Hany Soh
Singapore
“Thank you, Speaker. Just one supplementary question on whether there are any recycling plans in the pipeline for collaborations with our partners in the region or globally, or for a start, coming up with a common framework in terms of recycling across our Association of Southeast Asian Nations region?”
“I thank the Minister of State for her response. I understand from a few seniors whom I have interacted with in Woodgrove recently that a number of their peers were unable to join them for their regular outdoor qigong and brisk walking activities due to respiratory-related health conditions lately.”
“In this regard, perhaps PUB could consider an "opt-in", at least for the implementation or installation of the Costal Protection Measures for private owners or lessors instead of requiring them to procure the same from scratch.”
“Thank you, Chairman. I have two clarifications. One is pertaining to what Senior Minister of State Janil has shared about MySkillsFuture Portal, revamping it. Can we explore to actually allow the functions for the users to actually navigate through the portal based on locations wise, so that it allows the users to benefit from it.”
“To encourage more Singaporeans to utilise their SkillsFuture training credits, I hope that SkillsFuture@PA programme can be further expanded. In addition to CCs, it could also extend to running courses at the Residents' Network Centres.”
“The first question is, can we explore rather than to not totally include or consider the waiver of fees, instead can we explore increasing the search fees instead, so as to achieve the objectives that Senior Parliamentary Secretary had mentioned in terms of defraying the fees for maintaining such a services in the Wills Registry?”
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“In June last year, Minister Grace Fu announced at the Asia Dengue Summit that NEA will be releasing male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes in 1,400 additional HDB blocks across Singapore from July 2022. Woodgrove's Division Zone 3, 5 and 6 were part of Project Wolbachia. The releases were expected to reduce the dengue vector in these high-risk areas and to help understand the impact of Wolbachia technology on dengue cases. What is the finding and progress of Project Wolbachia so far? Will the programme be extended to more areas across Singapore? During the peak of dengue seasons last year, none of my 11 zones in Woodgrove were spared, despite community efforts during our regular town halls to raise awareness on dengue prevention. I therefore hope that Project Wolbachia can be extended to the other eight zones in Woodgrove, especially to those places with more seniors and families with young children. Apart from Project Wolbachia, what other measures can be further implemented to minimise the risk of Singaporeans contracting dengue fever? Sustainability among Community and Youth”
“In countries such as Japan, the three Ps collectively take pride in their local produce with consumers prepared to pay a premium to support good quality local produce. What can the Government do to help our local farms garner sufficient demand and support for local produce? Are our Government agencies such as MINDEF army camps and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)'s Prisons able to take up the lead in supporting local produce in their F&B procurement? Supporting Food Safety Efforts”
“Can the Ministry explore how we can eventually do away with one physical recycle bin but adopt methods practised in countries such as Japan by setting up more active recycling points and allowing a certain day of the week to be set aside as the recycling collection day when residents can place their segregated items for recycling? Sustainability Programme”
“During the recent Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC's Green Action for Community's (GAC) deep dive session, one of the topics which was discussed among the GAC members is the concern for high contamination rates of recycling bins. Items containing food and liquid waste are frequently sighted being disposed of in recycling bins. Despite NEA's Recycle Right campaign, we still continue to see non-recyclable items such as used shoes and textiles found in these recycling bins. What other measures can the Ministry further introduce to reduce the contamination of recyclables in the blue bins? During the GAC's deep dive, green task force members from my Woodgrove division also shared with me that the issue of reducing household waste and successful recyclables are intertwined. In this regard, what are some of the efforts made by the Ministry to encourage households to reduce waste? The reduction of waste and contamination rates begin at home. Residents need to be equipped with the knowledge on what kinds of waste can be reduced, reused and recycled. While sorting is not required in Singapore as separation of materials is done at the materials recovery facilities, not doing so increases the likelihood of recyclables being contaminated. Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) like Tzu Chi Foundation has set a good standard for us to follow. By setting up active recycling points, residents will be more empowered to take matters into their own hands, putting in the effort to segregate all waste materials.”
“Given how technology, which includes the rise of online platforms, has disrupted the media industry worldwide, how is MCI helping our homegrown film and media companies transform and seize more new opportunities?”
“Yes, there was one question that was not answered. This is in relation to the support for local companies. I can repeat the question.”
“I want to thank the Minister and our two Senior Ministers of State. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the whole of MCI team. I hope that you are not affected by the comments made by certain Members, just now, at the COS. Let us not forget the fact that during the COVID-19 period, the MCI team worked very hard around the clock to make sure that the correct and most accurate information is spread across the entire Singapore, uniting all Singaporeans to be together. Following up with two questions to MCI. I understand that in relation to the topic of scams, this was largely discussed during the MHA COS, but I also want to know how is MCI securing our communications channels to shield citizens from scams? The next question is given how technologies, which include the rise of online platforms, have disrupted the media industry worldwide, how is MCI helping our homegrown film and media companies to transform as well as to seize more new opportunities?”
“Chairman, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Digital services are becoming increasingly common in our society. However, many seniors are still reluctant towards digital living. They are afraid of falling into online scam traps from inadvertently pressing a wrong button. While digital services carry certain risks, they also bring many conveniences. With a smartphone, we are able to know what is happening in the world and learn new knowledge without going out. What plans does the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have to further improve the digital know-how and skills of the seniors? In Woodgrove, I am very grateful to the team of digital ambassadors at the SG Digital Community Hub. Prior to the upgrading of the Fuchun Community Club, they worked from 10 am to 6 pm daily to help our seniors, guiding seniors on a one-to-one basis to help them move towards digital living. During this period of time when our Community Club is under renovation, they continue to work closely with Citizens' Consultative Committee to go outdoors and set up digital assistance booths at a series of activities organised by the Woodgrove community, to encourage senior citizens to embark on a digital Journey. Take for example the recent Community Emergency Preparedness Day held at 888 Plaza jointly organised with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The digital ambassadors present on that day encouraged our residents to download the SCDF's My Responder app which offers many benefits such as the location of the closest AED when someone needs CPR urgently.”
