Desmond Lee
Singapore
“The Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 is a framework for recognising student participation and achievement in secondary school co-curricular programmes.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of the impact that rising temperatures may have on our students, teachers and officials taking part in the National School Games. Matches are scheduled only after students have had the time to train and become progressively more heat acclimatised.”
“As shared in Parliament in March 2026, the proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools has remained stable, at around 7% of the overall student population. This stability is observed across both primary and secondary schools.”
“The Ministry recruits and assesses applicants based on merit and suitability for the teaching profession, regardless of gender. We look for individuals with a passion for teaching, a belief in the potential of every child, and who possess the values and character to make a positive difference in students' lives.”
“Over the past five years, an average of 750 teachers resigned from the Education Service annually, representing a resignation rate of around 2%.”
“MOE has also progressively strengthened open access within the Primary 1 Registration Framework through Phase 2C, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. MOE had increased the number of reserved Phase 2C places from zero to 20 in 2014; and from 20 to 40 in 2022.”
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“Neighbourliness, mutual respect and consideration are important attributes required in dense, high-rise city living. When disputes occur, as they sometimes do, they are often best resolved by neighbours coming together to understand and try to resolve the cause of the friction and unhappiness between them. Where neighbours are unable to resolve the dispute themselves, the Government has created avenues to help neighbours work out their disagreements. Under the inter-agency Community Dispute Management Framework (CDMF), most disputes between neighbours in HDB estates can be resolved amicably with some help from grassroots leaders and community partners. Additionally, the disputing parties can also seek mediation by trained, neutral mediators at the Community Mediation Centre, who can help parties reach mutually acceptable solutions. As a last resort in intractable cases where parties are unable to resolve their disputes through community facilitation or voluntary mediation, the aggrieved parties can file a case with the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal (CDRT). Where criminal conduct is alleged, a Magistrate's Complaints can be made. Along the way, various government agencies can also render assistance depending on the nature of the disputes involved. Despite these avenues, there continue to be difficult and intractable cases that remain unresolved. In some instances, there are neighbours who are so recalcitrant, that they are undeterred by court orders or criminal sanctions. Currently, HDB could potentially acquire HDB property from such owners under limited circumstances. However, this is a measure that has great impact on residents, and is not undertaken lightly.”
“The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was launched in 2001 to provide direct lift access to flats and enhance convenience for residents, especially the elderly and less mobile. At the start of the programme, there were more than 5,300 HDB blocks without full direct lift access. Over the years, HDB has adopted innovative technical solutions to provide such blocks with direct lift access. Through these efforts, the vast majority of the 5,300 blocks have since benefited from the LUP. As the Government has the responsibility to ensure the prudent use of public funds, cost is a key criteria when deciding whether a block can be selected for the LUP. The other criteria is technical feasibility. Currently, there remain about 150 blocks, including those in Keat Hong, where it is still not possible to implement the LUP due to prohibitive costs or existing technical constraints. While we will continue to explore possible ways to bring direct lift access to these blocks, we know that some residents may urgently need direct lift access due to medical or mobility issues. In March this year, we therefore introduced the Lift access Housing Grant (LHG) of up to $30,000, to help those with medical or mobility issues buy a new or resale HDB flat with direct lift access. The Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) is implemented on a highly selective basis. The identification of suitable sites for SERS involves a careful evaluation of various factors on a site-by-site basis, such as the redevelopment potential of the site, the availability of suitable replacement sites, and the Government’s financial resources. The inability to provide direct lift access to flats is not a consideration for SERS.”
“Currently, about 58,900 HDB flats, or 6% of all HDB sold flats, are wholly rented out in the open market. Of these, about 52,200 are rented out to non-residents. Among HDB flat owners who are currently renting out their flats, 20% have an outstanding HDB housing loan. As for the reasons for renting out their flat, 12% said that they needed the rental income to meet their retirement needs. Apart from seniors who are renting out their HDB flats to supplement their retirement income, flat owners may also rent out their flats for other reasons such as to live with their parents or children for mutual care and support.”
“NParks recently launched the Gardening with Edibles programme, which provided 400,000 free seed packets of edible plants for households to start home gardening. The programme also provides extensive online resources on how to garden at home with affordable tools that are widely available, such as pots of soil, fertiliser, and energy-efficient Light-Emitting Diode grow lights (if natural light is insufficient). NParks has received good feedback that many households have been successful at starting edible gardens in their homes. People who wish to participate in larger-scale gardening near their homes can also start or join community gardens in their neighbourhood. Today, there are more than 1,500 community gardens across Singapore. NParks will continue to work together with Residents' Committees and Neighbourhood Committees to encourage the setting up of more community gardens. In addition, individuals who wish to have dedicated plots for gardening can consider renting allotment garden plots from NParks. More than 1,000 garden plots have been made available in eleven parks across the island so far. NParks will progressively roll out more allotment garden plots, many of which will be in parks near residential areas.”
“The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was launched in 2001 to provide direct lift access to flats and enhance convenience for residents, especially the elderly and less mobile. At the start of the programme, there were more than 5,300 HDB blocks without full direct lift access. Over the years, HDB has adopted innovative technical solutions to provide such blocks with direct lift access. Through these efforts, the vast majority of the 5,300 blocks have since been able to benefit from LUP. Currently, there remain about 150 blocks where it is still not possible to implement LUP due to prohibitive costs, or existing technical constraints. While we will continue to explore possible ways to bring direct lift access to these blocks, we know that some residents may urgently need direct lift access due to medical or mobility issues. In March this year, we therefore introduced the Lift access Housing Grant (LHG) of up to $30,000, to help those with medical or mobility issues buy a new or resale HDB flat with direct lift access. As at August 2020, HDB has received 17 applications for the LHG and approved seven. The remaining 10 applications are being assessed. We do not have plans to expand the LHG at this point in time. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor the take up rate and review if enhancements are required.”
“NParks has established the multi-stakeholder Rehoming and Adoption Work Group (RAWG) to take a more holistic look into practices related to the rehoming and adoption of dogs. The RAWG aims to clarify the responsibilities of the various stakeholders involved in the rehoming and adoption of dogs. This includes pet owners, as well as persons or organisations they adopted the animal from. The work group will consider views from different stakeholders to develop community-based standards and guidelines, including for the return of adopted dogs as suggested by the Member. We look forward to working closely with the Member and other stakeholders in the RAWG.”
