armed Forces community engagement projects. The Army, the Navy and the Air Force have open house carnivals to engage the public as well as school partnership programmes to engage the students. Besides that, National Education and Total Defence Day are also part of the school’s curriculum. I would like to ask if there are other plans to engage the community such as new citizens and grassroots, to help them understand and appreciate the importance of NS? How about new employers, including those who are newly posted to run operations located here in Singapore? This will ensure that our reservists will similarly be well supported and their role well understood. NS Recognition”
“I hope that the Government Ministries can take the lead and work with industry players to think of ways to help them reduce cost and expand customer base. Some of these freelancers would like to go for training during this lull period, but are deterred as this would mean a loss of income, so they are also feeling a little helpless. However, I believe that with the joint efforts by the tripartite partners, we can ensure that all the top talents in the various industries will be able to keep their jobs, and make use of their talents to enhance Singapore’s competitiveness when the crisis is over. In fact, some taxi drivers have urged me to organise an activity for everyone to eat beehoon together. Some Hokkien taxi drivers joked that we will "wun wun jia beehoon" (eat beehoon calmly). So, I hope that we can be strong and steady, and not be overly worried. Although the impact of COVID-19 may not blow over in the short term, the Government will continue to support the economy, companies, workers and families. We must remain confident, maintain healthy lifestyles, lead normal lives and try to revive our tourism industry. This is the greatest help that we can give to all our industries and all our workers. Let us work together and show determination in adversity. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support this Budget.”
“Job security means that the economy, companies and workers must receive appropriate support, and establish close partnerships where everyone works to help one another. As we know, a lot of things are easier said than done. Our tripartite partners have been working together to stabilise the economy while continuing to help transform industries and assist workers in training, so that they can upgrade their skills, keep their jobs and tide over this difficult time. During this period, I have witnessed how taxi drivers and private hire drivers turn from competitors to cooperative partners. They volunteer to distribute masks and hand sanitisers to colleagues and help them to do temperature checks. Although there has been talk that frontline healthcare workers are being discriminated by members of the public, many of our taxi drivers have volunteered to ferry healthcare workers to and from work. All of us have chosen to help one another in this crisis period and to weather the storm together. Each party has put aside their different views and corporate brand names, with the single objective of consolidating the economy and development of Singapore. Once again, I would like to thank the Finance Minister for giving a booster shot to the PTP transport industry. Our tour guides have also just received help from the Government, and the tripartite partners are working to assist them. On behalf of the unions, I would like to urge the Government again to roll out more measures to help freelance workers. I have reached out to several freelancers to understand their situation and discuss ways to help them. They include sports coaches, instructors, technicians, performers and photographers and so on. Their income have plunged due to the decrease in customers.”
“Each layer of plywood may be made of different materials and differ in terms of quality, but when bound together as plywood, the effect is very significant. The spread of COVID-19 has brought about stern challenges. Although we cannot proclaim to have solved every problem easily, at least we have been able to come up with measures as the situation evolved. During the initial stage, unions took the initiative to understand the concerns of our taxi drivers, and most drivers expressed hope that they can drive their cars safely but said they lacked protective supplies like hand sanitisers and disinfectants. Since then, unions have tried their best to procure these necessities for drivers through various channels and distributed the supplies to them. The Government and operators have also provided necessary resources and helped drivers to monitor their body temperature, so as to give customers peace of mind. We have also used our funds to help drivers who had to stop driving due to quarantine orders, so that they can tide over this difficult period. The timely launch of the $77 million assistance package by the Government and operators is also an initiative to assist taxi drivers and private hire drivers as soon as possible. Hence, workers from the PTP transport sector are able to receive help from the Government and operators with swift and targeted measures. Only with this "plywood" cooperative spirit are we able to help workers keep their jobs and keep companies going. This is what job security means. Only a strong enterprise, a resilient labour force, a thoughtful and efficient union, and a nation with wit and resources can ensure the job security of Singaporeans.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The sudden onset of COVID-19 has dealt a serious blow to our economy. Not knowing how long this epidemic will last, many Singaporeans are worried that their livelihoods will be seriously affected and they might lose their jobs. Nevertheless, with the previous experience of fighting SARS, most Singaporeans were not panicky when COVID-19 struck. On the contrary, we could face this challenge calmly. The greatest test is not whether we are able to stock up groceries or whether we can adopt healthier habits, but whether we are able to display confidence and a cooperative spirit to fight this disease. Undoubtedly, self-preservation can only ensure that we and our families are protected temporarily. But in the long run, it will not protect our national economy, companies or job situation. To deal with the impact of COVID-19, we need to work together and make full use of the Government measures provided in the Budget. Let me give Members an example. Over the past one month, many taxi drivers and private hire drivers told me that the point-to-point (PTP) transport service industry has been badly affected. With the significant decrease in customers, their incomes have plunged and many drivers have decided to stop driving. Fortunately, most drivers are still working as usual. They do not complain but hope that there will be adequate solutions or packages to help them tide over this period. On normal days, there is already intense competition between taxi drivers and private hire drivers. Fortunately, when COVID-19 hit us, the tripartite partners consisting of unions, the Government and employers worked together like "plywood". Plywood can take on much heavier loads than an individual layer of wood.”
