Desmond Tan
Singapore
“Here, I would like to thank MOM and our tripartite partners for their attention to maintaining workplace fairness, particularly their focus on seniors.”
“And he went on to say that, "as unionists of unions affiliated with NTUC Singapore, we have never flinched from raising our concerns and advocating for our members' rights for better wages and for better work prospects and welfare.”
“As shared by Mr Lee Kuan Yew at a mass rally in Geylang Serai in 1959 and, thereafter, repeated at the NTUC’s 50th Anniversary Dinner in 2011, and I quote, “In Government, I have never forgotten that it is in the interests of workers and their unions that we must strive for growth and development.”
“Mr Speaker, we have not detected an uptick in unlicensed moneylending, or UML, cases since October 2021. Between October and December 2021, there were 917 cases of UML and UML-related harassment cases reported. This was an 8% decrease, compared to the same period in 2020. The Police take a tough stance against UML activities.”
“There are approximately 13,000 households who have electricity accounts in arrears and 150,000 households who have water bills in arrears. Of these 150,000 households, about 1,200 have arrears of at least $250.”
“I thank the Member for the suggestion. Indeed, the Police do monitor the current trends, but I would like to, first of all, say that we think the current situation of unlicensed moneylenders is under control.”
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“NTUC will continue to support workers in enhancing their skills, obtaining better wages, welfare and work prospects. We also encourage workers to make good use of these schemes and measures introduced by the Government and NTUC. As the saying goes, learning is like rowing upstream, not to advance is to retreat. The same goes for building a career; not advancing is akin to retreating. For society to progress and economy to grow, workers must upgrade and the tripartite partners must work together. United, we can help workers improve and create a better future. (In English): The year 2024 is expected to bring challenges for both workers and businesses. However, echoing Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's sentiment, and I quote, "Singapore can take heart that the country has navigated similar external disruptions and shocks in the past and each time had emerged stronger than before." Our resilience is evident in successfully weathering recent challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, with tripartism at the very core of our efforts. NTUC remains committed to our partnership with the Government and the industry stakeholders with an unwavering focus on workforce development because every worker matters. We encourage workers to join NTUC, we call on more companies to collaborate with us on CTC and extend our gratitude to Government for the substantial support for mid-career workers in this Budget. Mdm Deputy Speaker, I support the Budget.”
“Now that the Government has made a very significant move and NTUC has continued to step up our upskilling and job supporting efforts, I hope that the employers will join hands with us, do your part to better support our mid-career workers, to more hire more of these workers, to pay them fairly based on their skillsets and experience and to provide protected time-off for their training and consider ways to recognise their skillsets. Mdm Deputy Speaker, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Esteemed colleagues in Parliament, since the announcement of the 2024 Budget, we have received a lot of positive feedback from workers. The Government has proposed many measures and schemes to support mid-career workers, uplift low-wage workers, assist young workers and families, help middle-aged workers obtain retirement adequacy and aid Singaporeans in coping with the cost of living. These measures and schemes were proposed after listening to the feedback and voices of workers and have taken into account the recommendations from the NTUC's #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations report. Our workers will benefit from the various plans and measures introduced by the Government. Additionally, we sincerely hope that more workers can achieve these three points: firstly, join the union to bring more security to their careers and lives; secondly, make good use of the SkillsFuture training subsidies to enhance skills and keep pace with economic transformation; and thirdly, we urge middle-aged and mid-career workers to make good use of the subsidies provided by the new SkillsFuture Level-Up programme to pursue professional courses and strengthen their employability. All Singaporeans aged 40 and above can receive an additional $4,000 subsidy.”
“Having worked so many years and so much effort to upgrade myself to stay relevant. Why are people like me still struggling?" Well, thankfully he finally landed a good job after three to four years. His persistence has paid off. And, in between, he upgraded himself, took some courses and continued to persevere. But his struggle is real and I think he is probably not the only one who faces the same problem. We have to do more for people like him, especially given our ageing workforce and manpower shortage. That was why, during Budget last year, I called for the Government to provide more support for mid-career workers by expanding the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme to more sectors, so that more workers can benefit from the scheme and also to consider introducing training allowance that was introduced during the COVID-19 for trainees under this scheme. I also called for the Government to review training funds and allowances to support our workers in alleviating their concern for the lack of time and finances and opportunity costs when attending training. So, I was particularly excited when Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in this year's Budget a very significant training boost for mid-career workers in his Budget speech, and I thank the Government for the decisive move in Budget 2024 to recognise that our mid-career workers who are above 40 years old need more help. In my interactions over the last two weeks with many workers, including the gentleman I spoke about, these announcements are very welcomed and timely. Many commented the schemes announced are well thought out and decisive, and for a group of workers that really face difficulties. We look forward to more details to be announced at the Committee of Supply by the Ministries.”
“In my campaign speech in 2020 on national television, I spoke about this segment and that I will do my utmost to support them in their livelihood, to give them greater purpose and dignity. I did so in Pasir Ris, bringing job opportunities, organising job fairs and career networking sessions and working with many Government agencies. But despite these efforts, many still struggled, and I met them across the constituency. I met this gentleman who was in his 50s when he decided to return from overseas to Singapore because of his son's National Service (NS). He was confident he would secure a job easily, given his extensive experience in sales and also management. He applied for numerous jobs during COVID-19, got a few replies and a couple of interviews, but zero offers for two years. Although it was not explicit, he sensed that companies find that his age could be a barrier. Some even said he was overqualified for the post that he applied for. This gentleman was not looking for a high-paying job. He was prepared to take a pay cut, learn new things, go into a new area and start all over. But he was just not given the opportunity to do so. His wife has a health problem, his two children are not yet working, and he still has to put food on the table. So, he turned to driving Grab. At least that helped him to feel useful and helps to contribute to his family. After a year, he was finally offered a job at a fraction of his last drawn pay – even below what he could earn by driving Grab. He could not accept the offer and, as time passed, his confidence in himself, and also in the job market, dipped. I recall receiving a message from him at 4.00 am one morning. And it says: "Mr Tan, I am still struggling to get back to normal employment to deal with life. Ageism is very real.”
