Desmond Choo
Singapore
“Through these expanded volunteer networks, we are building something more than a collection of programmes. We are strengthening a culture, a culture where service is valued, where sacrifice is understood and where defence is embraced as a shared mission. We are strengthening the very foundation of our national defence.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Prime Minister for his Ministerial Statement. The Labour Movement has surveyed our unionists. They are rightly worried about growth issues, loss of jobs and cost of living, but they have also expressed confidence that the People's Action Party Government will stay us through these difficult times.”
“Chairman, I would like to thank Minister Tan See Leng, Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State Zaqy and Minister of State Gan Siow Huang for their comprehensive responses and driving policy changes; and also Permanent Secretaries Ng Chee Khern, Jeffrey Siow, and their team of MOM officers, for their dedication in b…”
“Mr Chairman, just two clarifications. One, why is the Ministry raising the S Pass qualifying salary despite the labour market being already quite tight and the potential economic headwinds? What is the expected impact on the local workforce's wages?”
“Chairman, we have seen a surge in overseas travel as Singaporeans continue to embrace travelling in the new post-pandemic norm. Singaporeans are no longer sticking to the usual destinations but, increasingly, also to less-travelled destinations.”
“Since our Independence, Singapore has maintained the importance of capacity-building as a pillar of regional cooperation. In 1992, the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) was established in our effort to pay forward the help we received in our formative years. It serves as a platform to provide technical assistance to the world.”
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“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. I have two supplementary questions for the Minister. I thank him for the reassurance that it is a robust system to make sure that locals are not disadvantaged. The first question is, what is the nexus or how closely does MOM work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to ensure that the students who are going to the subjects, who are training for the occupations in need, adequately know that there is a strong demand and they will not be dissuaded because more foreigners are coming into those occupations? The second question is: for the Shortage Occupation List (SOL), will MOM also monitor how the wages change over time and, indeed, if the wages are affected, meaning that they are not growing at the rate compared to other occupations, will MOM then similarly slow down or remove such an occupation from the list?”
“Mr Speaker, the Member, if I can recap, has three clarifications? I think what he meant, if I get him correctly, when he asked for a singular poverty line, that there is a line cutting across all schemes by which different schemes will be benchmarked too. If not, then why would he be asking for a one singular poverty line rather than the current system that we have that will have different lines or different qualifying criteria for different purposes? And I think that, in our position, it is still better to adjust and be flexible to the needs of the ground, making sure that we size support appropriately for different schemes and not have a "one-size-fits-all" scheme. I do agree with him that even if you have a singular line, it is not mutually exclusive. And I am glad that he agrees with that; regardless of whether you have a single line or not, you still must understand that the needs of the grounds are complex and you do need to have targeted schemes for targeted problems. That is one part that, first, I wish to clarify. And the second one is whether they are constrained by the general policies. I cannot speak on behalf of MSF. But what I can speak on behalf is the schemes that CDC run. In the cases that I have seen, I have seen residents who have gotten support beyond three to six months, some even longer. We have also provided our residents through schemes with CDC through our WeCare support. Many of them were from Sengkang. So, I think it is not true that the MSF scheme necessarily handicaps or that we constrain our officers in the help they can dispense. I also want to extend once again that if the Member has families in Sengkang that require assistance, I will be more than happy to assist them.”
“Therefore, we have to prepare for the work environment before and after job loss so that Singaporeans can bounce back quickly from the tough times and seize job opportunities. For the unemployed, I hope that the Government will help them receive training during unemployment, such as the Career Conversation Programmes (CCPs). I also call on the Government to increase subsidies for the unemployed during this period. Job opportunities remain key to improving the quality of life for the people. The Government and the unions will do their best to help Singaporeans achieve this to ensure that all Singaporeans will not be left behind. Let us work together to create a better future. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, over the years, we have continued to strengthen our social safety nets. With an increasingly volatile global economy, we must help Singaporeans cope with the uncertainties and enable us to have the confidence to forge ahead. Good growth, good jobs and strong social safety nets are key to helping Singaporeans navigate the vagaries and vicissitudes of a rapidly changing economy. I support the Motion.”
“Many SEPs in the profession are in there because of their need for more discretionary income. Some of them do want to go on to other careers, hopefully, more permanent ones. The next move is to extend career trials to SEPs as well. Currently, SEPs will not be eligible for career trials under the existing eligibility requirements. Could the Government look into expanding the eligibility and for those considering a job switch to undertake formal employment? While training and reskilling is an important feature of the nation's work ethos, it may be demoralising for workers to continually train but unable to secure employment. This is especially so for older workers whose runway is much shorter. While we cannot completely remove such risks, we can moderate the risk by having more Place-and-Train programmes. We can do so starting from the Public Service ecosystem, including the suppliers to the Public Service. More outreach efforts to potential host companies could be undertaken to increase the scope of such programmes and the Labour Movement stands ready to assist. Mr Speaker, please allow me to continue in Chinese. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The working environment today is very different from what it used to be. The pace of economic transformation will be accelerated as geopolitical risks become more volatile. Our country and workforce will also be affected. We must actively strengthen the social safety net to give Singaporeans the confidence to move forward at every stage of their lives. We can promote and strengthen training programmes to ensure that Singaporeans have the skills that they need and capture job opportunities. Workers and businesses that are relatively slow to respond to changes will be hardest hit.”
“The related costs of hiring and onboarding staff are also not insignificant. Hence, we can consider increasing absentee payroll funding support based on the age of employees, with older workers receiving greater support. Workers in vulnerable and sunset sectors can also be considered for enhanced absentee payroll support. Currently, there is a fixed level of support for SSG-funded certifiable courses at $4.50 per hour. The organisation's cap is also limited to S$100,000 per calendar year. We should increase this cap, considering the increase in overall business costs. Companies sending a larger number of mature workers for training should also qualify for a higher cap. Companies will be incentivised to hire mature workers and our mature workers will be incentivised to train. Next, on improving the post-loss of job support. Firstly, we can introduce unemployment support for workers who are involuntarily forced to leave their jobs, such as retrenchment, something that my colleague, Member of Parliament, Mr Patrick Tay has mentioned. This support can be linked to training and job search to preserve the work ethos of the workforce. This builds on the principles behind our Workfare and COVID-19 Recovery Grant. These are important Singaporean policy characteristics. We must not forget that the longer one stays out of the workforce, the poorer employment outcomes will be. Thus, our system of unemployment support should taper off with time to ensure that individuals remain incentivised to re-enter the workforce. Next, we can also enhance the Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs). We can increase allowance and income support during the conversion process as workers will still need to care for their families. We can also extend the enhanced CCPs to our SEPs.”