“While we are happy to see those businesses continue to protect and look into the riders' interest but, in the longer term, we may need to consider whether we need to license the operators so that the responsible actions of a few will be the standard for all that are in the industry. With that, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“Both business models are fairly similar – one, providing point-to-point service for commuters, the other, providing point-to-point service for food delivery. Moving forward, there is a deeper concern. Are there plans to work with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to look at potential employment-related insights? It will be useful to deepdive into whether there may be issues of skills mismatch among the riders. Are they in this job because of circumstances, such as this being a low entry barrier job so anybody can actually enter in without an interview or such other consideration? Or could it be that there is instant cash payout and the incentive scheme in the job attractive? Or could it be that our skills conversion programme may not be effective in helping people land a job and, consequently, they end up delivering food as a mode of making a living? There could be some fundamental issues here as to whether are there too many workers in this industry or is it a sustainable career for those who have opted for this industry? Do they have adequate Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings? Do they have adequate medical protection? And what are the skillsets needed to help those who wish to transit into a new sector, into a new job? Have we been able to do so effectively? These are areas in which perhaps LTA may not have the full range of skillsets or the tools but it would be useful to work with MOM to ensure that workers are assessed appropriately to help them and guide them in their appropriate career option. Regardless, Mr Deputy Speaker, the amendments are a step in the right direction as far as regulations are concerned. Some businesses are responsible and have taken positive acts.”
“I hope the Ministry can lend its weight to effect that outcome when they are in dialogues with the other food delivery platforms. Secondly, safety goes beyond user know-how and the right gear. One other area that we are concerned with and we should pay attention to is whether the riders are exhausted from working long hours or rushing from place to place because of the incentive structure. Many may be working long stretches or trying to hit targets to meet the incentive payouts. The use of, for example, telematics or data analytics, could offer options to promote safer rides. This industry currently is a piece-rate kind of industry structure. The more you do, the more you earn. When you hit a certain target, you get higher incentives. Such a scheme may not exactly be safe for the riders because regardless of their health or the status of their exhaustion, they may try to push for higher targets. We hope to hear perhaps another way of addressing this issue rather than let the existing business model continue on, which may affect the riders in a negative manner. Finally, food delivery operators are now required to offer public liability insurance. That is a move in the right direction. It is, however, not mandatory for them to provide accident or prolonged medical leave insurance for their rider partners. Some do so, but the majority are not on board yet. I would like to urge for the operators to do so, to help riders deal with the potential loss of income when they get injured or they fall sick. Will we be, therefore, requiring the operator to do so before allowing them to operate such a platform here in Singapore? To this end, would LTA be looking at licensing the food delivery operators, similar to what was done for the third-party ride-hailing apps?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have three suggestions to the proposed amendments to AMA and the new measures to be implemented by LTA. First, with regard to the assessment tests, I would like to propose that LTA build upon the existing training the "Delivery Rider Kit". This was curated by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in consultation with the food delivery platforms. It will support PMD delivery riders transiting to other modes, such as PABs. The topics that we have included comprise safe riding, using PABs effectively, digital skills and so on. Since November last year until now, 63 riders have undergone training for various modules. Others are starting the training soon. More recently, Minister Khaw Boon Wan also attended one of these training sessions. We feel that there should be some alignment between the new assessment test and the NTUC's Rider Kit. Food delivery riders who have attended the training have also given us very good feedback and they are happy with the contents of the training. I hope that they would not need to attend additional classes or to be re-assessed if they have completed those training sessions. The practical assessment and the knowledge learnt during these existing courses are substantial and useful. On top of that, GrabFood offered its food delivery riders who have completed the safe riding module a safety helmet which has a smart lights feature. The lights help increase their visibility while they are on the road and also serves as turn signals for other motorists to note when these riders are making turns. How great it is if all other food delivery operators also do the same and equip their riders with similar helmets.”