“In June 2023, WSG piloted a Workplace Skills Recognition programme (WPSR) with NTUC and the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning (NACE) in two sectors, the retail and the food services sectors. NTUC has been working closely with SSG and NACE to introduce CTC companies within these two sectors to pilot and to embark on a Workplace Learning:READY Mark certification. With good ground feedback and success from companies, such as King's Cart Coffee Pte Ltd, NTUC will continue to work with SSG and NACE to onboard more CTC companies to this initiative. In this regard, we hope that WPSR can be expanded to more sectors and availed to more companies for their benefit. NTUC remains committed to offering comprehensive support for workers navigating through career transitions. Today, I am pleased to announce that starting from 1 April 2024, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) will assume an expanded role in the personalised placement landscape through the transfer of designated career centres and Jobs and Skills Centres from Workforce Singapore. With more strategically located career and job services touch points across Singapore, NTUC's e2i will bring personalised career coaching, job matching and skills upgrading services closer to the individuals in the heartlands and help all Singaporeans across diverse work types islandwide to find better employment and employability. More details about this development will be announced shortly. Finally, I will speak about the support for a segment of our workers that is very close to my heart and have faced significant challenges – the middle-aged mid-career working people.”
“I am happy to update that we have formed over 1,900 CTCs to date, approved 168 companies CTC-grant projects, helped over 2,600 workers to receive an average of 5% wage increase and/or benefit from a career development plan and also equipped over 125,000 of our workers with skills to secure better wages and better work prospects. I would like to share an example of a successful CTC collaboration with a progressive employer, Hydroflux Marketing, a homegrown company specialising in water filtration solutions. Through OTR, Hydroflux formulated a business strategy plan identifying areas for digitalisation, talent development and growth opportunities. With support from the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers' Union, the company successfully secured a 70% grant approval for its CTC project, benefitting 38 workers, 12 receiving an average wage increment of 8% and 26 impacted by the implementation of a career development plan. Prior to the CTC initiative, sales staff faced limited career advancement opportunities. But with a new plan in place, Hydroflux is committed to providing career development structures exemplified by success stories, like Ms Alyssa Lim, who transitioned from an air stewardess to now a sales role. Ms Lim's dedication led to her promotion to a Senior Lifestyle Specialist role, showcasing the positive impact of CTCs and the implemented strategies. So, we hope more companies will work with NTUC in forming CTCs and developing strategic plans for both business and workforce development. NTUC urges companies to tap on the CTC Grant that helps to navigate trends, such as AI, support workers' upskilling and enhance business productivity. Besides partnerships with the employers, NTUC also works with our SkillsFuture Singapore.”
“To navigate this transition, it is imperative for workers to engage in continuous learning, consistently updating our skills. Our Founding Father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, once referred a letter from the former chairman of the Japan Productivity Centre, Mr Kohei Goshi, who played a significant role in fostering a culture of productivity in Japan. Mr Goshi drew on the wisdom of a Chinese philosopher, Guanzi, and I quote, "一年之计，莫如树谷；十年之计，莫如树木；终身之计，莫如树人。" Translated, it means one may grow grains or trees for short-term gains but for longer rewards, one has to invest in growing men or in developing talents. As we chart our way forward, NTUC pledges to continue championing our workers' interests to take action for them and with them. I am heartened to share that despite the uncertainties of technological disruptions, 52% of workers foresee the need to upskill to adapt to the rise of AI, based on NTUC's annual Economic Sentiments survey. NTUC Learning Hub, for example, has recently launched the "X for Everyone" series of courses, addressing emerging technologies crucial for modern workplaces, such as generative AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing, as part of the Tech Talent Academy. I encourage all workers to update their skills to remain proficient in the face of the rapid developments in these vital technologies. Another initiative NTUC is working relentlessly in promoting upskilling is to drive the CTC, an institution to complement to SkillsFuture, and an initiative between employers and the unions to support businesses' transformation that can result in company-initiated training and skills upgrading for workers. Since its inception in 2019, we have made tremendous progress.”
“According to the World Economic Forum 2023's Future of Jobs report, over 75% of companies are planning to integrate Big Data, cloud computing and AI technologies in the next five years. While all these advances are expected to enhance productivity and drive growth, there is an anticipated short-term impact on workers and their livelihoods. Based on NTUC's annual Economic Sentiments survey, 3% already experienced negative impacts on their jobs as a result of AI and 15% are worried that they will lose their jobs. And of these, two-thirds are PMETs. Last year, in the US, one of the longest labour disputes involving over 10,000 Hollywood Television and Movie Writers represented by The Writers Guild of America, along with 160,000 actors affiliated with other guilds, brought the entertainment industry to a standstill. The writers' main concern was the extensive use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, to create scripts, raising fears that studios may therefore exploit AI to replace screenwriters and to reduce fees. After negotiations, Hollywood writers secured control over AI to prevent its use as a tool to replace them. Additionally, white-collar layoffs seen in companies like Google, Duolingo and UPS are increasingly tied to productivity-boosting technologies like machine learning. This trend highlights AI's roles in automating routine tasks, affecting both blue- and white-collar jobs. The rise of AI and automation may lead to job displacements across sectors, including those in the high percentage of PMEs who form 60% of Singapore's workforce today. This underscores the need for a "just transition", ensuring that as AI changes work, society and the economy, the transition is implemented fairly, equitably and with considerations for all workers and communities.”
“A newly appointed Executive Chairman and CEO, Mr AC Lim, shared that he was at his wit's end trying to turn around the company, when the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees' Union introduced him to the company training committee initiative (CTC). Dyna-Mac took the leap of faith, formed the CTC and embarked on the OpsTech roadmap. Through the process, the company reaffirmed their business direction and goals, and received support from the CTC Grant. Today, Dyna-Mac is in the black and workers are sharing in the gains. So, when I joined Mr Lim at the last panel discussion on CTCs, he expressed strong appreciation for how NTUC has helped his businesses and his workers. When I tell this story, unions and even businesses around the world may not appreciate how a union can actually support businesses or even employers. But with NTUC and Singapore, because of our unique tripartism, we were able to secure better outcomes for workers by not just supporting workers directly but also going upstream to support businesses. It is in tough times that the value of NTUC will come to the fore, in protecting our workers and helping companies grow their businesses. So, I urge all companies and workers to consider joining the NTUC family because, as brothers and sisters, we will grow the business together and we will ensure we secure better wages, better welfare and better work prospects for all workers. Next, I will speak about how NTUC plans to continue our support for workers' upskilling. This is not new. NTUC has always maintained that for our economy to grow, our competitive advantage must be a skilled and quality workforce that is future ready. But why is there an urgency now to step up our efforts in upskilling and training?”
“With 51% of NTUC members now being PMEs, NTUC will continue to represent all workers, regardless of collars, age or nationality or, what we often say, "All can". Let me cite another example of how NTUC can support and the union has helped another PME. A senior account manager worked for 10 months and resigned in June 2023. During that period, she managed to close sales target for two separate teams, but she was told that if she was to leave earlier, she will not be eligible for the commission for her first team if she resigned. So, she sought the assistance of the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union, after failing to convince the company herself. The union represented her case and met with the management and eventually, the management investigated and agreed to pay the commission by the end of last year. In the end, the member was grateful and maintained a positive relationship even as she left the company. PMEs or not, union members can benefit from NTUC membership on workplace issues. But it is not just a matter of supporting only our workers. NTUC believes in achieving win-win outcomes by supporting businesses to grow the pie so that workers can benefit by sharing the gains. NTUC leans forward to support our unionised companies in hiring, in job placements, upskilling and training and, more recently, in business transformation. Allow me to say an example of how NTUC supported our unionised company, Dyna-Mac Engineering Services Private Limited. During the oil price crunch and COVID-19 pandemic, the company was experiencing business downturn.”
