Chan Chun Sing
Singapore
“Since 2002, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has worked with the autonomous universities (AUs) to establish arrangements that minimise disruption to National Servicemen (NSmen) who are pursuing full-time studies up to the undergraduate level, while meeting the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) operational and training needs.”
“Secondments help to build up the range of competencies and work experiences of public officers to strengthen their longer-term employment relevance and resilience. The Public Service Division's guideline to agencies is to support public officers even while they are on secondment.”
“The priority of our National Servicemen must be their military duties and operational training, to meet the Singapore Armed Forces's (SAF's) operational requirements.”
“In January 2026, I had informed this House that the Government had convened an independent committee to conduct a review of the political salary framework that was laid out in 2012. The Committee has completed the review and submitted its recommendations to the Government in April.”
“All countries seek to develop mutually beneficial partnerships, and the United States-Indonesia Major Defence Cooperation Partnership is one such example.”
“Since the Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) was established in 2014, over 1,500 men and women have completed training and served as SAFVC Volunteers (SVs). Presently, there are about 1,100 in-service SVs, comprising 52% male and 48% female. About seven in 10 of our in-service SVs are new Citizens or Permanent Residents.”
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“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Let me continue. I do not take this issue lightly because I have to deal with them personally, sometimes in life and death situations. Members of this House who are running their constituencies will know how, sometimes, neighbour issues can spiral out of control because of a racial element. We all do not like to hear this, we all do not like to talk about this and we wish that it does not exist. But we know, we have to deal with some issues and we hope that we will have to deal with it less and less in time to come. But let me share my own personal experience. I have commanded units before, at various levels, of various sizes. In one of my commands, on the first day of assumption of my command, a minority group of soldiers wanted to go absent without official leave (AWOL), at least five of them. If the five of them had gone AWOL, it would have been a critical incident in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) lexicon. It would have to be escalated all the way up to MINDEF headquarters. The first day of my command. I had not even had the chance to do anything. I was fortunate. I had a regimental sergeant major (RSM) from the same racial group. He told me: "Sir, no worries. Let me deal with this. I will bring them back." It was something that he could do that I could not have done and certainly, not on the first day of my command. Another incident during my command, at the passing of my late father-in-law, I was recalled from overseas one day earlier, after the training. As my family was grieving for the loss of my late father-in-law, I received a report that a racial riot could soon break out in my unit, because there were allegations that there had been racial discrimination, injustice, and unfairness in the unit. Just allegations.”
“Many Members have shared your own personal stories. Are Singaporeans racists? No. Even if there are a few bad hats, they do not represent us as a people. Are Singaporeans beyond race? I think we have gotten nearer today than yesterday and I am confident we will be even nearer tomorrow. But are we there yet? So let us, and we will, endeavour and commit to making progress continuously. Are all race issues beyond us? I think we all know the answers in our hearts. I do not take this lightly because I have to deal with them personally, sometimes in life and death situations. Let me share my own personal experiences. 6.55 pm”
“Let me move on to another important set of issues. PSP made the argument that we should move beyond race. And Workers' Party (WP) says that "we are confident that Singaporeans do not vote solely on race". We agree. I am sure Singaporeans do not vote solely on the basis of race, but that is not the question before us. The question before us is: "should race be a critical factor in their decision, even if it is not the only factor?" And to PSP's and some other Opposition suggestions that we should move beyond race, we all agree with this aspiration. I am sure I have the support of every Member of this House to support this, that we all aspire to move beyond race. Indeed, I will be the first to aspire to the day where we have a Singaporean tribe, regardless of race, language and religion, that we have all gone beyond race. We recite it in our pledge every day – "We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion". We recite it every day. One united people, regardless of race, language or religion. But having an aspiration is not the same as it being a reality today. Members may wish to revisit the exchange recorded in the Hansard between the late-Mr Lee Kuan Yew and then-NMP Mr Viswa Sadasivan on this issue on 19 August 2009, as referenced by Mr Raj Joshua Thomas in his speech. This was the speech where many of us learned the phrase "highfalutin". More recently in 2021, a survey conducted by CNA and Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that there is still in-group preference with respondents preferring those who are racially similar to themselves for many roles. And I will personally be very careful and not ignore the realities that we are still confronting today.”
“Second, more importantly, the NCMP system comes into play when the ruling party has a large majority in Parliament. By Ms Hazel's suggestion, it will come into play when the ruling party has a large majority without minority Members, or with very few minority Members. Would you not agree with me? If that is the case, Ms Poa's proposed system will then bring in the unsuccessful minority candidates who performed the best. And what will be the result? We would then be likely to have, as Mr Raj Joshua Thomas have pointed out, a predominantly Chinese party in power, with minority Members or NCMPs in the Opposition. Parliament would then be divided along racial lines. Our political divide will be along racial lines. And this, if I may suggest, will be most dangerous for Singapore. Various Opposition Members have also previously criticised the NCMP scheme as being a second-class MP scheme. If this is true, can we imagine a situation where the minorities are all or largely in the NCMPs or party list as a group, while the rest or a vast majority of the elected MPs being the racial majority? Is this a better outcome for us in this House? Is this a better outcome for Singapore? So, I have thought deeply about your suggestions, but unfortunately, I do not think it will solve our problems. If not, it will complicate things even more. At the beginning of my speech, I highlighted the twin objectives of the GRC system, and they bear reminding – one, to ensure that our Parliament will always be representative of the racial make-up of our society; and two, to ensure that our politics do not become racially charged. These two objectives are equally important and Ms Poa's suggestions will unfortunately not ensure that our politics do not become racially charged.”