“It is easy to say to do more, but it is much harder to pay more. Good growth, good jobs and good wages are clearly important to helping needy residents better and more sustainably. In our new social compact and strategy, we hope to mobilise more support from all of community: corporates, charities, volunteers and philanthropists. I have seen how donors, corporate donors, went from just pure financial support to volunteering personally to solve ground problems. Our Northeast CDC WeCare programme supports thousands of families, above the ComCare financial qualifying lines. It was funded by donations from religious organisations, temples, churches and mosques and funds from CDC. Only when we own the problems and solutions can we do more and build a stronger Singapore. Next, I would like to suggest a couple of areas of focus to help Singaporeans to be able to rebound from tough times in two distinct phases: pre-loss of jobs and post-loss of jobs. Firstly, on the pre-loss of jobs, we are experiencing a tight labour market now. With the tightness, actually, our median gross monthly income has increased in 2022 by more than $400. However, such a tight labour market also creates an environment whereby future-proofing opportunities may be put in the backseat. In this volatile economy, the key is to reskill to remain relevant in the workforce and to keep abreast of the changes. The first suggestion I have is that we can help employers to allow workers to reskill while being gainfully employed. One of the ways is to increase absentee payroll funding and the overall $100,000 annual cap for companies. This will allow companies to send workers for training while being subsidised for such costs. The costs of hiring temporary staff or replacement staff are increasing.”
“Therefore, an approach of providing support based on the varied needs of Singaporeans and their families might work better in a singular poverty line. It is rigorous in its assessment and flexible to the needs of Singaporeans. I agree that documentation can be a burden. I struggle with that in my work in CDC too. And we must continue to make applications simpler. It is good for both Social Service Office (SSO) staff and applicants. With greater digitisation in the Government, we can already see the benefits of streamlining and we will, and I think, can do more on that front. While we have different schemes with different criteria, what is most important is to make sure that while we streamline the application process, that the schemes are also effective. Our SSO officers work hard on the ground to do this, and I do feel, maybe I thought it incorrectly, but the way that Assoc Prof Jamus Lim characterised what they do might not be entirely fair. They seek not to take away the lifelines of the residents they serve. Our SSO officers work hard to help our needy residents. I am extremely proud of them and knew a lot of them through the work in ComLink. In fact, many of them take on duties beyond what I required of them because of the multifaceted issues facing lower-income families. I certainly know my Tampines and Sengkang SSO officers. They built strong relationships with our ComLink families, testimony to the dedication and good work. But I acknowledge there will always be gaps in our schemes with the families or residents who need help in the Northeast District which includes Sengkang, I will do my best to help them as Mayor of Northeast CDC. We must not also forget that helping more, which we must do, also requires that we earn more to pay for it.”
“At this point, I was pondering about Assoc Prof Jamus Lim's observations and suggestions on support to our needy Singaporeans. I agree that we must continue to work our hardest to help our needy Singaporeans and work must not stop. But the suggestion of having a single poverty line has inherent problems. It can have an unintended cliff effect where those below the line get the support but those above do not. The line also misses out on other issues that needy families face, for example, trying family circumstances, ill health and job readiness. It casts undue intention on just the financial circumstances of needy families. Experience from other countries has also shown that it is hard to simplify to just one figure and there is a tendency for people to want to stay below that figure; not too many of them, but certainly, there are. I fully agree that our poor need extra help, and we can do better, and we must do better. Thus, our policies are shaped to give more to those who have less. Their needs are also complex. Therefore, we have many assistance schemes with different ways of helping for different outcomes. And there is also some sense to have separate criteria for different schemes. For example, ComCare is for poverty alleviation, supporting them in their needs versus Workfare, which is to help workers level up, tackling some inequality. In my work as the Mayor of Northeast Community Development Council (CDC), I have often hoped to simplify the 60 schemes that the Northeast CDC run. But the more that we walk the ground, the more we realise that targeted solutions will work best and we cannot shine away from assessments. Not only does it reflect our prudence of responsibilities to public resources, it allows us to size the assistance to the needy appropriately.”
“It also heralds the acceleration of the loss of certain jobs, such as lower-level analysts and research jobs. Those slowest to react to such changes stand to lose the most. And out of these affected individuals, some segments of our workforce are in greater danger. I would like to focus my speech on three segments of the workforce. Firstly, our Singaporeans born in the 1960s to 1970s. They will be in their late-40s and 50s now; some of them are even in their 60s. This segment of individuals joined the workforce when Singapore was still in early stages of economic development. Many of them sacrificed their education to support their families. They have tended to work in one company, industry or function. Some have not upgraded their skills since entering the workforce. Many of them have risen through the ranks over the years in technical and managerial jobs. When faced with the need to switch jobs, they tended to see a sharp drop in income. Another group of vulnerable individuals comprise our self-employed persons (SEPs). We have seen the disproportionate impact COVID-19 had on SEPs. Through NTUC’s assistance in administering the Self-Employed Income Relief Scheme (SIRS), we are fully aware of the imperative to strengthen financial and career resilience for SEPs. Because of irregular contributions to CPF, it was also difficult to dispense loss of income support. Of course, next, are our older workers. They not only face difficulties in landing new jobs but they also find it more difficult to acquire new skillsets. They also face the perennial and perhaps trickiest issue of workforce ageism, which requires addressing of mindsets. As President Halimah also rightly highlighted, it is important for us to concentrate our efforts to improve social safety nets.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join the debate. The global workforce has come under considerable strain. The Singapore workforce is also similarly affected. These strains are caused by increased international competition, outsourcing of business functions, generational transitions in the workforce and the speed of technological advancement. COVID-19 has also vastly changed the way we work. Many jobs are created while many are lost. The latest Randstad survey reported that 48% of respondents in Singapore are worried about losing their jobs. This anxiety is despite significant labour tightness. As uncertainty becomes more pervasive, we need to restore confidence by addressing underlying structural causes of such an anxiety. As President Halimah said, we will strengthen social safety nets so that in every stage of life, Singaporeans can better cope with uncertainties and look forward with confidence. It is impossible to shield Singaporeans from all such vagaries if we are to keep our economy open. An open economy is our livelihood after all. But we can certainly enable Singaporeans by pushing for training and reskilling and ensuring that all our workers are well-equipped to rebound and capture opportunities in the brighter areas of the economy. And if they do fall, they can bounce back quickly. The economic outlook globally is more volatile and uncertain. Transformation cycles are shorter. Skills are becoming obsolete faster. Researchers have found that 37% of the average job skills have been replaced just over the past five years. ChatGPT marks the first significant milestone that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is placed in the hands of many companies and consumers. Companies are racing to incorporate such capabilities into their work.”