“My fellow Labour MPs will cover a range of topics that addresses the needs, the aspirations, the concerns of different segments of our workforce. My speech will focus on three key areas. First, amid uncertainties, how the Labour Movement and NTUC will continue to journey with our workers. I will make a call for workers and companies to join the union, for better protection as well as for business success. Second, I will give an update on NTUC's efforts to support workers' upskilling through various schemes and initiatives. And finally, I will continue to speak up for our middle-aged and middle-career workers who are facing significant challenges. First, why join a union? Recent wave of lay-offs globally and locally has heightened apprehensions among workers about job losses. An example is the Lazada Singapore retrenchment which has brought into focus the role and the value that unions can offer to all workers as well as to businesses. Allow me to elaborate. After the abrupt lay-off, Lazada Singapore Private Limited and the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) eventually reached an amicable settlement. And now, they are focused on building a strong partnership for the mutual benefit of the company and for all the workers that are affected. The resolution includes an enhanced support package and training fund for affected members under the union's scope of representation, many of whom, in fact, are PME workers. Lazada's commitment to maintaining open communication with FDAWU is encouraging, underscoring the vital role the unions play in securing favourable terms for our workers, particularly during retrenchments. I mentioned that many of the Lazada employees are PMEs.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Labour Movement welcomes the Government's support for workers in this year's Budget – a bold and balanced Budget, a forward-looking, a Forward Singapore Budget that reflects our social compact and our workers' compact, and a budget that addresses and takes into account NTUC's recommendations following our #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations, the report that was tabled in September last year. At the joint press conference on 6 February 2024, NTUC's Secretary-General and the President of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), warned that we could expect a challenging year ahead. Great power contestation and regional conflicts have disrupted global supply chains and reshaped economic activities, leading to a rising inflation, affecting both businesses and individuals around the world, including Singapore. NTUC also conducted our annual Economic Sentiments survey recently with 2,000 respondents. About two-thirds noted that their income has not kept up with living costs especially affecting our seniors. Amid double retrenchment figures and slowing wage growth, the survey revealed worrying trends, with 40% of all workers expressing the likelihood of job loss in the next three months, up from 25% in 2023. This suggests prevailing insecurity, fear of job cuts and potential uptake in retrenchments in 2024. So, what does all these mean for our workers and for NTUC as a Labour Movement? Does it mean we will have to brace for tougher times? Yes, but we also need to seize opportunities for change and for transformation. It is times like these that NTUC remains steadfast in our unwavering commitment to providing support for all our workers.”
“As shared by Mr Lee Kuan Yew at a mass rally in Geylang Serai in 1959 and, thereafter, repeated at the NTUC’s 50th Anniversary Dinner in 2011, and I quote, “In Government, I have never forgotten that it is in the interests of workers and their unions that we must strive for growth and development. In other words, growth is meaningless unless it is shared by the workers, shared not only directly in wage increases but indirectly in better homes, better schools, better hospitals, better playing fields and, generally, a healthier environment for families to bring up their children.” The President Address last week sets out the Government’s plans to achieve just that. In the Labour Movement, our commitment is to always put workers first, ensure that workers will have better job opportunities, assurances and protection and the resilience to adapt, upskill and retrain themselves to remain relevant for the future. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion. [Applause.]”
“These will better represent the interests of our freelancers and self-employed workers. Third, improving our workers' career resilience. We must encourage our workers to continue to upskill and strengthen their competitiveness and adaptability in the new environment. During the Budget debate, I have asked for more training allowances and training time so that workers can receive long-term and deeper training with peace of mind. In addition, since 2019, NTUC has encouraged enterprises to set up their Company Training Committee (CTC) to help the company to transform and upgrade and allow their employees to participate in training to upskill and transform. We hope that with more enterprises joining this programme, more workers would be able to master future-ready skills and companies can enjoy stronger competitiveness too. In conclusion, our goals are very simple. We want to help our workers to find a job that they are proud of, protect their livelihood and create a brighter future with quality jobs and lives. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, in Singapore, generations of Government and NTUC leaders have worked hard to uphold personal integrity and trust in every aspect. And the dividends can clearly be seen in the way we have navigated through the pandemic. However, we must be vigilant to always nurture this trust because we are not immune to what is happening around us and around the world. As the Labour Movement, we will continue to advocate workers’ interests through improving wages, welfare and work prospects.”
“NTUC will focus on three key areas in our future work: first, help workers to capture economic opportunities in the future; second, protect our workers' interest; and third, increase the career resilience of our workers. First, NTUC will help workers capture opportunities in the future. We hope that through the Career Progression Model, we can encourage more Singaporeans to enter craftsman and related trades such as plumbing, electrical works and air-conditioning maintenance and master a skill. This will also ensure the continuous development of these industries. We also need to ensure that our youth and young workers, no matter what economic situation our country is in, will be able to find suitable jobs, use their skills and contribute to our economy. Second, NTUC will continue to protect our workers’ interests. In the short term, NTUC will help our workers address higher cost of living; in the medium to longterm, NTUC will help address urgent issues including providing better jobs, unemployment insurance, retirement adequacy and care support. As the global economy and technology continues to advance, workers between the ages of 40 and 50 will continue to face higher risk of being unemployed or replaced. The Government, during the pandemic, has rolled out many programmes to help our workers retain their jobs. In the future, NTUC will work together with the Government to expand our programme to help more Singaporeans. In addition, with the number of platform workers rising and the development of the gig economy, NTUC will work together with our tripartite partners, through the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers, to enhance the retirement adequacy, housing security and work injury insurance for our platform workers.”
“To plan for a longer horizon, NTUC will support our workers to handle career changes by developing new and deepening existing skills to stay relevant and competitive. During the Budget debate, I have called for training allowances to be given to mid-career workers to give them greater peace of mind in undergoing longer and also undergoing the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme. I have also called for increased financial support and protected training time to enable workers to acquire deeper skillsets throughout their careers, or equip themselves to pivot to new areas. Going forward, this is an area that will need support from all tripartite partners to ensure our workers’ skillsets remain relevant and our businesses have adequate workers to sustain our future economy. Finally, I will continue to call on all employers to work with NTUC to form the Company Training Committees (CTCs). With the acceleration of digital and green economy, it is imperative for companies to plan ahead, to capitalise key trends and transform their businesses. Through CTCs, NTUC will support companies to do all that, plus redesign jobs, upskill and reskill workers and collectively achieve greater business and workers’ outcomes. CTCs are a win-win initiative for employers and workers, supported firmly by the Government through the CTC grant. Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, in order to better understand the aspirations of our workers and better serve them, NTUC has rolled out the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations that lasted for one year, starting from August last year. Through more active communication with our workers, we want to work together with them to create a better future.”
