Chee Hong Tat
Singapore
“The National Parks Board (NParks) resumed crow shooting operations in March 2026 across nine districts, including Yishun. These sites were prioritised based on several factors, including the volume and severity of public feedback on crow-related issues, as well as the technical feasibility of conducting shooting operations safely at each…”
“To drive sustainable construction and reduce reliance on conventional diesel generators, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has required the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) or synchronised generator set systems at Build-to-Order construction worksites for all building tenders called since February 2025.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) tracks resident feedback on maintenance-related issues, including spalling concrete and structural cracks within HDB flats. Such issues are much less common in younger flats, compared to older flats above 30 years old.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) provides resources on its website to guide building owners and Management Corporations Strata Title (MCSTs) on lift modernisation.”
“Private retail developments sold through the Government Land Sales Programme are intended to complement the commercial offerings in public developments undertaken by agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) is reviewing both the Animals and Birds Act and the Code of Animal Welfare (COAW). The former will include pet sector businesses and the latter will include and start with pet groomers.”
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“Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been providing affected SIA staff and passengers from the SQ321 incident with medical assistance and counselling.”
“Changi Airport handles an average of 1,000 flights daily. Due to the systems outage triggered by CrowdStrike on 19 July 2024, 108 departing flights were delayed by more than 30 minutes, and one departing flight and its turnaround arriving flight were cancelled. During the incident, the Changi Airport Group (CAG), affected airlines and ground handlers activated their business continuity plans, such as the use of manual check-in processes and active management of congestion on the ground. These measures allowed the airport and airlines to continue operations, albeit at lower efficiency levels. CAG is working with affected airlines and ground handlers to review their business continuity plans, taking into account the learning points from this incident, including how back-up measures can be implemented more efficiently. For instance, adjustments were made during the incident to convert common check-in operations by airlines to dedicated flight check-ins to better manage passengers and prioritise flights with earlier departing times.”
“Internationally, when it comes to taxing income earned overseas by their own residents, jurisdictions can choose to adopt either a worldwide tax system or a territorial tax system, or some variant of these two systems. The key difference between the two is that foreign-sourced income is taxed under a worldwide system but not under a territorial system. Singapore adopts a territorial, remittance-based income tax system. This means that domestic-sourced income is taxable in Singapore. While foreign-sourced income is taxable when remitted to Singapore, to enhance our attractiveness as a business hub and boost our financial services sector, we have exempted most foreign-sourced income received from tax in order to avoid double taxation for these individuals. For example, a Singaporean businessman does not need to pay tax in Singapore on dividends that he earns from an overseas business that he invested in. This is because such income might already be taxed overseas, depending on the other jurisdiction’s tax regime. In the event the foreign-sourced income is remitted and taxed in Singapore, Singapore would provide foreign tax credits for the taxes already paid overseas on such income, so as to avoid double taxation. While the revenue risk of foreign-sourced income is low, given Singapore’s territorial tax regime and the foreign-sourced income exemption for individuals, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) carries out regular audits to ensure that taxable overseas income is reported in taxpayers’ tax returns. When selecting cases for audits, IRAS leverages all information available, including information received from other tax administrations.”
“The Government is committed to helping persons with disabilities lead fulfilling lives. For persons with disabilities who are able to work, we want to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for them to be gainfully employed. Today, persons with disabilities are eligible for a higher Earned Income Relief (EIR). The Handicapped EIR ranges from $4,000 to $12,000, depending on the age group. In addition, there are various schemes which support the employment of persons with disabilities. These include the Enabling Employment Credit, which provides wage offsets, and the Open Door Programme, which provides grants and employment support services to persons with disabilities and their employers. SG Enable works with partners, such as the Autism Resource Centre and the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), to provide up to one year of job matching, training and other support services for persons with disabilities. In 2023, SG Enable also launched the Enabling Business Hub, which seeks to bring training and employment opportunities closer to the homes of persons with disabilities. Generally, personal expenses, including costs incurred on assistive technology, are not tax-deductible. Nonetheless, the Government supports persons with disabilities in acquiring and maintaining assistive technology to improve their quality of life. Eligible persons with disabilities from lower- and middle-income families can tap on the Assistive Technology Fund and receive subsidies of up to 90% of the cost of the required equipment, subject to a lifetime cap of $40,000.”