“The Labour Movement, through our Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE), will be focusing our efforts on representing the collective interests of the growing pool of SEPs in Singapore. We are starting with the platform drivers and riders. NTUC has also stepped up working with associations to strengthen the income security, welfare and work prospects of our SEPs. We will actively work alongside them with relevant resources and networking opportunities vital to enhancing their career pathways. They will also enjoy access to NTUC benefits and privileges such as access to seminars, training grants and insurance. Mr Speaker, COVID-19 will not be the last pandemic we will face. In the intensity and fog of battling the pandemic, mistakes must be expected. The lessons from COVID-19 will be key to building resilience in Singapore. New capabilities such as the JSC were also developed, showing the there are opportunities in every crisis. Our deepest appreciation goes to our workers who continued to work despite understandable COVID-19 health worries. They made sacrifices by taking pay cuts and freezes. They made sacrifices by working non-stop because the country needed them. We also appreciate our employers who stuck with workers during the trying times. This crisis has further strengthened the trust between workers and employers. The Government, especially our Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers, they work hand-in-hand with tripartite partners to care for workers. We must continue to strengthen this cornerstone of tripartism to prepare for the inevitable next pandemic. With this, Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.”
“With the Government stretched immeasurably on many different fronts, the Labour Movement had to step up to administer SIRS. We needed to implement SIRS quickly. The circuit breaker would leave almost all of our SEPs with no income. Our priority was to get these monies into the affected SEPs' hands as soon as possible to provide them with a lifeline during such unprecedented times. Because a sizeable proportion of our SEPs had not previously filed their income, it was operationally challenging to swiftly identify SEPs in need. With the very short lead time, the bulk of the processing of the SIRS had to be done manually. Application systems and forms had to be fine-tuned several times to better serve our SEPs. We also recognised that some of our older ones struggled with navigating online forms and faced difficulties in collating the requisite documentation. NTUC staff stepped up and helped members through every step of the process. The scheme was able to help some 200,000 SEPs to obtain $9,000 to tide through the pandemic. The Labour Movement's involvement in implementing SIRS provided us with valuable lessons. The greatest of which was the precarious financial situations faced by many SEPs, especially the lower-income ones. We need to strengthen their financial and career resilience for SEPs. This is especially when the next pandemic is inevitable. We need to support SEPs to improve their career resilience and flexibility through training to deepen their skills and diversify their work portfolios. During periods of business or income disruptions, SEPs also need access to short-term income support. I call upon the Government to look into developing such support which can be tied to their efforts to train and search for jobs.”
“The JSC worked with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) and RC Hotels, Gina’s employer, to place her on secondment to NTUC FairPrice, where she took on a retail assistant role. Gina is one of the many workers who benefited from JSC’s efforts to support at-risk workers and match them to new jobs. Workers in these affected companies were also able to retain some pay during the height of the pandemic and return to their jobs after the crisis. NTUC's e2i has also helped to move displaced workers from affected sectors to new contract jobs arising from the pandemic, such as Safe Distancing Ambassadors and swabbers. As of February 2023, the JSC has matched about 70,000 workers to new jobs since the pandemic started. Unions and employers also could not have helped as many workers without important Government measures. For example, the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) provided wage support for employers. It helped them to retain local employees during the pandemic. It was estimated that 165,000 local jobs were saved from March to December 2020 because of JSS. For the Self-Employed Persons (SEPs), things were not as straightforward. For example, during the circuit breaker, taxi drivers and private hire drivers saw their income drop rapidly. Sports coaches, art instructors and tour guides saw their income drop near to zero or zero, during the lockdown. Unlike the employees with their companies receiving support from the Government, SEPs were not afforded such support. The mechanism used to provide support to the employees just could not work for them. The Labour Movement quickly took up their cause with the Government. The Government responded strongly with the Self-Employed Income Relief Scheme (SIRS).”
“In particular, JSC focused on engaging with at-risk or displaced workers to pre-emptively shorten the unemployment period by helping them find jobs. This proved vital in the aviation, aerospace and hospitality sectors. Our union leaders worked hard to encourage workers to switch jobs during the pandemic. An example of such an initiative is the JSC’s Lift-and-Place programme in partnership with trade associations and Government agencies. Through this programme, workers in hard-hit sectors like aviation were deployed to the healthcare sector, transferring their knowledge by performing roles like Care Ambassadors in the hospitals. For example, Looi Jia Wen had been flying with Singapore Airlines as a cabin crew for only one and a half months before COVID-19 struck. JSC assisted cabin crew like her to be redeployed as Care Ambassadors at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. They supported hospital care teams to carry out basic caregiving procedures for patients, like oral feeding, positioning and turning, and moving patients. Jia Wen was able to make good use of the skills she had learnt as a cabin crew and contributed to the healthcare sector. Those in the hospitality sector were deployed to supermarkets, including NTUC FairPrice and other essential services sectors, performing roles like contact tracers. These job placements were temporary. Workers under this programme would remain employees of their company. This initiative has allowed companies to ensure that skilled manpower would be readily available in the upturn. For example, Gina Ng, back then, she was 59 years old and she had worked for 34 years at Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford as a senior administrative assistant in the hotel’s culinary department.”
“I was in both of the NWCs. I witnessed how unity prevailed where we could have succumbed easily to self-interests. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) worked with our tripartite partners and recommended reducing non-wage costs and guided businesses to manage excess manpower to save jobs. We also guided workers and businesses on the efficient use of Government support measures to train and reskill our workers. When the economic problems deepened, union leaders acted swiftly to ensure that retrenchments were minimised to the greatest extent possible. Though painful, workers took pay freezes and cuts. Workers stood in solidarity with the employers. The Labour Movement stood in solidarity with the nation. We provided guidelines to ensure temporary wage cuts were implemented in a reasonable manner. Our union leaders also sought to minimise the overall impact to workers’ take-home pay. They worked with companies to manage wage costs equitably and gradually. Our tripartite partners never took our minds off our vulnerable workers. We worked with companies to prioritise non-wage cost-cutting measures. By having higher-wage earners take deeper and faster cuts, we protected lower-wage workers as much as possible. We were able to do so because of the strong trust built over the many years. Central to protecting workers was also in placing displaced workers to areas of need. NTUC developed the Job Security Council (JSC) in 2020 to achieve this. Managed by NTUC’s e2i, it is a placement ecosystem with a network of employers that are hiring and releasing workers. At its core, the JSC aims to support businesses in coping with fluctuating manpower needs across the economic cycle while providing support to workers in need.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join the Motion. COVID-19 has resulted in the loss of lives and livelihoods worldwide, including in Singapore. Many workers lost their jobs and income. The workers in the aviation, aerospace and tourism sectors were especially affected when the borders closed. Our self-employed persons (SEPs) were hit especially hard by the sudden loss of income during the circuit breaker. On the other hand, workers in essential services, such as healthcare and supermarkets, had to work significantly harder to keep the country going. We have endured much pain as a nation. But we have also emerged stronger together. It had not been easy to get to where we are today. We are grateful to our healthcare workers. They are the vanguard in winning this battle against COVID-19. Our Public Service officers also deserve no less praise for developing new policies and dispensing assistance at breakneck speed to Singaporeans during the darkest of times. The work was intense, unrelenting and stressful. They discharged their duties with honour, passion and fortitude. Singapore owes them our deepest gratitude. In the battle to save livelihoods, the rock of tripartism has also allowed us, as a nation, to stand strong against the crashing waves COVID-19 brought before our shores. Tripartite partners worked together to save businesses, jobs and livelihoods. The secret sauce delivered once again. Our focus during the crisis was to cut costs to save jobs. With neither vaccine nor cure in sight, businesses and workers faced a most daunting future. Businesses needed to conserve cash but also needed to retain capabilities if and when the situation changed. The National Wages Council (NWC) was convened twice in 2020 when the economy deteriorated rapidly.”
