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?”
The complete record
Every one of 366 lines we hold for Hany Soh, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 8.
“Mr Speaker, I wish to first declare that I am a practising lawyer and serve as the Chairperson of Law Society's Pro Bono Services' (LSPBS) Community Legal Clinics Committee and as a member of the Law Society's Family Law Practice Committee. Notwithstanding that women's welfare, rights and development have progressed tremendously over the years, I believe that there is more that we, as a community, can do for the last, the lost and the least. The working mothers who struggle between providing for their families and in raising their children, the homemakers with dependants with no avenue of financial support, the women trapped in unhappy and abusive marriages as well as those who experience harmful behaviour online – all of them deserve the same opportunities for self-reliance and peace of mind, no matter their situation. For the purpose of today's speech, I will be focusing on enhancing support for three types of vulnerable groups: one, the victims of online harm; two, those who are feeling helpless as a result of a broken marriage; and three, homemakers with dependants in low-income families who are in need of a stable source of income. As shared earlier by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, in conjunction with our PAP Women's Wing International Day celebrations this year, we have organised a series of law awareness talks centred on the issue of online harm. As a follow-up, together with Ms Nadia Samdin, we launched an online toolkit to empower all of our PAP branch activists with useful information to assist victims who are facing online harm. During this period, we realised that many victims have chosen to suffer in silence as they either felt embarrassed and/or thought that there is no recourse available to them even if they were to report to the relevant authorities.”
“Thank you, Chairman. This clarification is in relation to Youth Corp Community Internship (YCCI), which Minister of State Alvin Tan had shared with us earlier on the internship opportunities for youths in the social and community sectors in Singapore. I wish to enquire whether we can consider extending it to overseas opportunities in this aspect as well. One example is the youth exchange programme organised previously by the Central CDC under its High 5 Youth initiative many years ago, which I personally benefited as a student leader. Awardees participate in the exchange programme in countries, such as Australia and Xiamen, China, to better understand the local community's good practices on matters, such as intergenerational bonding, and put them into practice when they return to Singapore.”
“What has also been done to provide opportunities and support to our youths of different cultures and backgrounds to continue contributing to the community and mold the future of our Singapore, despite the present challenges that each of them may be facing now?”
“How else does MCCY intend to involve the sports community, Singaporeans and partners from the private sectors to co-create solutions for sustainability and play a part in these efforts? Support for Youths Minister Edwin Tong has previously shared his views that our young people are a crucial segment of our society. The youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow. I agree wholeheartedly with the Minister. Our youths are the people who must have a say in the kind of society they want to be in and should play an active role in shaping Singapore's future. Youths today, however, faced many uncertainties, magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic and other global issues. Many of them are also in transition through different life stages. These have placed a significant amount of stress on our young people, especially in areas, such as job prospects, finances and mental well-being. Despite these challenges, we have witnessed many of them tirelessly volunteering their time and effort in serving the vulnerable groups in our community during this eventful period. I am particularly grateful to the youths in our Woodgrove community. Despite facing their own challenges, they have organised mental wellness talks to motivate others to stay positive, distributed "Return to School" care packs to low-income group children, hosted upcycling "Go Green" workshops and planned many clean-up estate initiatives to raise empathy for our cleaners. Can MCCY share what is done to support youths' concerns and needs in their key priority areas? How does the whole Government intend to work together to support youths in navigating their various life stages and transitions?”
“Chairman, as part of the Government's overall efforts to secure a sustainable future for Singapore, can MCCY elaborate on its plans to ensure a greener and more sustainable sports ecosystem? In my previous green, sustainability-related Parliamentary speeches, I have shared my firm belief that community involvement plays a vital role in our overall nation's efforts towards SG Green Plan 2030 through our collective efforts and embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle and greenify the environment. In order to achieve that, the Government needs to set up the right hardware and co-create the green software. Active SG Woodlands Sports Centre situated in our Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC is one such example. A community farm was actually set up right next to its swimming pool and is being cared for by a team of passionate Team Nila Volunteers, as well as members of the public living around the vicinity of Marsiling and Woodgrove. The ground-up recycling effort at this community farm is commendable. Most of the fittings there are actually recycled items contributed and creatively put together by residents and ActiveSG staff. They have also exhibited their innovativeness by harvesting rainwater to irrigate the greens. These green farming activities not only keep the members active and fit but also build a strong kampong spirit as they routinely contribute the harvest to the vulnerable groups in our community, along with sharing their green tips to other community gardens within the neighbourhood. Are there any other plans for Sport SG to roll out similar green concepts to other sports centres across Singapore?”
“Will MND consider incorporating green features into our HDB flats by adopting sustainable materials and designs in future housing projects, concurrently upgrading our existing ones through the Home Improvement Programmes? Many of our existing HDB flats comprise full-glass windows that transfer considerable amounts of heat through the afternoon sun. Will HDB consider appropriate greener alternatives, like installing low-heat transfer windows, to cool down our flats, thereby enabling residents to be less reliant on fans and air-conditioning and, indirectly, contribute towards saving their utility costs?”