“In a Straits Times article published in October 2014, it was revealed that an online survey conducted across 9,417 respondents in countries like India, Singapore, UK, USA, Germany and France found Singaporeans to be the second-most Internet addicted people in the world. Since then, I reckon the numbers of cyber addictions are likely on the rise, as Singaporeans in general have experienced longer screen time, having been cooped up at home during the circuit breaker, coupled with more home-based learning through laptops and tablets which are being introduced to our children and with more companies now being more supportive of telecommuting and flexible work arrangements for its employees. I wish to ask, have any recent studies been done if the numbers are indeed on the rise and do we know which age groups are more prone to cyber addictions? What are the measures taken by our Government in countering cyber addictions, especially for youths and young children? How can MCI play a part in equipping schools, parents and the community at large in raising awareness on the risks of cyber addictions and the methods of prevention? Digitalisation for Seniors”
“A Singapore Made for Families will need a concerted effort from the whole-of-society in order to make it a reality, namely those from the 3Ps: People, Private and Public sectors. Only when everyone is aligned towards this common goal, with more empathy and understanding raised in this regard, will we be able to achieve it. A successful transformation to a Singapore Made for Families will be complete when we can answer the following questions in great confidence: When the childcare calls the working parent to inform that the child is sick, would the working parent be able to take urgent leave to pick up the child? Would the employer be understanding to allow the employee to continue to work from home for the next few days in order to take care of the child at the same time? Is the home deemed conducive, equipped with features ensuring that the working parent is able to cope with working from home and caring for the child? And when the parent sends the child, who has been running a high fever in the night, to the hospital's A&E or its Children's Urgent Care Clinic, would the premises have already looked into how to reduce the waiting time, and at the same time, trained their staff to provide adequate interim support to reduce the helpless parents' anxiety on the child's conditions? In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding my requests for clarifications and suggestions, I stand in support of the Budget.”
“When it rains, is the route from the carpark to the polyclinic entirely sheltered and with barrier-free access? Besides providing more family-friendly amenities, we can also look into creating an express lane system for more locations catered towards senior citizens, people with mobility issues and families with young children. ICA has recently showcased its Special Assistance Lanes at various passenger halls in Changi Airport to enable travellers using wheelchairs and family groups of up to four persons to enjoy the convenience of automated immigration clearance. This is a good start and we should continue to explore introducing more efficient queue systems to places, including banks, community clubs and polyclinics, just like countries such as Japan have implemented. Workplaces also plays an important role in encouraging a more family-friendly culture. Many companies have since mandated a return to the office to increase productivity back to pre-COVID-19 levels, but this decision may not necessarily be welcomed by many of its employees, especially parents with infants, who have become used to the flexibility of remote working over the past couple of years. For companies to adopt the Tripartite Standard, there may be a need to formulate processes to ensure that Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) are properly adopted by them and that the arrangements are fair for both employers and employees within each company. It is important that employers and employees continue to have candid discussions amongst themselves to better understand each other's needs and concerns, with a view towards maximising productivity, while ensuring that the workers have sufficient work-life balance.”
“One example is to introduce enhancements that make homes future ready, whether by allowing complimentary access to 5G networks that makes it easier to work from home and installing various child safety features such as window guards and slip-resistant flooring. As families begin to spend more time outdoors following the relaxation of COVID-19 protocols, there will be more demand for family-friendly features that allow for a more comfortable bonding experience. In recent years, apart from handicap parking lots, we have also begun to see more family-friendly parking lots in commercial malls. There has also been an increase in the availability of nursing and diaper changing facilities – thanks to BCA's Accessibility Fund grant. While I applaud the introduction of these facilities, it should be noted that most of them focus on meeting the minimal requirements, causing them to not meet the satisfaction of the users' overall experience. I spoke to Mr Phua Wee Seng of Rare Disorders Society Singapore on this issue recently. Wee Seng's teenage son suffers from a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder, which requires him to manoeuvre around on a special wheelchair. Wee Seng shared that many of the lifts and handicap toilets in the malls in Singapore are in fact too small and cramped, which has caused tasks such as the changing of diapers for his son to be of a great challenge. Our amenities and infrastructures will therefore need to be designed with the end users in mind. Say, a stay-at-home mother who has to take care of two young children and needs to bring them to the polyclinic for their occasional vaccinations, for example. Are there any family-friendly parking lots within close proximity to the polyclinic for someone like her?”
“With that being said, are there plans to allow the sharing of Parental Leave to become even more flexible such as allowing couples more freedom to transfer their respective allotted leave days among themselves, be it Maternity or Paternity Leave? As each family situation is different, I believe that allowing this freedom will grant a net positive benefit for those expecting new members in their family. Over the years, Singapore's infrastructure has been consistently upgraded, with consideration towards greater convenience and accessibility requirements. Our public housing is one such example through HDB's various initiatives such as the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). During HIP, apart from improvements such as replacing the clothes drying rack, families with seniors can take the opportunity to opt in for Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) improvements, furnishing these older flats with safety features such as a slip-resistant treatment to floor tiles and grab bars in the bathrooms. On the same purpose that HIP is intended to update older flats with new features that make life easier for its inhabitants, some of these features to be introduced therein should therefore also look into how to benefit families with young children. This is so especially when we are now encouraging young couples to consider purchasing older resale flats in the open market. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that in times of weariness and difficulties, our homes remain as a haven as we work towards overcoming obstacles in life. For parents with young children, this means ensuring that their homes are well equipped to cope with the pressures of parenting along with the usual demands of work and household upkeep.”
“Under the newly adjusted WMCR, those who earn about $5,000 per month would experience a reduction of $1,000 in tax relief while mothers with a monthly salary of $8,000 will see their tax reliefs drastically cut by about $6,400. Considering the purpose of the WMCR, what were the considerations behind this change and to what extent was the impact on mothers from the middle-income brackets being taken into account? Although the increase in the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and the increased Government contribution to the CDA do promise to offer some financial assistance to defray child-raising costs, the impact of the decrease in the WMCR will impact working mothers on an annual recurring basis until either when her income decreases or when she is no longer eligible for such relief. I therefore hope that the Government can consider making a slight tweak to this policy, retaining the percentage and the fixed quantum, whichever is higher shall apply. Such an amendment will create a win-win situation by allowing lower-income working mothers to receive adequate tax deductions and motivate them to continue to remain in the workforce after having children and continue to pursue their future career aspirations. Under the current rules, new working mothers are allowed to share up to four out of 16 weeks of their allocated Maternity Leave with their spouses, which has allowed new families greater flexibility in infant care arrangements, with family bonding time. With the latest Budget announcement, fathers who are currently employed will have their paid Paternity Leave increased from two to four weeks. This is surely a welcome change as fathers are increasingly becoming more involved in the day-to-day upkeep and care of their newborn children.”