“Mr Chairman I would like to thank Minister Tan See Leng, Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad, Dr Koh Poh Koon and Minister of State Gan Siow Huang for their indulgence in answering all our cuts to the best of their abilities and time. We know that it is difficult to keep the workforce competitive in the midst of difficult structural problems, like ageing population and geopolitical tensions. I hope that I have appropriate lyrics to a Chinese song to the thank him, but I do not. I can only offer him our appreciation that it is very reassuring that MOM and himself, will accompany the Singapore population through when they first get the first job to when they retire. With this, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. [(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $3,759,250,200 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)] [(proc text) The sum of $106,763,800 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman, I would like to ask Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon a couple of clarifications. It is very reassuring that our senior workers' employment rate is comparable to the OECD countries. Would it be useful to have a target employment rate for these senior workers? What measures beyond the Senior Employment Credit (SEC) and Part-time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) are needed to have more employers to hire senior workers?”
“If Singaporeans are unable to fill job openings, employers will have to look to foreign labour to do so. We must act decisively and swiftly to ensure we do not find ourselves in such a predicament. We need to evolve a new social compact within the context of an ageing population. Only when both our jobs and our older workers are ready for each other, would we be able to manage this smouldering crisis. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] SMEs”
“We can even grant monetary incentives to companies with progressive practices. But if progress does not meet our needs, we might need to consider giving workers certain rights to FWA to accelerate the scaling up of FWA efforts. Lastly, our ageing workforce also necessitates us to look into the roles played by our foreign workforce. As our people age, there is a significant need in certain industries such as healthcare and caregiving support, tradesman and craftsman work such as plumbing, air-condition servicing and carpentry. If we are unable to improve our productivity significantly over the next decade, we might have no choice but to greatly increase our foreign workforce. There are already around 1.3 million foreign Work Pass holders in Singapore today. Therefore, our foreign workforce framework will need to be more nuanced, differentiated and promote higher productivity. There could be certain high-touch industries that we would want to keep for a larger core of older Singaporeans and there are other industries where we need more foreign support, especially those involving more physical work. The current broad-based sector-based approach would need to be more finely differentiated. This is difficult work and might require a multi-year effort. Can the Ministry share with the House how it would calibrate its foreign manpower framework within the context of an ageing workforce? The rapidly ageing population poses serious structural challenges to fiscal sustainability and economic growth. When older workers retire, they are also less able to deal with problems such as higher inflation. Our younger workers are likely to shoulder heavier caregiving loads, with some even having to leave the workforce to do so.”
“It is a job placement agency specially catered for workers aged above 60 years old. The service works with employers to understand their needs and preferences and match them with suitable older candidates. As geriatrics is a specialty within medicine, silver placement centres can have its special place in our placement ecosystem. Our ageing workforce is also an opportunity to advance assistive technology to help workers work for longer and safer. Our public transport operators have already put in driver monitoring, collision avoidance and driver alertness technology. Many of our bus captains today are able to work well into their late-60s and beyond. There are many other industries, especially those with a significant number of older workers, that we must deep dive into. We must establish research centres dedicated to helping workers stay employed for longer. Such research centres can focus on developing assistive technology, identifying jobs that may be more suited for senior workers and developing appropriate training to transit into such jobs. Our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), such as the Singapore Management University (SMU) Centre for Research on Successful Ageing, are a case in point. Can the Ministry consider looking into establishing such research centres? Flexible work arrangement (FWA) is often cited as the solution to balance the needs of older workforce and business needs of companies. Indeed, it is an essential tool, not just for an older workforce. We have made significant strides in expanding FWA. Tripartite guidelines are useful to guide tripartite progress in implementing FWA but we might need to take bolder steps in the near future. We should rightly allow for voluntary take-up by companies because of the difficulties in implementation.”
“More than 50 maintenance crew have benefited from this change. More will benefit in the years to come. The SBST Board monitors such development closely. We need more companies such as SBST. Admittedly, it is a larger company with more resources. We need solutions for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which hire the bulk of our workforce. 1.15 pm Next, we need to look at redesigning our work structure. We have often heard of mature workers hoping for part-time work or micro jobs but there is a dearth of them. Creating part-time jobs do cost companies more. But as it is a social compact imperative to pay more to support our lower-wage workers, perhaps it is also time for similar thinking for older workers. MOM's Part-time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) has helped to increase the availability of part-time re-employment to senior workers. Could the Ministry update on the progress and achievements of the Grant? Can we renew and enhance the PTRG? We can also consider private-public partnerships in fostering such part-time and micro jobs. In Japan, Silver Human Resources Centers have been established since 1975 as job agencies for seniors. These are membership-based organisations that provide older Japanese with temporary and short-term work. Public and municipal agencies leaned in to create and find work for older workers. An associated point is creating specialised centres that focus on helping our older workers to manage employment needs. Our current job placement ecosystem has worked well for the general needs of the workforce, but older workers have different needs such as a shorter training runway, physical limitations and life expectations. In 2017, Japan started the Hello Work Senior.”
“Yet, these moves might not be sufficient for the future. We need to include within each of the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) a pillar on creating and transforming "age-friendly" jobs. It is no longer sufficient to create jobs that are of high economic value. But we must also focus on jobs that our older Singaporeans can and will do. The focus must rightly be so on bringing in jobs that grow the economy. But in the entire value chain, we must identify jobs that mature workers can do well. I often wonder what is the percentage of available and upcoming jobs that would match the physical, mental and lifestyle needs of older Singaporeans. We need to double down on our job redesign efforts. What is the number of jobs that will be redesigned over the years to match our ageing workforce? This must be a number we track closely. Next, I would like to share on the experience of SBS Transit (SBST). I would like to declare that I am an Independent Director of SBST. Older workers are a significant part of the company. Maintenance, especially in the train systems, can be very laborious and physically taxing. We struggle to attract younger workers into the workforce like many other companies. To help the older workers aged above 55 years old to continue to be productive, SBST is redesigning jobs from the ground up. They have an overhead catenary system or the electrical cables supplying power to the trains. Inspection and maintenance require hard physical work with heavy equipment. Today, they use light-weight equipment such as laser-gauges. Condition-based maintenance is practised to reduce physical deployment. Older workers are redeployed to inspection closer to ground than higher-level ones. Some workers had gone into mentorship or trainer roles.”
