Christopher de Souza
Singapore
“I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. My supplementary question arises out of our deployment of our Multi-Role Tankers Transport. I think our airmen and soldiers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and MINDEF should be commended. It was a complex high-altitude mission, and it was successful.”
“Much obliged, Sir. My supplementary questions draw from the fact that the situation displays: one, how Singapore has agency; and two, how Singapore can use the situation as a catalyst.”
“It cannot be allowed to be the master. It does not moralise. Thus, as we embrace AI, we must do so with discernment. We should use it to the extent that it facilitates decision-making, but it cannot be allowed to usurp our decision-making. Innovation cannot come at the expense of trespassing on some existing IP rights.”
“In relation to the study on the drug trafficking and the death penalty. In fact, in response to that, I think there is a very good statistic that we should elaborate on in this House and also out there in education that 15 grams of diamorphine feeds 180 drug abuses for one week.”
“The Singapore Land Authority plays an important role in unlocking the value of state land for community use. As a sportsman, I have personally seen with immense joy how underutilised spaces, such as areas under flyovers, can be transformed into safe and vibrant places for sport and recreation, whether for pickleball, futsal, badminton, te…”
“To propel our status as a hub, Singapore will need infrastructure, such as exhibition facilities, to showcase mediation capabilities, breakout rooms, bilateral mediation hearing rooms as well as printers, laptops and screens for settlement agreements to be typed out.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,264 lines we hold for Christopher de Souza, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 26.
“Much obliged, Sir. My supplementary questions draw from the fact that the situation displays: one, how Singapore has agency; and two, how Singapore can use the situation as a catalyst. On agency, how can Singapore use its sterling status as an oil trading hub and a critical oil refinery centre to create agency, to trade with Australia, for example, for enhanced LNG, or New Zealand for food supplies? Here, I declare that I am a lawyer in private practice who represents oil companies and oil refineries in Singapore. On the second point, as for us being able to use the situation as a catalyst, how can the crisis offer itself as a catalyst for Singapore to seriously explore nuclear civil energy, provided it is safe?”
“I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. My supplementary question arises out of our deployment of our Multi-Role Tankers Transport. I think our airmen and soldiers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and MINDEF should be commended. It was a complex high-altitude mission, and it was successful. My supplementary question is borne out of my request that an exhibition be included, of this exercise, in the syllabus of the Officer Cadet School's Air Wing or Specialist Command School, so that NSmen and our soldiers, both men and women, can learn from the courage and the complexity of these successful multi-faceted rescue operations and evacuation operations. So, would the Minister for Defence consider providing an inclusion of syllabus in the teaching of the commanders in our National Service, where we can glean extremely good lessons from successful missions such as these. And I state on record again, these men and women should be immensely commended.”
“It cannot be allowed to be the master. It does not moralise. Thus, as we embrace AI, we must do so with discernment. We should use it to the extent that it facilitates decision-making, but it cannot be allowed to usurp our decision-making. Innovation cannot come at the expense of trespassing on some existing IP rights. And here, Sir, allow me to declare that I am a partner in a private law firm, practising IP law and advising on AI law. Guardrails matter. In my view, there must be clear out-of-bound markers, no deepfakes, no deepfake pornography, no scams, no deception, no misrepresentation and no trespass on certain protected IP. If Singapore can be an engine for AI adoption while retaining its status as a trusted IP hub, we would have struck the right balance. In short, to discerningly balance AI's benefits without atrophying the human mind, we must ensure that AI remains the tool, not the master. Redesign Entry-level Jobs in Age of AI”
“A core responsibility of MDDI is shaping the historical narratives for Singaporeans and ensuring that our national historical touchstones are accurate, principled and grounded. In this regard, I wish to place on record my strong support for the recent exhibition on the Albatross File and the team of officers behind it. They should be commended. The exhibition does excellent work in bringing into sharp focus the circumstances of independent Singapore's birth, the pressures of the time – 1963 to 1965 – and the difficult trade-offs faced by our leaders. Understanding this history is not an academic exercise. The exhibition functions like a compass. It shows how decisions were made firmly on principle, but tempered by deep pragmatism. Faced with existential uncertainty, our Pioneers dug in, made hard choices and built a nation against the odds. These decisions made in the crucible of crises, shaped the DNA of independent Singapore. There is scope for similar exhibitions. For example, on COVID-19. The pandemic was, after all, a recent and defining moment in Singapore's post-independent history. Those late-night decisions, vaccine procurement choices, protecting lives and livelihoods, and the multiple debates we had in this House, between 2020 and 2022, and resuscitating Singapore Airlines. It was a crisis of a generation and we prevailed together. Decisions made in past crises shaped the DNA of a nation, and provide the ballast and compass for Singapore's future. The decision-making process should be displayed. Lessons learned from them in more exhibitions, such as that on the COVID-19 crisis. AI - Discernment while Innovating Sir, AI presents clear advantages. It can consume and summarise vast bodies of knowledge, but ultimately, AI is a tool.”
