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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Every one of 1,840 lines we hold for Chee Hong Tat, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 29 of 37.
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. Madam, we do not have data on the number of property transfers that had taken place through trust where there is no identifiable beneficiary owner before 9 May 2022. But as I have said earlier in my response, I thank Members for their support. If Parliament approves this Bill, with the amendments, moving forward, this is something that, therefore, we will be able to track, we will be able to impose, to ensure that ABSD and ACD are collected, whether it is done directly or through trusts. I do not wish to veer into a separate debate about the tax system in general because this debate today is on the Second Reading of the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill. So, we will focus on the contents of the Bill. But maybe, just to reiterate, to assure Mr Leong Mun Wai and also Members of the House, that if you look at our tax and benefits system as a whole, and rather than pick and choose individual items, if you consider the tax and benefits system as a whole, where taxes are paid, benefits are given, reallocations are done, Singapore's system is one which is fair and progressive. Why? Because everybody contributes, but those who earn more, those who have more, will contribute more. Those who have less, those who are more vulnerable, the lower-income, they will receive more benefits and more help. That, to me, is what a fair and just society is about. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Chee Hong Tat]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank Members Mr Louis Ng, Mr Louis Chua, Mr Leong Mun Wai and Mr Don Wee for speaking on the Bill and giving their support for the proposed amendments. Let me address their queries. Madam, ABSD (Trust) is applicable if the residential property is transferred into a living trust on or after 9 May 2022. This applies for both pre-existing trusts and new trusts created on or after 9 May 2022. Living trusts are trusts that come into existence during the lifetime of the person who created it.”
“For his or her failure to give notice, the original beneficial owner will be liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding $1,000. The notice, whether given by the original beneficial owner or the Commissioner, will be chargeable with stamp duty. Specifically, the settlor will be liable to pay BSD and, where applicable, ABSD. If the interest in the trust residential property is renounced within three years after the original beneficial owner first has beneficial ownership of the interest, the original beneficial owner will also be liable to pay SSD. For any duty paid late or not paid, the original beneficial owner or the settlor will have to pay a penalty of up to four times the duty payable, which is the penalty under the current Stamp Duties Act. This treatment for the renunciation of interest by an original beneficial owner will ensure that where the beneficial ownership of a trust residential property reverts to the settlor, the settlor would have to pay stamp duty, similar to if he or she had acquired the property directly. Clauses 8 and 9 make transitional provisions to modify the application of the Bill to matters occurring between 10 May 2022 and the date the amending Act is published in the Gazette. On that, Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 3.12 pm”
“If ACD (Trust) applies, the trustee will be liable to pay ACD (Trust) at the prevailing ACD rates of up to 44% for buyers, comprising 40% ABSD and up to 4% BSD. ACD (Trust) may also apply if the trustee, being a significant owner of a PHE, disposes of the trustee's equity interests that were held on trust for a beneficiary who is not an identifiable beneficial owner. If the trustee disposes of the equity interests within three years after acquiring them, the trustee will be liable to pay ACD at the prevailing ACD rate of 12% for sellers, equivalent to the highest Seller's Stamp Duty, or SSD, rate. In addition, where the trustee transfers equity interests to a beneficiary of the trust who was not an identifiable beneficial owner of those interests at the time they were transferred into the trust, the beneficiary will be liable to pay the prevailing ACD for buyers if the beneficiary is a significant owner or becomes one after the transfer. Clause 3 of the Bill provides for this. Next, clause 4 of the Bill introduces a new section 22C which imposes a statutory duty on the original beneficial owner of a trust residential property who renounces his or her interest in the property, such that this interest reverts to the settlor of the trust. The original beneficial owner is one who beneficially owns the property at the time it is transferred into the trust. The original beneficial owner must give a written notice of the renunciation to the settlor and to the Commissioner of Stamp Duties within a specified period. If he or she fails to do so, and the Commissioner becomes aware of this, for example, through IRAS' regular audit, the Commissioner may give the notice to the original beneficial owner and the settlor instead.”
“This consideration is only of the portion of interests to be held on trust for those beneficiaries. For example, if the trustee is to hold 10% equity interests in a PHE for identifiable beneficial owners and another 5% for other beneficiaries who are not identifiable beneficial owners, only the 5% equity interests will be considered to be held by the trustee for the purpose of determining whether ACD (Trust) applies. ACD (Trust) will apply in such a case only if the trustee is a significant owner with at least 50% equity interests or voting power in the PHE or becomes one after the acquisition. In determining the trustee's significant ownership status, the equity interests that are beneficially owned by the trustee's associates will be treated as beneficially owned by the trustee. A treatment for associates already exists in the ACD regime to cover arrangements under which individual buyers act in concert to purchase equity interests, with the objective of avoiding ACD. Examples of associates include parents, children, spouses and associated companies. In assessing whether an identifiable beneficial owner of equity interests in a PHE is a significant owner of the PHE, the interests beneficially owned by the beneficial owner and the beneficial owner's associates will be considered. In the instance where a trustee holds equity interests for a beneficiary who is not an identifiable beneficial owner of those interests at the time of their transfer into the trust, such a beneficiary is considered an associate of the trustee in determining whether the trustee is a significant owner of the PHE. This definition of associates will be provided for in subsidiary legislation.”