“Many of my Woodgrove residents have shared that the present design of the blue recycling bin poses many challenges to recycle effectively. Are there plans to roll out new types of recycling bins to replace the existing blue bins? Rather than providing one bulk container for people to dispose all types of their recyclables and waste, can the Ministry consider and introduce more innovative solutions to encourage single-type recyclables? Outcomes of SG Eco Fund”
“How can communities and individuals continue to participate in the national movement to secure a greener future for Singapore? The SG Eco Fund was launched in November 2020 and aims to support projects that advance environmental sustainability and involve the community. What is the progress of the SG Eco Fund so far? The Woodgrove community is one of the beneficiaries of this wonderful initiative. Its community partner, the Singapore Institute of Building Limited (SIBL) has successfully applied for the SG Eco Fund, intending to raise awareness on environmental issues and encourage more residents to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle through community, education programmes, sustainable markets along with an app with interactive games. Workshops will also be conducted with the support of our Woodgrove's green taskforce involving residents and volunteers to share useful tips to practise the 5Rs – refuse, reduce, repair, reuse and recycle – and to empower residents with the knowledge to conserve water and energy as well as to reduce food waste. Looking at the list of the SG Eco Fund awardees, many of them have interesting and practical ideas. Moving forward, I would like to ask if MSE would consider remodeling the SG Eco Fund concept so that more constituencies and divisions can consider applying for the grant to adopt ideas that have proven successful in other divisions. Apart from the finances, there is also a need to look into improving the existing infrastructures in our community so that individuals and the community are able to practise green living, such as building more community gardens and setting up more recycling bins catering to different recycling purposes.”
“Thank you Chairman. My clarifications is in relations to the ES regime. While I applaud the Ministry's determinations to implement the ES regime next to more premises to keep our community safe, I am also concerned that this will also be equate to increasing operating costs. In my earlier Parliamentary Question that I asked this morning, I have raised my concerns that places like preschools are already grappling with COVID-19 rules and shortage of manpower. So, I wish to inquire whether MSE intends to provide more support or monetary grants which these business operators can tap on to implement and continue to comply with the ES regime.”
“Household water consumption has increased as a result of COVID-19 due to people spending more time working from home. With hybrid work arrangements expected to continue as COVID-19 becomes endemic, what are some of the initiatives that PUB or the Government will be taking to encourage more water conservation among households?”
“In May last year, I have filed a Parliamentary Question to MSC, subsequent to several cases of gastroenteritis in preschools, to enquire on what actions will be taken to manage such incidents and prevent them from recurring in future. I am delighted that Minister Grace Fu has in response, announced the intention to implement the Environmental Sanitation (ES) regime. Since then, I note that the ES regime has been implemented progressively to premises such as social service facilities, schools and preschools, as well as food centres, coffee shops and markets. Can the Ministry share the current progress on the regime's roll out and share more as to which other sectors or premises will it be expanded to, in order to prevent further gastroenteritis outbreaks from happening in the community. Would places that offer food items to patrons, such as cinemas and spa facilities, be included as well?”
“I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I have two supplementary questions. One is on whether ECDA will provide more support in relations to provision of more ART kits to all the preschools to ease the operating expenses and encourage more people to get tested on a regular basis. The other question is my concern in relations to a disruption of manpower and whether that will compromise the preschools' adherence to the environmental sanitation regime, exposing the children to the possibility of gastroenteritis cases.”
“Chairman, I have a clarification in relation to the library. Currently, the National Library Board (NLB) has an app titled "Libby" which enables users to locate and borrow books and e-materials. I just want to clarify or enquire whether the app can be further improved with more interactive and user-friendly features. For example, NLB can consider working with relevant agencies like Families for Life or NEA to create special thematic filters. The categories of readers can be further segregated to wider groups to recommend books to suit different stages in life, for example, expecting mothers and children of different age groups.”
“How does MCI bridge the digital skills and knowledge gap among Singaporeans and encourage them to seek out digital opportunities to pursue lifelong learning and enrich their lives? Apart from the assistance provided by our digital ambassadors, can we consider providing more support to IHLs for the latter to conduct more digital technology training courses for the public? It can either be run in a manner similar to SkillsFuture courses or a collaboration with the People's Association whereby IHLs' lecturers and students reach out to vulnerable groups in the community through the residents' community centres, senior activity centres, in order to run these courses. Library During this pandemic period, many of our little ones seek comfort in reading, keeping themselves occupied while their parents are busy with online zoom conferences. Besides being a healthy form of entertainment, it can also be a form of bonding as it helps the children to return to their roots by learning traditional stories and rhymes. What are the ongoing and upcoming efforts to increase the availability and variety of books and e-resources in Chinese, Malay and Tamil so as to encourage our young readers to master their mother tongue languages?”