“If PSP truly believes that the GRC system disadvantages you, then I find it odd that you sent 19 of your 24 candidates to contest in four GRCs in the most recent GE, instead of contesting in all the SMCs possible. Unless the constraint was due to the inability to attract sufficient quality minority candidates. If so, then this is precisely what the GRC system seeks to do – prevent single-race party campaigning along racial lines. Fifth, why not have other forms of proportional representation system to ensure minority representation in this House, as suggested by Ms Poa? This issue has been debated extensively in this House, and I will, again, not repeat all the arguments. Members may wish to refer to the Hansard, in particular the speech by the Prime Minister on 27 January 2016, during the debate on the President's Address. In essence, a proportional representation system will result in parties based on race and religion, or a special interest. Some parties will be incentivised to build their base around a particular interest in order to win seats, rather than to appeal to a broad majority of voters. Ms Poa also suggested having an NCMP scheme for minorities, so that minority candidates who lost the contest in SMCs but have the highest percentage of votes can be appointed as NCMPs. I thought deeply about this suggestion. But unfortunately, I do not think it will achieve our objectives of ensuring Parliament is multiracial and minimising the chances of candidates and parties playing the race card. Let me explain. First, if we only have SMCs, there is no guarantee that there will even be enough minority candidates among the losing candidates. If we only have SMCs, there is no guarantee that we will even have enough minority candidates among the losing candidates.”
“Members may wish to refer to the 2017 High Court decision to dismiss the application filed by Dr Wong Souk Yee for a by-election to be held in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC after Mdm Halimah Yacob resigned her seat as Member of Parliament to stand for the Presidential Election. Dr Wong subsequently filed an appeal over the ruling. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that there was no requirement for a by-election to be called in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC after Mdm Halimah Yacob resigned her seat as Member of Parliament to stand for the Presidential Election. In a GRC contest, the voters vote for the team and it is the GRC team that represents the GRC and all its constituents in Parliament. Not requiring a by-election to fill the position vacated by a minority or any other Member is to prevent any single team member holding the rest to ransom by threatening to step down, as Members have also pointed out. This also does not detract from the fact that no one can hope to gain electoral advantage by playing on race, as the team would still be required to be multiracial in their approach and advocacy of Singaporeans' interests to appeal to all races in the next election. Fourth, the claim that the GRC system has stunted the growth of the Opposition. As Mr Leong pointed out, before the introduction of the GRC system, we had only two Opposition Members in 1984. After the 2020 GE, we now have 10 Opposition Members elected to this House as well as two NCMPs. I think it would be fair to say that the number of Opposition Members in this House ultimately depends more on the quality of the candidates, and whether they are able to secure the support of the Singaporeans to be elected to Parliament, than just whether they are competing in a SMC or GRC.”
“And it is the collective decision of the Government of the day, not any particular individual and not whether is it Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong or otherwise. Next, I want to touch on this other point, which is related to the size and shape of the electoral division. Mr Leong suggested that every of our divisions is rather homogenous in its characteristics. Indeed, so. The question is: are we better served if our divisions are not microcosms of the country but, instead, across our island, we have divisions that have very unique and skewed characteristics, and maybe even along racial lines? If so, what kind of outcomes do we expect from such electoral contests? The reason and the advantage of all divisions being microcosms – plus or minus a bit – of the national characteristics allows everyone to focus our selection of the candidates to represent them based on our collective national interest, and not on sectoral characteristics or interests. Consider this carefully. In other countries, they have gone exactly that way, where electoral contests are fought on narrow sectoral interests or characteristics. However, perhaps I have strayed. We can debate and evolve these features. It does not detract from the underlying fundamental reasons of having the GRC system to ensure that our Parliament remains multiracial and our politics non-racial. Third is on the need to call a by-election to fill a position vacated by a minority or any other Member. This has been debated and clarified in this House and I will not repeat all the arguments. The Courts have settled the law on this.”
“First is the claim that GRCs unfairly benefit the incumbent by tapping on the “star power” in each team. Otherwise, in Ms Poa's words, it is known as the “coat-tail” argument. I do not think that “star power” is the preserve of the incumbent. Various speakers before me have shared that. One can argue that the “star power” of Mr Low Thia Khiang would have contributed much to the Workers’ Party’s electoral success in Aljunied in 2011. Likewise, maybe you would also agree with me that few would deny that the “star power” of Dr Tan Cheng Bock has contributed much to PSP's showing in West Coast in 2020, leading to both Mr Leong Mun Wai and Ms Hazel Poa being the two NCMPs in our House today. Conversely, the “star power” can cut the other way. Should a member of the team, Minister or otherwise, become a liability, he or she can also affect the electoral performance of the entire team to the team’s detriment. Second is the size of the GRC. Various Members have suggested for the GRC size to be smaller or having more SMCs. As Members have pointed out, the average size of the GRC has come down and the number of SMCs has gone up in the last two elections. There was no six-member GRC in GE2020. And I want everyone to know that the Government understands the sentiments of our people, and I am sure the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) here can appreciate the aspirations of our people. Ultimately, the EBRC will take into consideration various factors, including what was mentioned today, to decide on the boundaries. It is not for the Government of the day to decide, as suggested by Mr Leong. The Government of the day has made clear our position. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has made clear our position.”