“The Singapore Land Authority plays an important role in unlocking the value of state land for community use. As a sportsman, I have personally seen with immense joy how underutilised spaces, such as areas under flyovers, can be transformed into safe and vibrant places for sport and recreation, whether for pickleball, futsal, badminton, tennis or even archery and possibly even hockey. But could we go beyond flyovers, empty school fields, old black and white bungalow spaces, old colonial terraces and more? All these are ripe for use for sport, football, archery, hockey, pickleball, dance, floorball and art galleries — Thank you. [Laughter.] Land Betterment Charge Regime”
“To propel our status as a hub, Singapore will need infrastructure, such as exhibition facilities, to showcase mediation capabilities, breakout rooms, bilateral mediation hearing rooms as well as printers, laptops and screens for settlement agreements to be typed out. Could the Minister provide an update on the number of countries that have ratified the convention, the take-up of mediator disputes under it and how MinLaw will continue to rally international support to strengthen Singapore's role as a global mediation hub? Reducing Attrition, Retaining Talent”
“The global commons is a shared space to be nurtured and contributed to. Singapore, in its humble way, has consistently contributed to the international legal order with a degree of humility, with a degree of credibility and its strong sense of responsibility. For example, the appointment of Mr Darren Tang as Director-General of WIPO as well as his successful reappointment for a second term reflects the strength of Singapore's legal and IP ecosystem, and that our ability to produce thought leadership organically from within our own system and our own country. It also signals international confidence in Singapore's values and competence. In addition to WIPO, we should continue to try to play a small part in the global commons. For example, we have put up Ambassador Rena Lee as our candidate to the International Court of Justice. This reflects our deep and humble commitment to the rule of law and peaceful dispute resolution in the world. It speaks well of Singapore as a society that wants to contribute towards the good of the global commons. How will MinLaw continue to support opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans to make meaningful legal contributions internationally? Singapore as a Mediation Hub The Singapore Convention on Mediation is an excellent piece of work showcasing Singapore's commitment to peaceful dispute resolution and the global commons. The legal service officers involved behind the convention and the Singapore Convention Week are to be commended. Today, Singapore has become a trusted and preferred destination for mediation. Many jurisdictions are now talking about the convention, thereby positioning Singapore as an ideal mediation hub. Here I declare that I am a partner in a legal private practice.”
“In relation to the study on the drug trafficking and the death penalty. In fact, in response to that, I think there is a very good statistic that we should elaborate on in this House and also out there in education that 15 grams of diamorphine feeds 180 drug abuses for one week. Half of them are married, that is 90 spouses, that is 270 people. If each of the married couple have one child, that is another 90. That is 360 people. That is one HDB block that I am responsible for. So, I think we have to be harsh with people who come and seek to do damage to lives over intergenerations and statistics like this are key to pursue our zero tolerance position on drugs. And I would like to know whether the Minister agrees with the use of statistics in such a forceful way to make an objective and evidentially based position.”
“Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the very strong support over the years and we share his passionate quest for us to continue this effort of keeping Singapore safe and secure and drug free. I thank the Member for the suggestion in how we can share some of these studies, research and also lessons learnt, lessons that we can learn from some of these countries. We not only refer to articles or literature, we also work with our counterparts. Sometimes when we visit them, we also learn from them. We see what is happening around them and we bring some of these learning points back. So, I assure the Member we will do that. So, that is actually from a societal point of view. But within, especially on the demand side, we have worked, or we are working with desistors who share their experiences with community at large. Schools, and even parents who are concerned about their children. So, we have built an ecosystem whereby we have readily available desistors who avail themselves and are very passionate about reaching out to them. So, we take on at two levels. One is at the national level, but I think equally, I would say, or more important, see how we can navigate this on the ground, where we really, really reach out through the various programme, like Dadah Itu Haram, with the IMC, that we have to prevent youth from taking or using drugs. At the same time, I shared with the Member about the cultural nuancing, Senior Minister of State Murali also going on the ground to reach out to the different communities. So, we thank the Member for his strong support, and we hope that he will continue to partner with us and to keep Singapore drug free.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman, and I thank the political officeholders for the responses, especially Minister Faishal Ibrahim on the drugs part. My clarifications are these. On the demand side of drugs, we have seen states that have legalised cannabis. Thailand, for example, Colorado, for example, and we see a very difficult, an immense difficulty in reversing this. We do not wish difficulties on our brother countries, but I think we should learn from this. We should learn and emphasise and educate Singaporeans to go easy on recreational drugs, creates a long tail of reversal. So could we put the literature out there to say that if you want to go down this route, it is going to be intergenerational harm to reverse it, even if it is reversed. That is the demand side of the house. On the supply side of the house where drug trafficking is concerned, there have been a number of studies and I would like to ask the Minister whether he would be emphasising the literature where a study was taken out a number of years ago as to whether Singaporeans supported the death penalty for certain offences, including drug trafficking, and there was quite a high degree of support for that. There was another separate study which showed that people deliberately trafficked below the capital punishment threshold, which would support the position that our tough drug laws deter. So, these should not be wasted opportunities to educate that we have a reasonably comprehensive way of dealing with our zero-drug tolerance attitude and would that go out in the educational realm to Singaporeans?”