“But this is a better way of fulfilling that social mission and this is a more effective way for them to do good if they are able to have a strong Income. 1.31 pm”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I may exceed the time a little bit. I just want to apologise because I forgot to answer part of Mr Singh's question earlier. Mr Singh asked about the options and products for lower-income Singaporeans and underserved segments. Income, through the assurance given by NTUC and NTUC Enterprise, has said that they will want to continue to ensure that they provide affordable products for lower-wage segments. The provision of these different insurance products that cater to different segments of the society, including the vulnerable segments that Mr Singh mentioned, today, it is not just the purview of Income. The other insurers are also doing it. So, we believe that a competitive market with sufficient competition and sufficient numbers of insurers, a stable, vibrant, competitive market, will allow us to be able to have more insurers step forward to provide products that may serve the needs of different segments in society, including the lower-wage segments and the vulnerable segments. If I may now turn to Ms Denise Phua's question, Ms Phua's starting point is a correct one, and that is also the view of NTUC and NTUC Enterprise. I believe my colleague, Minister of State Alvin Tan, had also reiterated that this is also the Government's belief that in order for an entity to do good, it must first be able to do well, so that it can sustain doing good. If you are unable to do well, you cannot continue to do good. So, that philosophy, as Dr Goh Keng Swee articulated, still remains very true today. For this particular proposed deal, one of the key objectives that NTUC and NTUC Enterprise want to achieve is exactly that. They are not moving away from their social mission. They continue to want to fulfil their social mission.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his two questions. The first question on the insurance products that Income will continue to provide and also what the NTUC Secretary-General said in terms of those two specific low-cost products targeted at, especially, the lower-income workers, we are glad that NTUC has stepped forward to provide this assurance to look after the lower-wage workers. From a regulatory point of view, we do not go into the level of details in which the Secretary-General of NTUC has provided because he has gone beyond what is the regulatory requirement for him to give this assurance. He did it because he understands the concerns and he wants to give the assurance to the lower-wage workers that NTUC will continue to stand by them. For MAS, my reply earlier to Ms Foo, to Mr Ang and others, and also in my main reply, that is what MAS will focus on. We will make sure that the terms and conditions of the existing policies will not change after the proposed deal has gone through. That is something that we will hold Income and Allianz to. That is something that will be part of our regulatory approval. To Mr Singh's second question, we have noted the two letters from Mr Tan Suee Chieh. We will do some further work to establish what the facts are before we assess what our position is and our next steps. I want to assure Mr Singh and the House that MAS takes a serious view of protecting the interests of our policyholders and other stakeholders. We will establish the facts and we will assess what our next steps should be.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank Ms Foo Mee Har for her questions. I know where Ms Foo is coming from because just as I mentioned earlier, she is very concerned about making sure that the workers are well looked after. She is also very concerned about making sure that the existing policyholders' interests are protected. I appreciate where Ms Foo is coming from and I want to assure Ms Foo and Members of this House that indeed, MAS' focus is to make sure that the interests of policyholders are protected. I mentioned in my main reply earlier what are some of the ways in which we can do this and also what are some of the things that we can do to promote a competitive, vibrant and stable insurance market that would then give policyholders options and good choices. I would like to reiterate this point in response to Ms Foo and then, add one important consideration to address the point that she mentioned. In order for us to promote a competitive and vibrant insurance sector, we need to make sure that our rules and regulations for the financial sector, for the insurance sector, are being implemented and that the regulator's decisions are being taken with transparency and also in accordance with what the law provides. This is what we mean by rule of law – that it is not one set of treatment for one entity and another set of treatment for another entity. We have to have even-handedness and a level playing field across different entities within the market so that we are able to promote more competition in a more vibrant, in a more competitive market, which ultimately will serve the interests of our policyholders.”
“But we know insurance is not a just here and now business, it is a long-term business with a long tail. How do you ensure that over the longer term, you are stronger and better able to meet your obligations and to protect the interests of your policyholders – both the existing policyholders and also new policyholders that you may take on later on. This is best done when you have a stronger insurer.”
“But as I mentioned earlier in my main reply, in response to a question that Ms Foo Mee Har raised, because I know Ms Foo is also very concerned about our workers and wanted to make sure that their interests will be protected, the MAS does not directly regulate employment practices of FIs. This is not just for Income, this is across all FIs. But we do expect our FIs to comply fully with the MOM employment laws and guidelines. If the workers are not treated fairly, that is where MOM and NTUC will be able to come in and help to speak up for our workers, just like what NTUC has done in previous cases. Where there are job losses and the workers were not fairly treated, NTUC will step forward and fight for our workers, so that we give our workers a fair deal. As I qualified earlier, this is too early for us to talk about that. In Chinese, they say, "八字都还没一撇". You have not even completed the deal. Therefore, it is too early for us to start talking about some of these potential downstream issues. The assurance I want to give to the Member and also to our workers is that we expect Income and Allianz, we expect the entity to treat its workers fairly and to comply fully with the MOM employment laws and guidelines. To Ms He's last question, I would like to go back to what Minister of State Alvin Tan mentioned earlier in his reply, which is why NTUC Enterprise had to inject additional capital into Income. Maybe the healthy state of what Ms He has seen being reported, is the outcome of NTUC Enterprise injecting additional capital into Income. As I also mentioned earlier in my response to Mr Ang, this does not mean that in the immediate moment, at the immediate point in time, Income is having a problem with its finances. That is not the case.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank Ms He Ting Ru for her three questions. Let me start off with the first one about the case against the Allianz Global Investors in the US. Madam, the Allianz Global Investors is a US entity under the Allianz Group and this structure, this entity is not directly linked to the entity that will be entering into a deal, this proposed deal, with Income. The product that got into trouble with the US regulators, the Allianz entity that is in Singapore, they did not manage and they also did not offer similar funds, like this fund that got into trouble, which is called the Structured Alpha funds. The investigation by the US Department of Justice on Allianz Global in the US also did not reveal that any other entities within the Allianz Group, including the entity here in Singapore, were aware or had participated in the misconduct. So, I hope that addresses the question that Ms He raised. Ms He's second question, with regard to the announcement by Allianz that they intend to do a review of their operations and see how they can deploy capital and also streamline their operations, I think that is to be expected, that every time you have a merger, you have a corporate restructuring, whether it involves another party or it is done internally, we are always looking for ways to work more productively and to become more efficient. Whether that then translates into what Ms He was concerned about, which is job losses, I think let us not jump too far ahead. They have not even entered into the proposed deal yet. It has not been approved yet. It is a bit too early, a bit too premature to start to talk about whether there will be job losses.”