“We put in place guardrails because we value multiracialism. The GRC system is an extension of this philosophy – to minimise the risk that this House no longer represents our multiracial demography and ride roughshod over the interests of our minority communities. Our GRC system guarantees that Parliament will always be multiracial and representative of the make-up of our society. Next, because the GRC system requires constituencies to be contested by multiracial teams of candidates, political parties and their candidates have to take a moderate, multiracial approach when campaigning instead of a communal or racially extreme approach. This means we minimise the risk that any party can try to win votes by playing the race card. Ms Poa’s alternative suggestions of minority NCMP and proportional representation do not address this point and I will come back to explain this in a while. This issue matters, especially in hotly contested seats where an appeal to race could shape the outcome of a contest. This is very real, as the hon Member for Bukit Batok had just shared. This matters and will continue to matter, even if a GRC loses its minority Member, through illness or resignation, during the Parliamentary term. Because any party that wants to be re-elected will know the importance of winning the support of all races. This is an important safeguard to prevent our politics from becoming racial. So, contrary to what was claimed by Ms Poa, the GRC system does not divide us by race. In fact, it is designed to disincentivise the appeal of race in politics to minimise the chances and leverage that people can use race in an electoral contest. Those are the core issues and the fundamental issues. Let me now deal with the second-order executional issues.”
“I will address these issues in my speech. But let me first address the Motion put before us, because this is not a Motion for reforming GRCs. This is a Motion that calls for the GRC system to be abolished altogether. It is the principle of the GRC system that is at stake here today. Finally, I shall conclude by making some observations on how we learn from the experiences of other countries when we design, operate and evolve our own systems, but how we should not copy blindly. We will always seek to develop models, and we must always seek to develop models that best meet our needs and circumstances. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me start with the two fundamental considerations for our predecessors when they introduced the GRC system – first, to ensure that this House reflects the multiracial make-up of our people; and second, that our politics do not become racially charged. Both are important. When Independence was thrust upon us, we could easily have chosen to organise ourselves based on majoritarian rule. But we did not. Instead, since Independence, we have always been sensitive to the needs of our minorities, especially for the majority to exercise greater responsibility to ensure that the rights and interests of our minorities are not neglected. In our Constitution, we recognise and safeguard the special position of the Malays as the indigenous people of Singapore. We also clearly state, “It shall be the responsibility of the Government constantly to care for the interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore”. We prohibited discrimination against citizens on the grounds of race. We instituted the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, or PCMR in short, to ensure that new laws passed by Parliament do not prejudice any racial or religious community.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I listened carefully to all the speeches made, particularly the ones made by Mr Leong Mun Wai and Ms Hazel Poa to move this Motion. But perhaps, I should just clarify before I stray out of order, that this Motion calls for the abolition of the GRC, and not about the Elected Presidency. Because I appreciate Ms Hazel Poa's various ideas and suggestions, but I was a bit confused by Mr Leong's speech that spent the greater bulk of his comment on the Elected Presidency. So, if I stick narrowly to the Motion, I think I should confine my comments to the debate on the GRC today. I would also like to thank Mr Murali for sharing his very personal experiences and reflections. I would like to thank Mr Raj Joshua Thomas, Mr Mark Chay and Ms Janet Ang for their very incisive, heartfelt and non-partisan views. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Motion put forth today, calling for GRCs to be abolished, comes down to the fundamental philosophy and principles that underpin why this House had agreed to have the GRC system in the first place. The question is: do we, as a people and as a system, believe in ensuring that the Parliament, our highest legislative body of the land, is representative of a multiracial Singapore? Or, as Mr Raj Joshua Thomas said, are we willing to take the risk of rule by majority without safeguards for our minority communities, without safeguards against racial politics that can easily tear apart the fabric of our nation? These are the fundamental issues in discussing this Motion and it forms the basis of why we have the GRCs. So, I ask all Members of this House to carefully consider this when we vote on the Motion later. Members have also given their views on the design of the GRC system, such as the sizes and number of GRCs that we should have.”
“Safety of our students is paramount. In selecting pick-up and drop-off points for school bus services, operators must ensure that the points are safe and well-selected, including being sheltered and with minimal traffic. This has been the guiding principle for all pick-up and drop-off points, including common pick-up and drop-off points, which help to streamline operations and reduce journey times for students. As bus operators plan their routes and pick-up and drop-off points based on requests they receive, parents who have concerns can discuss with their school bus operator should they require pick-up and drop-off points nearer to home. We also seek parents’ support to help develop in their children a stronger sense of road safety, select a safe walking route, or to arrange for younger children to be chaperoned as needed.”
“The training of Physical Education (PE) teachers at the National Institute of Education (NIE) takes longer as it also covers content subjects, such as sports science and outdoor education, in addition to pedagogical training. These skills are necessary for them to safely deliver PE lessons for students. For other teachers, they would already have acquired the necessary content knowledge from their basic degree before commencing their training at NIE. The longer course has not reduced the number of applicants for the PE programme. The PE student teachers are remunerated during the training period. So, course duration does not disincentivise applicants from taking up PE as their teaching subject. Feedback on the NIE training programme from PE teachers and schools have also been positive. Hence, there are no plans to shorten the programme.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE)-funded Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) administer both Government bursaries and institution-based financial assistance. For IHLs administering Government bursaries, the same income eligibility criteria apply across institutions and are publicly communicated. For institution-based assistance, the eligibility criteria and level of assistance can vary across different schemes and across IHLs. This is due to factors, such as nature of the schemes, terms and conditions stipulated by donors, and fund availability. IHLs are encouraged to communicate the eligibility criteria and provisions of the different financial aid schemes available to their students. Students can approach the financial aid office of their institution to discuss the financing options available.”