“They are also in a particularly precarious position should they lose their jobs, as they generally have more dependents and more financial responsibilities. We will continue to advocate income support for those who lose their jobs, tied to certain active job seeking and reskilling. My fellow Labour Member of Parliament Mr Patrick Tay has been championing for unemployment support and protection in Parliament since as early as 2014 and on several other occasions in the House, and I am sure he will continue to push for it through the PME Taskforce proposal that was finalised in 2021. NTUC also recognises that more protections should be accorded to our freelance and self-employed workers, including our platform workers. The recent announcement on work injuries compensation, improving housing and retirement adequacy, and enhancing representation is a welcomed move. We will continue to work closely with the tripartite partners to see through the implementation and to further strengthen their representation. Our senior workers should also be tapped upon and valued for their experience and their industry knowledge. Our workers must also be assured that they are able to achieve basic retirement adequacy. Finally, workers with caregiving responsibilities often find it challenging to balance their career aspirations, finances and caring for their loved ones. We want to look into how we can better support them to reduce the mental and emotional load on caregivers. The third area of focus for NTUC is to ensure career resilience. As the global job market evolves, our workers will experience change and disruption over their lifetime in their career. And this increases the importance of career resilience and upskilling.”
“Another key group that we set out to engage is youths. Youths today are faced with a more competitive education and employment landscape. At the height of COVID-19 when there were limited jobs, the SGUnited Traineeships Programme has been a tremendous help. But NTUC thinks that our younger workers, embarking on the first steps in their careers, will need more support. We want our future workforce to be able to dream big, aspire high and achieve their fullest potential in whatever they wish to do in a wide range of career opportunities. Mr Raj Joshua Thomas will be happy to hear that we will be partnering many Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to allow a lot more opportunities for our young undergraduates in this area of work. NTUC’s networks with industry and with workers of different cohorts make us well placed to link them up with internship opportunities and career mentors across different sectors. We will share more on our plans over the next few months. The second area of focus is to enhance career assurance and protection. We want to support our workers with their immediate concerns in tackling higher cost of living and also in addressing mid- to longer-term issues of job security, unemployment support, retirement adequacy and also caregiver support. For our lower-wage workers, the Labour Movement has been actively pushing for more workers to be covered under the PWM. We have made much progress in uplifting lower-wage workers and will continue to press on to cover all sectors and to implement PWM in good time. Our mid-career workers, especially those above 40 years of age, are another segment of workers who are very vulnerable to industry disruptions and restructuring.”
“” At NTUC, we want to provide each and every worker with an equal chance to choose a career that they want and to advance as far as they wish in a way to allow them to grow and to develop. Let me highlight two worker segments and what are our plans for them. First is the skilled tradesmen. In early February 2023, the NTUC Secretary-General mooted the Career Progression Model (CPM) as part of our efforts to uplift workers in skilled essential trades, to develop their skills, help them attain mastery and build long-term potential careers. The CPM was a continuation of what the NTUC Secretary-General said previously in 2020, and again in 2021, about professionalising the solar technologists and plumbers respectively through a Career Development Plan. COVID-19 border restrictions revealed an urgent need to step up our efforts to uplift this sector. There are currently more than 50,000 local workers in skilled trades, ranging from electrical and electronic tradesmen, building and related trades workers, among others. However, there is also a growing concern of a “skilled trades gap” as the older generation retires, coupled with the lack of qualified candidates to step up to fill the gaps. According to the Singapore Labour Force Survey 2022, more than half of the craftsmen and related trades workers are currently above 50 years old. NTUC wants to ensure a sustainable supply of locals into these trades to meet our national needs. To start off, NTUC will prioritise three essential trades that have a direct impact on our daily lives – plumbers, electricians and air-conditioner technicians. Supporting these workers is also part of our social compact to be a more inclusive society, where we do not just recognise cognitive skills but also technical and hands-on skills.”
“But without the Labour Movement partnering companies, without the NTUC partnering the PAP in a symbiotic relationship, without the Government, unions and businesses sharing responsibility for Singapore's future, we would not have made it here." Tripartite trust built up over decades withstood many trials and tribulations in our young history and was strengthened after each and every crisis. COVID-19 was no exception and we must continue to strengthen this trust that is the basis of tripartism going to the future. Moving forward, the Labour Movement will persist in our efforts to protect the rights and to advance the interests and aspirations of all workers. The future of work will have new sets of challenges and difficulties: ever-evolving geopolitics, technological advancements and disruptions and sociocultural shifts. NTUC will continue to renew and strengthen our compact with our workers. To do so, NTUC launched the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations (#EWMC) last year to refresh our compact with our workers and to give greater assurance that we will journey with them, alongside them and to champion their cause. Through the #EWMC, we have heard the voices of various groups of workers across all ages, sectors and backgrounds, and we will adjust our strategies to meet their needs and their aspirations. I will now share three main areas that NTUC will focus on going forward: (a) expand career opportunities; (b) enhance assurance and protection; and (c) ensure career resilience. Let me start with the first area – expand career opportunities – with a quote from the President last week, “Every Singaporean must have the opportunity to take on work they find meaningful and fulfilling, build on their talents, give of their best and be rewarded fairly for it.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Labour Movement supports the broad directions of the Government set out in the President's Address. Underpinning these is the strong foundation of trust that was demonstrated and strengthened through our shared experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), our vision is for "a better and more meaningful life where workers of all collars, ages and nationalities can work, live and play together in Singapore." And we achieve this through Singapore's unique brand of tripartism in which the Labour Movement stands shoulder to shoulder with our partners towards the shared objective of growing the economy, to secure better wages, welfare and work prospects for all workers. In the pandemic, our local businesses and workers were heavily impacted. NTUC worked closely with the Government to coordinate assistance programmes to protect lives and livelihoods. Our support ranged from unions' ground efforts with companies to "cut costs to save jobs", to the provision of cash relief to union members and helping tens of thousands of workers with skills retraining and job placements. All these policies and programmes are not possible without the trust and value that tripartism had achieved over the years. As Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong had said in his speech at the May Day Rally 2018, "Tripartism has seen us through every crisis since Independence... Through our first major recessions, the oil crisis in 1970s, the major recession in 1985… It showed us through the Asian Financial Crisis, SARS and the Global Financial Crisis. Each time, the challenges seemed daunting, sometimes even overwhelming.”
