Dennis Tan Lip Fong
Singapore
“Yes, Sir. By combining practical experience with advanced analytics, we can transform traditional operational careers in the highly productive technology-enabled professions, ensuring that more high-value decision-making and better paying jobs remain in Singapore.”
“When Singapore officers are deployed at Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, do they enjoy the same legal protections and operational autonomy as their Malaysian counterparts enjoy when stationed in Singapore?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Relating to one issue of co-parenting, I would like to ask will the Ministry consider granting foster parents synchronised access to the child's Health Buddy app? Currently, foster parents have no access to the app and require the cooperation of biological parents.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Would the Ministry consider a tiered co-payment model for private providers similar to the EIPIC-P scheme where middle-income families can pay a regulated rate for a fixed number of additional private therapy hours to supplement their child's public intervention?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just one clarification for the Senior Minister of State. I thank the Government for acknowledging the gap regarding the software-driven energy degradation and for the commitment to monitor and test when necessary.”
“Yes, just a quick clarification. I thank the Minister of State for the answers and the details. The feedback I receive is pertaining, especially to making appointments, because there have been instances where foster parents experience appointments being cancelled without their knowledge, and then having to arrive at the hospital unnecessa…”
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“Besides non-owner spouses, there are siblings, children, aunts, uncles and cousins who may be living in the same property who may be caught by this rule. Such family members may not be able to get their relatives in the same household to pay for their medical expenses. They may not be able to afford a place of their own just to qualify or more state subsidies. There are also cases of family members being co-owners of a family property or co-inheriting such property after a parent has passed on. I know a few of such cases where residents inherited a family property together with fellow family members. They continue to live in their own property. Family properties is kept for use by other family members and this could be a residential or even commercial property. And there is no near-term prospect of the property being sold and proceeds to be distributed. These non-occupier owners are caught by the AV issue when it comes to medical subsidies and also for other packages and schemes from other Ministries. Such people have to appeal every time against their non-access for subsidies or benefits and an outcome may not always be consistent. Before I leave this point, I would also say that whether a person is an owner or non-owner, it would not be right to expect a person living in a property with higher AV battling a serious disease to have to make arrangements to move out of his or her home or to sell his or her home to raise funds for the very medical treatment he or she needs. Next, Mr Speaker, I would like to discuss the needs of families who have family members with special needs or with mental health issues and requiring care for family members. The burden placed upon these families is immense and I hope that the state can extend more help.”
“Mr Speaker, currently, when the per capita household income of a particular household's PCHI is zero, the Government will look at the annual value (AV) of the property that the household is living in. In July this year, the hon Member for Aljunied GRC Mr Gerald Giam, urged MOH to consider removing the AV component for household so with no income. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Ms Rahayu Mahzam said in response and I quote, "On the Member's point of considering to remove this, this is a broader point we are looking at." I hope the Government will consider removing this. Mr Speaker, households with zero PCHI but higher AVs often comprised of retirees who are in their twilight years and may have a family member who is seriously unwell and seeking medical treatment. The Minister for Health himself has acknowledged in a written answer to a PQ in February this year that AV is an imperfect proxy for determining financial need, especially for those who are asset-rich but cash-poor. There may be a variety of reasons why such individual owners are unable to monetise their property. As we age, we may grow more attached to our homes, the neighbourhoods we are familiar with and the communities we have built over the years and that this may not even be the reasons for some, amongst us, for not being able to move out to a lower priced property. For whatever reasons, monetising, right-sizing or downsizing may not always be feasible or desirable. In addition, we have been encouraged to age-in-place. But owners living in their own properties are not the only people who are affected by the AV issue. There are also family members who are caught by the rule.”
“Many have tried unsuccessfully to get public financial assistance when they do not receive sufficient money from their children, as their children have told them they do not have enough to contribute to their parents, including those who live with their children in the same households. How can such people receive further subsidy or assistance if help is not forthcoming from family members, without having to request from family members? I see the same problem with some of my residents seeking financial assistance but were not eligible because of a household income. An elderly male resident saw me a few times, crying with frustration, due to the lack of financial support as he is not eligible for more support, due to his son's and daughter-in-law's incomes and his son said that he is unable to provide more support. Furthermore, for healthcare means testing, beyond cases of elderly parents living with working children, there may also be other categories of core occupiers in the same household who may not be currently sharing or co-funding medical expenses of other occupiers of the property. By way of an example, Mr A is in his early 60s and working part-time due to his health condition. He lives with two other higher-earning siblings. They share common household expenses, but not individual medical expenses. The household income will be a key consideration for the amount of subsidy he is entitled under the current PCHI formula. In a case like this, does the Government expect Mr A to reach out to his siblings to ask them to share his medical expenses? Will Mr A get help, maybe applies to the authorities for further subsidy?”
“One may argue that the seniors in Singapore already have access to a wide range of subsidy schemes aimed at addressing their needs, such as the Merdeka Generation Package (MGP) and the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP). However, a closer examination of these subsidies offered by these packages reveals room for improvement. For instance, the subsidies entitlement for MG and PG cardholders cover chronic conditions and dental services, but not as extensive in coverage when compared with the coverage of critical illnesses in commonly available medical insurance policies and subsidies for chronic conditions are kept annually. Two, it does not look at whether a family member actually do receive help from family members for their medical fees and expenses of a family member. The choice of residence for retired elderly individuals, whether they decide to stay with their working adult children or live independently, has little impact on the family's financial dynamics. Financial support from working adult children is a personal decision arrived independently of the elderly person's choice of living arrangement. As a result, a retired elderly may appear to have a high PCHI on paper, but they may not receive financial assistance from their children or adequate financial assistance from their children. While the Government expects family members to pay for the living and medical expenses of family members, in reality, this may be easier said than done. Many residents have told me that they do not wish to impose on their children and they try to make do with what they have.”