“Schools have clear rules forbidding students to sport tattoos. Schools rarely encounter students with tattoos. Offenders would be asked to cover up their tattoos or have them removed. In the past three years, fewer than 10 students per year were suspended for sporting tattoos and not complying with the school’s advice to cover or remove the tattoos. Where necessary, schools have assisted in referring students for the tattoo removal programme by the National Skin Centre. The Ministry of Education does not track the number of students participating in the tattoo removal programme. Schools engage students and parents on the school rules and expectations, including not having tattoos on any part of the body. In managing students with tattoos, schools adopt an educative approach, providing guidance and counselling to help students work through underlying issues.”
“The Public Service Commission (PSC) receives scholarship applications from students of all junior colleges (JCs), including the Specialised Schools1. The proportion of each JC cohort who apply for the PSC Scholarships has been stable over the past 15 years at 10% to 13%. Our JCs offer a range of programmes, including the GCE "A" level programme, the International Baccalaureate and specialised programmes. They take in students with different abilities and interests. The number of JCs, the programmes they offer, and their respective intakes have also changed over the years. Hence, it is not meaningful to compare application numbers across the JCs and over the years. Notwithstanding, PSC works closely with all JCs to actively encourage suitable candidates to apply and support them through career guidance initiatives.”
“Fines for regulatory offences, such as parking violations, are imposed as a deterrent when an individual acts in a manner which contravenes existing regulations and impact public interest. Accordingly, any appeal against fines is considered judiciously. Agencies carefully consider every appeal, taking into consideration factors, such as the nature and severity of the offence, size of the fine, the offender's record, the offender's means to make payment, amongst other factors. We do not collect the data as requested by the Member. The proportions of fines waived by different agencies can vary significantly across offences, time and circumstances. Besides the lowering of fines, other options, such as extending the deadline for payment of the fine or instalment plans, are also possible options for those facing financial challenges.”
“From time to time, Ministers and other political officeholders receive invitations from private and people sector organisations to grace their events and deliver speeches. In deciding whether to accept the invitations, the officeholders take into account whether the nature of the events or potential speech content advance the policy objectives of their respective Ministries or are aligned with Government priorities. They will ensure that their attendance and speech at these events will not be perceived as endorsing the commercial interests of the organisations.”
“Third, the Commission's view was that the list of qualifying public sector offices was "tightly drawn" and would have provided candidates who had served in these offices with the experience of leading "substantial organisations with sizeable workforces", dealing with "complex matters having a wide-reaching public dimension" and grappling with "the contrary pulls and pressures of Government decision-making". In summary, while the private and public sector service requirement tracks are both aimed at identifying candidates with the necessary skills and experience for the office of the President, the nature of the work in the private and public sector is different. It would be inappropriate to compare or impose the same requirements for both tracks.”
“The eligibility criteria to contest in a presidential election was amended in 2017 after considering the 2016 report of the Constitutional Commission, which made recommendations on specific aspects of the Elected Presidency, including the eligibility criteria. For candidates relying on the public sector service requirement track, the Commission had considered whether performance criteria should be included as an additional factor for consideration and did not recommend doing so. The Government accepted the Commission's recommendation. Let me outline three key points made by the Commission. First, while the Commission had proposed a performance criterion for private sector candidates, it was of the view that there were "no measurable standards" against which the performance of public sector candidates may be assessed. This is unlike the private sector service requirement, where there are financial performance indicators, such as profitability, that can serve as an objective assessment on how the applicants have performed in the companies with them at the helm. Second, although the Commission acknowledged that the performance of public sector organisations can, to a limited extent, be measured, such as by referring to how well the organisation has performed in meeting its own targets, these performance indicators were likely to be representative of only a part of the organisation’s work. These indicators may not reflect the success of the policies implemented by these public sector organisations, which sometimes take a significant amount of time to bear fruit.”
“In October 2022, in response to a Parliamentary Question from Mr Seah Kian Peng, I had explained why measuring pay ratios in the Public Service is not a meaningful endeavour. [Please refer to "Ratio of Annual Total Compensation of Top versus Lowest Earners in Civil Service", Official Report, 20 October 2022, Vol 95, Issue 72, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] In the same month, I had also responded to a Parliamentary Question from Mr Louis Chua to explain that the measures and safeguards to ensure that Statutory Boards and Government companies put in place proper governance systems are held accountable and continue to deliver services for the benefit of all Singaporeans. [Please refer to "Remuneration Disclosures for Statutory Boards and Government-linked Firms", Official Report, 3 October 2022, Vol 95, Issue 69, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] The considerations in those responses remain valid and also apply to Ministries.”
“One out of 10 secondary schools and most junior colleges start at 8.00 am or later on at least three days per week. Primary schools, generally, do not start at 8.00 am or later. The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not have precise data on the number of schools starting at 8.00 am or later over the past five years. Schools have the autonomy to decide on their start time, so long as it is not earlier than 7.30 am. This is because each school's context differs, and standardising school start time might not benefit students across schools.”