“Instead of only relying on NTUC Enterprise, they also could tap on the resources and the networks of Allianz. MAS focuses on what is in the best interest of our policyholders because as regulator for the insurance sector, that is a key target group for us. Speaking not as Second Minister for Finance, but speaking as an MAS board member, that is how MAS will assess this from a regulatory approval point of view. And I have explained earlier in my response to Mr Yip why I believe that ensuring a stable insurance sector, a competitive and vibrant insurance sector, is the best way to benefit policyholders.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, the proposed deal is subject to MAS' regulatory approval. So, MAS would have to go through the details, get the information and there is a due process for this. I would not be able to give the Member a specific timeline because I think what is important is that the process is done in a rigorous manner and in a comprehensive manner. The second question that the Member asked, Mdm Deputy Speaker, is with regard to how we will assess, if I understood him correctly, the longer-term viability and the financial viability of Income. I think this has been explained by both NTUC Enterprise and also by NTUC that even though at the moment, Income is able to meet its commitments, insurance is a business that has a long tail. So, whether Income would, in the future, continue to be able to remain competitive, continue to be able to meet its obligations, I think, those are the questions that are also important. So, it is not just ensuring that Income is able to meet their obligations now. I think, collectively and not just MAS, all of us, we want Income to do well, so that they can do good. We want Income to be able to meet its obligations, not just now, but also into the future, so that is not only now that they are able to fulfil their social mission, but also in the future, they are also able to continue to fulfil their social mission. So, that is what NTUC has said; they want to retain the social mission. They do not want that to change. But the best way to enable them to continue to fulfil their social mission and to fulfil their social mission more effectively is to have a strong Income. As NTUC has shared in their statement, with Allianz coming into this proposed deal, they would now have two strong supporters, two strong shareholders.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I believe I have addressed those points in my main reply, but let me just reiterate the key messages. So, first, as regulator, MAS will look at the interest of the policyholders. For the existing policyholders that have existing insurance contracts with Income, we will hold Income and Allianz to their commitments that they have both made to ensure that the terms and conditions of the existing insurance contracts will have no change. So, therefore, this is the way to protect our existing policyholders. For the other commitments that NTUC, NTUC Enterprise as well as Allianz have made, I think my colleague, Minister of State Alvin Tan, shared some of these earlier in his reply, referring to the statements made by NTUC Enterprise and also by NTUC. I think these are the assurances given by the shareholders and also by NTUC, that its social mission will not change and that it will continue to look after the well-being, especially of the lower-income policyholders. For MAS, our belief is that the best way to protect our policyholders, whether existing or future, is to have a competitive insurance industry. And insurers, which are well run, will then provide stability over the longer term and offer choice of options and offer competitive rates to policyholders. Then, from a policyholder's point of view, you can choose which insurance product best suits your needs, which insurance product would actually be most competitive for you. So, choice and stability bring greater value to policyholders, and this is best done through a competitive insurance market.”
“Should the proposed deal be approved, there will be no change to the terms and conditions of existing insurance contracts. MAS expects Income to fulfil its obligations to all policyholders under the terms of its existing insurance contracts. I note that Allianz has also publicly stated its intent for Income to continue to honour the terms of the existing policies underwritten by Income and ensure a seamless transition with no impact to existing policyholders. MAS will hold Income and Allianz to account to these commitments. In addition, MAS has regulatory requirements and guidance in place for insurers to maintain sufficient capital reserves, put in place robust governance and risk management frameworks, and also to treat their customers fairly. For participating policies where policyholders share in the profits of the participating fund, MAS protects the interests of policyholders by restricting the ratio of profits allocated to shareholders and the type of expenses insurers may charge to the participating fund. And with regard to employees, MAS does not regulate employment decisions of financial institutions (FIs). However, we expect all FIs, including Income, to treat their employees fairly and to fully comply with the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM's) employment laws and guidelines. To conclude, Mdm Deputy Speaker, MAS encourages all insurers, both local and foreign, to continually innovate, adopt best practices and ensure robust risk management. This will foster a competitive insurance market that offers choice, value and stability to protect the interests of policyholders.”
“There is no significant overlap between Income and Allianz's overall insurance business in Singapore and hence, there is no concern about adverse impact of the proposed deal on competition in the sector. The insurance market in Singapore is highly competitive. There are currently more than 50 direct insurers in Singapore offering a wide range of insurance products to meet the insurance needs of individuals and businesses. In both life and general insurance, Income has market shares of less than 10% based on written premiums. For many insurance products, Income does not always offer the lowest prices compared to other insurers. Take life insurance as an example. A check on CompareFIRST, an online portal that allows consumers to compare life insurance products from various insurers, shows that the most competitive rates for Direct Purchase Insurance Term and Whole Life products, include a mix of local and foreign insurers. With regard to Integrated Shield Plans (IPs), the Ministry of Health (MOH) helps to exercise regulatory oversight over the IP insurers and they have to seek approval from MOH for changing IP premiums or terms and conditions. MOH also publishes a comparison of indicative lifetime premiums and coverage across different IPs. There is strong competition in the IP market, with each insurer offering plans for different levels of coverage to the public and it is not dominated by any single insurer. Income's IPs are also not the cheapest in the market for most categories. Finally, I would like to address the impact on Income’s existing policyholders and employees. Madam, we understand their concerns. Like many hon Members here in the House, I too have residents from Bishan-Toa Payoh who are existing policyholders and employees of Income.”