“One, the formula looks at the rigid household incomes and does not look at deferring or specific needs of specific members of each household when evaluating help which should be given. While it is true that both the young, such as children and the elderly, may not have earning power or contribute directly to the PCHI, the elderly are more likely to require nursing care due to the onset of various chronic illnesses associated with ageing. According to the National Population Health Survey conducted in 2020, over 20% are respondents, aged 60 to 74 years, had diabetes. Approximately 75% of those aged 70 to 74 years had hypertension and 60% in the same age group had high cholesterol. These chronic illnesses often result in increased healthcare spending, including expenses related to complications. For example, diabetes and high cholesterol are commonly associated with cardiovascular diseases, like coronary heart diseases. In fact, in 2019, approximately 75% of heart attack patients were aged 60 and above. Furthermore, most corporate medical insurance plans typically allow employees to include two family dependents, usually a spouse and offspring but do not permit the inclusion of elderly dependents. This exclusion is often reflected in corporate insurance plans, such as those by Raffles Medical Group, a major corporate insurance provider in Singapore. These plans specify that eligible dependents must be either a spouse or unmarried or unemployed children. As a result, some households with elderly dependents may experience higher out-of-pocket medical expenses compared to households with children, even when their PCHI is the same. It is crucial that we consider such disparities in means testing.”
“Mr Speaker, as Members of Parliament, feedback from residents about rising costs of living is not uncommon. However, in the last half a year, the frequency of such feedback has really increased tremendously. I receive such feedback not merely from residents who are in the lower-income brackets. I also receive feedback from across the different income tiers. Recently, I attended a feedback session with some condominium residents in Hougang and concerns arising on rising costs of living were raised by many with whom I spoke to. Mr Speaker, I believe I am not alone in receiving such concerns and feedback in the House. I therefore support the WP's Motion today calling on the Government to review its policy with a view to lower cost of living pressures on Singaporeans and their families. There are different issues of rising costs of living which affects Singaporeans. My colleagues in the WP will be focusing on different aspects on the rising cost pressures. I will be speaking on the need to relook some aspects of our means testing criteria in public healthcare and for more help for adults with special needs or disabilities and their caregiving families. Mr Speaker, with a growing ageing population, healthcare costs are the main concerns of many, including especially many of our seniors and those with no income and yet facing health issues, and find themselves struggling to afford essential healthcare. The current means testing method based on a per capita household income (PCHI) presents some challenges to certain Singaporeans. The current economic indicators applied to the healthcare means testing criteria may have their limitations. They look at household income broadly. It overlooks or deprioritises two important issues.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I recall that the Minister of State had mentioned that there was a survey done on the use of CCTV by preschools. May I ask when was this survey done and how many preschools were involved in the survey?”
“I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I note that the Minister of State stated that married spouses and foreign spouses may not have an automatic right to come in and to stay in Singapore. Assuming that the Singaporean spouse or the Permanent Resident spouse is able to look after financially his foreign spouse, would the Minister of State be able to share what are some of the grounds of consideration that may militate against the granting of an LTVP, assuming, of course, that financial consideration is not an issue? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: As I shared earlier, we look at various factors. We look at the individual considerations, the nature of the marriage and also, the circumstances as well as the identity of the people involved. But beyond that, we also look at it from the holistic perspective. So, each case is unique. I want to assure the Member that we will look at some of these cases. In fact, there are cases where we provide such a facility where the circumstances merit it.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for the comprehensive answers. Not to belabour this, but in view of the next masterplan review that is coming up – I believe it is next year – I would like to urge the Government to look into realigning the green spaces currently marked on the current masterplan which is actually a very short stretch. And I am not just referring to the park connectors which our residents in the area really enjoy, but really, the green spaces on the eastern bank, as the Senior Minister of State has rightly put it. That is critical to retain the biodiversity as well as to facilitate wildlife, such as migratory birds which use the area as they hop along the green spaces through Singapore, up and down their annual journeys between the northern and southern hemispheres.”
“So, a significant retention of the green spaces on this stretch will mitigate against some of such impact. I would also like to ask whether the Government can consider expanding on the planned area of the green spaces to be retained beyond the current areas which are marked on the current URA masterplan for the same reasons.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answers. Would the Government consider rezoning the stretch of land along the Sungei Serangoon or Serangoon River, currently under the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) masterplan, to rezone in the coming masterplan review, especially bearing in mind the following factors? One, there is a lack of significant green spaces in the northeast of Singapore specifically, as the stretch of green spaces along Sungei Serangoon from Tampines Road to Serangoon East Dam is the only significant green space of its size in northeast Singapore, besides Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. I have Hougang residents who told me that they are wary of the developments of the stretch of green spaces along the Serangoon Park Connector by Hougang Avenue 7 and Upper Serangoon View. But, in effect, this stretch of land actually stretches past four constituencies – Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC), Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Sengkang GRC and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, including the area around Buangkok forests. Two, in addition to the biodiversity, the floral, fauna and even the wildlife that may dwell in these green spaces, many migratory birds actually use this stretch of land, this stretch of green spaces, in their annual migration journeys between the northern and southern hemispheres as they fly through Singapore twice a year. Three, the redevelopment of Paya Lebar Airbase into a huge Housing and Development Board (HDB) estate – I believe it is about 800 hectares and 150,000 new homes – will have a significant environmental impact on the northeast area, including, I believe, heat impact in the surrounding northeast area.”
“Mr Speaker, notwithstanding the concerns I have raised, I support the Oaths, Declarations and Notarisations (Remote Methods) Bill. I also support the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No 2) Bill.”
“I hope that the authorities will take cognisance of the risk and issues raised and will not accord an impractically high standard of care on notaries in expecting them to be professionally liable, should the identity of the relevant persons or the location of the relevant persons or even the authenticity of the original documents provided be subject to a deliberate misrepresentation of fraudulent conduct on a part of the relevant person themselves. Finally, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether the proposed changes in the Parliamentary Elections Act 1954 and the Presidential Elections Act 1991 for oaths to be administered through electronic means of communication created by remote communication technology will also allow such oaths to be administered by Commissioners for Oaths to deponents en masse, as opposed to being administered singly? Assuming of course that the verifications of identity are done appropriately, and the administration is properly done online with unblocked line of sight, allowing such commissioning en mass online may truly capitalise the capability of e-communication means to reach many deponents all at once. Mr Speaker, in closing, I hope the authorities will study the risks and suggestions I have raised and to provide appropriate guidance to practitioners to navigate the new provisions and to help them avoid the possible risks and pitfalls which may arise. I hope that the authorities will not impose an impractically high and onerous standard of care expected of practitioners in complying with the new provisions. I do take note that the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has highlighted that this will not be prescriptive.”