“As of 30 Sep 2020, only two flats that were previously offered through Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises and open booking have remained unselected for more than two years, from the time they were first offered under an SBF exercise. Flats may remain unselected for various reasons. Besides the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) limits, other reasons could include the personal preferences of applicants, the flats’ attributes like their location, layout or storey height, and the surrounding facilities and amenities. There are currently no plans to lift the EIP limits for unselected flats, given the relatively small number of flats that have remained unselected, and the various reasons why this may be the case. The EIP remains important in ensuring that our HDB estates continue to reflect a diverse mix of ethnic groups, to promote racial harmony and strengthen social cohesion.”
“In 2017, 2018, and 2019, there were a total of around 22,100, 23,100, and 23,700 HDB resale transactions registered, respectively. In each of the three respective years, HDB received about 530, 690, and 630 appeals from flat owners to waive the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP). About 300 (16%) of these appeals were from Chinese flat owners, 460 (25%) were from Malay flat owners, and 1,080 (59%) were from Indian flat owners or flat owners from other ethnic groups. The percentage of appeals that were successful has increased from 8% in 2017, to 14% in 2018, and reached 18% in 2019. As for time extensions granted to flat owners to sell their flats, from 2017 to 2019, HDB approved on average more than 900 such appeals per year. These time extensions were given for various reasons, not just the EIP. For example, flat owners may have requested a time extension because they faced medical difficulties, or unforeseen delays in renovations for their next flat. HDB is unable to provide a more detailed breakdown by the reasons given for the time extensions, as it does not track the appeals to this level of detail, and there could be multiple reasons given for any specific case.”
“Less than 10% of rental households have more than four members. HDB has been looking into how we can help larger rental households. Larger households are generally those with more children, or with extended family members staying with them for mutual care and support. Families that form two nuclei, such as grandparents staying with parents and children, can apply for two rental flats, and can ask for the flats to be in the same block. On a case-by-case basis, some larger families may be offered a 3-room rental flat, subject to vacancies. We will continue to study and explore further options to help rental households of all sizes, in close partnership with MSF. For example, under ComLink, government agencies and community organisations work together to help rental households attain stability and social mobility. HDB has also set up the Home ownership Support Team to provide greater support to rental households who are ready to buy a flat, especially families with children. This includes advising them on their housing budget and options, the grants and schemes available, and guiding them through the flat-buying process.”
“Nevertheless, let me address Mr Louis Ng's point about the need to review HDB’s policy that disallows the keeping of cats in HDB flats. Let me first declare that I am a cat lover and I have had four stray cats in the course of the last 15 years. HDB’s pet ownership policies seek to strike a balance between residents who are pet lovers and those who are not. We will continually review and I assure the Member that we will review and update our pet ownership policies to ensure that they are effective and balance the needs of different stakeholders. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move.”
“In fact, with the current Board size, HDB has had to make trade-offs in selecting and bringing on expertise. On the Member’s question as to whether HDB had considered enlisting the help of external consultants or industry experts instead, I would like to share that HDB does, indeed, engage such experts when dealing with specific projects or issues. For example, HDB has several advisory panels comprising industry experts to guide HDB in technical areas such as Architecture, Research, and Civil and Structural Engineering. Such panels are useful when HDB needs advice in more specific and technical areas. But they will not be able to replace the Board’s role in offering strategic guidance and contributing diverse viewpoints, including beyond their core areas of expertise, to guide HDB’s overall development. With the expansion, HDB’s Board size will be comparable to that of other Statutory Boards such as the LTA, CPF Board and JTC Corporation. Mr Louis Chua had asked about the appointment of a Deputy Chairman prior to the appointment of Dr Lily Kong as Deputy Chairman with effect October 2020. Prior to appointment, at the start of each term of HDB's Board, there would be appointed in HDB's Board a temporary chairman who would for all purposes and intents perform the role of a Deputy Chairman in managing the Board and holding Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman. This amendment brings the structure and composition of the HDB's Board in line with other Boards such as JTC, URA and LTA. Finally, let me address an issue that is unrelated to the Bill but is very close to Mr Louis Ng's heart. This Bill relates to credit, compulsory acquisition, courts and candidates for the Board – four Cs – and that does not include the cats.”
“I would like to assure the Member that we will apply this provision to those who intentionally make misleading statements or misrepresentations. He asked also about the specific definitions of the terms “acquisition” and “transfer” in the amendment. The Member is right that the definition of the term "transfer" in section 49 applies expressly to that section only. Section 49 sets out the various transactions for which HDB may act for parties who do not engage their own solicitors. Such transactions include, among others, the purchase, sale, transfer of ownership interest, and surrender of HDB flats. The definition of "transfer" in section 49 is therefore purposefully broad, to cover the range of transactions where HDB can act for, some of which do not apply to the intended amendment in section 56. For the purposes of section 56 amendment, we should take the ordinary meaning of the terms "acquisition" and "transfer". To explain, the term "acquisition" in this amendment refers to the obtaining of an interest in the ownership of the flat by an incoming owner. The term “transfer” here refers to an interest in the ownership of the flat being passed to an incoming owner. Let me use an example to illustrate. When a couple includes their child as a co-owner of a flat, the child acquires an interest in the flat, while the parents transfer an interest in the flat to the child. Finally, Miss Cheryl Chan and Mr Louis Chua raised some queries with regard to the amendments relating to the HDB Board. As I mentioned earlier, the HDB Board plays a strategic role in guiding the development of the Board. When appointing Board members, we seek a diverse representation of perspectives to cover the breadth of its work.”