“Transnational Drug Threats and Prevention”
“We should not be straitjacketed into thinking in terms of left leaning policies or right leaning policies or be trapped by ideological labels. What matters is whether a policy does right by people and addresses harm effectively. Take our drugs policy as an example. There is nothing contradictory about taking a hard, uncompromising position against traffickers while adopting a more rehabilitative approach towards addicts. Some may label rehabilitation as a left-leaning policy and tough enforcement against traffickers as a right-leaning policy. But that is not the correct lens, I humbly submit. The correct lens is whether the approach works, whether it is just and whether it protects society while giving individuals a chance to reform. Strong laws against traffickers are necessary because trafficking is a rational, profit-driven crime. At the same time, helping addicts who are sincere in kicking the habit through rehabilitation, employment support and reintegration is the right thing to do. These two approaches are complementary, not inconsistent. This principle, which I coin the principle of political ambidexterity, should guide all our legislative work. When debating Bills in this House and during Committee of Supply discussions, we must be willing to draw from different policy tools without being beholden to ideology. A rigid, purist approach, either entirely left leaning or entirely right leaning, risks missing the complexity of real-world problems. We should never be slaves to ideology, nor should we chase populism. Doing what is right often requires hard choices, balance and political nuance. It demands integrity and intellectual honesty. Hence, as with drugs, we should apply political ambidexterity in our legislative work in this House.”
“This is never easy. The Misuse of Drugs Act requires political courage because the buck ultimately stops with those elected – us, here – to make hard decisions. These laws must have teeth and rigour, because traffickers respond to cost-benefit calculations and deterrence must be real. At the same time, there is no contradiction in pairing this muscular stance against traffickers with a sincere commitment to rehabilitation. Those who consume drugs and then become addicted are sometimes the innocent ones. As a society, we must do our best to help those who are genuinely intent on kicking the habit or undergoing mandatory drug rehabilitation to drop the addiction. Rehabilitation cannot end at the prison gates. It requires a scaffold after release, pathways into stable employment and support for reunification with families. Meaningful work, dignity and responsibility are critical catalysts for reintegration and for breaking the cycle of relapse. The reward and the road towards an addiction-free life is not easy, but it is worth a good try. But rehabilitation is a shared responsibility. Addicts themselves have a role to play. They too must take ownership of their own path to recovery. But as a society, we should put in place schemes and funding to give them the best possible chance of kicking the drug addiction. In this case, the Singapore Prison Service and the Drug Rehabilitation Centre and the CNB have key roles to play. They are staffed by excellent officers. In this way, our approach remains principled and coherent – to deter traffickers with our muscle, and with our hearts, we rehabilitate those who are earnest in turning their lives around. This reflects good policy-making, which requires what I call political ambidexterity.”
“Drugs – Effective Rehabilitation In recent years, we have seen several jurisdictions liberalise their stance towards recreational drugs, particularly cannabis. More recently, some of these same jurisdictions are now attempting to reverse course. Thailand's U-turn is a case in point, but the critical question we must ask ourselves is this: while laws and policies can be reversed, can addiction be so easily undone? Can a permissive mindset towards recreational drugs be rolled back without long term and multi-generational consequences? The reality is that reversals have a long tail, which is not easily unwound. This is why Singapore's stance must continue to be one of zero tolerance towards drugs. Once a society normalises recreational drug use, the social, health and crime-related costs do not simply disappear with a policy reversal. 5.45 pm Singapore does not claim perfection in policymaking. But we must be clear-eyed and resolute. We must also look out for new psychoactive substances and new drug concoctions. In line with this, we must update the Misuse of Drugs Act to maintain its deterrence against new drugs. Drug trafficking is a rational crime. Syndicates operate on cold cost-benefit calculations. Any softening of our stance signals opportunity. We must remain firm against traffickers, resolute in enforcement and unwavering in our message to society, especially our youth, that there is no place for recreational drugs in Singapore. Our approach protects not just individuals but families and future generations. Staying firm today spares us deeper social costs tomorrow. Drugs – Effective Rehabilitation Singapore's approach to drugs has always rested on moral clarity and deep resolve. We take a strong and uncompromising position against drug traffickers.”
“Thank you, Chairman. The threat landscape today is increasingly complex and fraught with tension. Around the world, domestic politics have become a target by external influence. Singapore is deeply plugged into a globalised world economy and economically. Precisely because of this, we cannot afford to be naive about attempts by foreign actors to influence our domestic political discourse. Singapore must never be put in a position where we are told, mandated or commanded to choose sides, or where external powers attempt to muscle us into adopting positions that do not serve our national interest. Our compass must remain clear. Decisions taken in this House, this House of Parliament must be guided by what benefits Singapore and Singaporeans. This House and MHA have been doing so. As parliamentarians, our duty is to assess, debate and vote on issues through that lens alone. We all have a collective responsibility to maintain such a mature posture when discussing and debating internal affairs and internal politics. Singapore politics must remain the domain of Singaporeans. We must therefore remain alert, resilient and united in safeguarding our political system. Singapore must continue to send a clear signal that our politics is for Singaporeans to lead, manage and control. This is not about shutting ourselves off from the world. It is about ensuring that while we remain open, engaged and principled internationally, our sovereignty, independence and democratic processes remain firmly protected and non-negotiable. We must be cautious about foreign actors. Most of all, we must be principled about discussing sensitive state topics, defence, internal security, race and religion in a sensible, cogent and respectable way in public discourse in Singapore and in this House.”