“In line with Public Service re-employment guidelines, retiring Ministry of Education (MOE) teachers will be offered the option of re-employment if they are medically fit to continue working, have good conduct and shown consistent satisfactory performance with no more than one "C-" performance grade in the last three years. MOE is also prepared to re-employ teachers with two "C-" performance grades prior to retirement, if supported by their principals.”
“There are about 600 overseas school trips planned for 2023. This is about 40% of the number of completed trips in 2019. As of 30 June 2023, 20% of the planned trips have been completed. The safety and well-being of students and staff have always been a top priority in the planning and management of overseas school trips. Schools undertake risk assessment and conduct staff recce trips to ensure that all aspects of travel are in order. All school trips are e-registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Education (MOE) and its appointed Travel Consultant provide timely advice to schools on in-country and regional developments. During the trips, schools also closely monitor students' health, and timely medical attention is sought when a student becomes unwell. Should an emergency occur overseas, schools will receive support from MOE and its Travel Consultant for medical assistance, and evacuation if necessary. After the COVID-19 situation eased globally, schools continue to put in place the necessary measures to ensure a safe and meaningful learning experience for all students. These include reminders for students to exercise social responsibility, especially when they feel unwell.”
“LTA will continue to facilitate BDVL applications to allow bus drivers to obtain their vocational licence quickly. The MOE schools will also evolve the bus contracts to provide more flexibility to the bus operators to help them manage their costs and better manage the scarce manpower resources, including offering common pick-up and drop-off points and not having to offer school bus services that may not have sufficient demand to be viable. We hope that through better school bus route planning and with more students in each school bus, operators will be able to manage with fewer drivers, whether local or foreign. Let me conclude by putting the school bus issue in perspective. About 98% of Primary 1 students are posted to a school of their choice or within two kilometres of their homes. Many of the primary school students who do not live near enough to walk to school use public transport rather than school buses, especially the older students. We hope that, over time, more students will choose to do so. Only a minority of primary school students use school bus services to commute to and from school.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been working with school bus associations on a number of proposals to help school bus operators manage the challenges facing the industry. These challenges include, but are not limited to, competition for bus drivers, ageing profile of the school bus drivers, rising fuel costs and the point-to-point service model. These multiple challenges have and would continue to drive up the costs for school bus services and, therefore, also school bus fares and put at risk the sustainability and affordability of school bus services. MOE had recently announced a number of measures to better ensure the sustainability of school bus services, including allowing a calibrated increase in the Foreign Worker (FW) quotas for school bus drivers on a time-limited basis. MOE has worked with the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Transport to allow selected bus operators to increase their FW quotas to better achieve economies of scale. This will not only allow them to continue to serve their existing schools but, more importantly, enable them to serve more schools when they secure more school bus contracts. We have processed the first batch of applications from school bus operators for additional FW quotas and we will be progressively conveying the outcome to the applicants. As many school bus tenders for the next school year will be awarded in the coming months, we expect more operators who have been successful in these tenders to apply for higher FW quotas. For those who wish to become school bus drivers, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will ensure that there is sufficient training capacity for the Bus Driver's Vocational Licence (BDVL).”
“The Ministry of Education is developing artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools in the Student Learning Space to provide greater customisation of learning and enhanced feedback for each child. These tools are being piloted for certain subjects and levels. Students will develop foundational knowledge of AI through coding programmes, the Science curriculum and through their facilitated use of AI through assignments. Our institutes of higher learning build on this foundation and are also enhancing teaching and learning using AI. In the polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education, all students are equipped with baseline AI competencies. Students can also choose to pursue specialised AI diplomas. The autonomous universities (AUs) similarly offer modules that enable students to explore AI technologies in-depth or to specialise in this area. The AUs are also actively incorporating the use of generative AI-tools into their courses, so that students are familiarised and better equipped for the workplace.”
“There are currently 24 Government-funded Special Education (SPED) schools that cater to different profiles of students with moderate-to-severe Special Educational Needs (SEN). By the 2030s, there will be 28 schools. The Ministry of Education regularly monitors the demand for SPED school places and works with the Social Service Agencies that run the schools to cater to the needs of different SPED profiles. Not every child with SEN is best supported in a SPED school. For admission to SPED, a diagnosis of SEN provided through a psychological assessment by a qualified professional is required. In addition, a SPED school will consider the cognitive, psychological, social and physical needs of each child to determine whether the school is suitable for that child. The process is done in consultation with a panel of qualified professionals where necessary.”
“The Elections Department does not track the number of Singaporeans qualified to be elected as President. There are currently about 50 Public Service positions that may fulfil the public sector service requirement. For persons relying on the private sector service requirement, there are currently more than 1,200 companies with average shareholders’ equity at or exceeding $500,000,000.”
“The Civil Service subsidises standard medical treatments, tests and medication for officers. This includes TCM acupuncture treatments administered under the direction and referral of a doctor registered with the Singapore Medical Council, and carried out at hospitals and clinics registered under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act.”
“Given the limited availability of Tamil Language (TL) teachers, they are deployed to schools where the need for in-school instruction is greatest. All the Ministry of Education kindergarten and primary TL students now learn TL in their own school. At the secondary level, about 90% of TL students study TL in their own school. Students in secondary schools that do not offer TL instruction attend lessons at one of 11 school-based TL centres or at the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre. These centres are spread out across Singapore to reduce the travelling time of students and they can opt to attend lessons at the centre that is closest to their school or home.”