“I would like to assure the Member that HDB will not exercise its powers to compulsorily acquire flats lightly, and will generally only contemplate such action as a last resort for egregious and severe cases, and where the flat owners refuse to regularise the ownership of the flat. Before initiating acquisition action, HDB will investigate each case thoroughly. Depending on the circumstances of each case, HDB may instead consider imposing a financial penalty or issue a warning. HDB will consider the interest of the parties involved, including any non-complicit owners and occupiers of the flat, and may allow the flat to be sold on the open market if there are extenuating circumstances. The statutory appeal channel to the Minister under section 56 of the Act serves as yet an additional safeguard to the interests of potentially non-complicit owners. Mr Louis Chua asked about the rationale for this amendment and, like Miss Cheryl Chan, also asked if there had been a significant rise in false statements or misrepresentations in the transfer of flats. I would like to clarify that this is not the case. By and large, HDB's existing process and system checks are able to reduce such occurrences. In fact, HDB had found around 10 such cases in the past three years. They principally revolve around false statements or misrepresentations about eligibility, about ownership of other properties, both locally and abroad and, of course, other statements that are material to the transfer or to purchase. This is thus a pre-emptive move to deter any such potential infringements in relation to the transfer of flat ownership. Mr Louis Ng asked about avenues for owners to amend unintentional or non-material errors in their applications to HDB.”
“For borrowers in financial difficulties, MAS has worked with financial institutions on further support measures that allow them more time to resume their monthly mortgage instalments. These measures, which were announced yesterday, will help ease individuals’ cashflow while gradually encouraging them to resume their home loan repayments in 2021. This complements HDB's own loan arrangements which were announced a couple of days before MAS. Ms Nadia Samdin also asked if the use of HDB loans as security will increase the pressure on banks to foreclose loans with outstanding arrears. The MAS facility does not impact how banks manage their residential property loan portfolio. As banks now have access to an added layer of liquidity insurance provided by MAS, their ability to deal with liquidity stress should in fact be enhanced. Finally, Miss Cheryl Chan asked how the proposal would interact with various scenarios relating to material changes in the ownership of the flat. In short, there is no impact on how such cases will be handled. The existing HDB policies will continue to apply. The banks will also continue to administer the loans based on their existing procedures. I have sought to respond to Members’ queries regarding the amendments made to enable the MAS SGD Term Facility. If there are further technical queries relating to this or to the financial system, my colleague Minister Ong Ye Kung will be here to address them. Next, let me address the points made regarding compulsory acquisition. Ms Nadia Samdin asked if this would excessively penalise flat owners who may be innocent and unaware of the false statements or misrepresentation of facts.”
“There is, therefore, no change in the relationship between banks and the flat owners and, therefore, MAS will not require the bank to inform the HDB flat owners that their loans have been pledged to MAS as part of a portfolio of loans, both private and public, in return for this facility. But in the highly unlikely scenario where a bank defaults on its loan from MAS, MAS will take ownership of the HDB loans and will appoint an agent bank to administer the loans on MAS' behalf. Under this scenario, HDB flat owners will be promptly notified to re-direct loan repayments to the agent bank. This is an administrative process and the terms and conditions of the HDB loans, including the interest rates charged, will not be affected in the process. Again, we emphasise that this is a very unlikely scenario, as banks in Singapore are well capitalised and maintain healthy liquidity buffers and this is, indeed, a pre-emptive measure. Mr Louis Ng shared his concerns that increased default rates on home loans during periods of economic uncertainty may increase the likelihood of banks defaulting on their loans from MAS and asked about the current and projected default rate of bank loans on HDB flats. The current housing non-performing loan ratio remains low and stable at around 0.5%. The majority of borrowers are able to service their mortgages and should continue to avoid further build-up of debt. But, we will keep a close watch on the situation as the crisis unfolds. As Mr Ng has pointed out, economic and employment conditions remain challenging for many households, and we can expect homeowners to face difficulties in the period ahead.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank Members for their comments on the Bill. Allow me to address the issues raised. Ms Cheryl Chan asked if the MAS Singapore Dollar Term Facility is a temporary or permanent facility and if MAS can direct the banks to on-lend the funds borrowed from MAS to local businesses instead of chanelling them to overseas investments. Madam, the facility is a pre-emptive measure to strengthen the resilience of the banking sector, given the significant economic headwinds created by COVID-19. The facility will remain in place throughout the COVID-19 crisis. After the crisis is over, MAS will review if the facility needs to be retained. The intent of the facility is not for the banks to directly on-lend the funds borrowed from MAS. Instead, the facility serves as a backstop that will provide banks with greater certainty of funding and provide the banks assurance and, in doing so, supports their lending to businesses and households during periods of heightened market uncertainty. Ms Cheryl Chan also asked if HDB flat owners will be notified when banks pledge their HDB loans to MAS. Ms Nadia Samdin asked about the administrative implications on flat owners when MAS takes over the HDB loans and if the terms of HDB loans from banks will stay the same. The borrower-lender relationship between the HDB flat owner and the bank, as set out in the terms and conditions of the housing loan, remains unchanged when the bank pledges the HDB loan to MAS. HDB flat owners continue to service their HDB loans with their respective banks and the bank still retains the legal title to the loan.”
“HDB sees the need for more diverse views, experience, and skillsets on its Board to guide its efforts in providing even better-quality homes and continuing to enhance the HDB living environment in a financially sustainable manner. These efforts will benefit from fresh insights, for example, in the areas of new technology that can help us develop greener, smarter, and more sustainable towns, and in the area of healthcare and ageing issues to guide our efforts to provide a quality living environment for an ageing population. Clause 2 of the Bill therefore increases the maximum number of Board members to 15, up from 12 currently, to allow HDB more room to bring in additional expertise and new perspectives to complement the existing Board. The other Board-related amendments in clauses 2 and 3 are more administrative. First, they clarify that the Deputy Chairman position is a discretionary one and will only be appointed by the Minister when required. Second, they will allow the Minister to temporarily appoint an acting Chairman, Deputy Chairman, or Member of the Board, in the event any of the individuals holding these positions is absent from duty or from Singapore. Third, the amendments will update the quorum for Board meetings to one-third of the total number of Board Members in office. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]”
“Nevertheless, this will strengthen HDB's position to take compulsory acquisition action as a last resort should owners prove uncooperative and refuse to regularise the ownership of the flat. The next amendment, set out in clause 5 of the Bill, is purely administrative. Currently, when a flat owner passes away and there is no surviving co-owner, family members who are eligible may apply to take over the ownership of the flat. However, there are situations where there is no one to take over the flat. In such cases, HDB may step in and have the flat vested in HDB instead of leaving the flat vacant for a protracted period. HDB will compensate for this vesting. However, if there is no party to receive the compensation, or if there are disputes as to which parties it should be, HDB will apply to deposit the compensation with the Court where the compensation is held until there is a claim or the dispute is determined. Clause 5 changes the judicial forum to which HDB applies to deposit compensation related to the vesting of a flat on the demise of the owner, from the High Court to the Registrar of the Supreme Court. This is to streamline the process for HDB and the Courts. There will not be any material change or impact on processes, other than a change in the judicial forum hearing HDB's applications for payments into Court. Finally, and this is the fourth set of amendments, the Bill will make amendments to enhance HDB's ability to manage its Board Appointments. Since HDB’s establishment in 1960, it has benefited from the strategic guidance of its Board in the performance of its statutory functions, and the development of plans and programmes. The diverse expertise of its Board members has also helped HDB to navigate challenges, and to develop as an organisation.”