“For the boards of major licensed insurers, including Income, MAS requires the majority of board members to comprise directors independent of the shareholders, management and business relations. Board appointments are also subject to MAS' approval. When assessing an application, MAS' considerations include the background, skillset and experience of the applicant. With regard to Mr de Souza's question on the management of conflicts of interest, MAS had reviewed and was satisfied with the relevant processes Income's board had put in place to address conflicts of interest with respect to the appointment of its financial advisor on this proposed deal and the decision to enter into the deal with Allianz. In the appointment of the financial advisor for the deal, the Chairman of Income's board had recused himself. The decision to enter into the deal was made by the board, comprising a majority of independent directors. Madam, fostering a competitive insurance market with financially strong insurers is a key part of MAS' approach to ensuring that insurers operate sustainably and serve the public well. We believe that a competitive market is the most effective way to meet the insurance needs of Singaporeans and facilitate access to affordable insurance options and good service over the longer term. Allianz is one of the largest insurers globally, although it only has a small retail and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) insurance presence in Singapore today. Allianz Insurance Singapore Pte Ltd is ranked 14th in general insurance with a market share of 2% based on written premiums.”
“Thank you, Madam. My reply will also cover Parliamentary Questions (PQs) on the same subject matter which several Members have filed for subsequent Sittings. Madam, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) has just replied to the PQs pertaining to Income's social mission and NTUC Enterprise's reasons for entering into this proposed deal with Allianz. I will focus on the following areas from Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') perspective as regulator of the insurance sector. First, how would MAS assess the proposed deal for regulatory approval and did the deal involve any conflicts of interests? Second, would the proposed deal affect Singaporeans' access to affordable insurance products? Finally, what will be the impact on Income's existing policyholders and employees? MAS' primary role as regulator is to promote a sound and progressive financial sector. For the insurance sector, we want insurers to manage their risks well so that policyholders are assured that their long-term policies are safe and will be adequately protected. When MAS assesses the application for a change in substantial shareholder in an insurer, we will consider a range of criteria, in particular, the applicant's track record, financial soundness, reputation, as well as fitness and propriety. For example, we will assess if the proposed shareholder has the financial capacity to support the insurer when needed, coupled with the willingness and ability to ensure that the insurer's operations are well-run. The insurer must also have effective risk management systems and controls so that it can continue to meet its obligations to policyholders for the long term.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I have addressed it in my reply at the 2 July 2024 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Cause of 3 June MRT Disruption and Efforts to Improve Handling of Future Incidents", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“I thank the Member for his questions. I have addressed them in my Oral reply to Parliamentary Question 113 at the 2 July 2024 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Adequacy of Singapore’s Seaports to Anticipate and Manage Severe Cargo Congestion", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“Based on feedback from parents and students, I had earlier suggested to the Public Transport Council (PTC) to consider extending the concession period for graduating students as part of the 2024 Fare Review Exercise. The PTC is reviewing the suggestion.”
“I thank the Members for their questions. I have addressed them in my Ministerial Statement at the 2 July 2024 Parliament Sitting. [Please refer to "Pasir Panjang Terminal Oil Spill Incident on 14 June 2024", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Ministerial Statements section.]”
“Currently, there are no plans to mandate installation of In-Vehicle Monitoring Systems (IVMS). IVMS is typically used by companies to manage their vehicle fleets for business operations purposes, such as monitoring vehicle speed, location and driving patterns. Nonetheless, senior drivers may install such IVMS products if they find it useful.”
“Pilots of airlines based in Singapore are trained to operate the aircraft under various scenarios, including turbulence. Their competency is regularly practised and tested as part of their recurrent training and assessment. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore also works closely with Singapore air carriers to explore the use of new aircraft technology and advanced flight planning tools that can enable real-time prediction of adverse weather conditions, including turbulence.”
“The Government has introduced financial incentives for motorists who choose to purchase a cleaner energy vehicle. These include, the Electric Vehicle (EV) Early Adoption Incentive and Enhanced Vehicular Emissions Scheme that lower the upfront cost of owning an EV by up to $40,000 in 2024. We enacted the Electric Vehicles Charging Act in December 2023 to ensure the safety, reliability and accessibility of our charging network. The EV Common Charger Grant, introduced in 2021, also co-funds the cost of installing EV chargers at non-landed private residences, such as condominiums. As a result of these measures, EV adoption has increased significantly. For 2024, thus far, about one out of three new cars sold in Singapore is an EV, as compared to about 18% in 2023. The installation of EV charging infrastructure is on track to support a larger EV population, with more than 7,100 EV charging points across Singapore today, and more than a third of HDB carparks installed with charging points. The ECCG has also supported the installation of more than 1,100 EV chargers in NLPRs. We encourage more NLPRs to step forward to tap on the remaining grant support for around 900 chargers.”
“Similarly, an owner-occupied landed property with a constant AV of $50,000, will see a PT payable of $140 per month in 2025; instead of the $200 per month seen in 2024.”
“My response will cover both Oral Question No 100 and Written Question No 7 by Ms Foo Mee Har in today's Order Paper. [Please refer to "Delayed Effective Date for Increase in Annual Value Bands Threshold for Owner-occupier Residential Property Tax Rates", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] Over the last two years, property taxes (PTs) for most residential properties had increased due to higher market rents and an increase in PT rates for higher-value private residential properties. To cushion the impact of the PT increases, amidst cost-of-living concerns, the Government provided PT rebates in 2023 and 2024. For 2024, with the rebate, all one- and two-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) owner-occupiers do not pay PT. For other HDB owner-occupiers, the average PT increase is less than $3 per month. For private property owner-occupiers, half experience a PT increase of less than $15 per month. The increase in PT is higher for those with higher-value private properties. At Budget 2024, the Government announced that, in light of the market trends in the last two years, all Annual Value (AV) bands of the owner-occupier residential PT rates will be raised with effect from 1 January 2025. The change, like other tax changes, is applied on a prospective basis. We also took into consideration the significant PT rebates that the Government had provided to cushion the PT increases in 2023 and 2024. With the revision of AV bands from 2025, an owner-occupied 4-room HDB flat, assuming a constant AV of $15,500, will see a PT bill of about $12 per month in 2025, without rebate; instead of the $25 per month seen in 2024, without rebate.”