“ABSD and ACD thus operate together to promote a stable and sustainable residential property market in Singapore. Madam, previously, when a residential property was transferred into a living trust with no identifiable beneficial owner of the property at the time of transfer, ABSD did not apply. As trusts are complex instruments and serve diverse purposes, the Government carefully studied the issue before deciding on how transfers of residential properties into trusts would be treated. We then introduced Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty for Trust, or ABSD (Trust), on 8 May 2022, which took effect on 9 May 2022. ACD (Trust) follows from the introduction of ABSD (Trust). With ACD (Trust), ACD may apply when equity interests in a PHE are transferred into a living trust, regardless of whether there is an identifiable beneficial owner of those interests at the time of transfer. These changes ensure similar stamp duty treatment for transfers of residential property or equity interests in a PHE, whether acquired directly or through a trust. If an Institution of a Public Character, or IPC, is the sole beneficial owner of the residential property or equity interests in a PHE transferred into the trust, among other conditions, the IPC can apply for a remission of ABSD (Trust) or ACD (Trust). Today, donations of immovable property or unlisted shares to IPCs qualify for stamp duty remission. Let me elaborate on ACD (Trust), which is, primarily, provided for under clause 5 of the Bill. To determine whether ACD (Trust) applies to the acquisition of equity interests in a PHE that are to be held on a trust for beneficiaries who are not identifiable beneficial owners, we will consider the equity interests in the PHE that are to be held by the trustee of the trust for those beneficiaries.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill 2022 introduces the Additional Conveyance Duties for Trust, or ACD (Trust), and imposes stamp duty in relation to the renunciation of interest by a beneficial owner in a residential property that is held on a trust. If passed by Parliament, the amendments in the Bill will take effect on 10 May 2022, that is, one day after the First Reading of the Bill. As the Bill amendments are market-sensitive, this approach brings the Bill into effect the day after its introduction. Before I go through the key amendments in the Bill, let me explain the rationale for the changes. Today, residential properties can be acquired directly or via equity interests, including unlisted shares, in Property Holding Entities, or PHEs. These refer to entities whose primary tangible assets are residential properties in Singapore. Direct acquisitions of residential property are subject to Buyer's Stamp Duty, or BSD, and, where applicable, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty or ABSD. Acquisitions of unlisted shares in PHEs are subject to share duty of 0.2%, based on the purchase price or the value of the shares. Such acquisitions may also be subject to ACD, if the acquirer is a significant owner of the PHE or becomes one after the acquisition. A significant owner is a person who beneficially owns at least 50% of the equity interests or voting power in the PHE. ACD was introduced in 2017 to address the stamp duty rate differential that previously existed between the direct acquisition or disposal of residential properties and the acquisition or disposal of equity interests in PHEs.”
“I understand, maybe some of the seniors may not be so familiar with technology, but that is also an area where, collectively, as a community, we can reach out to them through raising awareness and public education, help them to be able to use these tools, so that they can plan their journeys, they can shorten the waiting time. And, I think, importantly, the shift that I was explaining in my main speech will allow us to provide new feeder services to new areas, meeting the needs of other commuters. So, yes, we want to take care of as many commuters as possible, but our responsibility is not just to one group of commuters, but to all commuters, collectively. We do need to weigh difficult trade-offs and make the adjustments accordingly. One last point, Sir. I think I do need to point out that because we shift from bigger buses to smaller buses, it does not mean the cost will shrink correspondingly. I explained in my speech we still need to have bus captains to drive the buses in shifts. We still need to have a maintenance crew to be able to maintain the bus fleet. In fact, if we buy new mini buses, we would have to incur additional upfront costs to buy the buses and train a new group of bus captains and a new group of technical crew to maintain these mini buses. So, from a logistics and maintenance cost point of view, I am not sure that will actually end up with lower costs.”
“Mr Chairman, I will address some of the more specific points that Mr Giam mentioned. Specifically, on service 228, I touched on feeder services in my speech earlier. For service 228, Mr Giam did give us some feedback because initially, when the bus services were shortened, what LTA then tried to do was precisely like what he mentioned – make sure that we have bus service 228 to provide the connectivity to the necessary key transport nodes. When Mr Giam shared the feedback with us, we then followed up with the bus operators to make improvements and adjustments to bus service 228. Just to share some data, in terms of the loading level and the waiting time. Before Mr Giam shared the feedback with us, the maximum load during peak periods was about 70% to 75%. This was not excessive, but it would feel more crowded than usual. So, we understand the concerns. When Mr Giam shared the feedback with LTA, LTA then worked with the operator to make some adjustments and the peak loads have now dropped to below 45%. In fact, on most days, and I am referring to peak periods, it is around 25%. So, the situation has improved and I want to thank Mr Giam for sharing his feedback with us to enable us to be able to address some of these local concerns. About waiting times, Sir, service 228, I do not think what Mr Giam said earlier is factually correct. During the morning peak, between 6 am and 6.45 am, LTA has asked the bus operator to increase the frequency, precisely because we understand that this is the peak period. So, the frequency is actually every five minutes. There is another way to help residents to shorten the waiting time, so they do not have to go to the bus stop too early. That is to help them to use the MyTransport app.”
“Sir, as Maritime Singapore grows our capabilities, connectivity and careers, an ocean of exciting possibilities awaits. I would like to encourage our students, our workers and our businesses to make Maritime Singapore your port of call and join us in turning these opportunities into reality. [Applause.]”
“In addition, we will launch an accelerated training pathway for individuals with mechanical engineering backgrounds to become shipboard marine engineers, shortening the duration from the current 120 weeks to 22 weeks. I hope this will encourage more local mechanical engineers to become marine engineers. We have also collaborated with Yellow Ribbon Singapore to place suitable inmates as trainees with harbour craft operators to become steersmen or engine drivers. Eight ex-offenders have benefited so far and we hope to increase the number over time. Since 2018, we have helped around 200 mid-career workers undergo skills conversion to take up new roles through Career Conversion Programmes (CCP) in the Sea Transport sector. This includes 30 PMETs who have been successfully placed in new roles in 14 companies under the enhanced CCP for Sea Transport Professionals and Associates launched in November last year. Sir, as we attract and nurture local talents, our maritime hub must remain open and welcome people from abroad. This is especially important for an international industry like maritime, which requires openness and connectivity to thrive. Singapore cannot be a hub for maritime, aviation, finance or technology, if we adopt populist manpower policies, build walls around us and disconnect ourselves from the world. We cannot aim to be a hub and yet become inward-looking. There is no such thing as an inward-looking hub. Foreign talents bring new capabilities and perspectives that keep our hub dynamic and they complement our Singaporean Core. The tripartite partners fully support this approach, as we understand that a good local-foreign complement is necessary to grow our economy and create good jobs for our people.”
“His seafaring credentials have laid the foundations for a meaningful shore-based career, including in leadership positions such as Senior Director of Shipping for Marathon Petroleum Corporation and Managing Director at BTS Tankers. MPA has partnered the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) and maritime companies to attract and develop locals for seafaring careers through scholarships and awards. Local seafarers like my Toa Payoh resident, Mr Takamasa Ng, have benefited from the Tripartite Maritime Scholarship (TMSS). Takamasa obtained his Class 3 Certificate of Competency (CoC) in 2018. He currently works on board a ship for NYK Line and he wants to continue sailing and attain his Class 1 CoC, which is the highest level of certification. Qualifying as an experienced seafarer is a long and challenging journey. Attaining the Class 1 CoC can take eight years or more and the job requires frequent stints away from home. We will support our local seafarers on this journey. Beyond the existing scholarships, MPA and our tripartite partners will provide an additional $12.5 million to fund a new Sail Milestone Achievement Programme (SailMAP) to enhance the retention of local seafarers. Over the next five years, up to 250 local seafarers can receive up to $50,000 each, when they attain key career milestones. This helps to support their income when they are not sailing, so they can continue to upgrade their seafaring skills and knowledge. Most of the funding will come from the Government and the remainder will be funded by the Singapore Shipping Association, SMOU and SOS as part of this tripartite partnership.”