“With the growing cyber and data threats, how will MCI better protect individuals and businesses and guard against these risks, helping to ensure that they remain confident enough to continue thriving in the digital realm? Are there any grants that can be provided to encourage companies to adopt approved cybersecurity solutions that can help these businesses? Strengthen Digital Access and Literacy”
“Green Living Initiative Mascot (In English): My next cut is on whether a collaboration with Mediacorp will be explored to introduce a cartoon series using rhythmic content akin to Baby Shark or CoComelon YouTube channel songs involving mascots like Captain Green, Water Wally to attract and educate young audiences to become our young budding green champions. SPH Media Trust”
“Chairman, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] During the pre-COVID-19 days, I used to visit Mediacorp once a month to give law awareness radio talk shows on Capital 95.8FM. During the intervals, I would sit at a corner and listen to the senior radio news presenter presenting dialect news, like in Hokkien or Cantonese. These presenters are usually over 50 years old; occasionally, they would stay behind to wait for me to finish my talk show to have a chat with me in Mandarin or Hokkien, sometimes about getting some legal advice on estate planning. I have always enjoyed these sessions as they bring back childhood memories of chatting with my Ah Ma. Like her, most of the seniors only know how to communicate with people in dialects and rely on the vernacular radio news broadcasts to stay updated on current affairs. Recently, in my catch-up with one of the DJs, I came to understand that due to the COVID-19 situation, these dialect news presenters are now required to record their radio news broadcasts from home. It has been a challenging time; some of them have sadly passed away, while some have chosen to retire as they found themselves unable to keep up with technology. How will the Ministry ensure that radio stations continue to train and retain talents in this aspect in order to continue on with this feature? In my capacity as the Advisor to Singapore Union of Broadcasting Employees (SUBE), I also hope that more welfare support can be given to taking care of these dialect news radio presenters.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I have three supplementary questions in this regard. Firstly, I understand there was this case that was published in February in relation to a preschool teacher harming an infant. The teacher, particularly, withheld material information and as a result, there was a delay in terms of detection of the injuries that were suffered by the infant. It is rather unfortunate. To prevent this kind of incidents from happening again, I wonder if ECDA is able to facilitate to ensure that it is easier for parents to request for videos or CCTV footage where such incidents had purportedly happened. The second supplementary question is, we also understand that taking care of young children, especially infants, is very challenging. It requires a lot of patience and caring from carers. I wonder if preschool teachers, in particular, those tasked to take care of infants, have to undergo a series of training to be more mentally resilient and are monitored by the principals in this aspect on a regular basis? The final question is, flipping the coin around, I would like to enquire if there any measures in place for preschools to touch base with children who may not have been attending preschools on a regular basis recently, due to purportedly COVID-19-related situations, to ensure that they are actually not suffering from any domestic violence in the meantime.”
“Thank you, Chairman. Since the launch of Smart Nation, many apps and websites have been introduced by various agencies as well as businesses that have tapped on productivity grants. What is the progress of our Government’s Smart Nation Plan to create a more seamless and integrated user experience for our citizens and businesses? As shared by Mr Yip Hon Weng in his Budget speech, these apps and websites sometimes offer overlapping services, bringing about inconvenience to users who have to install and navigate through many apps on their phones. For example, a senior who has been taught to book his medical appointment through the Health Hub app, was told when he arrived at the polyclinic that he will need to download another app to track his queue number for his appointment. My Legacy Portal Another example is My Legacy portal, intended to be a one-stop platform to make estate planning easy and convenient. However, Singaporeans today still have to make their CPF nominations through the CPF website, do their Will and Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) through a lawyer and registering them thereafter through SAL’s Wills Registry and Office of Public Guardian (OPG) respectively. How many users have since signed up through My Legacy vault to plan, store and share legal, healthcare and estate matters? Are there any plans for the relevant agencies from various Ministries to work together and further improve the portal, as well as to raise awareness among more Singaporeans to encourage them to consider doing comprehensive end-of-life planning? Digital Inclusion”
“] In this Budget, the Government has listened to the voices of the people and delayed the increase in GST. It has also introduced several assistance packages, providing reassurance to Singaporeans whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic, and easing their financial burden. Continuing support, such as S&CC rebates, GST vouchers, will continue to help Singaporeans cope with rising cost of living due to inflation. While these assistance packages are substantial, responses vary from household to household. Take, for example, the $100 CDC vouchers previously given out by the Government to each household. Some residents from low-income families expressed their gratitude to the Government, while others told me that they hoped the Government could have given more. In the long run, we should not rely too much on Government assistance to sustain our livelihood. Instead, we should carefully plan for our future and build our own financial foundations. Starting a family, making a career, birth, ageing, sickness and death will definitely impose a heavy burden on us in different stages of our lives. Hence, I hope that the Government will provide professional guidance to Singaporeans in financial planning before they enter these stages. Like our reserves, if we plan ahead and manage our finances and expenses well, we will be prepared for rainy days. I support this year's Budget.”