“In this regard, would HDB be introducing any measures to curb the COV situation or could the relevant regulations be amended to allow housing loans or CPF monies to pay off the COV component? My second point is on the issue of affordability of raising children. In past school reunion gatherings, I often took the opportunity while catching up with my peers to find out why several of them are putting off the idea of having a child or having more than one child. Several whom I have spoken with shared that while they and their spouse aspire to have children, they are worried about the rising costs of raising a child in Singapore and thus have put off having children until they have achieved stability in their careers. The issue of financial safety is therefore constantly on the minds of would-be parents and the recent increases in the cost of living has also done little to ease these worries. Besides increased day-to-day expenses, the policy changes that affect household finances can also influence a family's decision to have children. As an example, the incoming changes to the Working Mother's Child Relief (WMCR) from a percentage-based calculation to a fixed sum has brought mixed feelings on the ground. While the WMCR adjustment comes as good news for working mothers in the lower-income group, for those earning more than $4,500 per month, this change will, in reality, reduce the amount of tax reliefs for them, with these reductions becoming more pronounced as their salary increases progressively. I am therefore concerned as to how this change will affect those who are under the sandwiched middle-income group.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I spoke at last November's Adjournment Motion on the topic of Celebrating SG Families, sharing the many views which I have gathered from my Woodgrove residents on how we can better support young parents to embrace parenthood through live, work and play. It is heartening to learn from this year's Budget that one emphasis is on building a Singapore Made for Families. At this juncture, I should first declare that I also fall under the category of a parent with young children. I have broadly categorised this year's Budget support for young couples into three categories: (a) helping young Singaporeans to realise their housing aspirations; (b) ensuring that their journey of raising children remains affordable; and (c) increasing the availability and flexibility of more support for childcare. Firstly, on the issue of housing, many young couples whom I have spoken with in Woodgrove appreciate the Government's effort to increase the support for first-timer families to purchase resale flats as these measures will ease their monthly housing loan repayment burdens of their first home. However, many feel that the support does not defray the existing issue, in that many young couples have opted out of resale flats as an option because the Cash Over Valuation (COV) component that is being insisted by many sellers in the open market. In many such situations, these amounts could end up in the region of about $30,000 to $50,000 or even more. Such COV amounts, unfortunately, cannot be covered by housing loans or CPF and must be paid for in cash, which young couples with limited savings are unable to afford.”
“I thank Senior Minister of State Janil for his response. Apart from enhancing the monitoring procedures, I hope that the Ministry of Health can also consider having a standard operating procedure in place whereby the hospitals are providing neonatal parental support where it is automatically activated to ensure that the helpless parents are assured of the procedures that will be in place and the essential resources available to assist them.”
“The SCJA also empowers for such application to be dealt with by three or any greater uneven number of judges sitting in the Court of Appeal. In this aspect, I wish to seek the Senior Parliamentary Secretary's clarification: under what circumstances would one, three or even five Court of Appeal judges be assigned to hear application for permission to make PACC application as well as PACC application? Whilst I understand the efficiency in getting just one Court of Appeal judge to hear and make a decision, we have witnessed on several occasions where landmark cases were made when Court of Appeal judges have dissenting views amongst themselves. The fact that such application for PACC may constitute a last-ditch attempt to prevent a possibility of miscarriage of justice means it might be prudent to have at least three Court of Appeal judges hear such applications. Finally, in relation to the right to seek clarifications. In the event a single judge has been tasked to decide on the application for permission and/or the PACC application, I understand from the new section 60G(8) and section 60H(6) of the SCJA that such applications may be summarily addressed without an oral hearing. In such situations where the Court of Appeal judge has refused the application, I hope that a substantive written decision will be given to explain the basis of the decision. I would also suggest that there be liberty for PACP or his/her counsel to write in to seek clarifications and make further submissions to convince the judge otherwise. As per Lord Hewart, the then Lord Chief Justice of England, “Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done”. Mdm Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding my requests for clarifications and suggestions, I stand in support of this Bill.”
“While counsels might have advised the convicted person on this, the convicted persons may, at times, still insist and instruct his lawyers to explore further court proceeding options. Grasping at straws, while prolonging their time away from facing the gallows, such futile exercises would invariably cause much time and resources to be wasted. Ordering of personal costs, as one Member has suggested earlier, may be futile as PACPs more often than not, are of limited means. I therefore support this Bill, which seeks to deal with post-appeal applications in a capital case with a prisoner awaiting capital punishment, by introducing new procedures with enhanced safeguards for post-appeal applications. However, I wish to take this opportunity to seek the following clarifications. Firstly, in relation to legal representation. Typically, LASCO’s assignment will end in the event mitigation has been made by counsel and sentence has been given by the Court or when the case has been delisted from the Supreme Court – for example, when the prosecution eventually offers to reduce the charge to a non-capital one and be dealt with at the State Court’s jurisdiction instead – or when Presidential clemency has already been sought after the accused has been convicted of the capital offence. In this instance, would the LASCO scheme be extended to cover applications for PACC permission and PACC which may have occurred at a much later date after Presidential clemency has already been sought but rejected? The next question is in relation to whether one, three or five Court of Appeal judges to decide on PACC matters. Pursuant to the new section 60G(2) of the SCJA, the application for permission may be heard by a single judge exercising the Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on this Bill. I would first like to declare that I am a practising lawyer. As Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu had shared earlier, in Singapore, an accused person being charged with a capital offence will typically be offered free legal representation at trial and/or appeal through the Supreme Court's Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences, in short LASCO, regardless of his or her nationality and means. The accused persons would then be assigned by the LASCO case assignment panel with a lead counsel with at least seven years of legal practice, who have represented parties in several capital trials and appeals before the Court of Appeal against conviction and trial or acquittal. Second, an assisting counsel with at least five years of legal practice and have represented parties in capital trials. And sometimes, also with a junior assisting counsel with experience in criminal trial procedure. This team of assigned lawyers is expected to put forward the client's instructions to the best of their ability at the earliest opportunity through making representations to the prosecution, in the hope that the charge can be reduced to a non-capital one. If unsuccessful, they would proceed to put up a strongest possible defence at trial. In the event that the trial judge is not with the defence and finds the accused to be guilty, deliberations will be made whether an appeal ought to be made against the conviction on the basis that the trial judge might have either made an error of law or an error of fact in reaching his decision. As the procedure develops to this stage and beyond, you will often find that the defence case is evidentially weak and chances of succeeding becomes even slimmer.”