“In the information age, digital connectivity is as important as physical connectivity. Electronic bills of lading (eBLs) are documents proving ownership of cargo in transit. The benefits of eBLs over physical documents are clear: receive cargo faster, free up working capital and have more secure transactions. However, adoption of eBLs has been slow due to legal and technical hurdles. MPA will co-fund three consortiums to develop and trial eBL solutions across the container, wet bulk and dry bulk segments. Through these trials, we aim to grow the ecosystem and encourage adoption of eBLs in Singapore and beyond. With the expansion in capabilities and connectivity, Maritime Singapore will grow and create rewarding career opportunities for our people. In response to Mr Saktiandi and Mr Melvin Yong, the Sea Transport sector aims to create 1,000 good jobs for locals between 2020 and 2025, including traditional maritime jobs like seafarers and port operation managers, and many emerging roles such as software engineers and supply chain managers. Looking at our progress so far, there is scope to grow even more good jobs by 2025, if conditions remain favourable. As Mr Yong noted, it is important to attract more local workers to take up both seafaring and shore-based jobs. MPA is supporting the industry and unions to attract talent, nurture our workforce and transform workplaces in Maritime Singapore. Seafaring experience is important in the maritime sector and can open doors to good shore-based careers. Captain Ranesh Sandhu started out as a seafarer in Neptune Orient Lines and became a ship master after a decade of sailing.”
“It will enable shore-to-ship deliveries using drones, which is cheaper, better and faster than the traditional method of sending a boat and crew; or piloting a containership safely from a control room on shore. 5G will support our vision to be the Silicon Valley of Marine Tech and be a game-changer to differentiate our port and IMC from the competition. Maritime 5G for Maritime SG. We will also help maritime SMEs build capabilities to ride the digitalisation wave. We currently provide funding support under the Sea Transport Industry Digital Plan (IDP) and this is given to SMEs in the ship agency, harbour craft and bunkering sub-sectors to help them implement digital solutions to improve their operations. We will expand IDP to cover all SMEs in the Sea Transport sector, including those providing ship supply services. MPA will also extend the grant beyond end 2022, to benefit eligible maritime companies on an ongoing basis. Next, we will expand our physical and digital connectivity. Tuas Port will be the nucleus of a larger ecosystem of business and industrial districts. We can enhance the connectivity of high-value sectors like advanced manufacturing and cold chain logistics by locating such companies close to the port. The Government has set aside land around Tuas Port for companies to integrate their developments with the port. We will also review our regulatory processes to maximise the benefits from integration and process efficiency. MOT will leverage on our strengths as an air and sea hub to expand the suite of connectivity options for cargo owners, including multimodal options. Such air-sea cargo solutions provide additional efficiency and resilience and support just-in-time manufacturing and distribution for regional supply chains.”
“Container throughput reached a new high of 37.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while our IMC attracted 23 companies to expand or set up operations in Singapore. Singapore ranked top in the 2022 Leading Maritime Cities of the World report, including for "Attractiveness and Competitiveness" and "Maritime Technology". I would like to thank our tripartite partners and maritime workers. This achievement would not have been possible without your dedication, your contributions and your sacrifices. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how we are enhancing Singapore as a reliable and resilient transport node. Maritime Singapore will develop strong capabilities, superior connectivity and rewarding careers to address emerging challenges and seize new opportunities. First, building strong capabilities. PSA has commenced operations of its first two berths at Tuas Port as scheduled. We are making steady progress with the rest of the construction. When completed, Tuas Port can handle up to 65 million TEUs a year, 50% more than our current capacity. Tuas Port will secure Singapore’s cargo connectivity to the world and keep up our competitiveness as a global hub port. Our port will leverage on technology to operate more efficiently, sustainably and safely. MPA will use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to manage the increasing scale and complexity of ship movements in our waters. Our next-generation Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) will be equipped with advanced smart collision detection capabilities. It will be based at the future Port Operations Control Centre in Tuas, to be completed in 2025. Another key technology is 5G telecommunications, which will support new concepts of operation.”
“The original route for service 65 through Tampines Avenues 1 and 5 has three other bus services. LTA will continue to explore cost reduction methods before making changes to a bus service. This includes switching from double deck to single deck buses and reducing service frequency where possible. These steps were taken for the three bus services before the decision was made in 2021 to shorten their routes. However, the cost reductions from the above changes are not very significant as running a bus service still requires bus captains to work in shifts and a technical crew to maintain the buses. By trimming some of the existing bus services with low ridership, we free up resources that can be reallocated to provide new feeder services for new residential estates. Through these efforts, we are better able to meet new demand for bus services without a rapid increase in operating costs and subsidies. The shortening of the three bus services, for example, saved $9.5 million of subsidies per year, which can be reallocated to new bus services. Put another way, if we continue to run the three bus services without any changes, it means that either commuters or taxpayers would have to pay an additional $9.5 million per year. Hence, I hope Mr Giam understands why we are unable to agree with him to retain as many trunk services as possible. We will retain some as I explained, but we cannot go to the extent he has proposed. That will not be financially prudent and sustainable. And we will not be doing what is in the best collective interests of commuters and taxpayers. 12.00 pm Sir, I will now speak about the plans to grow our maritime sector. Maritime Singapore did well in 2021. We strengthened our reputation as a trusted hub port and international maritime centre (IMC).”
“We start with ridership data, which is an objective indication of commuter demand. To be clear, we do operate bus services with low ridership. There are many such services which run at a loss and require funding from the $1 billion pool of bus subsidies every year because they provide necessary connectivity for commuters in some areas who otherwise would not have alternative public transport options. We also keep some trunk services for network resilience. However, there are bus services with low ridership that run parallel to MRT lines and have alternative bus services plying similar routes, including the three services 22, 66 and 506 that we are discussing. Their ridership numbers along some parts of the trunk route had been low and fell further after Downtown Line 3 became operational in 2017. If we look at the data before COVID-19, the sustained drop in ridership for these three services ranged from 32% to 55% for parts of the routes. This is because many commuters preferred to take MRT for longer journeys, using buses as feeder services for travelling to and from key transport nodes within the town. By switching to a combination of bus and MRT for long journeys, commuters enjoy lower fares and shorten their total travelling times, compared to taking the bus from start to end. For example, a trip from Bedok North to MacPherson, after including waiting and transfers, would take around 25 minutes via feeder bus and DTL versus 42 minutes via bus service 66. The bus-MRT option also costs less because the distance travelled is shorter. LTA amended the route of bus service 65 in Tampines, so that commuters would still have connectivity between Tampines Avenue 4 and Bedok Reservoir Road when service 22 was shortened.”