“And we must never be complacent or take it for granted because one misstep can break this trust. I thank Member Raj Joshua Thomas for agreeing that tripartism is our key pillar for our economic and social resilience. It works when all parties represent our constituents' interests well. Regarding the case he mentioned of how NTUC raised an issue with the security agency, I want to assure him and his industry colleagues that in NTUC, our unions believe that companies must be given the flexibility to transform and right-size. But the company must also do so fairly and adhere to the established principles and guidances, such as in this case the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices both in substance and in spirit. The Labour Movement will continue to work with our tripartite partners to resolve any differences that may arise every now and then amicably and through established processes. Ultimately, we want our companies to do well and to create good jobs for our workers. Through the #EWMC, the NTUC will renew our social compact with our workers and bring to the table of tripartite partners the collective sentiments of our workers. And in so doing, strengthening tripartism, preserving industrial peace and building a more resilient nation as we move into the new era together. To every worker in Singapore, on behalf of the Labour Movement, we want to thank you for your hard work and sacrifices throughout the pandemic. The NTUC will continue to champion for your interest to achieve better wages, welfare and work prospects because every worker matters. Sir, I support the Budget. [Applause.]”
“] Mr Speaker, the challenges posed by the pandemic over the past three years have highlighted the need for Singapore to build a more flexible and adaptable workforce to respond to the rapidly changing labour market and industry needs. NTUC must also constantly transform to better serve workers in all sectors regardless of job position, industry, full-time or part-time, platform worker or self-employed. NTUC is committed to safeguarding your interest and providing you with better wages, welfare and work prospects. In this respect, tripartism is crucial. NTUC is pleased to receive a $70 million grant from the Government for us to continue to develop the training and placement support ecosystem for local workers and provide more employment assistance and support for them. For employers, we hope that they will continue to drive business transformation. Although this year is the Year of the Rabbit, we should not adopt a wait-and-see attitude. Instead, we should be as nimble as a rabbit and use the keen sense of business acumen to drive business transformation and bring about business growth by leaps and bounds. (In English): Charting our paths forward, the NTUC affirms the importance of tripartism. Since the NTUC Modernisation Seminar in 1969, generations of Government, businesses and union leaders have worked hard to build and sustain Singapore’s brand of tripartism. I quote Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s speech during NTUC National Delegates Conference in 2011. He said this about tripartism, and I quote, “We have to preserve this ability, this trust at all costs. It’s an intangible national treasure; we built it up through our young history. It’s one of the most valuable things we can pass on to our future generations.” Tripartism is Singapore’s national treasure.”
“As for the level of minimum wage or "Living Wage" that has been proposed, we note that there have been different proposals: $1,300 by Workers' Party; $1,800 by PSP this year, which is $300 more than the $1,500 that they proposed in 2021. We need a sustainable and systematic mechanism to set and review the floor. The LQS is a stable methodology and until COVID-19, the LQS has been increased $100 each year from 2017. My colleague Fahmi Aliman will suggest a way to review our LQS in his speech later. I recognise that we all want wages to be high. In NTUC it is our raison d'être to have better wages, welfare and work prospects. But we must also do this sustainably, without causing unintended consequences like disemployment. We want higher wages but we also want higher employment rates and there had been studies that showed clear downsides on minimum wage, including disemployment and the perverse outcome that the minimum wage becomes the maximum wage. And this is of concern especially in a small economy in Singapore where SMEs form the bulk of our workers. PWM has a proven track record of raising wages without the risk of job losses. So, in NTUC, we support a PWM that is customised to sector or occupation, ensure productivity improvements with clear career pathways. In this way, we can move confidently with our tripartite partners and our workers get their assurance of a basic wage and a ladder for increase over the years as their skills upgrade. Mr Speaker, please allow me to speak in Mandarin before I conclude in English. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“With PWM, workers can be assured that they will not only receive a minimum wage corresponding to their sector and occupation, but also defined career pathways that would ensure that their wages increase as their skills and responsibilities increase as well. For example, the landscape workers have moved up by 3.5% per annum from $1,300 in 2016 to $1,650 in 2022, more than twice the median wage increase of 1.4%. These wages will continue increasing, till about $2,385 in 2028. This is not all. Together with the expanded Local Qualifying Salary (LQS), this would benefit more than 90%, in fact, 94% of lower-wage workers. At this juncture, I would like to make a comment on the proposal by Mr Leong Mun Wai on "Living Wage", which is a guaranteed take-home of $1,800 for all Singaporean workers. It is noteworthy that Mr Leong agrees with the PWM, as he also said that the PWM can remain to help workers achieve a higher level of wage than the "Living Wage". The PWM mandates fair and sustainable wages according to skill level. It is tailored to each sector and agreed upon by the tripartite partners – the Government, the employers and unions. As mentioned, we have steadily expanded the PWM into seven sectors and two occupations, and together with the LQS which is set at $1,400, our low-wage workers can also receive a Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) of up to $350 per month. PWM and LQS combined already cover a wide base of 94% of all low-wage workers within this year. The remaining 6% are small family-owned businesses which would usually not be covered by minimum wage in other countries as well.”
“As risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft’s chief analyst said, and I quote, “We are talking about numerous powder kegs around the world simply waiting for that spark to be ignited. We just don’t know where that spark will come first”. Recently, we have seen these “sparks” flying through bitter strikes in countries such as the UK, France and South Korea, which threaten the delivery of essential service in healthcare as well as in public transportation. In the UK, strike actions were carried out by workers such as nurses, rail workers, postal workers, ambulance workers and airport staff. Workers there demand for higher wages due to higher inflation. Because of the strike by ambulance workers, residents with serious but non-life-threatening conditions might not be immediately attended to by an ambulance. Closer to home in Asia, the truckers in South Korea initiated strike actions against their government. They were calling their government to make permanent a policy on minimum freight rates for container and cement truck drivers. To end the strike, the government had to issue “back-to-work” orders, by which the strikes had already lasted for two weeks and cost US$2.7 billion to the economy, according to their government’s estimates. These strike actions had caused disruption to public lives, demoralised workers, discouraged investments and destabilised the economy. In Singapore, we have managed to avoid such stand-offs through tripartite arrangement and with each tripartite partner doing its part and working hand in hand. One example is the Progressive Wage Model (PWM). PWM was first implemented in 2014 for the cleaning sector. Since then, we have progressively rolled out PWM in seven sectors and two occupations.”