“In Woodgrove, we look forward to continuing our deep partnership with the relevant agencies and community partners to realise the plans as set forth in A Singapore Made For Families 2025 (MFF 2025) and champion Made for Families in our division.”
“Not only will these initiatives offer families yet another opportunity to forge stronger ties with one another, but also result in a further boost for establishments within the tourism industry. (In English): COVID-19 has made a significant impact on individuals, families and businesses. It has changed our lifestyles and working habits. With the easing of safety measures and with our country now embarking on Forward SG conversations, consulting and planning for the next 50 years and beyond, I believe it is now the right opportunity for all relevant stakeholders to review existing family-related policies, regulations and family-friendly work practices moving forward so as to build more support networks and resilience among Singaporeans, their families and the business community. Businesses must be prepared to face future disruptions, prepare their workers to stay employable and be more pro-family to retain talent in their firms. Both employers and employees need to recognise that workplace productivity can be preserved even outside of the office through the use of technology and smart mobile devices. At the same time, individuals should take the initiative in strengthening familial bonds to better cope with future life challenges. In other words, just as businesses must have business continuity plans (BCP), so should families create their emergency preparedness plans (EPP). The Government, together with the community, would always stand ready to provide the support needed for one another and create opportunities for fellow Singaporeans to embrace the various milestones in life and to care for our future generations, both in good times and in bad.”
“Woodgrove is prepared and looks forward to furthering our collaboration with partners, such as ActiveSG, to develop even more Made For Families events in the future in these aspects. Besides direct collaborations with community partners, we may be able to tap on Government resources to nudge other organisations to contribute. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The usual prices for admission tickets to some local attractions were usually out of the budget for some families. However, in the recent two years, several of my residents have informed me that they were, finally, able to afford them, thanks to the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers. As such, to consider offering another round of such concessions will likely be well-received by Singaporeans, especially those families with young children and grandparents. I would, therefore, propose that the Government and the Community work together again to reintroduce the vouchers in some capacity, branding it as an initiative to encourage family bonding in Singapore. Many countries, such as China, have offered free admission to locals to encourage local tourism and create vibrancy at their local attractions. This has also supported many F&B shops at or near the attractions and created more employment opportunities. For a start in Singapore, apart from the introduction of incentive vouchers, I hope we can have free Sunday admissions to selected local attractions, such as the Zoo, museums, Gardens by the Bay and so on. This will encourage families to go for outings together. If possible, build hawker centres to provide affordable local food at these attractions as well.”
“Just recently, my husband and I took our three-year-old daughter to visit the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum, which is located somewhere within Yishun and we spent a very enjoyable afternoon there. I believe that the community can play a bigger part in highlighting lesser-known attractions that are situated within their neighbourhoods, so that families have more options when it comes to spending precious time together. Woodgrove has already made some progress in this regard by collaborating with community partners, such as ActiveSG, on several occasions to create grassroots events, most of which focus on physical activity and exercise. One example is Sporting Day, which allows families to bond through weekly sporting activities that promote play. Friday evenings, in particular, are specially reserved for family time, when parents and their children can each pursue their own interests all within the same venue in our Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC divisions. Another example is the school holiday camp, where families each occupies a four-man tent together and participate in camp-related activities throughout their stay. In addition to that, the collaborations with ActiveSG have also created special events, such as pool parties, where parents and their children can roam around the pool filled with animal floats, and terrarium creation workshops in which families learn to make their own forests in a jar. I hope that more funding support can be provided to partners, such as ActiveSG, to encourage even more collaborations with the community to form Made For Families interest groups and organise sports surrounding this theme on a weekly basis.”
“The pandemic has shown us that full remote working can be made possible across many industries and that the hybrid approach has proven to be very popular in the workforce. Not only will families regain precious time to spend with one another, they will, in turn, become highly motivated and loyal staff members for the companies that welcome it. While I understand that some employees, whether due to personal preference or their particular job scope, may deem it more suitable for themselves to return physically to work, I would also like to highlight the possibility that some workers may actually prove to be more productive at home, as compared to being in the office. In that regard, there is really no one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, in the recent Straits Times article titled "Making Flexible Arrangements Work", both the pros and cons of flexible work arrangements were highlighted. It would, therefore, make sense, and I urge more employers and employees to better understand each other's needs and concerns and explore whether a hybrid work arrangement by adopting the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) is viable, with a common view towards achieving a goal-oriented approach, in the interest of maximising productivity. It is one thing to mandate that families should make the effort to create family bonding activities whenever possible, but it can be difficult to research and plan interesting outings after a long week at work. Moreover, with rising costs due to inflation, affordability has quickly become another main concern. As tiny as Singapore might be in geographical terms, there are many hidden and inexpensive attractions that would make for great outing ideas for families.”
“While it has been a rough two years for every Singaporean, the pandemic has shown that we, as a people, are resilient and highly capable of adapting to changing circumstances. The era of safe distancing has encouraged innovations in our daily lifestyles, from rapid delivery of food and necessities, to e-learning and remote working. In the context of family life, the shift towards flexible working arrangements may have allowed some to have more time and opportunities to enjoy the company of our families and increased our ability to assist one another during trying times. I am glad to note that, for the past few months, our COVID-19 restrictions have been loosened to the point where many of us are able to see friends and extended family members again after a long time. But I also understand that the relaxed policies have also encouraged companies to recall their workers back to the office, in some cases, reverting to the pre-pandemic, five days a week schedule. While it is, of course, the employers' prerogative as to how they wish to run their businesses, I would like to point out that the reinstatement of mandatory office attendance will likely cause some families to cut back on quality time once again, time that they had perhaps found as a pleasant surprise amidst the bleaker days of the pandemic. Some parents may once again become more absorbed in their work away from home as their children re-adapt to their lack of presence. It is also worth considering that some families with dependants have come to rely on the flexibility of being available at home to better care for them, which will cause logistical issues if they were ever recalled back to the office on a permanent basis.”