“Sir, let me begin with Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Gerald Giam's questions on bus services. Mr Yong proposed that bus operators tap on taxi drivers as reserve bus captains who can be deployed during a crisis. Ms Joan Pereira made a similar suggestion at a recent Sitting to bring back former and recently retired bus captains. I thank both Members for their suggestions. These are possible ways to increase the resilience of our public transport workforce. On Mr Gerald Giam's questions, we shortened three bus services on 12 December 2021. Service 22 and service 66 ran from Ang Mo Kio to Tampines and from Jurong East to Bedok respectively. Service 506 was an express service from Jurong East to Upper East Coast. As Service 22 was shortened, consequential changes were made to service 65 to serve Tampines Avenue 4. Sir, I understand Mr Gerald Giam's concerns. When there are changes to bus services, commuters need time to adjust to the new arrangements. My PAP colleagues, who look after areas affected by these changes, have also shared feedback from their residents. I thank Mr Giam for giving MOT this opportunity to explain our approach to keep Singapore's public transport system financially sustainable while trying our best to balance the different trade-offs and always focusing on the best overall interests of commuters. Earlier, Minister Iswaran spoke about the importance of financial prudence and sustainability, for our public transport system to remain resilient, affordable and accessible over the longer term. To achieve this, we need to regularly trim and reallocate excess capacity, including bus services, when we expand our MRT network to keep overall costs manageable for commuters and taxpayers. So, how does LTA decide on changes to bus services?”
“So, we will need to adjust and calibrate our measures as we progress but never lose sight of the direction we are taking and the destination we want to arrive at. And always remain cohesive so that we can stay together while we move ahead as one united people. SG Together, Solidarity Forever! Sir, I support the Budget. Thank you. [Applause.]”
“Mr Kok Kuan Hwa, founder of the Chang Cheng Group, became an apprentice chef at the age of 15. Over the years, he and his team have worked hard, listened to customers' feedback, and improved constantly. They have improved efficiency, developed new products and brands, and become the food and beverage group it is today. The Chang Cheng Group and the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union worked together to set up a Company Training Committee (CTC) to develop plans for employee training, business transformation and job redesign, to train and upgrade the skills of all their employees (close to 1,000) and give them better job prospects. The Chang Cheng Group is also working with e2i to improve work efficiency, training employees to perform multiple roles, and help 56 low-wage workers and 15 older workers to upgrade their skills and earn higher wages. Through our tripartite partnership, NTUC will give full support to companies like the Chang Cheng Group and other local enterprises, enhance their competitiveness through transformation, and create more good jobs, better wages and a secure future for our workers. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have spoken about the importance of Growth, Protection and Skills Upgrading or "GPS". As a navigation tool, GPS can show us how to get to our destination, but GPS cannot get us there unless we embark on the journey. This is the journey of transforming and growing our economy to build stronger enterprise and workforce capabilities through tripartism and helping our workers to upgrade their skills to remain employable and to take on the new jobs that are being created. There will be obstacles and unexpected developments during this journey. Sometimes, the GPS may wrongly indicate a turning or we could discover new paths along the way.”
“Tourism Careers Hub will provide customised training courses focusing on skillsets that employers require, including traditional areas such as safety, security and customer service as well as emerging areas such as digital skills and knowledge in eco-tourism. Dedicated career coaches will advise new entrants and existing workers on the training they need to take on higher level jobs in the industry. Tourism Careers Hub will also facilitate placement of workers within the industry to help employers who are facing manpower shortages. Besides tourism, the Labour Movement is discussing with employers and Government agencies to explore setting up Tripartite Academies in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, retail, logistics, security, healthcare and maritime. We plan to start with these and grow the list of sectors over time. The Tripartite Academies will serve as collaboration platforms at the sectoral level to complement our network of CTCs which are collaboration platforms at the enterprise level. Both platforms are important because they support the larger national objective of transforming Singapore's economy by building stronger enterprise and workforce capabilities which will in turn provide better jobs and better wages for our workers. Mr Speaker, please allow me to continue in Mandarin before I conclude in English. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, we must continue to drive the transformation of businesses to achieve sufficient economic growth, to give our workers better wages, welfare and work prospects. We must protect their jobs and interests, treat them fairly, and ensure that their skills are constantly upgraded through lifelong learning. Take the Chang Cheng Group for example. They started from a coffee shop in Toa Payoh.”
“We propose to address the skills mismatch by forming Tripartite Academies, where we bring together unions, employers and Government agencies to jointly identify industry-specific skills requirements, so that workers can receive job-relevant training that prepare them for jobs that employers offer. The tripartite coordination can help achieve better alignment, improve job placement rates and reduce wasted time and effort for both employers and job-seekers. We have some experience with such tripartite collaborations. The Singapore Bus Academy (SGBA) was formed in 2016 as a partnership between Land Transport Authority, National Transport Workers' Union and the public bus operators to train bus captains and technicians. They have been doing good work to identify new skills required in the industry and preparing existing workers and new entrants with the relevant training. Another example is the Singapore Institute of Power and Gas (SIPG) that was set up in 2014 to be a Centralised Training Institute. I was then Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA). This has grown into a tripartite collaboration between the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE), industry and Government agencies like EMA. Under the leadership of Brother Samad, UPAGE worked with SIPG to train our workers in emerging areas, for example, Electric Vehicle charging facilities and wider adoption of renewable energy in Singapore. More recently, NTUC set up the Tourism Careers Hub with Singapore Tourism Board. We also brought in Workforce Singapore, e2i and the industry associations to help employers and workers from the tourism sector. The tourism industry has gone through a difficult period during the pandemic, but it is slowly recovering and I am confident it will bounce back.”
“I was also happy to learn from Garmit and Faizal that they appreciate having Ferry and other foreign colleagues as co-workers because they contribute to making the team more productive. And when the company does better, everyone gets to enjoy larger bonuses and higher salary increments. Dnata's example show that if we can work with companies through our tripartite partnership and CTC platform to create good jobs for locals and develop a strong Singaporean Core, it will help to provide sufficient protection and assurance to our people which will in turn allow Singapore to remain open and connected with the world. This brings me to the third and final area, skills upgrading for our workers. The Labour Movement believes that a good job is the best welfare for workers. And the best protection for their employability is to invest in their continuous training and skills upgrading. Lifelong learning for lifelong employability. I fully support MOE's plans to give lifelong learning a further boost and Minister Chan Chun Sing's call for all Singaporeans to "learn for life, and to learn throughout life". Skills upgrading and continuous learning are key priorities for the Labour Movement too. One practical challenge we want to tackle is the jobs-skills mismatch, where employers who are short-handed could not find enough workers with the right skills to fill their job vacancies. Some workers also feel frustrated when the new skills they acquire after going through training are not a good fit with what employers are looking for.”