“With the involvement of industry, training and employment facilitation partners, we envisage that the Jobs-Skills Integrators will help to bridge the information gap for workers and employers, who may find it difficult to identify high-quality training which industries will find relevant. NTUC will fully support this pilot. Our Government has always been supportive of continuous learning and skills upgrading. Many initiatives have been introduced to support workers’ upskilling, whether at work or during job transition. The SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) implemented in April 2022 is a good example. I am glad that the Government has decided to make this a long-term programme in replacement of the SGUnited Skills Programme (SGUS) and the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme which were implemented during the pandemic. I hope SkillsFuture Singapore will progressively expand the SCTP to more sectors so that more workers can benefit from this scheme. I also call on the Government to consider protected training leave for employees and review training fund and allowances, to support our workers in alleviating their concern for the lack of time and finances and for opportunity cost when they had to attend training. For example, the Government can consider introducing training allowances that are tied to the trainees under the SCTP. Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore is experiencing persistently high inflation and uncertain economic outlook, just like the rest of the world. Supply chain disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted our economic and labour landscape significantly. In many countries, this heightens the risk of conflict and instability.”
“To date, I am happy to update that we had formed around 1,200 CTCs, approved 17 companies' CTC Grant projects, with many more applications being processed, as we speak. One example of a CTC company is the Royal Plaza on Scotts (RPS). The company formed a CTC and had two rounds of Operations Technology Roadmap to transform its business and to redesign its jobs. One direct beneficiary of CTC is Mr Hamid bin Selamat, who was an engineering supervisor. Positive and open-minded towards upgrading, he took up security modules and became a certified Security Officer at the age of 65. Now, he can perform two roles in the company – engineering and security – with benefits such as better wages and better work prospects. Having experienced the positive outcomes from CTC for both business and workers, RPS has applied for the CTC Grant with a commitment to give wage increment for the impacted local workers. We hope more companies will follow suit and will work with NTUC in forming CTCs, because we are committed to support you in the journey of enterprise and workforce transformation. Last year, brother Chee Hong Tat spoke about the challenge of jobs-skills mismatch, where employers, on the one hand, are short-handed and could not find enough workers to fill vacancies, and workers, on the other hand, find the skills they acquired are not a good fit to what employers are looking for. The Labour Movement is therefore pleased to hear Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announce the Jobs-Skills Integrators pilot initiative, which will commence with three sectors.”
“Companies also do not provide protected time and employees often have to take time outside of work to upgrade themselves. And this often has to be balanced with other priorities like caregiving. The second reason is the lack of confidence in the returns on training. Employees had expressed their doubts if training could bring about any real positive impact for their careers, in terms of job or wage growth. Employees also questioned how useful or relevant training could be, if there are no real opportunities for application within the company. Similarly, employers expressed concerns that employees might change jobs or change companies after receiving training. The third reason is the lack of awareness towards training needs and opportunities. Workers may not have sufficient knowledge to diagnose their own skills gap and the skillsets required for their next intended career move. Similarly, employers find it challenging to identify the required skill sets or knowledge that employees might need for certain job roles. These findings do suggest that employees are more prepared to go for training if they were initiated by the employers, when training is for purpose of meeting specific job demands within the company and with better assurance of time support and wage outcomes. And that is why in 2019, NTUC introduced the concept of Company Training Committees (CTCs) between our unions and employers to support business transformation that can lead to company-initiated training and skills upgrading for workers. We are thankful for Government's support with the $70 million CTC Grant which commenced in August last year.”
“After all, workers are at the heart of our nation's progress." Through the #EWMC engagements, key themes and preliminary ideas are emerging and taking shape, which my fellow Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) will cover in their respective speeches. This includes retirement adequacy, un-employment support, supporting younger workers and workers in the lower-wage sectors, workplace health and safety, caregiving, training, among others. And in the next part on my speech, I will provide an update on NTUC initiatives to support training and upskilling of our workers. I believe that to empower our workers with opportunities and abilities, we need to build a culture of lifelong learning. In Randstad's recent 2022 Workmonitor study, 91% of employees surveyed in Singapore have indicated an interest in career learning and development opportunities. Despite this, only 22% said that they have received training and upskilling opportunities from their employers in the past 12 months. That said, since 2015, around 30% of eligible Singaporeans have utilised their SkillsFuture credit. A steady increase over the past years. I would like to take this opportunity to share three possible reasons observed from the #EWMC and research conducted by NTUC on why workers do not attend or complete their training. The first reason is a practical one regarding time, money and manpower. At the focus group discussions, participants shared that manpower-lean firms may not allow workers to go for training and might call workers back even if they were scheduled for training due to operational needs. Many find training course fees rather high despite subsidies from SkillsFuture Credit and other funds.”
“The Labour Movement welcomes Government's support for workers in this year's Budget Statement to grow our economy, improve training and job placement, enhance employment support for those who may need more help and to tackle the rising cost of living. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that trust between people, institutions, businesses and Government is critical. When businesses in some sectors were badly hit and jobs were uncertain, it is this trust that enables National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and our tripartite partners to work closely to save jobs, support our businesses and workers. We cannot assume that the trust we have built with our workers will continue to be strong over time. We have to engage with each generation of workers to listen to their needs, anxieties, their aspirations and to provide assurance that we will walk the journey with them. With these in mind, NTUC launched the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations or EWMC in short, last year. The #EWMC aims to reach out to at least 20,000 workers through dialogues, focus group discussions and surveys to hear their views around work and to refresh NTUC's compact with workers. Since its launch, NTUC has been listening to a wide range of workers from youths to mature workers, Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs), the self-employed, essential service workers, caregivers and to ex-offenders. We are excited to share our recommendations when they are ready, sometime later this year. But what are all these for? Let me quote our NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, "Through #EWMC, NTUC will ensure that our workers' voices are heard. We aim to put forth valuable feedback and useful recommendations that can shape policies with our workers' interests at its core.”
“There are approximately 130,000 households which have electricity accounts in arrears and 150,000 households who have water bills in arrears. Of these 150,000 households, about 1,200 have arrears of at least $250.”
“There are approximately 13,000 households who have electricity accounts in arrears and 150,000 households who have water bills in arrears. Of these 150,000 households, about 1,200 have arrears of at least $250. [Please refer to “Singaporean and Permanent Resident Households with Electricity and Water Bills in Arrears”, Official Report, 5 April 2022, Vol 95, Issue No 61, Oral Answers to Questions section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Mr Desmond Tan circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual correction to my reply to the Parliamentary Question from Member Mr Gan Thiam Poh during the Parliament Sitting on 5 April 2022. My reply should read as follows:”
“I thank the Member for the suggestion. Indeed, the Police do monitor the current trends, but I would like to, first of all, say that we think the current situation of unlicensed moneylenders is under control. We will continue to look at how we can strengthen our levers and also on measures to educate the members of public on the perils of unlicensed moneylender borrowing and also monitor the modes in which unlicensed moneylenders are using to transmit the advertisements and promotion through different means.”