“Yes. The view is that they need this extra support beyond what the fees allow them, or the subsidies allow them to retrain. So, can there be some flexibility injected into the review mechanism, for how much uplift they can get in terms of their subsidies?”
“Again, I thank the good Senior Minister of State, for his comprehensive reply. I seek some indulgence and flexibility from the Senior Minister of State in relation to this group of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) who are extremely specialised. They have done their post graduate studies, possibly PhDs, and they have sort of pigeonholed themselves into a specialisation. AI disruption comes and pulls the rug from under their feet, and then, they really have to reinvent themselves. And the view, and I will come to my supplementary, Sir —”
“The first supplementary question has to do with plugging the gaps. The second supplementary question has to do with lateral movements within one union structure. So, if a union represents multiple industries that are actually related, and I think engineering and IT are quite related, can we create a tight labour market within that union structure, so that we have lateral employment opportunities given? And it is arising out of my experience working closely with the FDAWU.”
“I thank the good Senior Minister of State for the comprehensive reply. My supplementary question, Sir, is born out of what I think is a perceived gap where PMETs, in particular, engineers and information technology (IT) people, have given me feedback on my home visits and Meet-the-People Sessions that they are finding it extremely difficult to find alternative jobs. So, I am wondering whether we can look beyond the SkillsFuture. That is my first supplementary question. The second supplementary question is, to look at mentorship programmes and lateral hires within the industry; that is my second supplementary question. And a third supplementary question, which brings it altogether, is the experience that I have with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU). And in the FDAWU, we care for hotels, food and beverage (F&B), retail and restaurants. And if there is any dip in employment in one sector, then it is a very natural shift to go into another sector, because a person who has worked in a restaurant can then work in a hotel restaurant. So, are we looking at creating tight labour markets within the IT and engineering sectors, such that if there is retrenchment, there can be lateral movements within, for example, union membership, where the unions represent multiple related industries. I appreciate the good work that the Senior Minister of State and his team are doing, but I am just here trying to propose positive steps to plug the gap where the IT and the engineering sector is concerned; and this is born out of my home visits.”
“I thank the good Minister for the comprehensive reply and also put on record my thanks to the officers who work tirelessly behind the scenes. My question is one born out of history. We debated in this Parliament the Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill and we saw – Mr Speaker, l will get to my point soon – a great increase in air quality. And I think there has been a lot of cooperation from the south. I have read reports that this deluge of potential pollution came not from the south. So, I would like to understand how we, as a Government, as a Ministry, is engaging the people creating this air pollution to reciprocate the domestic efforts of Singaporeans, reciprocate the domestic efforts of our Government agencies, such that, on both sides, we do not emit pollution. And here I speak from some degree of experience. Having done my home visits, in or around the time to my constituency, and I felt and I breathed not all that high quality of air. So, I seek reciprocity in the region for all our efforts – and this is a humble request.”
“I do apologise for going on a little bit more, but for those of us who were not in the House, I can say that it was certainly one of the most difficult speeches I gave. And we have now come to that situation where we have to make a decision in a future government. I hope it is done sensitively and tactfully, and with Singaporeans' best interests at heart.”
“First, I would like to thank the Acting Minister for a heartfelt response to this very difficult topic. My clarification revolves around how we debated this extensively in 2017, over two days. It was a very difficult debate; emotional. Mr Lee had only passed two years prior to that. Our then-Prime Minister responded and then, then-Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, at the time, gave what I thought was an excellent conclusion that a future Government, in the fullness of time, on the passage of time, will have to make that decision. Here we are today and the Minister is now speaking, on behalf of that Government, albeit at an initial stage. So, here I speak and seek clarification that as we move forward, that we realise there are many different interpretations of Mr Lee's wishes and preferences. And when eventually the Government, the good government of the day, makes this decision, to – I humbly request – be sensitive, be tactful in the explanations, as to why we are doing, or why it is doing what it is doing. I listened to Ms Chong's question and I also listened to Mr Liang's question, and I think they are both very good questions. We have a parallel Founders' Memorial, which actually is suppose to give the history, the ethos, the value system of our founding fathers. And I understand that the authenticity of the location of 38 Oxley Road differentiates itself from the Founders' Memorial, but I ask also for a deeper explanation, as the time comes, as to why the Government eventually makes its decision. And here I say this, with the House's interest at heart, with Singapore's interests at heart and Mr Lee Kuan Yew's interests at heart and overall, the Government's.”
“Question No 6. The Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Nutri-Grade measures were applied first to beverages, as they contribute to more than half of Singaporean’s sugar intake. Beverages containing the highest levels of sugar and saturated fat are graded "D" and are subject to advertising prohibitions across all media platforms. We have seen encouraging results with the Nutri-Grade measures in place. The median sugar level of pre-packaged beverages has decreased from 7.1% in 2017 to 4.6% in 2023, and the average daily sugar intake of residents has fallen from 60 grammes in 2018 to 56 grammes in 2022. To reduce sodium intake and further reduce saturated fat consumption, Nutri-Grade measures will be extended to key contributors of sodium and saturated fat intake sold in the retail setting from mid-2027. Similarly, advertisements promoting the sale of products including prepacked salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil that are graded "D" will be prohibited. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the Nutri-Grade measures on the dietary habits of Singapore residents, as well as developments around the region and internationally, before considering any further measures.”