“I hope that ECDA can also consider encouraging the five anchor preschool operators to rent more premises near MRT and bus interchanges by appealing for and facilitating subsidised rental rates with Government support. This is akin to the concept behind the 21,500 square feet Space @ Woods Square that was donated by the developers of an integrated commercial development, with the aim of providing new community space in Woodlands, bringing together three non-profit organisations, such as the Care Corner Singapore, New Life Community Services and World Vision Singapore, so that they can more effectively partner and help Singaporeans in need who live in the northern part of the country. Currently, these spaces have looked into providing mental health screening and support for youth with mental health issues and operating a strength training gym for the seniors. It would be ideal if such community spaces can also be offered to preschools and non-profit organisations to provide after-school care services to support working parents, especially single parents and those who are on shift work. One exemplary example of anchor preschool operators stepping forward is the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots. Its Cashew Centre, which is situated in Hillion Mall, spreads over 21,500 square feet, offering high-quality and accessible full-day childcare and infant care services for up to 287 children, ranging from the age of two months to six years old. Recently, PCF has further announced that another 2,500 preschool spaces will be added by the end of next year. We need more anchor preschool operators like PCF to step up, come forward and offer more of such facilities.”
“Based on the two examples that I have just shared, the main bottleneck seems to be in the lack of available slots in preschool childcare, especially for infant care and playgroup sessions, particularly in areas with more young families where demand has grown over the COVID-19 period. In this regard, I am heartened to learn about the recent Government announcement that an additional 22,000 full-day preschool places will be created over the next two years, of which, 2,800 places will be set aside for infant care and 4,400 for playgroup programmes. In relation to this Government offering more resources in this aspect, I hope to make the following suggestions. Firstly, apart from building more preschool centres in BTO estates, I suggest that ECDA should look into working closely with LTA and URA to identify common travel routes taken by young parents to their potential workplaces and explore the possibility of establishing more of such services to be provided along their commute. Secondly, to address the shortage of infant and childcare facilities for those preschools that are already observing long waiting lists, I suggest that ECDA consider providing more flexibility in regulations to allow such facilities to increase their capabilities, whether through the extension of premises, for example, for HDB or URA to allow direct allocation of void deck spaces or premises using market value without competition, or allowing anchor preschool operators to enrol more students by relaxing on staff-student ratio without compromising safety and quality, especially for those that are in close proximity to amenities.”
“They hope to entrust their child to a safe location, with responsible caregivers and, hopefully, within close proximity to their residences and at affordable rates. Many of them have searched high and low for such a facility but to no avail and are desperate for a solution when they came looking for help. Recently, a resident sought for my help to obtain a placement in an infant care centre for her seven-month-old daughter. The child's grandmother used to look after her on behalf of the family but changing circumstances have made this arrangement no longer possible. Both the resident and her husband are also holding jobs that require on-site work, which meant that, without support, one of them would need to give up their job to look after their child. In another case, a resident shared with me that his family is facing difficulties in securing a slot in the preschool just below their residence for their two-year-old son. They had applied last year but were informed that the infant care centres are full and have a waitlist stretching to 2023. In addition, the pandemic has required them to care for their son and new-born daughter without support from other family members who reside overseas. Although both he and his wife are employed, they had made it work thus far by hiring a helper and relying on his wife's maternity leave. But their time is running out as the helper is returning to her hometown and the agency is still sourcing for a new replacement for them, with the whole process likely to take many more months. I sympathise with my residents going through such challenging tough situations.”
“To help families and individuals turn these pledges into reality, I hope to take this opportunity to highlight some of the feedback which my Woodgrove residents and our PAP Women's Wing activists have shared with me pertaining to the challenges which many Singaporeans are facing as parents with young children, along with some recommendations on possible ways that the Government, employers and the community can play a supportive role in their own capacities, as well as suggestions to jumpstart new initiatives that aim to do so. For the past two years, during my engagements through regular house visits and thematic townhalls, I have had numerous opportunities to interact with many of my Woodgrove residents who are working parents. Out of the 11 zones of Residents' Network in Woodgrove, we have three zones comprising HDB BTO flats which were completed within the last 10 years. They are Tree Trail and Tree Grove at our Woodgrove Zone 3, Champions Court at Zone 4 and Woodlands Peak at Zone 10. Another two BTO projects are currently under construction, these being Champions Green and Woodgrove Ascent. Most of the residents who are residing in these BTO flats have infant children. Many of them are small families with both parents holding full-time jobs, including working mummies who are about to return to work after fully utilising their maternity leave and would usually seek my assistance in securing a placement for their child in infant care. While their own circumstances are unique, they all share the same dilemma, in that due to work commitment, they can no longer be always around to care for their little ones.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I have on several occasions shared with this House that in our Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC's Woodgrove division, we have a GEL Mission, where "G" pertains to "Green-Living initiatives"; "E" for "Embracing Parenthood" which entails creating opportunities to support parents with young children and helping them to achieve their aspirations while at the same time promoting multi-generational bonding amongst the young and old; and "L" is about raising "Law Awareness" in our community. For the purpose of today's Adjournment Motion, I will be focusing my speech on "E", the "Embracing Parenthood" component, as the preservation and strengthening of family ties are an important part of our Singapore society. Much effort has been made accordingly throughout the years in this aspect, such as the formation of the National Family Council, now known as Families for Life, and the introduction of family-oriented resources, including the parenting workshops and symposiums. This endeavour continues today, as 2022 has been dedicated as a year in celebration of families in Singapore and the plan of "A Singapore Made for Families 2025", or "MFF 2025" in short, was launched recently as the Government's plan for creating a Singapore that values and supports family well-being. In support, the Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relation (AFAM) introduced an initiative for Singaporeans to pledge and commit towards strengthening our family bonds. In this pledge, one agrees, among others, to make time for one another, show love, care and concern, and support one another through good times and bad.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I have two questions. The first is in relation to the fee waiver. I wish to clarify with the Minister whether there are plans to waive the fees, because currently, Singaporeans are eligible for the fee waiver until 31 March 2023. That has been the trend for the past few years of several rounds of extension of the waiver. I wish to understand whether the Ministry intends to consider extending the waiver indefinitely. The second question is in relation to stepping up on the outreach. The Silver Generation Ambassadors have been a good touchpoint in interacting with our seniors. So, whether OPG intends to train our Silver Generation Ambassadors, so that as part of the outreach, one of the key topics that the Ambassadors can consider to do, is to broach this topic in relation to the importance of doing an LPA.”