“Mr Speaker, on the quarantine allowance, over the week, we have spoken to some taxi drivers and private hire drivers, they are very assured that if anyone of them is quarantined, there is a $100 daily allowance given by the Government. For employees who have LOAs in which employers pay for them when they are on leave, but for the self-employed, there is this element whereby if I am at home for 14 days, I do not have the income. That may be of some concern to the self-employed. So, perhaps we can consider some calibrated support for this group of self-employed individuals who may be on LOAs. They will self-quarantine themselves at home. But let us see how we can help them tide through this period.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to seek some clarifications from the Minister for Manpower. There were suggestions that taxi operators and so on should start to pay for PML premiums on behalf of drivers. I wonder what is the Ministry's take on this compulsory arrangement that some had suggested. Would it, therefore, lead to an increase in, say, for example, rental cost of the vehicles? Who will ultimately pay for the cost? Will it lead to an increase in fare structure because the operator will essentially find a way to transfer this or the premium somewhere else? I wonder what is the Ministry's thinking about some of these suggestions that were made.”
“I just want to clarify his interpretation of what I called for. What I called for is that there are certain groups of freelancers, for example, food delivery riders, who are asked to come at certain hours, take the equipment, wear the uniform, and do the work as though they are employees. But the same platform operators, whether Grab or Gojek, also offer options whereby drivers become freelancers. So, the same platform can, on the one hand, offer people genuine bona fide freelance arrangements, but because they were persuaded to and gladly make some contributions to the riders in order that they work with you on a long-term basis and they gladly do so, but we do not consider them as employees. For riders doing food delivery, that is something which I called for, indeed.”
“One further point of clarification. Grab and Gojek and the likes of Uber are platform operators. When they came onto the Singapore scene, we spent quite a lot of time to persuade them to co-contribute to the MediSave; to find ways to support them in their training; to support them for their healthcare needs although they are freelance drivers. They know for a fact that they are freelancers, but these platform operators actually provided support because we persuaded them to do so and they saw the logic of doing so. So, is Assoc Prof Goh suggesting that these platform operators, such as Gojek and Grab, therefore, treat their drivers now as employees? Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am suggesting that the Government consider the use of the test of dependency to look at the classification of SEPs to see whether they fit into certain models of employment and I do not think that is very different from what the Member has actually called for himself.”
“I would like to have his clarification on whether that was a suggestion from him in the speech he made earlier.”
“Assoc Prof Daniel Goh earlier mentioned that some employers of, for example, taxi operators, and the likes of it, provide some kind support and maybe even uniform to the drivers, who therefore, they should be classified as employees and given statutory protection, such as CPF contributions and the likes of it. I wonder if that is correct? If that is correct, would the operators today be alarmed that what they did voluntarily – which we had persuaded them by saying: can you co-contribute to the MediSave of the taxi drivers; can you provide subsidies for their uniforms – would now change and they should, therefore, make them their employees and start granting them paid leave, changing the entire model from a freelance one to an employee model? This is because that will fundamentally change the structure of the taxi industry from one where the majority are freelancers to one where these freelancers are employees.”
“It is for the hon Member Assoc Prof Daniel Goh. It is on a point which he made earlier. I just wanted to check if I heard it correctly and get some clarification from him.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, can I make a point of clarification?”