“For example, it provides, among other things, that "the remotely located individual must demonstrate that he or she is physically in England or Wales" and "the notary should not be considered and should not describe himself or herself as an attesting witness to the document certified by him". Such provisions, by way of example, will give fair protection to notaries. I hope that the authorities can incorporate similar guidelines in any subsidiary legislation or rules for notaries. A possible alternative solution will be to have a special jurat or prescribed wording on the document to be executed by the signing client before the notary for the relevant person to declare and confirm his or her own identity and the location he or she was in. Additionally, such declaratory wording by the relevant persons can even be subject to penalties for false declarations and acknowledgment of being subject to such penalties in the event of false declarations. Of course, such penalties will require further changes to the law. Mr Speaker, some of the challenges or situations I have described above may also apply to the other non-notary parties administering an oath or statutory declarations under the proposed amendments if the relevant persons are not known to the persons administering the oath or statutory declaration in advance of the oath-taking. Mr Speaker, in summary, some of the issues I have raised are already encountered during current face-to-face notarisations, but arguably, the risk may be further enhanced when notaries perform notarial acts by remote means such as by live video link as I have explained above.”
“This may not be the case for much of the notarial work. Further, a notary is only able to exercise his or her jurisdiction as a notary when a notary and the relevant person signing a document before the notary are both in Singapore. It is not necessarily easy to determine whether a relevant person is in Singapore or not when a notarial transaction is being performed online. It will certainly be easier to require physical meeting with a client. In short, it will not be easy for the notary to always avoid any fraudulent attempts on the part of the relevant person in some of the aspects that I have discussed above. Some practitioners may understandably be concerned, that as a matter of professional liability, their conclusions regarding the identity, the whereabouts of the relevant person or even regarding the authenticity of the documents in question are later contradicted by subsequent evidence coming to light after that. But the relatively low fees they are supposed to charge as required by the authorities as compared to the fees of notaries in civil law countries, or to even the usual hourly charges lawyers may charge for other types of work. It may not be fair for notaries to bear the risk of having to ascertain certain facts when it would not be cost-effective or even fully plausible for them to do so. It is interesting to note that the COVID-19 guidance on remote notarisation document in the United Kingdom (UK) provide some useful protection for the notary in the areas we have discussed.”
“However, for foreigners who come with their foreign passports as proof of identity, especially coming to see the notaries for the first time or on a one-off basis, notaries often have no choice but to give the benefit of doubt that the passports are genuine, even if they have no idea what the passport should even look like or if it is authentic. Similarly, when clients come in with what they claim to be original documents for notaries to certify copies of such documents, notaries will not always be in a position to ascertain on the spot whether such documents are genuine or fake. They have to take the word of the client that they are genuine and notarise a certified true copy of it. The above are already the common experiences of notaries prior to the proposed amendments, which we are looking at today. I think the new amendments allowing notaries to notarise via a live video link may in some cases make it even more difficult for a notary to verify the relevant person's identity, when executing documents before a notary via video link, or to verify the authenticity of documents. This is especially as the notary is not familiar with the relevant person, and it is not easy to cite and verify the identification document or the documents which are the subject of notarial acts by just looking at the screen. The notary does not even get to touch or flip the documents. Some practitioners also shared with me that for online commissioning of affidavits, they may have the added reassurance that the clients or deponents were introduced by their own lawyers who helped to prepare the affidavits and these lawyers may be personally known to the Commissioners for Oaths or have regularly brought their clients to the same Commissioner for Oaths for affirmation of oaths.”
“Mr Speaker, it is noteworthy that unlike for the commissioning of affidavits by Commissioners for Oaths during COVID-19, the Government did not, at that point in time, deem that it was necessary to allow notarisation by live video link or any type of remote electronic means of communication. I recall that it was challenging for many notaries to perform notarial work during COVID-19, especially in the early days of COVID-19, even though there was still demand for such work. Notarisations were still required, especially for documents to be used abroad for a variety of reasons, notwithstanding COVID-19. A variety of business, legal and even personal transactions still had to be performed, requiring notaries to assist with the execution of documents. During the circuit breaker days, not all notaries were officially allowed – at least initially – to do their work in their offices. Staff had to stay at home. Arranging notarial appointments can be physically challenging, even when the work was legitimate and necessary. The proposed changes in this Bill would have provided good options for notaries, even as the proposed changes still have some inherent challenges which I will discuss briefly below. Mr Speaker, an important issue is the verification of the identity of the person executing a document before a notary, especially if such a person is not known to notary or may not be recognised by the notary from previous encounters. I will call this other person who is executing a document, "the relevant person", for the remaining part of my speech. The notary will need to look at the original identification documents of such a person, often keeping a copy of such documents for records purposes.”
“The new section 4A(3) also allows notaries to rely on any electronic means of communication created by remote communication technology as allowed under this Bill in the course of issuing a notarial certificate of the nature and the authenticity of a particular document. Mr Speaker, COVID-19 taught us many things, including having many online options to settle what we used to have to perform face-to-face. Work meetings are one. In fact, the rules for Commissioner for Oaths were pragmatically altered to allow Commissioners for Oath to do the commissioning of affidavits via video conferencing. During such online commissioning, Commissioners for Oaths are required to verify through visual inspection, via video conference of the deponent and his or her identity document, and that the deponent is who he or she said she is. The rules also require, among other things, the Commissioner to maintain visual contact with the deponent during the commissioning or executing process, and in effect, confirm that the deponent has signed the same document. For good order, may I clarify with the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, whether the proposed amendments in section 11, for the affirmation of statutory declaration by remote communications means such as video links, will apply to Commissioners for Oaths administering statutory declarations or whether there is an intention to add a similar clause to the current rules governing Commissioners for Oaths, allowing for the commissioning of affidavits via video conferencing?”