“The pension of a retired pensionable officer is fixed and is based on the officer's length of service and pensionable salary as of his eve of retirement, as provided by the Pensions Act. Pensions may vary greatly as they cover a wide range of officers with different career circumstances, across a period of time. The 20th percentile, median and 80th percentile of pensions paid to retired civil servants are $640, $1,080 and $2,280 respectively. Retired civil servants who draw a pension below the gross monthly pension ceiling will receive an additional Singapore Allowance (SA) to help them cope with inflationary pressures. The Government will carry out regular reviews on the SA and gross monthly pension ceiling and revise them when necessary.”
“Public officers who are undergoing fertility-related procedures can already tap on their current leave provisions, such as sick/hospitalisation leave, where applicable, or request for flexible work arrangements from their supervisors, such as flexi-time and telecommuting, to undergo or recuperate from the treatment. We can study the idea of fertility leave, but will have to consider the operational impact of additional leave provision on the Public Service.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is committed to supporting all students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in quality educational settings that best meet their needs. As of December 2022, there were about 35,500 students with reported SEN. Of these, 80% were supported in mainstream schools. The remaining 20% have moderate to severe SEN and, therefore, were supported in Government-funded Special Education (SPED) schools. There are 24 Government-funded SPED schools and, by the 2030s, there will be 28 schools. MOE can assist students with moderate to severe SEN to be placed in a suitable SPED school that can better support their learning needs. In mainstream schools, support for students with SEN is provided through inclusive classroom practices by all teachers, guided by key personnel overseeing the Case Management Team, alongside Teachers trained in Special Needs (TSNs) and dedicated SEN officers, previously known as Allied Educators specialising in Learning and Behavioural Support. Each primary school has two SEN officers, and each secondary school has one SEN officer. Additional SEN officers are deployed to schools with higher needs. MOE has increased the number of SEN officers from around 450 in 2017 to over 660 in 2022.”
“Learning resources used in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP), where appropriate, are made available to non-GEP teachers to be adapted in class. Non-GEP teachers also have access to professional development opportunities where pedagogical approaches similar to those used in the GEP are shared for their use in non-GEP classrooms.”
“The Government’s current priority is to better assist Singaporeans aged 40 and above who are in greater need of reskilling and upskilling, by providing them with higher subsidies of up to 90% of the course fees for the Ministry of Education/SkillsFuture Singapore programmes. Younger Singaporeans who undergo training can still enjoy subsidies of up to 70% of the course fees, without the Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy. Out-of-pocket course fees can be further defrayed through the individual’s SkillsFuture Credit. This allows those in their 30s who wish to make a career pivot to participate in SSG’s SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme with limited cash outlay.”
“Singapore’s approach to enabling persons with disabilities in our national roadmaps to build an inclusive society, the Enabling Masterplans, is substantively aligned with the social model of disability in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). In developing our policies and laws, we seek to remove societal barriers in our local context that could hinder persons with disabilities from leading fulfilling lives. In line with this approach, the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum develops students to be empathetic, sensitive and respectful to all, including those with Special Education Needs (SEN) or disabilities. Beyond the classroom, this is reinforced through community service and Values in Action learning experiences. Students from General Education and Special Education (SPED) schools also have opportunities to learn, play and work together through co-curricular activities, sports and other curricular programmes. The partnerships help students to develop the sensitivity and awareness towards the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of those who are different from them. These partnerships also enhance staff capacity through professional exchange and sharing of good practices on building an inclusive culture in school.”
“Special Education (SPED) schools also have standard operating procedures aligned to the Human Resource policies of their parent Social Services Agency (SSA), to guide staff when they need to report and manage cases of harassment, should there be any. SSAs that run SPED schools also have processes on how SSA headquarters and/or school management members can step in to support teachers when interactions with parents and students become too challenging. We call on students, parents as well as educators and staff to treat one another with mutual respect so that, together, we can achieve the best possible outcomes for the students we all care deeply about.”
“Our students do best when educators in our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and parents work hand in hand to support them in their learning. There should be mutual respect across students, parents and staff so that our educators and school/IHL staff can do their jobs more effectively. As a proactive approach, our schools and IHLs seek to build positive relationships among staff, students and their parents. We assure the Member that harassment of staff by parents or students is not common. Nevertheless, in our schools and IHLs, there are clear policies to manage any incidents of harassment, including escalation procedures and measures to protect our educators and staff and send a strong message that such behaviour is unacceptable. In extreme situations where staff feel harassed or their safety is threatened, measures include calling the Police for assistance and using legal levers, such as the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), to protect staff from further harassment. Under POHA, where the victim of harassment is a public servant or a public service worker who was performing his or her duty, the offender is liable for enhanced penalties of an imprisonment term of up to 12 months, compared to six months for other victims, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. In addition, there are support structures, such as counselling, to provide support and care for our staff affected by harassment. IHL students also undergo compulsory modules on respectful behaviour and anti-harassment and are expected to abide by the respective IHL’s Code of Conduct, which stipulates that disrespectful behaviour and harassment are a disciplinary offence.”
“There is also a network of Wellness Ambassadors in every agency who are trained to provide basic mental and emotional support for fellow public officers.”