“In the highly unlikely scenario where an approved financial institution defaults on its loan from MAS, MAS will take over the residential property loans and HDB flat owners will be asked to re-direct their loan repayments to another approved financial institution appointed by MAS. The terms and conditions of their housing loan will, for all purposes and intents, remain exactly the same. Let me move on to the second batch of amendments in the Bill. Currently, under the Housing and Development Act, HDB is empowered to compulsorily acquire flats if owners commit major infringements, such as unauthorised subletting. Compulsory acquisition is a decision that is not taken lightly and is generally invoked only as a last resort or for very egregious infringements. Unfortunately, such powers are necessary to allow HDB the ability to take commensurate action against the very small minority of flat owners who flout HDB's rules, and to safeguard our limited public housing supply for those who need it. Today, the Act allows compulsory acquisition action to be taken against flat owners who deliberately make a misleading or false statement, or a misrepresentation of a material fact, in relation to their purchases of the flats. Clause 6 of the Bill will extend these powers to instances where the flat or an interest in it has been acquired from a related person, or an interest in the flat has been transferred to a related person. This will enable HDB to undertake compulsory acquisition if flat owners had intentionally made misleading or false statements, or misrepresented material facts in the transfer of flat ownership. The incidence of such cases is very low.”
“MAS is introducing this Facility pre-emptively, in light of current economic headwinds, to provide greater certainty of access to central bank liquidity. This will help to contain any liquidity strains before they pose a serious challenge. MAS intends to accept the security interests in residential property loans, for both private property and public housing, as security to enhance the banks' access to MAS' SGD lending facilities. While banks in Singapore are well capitalised and maintain healthy liquidity buffers, greater and more certain access to MAS liquidity will strengthen their resilience to any future financial market stresses. Strong and stable banks are in a better position to support the financing needs of individuals and businesses here in Singapore. The acceptance of security interests in residential property loans as security for central bank liquidity is an established practice among major central banks around the world. Clause 4 of the Bill will therefore lift current prohibitions in section 51(1) of the Act in a limited way by allowing approved financial institutions to pledge their security interests in residential property loans involving HDB flats as security to MAS in exchange for liquidity. Let me assure this House that HDB flat owners will not be adversely impacted in any way by this. In particular, this arrangement will neither affect flat owners' rights to their flats, nor result in any change to the terms and conditions of their housing loans. Over the period where the collateral is being pledged to MAS, HDB flat owners will continue to service their housing loans with the approved financial institution.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Bill seeks to amend the Housing and Development Act in four areas. First, it will allow approved financial institutions to use their security interest in property loans involving HDB flats as security for liquidity from the Monetary Authority of Singapore or MAS. Second, it will enable compulsory acquisition action to be taken, as a measure of last resort, against flat owners who deliberately make misleading or false statements, or misrepresent a material fact, when transferring a flat between related persons. [Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair] Third, it will standardise the forum in Court to which HDB applies to deposit compensation related to compulsory acquisition, or to deposit compensation when the flat is vested in HDB. Fourth, it will enhance HDB's ability to manage its Board appointments. Let me go through these areas in turn. First, let me set out the proposal to allow approved financial institutions to use their security interests in residential property loans involving HDB flats as security to access liquidity from the MAS. Like other central banks around the world, MAS lends to banks against good collateral, if the need arises, to tide them through short-term liquidity needs or times of financial market volatility. Timely and ample liquidity provision by MAS can pre-empt and mitigate liquidity strains in banks, reducing the likelihood of spill-overs to the broader economy. On 28 September 2020, MAS launched a Singapore Dollar Term Facility to provide banks an additional channel to borrow Singapore dollar funds at longer tenors with more forms of collateral.”
“Since 2016, NParks has made available 1,080 allotment garden plots as part of its Allotment Gardening Scheme. The annual number of plots made available is provided in Table 1 below. Thus far, seven allotment garden plot leases have been terminated early. These were at the gardeners' requests, for reasons such as ill health, relocation, or lack of time. These plots have since been taken up by new gardeners. NParks will continue to progressively make available more allotment garden plots, many of which will be in parks near residential areas.”
“The number of prosecutions that have been brought in relation to instances of illegal wildlife trade since 2015 is provided in Table 1 below. No association with corruption, money-laundering or fraud was established during the investigation of these cases.”
“In both 2019 and 1H2020, more than half of the first timer families were successful at their first attempt in a Build-To-Order or Sale of Balance Flats exercise. The highest number of consecutive unsuccessful attempts before a successful attempt in 2019 and 1H2020 were 14 and 10 respectively. In these cases, the applicants had applied mostly for new flats in the mature estates.”
“HDB and URA car parks generally offer a 10-minute grace period. The grace period was extended to 20 minutes from April to June this year to cater to the increase in delivery of food and other daily essentials, as a result of Circuit Breaker measures. Since then, based on our monitoring of HDB and URA carpark usage, the proportion of people using the carparks for less than 20 minutes has largely reverted to pre-Circuit Breaker levels, where a 10-minute grace period was generally sufficient for motorists to conduct pick-up or drop-off activities. As the demand for HDB and URA car parks is high, the grace period has to be kept short to ensure quick turnover of vehicles. This prevents congestion in the car park, allows more motorists to use the car park, and ensures that the interests of residents who drive or have season parking are adequately safeguarded. In addition, loading and unloading bays are provided at HDB blocks for quick loading and unloading activities. Delivery riders can use these designated spots for food delivery and pick-up. Nonetheless, we will continue to monitor the situation on the ground, understand the needs of different groups of car park users including delivery drivers and riders, and review the grace period as necessary.”