“While our birth rate peaked in the late-1970s to the early-1980s, giving us another 10 odd years of buffer, structural shifts might accelerate rapid erosion. Technology, digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) have already changed the nature of many jobs. These are skill sets that people born in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s might not particularly equipped with or can be picked up easily. Work attitudes have also changed. Our people also do not want to work at the same pace, cadence and intensity in their later years. How common is it to hear of friends saying that they wanted to slow it down? But the treadmill seemingly can only go faster. At the recent post-Budget dialogue with Tampines residents, a resident in his 50s commented with part joy and part exasperation that he might have to make a choice between caregiving for his grandchildren and his full-time work because there are rarely part-time work or slower work opportunities to go into. The COVID-19 pandemic has also fostered a re-thinking of work-life priorities and lead some older Singaporeans to exit the workforce permanently if unable to find a compromise. We face a serious cliff-drop in the workforce. It can unsettle the economy and society fundamentally. The questions before us are: are the older workers ready for the future jobs and are the jobs ready for the older workers? First, we need to make preparing for an ageing workforce an economy-wide priority. Our employment rate of seniors aged 65 and above has eased from 31.7% in 2021 to 31.0% in 2022. It still rose on average between 2019 and 2022. This is positive. We have also moved definitively to tackle ageism, a perennial complaint of older workers, through a proposed Workplace Fairness legislation. This would reassure many older workers.”
“Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head S of the Estimates to be reduced by $100". When it was reported in January this year that China's population declined for the first time since 1961, the Chinese stock markets wobbled. It was widely expected because of its ageing population and declining fertility. But it was still a sobering reality. A reality of potential shrinking consumption and most certainly, a declining workforce. It faces perhaps a Japanese-style three decades-long economic stagnation. In Singapore, by 2030, around one in four citizens, will be aged 65 and above. Our resident old-age support ratio reached an all-time low at 3.8 in 2022. It is projected to reach 2.7 in 2030. As of June 2022, 880,000 or roughly one-third of our resident workforce is 50 years and above, 400,000 are 60 years old and above. A significant number of these 400,000 would have retired by the end of this decade. Seniors comprised 54% share of workers in land transport and supporting services, people doing taxi, private-hire car drivers and bus drivers; and 42% of the Food & Beverage (F&B) services, hawkers or food and drink stall assistants. These are much higher than that in other industries. But what does this really mean for us as a nation? Our economy would become less vibrant as our workforce shrinks. We might face a hollowing out of certain industries such as in land transport, F&B, tradesman and machine operators. It is less of a problem if it was a gradual shift with sufficient time to adjust. But it might not be so. The oldest of our baby boomer generation is 77 years old and the youngest is 59 years old. They are likely to exit the workforce by the end of this decade in large numbers.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. Just one point of clarification. I am very glad to hear that TACs have been helping our companies to digitise and be more sustainable. Can I check with Minister of State Low Yen Ling how the Ministry is helping TACs to play an advisory role to support our businesses to internationalise? 2.30 pm”
“Another way to ensure a larger talent pool for TACs could be through establishing structured internship opportunities between our institutes of higher learn (IHLs) and TACs. There may also be scope to look into improving training for current employees of TACs to ensure that skillsets remain updated and relevant vis-a-vis the issues to be tackled by TACs. Next, on funding the TACs. First, the Ministry can consider funding TACs to assist Singaporean businesses to expand overseas. Indeed, the Ministry has done so with SBF via the GlobalConnect@SBF. Can the Ministry provide an update on the progress? While businesses must continue to capture opportunities in big markets, such as China and India, more must be done. For example, businesses must act fast to gain a first-mover advantage in emerging markets, such as Africa or Latin America. Is the Ministry considering expanding on programmes, such as GlobalConnect@SBF to other TACs? Enhancing Consumer Protection”
“On the TAC's efforts in the SME front, over 25,000 SMEs received assistance from SME Centres run by TACs through business counselling, capability development workshops, and upgrading initiatives in 2022. This clearly illustrates the vital role that TACs play in helping Singapore and its businesses. How can our TACs magnify their roles in rallying industries and guiding businesses to overcome and emerge stronger from challenges? How can we enable our TACs to better serve their members better? TACs can also work with its partners to provide more overseas work opportunities for Singaporeans. As mentioned in my earlier Budget speech, overseas work experiences are highly valued by our younger people. With the extensive linkages enjoyed by our TACs across the globe, more can be done in terms of partnerships between companies to open up secondment programmes. By establishing such programmes between local and overseas companies or even between local and overseas TACs, benefits, such as skillset transfers and networking opportunities can come about. However, the TACs face two challenges: talent shortages and funding. First, what are the resources that TACs can tap on to strengthen their internal leadership development and training? Critical to a TAC's proper functioning is a strong secretariat because TACs' leadership are mostly comprised of business leaders contributing on a voluntary basis. Perhaps, the Ministry could look into expanding the public sector's secondment or attachment schemes to TACs. Such arrangements would be of mutual benefit to both TACs and the public sector with the exchange of skillsets and providing our people with broadened viewpoints.”
“Thank you, Chairman, businesses today have to cope with very different challenges compared to those in the past. The demands of the new workforce have seen a pivotal shift. Digital transformation has shaken the business landscape. Geopolitical tensions must now be navigated. Businesses also need to be on the constant lookout for opportunities in overseas markets to diversify. These are consequential and intractable issues. And this particularly affects our SMEs which comprise the vast majority and backbone of our economy in Singapore. This is where trade associations and chambers of commerce (TACs) have important roles to play. Over the years, especially through our history, TACs, such as SNEF and the Singapore Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) have been instrumental in the development of Singapore's business landscape by catalysing the building of capabilities in companies, especially SMEs. Their efforts in galvanising businesses to gain early mover advantages in then-emerging markets and capitalising from the digital transformation wave is what enabled Singapore to enjoy its status as a key business hub in the region. In more recent years, TACs have also played their part in supporting a stronger Singapore. For example, the success of the CDC Voucher scheme would not have been possible without the support from TACs. For example, the Federation of Merchants' Association Singapore (FMAS) worked alongside the CDCs in optimising redemption procedures and onboarding hawkers and merchants onto the scheme. There are now over 17,000 participating hawkers and merchants, and this would not have been possible without the help of TACs.”