“Mr Speaker, the Workers' Party (WP) supports the proposed amendments in our Constitutional Amendment Bill today, to allow oaths under the specified Articles to be taken via a live video link or live television link created using a remote communication technology that allows the person administering the oath to maintain visual contact and communicate with the person making an oath, confirm the identity of the person taking oath and if the oath is to be subscribed, verify by inspection, the oath to be subscribed. Mr Speaker, I declare that I am a practicing Notary Public. I have also spoken to fellow legal practitioners who are currently notaries and commissioners for oaths in the course of preparing for my speech. Mr Speaker, the proposed amendments include allowing our notaries to exercise their power or function through electronic means of communication and specifically, this is in the function of the notaries when persons appear before them to make an oath or declaration or when executing documents before the notaries or when documents are required to be certified correct copies by notaries. The new sections 4A and 4B provide for the new requirements and criteria when notaries are signing or sealing notarial acts via electronic means of communication, such as live video link. Section 4A provides that such electronic means of communication should allow the notaries to (a) communicate with the person who is executing the documents or making an oath or affirmation, as well as any witness or interpreter present; (b) confirm the identity of the relevant person and any witness or interpreter; and (c) verify by inspection any document to be signed or sworn.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to seek some clarifications from the Prime Minister. Earlier, the Prime Minister said that sometime after 29 May, the Prime Minister had informed someone in MTI. May I know what is the purpose of this communication, who in MTI was informed of this and what was the purpose of this communication, for example, whether any precautionary measures were carried out? My second clarification for the Prime Minister is, the Prime Minister mentioned about the interdiction and how he arrived at the pay of $8,500. Just a quick clarification – is this in lieu of both Minister's pay and MP's allowance? Finally, Mr Speaker, I believe that Minister Chan has not answered the second question of my colleague, the hon Ms He Ting Ru.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, amidst the passionate debate and positive suggestions and critiques we have heard in this House so far as Members share their minds in this debate, we would do well to remind ourselves to support and also to trust our football professionals, coaches, managers, players, former players and trained experts to make the right decisions and not take over the decision-making from them accidentally through our enthusiasm. While researching in preparation for this speech, I was reminded that even FIFA themselves set in stone rules that enforce this. Article 17.1 of the FIFA Statutes states that "Each Member shall manage its affairs independently and with no influence from third parties." To illustrate by way of suggestions or examples – providing the funding to hire youth coaches but not be involved in interviewing the coaches themselves and rather to leave the professionals to make the decisions; providing space for grassroots football but not dictate the rules of the leagues. We have many illustrious experts in the field and we need to trust them to bring Singapore football to the next level. In conclusion, I hope for a stronger, broader grassroots and youth development infrastructure for Singapore football that will let more Singaporeans enjoy the beautiful game while improving the talent pool in the long run. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion.”
“Five- or seven-a-side games or tournaments, together with the necessary skills training, may be especially appropriate for youth football, such as for those aged 16 and below, before the players' full physical maturity. This has been recognised by footballing powerhouses, such as England, Germany, even FIFA and, locally, at FAS. Mdm Deputy Speaker, we also need to support and improve our youth pipeline for footballing talent. Under the current Unleash The Roar! initiative, it is laudable that FAS has continued to identify talents who are under eight to under 15. However, this comes at the risk of leaving behind late developers who cannot match their peers physically earlier on. They do not have the same opportunity or access to resources as their peers who hit puberty earlier. Mdm Deputy Speaker, this is relevant in youth football, as this disparity in physical ability will mean earlier developers will rely on physical attributes rather than developing their skills or technical know-how to perform. One possible solution is to adopt the concept of bio-banding by classifying youths according to predicted height and weight – also known as the Khamis-Roche method – rather than by age. This has been used by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team to create success. This has also been used in the English Premier League (EPL). Studies have shown that bio-banding results in a more technical and challenging game. I will submit that adopting bio-banding will further complement the current youth development programme's emphasis on improving tactical and technical skills.”
“However, as our municipal management culture made advances, "No Football" signs would dampen the playing of football at void decks, and understandably so, in consideration of safety, cleanliness and noise, before HDB eventually stopped building suitably sized void decks in our HDB blocks in the past 20 years. There are, of course, commercial futsal courts appearing in the past 20 years as an alternative, such as The Cage and The Rainforest, but these have their own barriers. It is impractical for primary school children to travel to these places alone with their friends, fork out the money and organise their own matches. Even for many adults, the travel and the need to look for sufficient teammates make this a rather formal affair that requires a high degree of organisation instead of the pick-up games in the neighbourhood. While there are designated street courts in some neighbourhoods, the weather in Singapore is an active deterrent for play during the afternoon, which is when many children may have their free time after school or homework. Perhaps, we can revive the void deck football culture in a more modern manifestation by recreating the conditions that made void deck football so inviting – the close proximity to home, the shelter from the rain and the sun, and the ease of access. Perhaps, SportSG can fund the building of roof shelters at neighbourhood street courts and the building of sheltered street courts on the top levels of some of the multi-storey car parks. Next, FAS can also do more to encourage having more five- or seven-a-side games or tournaments for youth football.”
“For example, the bottom one or two SPL clubs will be automatically relegated, to be replaced by, say, the top one or two clubs in the SFL. This would encourage greater competition among all clubs at all levels and enhance quality, standards, participation and interest at all levels. It will drive clubs in lower leagues to improve their standards and seek promotion to the SPL. It will discourage complacency for clubs at the SPL level as they cannot take their higher grant or income stream for granted. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I believe more can be done about the street football culture, or the lack thereof, in Singapore. Many household names that football fans of all ages recognise, started out with street football – from Diego Maradona to Johan Cruyff and, perhaps more recently, players like Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo. Many Singaporeans of different generations would remember playing football at void decks or even on grass patches in the kampung. How has our street football culture developed over the decades? Our street football culture in Singapore has been curtailed by the lack of space. In the earlier years, perhaps we had a unique void deck football culture when neighbours of even both genders would come together to have a kickabout. That was a uniquely Singapore football culture. Many remember void deck football fondly. It was near home, it was sheltered, so people can play, rain or shine, and it has many pre-made goal posts or teammates in the form of pillars.”