“Mr Speaker, we have not detected an uptick in unlicensed moneylending, or UML, cases since October 2021. Between October and December 2021, there were 917 cases of UML and UML-related harassment cases reported. This was an 8% decrease, compared to the same period in 2020. The Police take a tough stance against UML activities. In 2021, the Police conducted 11 major enforcement operations and investigated a total of 1,682 subjects. The Police also actively work and share information with foreign enforcement agencies to dismantle UML syndicates that are operating from outside of Singapore. In addition, the Police work closely with the banks to disrupt the operations of UML syndicates. Police have also been enhancing outreach efforts to educate the public against borrowing from or working for unlicensed moneylenders. The Police are planning a new run of the anti-UML campaign to educate and remind the members of public on the perils of borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders.”
“In addition, MHA will continue supporting concurrent engagement initiatives by industry associations and the union, where experiences and best practices on OBC are shared. We also commend the various ground-up efforts to better facilitate adoption of OBC, such as the Association of Certified Security Agencies', or ACSAs', Step-by-Step Guide launched last year and the Security Associations Singapore's development of an online outcome-based tender generator and repository. These are encouraging efforts that we will continue to work with our partners to ensure higher adoption of OBC.”
“Outcome-based contracting (OBC) is a key strategy under the Security Industry Transformation Map. It will enable security agencies to innovate and deliver more productive solutions that integrate manpower, technology and process improvements. OBC offers the potential for buyers to achieve better security outcomes at lower long-term costs, in particular, for manpower. To catalyse the adoption of OBC, it has been made mandatory for public agencies to adopt OBC for new security services contracts put out for tender from May 2020 onwards. More than half of the public agencies have since adopted OBC. The remaining agencies will come on board over the next few years. In a survey conducted by MHA in 2020, the OBC adoption rate among private sector buyers at that time was about 6%. At the same time, in the survey, about seven in 10 indicated they had plans to adopt OBC. Hence, we can expect the adoption rate to increase in the coming years. MHA will continue to work closely with industry partners in the engagement and training of buyers to assist them in their transition to OBC. For instance, the Singapore Police Force's Centre for Protective Security (CPS) has been conducting webinars and focus group discussions to share the benefits of OBC. This includes firms providing managing agent services to Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) councils of private residences. CPS has also recently launched an OBC resource portal, with useful information on grants, courses and contract templates for premises owners. More case studies and examples will, gradually, be included in due course. For private residences, a resource kit featuring curated cases of successful adoption of OBC has been disseminated to all the MCST councils.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to take Question Nos 30 and 31 together, please.”
“There are two parts to the question. The first part on SPS, I have mentioned briefly in my speech that the prison services today already have existing rehabilitative programmes for those who are at risk of violent re-offending and these include teaching them how to manage their own emotions and how do they deal with the urge to take offensive actions. Also, in terms of counselling and helping them to address their own issues within the prison terms that they are serving. For other members of the public or people who are looking for help, there are more than just the prison service, the Police or MHA. We are working with other agencies which are dealing with mental health and mental issues to help address the concerns of some members of the public. MSF has been doing that. This question actually goes beyond MHA's as well as SPF's remit. If the Member wants to have further elaborations on it, I would encourage him to file a further question on how to deal with the mental health issues of the members of the public at large.”
“Thank you. The location of the Neighbourhood Police Post would be very dependent on the area of allocation in terms of the residential, commercial and other premises that are within the area. So, in fact, actually, members of the public have very easy access to the Police by dialing 999. In addition to that, we have actually deployed in some areas – where we think they may be more secluded – some mobile self-help stations, Police Beacons, where members of the public can activate the Police at the locations, for example, in the Punggol Park Connector area. So, these are experiments and pilots that we are trying out to try to allow members of the public to have easy access and also to give some form of assurance and confidence to our members of the public about the Police's presence around the neighbourhood. But as the Member has rightly pointed out, the Police cannot be everywhere all the time. So, I think the community effort to get together to assure and to do the right thing during times of incidents like this, as we have witnessed in the Buangkok incident, in fact, how members of the public have come together, exercised their discretion and put the perpetrator in his place, I think, is a very encouraging effort – the community can play a role as well. The Police will continue to increase patrols in areas where there is potential high crime, where we have received more reports from members of the public, to give better assurance to members of the public as well.”
“We need to be practical and not over-regulate such items. There are legislative measures to deal with persons with a higher propensity of committing crimes, including knife-related crimes, due to certain psychiatric conditions. For instance, a person who suffers from a mental disorder can be detained under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act. Where a person has already been convicted of an offence, the Court may impose a Mandatory Treatment Order, or MTO, if his or her psychiatric condition contributed to the offence. The MTO would compel the person to undergo psychiatric treatment for up to 36 months in lieu of imprisonment, which would facilitate the rehabilitation and treatment of the individual involved. For those who are incarcerated, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) provides intervention for inmates who are at risk of violent re-offending. For example, they are taught how to regulate their emotions and acquire skills to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. MHA, together with our partner agencies, has also been engaging the public through the SGSecure movement, to build vigilance and preparedness against terrorism. Outreach efforts include sharing advisories, such as "Run-Hide-Tell" and "Press-Tie-Tell", as well as other emergency preparedness programmes such as the First Aid programme and the use of CPR-AED. These skills are also applicable in non-terrorism related emergencies, such as the recent knife incidents, and will help members of the public avoid or reduce harm to oneself or to others.”
“In the past five years, the number of knife-related crimes involving murder, robbery, rioting and serious hurt has remained relatively constant, averaging about 150 cases annually. About 36% of these crimes occurred in residential areas and 3% happened in educational institution premises. The remaining cases occurred in other public and commercial places. For urgent incidents, including those involving dangerous weapons, the Police are, generally, able to respond within 15 minutes of the call. The officers will use force, where necessary. This includes situations which require them to protect and save lives, including their own lives, prevent the commission of an offence and arrest subjects. Where a person refuses to comply with the Police's instructions and poses a threat to the lives of those around him, including the Police officers, the officers may use lethal force to neutralise the threat. In incidents where firearms have been used, the Police Psychological Services Department works with the Police unit's leadership and para-counsellors to provide stress management interventions to support the officers involved. MHA, currently, regulates six items under the Arms and Explosives Act, or AEA – sword, spear, spearhead, dagger, bayonet and dangerous bows and arrows. This list of regulated weapons will be expanded to include items, such as knuckledusters and flick knives, when the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act replaces the AEA later this year. Regulated items will be subject to greater control, including the regulation of sales on e-commerce platforms. We need to be calibrated on the regulatory measures to be imposed. Many items with common daily usage, like knives, can also be used as offensive weapons.”