“Last year, I suggested at an event with business and HR leaders that the Government should sharpen the differentiation in how we treat employers with good HR practices and strong relationships with the unions, versus those with poor HR records and do not put in effort to develop their local workforce. A differentiated approach is also fairer to good employers who have invested resources in building a strong Singaporean Core and developed positive relations with the Labour Movement. These companies add value to their workers and to the community and we should recognise their contributions in tangible ways, for example, by giving them a competitive advantage over their peers, including in areas, such as Government projects, grants and work pass applications. One example is dnata Singapore, which has been badly affected by the pandemic as their main business is ground handling, cargo and catering services to the aviation industry. After they formed a CTC with NTUC and completed their Operation and Technology Roadmap in 2020, the company started offering food services to local business and retail customers. They also invested in upskilling their workforce to support their transformation and to prepare for the recovery in the aviation sector. A 115 employees have taken on expanded job roles in Air Service Management, Passenger Services, Load Control and Cargo Services. I met three of their staff during my visit – Ms Garmit Kuar, Mr Abdul Faizal and Ms Ferry Carisma. Garmit and Faizal are locals, while Ferry came from the Philippines. They shared with me their challenges during the pandemic and their upskilling journeys to become trainers in dnata. They enjoy their new roles as it gives them great satisfaction to help their colleagues acquire new skills and knowledge.”
“This is why NTUC works closely with employers and the Government to grow Singapore's economy, attract more investments and create more good jobs for our people. As Minister Lawrence Wong said in the Budget Statement: "by combining local and foreign professionals, we form the teams in Singapore to create value together. This gives us that extra advantage to excel amidst intense global competition and to create many good jobs and career choices for Singaporeans." Sir, to be clear, there are some employers who do not practise fair hiring and do not invest enough in developing their Singaporean Core. They are the minority among employers, but their behaviours have created a negative impact on the lived experiences of our workers and their families. NTUC supports the Government’s moves to differentiate the inflow of foreigners to offer better protection for Singaporean workers and to take firm enforcement action against errant employers to send a clear message. However, we must not react to the small number of black sheep employers by implementing overly tight foreign manpower measures that will hurt our businesses, or worse, by stirring anti-foreigner sentiments amongst our population. Such moves are detrimental to Singapore and Singaporeans as they damage our international standing, erode cohesion in our society and lead to job losses for our workers. Instead, a key part of our response must focus on working with employers and HR managers through tripartism to improve workplace practices for local workers, strengthen the emphasis on developing local talent and invest in building a strong Singaporean Core.”
“Together with our partners, NTUC will expand our services to help even more vulnerable workers through training and job placement. The number of vulnerable workers may be a small proportion of our overall workforce, but this is a meaningful area for the Tripartite Partners to focus on. Last evening, Mr Shawn Huang spoke passionately about how he and his colleagues have worked with Ms Denise Phua to help a group of vulnerable workers find meaningful employment. And what he shared really touched my heart – to build a more caring and inclusive society, we must do our best to leave no one behind. Sir, another way to benefit our local workers is to keep Singapore open and connected with the world, so that our companies can grow their business operations and create good jobs for Singaporeans. I agree with Mr Edward Chia that Singaporean workers are capable, but there are not enough of us. Minister Ong Ye Kung made the same point during an earlier debate in this House. We believe a balanced and complementary approach is better for our local workers, instead of rejecting free trade agreements (FTAs) and turning away foreigners and foreign investments. We understand the concerns of local workers regarding competition from foreigners. NTUC will do our best to protect the rice bowls of our workers and champion fair employment practices for locals. However, we know this alone is not sufficient. Having an empty rice bowl does not help our workers. They cannot eat the bowl. To enable our workers to have better jobs and better lives, we must also protect our rice fields and ensure that the fields are productive and can yield bountiful harvests year after year. Then our workers and their families, their rice bowls will be filled with rice.”
“Let me start with the support for vulnerable workers. I visited Agape Connecting People, a social enterprise that helps individuals turn their lives around through skills upgrading and job placement. The beneficiaries include people who are physically or visually challenged, single mothers and ex-offenders, with the last group forming the majority of their clients. One of its co-founders, Mr Anil David, is an ex-offender himself. He founded Agape Connecting People to help other vulnerable workers by equipping them with job-ready skills. He and his team have helped more than 800 vulnerable workers to find jobs and, just as important, to discover their sense of purpose, dignity and self-worth. One beneficiary is Ms Nur Madiah Lim, who was born without hands and legs. When Nur approached Agape Connecting People for help, the company trained and appointed her as one of its contact centre agents. She has been in this job now for the past three years and continually hones her skills to manage calls, emails and live chats. Nur went on to handle a National CARE Hotline (NCH) and earned her diploma, which was one of the goals she set to achieve. Her other goal was to own an HDB flat, which she has also achieved. Well done, Nur! Your resilience, determination and positive attitude are a source of inspiration. NTUC and e2i have been partnering social enterprises and agencies like Agape Connecting People, Yellow Ribbon, Singapore Prison Service and SG Enable to help our fellow Singaporean workers like Nur and many others. I am also glad the Jobs Growth Incentive, which has been extended to September 2022, will continue to include higher support for employers who hire persons with disabilities and ex-offenders.”
“Management and union agreed to redesign the role of "Machinists" to "Robotics Operators". Some of the workers were initially reluctant because they were unsure how they could adapt to the new requirements because they had been working as "Machinists" for many years. But with support from the union and from management, the workers embarked on the transformation journey and, over time, they became more confident and more familiar with the digital tools. After its transformation, Certact Engineering has more than doubled its revenue and is expanding its operations to take on more contracts. The growth benefited the workers, too, as they received significant wage increases. It is a win-win outcome that we want to scale up and achieve together with other CTC companies. NTUC will go beyond our original target of forming 1,000 CTCs by this year to achieve a more ambitious goal of having at least 2,500 CTCs by 2025. We will make good use of the $30 million funding from the Government to expand our team of Industry Training Officers (ITOs) and enlarge our network of CTCs to benefit more workers and more companies. I will now talk about protection for our workers and I will focus on two areas: first, how NTUC can uplift vulnerable workers, including ex-offenders as well as persons with special needs and disabilities, through skills upgrading and job placement. Second, why the Labour Movement firmly supports the Government’s policy for Singapore to remain open to international trade, investments and foreign workers. Because we know that our workers can have better wages and better work prospects when our economy is open and connected with the world and when we allow employers to have a complementary mix of local and foreign workers to grow their business in Singapore.”