“To tackle the "hardware" part of the equation, quite a number of my Woodgrove residents have expressed during our regular Green Living sustainability dialogues that the present design of the blue recycle bins poses many challenges for the community to recycle effectively. While we note that NEA has been stepping up efforts to educate the public on how to recycle correctly, all we need is one irresponsible user to deposit food waste into the blue recycling bin to cause the rest of the recyclable items in the bin to become fully contaminated and attract rodents unnecessarily. We should, therefore, not merely provide one bulk container for people to dispose all types of recyclables and waste. There needs to be more innovative solutions to encourage or incentivise single-type recyclables, such as having one specifically or specially for batteries, plastic bottles, paper or cans and so on. In relation to the energy- and water-saving component, HDB can assist by considering green features in future housing projects and upgrading existing ones through Home Improvement Programme (HIP), such as adopting sustainable materials and designs. Many of our existing HDB flats incorporate full glass windows that emit a considerable amount of heat during the late afternoon. As an example, HDB can consider installing low heat transfer windows, such as double-glazed windows, as a solution. Finding a suitable greener alternative that helps cool down our HDB flats will translate to less reliance on fans and air-conditioning, indirectly contributing towards reducing residents' utility bill costs each month. Mr Speaker, allow me to conclude in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“These 5Rs will not just enable us, as a community, to work towards our Singapore Green Plan 2030 but will also help fellow Singaporeans to reduce their day-to-day expenses. To that end, the Government can contribute towards improving the "software" and the "hardware". In terms of the "software", a few of my suggestions include setting up workshops in the community, sharing useful tips to practise the 5Rs and empowering residents with the knowledge to conserve water and energy as well as to reduce food waste. One example would be the Singapore Institute of Building Limited (SIBL)'s ongoing SG Eco Fund project in Woodgrove aimed at raising awareness on environmental issues and encouraging more residents to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle through community and education programmes, sustainable markets and an app with interactive games. Another suggestion would be in relation to developing new TV programmes to educate our younger generations about the 5Rs in an engaging manner. Captain Green, an iconic green frog mascot was first introduced in the 1990s to encourage Singaporeans to adopt a clean and green lifestyle. In recent years, Captain Green has ventured into storybooks and quick teach cards used in preschools to inculcate our children with the habit of taking responsibility for their actions and to reflect on their choices towards a clean and green environment. I believe these teachings can be further enhanced through a collaboration with Mediacorp to introduce a cartoon series involving mascots like Captain Green, Water Wally as well as the recently launched Bloobin, using rhythmic content akin to the popular "Baby Shark" song to attract our children and to encourage them to be our young budding green champions.”
“In terms of investing in our children, another area which I hope we can consider is to defray the costs of preschool and after-school care services, such as exempting the GST for these monthly expenses. This would be a welcome relief for parents, especially single parents and families with special needs children, as this pandemic has caused many of our little ones to miss school for extended periods of time without compensation. On the same note, I also hope that more support can be provided to families with autistic children. During the course of my thematic e-townhalls which focus on embracing parenthood, as well as my regular house visits, several of my residents with autistic children have shared with me that, notwithstanding the fact that they belonged to the middle-income group, they find themselves financially stretched due to the costs incurred for signing up their children into the early intervention programmes and speech therapy sessions, coupled with the expenses incurred by them every month for enrolling their children in a kindergarten or childcare centre. All of these expenses are subject to GST. Lastly, we can further reduce our collective upkeep and progress towards our Singapore Green Plan 2030 goal by encouraging Singaporeans to practise not just the 3Rs but the full 5Rs: (a) reduce consumption of resources unless necessary; (b) reduce consumption of resources, such as water, electricity and food; (c) repair reparable items, such as electrical and electronic appliances; (d) reuse used items for different purposes, such as using reusable bags, bottles or food containers; and (e) segregate recyclable items and place them into recycling bins.”