“Following the incident where an Air-Conditioning & Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) duct detached from the ceiling of a cinema hall in the NEX shopping mall, Building and Construction Authority (BCA) instructed the building owner to appoint a Professional Engineer to carry out a detailed investigation of the incident, and to recommend rectification measures to be taken. The investigation is ongoing and is expected to be completed by end October 2020. However, preliminary findings indicate that a significant amount of water had accumulated in the layer of acoustic material surrounding the ACMV duct. The weight of the accumulated water is likely to have overloaded the brackets that were supporting the ACMV duct, causing them to give way. BCA has alerted other cinema operators to inspect their ACMV ducts and to carry out maintenance and repair works where necessary. BCA will assess what further measures need to be taken to prevent a recurrence of such incidents after the investigation has been completed.”
“For residents who require additional amenities, such as meeting rooms with video conferencing facilities, they have the option of using commercially-run co-working spaces available at three public libraries: Jurong Regional Library, Toa Payoh Public Library and Geylang East Public Library. We will continue to monitor tele-commuting trends, and study ways to convert existing communal spaces into workspaces, as well as to plan and design workspaces upfront in future community facilities.”
“HDB flats are designed to provide a living environment that is functional and comfortable. For instance, bedrooms are built with large windows to optimise natural lighting and ventilation, while kitchens are designed to be open to increase the sense of spaciousness. HDB flats are also designed to provide flexibility for residents to reconfigure spaces in their homes to meet their needs. For example, columns in new flats are pushed to the edges wherever possible, so that home owners can have more flexibility in reconfiguring their home layout. Many homeowners have personalised their homes through renovation. There are also ways to create workspaces through use of creative furnishing. We are studying how HDB flats can further support telecommuting – a trend that has been accelerated by the current pandemic. Today, broadband for Wi-Fi ready connections is readily available in all public housing flats, facilitating working and studying from home. HDB is also trialing 'smart-enabled' homes in Punggol Northshore and Tengah so that residents can adopt more smart applications. If feasible, we will incorporate these features into future flats. We have also made available communal spaces within the neighbourhood which can be used for work. For example, HDB has introduced Community Living Rooms, which are located within the void decks, and some of our Community Clubs (CCs) have opened their spaces for work purposes in recent months. Most of these spaces are equipped with basic amenities such as charging points, and access to Wi-Fi networks.”
“HDB launched the open booking of flats in June 2019. This allows home seekers to apply for a flat online, and get their flat selection appointment on a first-come-first-served basis, which can be as early as the next working day. HDB has received a total of about 10,500 flat applications through open booking since its launch. More than 1,000 applicants booked a flat, while the remaining 9,500 or so did not. HDB suspends open booking twice a year to inject a fresh supply of flats. At the most recent suspension on 3 August 2020, 36 units remained unselected, which is less than 5% of the 806 flats made available following the previous injection in March 2020. These unselected flats, together with the fresh flat supply, were made available for online viewing from 2 September 2020. In total, 492 flats were made available for open booking, and home seekers have been able to resume online applications from 9 September onwards. HDB has been exploring ways to offer more flats through open booking. For example, since February 2020, HDB has ceased the Re-Offer of Balance Flats exercises, so that more of the unselected flats from the Sale of Balance Flats exercises can be offered directly for open booking. HDB will continue to refine its sales processes to better meet the needs of home seekers.”
“HDB has implemented the Smart Lighting System (SLS) in all public housing developments with tenders called since May 2018. The SLS incorporates light sensors to sense ambient lighting levels and automatically turn the lights on when ambient lighting is low, for instance during rainy conditions. The SLS covers both the indoor and outdoor common areas of the development, including void decks, corridors, and driveways. Prior to the implementation of the SLS, light sensors would be installed in specific areas that required additional lighting to supplement the lack of natural lighting during bad weather conditions. However, the area of coverage could not be easily adjusted as this would require re-wiring and the installation of additional sensors. In contrast, with the SLS, light sensors are integrated with the lighting network, offering the flexibility to easily adjust or even extend the area of coverage to the whole development should the need arise. HDB is currently working with the Town Councils to extend the SLS to all existing estates under the HDB Green Towns Programme. For the parks under its management, NParks is currently piloting the use of ambient light sensors to automatically activate lighting at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. NParks will evaluate the feasibility of a wider implementation of these sensors in parks, based on the outcomes of this trial. Our agencies will continue to explore new technologies that can better meet the needs of our HDB residents and park users and improve sustainability.”
“The current economic situation underscores the need to press on with our economic transformation efforts, so that our firms and workers can emerge stronger, and seize new opportunities following this challenging period. Government agencies responsible for the various economic sector are working closely with their industry partners to review their plans, including for major infrastructure projects. While some infrastructure projects such as the construction of Changi Airport Terminal 5 have been delayed as a result of COVID-19, the Government remains committed to infrastructure projects that are critical investments for future generations.”
“The Government plans the supply of public and private housing units under the respective Build-To-Order (BTO) and Government Land Sales (GLS) Programmes carefully, taking into account factors such as prevailing economic and housing market conditions, as well as longer-term demographic and population trends. This is to ensure that the injection of housing units meets demand over the near to medium term, while being sustainable for the entire housing market. To meet demand for public housing, HDB has increased the BTO flat supply from 14,600 units in 2019 to about 16,700 units this year. The flat supply includes a good mix of units in the mature and non-mature estates, to provide a range of choices to home seekers with different budgets and needs. Given the limited supply and high demand for BTO flats in the mature estates, flat buyers who wish to buy flats in the mature estates can consider buying a resale flat in the open market, where first-timer buyers may receive up to $160,000 in housing grants. For private housing, URA has reduced the supply of private residential units on the Confirmed List for the 2H2020 GLS programme, after considering the COVID-19 situation, the economic slowdown and uncertain business outlook. The Government will continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 situation on the housing market closely, and calibrate the near and medium term supply of public and private housing units holistically to account for potential shifts in the housing demand and aspirations of the population.”