“So, this announcement by MOM will definitely help freelancers transit to this new arrangement and I look forward to the details of the support. Thirdly and finally, I would like to urge that the Ministry look at enhancing training support for freelancers. This should address the training needs of not just freelancers who transact with Government buyers, but more importantly, the employability of all freelancers. I mentioned earlier some young freelancers shared that they started off freelancing, thinking it is a transition job but there are other older freelancers who also thought that it was a transitional job but, over time, it became their only full-time choice. This is because even if some struggle to improve their wage prospects or income doing freelance work, they do not possess the adequate skills to move to other jobs. In the Ministry's regular survey, I hope statistics can be collected pertaining to the training status and employability of our freelancers. This is to ensure we roll out timely interventions before the employability gap grows larger. Meanwhile, can we consider supporting them in their training endeavors with funding help in the form of training allowance or absentee payroll that we offer other workers? Mr Deputy Speaker, we need new solutions and I am very glad that the Ministry has already rolled out a programme like the CAYE. Such new solutions are needed even as we address the unintended consequences of this new form of employment. This will ensure that freelancers do not unnecessarily struggle with employment or employability options. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“One key concern is that there may be risks that may be passed on from companies to these gig workers who actually are unable to take on much risks, such as instability in their wages and not being prepared for retirement. My hon colleague Mr Patrick Tay also alluded to the fact that food delivery drivers may fall into this category of workers who may be unaware of the risks. For instance, I have also mentioned in my previous speeches that we, too, see many freelancers doing food delivery. Although they wear the attire of the platform provider and comply with rules quite similar to that of an employee, they are being classified as freelancers. I know that the Ministry has a WorkRight programme to ensure that those misclassified workers will be put right and be clocked back as far as CPF and other statutory rights are being provided for. However, do we need to, therefore, relook whether there is a need to re-categorise the different types of freelancers, identify those who are more vulnerable, and ascertain to see if they need to be provided and protected by the law? Whilst we want to retain the flexibility of a gig economy, we should also review the way we define who is an employee in view of today's new employment arrangements. Secondly, many freelancers are already making their MediSave contributions to an instalment plan. And I am glad that the Minister has earlier mentioned and announced that the Government is seriously considering a support system to the MediSave contribution of freelancers who transact with Government entities. This is a welcomed announcement. There is, Mr Deputy Speaker, already a precedent among taxi operators who co-contribute to taxi drivers' monthly MediSave contributions, that is, the Drive and Save (DAS) scheme.”
“I spoke to many of them and they shared that they think that this is only a transition job; it is not something that they will hold on to for a long time. Making MediSave contributions are not at the top of their mind among these young freelancers. In fact, in my engagement with CPF Board, I also learnt that many experienced freelancers are also not prompt in making MediSave contributions even though there are instalment plans made available with CPF Board. And the Minister had earlier also alluded to the same facts. The reasons may be varied, Mr Deputy Speaker, but the outcome is the same. Freelancers run the risks of inadequate medical provisions. So, what are we to do about this? How do we help to place them under the safety net that every other employed worker is provided for? Some argue that freelancers, "You are independent. Look after yourself. Make the necessary provisions." Others ask for more Government interventions. With this amendment, I think the role that the Government is taking on is clear. First, as a responsible service buyer, the Government wants to help freelancers make contributions to their MediSave accounts so that they can have adequate savings for medical needs through the CAYE scheme. Secondly, it is also imperative that the Government ropes in all Singaporean workers to come under its CPF safety net in an efficient and effective manner. I am, therefore, supportive of this amendment. I have three requests for the Government's consideration, of which, the Minister has already answered one. First, I hope that the Government can be more proactive in supporting freelancers beyond CAYE. The emerging gig economy is something that we are all aware of and it has created a new form of employment among many workers.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I recently took a Mass Rapid Transit ride with a freelance trainer and, a few weeks later, I had lunch with another freelance coach. Both of them shared a similar story with me, about the need to use hand sanitisers regularly. So, I was curious as to why they said that. And it is so coincidental that both asked me the same thing. I guess the reason they gave me was that, as a freelancer, you have to look after your health and make sure you do not fall sick. Other than the fact that you may have to pay medical bills, recuperate at home, but you also may miss out on fulfilling your clients' obligations that you promise to deliver. That is about taking personal ownership – looking after one's health, buying appropriate insurance, topping up your MediSave account and exercising regularly. In fact, over the last few years, Mr Deputy Speaker, I have met with many freelancers – sports coaches, tutors, actors, moviemakers, band instructors, those who do rigging in stages and outdoor events, emcees, photographers, beauticians, choir instructors, orchestra directors, fitness instructors, translators, taxi and private hire drivers, getai performers. This is just to illustrate the wide spectrum of industries and vocations that many of our freelancers today come from. It is no longer the traditional tutors and taxi drivers alone. Many of them shared with me that they do adopt a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly, contribute to their MediSave account. Some even bought prolonged medical leave insurance to cover potential loss of income should they fall sick or recover from some major surgery. As the Minister rightly pointed out earlier, 60% of them do not do so. And this is especially so among younger job entrants who just became freelancers.”