“For example, clubs can have more budget for training spaces and coaches or even simpler things like having more balls for matches and decent insurance coverage for their players. Still on the issue of the funding of SPL clubs, which I have mentioned earlier, I would also like to suggest that such funding may be a two-edged sword. While it is encouraging that clubs can afford to pay their players and keep the lights on, it appears to have its drawbacks in other aspects. Firstly, SPL clubs are not reliant on fans for income, unlike most clubs around the world. So, there is no pressing need to market themselves, to reach out to new fans and cultivate a strong fanbase to support each club. Next, football fans want to support teams that have history and identity. For example, Futbol Club (FC) Barcelona attracts fans with a tiki-taka brand of football, and even a club like Stoke City, which garnered a cult following in 2010 with their physical brand of football. While having a common pool of funds for the club is good on paper, it may, in fact, dilute the identity factor. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I submit that clubs should be further encouraged to build their own identity, branding, following and fanbase. In fact, this may, in turn, improve their advertising and sponsorship income. Another possible solution is to earmark specific funds for purposes, such as marketing, merchandising and ticket subsidies. Another suggestion is to gradually reduce the general funding over a longer period of time, say, 10 years, to encourage clubs to find diverse revenue streams. Earlier, I mentioned the disparity of funding between SPL and SFL clubs. Perhaps, we can increase competition and standards at the SPL as well as at the SFL by reintroducing the prospects of promotion and relegation.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, we can do better by starting with the basic and building a suitable sporting ecosystem to harness this passion to improve Singapore football. I believe we can do more to increase accessibility to the sport and, therefore, cultivating a larger pool of talents and increase buy-in from Singaporeans. To begin with, I think it is important to develop a broader base of talent. I would like to suggest that more efforts be directed to the lower football leagues to encourage better participation and to improve quality in such leagues. According to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Annual Report for 2022, Singapore Premier League (SPL) clubs received $8,896,804 in grants while FAS' total expenses for SPL amounted to $13,669,626, inclusive of the state grants. In comparison, FAS had only incurred combined expenses of $147,404 for the Singapore Football League Divisions 1 and 2, together with Women's Football, inclusive of the Women's Domestic League. While we can understand why there may be some disparities, I think FAS can still do more to invest in its own lower football leagues or what FAS described as "domestic football leagues" in its notes to their financial statements for Financial Year 2022. I hope FAS can do more to generate interest, increase participation and improve standards. There should be more equitable distribution for these lower grassroots leagues under FAS to provide a larger pool of talent for SPL clubs as well as for our national team. If such grassroots football leagues had even one-fifth of such resources dedicated to them, the conditions and levels of grassroots football can improve drastically.”
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. I support the Motion as moved by my hon colleague and Member of Parliament for Sengkang GRC, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, "that this House celebrates the accomplishments of our athletes and para-athletes at the recent 32nd SEA Games and the 12th ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia, and calls on the Government to undertake a thorough evaluation of the areas of improvement in Singapore's sporting ecosystem, and commit to realising clear, achievable goals for sporting success over the coming decade." Indeed, I join my colleagues and Members of the House in congratulating our athletes and para-athletes at the recent SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia. I would also like to congratulate all the athletes from Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) for their achievements and thank them for their hard work and dedication. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I share the same concerns and agree with what my hon colleague, Member for Aljunied GRC Faisal Manap, has stated in his speech. In addition to the points he has made, I also have a few suggestions. Singapore is, indeed, a football-mad nation. We have a massive following of European football and many in Singapore have a favourite English Premier League team or a European club. Many Singaporeans were disappointed with the results of our football team at the SEA Games, and we saw much outpouring of emotions by many. Many of us wondered how we have gotten to where we are today. However, beyond the disappointment and frustrations, I believe there is national will to see Singapore football succeed and we want to support our players and coaches to improve and succeed.”
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister whether ARC had looked into the failure of internal and external audit processes and the internal auditing that were done in the relevant years, because these relate to the governance aspect of the entire issue of the inflation of circulation numbers. And if they have not done so, will the Government be asking them to look into this?”
“Thank you, Minister, for the clarification. No, not at all. Actually, can I just repeat what I am asking? Because given the severity of such incidents, I am asking the Minister whether she can share typically what are the mitigation measures involved when such incidents take place so that the members of the public as well as the stakeholders will appreciate the extent of the mitigation and recovery efforts that will be undertaken each time such incidents take place and, if possible, also the cost of such recovery efforts.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister for the answers, and I have one supplementary question. Given the severity of such incidents, could the Minister describe the mitigation measures which are usually involved in such incidents so that the stakeholders and the public will appreciate the extent of the recovery efforts involved and the costs of such efforts?”
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the replies she has given so far. She touched much on the help from volunteers and volunteer networks. Can I just weigh in to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, is MOH confident of the current manpower resourcing, staff resourcing of our AACs, given their role that MOH has given them, as in charge of cluster support? Particularly, they need to do extensive house visits to outreach to many units and a lot of these seniors may not be as amenable to their neighbours to visit the AACs on a regular basis. They may want to keep to themselves, for example, as I have said in the speech during the Healthier SG Motion and also, in light of the obligations that the AACs will have to undertake to support the Healthier SG.”
“I thank the Ministers for their answers. I am seeking a clarification from the Senior Minister. I know the Senior Minister has explained to the other Members on their queries. I will come back to this point on Minister Shanmugam asking the Deputy Secretary for a list of the property and I have been trying to understand the Senior Minister's explanation and I find that there are still issues that we need to overcome here. Let me put it in a certain way and then I can put the question to the Senior Minister. And because we are talking about a Minister who is asking a Deputy Secretary in his Ministry a question relating to his private interests, not in the course of his work, and then, on the part of the Deputy Secretary, I think there is an issue whether the Deputy Secretary had to decide whether this is a matter of work. And if it is a matter of work within his responsibility, is it contingent on him to answer? Is it appropriate for him to answer this question? I do not think these issues have been adequately clarified. It is important to clarify this as a matter of guidance for the Civil Service, because the civil servant, the senior civil servants must know where the line is drawn. For example, Senior Minister, on this issue, the Deputy Secretary could have politely informed Minister Shanmugam that he can get his agent to direct a question to SLA. That I think would, in my view, be an appropriate form of answer rather than to take it upon himself. So, I would like to ask the Senior Minister to reconsider his earlier answers in light of the issues I have raised because it pertains to – I think it is important for the future when a senior civil servant or a civil servant has to answer a question from an officeholder – what he is entitled to do, what he should do.”