“There are an estimated 35,000 to 45,000 species of flora and fauna native to Singapore. No species of flora or fauna native to Singapore has been classified as presumed nationally extinct in the last five years. 857 species of native flora and fauna are currently classified as critically endangered, while 352 species are classified as endangered. Youth engagement is a key component of NParks' biodiversity conservation efforts. NParks conducts programmes for students and young Singaporeans to raise awareness of biodiversity conservation issues, and to encourage them to participate in nature conservation-related projects. This includes the Greening Schools for Biodiversity programme, which equips students with the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out habitat enhancement within their campus. There is also the Biodiversity Friends Forum programme, which nurtures young Singaporeans to become future leaders in biodiversity conservation. In addition, NParks involves young Singaporeans in its biodiversity surveys. NParks will continue to find new ways to improve awareness by involving students and young Singaporeans in biodiversity conservation efforts, as we transform into a City in Nature.”
“HDB will help public rental households who need assistance with rent payments. From January to July 2020, HDB received an average of 370 requests per month for rent assistance. Over the same period, 325 households per month had their rents reduced. The reduced rent will apply for the rest of each household’s current tenancy term (up to three years). There were also 1,470 households per month emplaced on or renewed for ComCare rent assistance. Public rental rates are highly subsidised. Rents are never raised within a tenancy term, but can be lowered at any time if the household income falls. Rents are reviewed only at tenancy renewal, which happens every two to three years. Any tenants having difficulty affording their rent should approach their local HDB Branch for assistance. We will continue to monitor the situation, and ensure that public rental households in need will get the assistance that they require.”
“NParks has only received infrequent feedback on theft and vandalism in community gardens over the last five years. As community gardens are shared gardening spaces set up and managed by the community, gardeners have the option of reporting such incidents to their Residents’ Committee (for public estates) or Neighbourhood Committee (for private estates), or making a police report. To allow both gardeners and other residents to enjoy community gardens respectfully and amicably, some community gardens have signs to encourage residents to contact the gardeners should they wish to request for plants or their harvest. Some community gardeners also work with the People’s Association to install community refrigerators, to allow gardeners to freely share excess harvests with other residents. NParks also encourages community gardeners to hold regular outreach events to allow other residents to appreciate the efforts and hard work that goes into these spaces, and to build stronger relationships within the community. Such events include garden open houses, gatherings to share harvests, and gatherings to grow common edible plants for the community to freely harvest. By working together, community gardening groups can ensure that their gardens continue to serve as shared spaces that beautify and add vibrancy to our neighbourhoods.”
“Since January 2020, NParks has issued 31 enforcement notices for bird-feeding offences. Of these, 18 were issued composition notices. NParks adopts a suite of measures to deter illegal bird-feeding, including camera surveillance at identified feeding hotspots, and working with Town Councils to carry out enforcement operations. NParks has strengthened its regulatory regime with the enhanced Wildlife Act, which came into force on 1 June 2020. The Act allows NParks to impose stiffer penalties for the illegal feeding of wildlife, including birds. Offenders can be fined up to $5,000 for the feeding of any wild bird, up from $500 for feeding pigeons before the Wildlife Act came into force. Public education and engagement is key. NParks works with Town Councils, MSO, and PA to engage feeders. This enables NParks to find out their motivations, address misconceptions, and discourage them from continuing to feed birds. In February 2020, NParks piloted the Pigeon Management Plan in partnership with four Town Councils of Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Jalan Besar, and Bishan-Toa Payoh. This pilot adopts a multi-pronged approach comprising food source reduction, habitat modification measures such as nettings to prevent nesting, and population reduction. NParks will study the findings from the pilot, with a view of scaling the implementation to other areas.”
“All parties, including veterinarians, animal welfare groups, dog trainers, and dog owners, have a duty of care to the pets under their charge. In particular, owning a pet comes with important obligations and should not be entered into lightly. There are safeguards in place regarding euthanasia of pet dogs. The Code of Ethics for Veterinarians states that veterinarians must consider other treatment options prior to considering euthanasia. It also allows for veterinarians to reject an owner’s request for euthanasia, should he or she deem it inappropriate. NParks works closely with the Singapore Veterinary Association to review the Code of Ethics and ensure that it remains up to date with developments in the veterinary industry and international best practices. Nonetheless, NParks has received suggestions from various stakeholders and is studying them carefully. NParks will engage relevant stakeholders, as part of the ongoing pet sector review”
“We will also continue to gather views and ideas to improve the design of public housing to better meet residents’ needs, as part of the Emerging Stronger Conversations.”
“HDB flats are designed to provide a living environment that is functional and comfortable. For instance, bedrooms are built with large windows to optimise natural lighting and ventilation, while kitchens are designed to be open to increase the sense of spaciousness within the flat. HDB flats are also designed to provide flexibility for residents to reconfigure spaces in their homes to meet their needs. For example, columns in new flats are pushed to the edges wherever possible, so that home owners can have more flexibility in reconfiguring their home layout. These design principles came in useful during the circuit breaker when residents had to work from home and students had to undergo home-based learning. Beyond flats, HDB has also over the years introduced more greenery, and play and fitness equipment to enhance the living environment in our precincts and neighbourhoods. These extended living spaces give our flat dwellers a respite from the confines of their homes while seeking to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Commercial amenities such as supermarkets and eating houses have also been planned to be within easy walking distance from homes. We are studying how HDB flat designs can support developments in the future of work, including trends that may have been accelerated by the current pandemic, such as telecommuting. Today, broadband for Wi-Fi ready connections is already available in all public housing flats, facilitating working and studying from home. HDB is also trialing 'smart-enabled' homes in Punggol Northshore and Tengah so that residents can adopt more smart applications. If feasible, we will incorporate these features into future designs.”
“All foreign worker dormitories have been declared clear of COVID-19 as of 19 August 2020. The majority of foreign workers living in dormitories are now able to resume work. The Ministry of Development (MND) understands from the Town Councils (TCs) that most of their contractors have resumed the provision of essential services to the TCs at full capacity. While a small number of contractors have yet to fully resume their essential services to the TCs for reasons such as workers being placed on quarantine, or having tested positive for COVID-19, there is currently no TC whose essential services have been significantly compromised by the non-availability of foreign workers. Generally, if there is a need, TCs should be able to tap on their other contractors to cover the work of the affected contractors, which constitute a minority. Hence, there are currently no plans for the Government to step in to temporarily redeploy essential workers across TCs.”