“Vehicles transporting large and bulky items on public roads are subject to regulations under the Road Traffic Act and its subsidiary legislations. First, all loads on vehicles and trailers are required to be properly secured, to prevent the contents from falling out and causing danger to road users. Failure to do so is an offence. Between 2021 and 2023, 80 motorists were caught for such offences. Second, if the load carried by a vehicle goes beyond the rear of the vehicle by more than 300 millimetres, a clean red flag must be tied to the protruding end of the cargo as a visual warning for other road users. Third, the movement of oversized vehicles exceeding certain dimensions also requires a permit from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to travel on public roads. These oversized vehicles are subject to conditions, such as travelling only during non-peak hours or after dark, having to display warning signs and, where applicable, ensuring there is Auxiliary Police escort. Fourth, Excluded Vehicles, such as low trailers and mobile cranes, are not allowed on expressways unless a permit is obtained from LTA. Between 2021 and 2023, about 3,300 vehicles were caught by LTA for offences relating to not displaying a red flag for protruding cargo, driving without an Oversized Vehicle Movement permit when required or breaching Oversized Vehicle Movement permit conditions, and Excluded Vehicles driving on expressways without a permit when required.”
“The situation could also be compounded by an increase in container volumes as companies bring forward export schedules out of Asia and in preparation for major holidays in the second half of the year. MOT and MPA will continue to work closely with PSA, our unions and the container shipping lines to deal with the situation, so that the port of Singapore can handle the additional demand and uphold the service excellence, reliability and efficiency that we are well-known for.”
“In line with Singapore’s port capacity development plan, three new berths will also be operationalised at Tuas this year. The first of these commenced operations just yesterday, with two more berths starting operations in October and December respectively. If the increase in demand is sustained, PSA will also expedite and bring forward the development of additional capacity. Pasir Panjang Terminal will remain in operation until at least 2040, to support the transition to Tuas Port which will have a capacity of 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) when it is fully completed in the 2040s. This will ensure that our port container handling capacity does not decrease and will instead continue to grow when Tuas Port progressively develops. As PSA increases its container handling capacity, MOT and MPA are supporting PSA to ensure that there are sufficient workers for its expanded operations. MPA and PSA are also in discussions with all the major container lines, using MPA’s Just-In-Time system, to optimise vessel arrival times and operations and improve vessel turnaround. For vessels that arrived off-schedule and are waiting for berths to be ready, the container liners will use the waiting time to conduct services, such as bunkering and ship resupply, at the anchorages. The strong growth in container throughput and the reliance on our port to turn around transshipment containers reflect the global shipping industry’s confidence in Singapore as a trusted hub port. Container throughput at our port between January and May this year has increased by 7.7% to 16.9 million TEUs, up from 15.7 million TEUs in the same period in 2023. While our efforts have improved average waiting times this month, it is unlikely that the Red Sea crisis will ease any time soon.”
“My reply will also address Written Question No 69 for today’s Sitting and related questions from Ms Joan Pereira1 and Mr Saktiandi Supaat that have been filed for a subsequent Sitting. The Red Sea crisis has led to vessels being diverted to the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope for sailings between Europe and Asia. As a result, ports around the world are experiencing more off-schedule arrivals. In our port, about 90% of container vessels are arriving off-schedule, compared to an average of about 77% for 2023. Many of the vessels are also arriving within a short window, compounding the issue by causing a “vessel bunching” effect. To allow vessels to return to Europe more quickly, container shipping lines are relying on Singapore as a transshipment port to unload cargoes bound for Asian ports beyond Singapore before turning around. Container lines are also using Singapore to rearrange their containers on the vessels, to maximise the number of containers carried and facilitate operations at downstream ports. As a result, both the demands and complexity of container handling at our port have increased. These have lengthened the time container vessels stay in our port for cargo operations, which, in turn, increased the waiting time for incoming vessels, leading to congestion at our container berths. The Ministry of Transport (MOT), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and PSA are working closely together with our Tripartite Partners to address the congestion. We have reactivated some of the berths and yard space at Keppel and Tanjong Pagar Terminals. Since the start of the year, PSA has ramped up its handling capacity across its terminals and will continue to scale up in the months ahead to meet anticipated demand.”
“Airlines, including Singapore Airlines and Scoot, make decisions on flight routes based on commercial considerations.”