“Depending on their requirements, NTUC can help CTC companies to redesign jobs and implement productivity improvements, improve workplace safety and health, to promote physical and mental well-being of our workers, provide training to existing workers and new entrants and match jobseekers to companies that are growing and expanding their workforce. We also have strong support from Government agencies and employers, which makes a powerful combination for driving enterprise and workforce transformation through CTC as a collaboration platform. I am happy that Ms Janet Ang, Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Sharael Taha have expressed support for setting up CTCs. They are experienced business leaders who understand tripartism well. The Labour Movement would also like to thank the Government for agreeing to our proposal to provide NTUC with $100 million to scale up our CTCs. And this includes a $70 million grant to help CTC companies implement their transformation plans. This will give NTUC additional resources to work with our CTC companies and co-fund their proposals to raise productivity, re-design jobs, upskill workers and improve work prospects by helping every worker to become a better worker through training, making every job a better job through job redesign and then matching the better workers to the better jobs through effective job placement. Certact Engineering is a local SME that provides precision and plastic engineering services. The Managing Director, Ms Ellis Eng, is a strong believer in training and self-improvement. She started her career as a nurse before she joined Certact. Through on-the-job training, she picked up new skills and learnt more about its business functions. Certact Engineering formed a CTC with the Advanced Manufacturing Employees’ Union (AMEU).”
“" When Singapore’s economy transforms and the profile of our workforce changes, this important purpose shall remain at the heart of NTUC’s mission. Even as we evolve "what" we do and "how" we achieve our outcomes. In Mandarin, we say 不忘初心，与时并进. Never forgetting our core purpose and DNA, while moving in tandem with changing times. We could see how this principle was translated into action when NTUC implemented new ideas over the years. For example, when we developed the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) to uplift the salaries and skills of our low-wage workers without exposing them to dis-employment risks. Or when NTUC set up e2i to work with Government agencies and employers to improve productivity and help workers find jobs, which is especially important during a crisis. A more recent innovation is the formation of Company Training Committees (CTCs) between our unions and employers to strengthen our engagements with companies and workers through NTUC’s Training and Placement Ecosystem. Since Brother Koh Poh Koon started the CTCs in April 2019, we have set up 826 CTCs so far, with both large organisations and SMEs. Our ecosystem brings together a comprehensive package of training and placement services provided by e2i, NTUC LearningHub, Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute and NTUC’s Industry Training and Transformation team. Compared to an entity which does only training or only job matching, we provide companies and workers with a wider range of integrated services. Our union leaders will mobilise workers to actively upskill themselves and support the company’s transformation plans.”
“Brother Seah Kian Peng will share on cost pressures faced by SMEs and how NTUC and our social enterprises have helped Singaporeans to manage costs of living and provided assistance to our members. Together, the Labour Members of Parliament will present how NTUC has championed the interests of our workers and helped them to achieve better wages, better welfare and better work prospects – because every worker matters, and every worker can make a difference. Sir, today, I will focus on how a strong tripartite partnership between the Labour Movement, Government and employers will enable our workers to benefit from better growth, better protection and better skills. Let me start with growth and why this is important to give our workers a brighter future. In his speech at the 1976 NTUC's Second Triennial Delegates Conference, Dr Goh Keng Swee warned about the dangers of having small or no economic growth. Without sufficient growth, we have a zero-sum game. This will intensify social conflict because one group can only benefit at the expense of another. Instead of win-win, we have win-lose. And when cohesion is affected, win-lose will soon become "lose-lose". This is why the Labour Movement fully supports the Government’s efforts to grow Singapore’s economy and to ensure that when companies do well, our workers receive a fair share of the gains. The PAP Government has consistently placed emphasis on achieving this win-win outcome through tripartism, to keep improving the lives of our workers. As Mr Lee Kuan Yew said: "It is in the interest of the workers and their unions that we must strive for growth and development. In other words, growth is meaningless unless it is shared by the workers.”
“Mr Speaker, the Labour Movement welcomes the pro-worker, inclusive and forward-looking Budget by Minister Lawrence Wong. I join Members of this House to thank our workers for their hard work and sacrifices during the pandemic. This includes our frontline workers and also those who are providing critical support behind the scenes. In my capacity as advisor to the Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU) and as Senior Minister of State for Transport, I have witnessed how our healthcare and transport workers have stood strong and resilient in the face of challenging circumstances, to care for patients and commuters, and to keep Singapore connected with the world. Our Labour Members of Parliament will speak about how NTUC and our tripartite partners have worked together to protect, enable and care for our workers. Brother Abdul Samad will share his views on the protection of workers during the pandemic and beyond. Brother Heng Chee How will touch on enhancing employment for older workers, a topic close to his heart. Brother Patrick Tay will focus on strengthening workplace fairness and support for professionals, managers and executives. Brother Desmond Choo will talk about providing support and opportunities for younger workers. Brother Melvin Yong will speak on improving mental health support for our workers and enhancing consumer protection. Brother Fahmi Aliman will touch on NTUC's efforts to uplift lower-wage workers, reflecting our shared values with the People's Action Party to build a fair and just society. Sister Yeo Wan Ling will highlight how NTUC has provided support for women, family, self-employed persons and workers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”
“Sir, I thank Ms Pereira for her feedback, her suggestion. I think that is a good point. We do have a group of recently retired and also former BCs. We have been reaching out. As Ms Pereira is aware, we are trying to increase the number of local BCs by reaching out to more individuals to join us, to take on this important and meaningful role, to be part of the public transport workforce. At the same time, we know that it is not easy to train a BC, because it takes time. So, while we try to bring back the former BCs, retired BCs, we also need time to train new ones. This is an ongoing effort. We want to do both: we want to bring in new BCs to join us, to grow our workforce for public transport workers; and at the same time, if we can bring back some of the former BCs as well as those who are recently retired, that will also help. If I may also make a call to commuters that during this period, what is very important is to keep everybody safe on our public transport system. So, please cooperate with the safe management measures, including wearing your masks on MRTs, on trains, minimise talking. These are all simple but effective steps to keep everybody safe.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Omicron variant is more infectious, we have seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the community. Due to high vaccination and booster rates, as well as tight safe management measures, infected bus captains, or BCs, account for less than 5% of the total BC population. LTA and the bus operators are watching the situation closely. If we face a large increase in the number of infected BCs, the contingency plans will be activated to ensure that essential bus services continue to operate. That is the key. And this includes lengthening of bus service headways, starting with low demand bus services. Some of these plans have already been implemented, with about 90 bus services experiencing increased waiting times of not more than three minutes. Where possible, LTA and the bus operators will also deploy more double-deck buses for services with higher loading. Sir, I would like to thank our commuters for their continued understanding and support for the hard work and sacrifices of our public transport workers, as we ride this wave together.”