“I have two follow-up questions. First, is there any discernible difference in terms of breeding sites and residents contracting dengue in private estates and HDB estates? Secondly, a lot of residents and Singaporeans travel overseas. Are there incidents of them contracting dengue overseas because they let their guards down or they are not aware that the regions that they visit are also experiencing a dengue outbreak?”
“I would like to like get some clarifications from the Senior Minister of State. I hear my colleagues speak about requirements, whether it is for green vehicles, wheelchairs, baby seats, electric vehicles and the likes of it. In Japan, they tried this innovation called JPN Taxis. They asked everybody what they wanted in a taxi and they designed a taxi for everyone. The cost was three times the existing price of existing taxis. Nobody rented them. No commuters wanted to pay for JPN Taxis. What I want to urge MOT and LTA to do is that instead of seeking views from everybody and coming up with this wonderful product that nobody wants to pay for, how do we therefore move forward in addressing the needs, ensuring that commuters, drivers and operators are able to calibrate when such innovations and requirements kick in? Otherwise, we are going to have these requirements and just say, "Maybe the drivers can figure out how to pay for it or the operators can reduce their fees for it". It just does not bring us anywhere to what a proper, appropriate commuting experience and needs for the future will be.”
“Okay. Sorry, I shall, therefore, revert to English since the reply is in English. The point I was trying to make was, yes, we are all concerned about the hours you put on the road and the pressure you face on the road. The issue then is: do you, therefore, seek to ask that we reduce the hours and, therefore, you want to balance the cost by reducing the car rental or by increasing the fees that the commuters pay for each ride they take so that the drivers need not work such long hours on the road?”
“In Mandarin, please, Mr Speaker. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Earlier on, Mr Dennis Tan mentioned that in terms of the working hours and the salary of the drivers, that that is his concern. So, I am just wondering whether he is equally concerned about the working hours and the income of our taxi drivers. And is the Member proposing to limit the working hours of the drivers or to increase the fare, in other words, is he looking at increasing the taxi fares so that the taxi drivers will enjoy higher incomes or is he proposing to our operators to cut down the fuel charge or to cut down the ERP fares in order to allow our taxi drivers to enjoy higher incomes without reducing their working hours?”
“Mr Speaker, earlier, I forgot to declare my interest as the Adviser to the National Taxi Association and the Adviser to the National Private Hire Vehicles Association. And I have a clarification I would like to seek from Mr Dennis Tan on his comment in Mandarin, if I may.”