“The Public Service is committed to providing a safe workplace for all public officers and has zero tolerance towards acts of abuse, harassment and any type of anti-social behaviour towards public officers who are carrying out their duties. Any complaints against public officers will be taken seriously and investigated objectively. If it is established that the complaint is unsubstantiated, the Public Service will clarify and set the facts right via appropriate channels. Agencies may take the decision to inform the officer to disengage from the complainant. Once disengaged, unless new evidence is provided, the officer is also not expected to take further action if the complainant subsequently writes in again with the same accusations or information. There are provisions under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) that protect public officers from indecent, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour or communication, including making abusive comments about and doxxing a public officer in social media. In serious cases, Police reports can be filed and criminal sanctions under POHA may be taken against the complainants. In addition, there are existing policies and processes in place, for example, grievance handling procedure, whistle-blowing policy, for public officers to report wrongdoing and allegations concerning themselves or their fellow colleagues to their supervisors as well as their Heads of Agencies. To support the mental well-being of affected public officers, in addition to counselling and support from their supervisors, there is a service-wide Counselling Hotline that provides professional counselling support to public officers.”
“SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) supports a wide range of training programmes for workers across ages and career stages. For disrupted workers, SSG offers train-and-place programmes that provide industry-oriented training coupled with job placement support. These were ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of SGUnited Skills and SGUnited Pathway Programmes – Company Training to support jobseekers impacted by the pandemic. Over 26,000 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents participated in these programmes as of end-March 2022. Around 64% of those aged below 40 and 56% of those aged 40 and above found employment within six months of course completion. With the recovery of the economy, SSG has transited the SGUnited programmes to the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP), officially launched in April 2022 as the steady-state Train-and-Place programme for mid-career individuals. SCTP courses are developed in sectors with good hiring opportunities, in consultation with sector agencies and industry. To ensure that continuing education and training programmes meet the needs of companies and individuals, SSG works closely with sector agencies and industry partners, and monitors labour market data, such as job postings by employers. This helps SSG to identify manpower needs and skills gaps, anticipate emerging skills demand and evolving job roles, and develop relevant programmes to address these needs. This includes areas of skills gaps reflected in the Shortage Occupation List, which captures occupations that require highly specialised skills currently lacking in the local workforce.”
“The mode and format of assessment depend on the purpose of the assessment and the learning outcomes to be assessed. Factors, such as the nature of the subject, appropriateness of the assessment mode in eliciting evidence of students’ mastery in the subject, as well as the impact on students’ assessment load, would need to be considered. National examinations like the "A" levels are designed to elicit evidence of students’ attainment of learning outcomes for various subjects at the end of study. There are different assessment modes appropriate for the range of subjects, and the current approach for General Paper remains professionally sound and valid. For students who miss some papers or sit for a paper under adverse circumstances in the national examination, there are provisions for them to apply for special consideration. Such provisions ensure that no student will be disadvantaged in their examination performance by adverse circumstances. It is important to approach national assessment with the right mindset, without which, unhealthy stress will come with any examination format – be it continuous, cumulative or episodic. Together with parents, we must help our students to see assessment as an opportunity to learn and grow, and support them in developing the ability to manage the pressures that they face. It is neither realistic nor desirable to shield our children from all the stresses in their lives. Ultimately, a student’s performance in an examination is just a checkpoint in the education journey. It does not and will not define the student’s future or self-worth.”
“Students who require long-term care for physical or mental health issues vary in terms of the support they need. Schools work with the families of these students and healthcare professionals to support them where appropriate and transit them back to school when they are ready. For example, teachers and peers may keep in touch with these students through voice or video calls. Schools may facilitate access to learning resources and provide support for learning and socio-emotional well-being to ease their transition back to school when ready. The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) also works with schools to provide support for these students if they are sitting for the national examinations. If the students are assessed to be medically fit but are unable to take the papers in an examination venue, SEAB can arrange for these students to sit for their papers in the hospital. If their physical conditions require additional arrangements, such as extra time, these students can apply for appropriate Access Arrangements through their schools.”
“From 2003, the Public Service has ceased to appoint fresh graduates, including scholarship recipients, directly into the Administrative Service (AS). Public Officers generally have to serve at least a few years in various parts of the Public Service before they are assessed for suitability for appointment to the AS. At end-2022, around nine in 10 Administrative Officers (AO) have been appointed to the AS after a few years in their public sector careers rather than at the point of entry into the Public Service, an increase from around three in four 10 years ago. Similarly, most mid-career entrants from the private sector serve in various Public Service agencies, before being considered for possible AS appointment. The number of officers who were directly appointed to the AS from the private sector has, therefore, been small. As at end-2022, around 11% of AOs were not recipients of Government scholarships1. This is an increase from 10 years ago, when around 7% of AOs were not scholarship recipients.”