“My response will cover both Oral Question No 100 and Written Question No 7 by Ms Foo Mee Har on today’s Order Paper. Over the last two years, property taxes (PT) for most residential properties had increased due to higher market rents and an increase in PT rates for higher-value private residential properties. To cushion the impact of the PT increases, amidst cost-of-living concerns, the Government provided PT rebates in 2023 and 2024. For 2024, with the rebate, all one- and two-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) owner-occupiers do not pay PT. For other HDB owner-occupiers, the average PT increase is less than $3 per month. For private property owner-occupiers, half experience a PT increase of less than $15 per month. The increase in PT is higher for those with higher-value private properties. At Budget 2024, the Government announced that in light of the market trends in the last two years, all Annual Value (AV) bands of the owner-occupier residential PT rates will be raised with effect from 1 January 2025. The change, like other tax changes, is applied on a prospective basis. We also took into consideration the significant PT rebates that the Government had provided to cushion the PT increases in 2023 and 2024. With the revision of AV bands from 2025, an owner-occupied 4-room HDB flat, assuming constant AV of $15,500, will see a PT bill of about $12 per month in 2025, without rebate, instead of the $25 per month seen in 2024, without rebate. Similarly, an owner-occupied landed property with constant AV of $50,000, will see a PT payable of $140 per month in 2025 instead of the $200 per month seen in 2024.”
“We have not received any new proposal from Malaysia for a Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail. As stated previously, Singapore is open to discussing new proposals with Malaysia in good faith, starting from a clean slate.”
“LTA, rail operators and other relevant agencies jointly exercise these plans annually. Learning points from incidents and exercises help LTA and our operators to make continual improvements to their incident response plans. For the 3 June disruption, LTA has assessed that the operator had responded in accordance with the standard operating procedures. Nevertheless, LTA has taken note of the feedback arising from the disruption and are working with the rail operators to strengthen their incident management plans. These include improving the clarity of public announcements during service disruptions and improving crowd control measures for affected MRT stations and at boarding points for bridging buses. Mr Alex Yam asked about transport options for Yew Tee and Limbang. Yew Tee and Limbang residents are served by the North-South Line at Yew Tee station and are also connected to the East-West Line and Downtown Line by bus services. By the mid-2030s, Yew Tee and Limbang residents will have better access to the Downtown Line when it is extended beyond Bukit Panjang station towards a new Sungei Kadut interchange station.”
“My reply will address Question Nos 88 and 89, as well as Written Question No 70 for today’s Sitting. The investigation into the disruption on the North-South Line on 3 June 2024 is ongoing. We have established that a lightning strike damaged an outdoor trackside power control box near Kranji station at around 5.46 pm. Based on the Land Transport Authority's (LTA’s) preliminary investigation, the surge arrester that was designed to protect the power control box against lightning strikes did not operate as intended. This caused a loss of traction power and the disruption to train service. The current lightning protection systems for our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network comply with local and international standards to ensure the safety of our commuters. Until this incident on 3 June 2024, there had been no train disruptions due to lightning strikes in the past five years. The operator had adhered to the maintenance regime recommended by the manufacturer for the surge arrester. It is possible that past lightning strikes had accelerated the deterioration of this particular surge arrester, as this section of the track between Kranji and Marsiling is lightning-prone. Arising from this incident, we are working with the manufacturer and the rail operators to review the maintenance frequency of surge arresters. We have replaced the surge arrester in question, and the other surge arresters in the vicinity have been checked and found to be in working condition. LTA mandates that rail operators have in place robust response plans in the case of service disruptions. These plans include providing alternative transportation options, such as free bus boarding at affected stations and bridging bus services.”
“The Assurance Package helps all Singaporeans. Some of the measures, such as Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, are given to all Singaporean households. We have designed the Assurance Package so that lower-income families as well as larger households, particularly those with seniors and children, get more support. The Assurance Package was most recently enhanced at Budget 2024 by $1.9 billion to provide further assistance to Singaporeans. The means-tested schemes in the Assurance Package, comprising cash, MediSave top-ups, additional U-Save and S&CC rebates, use one or more of these criteria: individual assessable income, annual value of residence, Housing and Development Board flat type and number of properties owned. Per capita household income is not used to determine the amount received for the schemes under the Assurance Package. However, Singaporeans living in households with lower per capita household income will generally receive more support from the Assurance Package and other Government schemes. These include families who earn lower incomes or have larger family sizes. On top of the Assurance Package, lower- and middle-income families benefit from the permanent Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher scheme. In total, a lower-income household with two young children will receive about $5,500 in benefits from the enhanced Assurance Package and the GST Voucher scheme in financial year 2024. Singaporeans also receive subsidies when they access public goods and services, such as education, healthcare and housing, with more support provided to families with lower incomes. The Government understands the concerns of Singaporeans with regard to costs of living. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and regularly review our support measures.”
“Commercial vehicles, in particular goods vehicles, are categorised by Maximum Laden Weight (MLW) in numerous countries around the world, including the United Kingdom and European Union member states. Vehicles that are loaded beyond their design weight are less able to stop quickly during an emergency and steer effectively at road bends. Stemming from vehicle categorisation, the allowable parking spaces for lorries are also based on weight. Heavy goods vehicles with an MLW that exceeds 5,000 kilogrammes are mandated to park at designated heavy vehicle parks from 12.00 am to 6.00 am, given the additional safety considerations, namely, such vehicles parking at residential areas overnight.”
“The Land Transport Authority does not have data on commercial vehicle ownership by sole proprietors. Vehicle registrations are based on information from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, (ACRA), which classifies both sole proprietorships and partnerships that are formed by two to 20 partners as one type of business entity. Only the business address registered with ACRA is collected during vehicle registration, not the residential address of the vehicle owners. The vehicle owners of commercial vehicles may not be the drivers of the vehicles. Some commercial vehicles can also have more than one driver.”