“To me, both Chinese and Western medicine offer benefits, integrating both would bring a win-win situation. In conclusion, I support the Healthier SG Motion.”
“I believe that the public may find it useful to learn more about the science behind these healthier options from credible sources, such as HPB, so that they may be better informed about the food choices to make. Disseminating the information through mass media will be very helpful in this regard. Although we can achieve much by encouraging residents to pay more attention to their health, more help can be provided by influencing their dietary habits, such as reducing the cost of healthier food items, which have a reputation for being more expensive than the standard options. As such, in order to make the Healthier SG movement of success, there is a need to call for a mindset shift. Not just among the ordinary residents, but businesses that serve the community as a whole. This includes calling on fast food chains, film theatres and supermarkets, to just to name a few, to explore ways to incentivise offering of healthier options. In Mandarin please, Mr Speaker. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Last month, Woodgrove division, in collaboration with Sian Chay Medical Institution, organised a free health talk, sharing with seniors tips on healthy living and post-recovery from COVID-19. Many participants shared with me that they prefer to see a TCM doctor first when they are not feeling well. The reasons vary, including cheaper consultation fees, for example, Sian Chay and Chung Hwa Medical Institution provide free or low-priced consultation and treatment. Generally, seniors tend to prefer opting for TCM to improve their vitality and address underlying root causes of health concerns in a holistic manner. I believe, we should look into combining Western and TCM medicine in terms of treatment as well as increasing awareness.”
“One such example is the Woodgrove Badminton Clinic, which was jointly organised by our Woodgrove Community Sports Club and the Singapore Badminton Association, with support from Horlicks. During the event, apart from inviting our national team's shuttlers Crystal Wong and Jing Yujia to coach our little ones and their parents on badminton strokes, a health talk was also carried out by Horlicks, sharing tips on possible diets to follow before and after exercising. Next month, Woodgrove will also be collaborating with ActiveSG to organise a community sports day at the Woodland Stadium, encouraging families to participate in various sporting activities such as air badminton, table tennis, Zumba and K-cardio. In our Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, the recent launch of the Healthy Living card game in Marsiling's "Living The Life Carnival" was also received positively by elderly residents and their families. In this game, players are supposed to collect cards depicting good health habits in order to win. Through playing the game, these cards will serve to inculcate players with these healthy living habits. Good health habits begin at a young age. As a community effort, Woodgrove is working on expanding the reach of this Healthy Living card game by encouraging our youngest residents to play with their families, hopefully inspiring them to a healthier lifestyle while promoting family bonding opportunities at the same time. For a start, the nine PCF Sparkletots centres across Woodgrove will be procuring additional sets of these playing cards and distributing them to all of our K2 students in 2023. One way to encourage healthier eating is to educate the public about new healthier alternatives. One good example of this would be the recent introduction of the lower sodium salt campaign.”
“Over the years, in my capacity as a community volunteer and subsequently as advisor, I have witnessed many inspiring examples of how healthy living has been promoted among residents through health awareness and wellness programmes initiated by the grassroots, such as the Northwest CDC's qigong, dance fit and brisk walking clubs. The provisions for support for these interest groups and their events will empower them to further enrich the lives of many of my residents in Woodgrove by providing a wider range of healthy activities to choose from. In addition to that, allocating funding support for passionate and committed healthy lifestyle champions, such as instructors and coordinators would also help grant a renewed sense of purpose for retirees looking to making a positive effect. These individuals are more than just active participants in their programmes of choice. They also serve as the glue within their own communities. Through them, I have seen many friendships forged among the members and their trainers. Even outside training, they will gather to organise potluck sessions, sharing healthy cooking tips. In Woodgrove, our active dance fit club members often help to bring more joy to events organised by the Residents' Committees, such as by choreographing a dance performance with them donned in special handsewn costumes. Mr Speaker, while there is much we can do to ensure that Healthier SG can further encourage more Singaporeans to lead a healthier lifestyle, we should also capitalise on its ability to provide additional benefits outside of its main scope of objectives. Picking up healthy living tips and sports can be interesting and enable the creation of more family bonding opportunities.”
“A steering committee can be set up comprising representatives from the 3P sectors, retired grassroots advisors, sports athletes as well as healthy lifestyle experts to manage this fund and monitor the progress of such projects. In addition, this committee, with extensive community experience and networks from its members, can also provide useful guidance for healthy lifestyle clubs, thus further advancing the objectives of Healthier SG. One example of how such funds can be utilised would be to encourage GPs to organise community outreach events to foster lasting relationships between residents and their family doctors. The GPs can be the first line of support for many Singaporeans living in our heartlands. Many of these neighbourhood GPs have served the community for years or even decades and earned the trust and reputation of being the resident experts in all health-related matters. As such, to foster more of such GP-patient relationships, with trust being built up and utilised to deliver the message from Healthier SG, one suggestion would be to consider providing funding support for GPs to conduct health awareness talks for the community, educating our residents about the benefits of preserving one's health with good habits. Additional funding support can also be considered to encourage organising the follow-ups on the health awareness talks, such as one-time complimentary health screening and consultation sessions for attendees at their neighbourhood GP. Other funding support can go towards encouraging more community organisations to set up healthy lifestyle interest groups and for its champions to form strong, sustainable partnerships with the community to promote healthy lifestyle activities.”
“Mr Speaker, I speak in support of this Motion. I concur that prevention is undoubtedly better than cure, not only because the former can be easier and more affordable as compared to the latter but also because individuals and their loved ones can minimise the risk of experiencing a lower quality of life that comes with chronic diseases. It is well understood that prevention of chronic diseases is achieved by addressing risk factors before falling sick whether through healthy living, better dieting or exercising regularly. Although doing so seems simple and straightforward, these actions are easier said than done. Many of us are used to long working hours, a sedentary work life, late nights and, for better or worse, various cuisines within easy reach whether day or night – all of which contributes to a less than healthy lifestyle. With that said, it is possible to return to good healthy habits, but it will take some time, effort and some encouragement. Similar to the Singapore Green Plan, I view the Government's initiations of Healthier SG as a whole-of-nation movement which seeks to rally bold and collective actions, to transform our healthcare system and to encourage all Singaporeans to come together and take steps towards better health. The funding support from the Government and community partners will come in vital to kickstart this project and steer it towards the right direction. Similar to the concept of SG Eco Fund, I hope that the Ministry can consider setting up a SG healthy fund to support projects that champion healthy living and involve the community.”