“Mr Speaker, it is uplifting to learn that several of the schemes and support packages introduced in this year's Budget will go a long way towards softening the impact of rising costs for Singaporeans, particularly the lower-income group. However, while the Government provides direct monetary aid to our citizens, I believe that we can go even further by ensuring that all Singaporeans have the knowledge and the tools to become financially self-sustainable. As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." One suggestion is that various Ministries should consider working with the People's Association to organise financial literacy workshops in the community. These workshops would cover essential topics, such as budgeting for necessities, planning for big ticket item purchases and the basics of investing, which can also include sharing of useful tips on scam prevention. We can also pair these workshops along with estate planning and law awareness talks, which are also an extension of managing household finances. The law awareness talks should involve multiple agencies, including the Office of Public Guardian (OPG), the CPF Board and MinLaw to work hand in hand together with the Law Society of Singapore. In conjunction with the talks covering estate planning, MinLaw can consider a further waiver of the $50 wills registration fees currently chargeable by the Singapore Academy of Law while encouraging inter-agencies to work closely together to promote the use of Smart Nation's MyLegacy portal for comprehensive estate planning services on matters, such as CPF nominations, advance medical directives, lasting power of attorney and wills.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I echo what Ms Carrie Tan has said in relation to restoring the family relationships despite the breakdown of the parents' marriage. Currently, it has been made compulsory for parents, prior to the filing of the divorce, to undergo counselling sessions. My suggestion to MSF is to consider this, as children are often feeling torn apart and feeling it is very difficult to make decisions when it comes to choosing which parent to follow as a result of the breakdown of the parents' marriage, whether it may be helpful for a compulsory session to be made for the children to undergo a series of counselling sessions while the parents, at the same time, go for the counselling and mediation sessions?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have filed a Parliamentary Question in relation to women and tech. I am very heartened to also find out recently that SMT has appointed a female CEO with vast experience in the IT industry to lead the organisation in this transformation. It is just a suggestion which I wish to put across to the Ministry to urge SMT to take into consideration that, in this transformation, they can be a very good and leading role model to encourage more women to enter, stay and progress with the organisation in this challenging yet meaningful journey.”
“It is inspiring to see that, as we head towards these goals, we are also creating many new job opportunities in sustainable development sector. I suggest that the 5 CDCs organise more of these SkillsFuture workshops so that Singaporeans, regardless of age, including those vulnerable groups who are still seeking employment, can develop an interest in and understand job opportunities in the green sector and be trained with relevant skills. (In English): Mdm Deputy Speaker, many businesses and jobs in Singapore can be transformed with green knowledge and skills through education and upskilling, aspiring to leave no one behind. Concurrently, this, in turn will contribute towards making our Singapore a greener and more sustainable living environment for all in the long run. I support the Motion.”
“John is also the founder of Innovate 360, Singapore’s first food accelerator with shared facilities that assists startups in scaling and going to market. They provide co-working spaces, test kitchens, shared laboratories and manufacturing facilities as well as opportunities for mentorship, funding, networking, distribution and collaboration with other firms. One example of a recent collaboration was An Artisan’s Christmas SG Bazaar which showcased more than 30 Singapore brands that place an emphasis on sustainable materials and processes, innovative designs or a key part of our local heritage. It was where I became acquainted with C2+, a local disinfectant manufacturer. Their range of food-grade, alcohol-free disinfectant products are made with ingredients that are 98% edible and are derived from food waste, such as cashew and soybean extracts, which is a shining example of what our local startups are capable of in terms of promoting sustainability and green living. These companies see themselves as a meaningful part of our nation’s journey towards reaching the goals set in our Singapore Green Plan 2030. I do not think they deserve to be unjustly criticised by skeptics as “merely going through the green motion for publicity sake to generate profit” without first understanding how much effort these companies have actually put in towards steering their R&D and business operations towards being eco-friendly and sustainable. In Mandarin please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Last year, the Government announced the Singapore Green Plan 2030, setting out clear goals for urban afforestation, sustainable living and a green economy.”
“Like Li San, I believe we can develop more essential knowledge and skills modules focusing on sustainability in our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and accredited SkillsFuture courses, such as the Specialist Diploma in Environment and Water Technology, being a one-year course offered by Temasek Polytechnic, so that Singaporeans, both young and old, can increase their employability with regard to green industries. In addition, we can also provide more internship opportunities for IHL students to learn sustainability practices in various industries. Aside from helping our workforce to learn the relevant skills for green jobs, we should also empower and encourage more Singaporeans to pursue their dreams and become green entrepreneurs. Aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to do so can tap on platforms, such as Feed9B, an open innovation platform that aims to bring start-ups, small medium enterprises (SMEs), large corporations, institutions and Government agencies together to promote food sustainability and innovation. [Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair] John Cheng, Chairman of Feed9B, has shared with me that he hopes to build a food ecosystem that will not only provide a platform for collaboration but also to act as a resource and research centre ultimately championing Singapore's "30 by 30" goal and position Singapore as a global leader in food sustainability and innovation. Feed9B has also launched a Good Food Startup Manual, a free resource that helps entrepreneurs navigate the food landscape. This initiative involved agencies from various Ministries, including MTI's Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA).”
“These workshops will encourage residents to identify their interests, upgrade their skills and thereby create opportunities for them to explore green career options. The increased exposure will hopefully lead to more supply of green talents to support sustainability in Singapore. As Minister Grace Fu has shared in the MSE's addendum to the President’s Address last year, 55,000 jobs are expected to be created in the sustainability sector over the next 10 years. Some green jobs which will potentially be in great demand in the near future include built environment designers and engineers, sustainability consultants and green finance and investment managers. The built environment provides many opportunities for a career in sustainability, as each phase of a building or facility's life cycle, from development feasibility studies, design and construction, to maintenance, operations and demolition stages can be improved with sustainable strategies. Education and upskilling via SkillsFuture courses will also be helpful in transforming many of these existing jobs in the built environment, with an added focus on being green and sustainable. During the Edusave Bursary Awards last year, I had the chance to interact with many of our youths who have completed their "O" levels and are now pursuing a Diploma in the Polytechnics. Some of the courses they are in fascinate me, one of them being the Diploma in Sustainable Built Environment offered by Republic Polytechnic, which aims to prepare students to take up roles as Energy and Sustainability Consultants.”