“I thank you, Mr Speaker. This is a difficult and emotional topic. And I want to thank Minister Desmond Lee and Minister of State Goh Pei Ming for their heartfelt responses. I felt the emotion in them. And I just wanted to ask my supplementary question as one of balance. In my own personal dealings with the Social Service Officers (SSOs) and MSF, they are excellently diligent and hardworking people. They worked with me at 2.00 am on cases; likewise, Home Affairs officers visiting homes where there is abuse. So, I am genuinely concerned, and this is I am mounting my supplementary question that we do not forget the excellent hard work of the many diligent officers. And yes, there have been a number of difficult gaps that have aligned, and Megan is no longer with us, but I hope we will not throw the baby out with the bath water. My question to the good Minister and the good Minister of State is how are we going to take care of our diligent, exceptional, dedicated officers who are the vast majority in each of these institutions and have their morale kept high while in parallel, we close the gaps that have led to this tragedy? I do not wish to underestimate the impact of Megan on all of us, but how do we walk this tight rope of encouraging and uplifting the morale of these excellent officers in both Ministries, while at the same time plugging the loopholes?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the three Ministers for their excellent responses. My clarification is borne out of my understanding of the three Ministerial Statements that, in fact, we do have two levels of agency. The first is diplomacy and accessibility that our MFA has in the region. The Minister gained access to the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Palestinian territories and Israel, all in the same visit, in 2024, and were able to listen to many different levels of positions and each level not being homogenous. Also, the second level of agency, which is our SAF, being able to deploy our Charlie-130s airdrops, working with the Jordanian air force. So, I feel humbly proud, if that is the correct word to use, that we have two excellent institutions with major agency. I would like to ask what, we, as a small country in this part of the world, is able to do with these two levels of agency to work together with like-minded countries, to bring about dialogue and discussion between two sides in the Middle East conflict, to achieve as best as we can, maximum hope for peace and stability whilst obviously also having a close eye on what our national interests are? How can we use the agencies of diplomacy, in the form of MFA and humanitarian assistance in the form of SAF, to bring about one step closer to peace in the region?”
“However, the reality, if you look globally, is that this is something that governments around the world, across the world, are handling this issue; whereby for us, we have a strong stance and that is a protection for our system. Nevertheless, even with a strong stance, the traffickers, syndicates will always find opportunities to slip in. And what about those without the strong stance? You can imagine how the people are affected by not only drugs, controlled drugs, but also substances that can give them a very, very, even short time, or a level of highness that would keep them addicted to it. So, we will continue to look at the MDA. As the Member shared, we have enhanced how we deal with NPS. This is something that we will continue to do, to look at the landscape and see what ways we can continue to strengthen it. So, I assure the Member that we are in this very seriously. Why? Because we have seen how, in other parts of the world, many countries not only got affected; they turned into a narcotic-state because they were taking a very light stance on it; they felt, initially, nothing will happen to them. But this whole idea of the syndicates trafficking and how they introduce substances and drugs into the society quietly underground and when you come to know about it, you realise it is too late and it is going to be very difficult. I have met many of my counterparts who were taken by surprise, not knowing what is to come. We are on the right path and we want to get the support of all the Members here and fellow Singaporeans, so that we can continue to do this and protect our people together.”
“I thank the Minister for his clear responses. My supplementary questions are borne out of my understanding of the MDA. The MDA is effective, it is an excellent tool to combat drugs, provided the drug is classified in a certain Schedule; and here, Class C. And the last time we had a lot of difficulty with cross-border importation of drugs was new psychoactive substances (NPS). In fact, the Minister and I had a debate about this in a Motion. So, my concern is that we do not know what is beyond the horizon. My question is, how can we make the system more efficient and effective so that if some NPS, some new drug comes up on the market, we are able to have the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) work together, get it under the Class C and therefore, administered. Because without it being a Schedule drug, we cannot consider them: the people who traffic, as traffickers; the people who consume, as consumers. So, it is critical in the legal stratosphere to have this efficiently, effectively and promptly scheduled as a Class C drug. That is my genuine concern. I want to know why it took so long for etomidate to be classified as a Class C drug and what more can we do in future to plug this gap and be more efficient in enforcement? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Minister Ong has shared his view and I concur with his view that, yes, we will continue to make sure that we are quick and also we are able to address the issue with regard to the new types of substance that come on board.”
“I thank the Minister for his clear response. I just like to re-introduce the subutex experience all those years ago. I remember we had to fill the gap with subutex and it took some time to fill the gap for subutex before we could classify it as an illegal drug and then take enforcement action. I just see a little bit of similarity here with etomidate. I am concerned at the length of time it took HSA to classify this as a Class C drug. I do not know the ins and outs of HSA. There could be a number of reasons why the experiments had to take so long or the policy considerations. I would like to know whether we had learnt from the subutex situation and whether or not we could have been quicker in reducing, the amount of time it took to classify etomidate as a Class C. Because only then, can you come in and do all the enforcement.”
“Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State. I was wondering whether MSE has got feedback about the Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers from merchants and hawkers, and whether it is a multiplier effect to generate business in the heartlands? And if so, would they support the additional provision of CDC Vouchers from your Ministry's point of view?”
“If I may, Sir, tripartism is a bedrock of Singapore's economy – the employers, the Government, the employees. Do you seek to unravel that? I have been an MP for a number of years. When I go overseas, people ask: why are your unions not fighting against your government? It is a misnomer overseas. But here, it is something special. My answer to the hon Member Mr Giam is that, please, do not seek to unravel a secret formula, a good formula that we have in Singapore which is tripartism between the Government, the employers and the employees. The only conclusion I can draw, in my limited human mind, is that Mr Giam is a making a political point, whereas in my humble priority, it is Singapore that remains the priority.”
“It makes no sense, except if you dissect Mr Giam's position as being completely political. So, woe to those who disregard the past, especially if they seek to lead the future. [Applause.]”
“Mr Speaker, I listened very carefully to what Mr Gerald Giam had to say. My understanding is if the WP becomes the government of the day, then "we, the Workers' Party", according to Mr Gerald Giam, will partner unions. Yet, Mr Giam says that you do not want NTUC to be tethered to the Government or PAP. I do not think you can have your cake and eat it. We do not use the word "tethered". We use the words "partnership", "alliance", "solidarity" and "equal partnership". We do not use the word "tethered". Point number one. Point number two about Mr Gerald Giam's insinuations, that there is a suggestion that NTUC is subordinate to the PAP's interests when it comes to Labour Movement negotiations and trajectories, this is completely inaccurate. Let me share with the Member my personal experience. In the middle of COVID-19, we had multiple difficulties with the occupancy rates in hotels. I had the privilege of being the advisor to the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union, or FDAWU. They were down one quarter occupancy rate, half occupancy rate. We met with them multiple times. Never in the meetings was there a subordinate-and-elder relationship. It was about how we get our workers in their jobs through the pandemic, secure and get Singapore's economy afloat. We worked hand in hand, in solidarity. Point number two. So, on two points, I disagree with the hon Member Gerald Giam, from personal experience. Number three, where was the partnership between PAP and NTUC formed? It was in the crucible of fire. We were fighting the communists. Mr Lee Kuan Yew represented the Postal Workers' Union. And why should we not rely on such trust, solidarity, mutual respect, equality, mutual relationship in advancing Singapore's cause? Why unravel that?”
“This is a major issue and had major consequences. So, I would like to ask the Minister, are we over reliant on iPads and IT to the prejudice of our students and conventional teaching? Point number two, so much is now being deflected to screen time for learning. Point number three, I have been told that even some primary schools issue iPads to Primary 4 students. Fourth supplementary question, I have studied this – over reliance on screen learning dulls the mind. The abacus or the calculator in the mind becomes slow. Even Minister Chan talks about doing mathematics in Cantonese in his mind. No amount of parental guidance can stop gaming and possibly even pornography. So, I wish to put on record these concerns as supplementary questions and before doing so, I declare that I am a parent of four children who are involved in iPad learning. It is my own view that too much learning is done on the screen, but as a matter of being a Member of Parliament, I will also state that the schools in the ward that I am responsible for, were affected by this shutdown and affected quite badly.”
“I think I have been in this House long enough for people to know that I put principles above politics. First point. Second point, I listened very carefully to what Mr Giam was saying for I think 60% or 70% of his speech – and it was essentially an attack on the NTUC and by extension, an attack on the NTUC's symbiotic relationship with the PAP. And I do not think one can disagree with that because at about the 60th or 70th percent mark of the speech, the hon Member says, now I turn my focus to the Bill. What was the hon Member's focus prior to that? So, no, I am not standing here as a point of order to make a political point. I am not that type of person. I am governed by principles and my point is that the hon Member went beyond the line on this Bill.”
“Most certainly, Mr Speaker, Sir, the record will speak for itself. I enjoin Mr Pritam Singh, the respectable Leader of the Opposition and Mr Giam to pick up my speech of 2021 or 2022, I cannot remember, it was during COVID-19, where I had made my position very clear that we need to choose the 4G leader. So, the record will speak for itself and, please, Members, you can make your own decision whether what I said is in concert with the Budget that we were meant to pass and what Mr Giam has said today, the hon Member, is in concert with an attack on NTUC or support on the Bill. The record will speak for itself.”