“As Singapore and the rest of the world step down on COVID-19 restrictions, travel is picking up globally. Many Singaporeans are resuming their overseas travel. Singaporeans have always been well-travelled and "revenge travelling" is expected to fuel even more expected trips for some Singaporeans. It is common to hear people saying that they need to make up for lost time. Some Singaporeans have also taken this time to resume their overseas postings and business travels. MFA had faced significant request to consular assistance during the pandemic. With the DORSCON Green, we should now thank our MFA officers for their three years of difficult work. How has the volume and complexity of consular services changed since easing of COVID-19 and the resumption of travel by Singaporeans? With the significant increase in outbound travel over the last few months, what advice would MFA provide to Singaporean travellers? Could the Ministry also provide us with an update on some of its efforts to improve the delivery of consular assistance to Singaporeans overseas? What were the valuable lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to incorporate in our consular services and development of overseas missions? What are the challenges that MFA faced that will require the public's support? The easing of COVID-19 restrictions also coincided with the Russian-Ukraine conflict and the Turkish-Syrian earthquake. Can the Ministry provide an update on how they supported Singaporeans affected by these disasters? Helping Singaporeans during Pandemic”
“One of the biggest overseas training areas we have is the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Australia, which is currently undergoing an expansion. During the Minister for Defence's visit to the troops participating in Exercise Trident and Exercise Wallaby in Australia in September 2022, he stated that the expanded training area would eventually provide an area ten times the size of Singapore for our soldiers to train. I would like to ask the Minister for a progress update on the SAF's training area development in Australia and how can these new facilities enhance our training for our national servicemen? When will our soldiers be able to utilise this training asset fully? Air Force Training”
“In order to prepare our National Servicemen (NSmen) to effectively defend Singapore against evolving threats, our training facilities need to be consistently refreshed to make sure that they provide realistic and relevant battlefield environments. Today, the battlefield may not necessarily be in a field or a jungle, but also in an urban environment. Back in 2019, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) started construction on Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (SAFTI) City, a state-of-the-art urban training facility that aims to leverage on technology to enhance training for our Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers. However, due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, MINDEF announced that the development of the SAFTI City project had been delayed, similar to other construction projects throughout Singapore. With Singapore having entered into an endemic COVID-19 phase and gone to Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) Green, can MINDEF provide updates on the SAFTI City and the development of other military training facilities in Singapore? SAF Overseas Training Many Singaporean soldiers have had the privilege of participating in SAF training overseas. For these soldiers, this was one of the highlights of their training and service to the nation. Overseas training is critical in bolstering our national defence. It allows us to overcome our natural space constraints and conduct important training that would have otherwise been impossible here. For our national servicemen, it is also an opportunity for them to appreciate the scale of the SAF's capabilities and operations. Such overseas training is critical to SAF building up capabilities beyond what the limited space of Singapore can provide.”
“Mr Chairman, can I take the two cuts together?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. First, I want to thank the Deputy Prime Minister for a budget that would help workers navigate through very challenging times. Two points of clarification. It is very reassuring that Deputy Prime Minister said that those who work consistently will be able to meet their basic retirement needs. Would the Government also look at those who are nearing retirement and have a limited runway left to build up their retirement savings? And how about those self-employed persons which are actually growing in size? What is Government's direction towards helping such groups of people? Second, how can we help the NITEC and Higher NITEC Diploma holders to make career switches, perhaps earlier in life so as to be more resilient in their whole career journey and also to close the gap with degree holders?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong mentioned, this Budget is centred on forging ahead together as a nation amidst the uncertain global environment. The Labour Movement will work closely with the Government and employers to do right by our workers and ensure that no worker gets left behind. We need to ensure that the successes enjoyed by Singapore today will continue to be shared with future generations by enabling our young workers to be well-equipped and form our new future-proof workforce. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Budget.”
“Even if our younger Singaporeans choose to specialise in a bright-spot industry now, no one is to say how bright the said industry would be in a few years' time. I believe this has partly contributed to anxieties amongst our younger people. They do stress over having to choose the "right" first degree. This could partly be due to the fact that only the first degree is being subsidised by the Government, or too much emphasis is on getting it right the first time. An anecdotal example of this is one of our ex-colleagues with over 10 years of experience. Recently, at age 35, she decided to switch from the public sector to merchandising and commercial space, which was her lifelong interest. Her biggest challenge in making the switch was the lack of experience or training for the new role. Although she possessed transferable skills, her employers were looking for the latest skills and experience, even for an entry-level position. Thus, she took up an entry-level position, took a pay cut and juggled working full-time and night classes. This anecdotal experience shows that the pains of career conversion can similarly affect those who are relatively younger. The current support for career conversion is weighted towards older workers. This is rightly so, as older workers do find it even more difficult to switch careers. However, the ever more dynamic economy will require Singaporeans to make more career switches even earlier in life. A failure to switch decisively earlier can result in downstream difficulties to seize growth opportunities or even going down the wrong career trajectory. I encourage the Government to consider offering graduated subsidies and loans for second diplomas and degrees to younger Singaporeans. This can help in making career pivots easier and earlier.”
“Singapore's strong performance during COVID-19 has buttressed its reputation as a regional hotspot for business opportunities. The question then becomes: how can we enable our people to capitalise on this, and go out in the world to explore and build greater networks to bring opportunities to other Singaporeans? Supporting our young people, including Generation COVID-19, would be a good way to start. Earlier this year in January, Young NTUC conducted a focus group discussion with 38 working younger Singaporeans. Sixty-six percent indicated their interest in working overseas. They believed that this would be beneficial to their longer-term career prospects, gaining essential transferable skillsets and building professional networks. Support measures cited include remuneration support, relocation incentives and of course, mentorship with others who have been in their position. We could consider changing the current IHL overseas exchange programme for our students into something a more work-based or company-centric. This can give our students an early taste of working overseas while sharpening the studies to work nexus. The Government can look into providing targeted support such as co-funding remuneration and relocation incentives where the placements are done in strategic industries, where Singapore is short on talent. Next, on smoothening career conversion. As I mentioned in Budget 2022, the pandemic has hastened the emergence and decline of multiple industries, professions and skillsets. It is not inconceivable for youths to now find themselves on the opposite end of the growth trajectory, unable to seize opportunities in bright-spot industries due to skills mismatch.”
“An example is the SIT-Young NTUC's Industry Mentorship Programme (IMP), which is in its sixth iteration this year. Young NTUC plays a bridging role in IMP, providing linkages to career mentors for SIT students and also hosts various networking opportunities. This is also another way for us to strengthen our social compact. Our compact is strengthened when more successful Singaporeans provide career mentorship to those who might not have easy access. There is scope for the tripartite partners to extend and scale structured mentorship programmes across the different Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs), especially, in part, ITEs and polytechnics. The labour movement is committed to build such a compact and would share more information soon on its mentorship centre. Next, on our youths who are in the workforce in their first or second careers. These younger Singaporeans, as I shared in Budget 2022, comprise of Generation COVID-19. Generation COVID-19 is now coming out of the previously uncertain job market. As our economy recovers, we are also faced with structural labour issues. Certain job pathways are still undervalued and the demands of employers are rapidly evolving alongside job opportunities, in sunset and sunrise industries. This affects not only non-degree holders, but our degree holders too. The 2022 Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey found that, compared to 2021, more graduates remained jobless six months after leaving school, though wages are higher if they land a job. To help Generation COVID-19 emerge stronger from the battle, I would like to focus on two areas. First, enabling Generation COVID-19 to tap on overseas work opportunities; second, allowing for smoother career conversions. First, on overseas work opportunities.”