“As incentive, residents can earn cash each time they drop in their waste paper to such machines for recycling. I have shared with this House before that in Woodgrove division, we have a "G.E.L" mission, where "G" pertains to "Green-Living" initiatives. In addition to the efforts which were rolled out through the AGT taskforce, over the past one year, we have also conducted two sustainability dialogue sessions and organised 10 upcycling-related workshops and activities which have been participated by over 700 residents across all ages, all of these were made possible through collaborations and supports by our grassroots leaders and community partners, such as Tzu Chi Foundation. Through these initiatives, we hope to grow more interest in our Woodgrove residents to embrace a greener living lifestyle. One of my residents, Ernest Yen, is one of the active participants of our Sustainability dialogue sessions. As a Year 1 Mass Communication student in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, he recently approached me to conduct an interview for his school project, during which he shared with me that he has decided to focus on "Green Sustainability Efforts in the Community" as the theme of his project, as he wishes to pick up new skills and play a part in the community effort towards going green. Moving forward in Woodgrove division, we intend to continue inculcating more youths like Ernest to become our green champions, through gamification along with increasing community engagements geared towards working adults and seniors, including those with mobility issues or other special needs. One example would be our plan to collaborate with Northwest CDC to conduct a series of SkillsFuture workshops on sustainability to enhance green knowledge among the residents.”
“During last year's Motion to accelerate efforts to address climate change and its impact on Singapore, I spoke about the importance of involving our community in our efforts to greenify the environment, raising greater awareness and encouraging more to shift towards an eco-friendly lifestyle. Since then, the community has made good progress in embracing green living. As part of the contributions made towards Singapore's goals under the Green Plan, 15 PAP Town Councils launched the Action for Green Towns (AGT) initiative in May last year to level up our sustainability practices within the communities. The AGT initiative affirms the importance of combating climate change in creating a better home for every Singaporean, aiming to do so by achieving zero waste, energy-efficient and greener towns by 2025. The actions in support of this mission are coordinated across the 15 Town Councils by an AGT taskforce and are driven within each PAP Town Council by a dedicated Sustainability Committee consisting of residents, Young PAP activists and an elected Member of Parliament responsible for championing sustainability efforts. The AGT taskforce is headed by Chairperson, Dr Wan Rizal and I am humbled to be appointed as the Sustainability Champion for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC as well as the Vice-Chairperson of the AGT taskforce. To achieve zero waste, the AGT taskforce is partnering up with SGRecycle to deploy at least 78 paper recycling machines in HDB estates. Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council is one of the Town Councils taking part in this initiative and has since launched five machines across four divisions. We hope that this will improve recycling rates up to an estimated one to 1.5 tonnes of paper per machine per month, which is equivalent to saving 17 trees.”
“Mr Speaker, I have one quick clarification in relation to MPP. I understand from the Minister of State that it will be made compulsory for all divorcing parents with minor children. Can I check whether this plan is also intending to extend to those whose children have already attained the age of 21 but actually suffer from mental or physical disability? Because, currently, when you file a proposed parenting plan, it actually applies to those parents with this kind of family settings.”
“As such, I echo the need for collaborative, holistic and multidisciplinary interventions to be used to address the families' underlying dysfunctions and emotional needs whenever possible. More importantly, we should prevent the children from feeling distressed while in the midst of their parents' divorce proceedings, bearing in mind that such an adverse experience can have a lasting negative impact on their lives, lasting far into adulthood. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, notwithstanding my request for clarifications and suggestions, I stand in support of this amendment Bill.”
“During the Family Justice Practice Forum 2020, Miss Audrey Siew, then director of the Family Support Division of MSF, shared that an intergenerational study was conducted in 2020 to examine the long-term impact of divorce on children. Compared to children whose parents were not separated, children from divorced families are less likely to complete University, may earn comparatively lower salaries and are more inclined to remain single and are predisposed to divorce if they are married by the age of 35. Apart from illustrating the reconciliation efforts, the parties will also need to set out the considerations that they have made for their children and the financial affairs in their submissions to the Court when filing under the sixth fact. In this regard, can the Ministry clarify if this means that this fact can be relied upon only when the divorce is filed under the Simplified Track where parties have agreed on all issues relating to the divorce and the ancillary matters? There are situations where a divorce filed in an acrimonious manner, for example, on the basis of the defendant's unreasonable behaviour or adultery, has since seen both parties subsequently undergo mediation at the Family Justice Courts, during which marital reconciliation was explored, but failed. However, these parties have, in turn, reached an amicable global settlement on the divorce and ancillaries through mediation. In this case, could the Courts allow the divorce to be proceeded with on an uncontested basis on an amended claim under the sixth fact? There is a Chinese saying: 家家有本难念的经 — every family has its own challenges. Families which are involved in litigation often come with complex needs and issues. Underlying many of these family disputes are non-legal-related concerns.”