“I am grateful to the Leader of the Opposition for mentioning my name. We are debating a specific Bill today with several provisions and several clauses. I think it is completely our aim to get this Bill passed in order to protect platform workers. So, we have a Bill, we have an agenda today. When it comes to a Budget debate, Members have free rein to discuss what they want, in addition to the Budget, the objectives, the values, the future they want to see for Singapore. And at that time, I was concerned because we had a position that there would be a 4G leadership transition. Deputy Prime Minister Heng, in his selflessness, decided to step aside and I was concerned for the country that we needed leadership. So, I stood here and gave one of the most difficult speeches of my political career – which is that I had hoped that the 4G leadership would come together and choose a man or woman to take us forward. How is that not in concert with the Budget? Budget is finance. It is also about different Ministries, education, finance, defence and all of that. But without key leadership, Budgets are nothing. So, what I humbly said, when I made that speech, I think in 2021 or 2022, I cannot remember, about needing to choose a solid, formidable 4G leader was completely consistent with what we were debating for in terms of passing the Budget. An attack on NTUC, for I think 70% of the speech of Mr Giam, on a Bill that is meant to advance the welfare, the prospects, the future, the protection, the medical care, the CPF of platform workers is no comparison. [Applause.] That is political opportunism – and I state this as a matter of principle, not as a matter of politics. I put principle first, before politics, Mr Pritam Singh.”
“If I may. So, thus far, am I correct to say, if my understanding is correct, that thus far, there has not been a specific reference to any provision of the Bill in Mr Giam's speech and it was predominantly an attack on NTUC and the symbiotic relationship between the PAP and NTUC? Surely, Mr Giam can agree with me on that based on what he has said as recorded in Hansard. I raise this as a Point of Order because we cannot, Mr Speaker, be using Parliament and legislation to craft political speeches that go well beyond the ambit and the scope of the legislation that we are debating. So, I raise this as a matter of principle, not as a matter of politics.”
“If I may, will the Member concede that the first half of his speech had little to do with the Bill and was a rather opportunistic manoeuvre to attack NTUC? I sat down, I listened very carefully, I studied the Bill – and this was all about an attack on NTUC, which is unfair. It is opportunistic and it goes beyond the agenda of what we are debating today – which is a specific legislation to advance the protection and the future of platform workers. So, would Mr Giam agree with me that the first half of his speech is actually fairly irrelevant? Through you, Mr Speaker.”
“If I may, Mr Speaker, a Point of Order. I listened very carefully to Mr Gerald Giam's speech for the first 10 minutes. I humbly and respectfully submit to the Chair that the first 10 minutes had nothing to do with the Platform Workers Bill that is being debated today. It was predominantly an attack against the NTUC. And that is why the hon Member, halfway through his speech says, "I now turn my focus to the Bill", when actually, the focus should have been, from the onset, about the Bill. So, I want to raise this as a Point of Order. This is not part of the Bill and Mr Giam's speech about attacking the NTUC, in my humble view, in my capacity as a Member of this House, is completely off tangent. With respect.”
“In the Minister's view, is this a political, social or religious issue, or is it all three? If it is all three, how will we ensure in Singapore that this foreign issue does not impact our social compact and social cohesion?”
“How is MCI monitoring the situation to ensure the dangers of such GenAI do not harm our economy and social compact? AI – Digital Security and Safety Mr Chairman, as our society transforms, as our citizens learn to use AI, we must consider how we might protect them in the midst of the transition and going forward. While we want to build an AI-enabled society and bring everyone along in the transition, digital security and safety are key in ensuring the transition is smooth and encouraging to all individuals. We need to ensure that the risks are properly allocated to the right commercial entities to incentivise risk management and risk thinking. That would allow market forces to naturally balance the interests of the national economy with the interests of protecting individual consumers and users. By engaging with corporate partners, the regulation can take in industry feedback to tailor our governance for Singapore's society.”
“Thank you. Singapore launched AI Verify in 2022 as one of the world's first AI governance testing framework and toolkits. The idea behind AI Verify is to provide objective verifiability for AI systems used by companies so that they can show that the AI system is working as it has claimed. As one might imagine, AI Verify can play a highly crucial role in the implementation and enforcement of AI regulations, which are starting to emerge around the world, such as the European Union (EU) AI Act. IMDA is already working on this with international partners. For instance, last year, it announced a crosswalk with the AI risk management framework of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. This is essentially a mapping exercise that maps elements of AI Verify to the US framework. What is MCI's plan to continue to place Singapore at the forefront of AI innovation and governance, and what further plans are there to work with other countries in developing governance frameworks? AI – Dangers of Deepfake Generative AI Mdm Chair, with the rise of GenAI comes the prevalence of deepfake images and other content, which allow an individual to maliciously use such content for personal gain or to harm others. This has led to a proliferation of scams, frauds and even harassment through deepfake explicit images. This also threatens commercial businesses and industries, such as through deepfake advertisements, and affects the media and political arena. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] The threat of such content is because even when people know an AI-generated image is fake, the perception that people retain could nonetheless be swayed. Similarly, even if deepfake explicit images are known to be fake, the damage to an individual might already be irrecoverable.”
“Mdm Chair, I have three cuts. May I take them together?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. I would like to put on record that indeed, IPOS has been doing quite a lot of effort on this. You see a lot of seminars. They are trying to go into valuation of intangible assets. So, I acknowledge the work of IPOS and its ecosystem. But if we can steal the march, as it were, if we can be ahead of the curve in different regions, then, this can really be an asset valuation hub and give that fillip and advantage to Singapore being an IP hub. I wanted to put that on record.”