“These are subjected to two trips a day where the driver is either on the way to work, to the market or somewhere else and he gives somebody a ride in exchange for a small fee to cover fuel or Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) costs. These drivers need not possess a vocational licence. But because of no regulatory control in this market space, a driver could possibly join several platforms and take on multiple trips beyond the stipulated daily limits. This is the feedback we have heard from taxi drivers as well as private hire drivers that there is this potential loophole. If left unchecked, it would offer a backdoor to those who not want to comply with the operator or driver licensing requirements. With appropriate regulatory oversight, Mr Speaker, I hope we will be able to attract more new point-to-point operators to our local scene, drive new innovations to bring about a better commuting experience for commuters and offer a sustainable career for drivers. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“Instead, we have seen a surge in bidding of new cars by leasing companies and many drivers becoming full-time vocational drivers. Do we really want to see more young drivers doing this on a full-time basis, forgoing the opportunity to delve into a career, enlarging their skillsets and going professional in the work they do or to take a low-entry barrier job like vocational drivers? Currently, we have 20,000 taxis, 45,000 PHCs, plus 140,000 vocational drivers. The demand for such rides has slowed down since the exit of Uber. I recommend that all new applicants for PDVL to be similar as taxis and that they all be at least 30 years old and above and for Singaporeans only. We are not short of local drivers, Mr Speaker. What more can LTA do? They have done quite a fair bit, but I am glad to hear today that they will be reviewing the Taxi Availability framework and the Quality of Service standards for taxi operators. With the current fleet of private hire vehicles exceeding more than twice the number of taxis, I am glad that the new standards will be reviewed and rationalised. I am also very happy to hear that the new regulatory framework will seek to prohibit driver exclusivity arrangements by all parties. This will disallow operators to prevent their drivers from taking jobs from others and reduce the risks of market domination by the operators. I am glad that LTA has supported our call for this change. One last point with regard to operators is the carpool platform. LTA also needs to pay particular attention to possible abuse on the private hire carpool platforms.”
“But I believe Singapore, again, has a better solution in that the Tripartite Standards set forth by the Ministry of Manpower is a better option. Today, many operators continue to unilaterally suspend drivers or offer contracts that say more about the obligations of drivers than what the obligations of the operators are. Indeed, fair and reasonable terms should be the norm of contracts moving forward. Fortunately, our operators have also supported good schemes. There is the Enhanced Drive and Save MediSave co-contribution scheme offered by taxi operators, together with the National Taxi Association, for taxi drivers. There is also the free insurance offered by Grab and Gojek with the National Private Hire Vehicle Association to help drivers manage loss of income due to prolonged illness. These are good measures and show that our operators are, indeed, responsible ones. Notwithstanding these initiatives, we recommend that all operators comply with the Tripartite Standards as part of the licensing requirements. This will not create new burdens on the existing operators because they are already currently doing many of these good things. But we also want to ensure that new operators coming to Singapore in future comply with the same type of good practices. Who can be a driver? Currently, to qualify as a private hire driver, you only need to have two years of driving experience. So, technically, at age 20, you can be a private hire driver. In comparison, to drive a taxi you need to be at least 30 years old and above. The argument that ride hailing caters to part-timers and those who avail their vehicles in a sharing economy do not quite reflect reality.”
“(In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, the first ride-hail operator I met was about six years ago in Singapore. The company was called Hailo. Subsequently, many came and left, even as I participated in many debates about its impact. Fast forward to today, we have over 40,000 private hire and 100,000 taxi drivers in Singapore. Together they serve over 1.2 million daily trips, up from where we had only taxis which served a million trips a day. Indeed, many livelihoods and commuter convenience are dependent on how the industry operates and how the LTA regulates the sector. Once this regulation of point-to-point is in place, I hope it will lead to fair competition among the various types of point-to-point operators and ensure greater accountability to our drivers and commuters. Who can be an operator moving forward? Currently, as we have heard from Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, only taxi operators are subjected to regulatory controls. We have previously called for, and I am glad that LTA will now regulate the private hire operators as well. Back when Uber suddenly left Singapore a year plus ago, many felt that the way that these ride-hailing firms operate made it very easy for them to exit and it also left drivers, commuters and their employees in the lurch. Nobody knew what happened because, overnight, they closed their office and all the senior management exited Singapore. To avoid such negative outcomes, all street-hailing service and ride-hailing service operators should comply with the Tripartite Standards in managing self-employed persons. In some cities, Mr Speaker, regulators have considered treating these drivers as employees because, truth be told, many of them are tied to employee-like requirements.”
“Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Six years ago, Grab and Uber have disrupted our local taxi market. At that time, taxi drivers were worried about livelihood. They did not know whether they would be ousted. In comparison, taxi drivers and operators from other countries were also thinking of ways to stop PHCs from sinking roots into their local markets. Some taxi drivers even had conflict with PHC drivers or went protesting on the streets. They did not think of a space where the two can co-exist. The only choice was to fight. Compared to them, although our taxi drivers were also concerned, they did not create conflict and disturb our social order. Everyone has made huge effort, learn to adapt and use technology. This is our unique Singapore spirit. Things do not come easy. I hope we can cherish what we have today. Today we can discuss in a very peaceful environment to debate on this P2P legislation, we must thank our taxi drivers. They are very patient and adapt to market changes and challenges in a calm manner. They believe we can provide a good arrangement for them. In many industries, new technologies, funds worth of billions of dollars and the digital economy have brought about many new opportunities. To be successful, the mindset of workers is more important. Our taxi drivers have demonstrated resilience by overcoming the challenges, embracing new things and learning to take on technologies as opposed to fearing them. This attitude is worth encouraging. Today, we also have taxi drivers in the gallery. This is the first time in Parliament. I hope that in the subsequent debate today, we can give them a very positive response and give them some encouragement.”
“To increase the level of road safety and adoption, can the Traffic Police or LTA work together with vehicle fleet owners to consider perhaps things like rebates when a vehicle owner installs safety-enabling technologies in their vehicles? Today, we have such a scheme called the early turnover whereby we encourage early replacement of polluting vehicles. Surely, safety vehicles should be the next in line. [Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair] Beyond the law, I believe we can channel our efforts to cultivate responsible road users and for everybody to have a safer commute. Cost considerations can be overcome if appropriate rebates and nudges can be put in place to speed up the adoption of safer vehicles. I found a recent example whereby an insurance company has offered lower premiums to motorists if they respond accurately to a series of questions on safer driving. That is a wonderful nudge for many who may not be able to be prompted to understand the importance of safer driving. Such ground-up efforts are, indeed, welcomed. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“I am glad to know that LTA has been conscientiously installing road safety features, including turning pockets, lighted road studs and "Give Way to Pedestrian" signs, to ensure safety and smooth traffic flow. Mr Speaker, I think we can also consider using data analytics whereby the regulators can work towards identifying vulnerable zones or roads with higher frequency of accidents. Today, accidents that do not involve injuries are sometimes not reported to the Traffic Police. So, I wonder how such data of vulnerable roads or roads with more accidents are being collated to understand whether or not such interventions, such as road designs or re-engineering, can slow down vehicles and minimise accident rates. The third suggestion I have is equipment. That entails having more safety features in our vehicles. Some new vehicles today are fitted with safety devices, such as auto-brake functions that automatically slow down the vehicle if they sense a pedestrian or car in the path of travel; or adaptive cruise control which automatically adjusts the vehicle speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead. Some owners install radar sensors or cameras to help them gauge and monitor the safety distance between vehicles. Others rely on reverse sensors which alert the driver when the car is about to hit an object. Such devices serve as safety features that help drivers to navigate in a safer manner. We should also leverage telematics to reinforce good driving habits. I recently spoke to the third-party private hire app called Grab. They send day-to-day weekly driving reports to their drivers to nudge them towards safer driving.”