“I certainly favour keeping such an option open and I would agree with my resident that allowing hybrid meetings may well boost overall attendance. Mdm Deputy Speaker, next I have one clarification for the Minister. I note that the Bill does not seem to address the issue of where any such virtual or hybrid meetings would be deemed to be held jurisdictionally. I am concerned that the amendments today should not bring any unintended ambiguity or implication on the deemed location of such virtual or hybrid meetings, especially if the people attending some of these meetings would be in different jurisdictions and thereby having any knock-on effect on other issues, such as the tax residency of a Singapore-incorporated company. Mdm Deputy Speaker, apart from the concerns I have raised, I support the Bill.”
“For investors like himself who may be shareholders of different companies, with many companies having their financial year ending on 31 December, most of them will be conducting their AGMs at around the same time. On some days, shareholders may have to attend different AGMs within the same day or even at the same time but at different locations. If many companies are still insisting on physical attendance alone and do not allow virtual or hybrid meetings, many shareholders like my constituent may not be able to make it to all the meetings and have to pick and choose which meeting to attend. He feels that such a scenario will be a step backward from our current situation and as a digital nation, and there might be a wastage of some of the extensive resources already invested in technology which made possible the many virtual meetings for companies and organisations. I certainly hope that most of our companies will at least provide hybrid options for meeting attendance in line with our current common practice of having virtual meetings and not make physical meetings for meetings, such as AGMs, a mandatory requirement. Having said that and in all fairness, there are benefits to having physical meetings. In fact, the challenge for some companies or organisations post-COVID-19 is how to get people back to work together physically again and resume physical meetings, having gotten used to working and having meetings virtually. On the other hand, allowing online meetings will also reduce the need to travel or commute for meetings. It allows people to attend meetings while they are away or travelling. It may also reduce travelling and commuting and contribute to our nation's net-zero goals too.”
“The COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Alternative Arrangements for Meetings) Orders enabled entities such as companies, variable capital companies and business trusts to conduct meetings electronically, notwithstanding any prior prohibitions under the law or under the entities' constitutions or other governing instruments. It was actually meant as a temporary measure to comply with safe-distancing requirements during the pandemic. The proposed amendments will allow companies to hold their AGMs and shareholder meetings virtually, even after the enabling COVID-19 provisions allowing virtual meetings are revoked in July. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I do, however, understand that the amendments recognising virtual meetings are subject to each company's constitution. So, if I understand correctly, companies can still stipulate in their constitution that an AGM, for example, needs to be carried out physically, effectively excluding a person attending virtually. While it remains to be seen how many of our companies will retain virtual meetings or having hybrid meetings, there are some who question whether the Bill should even have retained the rights of companies and their management to insist on 100% physical attendance. One of my Hougang residents, a full-time investor, shared some concerns on this. He said that allowing shareholders the option to attend the meetings virtually will also enable those who are not able to be physically present to tune in and receive updates from the company's management. He is concerned that even with the proposed changes, many companies may still be requiring or insisting on physical attendance alone or may not allow virtual or hybrid meetings.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I declare that I am a practising lawyer, whose work routinely involves issues on company law matters. I will be speaking briefly on the intent of this Bill to amend the Companies Act 1967, the Business Trusts Act 2004, the Variable Capital Companies Act 2018 and the Singapore Labour Foundation Act 1977 to provide for meetings using virtual meeting technology. Such meetings may include annual general meetings (AGMs), extraordinary general meetings or other type of meetings. The amendments provide for meetings to held in three scenarios: one, at a physical place; two, at a physical place and using virtual meeting concurrently, that is, a hybrid meeting; and three, just using virtual technology only. One of the greatest lessons which COVID-19 has taught us is to hold virtual meetings like over Zoom or Microsoft Teams, instead of requiring in-person meetings. We learned how to hold a variety of online meetings. Besides board or business meetings, we have got used to having classes, seminars, conferences over Zoom. We even had so-called online rallies during the General Election 2020. In fact, some of us are so used to having virtual meetings that we cannot go back to having some of our physical meetings and have continued with virtual meetings. I therefore welcome the statutory recognition of virtual meetings in some of our laws under this Bill. Mdm Deputy Speaker, virtual AGMs and shareholder meetings for companies were introduced under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act in 2020.”
“And not only those who are paid or employed, but also those from the community coming forward. You have the Social Service Agencies coming up with different ideas, some very innovative ideas to see how we can persuade the seniors to come out, to be engaged, to be part of the whole process of living well and ageing well. MOH has shared what the plan is ahead, and in fact, earlier this year, we updated the Ageing Action Plan, the Live Well, Age Well programme. All this shows that a lot more is being done. But what is key in my view, as I have shared earlier, is how we can continue to galvanise the community because, ideally, no one should die alone. Nevertheless, things happen, for example, someone has a heart attack and he or she may live alone. But what is key is that as we continue on this journey, we strengthen the ecosystem, we look out for one another, we minimise the effects of the elderly dying alone or we minimise the effects of how someone would not be engaged, and at the same time, holding on to the aspiration of how we want them to live and age well in the community.”
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for his answers. Could I ask that the Ministry or various Ministries consider apportioning more resources to the AACs, so that their staff and volunteers can make better efforts to engage seniors who live alone, whether in 2-room Flexi flats or in normal 3-room, 4-room flats, where they live alone and especially for those who are not open to community engagement. And in that respect, can we even consider reviewing the law to see how we can improve the access of these AAC offices, staff or volunteers, so that they can actually pay more regular attention, rather than engage just like once off, once a year, or something like this. I know the Parliamentary Question relates to seniors who pass away, specifically that was mentioned. But what is more important is for us to engage seniors who are living alone, who may be estranged from their families or are not close to them and before they start to decline physically, mentally, or if they are suffering from diseases, to reach out to them and make sure that they would be taken care of and, if necessary, to even arrange for alternative care before the inevitable. Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. In fact, if the Member has followed the discussion in this House, as well as what is happening on the ground and if the Member looks back, maybe over a decade, the whole ecosystem has been enhanced. Recently, the Ministry of Health (MOH) also shared about AACs and I work very closely with the AACs within my constituency as well and I can see that not only have resources been enhanced, but I think what is key is that there are more hands on deck today.”