“Between January and May 2024, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Traffic Police (TP) took action against 653 cycling offences committed on public paths and roads. Less than 1% of them were by repeat offenders for the same offence in the past three years. Under the Active Mobility Act, first-time offenders for errant cycling offences may be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to six months depending on the severity of the offence. Repeat offenders can be subject to higher penalties. Offenders who have committed offences, such as speeding, are required to attend safe riding courses. LTA and TP will continually review our regulatory frameworks and penalties and take firm enforcement actions against errant riders to keep our paths and roads safe. We will also continue to promote gracious road usage behaviours, as safety is a shared responsibility for all road and path users.”
“But for the oil that has floated away, the international practice is to, as quickly as possible, try and locate where the oil is and then to be able to scoop it up, collect it. So, that was what was done. But as I explained earlier, it took some time before MPA and the contractors were able to confirm the location of the large oil patches. They were only able to do so the next morning, on 15 June, due to bad weather on the first day, the initial part, and then subsequently because of nightfall. Various reasons made it more challenging. But when they discovered where the oil was, they very quickly deployed the oil skimmers to deal with it. So, there is no disagreement with Mr Giam, that speed is important and faster is better. But I also hope that Mr Giam understands that, even under the best circumstances, some tasks are just not possible, not practical. In this case, it is not possible to try and "fence in" the oil around the damaged vessel because it has already been spilled and it will be carried by the currents and the waves away from the location side. 3.31 pm”
“Mr Speaker, I think we are having this exchange, but it is not my view versus Mr Giam's view. What I am sharing with Mr Giam is the international practice and the industry's response to oil spills. So, these are methods and processes that have been developed over the years by experts and this is how it is done internationally, not just in Singapore but also in other parts of the world. So, this is not an opinion that we are debating over. What I am sharing is the international practice. But allow me to come back to the concern that Mr Giam raised, which is, the sooner you deploy, the better. There is no disagreement that faster is better. However, knowing that boom deployment requires time, even if you are able to do it very quickly – because the weather was good, it was daytime, you were able to do it more quickly – it is still going to have a time lag. And I hope Mr Giam understands that. From the point of the allision and the oil spilling in a large amount into the sea, by the time the booms are fully deployed, even under the best circumstances, there will be a gap. During this time, the oil would have floated away. That is why the international industry practice is not to try and "fence in" the oil, because it is not practical. The oil would have floated away. It is to deal with what is remaining in the vessel, to prevent further spillage, in case it comes out, because there is no guarantee that the oil will stay inside the damaged vessel. It could spill again and, if in that scenario, when your boom is up, then, yes, you will be able to contain that amount of oil, the subsequent spillage, better.”
“So, Mr Speaker, a more elaborate answer, but I think it is an important point to clarify because we remain committed to looking at how we can bring on board these newer fuels, because decarbonising the maritime industry remains our goal. But we want to find a way to do it safely, so that we are able to make progress.”
“Mr Liang's second question is about the future, because we do have a plan to decarbonise our maritime sector. There are two parts to this. The harbour craft, which are the vessels that ply within our port waters, this can be done through a mix of electrification and also the use of biofuels. But if you talk about the larger ocean-going vessels – container ships, tankers – those, they cannot run on batteries. The alternatives that people are looking at would include liquefied natural gas (LNG) and newer types of fuels, like methanol, ammonia and, perhaps, even hydrogen. I state in that order, because that is the level of readiness at this point in time for the global shipping industry. They have done some tests. With LNG, of course, it is the most well-established amongst all these different alternatives. Methanol, they have done some tests, but it is not quite ready for large-scale commercial deployment. We have done some tests as well with some of the industry players. Ammonia as well, we have done some initial pilots and tests. Why we are doing all these tests and pilots, is because we need to confirm and understand the risks involved. Then, we can develop our safety protocols that, in the future, you have more ships now using ammonia or more ships now using methanol. How do we deal with those kinds of different types of fuel? Because the risks are quite different from a traditional oil spill. Take ammonia, for example. If you have an ammonia leak, it will not be going into the water like an oil spill and then floating away, carried by tidal currents and waves. It may potentially go into the air and you have a plume cloud. And this is a very different kind of risk compared to how we deal with the conventional oil spills.”
“Mr Speaker, I will answer both questions. The first question, the point that is important for us to bear in mind is: yes, there are some learning points that we can certainly look at incorporating into our processes and SOPs. That is something that we do after every incident, so that we benefit from the process of deriving the learning points that will enable us to deal with future incidents with greater confidence. Having said that, I think it is important for us to bear in mind that the overall response by our agencies, industry partners and volunteers to this oil spill on 14 June was a prompt and effective one. Mr Liang asked about shipping costs. This is something which, precisely because our response to the oil spill was swift and effective, I think it did not damage our reputation as an international hub port and maritime centre. First, MPA very quickly ensured that port and shipping operations were not affected on 14 June, soon after the allision occurred. So that ships could still come to our anchorages, call at our ports; cargo could still be loaded and unloaded; ships could still continue to have their supplies. So, port operations continued. I do not think this incident will lead to an increase in shipping costs, because it is affecting two vessels in this case and not something that is structural or systemic. Unlike, for example, what is happening at the Red Sea, where that kind of incident, yes, that will affect global shipping costs, because ships have to then detour and go a longer distance. So, in response to Mr Liang's question, I think we cannot 100% eliminate the risk of oil spills happening. But how we respond to the oil spills, I think that is how can differentiate Singapore from other ports around the world.”