“Mr Speaker, I will address Oral Question Nos 28 and 29, Written Question No 11, as well as the questions filed by Ms Ng Ling Ling1 and Dr Wan Rizal2 for a future Sitting, please.”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Desmond Tan]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“More importantly, going forward, as you have rightly pointed out, also about online gambling and online gaming activities, which is gaining traction among our young people.”
“I thank the Member for the clarification. The first question, the answer is yes, there is no minimum age for social gambling within homes and that is the reason why we have mentioned that we wanted to put social gambling under the exemption regime precisely, and also to state the conditions. And so the conditions as mentioned, there are threefold. One, is that it has to happen in a home and not outside of the home; secondly, it has to happen within the context of a family, as well as friends, people acquainted with each other; and thirdly, there ought to be no gains, financial gains, from this social gambling. I understand where the Member is coming from in terms of youths. I mentioned in my speech that when it comes to social gambling, especially during the festival period, we know and we recognise that this is something that is happening and this is something that is a tradition for some of the families as well. And we really urge that actually family members ought to also play a role to ensure that as we allow such social gambling to happen, it will not lead to undesirable behaviour and subsequently some kind of gambling addiction for our youths. Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua has mentioned earlier on that the schools and NCPG have rolled out many programmes and we are mindful that actually our youths are vulnerable, they are exposed to possible inducement to gambling. That is why we have also strengthened our levers to ensure the inducement are minimised and we continue to work with agencies, with MOE as well as NCPG, to roll out different programmes to educate our people about social gambling.”
“Mr Yip asked for details on the consolidation of gambling regulatory functions across various agencies. As I had mentioned earlier, gambling regulation is currently overseen by various Government agencies. For example, CRA regulates the casinos; the Gambling Regulatory Unit in MHA today regulates online gambling services and fruit machines; and the Singapore Tote Board governs Singapore Pools' physical gambling services. There will be synergies from consolidating gambling legislation and regulation. As the single regulator of all forms of gambling, GRA will be able to pool resources and expertise together to deal with the issue. This will allow GRA to keep pace with trends in the gambling landscape more effectively and take a more holistic and coherent approach to gambling policies and issues. The establishment of GRA will be resource neutral across the Government. Manpower will be transferred together with the transfer of function. This will not lead to an excess of employees. In addition to overseeing existing regulatory regimes, GRA will also oversee new regulatory regimes, such as the new licensing regime for gambling in private establishments and class-licence regimes for low-risk gambling products. Mr Speaker, by establishing the GRA and updating our gambling laws, the Bills will go a long way to ensure that we continue to be able to minimise the social and law-and-order concerns arising from gambling activity in Singapore. Once again, I thank Members in this House for their support. Sir, I beg to move.”
“There are various ways today to detect proxy gambling in casinos and casino staff are actually trained to detect it. Some indications include players constantly checking their mobile phones and appearing to be receiving instructions while gambling. Casinos will be liable to regulatory action, like financial penalties, if they fail to enforce this. Mr Yip Hon Weng pointed out about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) could be considered as gambling due to the amount of speculation involved. Mr Chua also spoke about this topic. NFTs are a form of digital token, where each token has distinct and unique features that are verified and secured by blockchain technology. MAS takes a technology-neutral stance and "looks through" to the underlying characteristics of the token to determine if it is to be regulated. Most NFTs currently do not fall under MAS' regulatory remit, as they are used mainly to tokenise digital art and other collectibles. But should an NFT have the characteristics of a capital markets product under the Securities and Futures Act, it will be subject to MAS' regulatory requirements and therefore exempted from the definition of betting in Clause 5 of the Gambling Control Bill. Creating or trading NFTs is not considered gambling, unless there is an element of chance involved in their creation or trading. However, gambling services that use NFTs as stake or prize will be covered in our gambling legislation. Mr Chua asked how GRA can stay ahead of the developments and innovations in online games. We agree, that is why the formation of GRA will give us the capabilities and expertise to monitor this landscape for new gambling products and update our regulations if required.”
“These could include persons investigated by GRA who repeatedly refused to come forward to assist with investigations, for instance. The time periods of entry bans will be calibrated based on the seriousness of the law-and-order concerns and the gaming integrity concerns that the person presents. Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua spoke about the upstream education efforts targeted at underaged individuals, addressing Mr Gerald Giam's questions on the age requirements on various gaming products. Let me touch on the other safeguards for underaged individuals that are covered in the Bill. First, there are safeguards to prevent underaged individuals to gambling, or exposing them directly to gambling activity. For example, there is a minimum age of gambling. The Gambling Control Bill introduces offences on underaged individuals gambling or entering gambling areas. This sends a strong deterrent signal to underaged individuals that they should not be gambling. The Gambling Control Bill also introduces an offence for proxy gambling, which will deter underaged persons from circumventing the entry bans or entry controls. The GRA will also impose conditions on class-licensed products, such as mystery boxes, to address the normalisation of gambling. The details will be released later when we introduce the subsidiary legislation. Second, safeguards to limit inducement of underaged individuals to gambling. The Gambling Control Bill criminalises the inducement of underaged individuals to gamble, as I have covered earlier. We will also continue to impose controls on advertisement and promotion. Mr Louis Chua asked about how casino operators are going to help enforce against proxy gambling.”
“Mr Gerald Giam asked if loot boxes will be considered as a lottery if virtual rewards cannot be monetised in the real-world. Since these virtual rewards have no real-world value, such loot boxes will not be considered gambling under the Gambling Control Bill. This is in line with our current approach, which has served us well in trying to strike a balance between leisure and entertainment and safeguarding against gambling inducement. We agree with Mr Yip Hon Weng that a blanket restriction on the advertisement of online games would not be practical, especially since these games are perceived by many as leisure and entertainment. We will be reviewing the landscape of online games of chance. This will include how to regulate advertisements of online games of chance that fall in the definition of gambling under the Gambling Control Bill. Let me talk a bit on the entry bans. Mr Louis Ng asked for more details on the entry bans. The Commissioner of Police entry ban is issued to persons to prevent or to reduce criminal influence or exploitation in the management and operation of regulated gambling activities and to maintain gaming integrity in the gambling services. It is targeted against persons who pose law-and-order concerns. Law enforcement agencies will consider the individual's criminal records, as well as other criminal history, including warnings and discharges not amounting to an acquittal. For example, this could include persons previously convicted of offences related to syndicated criminal activity. For the GRA entry bans, the reference to the individual's character or reputation is to cater for cases where the person has displayed a pattern of disregard for the law that might actually undermine the regulatory regime.”