“This is somewhat unusual in our civil legal processes as documents or evidence to be considered in any proceedings are traditionally required to be disclosed to all parties in the same proceedings. Moreover, it would also be fair to both parties. For example, the applicant should know why the application fails and both parties should know its contents to decide whether it is fair and should be appealed against. If the respondent can afford his maintenance payments, disclosure of such report to the applicant may also deter the respondent from trying to hide his financial status. I also note that clause 90 allows for redaction. I would like to ask the Minister what is the rationale, if any, for not allowing automatic and full disclosure of the MEO’s report to both parties in an application. I would also like to ask what type of information will likely be redacted from this report or excluded from the interim report if the judge decides that such report should be given to either party. Mr Deputy Speaker, aside from the concerns I have raised, I support the Bill. I hope that the new MEP will significantly reduce incidents of deliberate and late or non-payment of maintenance.”
“They just could not afford the time and efforts. Many prefer to spend the time earning more income to make up for their former spouses’ maintenance payments instead of expending time and efforts in applying repeatedly for enforcement. Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, under the new MEP, how will the new process ensure that such phenomena will not happen or will be minimised. I note that under the new process, if a maintenance order has not been complied with, the applicant will have to make an application, albeit online, and if the Court were to make a Show-Payment Order requiring proof of payment, specifying an imprisonment term for the respondent’s breach of the Show-Payment Order, does that mean that the respondent can pay up after such an application is made for a Show-Payment Order or when he receives such an order? Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the new requirement of the MEOs having to distinguish between respondents who cannot afford to pay for maintenance due to their financial situation and those who refuse to pay when they can afford to do so. This is important; it will help to deter and weed out those who game the system by refusing to pay until at least an application for enforcement is made. Next, I note that under clause 89, once a maintenance enforcement application has been made, the MEOs have to prepare and submit a report to the Court. While the said clause allows the MEO to provide an interim report to any party whom the MEO thinks any information in the MEO’s report ought to be brought to the attention of such a party, the Bill does not seem to require the MEO to provide the full report to the applicant, the respondent or both.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the Family Justice Reform Bill proposes to establish a new Maintenance Enforcement Process (MEP), which kicks in when applicants apply to enforce a maintenance order in the event of non-payment by their former spouse. The new MEP will apply to maintenance orders under the Women's Charter, Guardianship of Infants Act, Administration of Muslim Law Act, Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act and the Maintenance of Parents Act. I support the intent of this Bill to improve the enforcement process for maintenance payments. I would like to bring up a few brief points regarding the new process. Mr Deputy Speaker, over the years, many divorced spouses have faced various difficulties in getting their former spouses to make their maintenance payments on time or even at all. Many spouses actually even gave up trying to get their payments. Under the current system, a common and frustrating experience for many is that former spouses delay or refuse to pay their maintenance for their ex-partners or children and do not pay up until their former partners take up an application in Court to enforce maintenance payments. Frequently, for those who can afford to pay, the payment can even be at the doorstep of the Court room, just before the hearing. On such an occasion, I understand that the applicant does not even get its legal costs paid despite having to take out such application and engaging a lawyer in the process. And for many who default on their maintenance payments, their former spouses often had to take multiple applications. Many applicants had to take leave from work each time and would even lose income from spending time instructing their lawyers and attending Court hearings. Many, I am told, just gave up after a few tries.”
“Mr Speaker, I hope the Government will continue to update the House on the transformation of our petrochemical sector on a green transition process in this sector, whether Singapore will continue to attract and retain parts of the petrochemical industry in Singapore. They are relevant for the green economy. I hope the Government will provide updates on our efforts in attracting more businesses in areas, such as biofuel refining or sustainable aviation fuel production or storage for such fuels, as well as updates on carbon capture and sequestration at petrochemical plants. And finally, I hope the Government will continue to update the House on the just transition in manpower for our workers working in Shell and other companies in the petrochemical sector, what we are doing to retain and retrain workers in this sector as the sector transforms within Singapore. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion of thanks to the President.”
“This is a first big step in the decarbonisation of the harbour craft fleet in the Port of Singapore. Under MPA's maritime decarbonisation blueprint working towards 2050, all harbour craft will operate on low carbon energy solutions such as blended biofuels, for example, the B100 fuel, or hybrid diesel electric propulsion by 2030 and by 2050 will operate on full electric propulsion of net-zero fuels in order to achieve 15% reduction of 2021 levels by 2030, and 50% of 2021 levels by 2050. I support these plans and I hope we can achieve the targets ahead of time. In the course of my professional work over the years, I had to use harbour launches to board vessels lying in nearby anchorages and I hope the familiar smell of the engine fuel of the old harbour launches will be a thing of the past. In fact, I can remember in the past, I would have to pick one of the many harbour launches lying alongside Clifford Pier, effectively like water taxis and the piercing smell of the fumes. Mr Speaker, while it is noteworthy that Shell estimates that it can save more than 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the ferry operation is far from being the mainstay of Shell's business. In my Budget debate's speech on 2022, I mentioned that Shell had, in November 2021, announced that it was halving its crude processing capacity at its Singapore hub and reducing fuel exports. The oil major, a major part of our oil and gas industry, is intending to transit from fossil fuels to cut emissions and meet global low carbon energy needs. I acknowledge that this is part of a wider global trend in a transition towards low carbon fuels and undoubtedly, will affect Singapore in some ways.”
“Mr Speaker, while I appreciate MOT's efforts to engage our logistics companies in this area thus far and, admittedly, some manufacturers may have only started to build such electric commercial vehicles not too long ago, I hope that the MOT will increase its engagement with logistics companies to persuade them to have step plans for the conversions. I hope MOT will have a dedicated roadmap on the conversion of the logistics and goods vehicle fleet operating in Singapore in the next few years and will work closely together with logistics companies on such a roadmap. Mr Speaker, during the EV Charging Bill debate in November last year, I also mentioned that we have a large number of goods vehicles which are coming from Malaysia on a daily basis. I hope the Government will have a plan to handle this large group of foreign ICE vehicles coming into Singapore and travelling all over Singapore every day, even if this may take even more time, given that they are foreign vehicles. Yes, we may need the goods and supplies these goods vehicles bring in every day, but it will be good to know that the Government has a plan in respect of these vehicles, even if it may involve foreign government or agencies. We should not let their emissions delay our zero-emission goals indefinitely. Mr Speaker, I also like to congratulate MOT and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) for the launch of the first electric ferry, the Penguin Refresh, on Monday, to carry Shell workers, contractors and visitors between Shell's Pulau Bukom premises and Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal. It is also commendable that MPA is working with Shell to allow other electric harbour craft to access their electric charges in due course.”