“I thank Minister Edwin Tong for his response in relation to the IP hub. First, I declare I am a lawyer in private practice and part of my practice encompasses IP. I think in order for us to become a solid IP hub, we need to ramp up our ability to value intangible assets. If I may be permitted just to give an example. Most of the cases that go to Court are trademark infringement, patent infringement, copyright infringement. And then, assuming the plaintiff wins, he has got a judgment saying that his patent has been infringed, there is actually a dearth of case law on how to value that infringement. There is a dearth of case law globally, regionally. If we want to become an IP hub, what we really need, in my humble view, is to increase our ability to monetise and value that IP. Nowadays, so much of what companies' asset is, is in intellectual property; it is not in the building, it is not in the bricks and mortar. It is in the trade secrets, it is in the confidential information. So, I would like to know, in order to advance Singapore's position as an IP hub, what are we doing to bolster our valuation of IP capability and thereby attracting people here to dispute their IP, to protect their IP and to advance their IP.”
“How has MinLaw been supporting the local enterprises in that effort, that is to monetise the intangible asset or the intellectual property in question? Supporting Local Enterprises' IP Sir, my next and final cut for MinLaw, is on Singapore as a dispute resolution hub. Singapore has a well-developed legal system. This places us at the forefront of dispute resolution, not only in Southeast Asia, but even beyond. We are efficient. We are pro-business and we have the necessary infrastructure. We have become a venue for IP and technology dispute resolutions and our Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) is world class. As we progress, what is MinLaw doing to continue to strengthen Singapore as a leading legal and dispute resolution hub, including supporting the legal profession and harnessing technology?”
“Mr Chairman, we live in a communitarian society, where we have to learn to live together and to do to others as we would have them do to us. That involves living with the occasional inconvenience, especially in Housing and Development Board (HDB) apartments where neighbours live side by side or in closely compact private property settings. But sometimes these inconveniences spill over into becoming an actual dispute and hence our need for the CDRT. That is one important way to allow neighbours to settle disputes in an amicable manner. Singapore has worked hard to build and maintain its social compact and strengthen harmonious bonds between heterogeneous groups and we should look to protect it. Can MinLaw share more details on how the enhancements that will be made to better facilitate the resolution of community disputes will happen? Singapore as a Dispute Resolution Hub First, allow me to declare that I am a practising lawyer involved in areas such as IP. Singapore has always held the firm belief in investing into IP infrastructure to support enterprises and the wider innovation community. This can be seen through policies such as the 2013 IP Master Plan and Singapore IP Strategy 2030, which focus on building and IP ecosystem and enabling Singapore to become a global Asia note of technology, innovation and enterprise. A strong IP regime is essential in encouraging our local enterprises and startups to be willing to push the frontiers of digital exploration and lead innovation. If we want to have an innovation driven economy, we need to secure the rights of local businesses and individuals by allowing them to monetise their innovations and IP.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Just to be sure, my intention is not to put down any country, certainly not any ASEAN country or beyond ASEAN. The point that I was trying to make is that the arguments by the lobbyists to each country are somewhat similar, wherever they lobby – that cannabis is not destructive, that cannabis is possibly good. 6.45 pm If we are able to use a recent example where the reasons provided by the lobbyists have, perhaps, been proven as incorrect; then that provides even more firepower for us domestically to move the narrative against the legalisation of consumption. That was the point that I was trying to get across rather than to put any country down.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the Minister for responding to parts of what I had raised in terms of the Thailand example of decriminalising cannabis plant for the purposes of supporting medical use and research purposes. The Minister did respond and he also put in a caveat to say that there is going to be a Ministerial Statement later on in the year, specifically on drugs. So, I was hoping to use this opportunity to express my hope that that Statement would cover the example of the Thailand situation of decriminalising; and then what looks to be a U-turn and all the potential harm that has happened in between – as an example of how we must be extremely cautious in decriminalising the consumption of drugs in Singapore. So, I reiterate my position that both consumption being the demand and trafficking being the supply should be deterred.”
“In seeking to reinforce our blockage of preventing scams, it is pertinent to look to other jurisdictions in this global fight. In the UK – as part of its fraud strategy – they are restructured to allow for cross-sector work to focus on scams. This allows for sharing of information across the banking and finance sectors on emerging threats. Data breaches and compromised card details; as well as blocking high-risk advertisements and numbers spoofing. UK has also placed sanctions to prevent British citizens and companies from any dealings with designated people and entities and sanctioned actors in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. This is also reflected in China, where it has issued arrest warrants for major players – especially those who work and interact with the Myanmar junta. In that light, we should consider how ASEAN can cooperate in dealing with the allies of the junta regime who are actively involved or – quite possibly – overseeing scam farms. Additionally building an infrastructure and legislative regime that would allow for responsibility to be shared among the right actors would bring about cooperative incentives to address the current lapses. While individuals who fall prey to scams should have their level of individual responsibility – the burden cannot be entirely borne by them. The right allocation would allow for the right resources to be allocated to combat scams. Nevertheless, we need to also educate the public and each individual on all the potential avenues for scams. Therefore, I ask in conclusion, what is MHA doing to strengthen our ability to prevent scams and to help our citizens identify scams? Scams and their Effect in the Community”