“Next, we need to have better quality internships to strengthen the nexus between school and work. This can reduce the number of younger Singaporeans not going into jobs that they are trained for. Through the NTUC Youth Taskforce surveys and engagements, we found that internships rank highly in easing the transition from school to the workforce. Our engagement findings also suggest that students who had internships gained valuable work experience, better understanding of the industry and career prospects within their sectors. They were also able to appreciate prospective job roles better. The reticence of employers to offer internships is not unfounded. Resources must be dedicated to guide interns; this can be difficult when manpower is tight. But, at the same time, this is what our social compact is about; companies in Singapore offering younger Singaporeans opportunities to build a stronger Singapore. It requires thinking beyond just a company's immediate needs. Therefore, unions and schools can work with companies to put in place good internship programmes. Clear standards of internships should be established. Government can provide more resources, perhaps in the form of tax incentives, to companies keen to support such a social compact. Next, on mentorship. Structured mentorship programmes can be a vital tool in easing career navigation and improving studies to work nexus. We often associate mentorships for older working people, but there is equal value to extending this to ITEs and polytechnics. By connecting students with mentors from their interested industries, their ideas on potential careers and aspirations are potentially broadened. They receive targeted career advice and counselling particular to their field.”
“This is more than double of that earned by those with only secondary or lower education and ITE qualifications. Studies have also shown that a large proportion of non-university degree holders took up roles as associate professionals and technicians (APTs). In comparison, university degree holders largely took up roles in professional occupations. The value APTs bring to our economy might not be valued fairly by the market currently. Without APTs, those in professional occupations possibly cannot complete their work with quality, or at all. We need to move towards a better balance in valuing both technical and academic routes of career advancement. First, we need to strengthen vocational training and apprenticeship programmes for ITE students, or even graduates. Recently, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) engaged ITE students who took up the ITE Work-Study Diploma to understand how their experiences have helped them in their careers. One participant, upon completing his higher Nitec, took up a Work-Study Diploma in Automation Engineering. Through his diploma, he was given the opportunity to undertake full-time employment in the host company he was attached to during his studies. The company has set out a good career pathway for him. There are structured avenues for deepening industry knowledge and skillsets. This includes a company-sponsored overseas study programme with a bond to work in the company's overseas branch for at least three years, which he is considering taking up. While early days yet, the future for him is bright. The issue for us is: can we scale this up further? We can incentivise more companies to develop structured work-study diplomas, and even overseas training stints. This improves not only productivity but also Singapore's pool of talent.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join the Debate. The world is opened for business after COVID-19 has eased globally, but it is a world marked by geopolitical tensions and high inflation. The Government's Cost of Living support packages will help Singaporeans to cope better with inflation. Critical to coping with inflation is to ensure wages keep pace with rising prices. Inflation is likely to stay for quite some time. The measures announced in this Budget to improve productivity structurally, are especially important. Many of these improvements will require many years of effort, and central to long-term productivity gains resides with our younger people and our younger workers. I will first speak on helping our in-school younger Singaporeans. Second, on younger Singaporeans already in the workforce, who are currently in their first and second careers. Our younger Singaporeans in the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) who are soon to join the workforce face a daunting challenge. The starting salary gap between university and non-university graduates continues to widen. From 2016 to 2021, the gap between university and polytechnic graduates increased by $200; and $300 between university and ITE graduates. The wage premium given to degree holders is understandable. The degree holder has spent more years preparing for the workforce compared to the Nitec or diploma holder. An ITE graduate enters the workforce in three years, while a university graduate takes another three to four years. However, in the longer term, the same phenomenon occurs. For example, the median salary for Singaporeans in their 20s and 30s with a university or post-graduate degree is $4,200.”
“It is a critical success in the ongoing work to improve the lives and livelihoods of locals working in this difficult but very essential industry. Our workers in the cleaning and waste management industries are clearly an indispensable part of our workforce. They are more than deserving of better wages and brighter prospects in the long term. The tripartite partners have shown their commitment to ensure this with various programmes and initiatives available to these businesses. We will need to keep the momentum going to help our workers with better jobs and better pay to face the evolving challenges of the future. Notwithstanding the suggestions, Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill.”
“There must be economic rewards for companies that obtain the Class 1 license. For example, only holders of a higher class licence can bid for certain projects. This creates the financial incentives for companies to upgrade themselves. There might not be such a market for these higher class licences now. But we can start to create one by having the public sector to commit to buying services from higher class license holders for projects of a set monetary threshold. Larger firms with progressive practices can also adopt such practices, especially those which supply services to the public sector. The challenges for businesses to transform and transition are also not trivial. To support the changes to the revised framework, businesses should capitalise on the initiatives under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map and Jobs Transformation Map. For example, businesses could ride on the push towards Outcome Based Contracting (OBCs), where service buyers specify contract requirements in terms of deliverable outcomes instead of headcount. OBCs are now adopted by all Government service buyers and 40% of large service buyers in the industry. The tripartite partners can encourage the take-up of the Environmental Services Job Redesign Consultancy Package. Substantial funding support is provided through the Productivity Solutions Grant to help businesses transform by streamlining operations alongside the adoption of technological solutions. The Cleaning and Waste Management industries face an urgent need to transform. These are difficult industries that are shunned by most locals. Without the better use of technology, a rapidly ageing Singapore will face even more dire manpower challenges. The PWM in the waste management industry will take effect later this year.”
“Next, on the penalties for high-rise littering. Currently, a person is liable to a fine ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 for littering. Corrective Work Orders (CWOs) may also be discretionally imposed by Courts where they are satisfied that it is expedient to do so. Under what circumstances would it be considered expedient? I join the hon Mr Lim Biow Chuan in urging the Ministry to consider imposing mandatory CWOs, alongside the current fine structure for high-rise littering. In addition, where the high-rise litterbug disposes of an item which has the propensity to cause grave bodily harm, perhaps the Courts should also have the discretion to impose a jail term. I believe that this distinction is important to hold high-rise litterbugs to a higher responsibility for their actions compared to general littering in public places. Lastly, on surveillance camera deployments to aid NEA's efforts in taking enforcement action against high-rise litterbugs, could the Ministry share the challenges in deploying cameras for surveillance? Would the Ministry also accept user-submitted video recordings as evidence for enforcement? With the proper safeguards in place, can NEA consider working with the Singapore Police Force to tap on its network of cameras? This widens the surveillance capabilities without adding to the cost of deployment. There are natural privacy concerns. However, a framework can be put in place to balance the needs adroitly. Next, on the revised cleaning business licensing framework. The tiered licensing framework is a clear signal that we want companies to ready themselves with the right resources and practices to develop the workforce. This is a positive move. Critical to the success of this framework must be the rewards or premium in having a higher class licence.”