“I thank the Minister for sharing the examples of efforts to ease the workload of our MOE teachers as well as to address their mental well-being. My supplementary question pertains to seeking the Minister to share whether more of such benefits will also apply to the MOE-seconded teachers in Special Education Schools.”
“Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. This is in relation to some of the responses that Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How has provided. This is a follow-up supplementary question on that. I understand that in relation to the HDB Green Towns Programme, there will be more features that will be introduced by HDB. In this regard, I wish to make a proposal to HDB for consideration. For many of our existing HDB flats, we incorporate full glass windows that admit a considerable amount of heat during the late afternoon. So, my question is whether HDB can consider installing the low-heat transfer, double-glazed windows for BTOs moving forward, and also, as part of the features for existing HDB flats as part of the Home Improvement Programme (HIP)? This will really help, because, apart from new methods that HDB is introducing, for example, cool painting, I believe that there is a dire need for us to consider, to explore other suitable greener alternatives that help cool down HDB flats, especially since more Singaporeans are now adopting flexible working arrangements and working from home.”
“" In this regard, I hope that PDO would be opened to having young lawyers with little experience to volunteer and be included in its panel of solicitors for cases in their capacity as a junior assistant counsel. This is similar to what is currently practised under the Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences, in short, LASCO, which allows relatively inexperienced lawyers to observe proceedings and provide some support for the lead counsel, allowing them to be exposed to much needed experience in criminal legal matters. As a further suggestion, we can perhaps also consider giving this junior assistant counsel Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points instead of offering honorariums. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill to establish the Public Defenders’ Office (PDO). The PDO will provide greater legal assistance to the underprivileged group when they are unfortunately embroiled in criminal proceedings. In this Bill, the Minister or the PDO have the power to grant aid to applicants who do not meet the monthly income criteria under certain circumstances. One Member proposed to increase the per capita monthly income cap to $2,200. The $1,500 per capita proposed by MinLaw is equivalent to $6,000 total household income for a 4-person household. This is quite high already. We must exercise caution when deciding whether this power should be used. We should not forget the objective of this Bill is to help those accused who cannot afford legal representation. Ultimately, all the cost will be borne by taxpayers. (In English): Notwithstanding the above clarifications and suggestions, I stand in support of the Bill.”
“To ensure consistency in terms of the quality of the legal representation provided by each of the Public Defenders, be its in-house Public Defenders or those engaged under the panel of qualified lawyers, the PDO may wish to consider collaborating with the Law Society of Singapore's Advocacy Committee, the Criminal Practice Committee and the CLAS Committee, in working out a series of training sessions to sharpen the skills of the lawyers in areas such as the advocacy and criminal procedures. In a Mass Call Address 2021, the hon Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon have shared that and I quote, "The pro bono spirit is among the very best tradition of our Bar. Few things are more precious than the opportunity to help someone who has been shut out from the access to justice." As a lawyer, we are trained to be the person who unlocks that door. The Chief Justice strongly encouraged the newly minted lawyers to actively seek opportunities for involvement in pro bono work and CLAS was cited as an excellently meaningful avenue for pro bono service. I am glad that, moving forward, the PDO will also be another available option for one to contribute accordingly, However, the reality of our legal profession is that criminal defence is not widely regarded as lucrative work and that those who pursue it as a career are often driven by passion and a conviction to help others. As a result, many young lawyers may not be exposed to doing criminal defence work unless he or she are in firms which support pro bono initiatives or do criminal defence work on a frequent basis. But just as what the hon Chief Justice has shared in the Mass Call Address, young lawyers should, which I quote, "Learn to lean on the community, look for role models and mentors to whom you can turn for guidance and inspirations.”
“To prevent situations where the remanded period ends up being longer than what a Court might eventually sentence the accused for, I think it is important that PDO ensures that the application process and the time taken to review the application is as straightforward and as swift as possible to reduce the possibility of such occurrences. With both PDO and CLAS operating as independent entities, would an applicant be required to make duplicated requests for aid? I hope that a single centralised system can be implemented. With this, each applicant's record will be visible to both entities, reducing the time needed to verify if the applicant has previously received aid in either of the schemes. I also wish to inquire about the optimal number of Public Defenders and support staff required to ensure smooth operations of the PDO and whether the Ministry is on track with the recruitment to reach this target when the PDO begins operations by the end of 2022. I understand that PDO is looking to bolster their manpower by bringing in a wave of fresh graduates, young lawyers, mid-career hires and Legal Service Officers. But apart from meeting the required numbers, I firmly believe that there is a real need to ensure the quality of the service to be provided. In this regard, I wish to inquire what would be considered by the Chief PD as duly qualified and experienced to carry out duties as Public Defenders and whether adequate training will be provided to fresh graduates and young lawyers before they are assigned to take on cases independently.”