“In my Budget debate speech in February this year, I expressed my concern that it remains unclear how soon certain logistics fleets, including but not limited to light goods vehicles, will be switching to EVs entirely and I said that a number of prominent logistics companies have not yet had any plans, or have not announced any plans for EV conversion or some have preliminary plans for only limited initial conversion. Indeed, I have brought up my concerns for the green transition in last-mile logistics and asking for our plans for conversion of goods and logistics vehicles variously in the Committee of Supply (COS) debate in 2022 with the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and during the debate for the EV Charging Bill in November 2022. In the MOT COS debate last month, I also asked whether the Government will actively engage logistics companies directly on their plans to convert to EVs and to speed up the process. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor replied that, and I quote: "On logistics companies' transition to cleaner vehicles, we are working with them, but it is now limited by the availability of this kind of vehicles in terms of technology". Sir, during the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's (MSE's) COS debate in 2022, I have already said that we have also seen electric light commercial vehicle models increasingly being rolled out by manufacturers, such as Renault, Opel and BYD. More recently, we read that, in the United States (US), Schneider has delivered its first short-haul logistics EV trucks while Tesla has also delivered EV trucks to PepsiCo.”
“I agree that the Government should further review to see how we are better able to encourage and incentivise more people to switch to EVs and reducing the number of new ICE vehicles on the road. Mr Speaker, a recent CNA article dated 11 April 2023 reported that parallel importers face limits in what EVs they can put on the road as compared to the authorised dealers, partly because of how road tax is calculated, which is pegged to the EV's power rating. One importer reported encountering problems with the homologation and/or registration for EVs. It was also reported that EV models with dual electric motors require proper documentation from manufacturers that confirm their power rating, and this makes it tougher for parallel importers to register these cars for road use as, unlike authorised dealers, they do not have direct contact with the car makers. Another importer stated that EV options are quite limited for parallel importers and they hope for, I quote, "better support in terms of clarity on importing rules". I hope the Government can look into the concerns of these parallel importers to clarify and review the rules and documentary requirements for EV sales and registrations, which may be more disadvantageous to parallel importers. More importantly, I hope the Government can provide more assistance to parallel importers to encourage them to focus on getting higher volumes of EV sales as opposed to ICE vehicles. Mr Speaker, still on the transition to EVs, I move to the issue of the electrification of logistics vehicles.”
“Such reasons can include using their vehicles for work purposes, taking care of their families with young children, taking care of elderly family members or handicapped family members. For some of these people, operating a PHC from a ride-hailing company or using Grab or taxis may somehow not be a suitable substitute. Can we also see to it that COEs for commercial vehicles are not subject to similar pressures? The rising COEs for this Cat C have contributed to rising business costs and present further challenges for our smaller businesses. And added business costs also contribute to the increase in cost of living for everyone. In the past week, when we have been talking about combating stratification and building social compact amidst rising costs of living and rising property prices, we should be wary of the possible social effects of spiralling COE prices. Mr Speaker, I welcome and support the Minister for Transport's statement in the addendum to the President's Address, that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) will further encourage the adoption of cleaner energy vehicles through regulation, incentives and infrastructure. Indeed, President Halimah stated in her address that we have committed to decisive action to reduce carbon emissions and are taking resolute steps towards meeting our net-zero commitments. The Minister also said that we will review financial incentives to encourage the adoption of electric cars and monitor related developments in other vehicle segments, such as motorcycles and goods vehicles. To date, the pricing of electric vehicles (EVs) is still relatively unattractive, compared to internal combustible engine (ICE) vehicles.”
“Mr Speaker, I support the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address during the Opening of the second session of the 14th Parliament. Mr Speaker, we read in the news this week that the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premium for smaller cars crossed the $100,000 mark to reach a record high of $103,721. New records were also set in the larger car and open categories at $120,889 and $124,501 respectively. And I read that the latter is the highest price ever posted for any category of COEs. The President of the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association, Mr Neo Tiam Ting, told The Straits Times that the companies that are supplying cars for ride-hailing services are a key driver behind the demand for COEs in recent years. He said that these companies which grow their fleets aggressively and pushed up COE premiums in the process, are able to pass on the higher cost in the form of relatively small increases in daily rental rates while private buyers have to stomach the premium hike in one go, with a bigger loan. This is not a new issue and I am aware that the Government stated in a Parliamentary Question reply to my colleague, the hon Louis Chua, last year that there is no evidence that private hire car (PHC) companies have caused the increase in COE prices. Be that as it may, as prices spiral out of reach for many Singaporeans who aspire or need to buy a car for different reasons, can we not do more to review how we can ensure that businesses, whether ride-hailing companies, car-leasing companies or car dealers, do not push up the COE premiums at the peril of private buyers who need to buy a car for various reasons.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I have one supplementary question – whether there are any claims faced by ICA arising from the delays, coming from passengers or from any commercial companies? Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: As I have shared earlier, 21 travellers missed their flights, and these affected travellers were offered to rebook on alternative flights within a week at no extra cost. Of the 21 passengers who had missed their flights, 11 passengers rebooked their flights and departed on the same day, four passengers rebooked their flights and departed the next day on 1 April 2023, while another two passengers departed by land and two passengers remained in Singapore. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs", Official Report, 21 April 2023, Vol 95, Issue 101, Correction By Written Statement section.]”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just one clarification for Senior Minister of State Amy Khor. As we know, the plastic bag charge scheme will start with the larger supermarkets with an annual turnover of more than $100 million. I just wanted to ask for the Government's position on the retailers who are not currently covered by this $100 million point. If they would voluntarily want to impose a plastic bag charge and if, for example, they are going to charge more than what the supermarkets are going to charge, what is the Government's position on this and what is the recourse that Singaporeans may have if they feel that this may come up and this may amount to profiteering or something like that?”