“Madam, this network of roads leading to the port is important. As Mr Tan pointed out, we want to make sure that for the container trucks and also other vehicles that are travelling to and from the port, there will be sufficient capacity to cater to this requirement. It is an ongoing review. The development of the port will not happen in one phase but over a period of time; demand will build up. And therefore, the development of the road infrastructure to support port operations would also have to be reviewed in tandem with how we scale up the operations of Tuas Port.”
“Madam, I thank Mr Huang for his question. This is an issue which we will continue to monitor. I have explained in this House previously that the extension of the MRT network will depend on the demand for public transport services. And this is not going to be dependent only on the workers who are going to PSA, but also on the surrounding industrial area where we are planning to build up some manufacturing capabilities in the vicinity of the port. So, depending on the developments and also depending on the demand for public transport services, the need to invest additional amount of resources to extend the MRT can then be made based on this more holistic and complete picture.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and agencies have been monitoring the pace of developments in the Tuas area, including the plan for the build-up of operations at Tuas Port up till the 2040s when it will become fully operational. To support the expected increase in travel demand to the area, LTA has been progressively expanding transport provisions. In 2017, LTA completed the Tuas West Extension by adding four Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations to the East-West Line. This has brought about significant time savings for commuters travelling to the Tuas area. LTA also introduced two new public bus services 247 and 248 to enhance transport connectivity in the Tuas and Tuas South region. Tuas Road Viaduct Phase 1, which improves accessibility to Tuas South and Tuas Port, has also been completed. The completion of the Jurong Region Line by the second half of this decade will also significantly improve connectivity in the Western region and benefit workers. LTA and the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have also worked with PSA to expand the coverage of their employee shuttle services to complement the public bus network. Agencies will continue to monitor the travel demand, review the adequacy of transport provisions, and engage key stakeholders of the area, such as PSA and the unions.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about the types of cases that I reported earlier: 148 so far between January and May 2021, they are different types of accidents. Some involving pedestrians, some involving cyclists, some involving motorists. I think what happened in Bukit Batok is within the interchange and it is actually between two buses. But Mr Saktiandi Supaat is right. Safety is not just safety within interchanges; safety is also safety in different settings, including on the roads. So, this is why, in my main reply, I emphasised that safety, both within interchanges and in different settings, is a priority. And this is something which we must continue to pay careful attention to, continue to look for ways in which we can do better both in terms of the infrastructure but also, importantly, the behaviours and safety consciousness of users – from bus captains to motorists, to cyclists to pedestrians. So, it is an ongoing effort and I would like to call upon all stakeholders to please continue to work with us because, ultimately, safety is a collective responsibility.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. Again, I want to stress that the importance of safety is something that both LTA and the public transport operators, we take very seriously. And not only do we look at how we can learn from every accident or every near miss and how we can then improve both in terms of the infrastructure, but also in terms of the safety procedures and the awareness of bus captains to pay attention to safety. Sir, I want to assure the Member and his residents that all bus interchanges – and this includes Bukit Batok Bus Interchange – have safety features in place that meet prevailing safety standards. Notwithstanding the presence of these safety features, safe driving is ultimately the most important. Because no matter how much infrastructure we put in, if it is due to human error, the infrastructure cannot completely take that away. So, safe driving, at the end of the day, I think it is still the most crucial and this is what will help to reduce the risk of accidents. So, I mentioned earlier in my main reply, how we have built in some of these safety features into the design of the buses, to also monitor using telematics systems the driving behaviours of individual bus captains and then to pick up those that may require further refresher training. There is also constant sharing to reinforce the importance of safety. Through this whole process in obeying speed limits, obeying, traffic schemes, both within the bus interchanges and also outside on the roads, this is what will allow us to continue to improve safety records of our public transport system.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank Dr Tan for his three supplementary questions. I share the concerns that his residents expressed about safety. As I mentioned earlier, safety is a priority for LTA and also for our public transport operators. We will continue to watch this carefully, not just safety within the bus interchanges, but also safety on the roads too. Sir, the accidents and data for near misses for Bukit Batok Interchange is not too different from what is in the general situation that I reported earlier, in terms of the accident rate and also the number of accidents that happen within bus interchanges and also across different settings. There is this very unfortunate accident that happened in July, as I mentioned earlier, investigations are ongoing, so I do not want to go into the details of the causes and also, the accountability of different parties. I think we let the investigation take its natural course. But what is important to remember is that the public transport operators, all four of them, have a process of collating and sharing information about accidents and near misses so that we learn. After every accident or every near miss, there is a learning process to see how we can further reduce the risk of future accidents.”
“They have also invested in telematics systems on board buses which monitor the driving of bus captains and proactively identifies those who require refresher training. With these measures, our public bus safety record has improved in recent years and there are relatively few accidents. The number of accidents involving public buses, not just in bus interchanges but across different settings, has been falling steadily. There were 148 of such accidents between January and May 2021, as compared to 270 in the same period in 2017. The average yearly accident rate for our public buses has been on a downward trend over the last few years, from about 0.15 cases per 100,000 bus-kilometre travelled in 2017, to about 0.10 cases per 100,000 bus-kilometre travelled between January and May 2021. Accidents that occur are often attributed to human factors, such as failing to keep a proper lookout or give way to traffic with right of way. The public bus operators and LTA have put in place a process to collate and share learning points from accidents and also near-misses to raise awareness among bus captains and reduce the risk of future accidents.”
“Thank you, Sir. On 11 July 2021, an accident occurred at the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange when a bus that was making a turn within the interchange hit another bus that had just entered the interchange. Following the incident, a bus captain was placed under arrest by the Traffic Police and has been temporarily suspended from active duty by Tower Transit Singapore. The Traffic Police is investigating the accident. As investigations are ongoing, I would refrain from commenting on the cause and contributing factors for the accident. SBS Transit and Tower Transit Singapore have been in close contact with the passengers and the two injured bus captains, including rendering help to facilitate their medical and insurance claims. The National Transport Workers Union is also working with operators to provide support for the bus captains. Sir, safety is a key priority for the Government and public transport operators. Bus interchanges are designed to ensure safe movement of passengers and bus captains. Prior to the commencement of operations, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts analyses and trials to ensure that buses can move around the interchange safely. Buses driving within the interchanges must adhere to a speed limit of 15 kilometres per hour and obey traffic schemes such as the stop lines and the "Slow" markings which are prominently painted on the driveways. Bus parking warning systems are also installed to warn bus captains of reversing buses. All four bus operators have instituted continual safety training for their bus captains, imposed disciplinary procedures for errant bus captains as well as provide incentives for safe driving.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 8, 9 and 10 together?”