“Mr Speaker, the modelling is one of the sources of information that MPA will use to try and locate where the oil that has been spilled will float to. But, as I mentioned earlier, we do not rely only on one source, because this is a highly fluid situation. Pardon the pun. It is evolving. It is not something that, I think, any single source of information will give you the full picture. What MPA has done is to use a multi-pronged approach from drones, satellite imagery, modelling is one of the sources of info and the old-fashioned way, which is visual sighting by personnel at sea and also by our personnel who are on land, looking out for signs of the oil. Can we further enhance the modelling? Certainly. I think that is one area where it is a continuous improvement process. We will be happy to work with researchers, with scientists, to see how we can take on board the learning points and further finetune our modelling. The whole-of-Government approach and involving our industry partners that we do regularly, every two years, oil spill exercise; every two years, chemical spill exercise. That one, so far, has been more Government agencies plus industry players. The reason is because, it is dealing with the response out at sea; and also dealing with the use of different sources of information, running through different processes, looking at the different assets, the different kinds of vessels that you can use. Do we want to involve the volunteers who would not likely go out to sea but more likely will be helping on land? I think that is something which we will be happy to take a look at together with the Ministry of National Development and MSE colleagues.”
“Thank you, Mr Gerald Giam. Mr Speaker, for this particular incident, the freeboard and skirt of the boom measured 0.36 metres and 0.43 metres. The wave height at the time was between 0.1 metres and 0.3 metres and the tidal current was 1.7 knots. We deployed 200 metres of booms. On Mr Giam's question for written answer, for storage tanks, we have sufficient storage tank capacity for the operations, because the storage tanks, when you put it on the vessel, when you go out to sea and you skim the oil, collect the oil, you do have enough capacity, but if the volume in the tanks were to increase, you can come back to shore and use a new tank, replace with a new tank and then you go out again. We do have sufficient spare capacity. This was not a constraint in this particular response. It was not due to lack of storage tank capacity. What was challenging, and I explained this in my Ministerial Statement, was it took some time to locate where the oil patches, this is the estimated 400 tonnes that floated away. It took us some time to be able to confirm the location of these large oil patches that floated away due to a variety of reasons that I have explained earlier – bad weather in the initial period and after that nightfall, and in this particular case, because the density of the oil was quite similar to seawater, it could go below the water surface, which then makes detection more difficult. For these variety of reasons, we only managed to identify the location of the large oil patches on the morning of 15 June 2024. And when that is identified and confirmed, MPA then sent out the skimmers to collect this oil.”
“But you first need to know where these oil patches are, where it is floating to and MPA deployed a multi-pronged approach using a variety of information sources. They used drones, they used satellite imagery, they also used visual sighting from ships, they alerted the ships in our anchorages to try and look out for where the oil patches may be floating to and then they tried to piece together the different information to confirm where is the location of the oil. And when they saw the oil patches on the 15 of June morning, they deployed the oil skimmers to deal with these oil patches. So, that is how the oil spill response is done, not just in Singapore, but internationally. The US requirement that Mr Giam mentioned is not something which is done in major ports. There was an earlier media article which quoted someone – they did not give the name, they called this person Captain A from the industry, who asked if we could put booms around the vessels in our anchorages. The article also mentioned that this was done in the Netherlands. But when we checked with the Port of Rotterdam, which is also a major port, they said no, they do not have this practice of requiring booms to be placed around vessels. Because we have so many ships in our anchorages and they are not just static, they are also coming in and going out, it is just not practical and feasible to take that approach. So, I hope that answers the two questions that Mr Gerald Giam raised. Mr Gerald Giam also said that he has some further questions. I was just flipping through earlier and I saw that one of them – just to seek Mr Gerald Giam's confirmation, is the Member asking about the height of the booms, freeboard and skirt? Is that one of the questions that you want me to answer?”
“Mr Speaker, I think I have explained earlier in my response to Mr Dennis Tan that it is not the right way of understanding the purpose of the containment boom around the damaged vessel. But since Mr Giam raised it again, let me try to make another attempt to explain. Sir, the purpose of the containment boom around the damaged vessel is not meant to try and catch the oil that has already been spilled into the sea. Because even if you talk about a shorter response, because the weather was good and it was not at night and the contractor, the vessel, was able to deploy the booms fully in a quicker way, it would still take several hours at least. By that time, the tidal currents and the waves would have already carried the oil that has been spilled into the sea further away from the incident site. So, it is therefore not the correct response to try and use the containment booms to "fence in" the oil. The purpose of the containment booms around the damaged vessel is as a preventive measure to prevent the further oil spillage from coming out from the damaged vessel. Because as I explained earlier, there is still a lot of oil left that we are now in the process of safely removing from the damaged vessel. So, I think this is an important point to clarify, so that we are on the same page. And as I explained earlier, then what do you do with the oil that has been spilled and is floating away? The operations are then mounted to try and track and confirm the location of these large oil patches, so that you can then send out other types of vessels, the skimmers, to try and remove this oil, collect this oil. And then also to lay booms in certain areas to try and soak up this oil.”
“Mr Speaker, we have the assets that is required within MPA, but more importantly, I think we also have a network of industry partners that we can call upon who have their own assets but also, I think importantly, expertise and capabilities in dealing with different parts of the incident. And of course, as I mentioned earlier, the partnership with our neighbours. So, I think if there is a very major oil spill, whether it is very near to our shores or further away, closer to our neighbours or in international waters, I think this is the response that will be most effective. Not relying only on one single party, but tapping on the resources and the assets of all the different partners within the ecosystem and rehearsing this regularly. Keeping the links warm, keeping the SOPs well run so that everyone knows their roles and their responsibilities. That is part of our emergency preparedness.”