“My residents and workers driving for a living also shared that it will be a useful reminder if the current Notice of Offence letters can also state the number of demerit points generated by the individual driver as well as the remaining threshold before suspension or revocation of licence kicks in. Commuters travelling in a taxi or private hire car can also do their part. I recently had an accident whereby a private hire driver collided into the rear end of my vehicle. He mentioned that he was distracted by his passenger who suddenly, at the last minute, asked him to change direction. As he was listening to the passenger, he did not pay attention to the road and the vehicle in front of him. Mr Speaker, a lot of risks on the road can be avoided if the drivers and commuters show more understanding to one another. On engineering, the design of roads can also affect the safety of road users. LTA conducts regular reviews, for which we are grateful for, to ensure our roads are safe for motorists and pedestrians. For example, under the Black Spot Programme, accident-prone locations are identified and safety measures, such as special signs and clearer road markings, are implemented. We have seen examples, such as Silver Zones for the elderly and School Zone programmes for school students. We should continue to identify and add such features in more of our estates. More recently, LTA has started to roll out more Red Amber Green (RAG) arrows at major traffic junctions. Recently, we recalled an accident at Clementi Road whereby one of the undergraduates had a tragic accident. Motorists have to wait for the arrow to turn green before making a right turn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, what must we do to make our roads safer? This Bill seeks to do so through covering more road offences and issuing harsher punishments. I feel emphasis should also be placed on three other areas. One, educating road users; two, improving road engineering; and three, having safer features in vehicles. On the first point on education. As mentioned by the hon Member before me, Ms Rahayu Mahzam, we should do more to push out the message on the importance of being responsible road users. To this end, I hope the regulators can strengthen the role played by and properly resource the Singapore Road Safety Council. This will allow it to mount publicity programmes to educate the public and road users and do so sustainably. Over the weekend, I attended a road safety event by the Council in the Orchard Road area. That is a good initiative and more can be done, perhaps more so in the neighbourhoods and in schools. Perhaps also consider participating in the National Day post-parade event whereby we can get all the different road users to do a safety march with regard to sending the message about road safety. But going upstream then, what can we do? We should review the current driving course content to ensure new learners and drivers who are taking refresher courses appreciate the need for safer driving habits. I read that, in some cities, it was even reported that serious road offenders are made to visit the hospital morgue to realise the severity of their actions. We can probably drive home the same point on the importance of safe driving through either video replays or re-enactments in our training courses on how careless driving can result in serious accidents.”
“Chairman, I have a clarification for Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng. Will the NAC look at contracts that have been given out to arts freelancers by, say, production houses, venue owners, recipients of NAC fund, to ensure that the contracts comply with the tripartite standards that all Government procurement entities have already adopted, so that the contracts are fair and that freelancers who sign on to the contracts get their fair deal and reasonable terms in those contracts? And a second clarification will be that I am glad that the Ministry is offering an online resource for arts freelancers. When will NAC consider a shared workplace for arts freelancers to come together to work, to exchange ideas and to interact?”
“Sir, I have two clarifications. One is for Senior Minister of State Lam Pin Min on air transport. I notice that we are making a lot of effort to have air agreements in order for us to have more air traffic. I would like to find out whether or not MOT's mitigation measures for residents around the Seletar Airport site with regard to how noise from increased air traffic can be mitigated and if those mitigation measures are effective. The second clarification is for Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary. Thank you very much for agreeing to set up the tripartite committee for private hire drivers and with the industry. I am just wondering whether LTA or MOT will assist the industry to form an association because, right now, the operators are all individuals. So, when they come for the meetings, they come as individuals, rather than a collective association. So, sometimes, the voices can be very disparate and they do not quite have a common position on whether the industry operators want to bring to the table to negotiate. Finally, I would like to know the Senior Minister of State's views on whether or not setting a high age limit for private hire drivers moving forward is a measure in the right direction.”
“Further, could the PTC's statutory authority be widened to serve as a one-stop shop to safeguard the interests of commuters and stakeholders in the broader public transport ecosystem?”
“Should we not have more modes of leasing like hourly rental? Should the age of new taxi and private hire drivers not be raised to prevent an over-supply situation? The members of the associations have met with Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary on the proposed recommendations and we will continue to have such dialogues with him to ensure that our commuters and drivers will be safeguarded. Integrated Regulation of Urban Mobility Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: Chairman, the market for urban mobility has changed significantly. Innovations, such as private hire ride hailing and bicycle sharing, have made commuting easier and faster. At the same time, there have been growing pains, ranging from market dominance in ride-hailing, to indiscriminate parking of shared bicycles, and unrecoverable debts from failed startups. The Government's light-touch approach has helped these markets grow. But at times, the locus of regulation has been unclear. For example, in ride-hailing, today, LTA handles driver licensing, while the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) oversees market conduct due to the recent Grab-Uber merger. PTC, meanwhile, has no statutory authority over ride-hailing and PMD services. What are the Ministry's plans to design more integrated and holistic regulation for urban mobility services? Such services are part of the broader public transport ecosystem. Many operators see the potential for vertical integration of services from public transport, to P2P to PMDs. To achieve the LTMP 2040 target of nine in 10 journeys using public, active, and shared modes of transport, regulation should take a broader view.”