“Sir, I thank Mr Ang for his questions. I think we should view the ITP and also other forms of such certificates, as a two-step process. The first step is how do we establish ways to verify the authenticity of these certificates? So, in other words, I need to make sure that when you say that you are tested and it is PCR negative, or when you say that you are vaccinated, I can trust that this information is accurate and there is a way to do this. So, I think that is the first step: establishing the checks to verify how authentic, how accurate is this information. The second step is, once you have this information, then what do you do with it. That is a separate discussion. Just because the individual comes from a particular country and has been tested negative or has been vaccinated, does not mean that we automatically do away with some of the restrictions. Because it really depends on, first of all, what is the rate of infection in that source country, how confident are we of the risk level of this individual, when he or she travels to Singapore. And that would then determine what kind of safeguards we put in place. So, I think to answer Mr Ang's questions, this is an ongoing discussion with the countries that I mentioned earlier. But we should view this, really, as a two-stage process.”
“Mr Speaker, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been working with various countries and regions, including Singapore, to include vaccination certificates in the IATA Travel Pass (ITP) application. Since 1 May 2021, passengers travelling to Singapore have been able to use the ITP to share their pre-departure Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test results when checking-in with their airlines, as well as on-arrival at the immigration checkpoints at Changi Airport. Singapore is also in bilateral discussions with several countries on establishing mechanisms for the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates, including with Australia, Malaysia and Republic of Korea. We have set up inter-agency bilateral working groups with these countries and are exchanging information on how we may mutually verify the authenticity of each other’s certificates. This includes the exchange of public keys for the verification of digital certificates and the exchange of specimen copies for the verification of physical certificates. These discussions will likely take some time, as countries and regions are at different stages of progress in vaccinating their respective populations. Nonetheless, these multilateral and regional discussions are useful in laying the groundwork for us to re-open travel for vaccinated individuals between Singapore and these countries when we are ready to do so.”
“LTA is revamping the SRP and will work with Traffic Police to reach out to road users and encourage public participation. We intend to roll out the new Safe Riding Programme in the next few months." Sir, I wanted also to clarify what Mr Dennis Tan said earlier about how four years ago he has been raising Parliamentary Questions on riding culture. We formed the Active Mobility Advisory Panel in July 2015, more than five years ago. The panel was set up precisely to bring together different groups of stakeholders to look at how to improve road safety and how to promote a safe riding culture, a point which I think Mr Tan also feels strongly about. Over the years, I think the Members of Parliament in this House from both the PAP and the Opposition – and I believe also our Nominated Members of Parliament – have raised concerns and given suggestions on how to improve road safety. I think this is something we should acknowledge and not give the wrong impression that suggestions, comments and proposals for enhancing safety have only come from the Workers' Party.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I would like to clarify a couple of points that Mr Dennis Tan made in his earlier remarks. First, I want to thank Mr Dennis Tan for highlighting the importance of having a good riding culture. He also mentioned that he feels that licensing of bicycles and cyclists alone is not going to be effective because this needs to be accompanied by a safe riding culture. This point, I agree with him. Mr Dennis Tan also said that there needs to be enforcement going together with education. Again, this is a point which I agree with him. I just wanted to highlight, Mr Speaker, that I am not sure whether Mr Dennis Tan was in the Chamber earlier when I answered the Parliamentary Questions from Ms Poh Li San and Mr Gan Thiam Poh. They filed questions on road cycling and on safety, and I answered their Parliamentary Questions earlier today. In my reply, I actually addressed some of these points that Mr Dennis Tan raised. I said, for example, that enforcement and education need to go hand in hand. I also talked about the practices in other countries, of how they promote cycling safety without having to license cyclists or bicycles. I gave some examples in my reply. Importantly, I also acknowledged Mr Dennis Tan's written Parliamentary Question and I said – and if I may just read from my earlier reply: "In his written Parliamentary Question, Mr Dennis Tan asked if we have a public education campaign on safe practices for cyclists and pedestrians. Since 2018, LTA has offered the Safe Riding Programme (SRP). This is a voluntary education programme that is free-of-charge with both theory and practical components for all active mobility device users, including cyclists.”
“And I think they would consult widely with different groups of stakeholders before coming to the final recommendation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with Mr Gan that education and enforcement need to go hand in hand. That is what we have been doing. Mr Gan may be aware that we have been enforcing adherence to safety rules. And this is a joint effort by Traffic Police and LTA. We do need to recognise as well that when cyclists are on the road, they are more vulnerable compared to those who are travelling in motor vehicles. I also urge drivers to bear in mind that if you are driving past cyclists, please remember that they are more vulnerable on the roads. And I think it is important to also remember that the current rule on a multi-lane road is that it is not against the rule for cyclists to ride on the left-most lane but riding two abreast. They need not be in a single file. This is the current rule. They are only required to ride in a single file if they are riding on a road with a single lane. That is mainly to prevent obstruction to traffic. But on a multi-lane road, and if they are riding on the left-most lane, they are currently allowed to ride two abreast. There are some on-going discussions with different groups of stakeholders on whether this is a good practice or not. From one perspective, it does help to enhance safety for the cyclists. I think some cyclists also agree that the group should not be too big, but they say if they are riding in a reasonably sized group, the cars that are driving past, treat this group as though they are one slow moving vehicle. You pay more attention to looking out for them, being more aware of their presence on the road. There are some valid reasons as well why this rule is currently crafted. But as I have said earlier, AMAP is reviewing, they are looking at the trade-offs.”
“Sir, I am unable to answer on behalf of MOE on this point. But I just wanted to highlight that, currently, Primary school students do go through activities to teach them about road safety. There is also a collaboration with Traffic Police and LTA to bring our students to the Road Safety Park and to expose them to different aspects of road safety. I think this is something which requires continuous reinforcement along the way. I am not sure whether we want to put it into the curriculum because the curriculum is already, I think, very heavy with different content. This is something which we can find other ways of raising awareness, not just with students but also with other groups of road users. I mentioned earlier the Safe Riding Programme. LTA is working on this with Traffic Police and I hope that when the revised programme is ready, we can encourage the public to participate in this.”