“The new amendment, which introduces the sixth fact, termed divorce by mutual agreement of the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, may be a new solution to those parties who are in mutual agreement to dissolve the marriage. Under the new fact, couples are to take joint responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage and will have to include, among other reasons, the reasons for the marital breakdown in their submissions to the Court. In this regard, I hope the Ministry can elaborate on what types of reasons are deemed as acceptable to substantiate that the marriage has irretrievably broken down under the new sixth fact. I understand that the Minister of State has shared earlier that parties may cite examples of their deep-seated differences so as to substantiate this fact. In this regard, I hope that the particulars to be mentioned to support this fact need not require parties to set out each other's misdeeds as that will require them to rehash their marital disputes all over again. In my opinion, this does not assist in reducing the acrimony between the parties. Moreover, I do hope that parties should avoid attributing the children as the reason for the breakdown of the marriage. Children should not be made to feel that they are the cause of their parents' divorce. As mentioned earlier, divorce does have long-term effects on children. Social science research has shown that feelings of guilt, abandonment and shame have adverse impact on a child's physical and mental health development. Under the new sixth fact, the parties will also have to show efforts at marital reconciliation. I support the inclusion of this requirement, especially when children are involved.”
“In this regard, I wish to seek clarifications on whether there are any fees applicable and payable by parties for participation in such sessions. Currently, the supervised exchange or supervised visitation programmes ordered by the Court to take place at DSSAs are free of charge for the first three Court orders. From the fourth Court order onwards, however, the parties will have to pay for such services at DSSAs. Visitations which will be supervised by a counsellor on a Saturday at the DSSA will cost $240 per hour. There are, presently, seven family service centres and DSSAs located across Singapore. By the end of FY2022, there will be 10 regional centres available to support families in need. In view of the increased support, would the Ministry consider increasing the number of complimentary sessions for parties to carry out supervised access at the DSSAs? Would the social service agencies also be able to provide more hand-holding services to closely monitor the education and welfare of the children during and after their parents' divorce so as to prevent the possibility of delinquency and other potential social complications? As what Mr Lim Biow Chuan has shared earlier in his speech, in order to file for divorce in Singapore, one has to, first, persuade the Court that the marriage has irretrievably broken down by citing one of the facts, either fault-based or non-fault-based, as set out in section 95A of the Women's Charter. Currently, parties who are unable to fulfil the requirements to file for divorce based on the non-fault-based facts are, nevertheless, required to cite facts blaming the other spouse as the cause of the breakdown of the marriage even when both are cordial about ending the marriage in the first place.”
“I, therefore, speak in support of this amendment Bill as I am hopeful that several of the changes that will be brought about by the passing of this Bill would encourage parties to work out their marital differences, lessen the acrimony of Court proceedings and foster parties' cooperation towards co-parenting their children post-divorce. This will be beneficial to the affected children as studies have shown that the level of acrimony during a divorce proceeding has a perceptible impact on a child's well-being. Children should not be expected to take sides and be caught in a conflict of loyalty. Instead, they should continue to be embraced by both parents with love and attention, regardless of their respective marital status. John Bowlby's Attachment Theory asserts the notions that children need warm, consistent and responsive caregivers to form secure attachments. Interruptions and interferences in the attachment-formation years can have long-lasting impact resulting in insecure attachment styles. We often hear of stories of parental alienation, where a parent would refuse the other party from having access to the child as a result of hatred, or as a retaliation to deprivation of maintenance by the other party. There are also situations where the child has rejected one parent's request for contact so as to appease the other parent whom they are residing with. The new section 126B, in relation to the enforcement of child access orders, empowers the Court to order, inter alia, the parties to attend therapeutic programmes or counselling in the hope that the hostilities between parents can be better managed and that the child is spared from choosing sides. I believe that these sessions will take place at the Divorce Support Specialist Agencies (DSSAs).”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on this Women's Charter (Amendment) Bill. I would, first, like to declare that I am a practising lawyer and a member of the Law Society's Family Law Committee 2022. According to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, divorce is one of the most stressful events in one's life, second only to the death of a loved one. This finding is unsurprising as part of the divorce process involves parties coming before the Family Court to end their marriage and address how their most private family affairs will be restructured. More often than not, the contentious divorce proceedings can prove to be emotionally-charged events for embroiled parties, overriding rational thinking and clouding judgements. Unfortunately, the children are usually not spared from the effects and stresses of their parents' divorce, even though they are the most innocent parties in these matters. There are ways to make the entire divorce process less strenuous and minimally impactful for our little ones if everyone is on the same page. As what the Presiding Judge of the Family Justice Courts, Justice Debbie Ong, has shared in her workplan speech in 2020, the Family Justice Courts and the Family Justice Community will be co-creating a renewed vision of family justice, informed by the principles of therapeutic justice. It is the hope that our collective efforts would help to engender a mindset shift in the community. The resolution of family disputes need not be an adversarial one but should be focused on solutions.”