“Firstly, in terms of the offence coverage, while I understand the scope of the coverage for PDO will be expanded to cover more types and class, it will exclude regulatory offences as well as certain acts whose primary purpose is to deter specific behaviours that bring about negative externalities to society, such as organised and syndicated crime. However, rather than having a total blanket exclusion for those of the offences listed in the 10 specific statutes, can we explore the flexibility to enable either the Chief PD or the Minister to exercise discretion to grant aid due to special circumstances when he or she is of the opinion that it is in the best interest of the justice to do so. This flexibility is needed as the situation that requires it can vary in detail. An example would be an accused person charged under the Common Gaming House Act. They could either be intellectually disabled or induced to be a lookout for a common gaming house or a gullible teenager who has been influenced by peer pressure to be a bookie. In both scenarios, if the family members of the accused do not have the financial means to assist to seek legal representation for them, these situations will be undesirable unless they were granted aid due to such special circumstances. Secondly, in relation to the process of granting aid, how long would PDO take to process an application to grant aid? On the same point as what Mr Lim Biow Chuan has raised earlier in his speech, we have often heard of cases where applicants who have already been in remand for a period of time are still waiting for their request for legal representation to be processed.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to first declare that I am a practising lawyer. In 1985, the late Mr Harry Elias, Senior Counsel, along with several counsel members of the Law Society, spearheaded the setting up of the Law Society's Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, in short, CLAS, to help the less fortunate to obtain free criminal legal representation. Since then, the Law Society's mission to grant better access to justice and ensure criminal legal aid for needy and deserving accused facing a criminal charge never wavered. It must be remembered that every accused person is innocent unless proven guilty and he or she is entitled to seek legal representation to defend himself or herself. And as recounted by my Parliamentary colleague, Mr Murali Pillai, earlier in his speech, I am glad that the Government has also stepped in over the years to support this meaningful endeavour. The latest plan to set up the Public Defender's Office (PDO) is the next significant step by the Government in facilitating adequate and easier access to justice for more vulnerable Singaporeans and permanent residents by raising the income limit of applicants to cover more of limited means and expanding the scope of support to cover most offences. I envision that the end result of institutionalising public defence in our criminal justice system to include the following. First, enabling more vulnerable applicants to apply and receive criminal legal criminal legal aid swiftly. Secondly, the quality of the criminal legal representation rendered to the applicant being both adequate and desirable. And thirdly, to cultivate an ecosystem devoted recruiting, retaining and motivating more people to pursue criminal defence as a profession. In these aspects, I wish to seek the following clarifications.”
“Thank you, Speaker. This question is akin to what Minister has just responded to, in relation to recommending having a rehabilitative nature or giving these trainee solicitors a second chance: whether we can also explore recommending that these trainee lawyers be conditionally called, continue to have close supervision by their supervising solicitors or representative from the Law Society and serve the community by volunteering in cases through the Legal Aid Bureau or the Criminal Legal Aid schemes, until they are deemed satisfied by their supervising solicitors.”
“Trainees graduating from the programmes are, subsequently, offered opportunities to set up businesses and an online presence for clothes alteration services, along with sewing equipment that allows them to begin operations. Since 2020, it has successfully trained more than 100 individuals and onboarded 17 seamstresses. The Alteraround project is a small preview of what can be possible if more organisations are willing to come forward to collaborate with the community to empower homemakers with skills to be financially independent while having the flexibility to look after their families. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, it is heartening to see that this White Paper has taken in many of the recommendations that we, the Women's Wing, together with the Young PAP of the People's Action Party, put up last year, rallying the whole of society to change mindsets and advance women's development. In this regard, I wish to take this opportunity to thank our PAP activists, community partners as well as residents who have shared their personal experiences with me and continued to participate in this meaningful journey with me to advance the cause of women's development. Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the White Paper.”
“Should she wish to file for divorce thereafter, she or her lawyer will have to apply through another platform, eLitigation, through CrimsonLogic. Unfortunately, she may not be able to afford the fees for her lawyer to represent her in all three applications, as having to appear in different sets of mention dates as well as the need to comply with various sets of Court directions would result in heightened legal costs – keeping in mind the fact that she has yet to be paid support in the first place by her husband. Furthermore, another enforcement Court application will also have to be made thereafter in the event her husband refuses to adhere to the maintenance order. Streamlining the filing process in the Family Justice Courts and having a docket system of all applications involving the same parties will save parties both time and costs. I hope that MSF will work with the Family Justice Courts to introduce a series of measures to improve the process of filing applications, such as Personal Protection Orders as well as to enhance the enforcement of maintenance orders, in the Family Justice Courts. Some women, despite facing great financial constraints, have become homemakers out of necessity as they have dependants that require constant care. There is more that we can do as a community to support these women. One inspiring example was shared by one of my Woodgrove community partners, the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre (TaF.tc), which currently runs the Alteraround project that aims to uplift the community of women who have either lost their jobs, retired or are stay-at-home mothers who wish to earn an income at home through an alteration skill.”
“Despite being unhappy in the marriage for years, some even suffering from domestic violence in the process, the thought of undergoing a divorce puts them in great fear, the possibility of losing the roof over their head or self-doubt as to whether they would be able to bring up their children single-handedly. Some worry that if the divorce proceedings become contentious, it may wear them out both financially and emotionally. At present, the Family Justice Courts (FJC), through the support of LSPBS, runs a regular legal clinic to provide preliminary advice to individuals, regardless of their gender and nationality, on their legal rights when filing or defending proceedings in the FJC. I believe its effectiveness can be further enhanced by having a social worker participate in such sessions to assist those in need of other assistance, such as financial resources or employment opportunities, which are essential for divorcees, especially those homemakers and victims of domestic violence, to regain their confidence post-divorce. This arrangement is currently on trial under the pilot collaboration between LSPBS' Community Legal Clinics' collaboration with the Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre where the lawyers advise on legal matters and the Family Service Centres (FSC) social workers assist to advise on welfare-related issues. Another most practical thing that the Courts can actually do to ease parties' emotional turmoil is to make the Court proceedings in the Family Justice Courts less acrimonious and less strenuous. Currently, a spouse who has been subjected to domestic violence and deprived of maintenance by her husband will have to file two applications under iFams in order to seek protection and recourse for support for her children respectively.”
“This mentality worries me as it must have been detrimental to their mental well-being. I share the same sentiment as Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim that more needs to be done to increase awareness and to win the trust of the victims to open up and seek help. Apart from equipping more community volunteers with what was shared in the toolkit, I also hope that more of such law awareness talks can take place in our community. In this regard, the Sunlight Alliance for Action can collaborate with the Law Society of Singapore to take the lead, inviting partners such as psychologists, Police and social media companies, to participate and share more on the recourse available to victims. Apart from discussing topics, such as voyeurism and cyber bullying, we should also venture into tips on combating online scams that many seniors and single women have fallen prey to lately. During the course of my practice as a matrimonial lawyer and in my time volunteering in legal clinics, I have come across many helpless women who have approached me to seek legal advice. Many of them would often begin by sharing that they are contemplating a divorce but do not know if they should proceed to do so. Some of them had gotten married early, barely worked and accumulated any savings, whether personal or in CPF. Some may have once had a decent career but chose to give it up after giving birth, effectively sacrificed their independence and out of the workforce for years to focus entirely on taking care of their family's well-being.”