“Do not be taken by hubris to think that we have "arrived" or can ever "arrive" and need not evolve or improve anymore. We understand the merits of our system and how far it has helped us to come this far as a society by unleashing our potential as individuals. Yet, we are not complacent to think that we can ever stop improving our system. Any living system that does not grow, will wither. The mark of our success is not just how well we enable this generation to achieve success, but how well we establish the conditions for the next generation to be even more successful than us. Only so will we be able to continuously write new chapters of the Singapore Story. There may never be a perfect system to develop all the perfect students or workers for our societal needs. But, we can all contribute our part to build a better or less imperfect system to continually inspire our people and all who believe in our dream to build a resilient and sustainable meritocratic system to bring out the best from all – to be a beacon of cohesion with unity of purpose in a troubled world; a society with a sense of collective responsibility towards one another; a society with respect for diverse abilities; a society that rewards hard work and talent; a society that recognises contributions beyond achievements; a society with gratitude for our blessings to want to do good for all beyond ourselves. And finally, a nation confident to defy the odds of history to survive and thrive beyond SG100. [Applause.]”
“I look forward to the day when our society defines success not just by one's achievements but, more importantly, by one's contributions. When a true son and daughter of Singapore, who earns and deserves our respect, is one whose contributions not only commensurate with his or her achievements, but also one who contributes to the best of his or her abilities. Mdm Deputy Speaker, let me conclude. In an increasingly volatile and uncertain environment, we need to avoid over-structuring our system and processes to give our people a false sense of security while eroding their development to handle an uncertain and untidy world. Instead, we must provide multiple pathways with diverse metrics of success while equipping our people with the life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century, to allow our people to chart their own way forward according to their own strengths and talents. In an increasingly competitive world, we can easily fall into the trap of always looking at the right side of the bell curve and feeling eternally inadequate. Instead, we must remind ourselves of our gifts and responsibilities to help those who are less privileged than us. In an increasingly unequal and uncertain world, we need to strengthen our sense of solidarity and collective assurance without eroding the individual's responsibility and sense of agency. We must come together as individuals, as partners, as employers and as a community to celebrate diverse forms of abilities and contributions, to recognise and respect the dignity of those who contribute in different ways to society, to help everyone upskill continually and move up the ladder throughout our lifetimes and to give back to society and others who have helped us along the way. Finally, the Singapore Story is a living story.”
“Going forward, we will further strengthen our school cluster system to enable better pooling and sharing of resources and allow more students to benefit from wider networks and build their social capital. We can do more of these through co-curricular activities, VIA programmes and even selected curriculum. We encourage everyone in society to partner us in these efforts. Contribute your time and talent, beyond treasures. Show our students the way forward and help to nurture a more giving generation in time to come. Share your networks and opportunities with the next generation of students, not just in your alma mater but in other schools as well, to help them succeed like you did. I, therefore, call on the alumni of the more established schools to come forward, to step forward – to join hands with us – to contribute to the wider community of schools so that we can all progress together, faster and better. This is something that all of us who have gone through the system and succeeded can and should do. Some may ask, what can I contribute if I am not as successful? If I did not come from a school with a more illustrious history? If I do not earn a big salary, wear expensive clothes, live in a big house or drive a fancy car? My answer is simply this: those material achievements are not the only yardsticks of success, nor should they define our ability to contribute. Neither should they determine the respect and dignity that one deserves. Instead, we must define success by how much we contribute to others and the greater good and not just how much we achieve for ourselves. We should have the courage to step up and say, "I can always contribute something, according to my abilities, regardless of where I am in life". And everyone can say that and can do something about that.”
“The ultimate measure of our success as a society is not how many people we can help because they are unable to keep up, but how few people we need to help because we have enabled them to thrive. A sustainable and resilient meritocracy is one where the largest possible number of people are enabled to achieve and contribute to take care of the fewest number possible who are unable to achieve as much. The ultimate measure of our success as a society is not how many people we can help because they are unable to keep up but how few people we need to help because we have enabled them to thrive. Sixth, we need to imbue the right values in all our people from young so that they can grow to become individuals who are willing to give back to society and create more opportunities for others. All of us must recognise that our individual success is never just due to our own abilities and hard work, that without the opportunities that society provided us and the help from others along the way, we may not be where we are here today. So, even as we celebrate and enjoy the fruits of our own labour, we must not forget to give back to society and others around us, to share the networks and ties that have helped us so that others may also similarly benefit from the opportunities and access. Today, our schools already facilitate this sharing of social capital across different schools. Through cluster-based programmes like co-curricular activities, Values in Action (VIA) initiatives and other holistic development programmes, students from different schools can come together, get to know one another, learn how to communicate and collaborate with one another and form friendships that go beyond their own schools.”
“This has been and this will continue to be the guiding principle behind this Government's policies. That is why we set up the Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce (UPLIFT), to rally the community to partner our schools in helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress educationally and to achieve their full potential. That is also why we have a progressive tax system to contribute to the running of such initiatives. Everyone bears part of the responsibility, but those with more, bear more and those with less, get more. This is why we want to do more for the less privileged in terms of housing, retirement adequacy, healthcare and many other areas. This helps us to ensure that the gaps in society are not too stark, opening us up to the politics of envy and threatening the harmony of our society. It also helps us to avoid the need for affirmative action to decide who should or should not be given opportunities based on who they are rather than what they can do and what they can be. However, we must never degenerate into a system where everyone thinks they deserve more, relative to others. Indeed, I see this as one of our major challenges. I fear a day when we constantly feel a sense of relative deprivation from seeing someone else getting more help than us, instead of feeling a sense of gratitude at being helped or feeling a sense of satisfaction at being able to help someone else. We will then lose our social cohesion to the politics of envy. Perhaps, we need to regularly remind ourselves that it is more blessed to give than if we are to just receive. As the Chinese say, "施比受更为有福".”