“We will help you prepare for the future, but we need you to do the same for your workers – to retrain and redeploy them instead of letting them go, groom and develop them, and bring them along your journey. To our community partners, NGOs, civil society and volunteer organisations – we need your enthusiasm, your spirit, your understanding of the ground and your extensive networks. The Government cannot reach all the right people at the right times. You can be first responders, who can identify and befriend those facing challenges. We will partner you closely in these efforts. Mr Speaker, we are entering a period of great stress and unpredictability. We do not know what the future holds ahead of us and Singaporeans are understandably concerned. But we are starting from a position of strength – learning from our past experiences in fighting disease outbreaks, drawing on fiscal reserves that we have built up over decades and generations and, most importantly, standing united in the face of challenges and adversity. Singapore Together is one of the rallying cries and spirit that will guide us through this crisis, our commitment to leaving no one behind, making space for differing views and doing our part. So, as we lift our heads high, let us face our challenges head-on, dream of a brighter future for our children, and dare to make those dreams a reality. [Applause.]”
“The Alliance for Action on Supply Chain Digitalisation aims to achieve this. The Alliance has organised seven workshops to engage players across the supply chain, involving close to 50 organisations from MNCs to SMEs and many government agencies. I joined one of these workshops and heard from participants that this was, to them, the first time something of this scale and nature and complexion was being attempted. There was great energy in the room as the participants exchanged many exciting ideas. More than ever, in these times, we need all hands on deck to steady the ship. Every Singaporean can contribute in one way or other. To young Singaporeans – we need your energy and your fresh ideas. The path ahead may be uncertain, but the best way to predict the future is to seek to create it. We will need your creativity in many exciting areas, your willingness to challenge the status quo. Climate change, which I mentioned, is one area, but there are many others, such as new applications for digital technology and new ways of organising society to help the low-income and vulnerable. To our older Singaporeans – we need your deep experience, your wisdom and your fighting spirit. You have seen Singapore through difficult times, from SARS to the Global Financial Crisis. At the same time, you may be called upon to learn new skills or trades. It will not be easy but we will support you all the way. To our enterprises and workers – we need your nimbleness to keep up with the latest changes and your commitment to long-term transformation. COVID-19 has shown us that our economic growth needs to be more sustainable and more resilient to shocks.”
“This Taskforce headed by Ms Anita Fam, President of National Council of Social Service (NCSS), has already gotten down to work. The genesis of this Taskforce emerged from engagements that NCSS had with many of our charities. There was a yearning desire to come together, work on common challenges they faced, magnified during COVID-19, in order to reimagine and develop a social sector that can effectively meet emerging social needs, post-crisis. And as more themes emerge from our Emerging Stronger Conversations, more Action Networks can be formed in the months ahead. In the economic domain too, we have set up the Alliances for Action, which are industry-led coalitions aimed at quickly developing and testing new ideas for growth. They too represent a wholly different way of doing things – again, not just industry providing feedback to Government, but industry actually taking the front seat, taking the lead, and Government as active partners. For example, COVID-19 has shown the importance of keeping our supply chains running, especially for a small and open economy like Singapore. One of the challenges is that many players are involved along the entire supply chain – from shippers and carriers, to air and sea port operators, legal and financial service providers and government regulators. Along the chain, cargo details need to be tracked, verified and communicated accurately. But different players may have different standards, formats and platforms, which complicates the process – some things that are sometimes taken for granted, all this while. Industry says if we can use digitalisation, make the supply chain more efficient, we can harness opportunities for growth, seize this opportunity during this crisis.”
“Our industries can be more energy-efficient, and we should use more renewable energy like solar power. In pursuing green growth, we can build expertise that opens up new opportunities – specialised financial or legal services and clean technology. We need everyone to be part of this effort to reduce the energy we use, reduce the waste we produce and care collectively for our environment. We launched the Singapore Together Action Networks to help translate our conversations into real actions. In June, we shared that we have three such existing networks. One of them is the Youth Mental Well-being Network, which Minister Edwin Tong also spoke about earlier. I want to highlight the markedly different approach that we took for this network. First, we made the network open – anyone could sign up. Second, we gave the network space to shape their own agenda. Early on, one participant asked me what the Government aimed to achieve through this network, and I said that we did not want to predetermine where the network would go. It is not about the Government setting the agenda all the time, then seeking input from the public. Instead, the community comes up with ideas and decides what they want to work on, while the Government supports them. Some participants have stepped up and volunteered to drive this process. They have crafted problem statements, eight areas of interest that they want to dive into, such as mental health at school, in the workplace and within families. We are excited to see where we will go and the fruits of such collaboration. Since June, we have also identified a new Action Network – the Beyond COVID-19 Taskforce for our social sector.”
“For example, some suggested setting up forums where people can talk openly and safely about difficult issues like differences in race, religion, language or class; or reframing how charities work by using new funding models like social impact investing. We invite all Singaporeans to participate in these conversations, reflect on our experience together during this pandemic and take part first-hand, in the important work of forging a shared consensus. But I hope that our conversations will ultimately lead to action and that we will solve problems together and pursue fresh ideas together. This is the heart of Singapore Together and we have some examples of this. In the social sector, for instance, we formed SG Cares Community Networks within each town, bringing together public officers from different Government agencies who work together with the social service professionals, local community partners and grassroots organisations, to befriend and support more vulnerable households. But another area we will need collective action is in building a greener and more environmentally sustainable Singapore. Minister of State Desmond Tan and Minister of State Alvin Tan spoke passionately about this. It is an existential challenge for us. There is no vaccine for climate change. And as an island city, we are especially vulnerable to its consequences, such as rising sea levels and increasing temperatures. That is why we are doubling down on efforts to build a low-carbon climate-resilient Singapore, for our grandchildren and their children. In the coming years, we will transform Singapore into a city nature, plant One Million Trees together with Singaporeans. We will green our buildings, towns and transport network. Our economy also needs to be more resilient.”