“Mr Speaker Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. I would like to speak on the statutory presumption clause for high-rise littering and the cleaning business licensing framework. High-rise littering has been on the rise with no signs of abating. Our cleaners bear the brunt of such inconsiderate and wanton behavior. They are often blamed for not maintaining the neighborhood. But ultimately, cleaners do not dirty the estate. Inconsiderate residents do. High-rise litterbugs cause real dangers to innocent passers-by too. The number of complaints has doubled in recent years, but enforcement actions has stagnated at around 1,500 instances annually. I agree wholeheartedly with the hon Mr Liang that the number of complaints is probably on the more conservative side. We clearly need tougher actions. Help the cleaners, take the fight to the litterbugs. I support the proposed statutory presumption clause. There are too many dwelling units for effective comprehensive enforcement. Owners and tenants must be made responsible for the action of their dwellers. I would like to seek a few clarifications from the Ministry. Firstly, on the letter of intended prosecution. To rebut the statutory presumption, the presumed offender must respond within 14 days of being notified by NEA. Could the Ministry clarify if this letter will only be sent via post? If so, can NEA tap on the Government's digital capabilities to have the letter of intended prosecution to be sent electronically via email and SMS based on the registered owner or tenant's contact details in their Singpass? This would reduce vexatious cases and appeals where presumed offenders request for a longer timeline to rebut the statutory presumption by claiming that they had not seen the letter from NEA due to various reasons.”
“I thank the Minister for the assurance that companies with bad practices will not be allowed to participate. I would like to ask how nimble will the Ministry be in adjusting the number of foreign manpower admitted through this scheme, especially in light of a slowing economy and the possible increase in unemployment.”
“I believe that online safety is as equally important as privacy and data protection, if not even more. Both are crucial gears that must be safeguarded in the digital ecosystem. Would the Ministry thus consider increasing the maximum penalties that can be meted out under the Bill? This would also give the Ministry more flexibility in proposing appropriate penalties based on the non-compliance complained of. On a related note, the current penalties almost seem like a slap on the wrist, compared to other jurisdictions. In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Bill currently prescribes a maximum fine of the higher of £18 million or 10% of the defaulting service's worldwide revenue. In Germany, the Network Enforcement Act prescribes a maximum penalty of up to €50 million. Mr Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I believe that the Bill will, nonetheless, make considerable strides in our efforts to protect our people against harmful content. The success of this goal will also be premised on contemplating a whole-of-society approach, where our efforts are to work closely with the community and industry stakeholders to equip Singaporeans with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe online. This remains a key piece in this journey. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“Such nationwide age verification systems are currently being trialed in Australia. Perhaps, this is something that we can also learn from. Next, section B of the Code of Practice states that there must be an easy-to-use mechanism for Singapore end-users to report harmful content and unwanted interaction. However, clauses which directly relate to the liability of the services arising from their failure to comply with user requests in the code are not readily apparent. Would the Ministry establish an avenue for Singapore end-users to report such non-compliance with the code? Further, I understand that even though the code is still under review, section B, which imposes obligations on the services to act on user reports in a timely manner, seems to leave some room for ambiguity. Could the Ministry elaborate on whether it would consider implementing an objective or specific timeframe for the services to respond to user reports and perhaps have different timeframes which are proportionate to the nature of the harmful content identified? For example, the timeframe for services to respond to sexual cyberbullying content should arguably be done as soon as possible. Next, on the legislative provisions in the Bill, under the proposed section 45E(1) where a service does not comply with blocking directions and the proposed section 45N which contemplates a situation where a prescribed service does not comply with the Code, the defaulting service may be liable to a maximum fine of up to $1 million. For comparison, under the Privacy and Data Protection Act, the maximum financial penalty was increased to the higher 10% of an organisation's annual turnover in Singapore or $1 million to send a stronger signal of Singapore's stance towards the importance of privacy and data protection.”
“It provides for a calibrated regulatory approach by implementing a code of practice prescribed which social media services must comply or face consequences, along with the authorities' overriding oversight to deal with egregious content. We are just one of the few jurisdictions in the world to consider codifying the responsibilities of these social media services. I believe that many other jurisdictions will follow in time to come. I would like to offer a few areas for the Ministry's consideration to refine the Bill and offer a few suggestions to the code as follows. First, we need to refine section A of the code to implement a robust age verification system to effectively delineate a higher standard of responsibility social media services owe to minors. The Bill and the code rightfully prescribe additional obligations to be undertaken by these services to prevent minors from accessing harmful content. In practical terms, minors would be flagged out as minors by these services if the user inputs their age to show that they are under the age of 18. With this, the services can then moderate the content shown to minors. My concern with this is that the current age verification process is very much circumventable. For example, what if a 12-year-old could falsely input their age as a 21-year-old? Hence, they would not be treated as a minor as far as the services are concerned. In such an instance, it must also be the responsibility of the services to implement a secure age verification system. What are the standards required of the services for such verification? In addition, would the Ministry also look into implementing a robust nationwide age verification system to ensure that the responsibility of services to children can be adequately effected in practice?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join the debate on this Bill. Harmful content found online has proliferated with the expansion and pervasiveness of social media services in recent years. Bad or irresponsible actors have exploited the accessibility of the digital world to spread harmful materials. We are now in a world where the nature of harm to minors are vastly different. There has been a pronounced shift from physical to online dangers, but still leading to real and physical harm. As hon Member Alex Yam shared, the suicide of a teenager in the United Kingdom, Ms Molly Russell, in 2017 is a stark reminder of the harms in the online world. At the coroner's inquest, they found that the harmful content Molly encountered on social media had played a contributing role in her suicide. Coroner Andrew Walker said images of self-harm and suicide she viewed "shouldn't have been available for a child to see". Her death sent shockwaves across the UK and beyond, and the UK is now similarly considering a Bill to the one we are debating today. According to Molly's father, Ian Russell, at the inquest, "It's a world I don't recognise. It's a ghetto of the online world that once you fall into it, the algorithm means you can't escape it and it keeps recommending more content. You can't escape it." The law must be strengthened so that our minors do not fall into this commercially-driven quicksand. The proposed Bill mirrors society's consensus. Social media services must take up more responsibility to protect people of all ages, especially minors, from harmful content.”