“So that through our debates, we not only share with Singaporeans more about the issues, trade-offs and possibilities, but also help find a better way forward for our country. This may not always be our default way of engaging others in this House. Sometimes, emotions will run high and we will be tempted to push our point to the fullest. But as long as we commit to putting Singapore's interests before our own, it will be possible to find common ground and move forward together. This will enable us to retain and harness our diversity as a strength and avoid the partisan division and polarisation that we see in other countries taking root here. Constructive dialogue and engagement extends beyond Parliament to all Singaporeans. Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Darryl David and Ms Nadia Samdin spoke about the need to engage all segments of the community to tackle issues together and build consensus across different generations and backgrounds. and Minister of State Tan Kiat How and Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam spoke about how we should encourage such constructive dialogue, especially online. That is one reason why we launched the Emerging Stronger Conversations. Minister Edwin Tong has explained how we hope to harness these as platforms to engage Singaporeans from all walks of life in honest and respectful conversations about the kind of Singapore that we want to build together. I have hosted several of these conversations where a myriad of topics were discussed – such as social mobility, racism, xenophobia, our treatment of migrant workers. Participants were candid and raised suggestions that are worth exploring further.”
“Mr Derrick Goh, Mr Don Wee, Mr Edward Chia and Mr Christopher de Souza spoke on behalf of enterprises – their value, their challenges and how to seize more opportunities for growth. Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Sharael Taha and many others voiced the deep concerns of workers – how to help them develop their skills all through their careers and protect them from unfair practices at the workplace. Many Members also highlighted the importance of building a strong Singaporean Core while remaining open to complementary foreign talent. Prime Minister Lee and Ministers Josephine Teo and S Iswaran have addressed these. While Ms Poh Li San, Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Ms Raeesah Khan spoke up for youth and women. Mr Xie Yao Quan, Ms He Ting Ru and Mr Yip Hon Weng suggested ideas to improve senior care. Dr Wan Rizal spoke about education; Dr Tan Wu Meng, healthcare; Mr Chong Kee Hiong, housing; Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, culture and sports, and many more. We thank Members for contributing your views and suggestions. We have had a vigorous debate these five days and I am sure for many more parliamentary sessions to come. We may not agree on every issue but, as Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Lim Biow Chuan have pointed out, we can deal with disagreements constructively. With empathy and an open mind, using facts and reason, have frank discussions with one another. We should acknowledge that there are no book answers or straightforward solutions for the challenges that we face. We will need to grapple honestly and openly with the difficulties that our society faces and will face in all their complexities – whether on our foreign manpower issues, raising the wages of lower income Singaporeans, tackling inequality and many more issues.”
“We must set aside organisational differences and better coordinate across social service agencies, community and self-help groups, charities, religious organisations and Government agencies. Harness technology to improve case management and processes. Preserve our human touch of building trust and empowering and respecting the individual and family. Not just meeting needs, as Ms Carrie Tan had put it, but partnering them to grow and progress with dignity and respect. Singaporeans care. Many have demonstrated this spirit, especially during this tough period. One example is Candi and her daughter, Caitlyn. A mother-daughter team, they distributed masks with Team Nila and hand sanitisers with the Temasek Foundation. Caitlyn is seven years old, but Candy, her mother, believes that it is never too early for her to imbibe and learn to help others. This leads me to my final point on engaging with one another well and turning from dialogue to concrete action. Sir, our democracy is maturing. We have seen and will continue to see a greater contestation of views and ideas – here in Parliament, in civil society, in online discourse. We will differ on how best to take things forward for Singapore. But as the Prime Minister emphasised, we cannot afford to allow a diversity in views to lead to distrust or polarisation. Our Fourteenth Parliament reflects Singapore's diversity. Across political affiliations. Members hail from different backgrounds. We have different genders, ethnicities and faiths, studied in different schools, worked in different fields. I am glad that Members have sought to represent Singaporeans' diverse concerns and spoken on a broad range of topics in the last few days.”
“As the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have explained, the Government has enhanced social safety nets significantly as our economy matures, introduced wage support for lower income workers, and supplemented retirement and healthcare support for seniors. At every point, these social programmes were designed with compassion for the vulnerable in our community and with care for those who need a leg up to grasp opportunities. With deeper economic uncertainty in the years ahead and an ageing society, we will commit to do more to help our people. There have been different suggestions on how to do this, including introducing a minimum wage or unemployment insurance, in addition to existing approaches we have adopted, such as the Progressive Wage Model, Workfare and increased support for lifelong learning and job matching. We will study all these ideas seriously while ensuring that our overall system remains fair and sustainable for generations to come. But we must also go beyond what the Government can do alone. It is far more impactful and powerful to have a community of care that provides an eco-system of support. What Mr Seah Kian Peng said in this debate struck a chord with me. He shared how a person's challenges can be incredibly complex, with interlocking stressors, such as poverty, domestic abuse, disabilities and mental health issues. And I am sure that many of our Members here, in your work on the ground, have seen how some lower income families struggle with these day-to-day issues. What we need is not just many helping hands but hands that help in a more coordinated and personal way to unlock specific shackles that constrain these individuals and families from progressing in their lives.”
“While essential workers, such as medical staff, cleaners and public transport operators, do not have the luxury of working from home. They face risks daily to keep our country running. COVID-19's unequal effects on jobs and workers have thrown up difficult questions for all of us, as it has for many societies around the world: an increasing socio-economic divide between those who have more and those who have less; a re-evaluation of the value of different jobs and how much essential workers are paid; the kinds of financial assistance that might be needed to mitigate income and job losses in the medium to longer term; and deep-rooted assumptions and biases and how we interact with one another online and offline. This virus has shown us, quite starkly, that "none of us is safe until all of us are safe". The broader point is that our well-being very much depends on one another. President Halimah has called for this generation of leaders and Singaporeans to forge our new compact. If we want Singapore to stay united and strong, we must renew our shared understanding of who we aspire to be. Minister Maliki said that we must strive to build a fairer and more just society, with equal opportunities and a sense of progress for all. Many Members, such as Mr Louis Ng, Ms Cheryl Chan and Mr Leon Perera, echoed similar sentiments of inclusiveness and unity. These values of justice, equality and unity are enshrined in our Pledge and underpin what Singapore stands for. We would do well to keep these as our North Star. Our challenge is, therefore, to find relevant and timely ways of building on what we have. Some Members, such as Mr Fahmi Aliman and Mr Dennis Tan, have called for us to strengthen social safety nets and even out inequalities.”