“I thank the Minister for the clarifications. I have two questions. Firstly, the Minister shared that upon receipt of letter, the parties will identify and choose a representative. If they are unable to reach agreement, then the current standard claims process will apply. In this regard, I wish to check whether the PTO can consider offering an alternate dispute resolution process, for example, through a mediation, when parties are unable to identify and agree on a representative so that the matter can still be processed expeditiously. That is the first question. The second one is locating the beneficiaries, whether the PTO would consider perhaps, to find out whether the beneficiaries have any PayNow accounts and actually explore for the funds to be transferred through that manner.”
“What I learned was that majority of the participants actually knew that marriage automatically revokes CPF nominations. I believe the credit of such high awareness should go to the dedicated CPF team for diligently sending out written notifications to remind members to make fresh nominations upon their marriage. However, most of the residents were surprised to learn that divorce does not automatically revoke the nomination made previously upon their marriage. I am assuming that the CPF Board's rationale could be that the nominations made during the marriage may have been meant to benefit the children from the marriage and thus, need not be automatically revoked. But to avoid such unnecessary controversial family disputes from arising between the estate of the deceased with the nominated beneficiary, perhaps the Ministry can consider adopting the same approach by sending a notification to a member upon their divorce to remind them about a possible need to consider making a new nomination. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Many Singaporeans may not know that CPF nominations made before marriage will lapse immediately after marriage, but nominations made after marriage will not lapse after divorce. In the event of a divorce or loss of family members, people often feel helpless and forget the need to amend their CPF nominations. Therefore, I hope that the relevant authorities can consider giving a gentle reminder to CPF members upon knowing that their nominated beneficiaries are divorced or have passed away, to consider nullifying their previous nominations and make a new nomination. (In English): In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, notwithstanding my requests for clarification and suggestions, I stand in support of this amendment Bill.”
“I hope the Ministry can look into revising the existing SOPs such that upon the passing of those who have made their CPF nomination, the CPF Board will automatically trigger a notification and an immediate upfront payout of $10,000 will be transferred to the nominee via PayNow to the nominee's bank account. The nominee can then use this sum to defray the funeral expenses of the deceased. Next, the CPF Board should target to release the remaining sum to the nominee within seven days after that, which will come just in time to alleviate the family's financial burden. Typically, the family will, after completing the deceased's funeral and cremation, begin to discuss how to resolve the other estate-related issues pertaining to the deceased, such as the need to expend more costs in engaging a lawyer to apply to the Court for either a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. In the Homes-Rahe Stress Scale, the death of a loved one, particularly a spouse or parent, is ranked as the most stressful life event, while a divorce is ranked second. Mavis Hetherington, a renowned professor of Psychology, and a leading researcher on the impact of divorce on children's development, once stated that "divorce is not a single event, but a process of transitions affecting the entire family". Such stressful periods may cause a grieving family member to overlook certain vital matters, such as the remaking of one's CPF nomination. During the series of law awareness talks on estate planning that I have conducted over the years in the community, I have held numerous polls to determine if residents are aware that marriage automatically revokes CPF nominations while divorce does not.”
“Apart from streamlining and expediting the release of funds for the un-nominated cases, I believe that we can do more to encourage Singaporeans to make their CPF nominations, as that will allow their CPF monies to be distributed to preferred beneficiaries faster and without incurring fees. In the past year, it has been heartening to see the efforts made by the Government in raising awareness in this aspect through short skits featuring the famous Liang Xi Mei character and estate planning workshops organised by various Community Clubs (CCs) with partners such as The Law Society of Singapore. Apart from these efforts to raise awareness amongst Singaporeans regarding the importance of making CPF nominations, I believe that we should also introduce more tangible benefits to encourage more people to do so. Currently, the Registry of Births and Deaths would notify the CPF Board upon registering a member's death, who would then distribute nominated CPF monies, typically within a month of the member's passing. During the Budget debate earlier this year, I stressed on the importance of releasing the funds expeditiously to the deceased's family and subsequently shared with the CPF Board several anecdotes about my Woodgrove residents who became financially strapped and approached me for assistance when their pillar of support passed away unexpectedly. Making life easier for a deceased's loved ones should be approached as a practical pushing factor for one to make their CPF nominations during their lifetime.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on the Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill. I would first like to declare that I am a practising lawyer. Since last year, CPF members have been able to log in to the CPF portal and nominate their beneficiaries using Singpass. Earlier in February this year, the Minister had, in response to my written Parliamentary Question, shared that more than two in five CPF members have made a nomination as of 1 February 2021. I believe and I am confident, that we can do better to improve this figure. Many Singaporeans may still be unaware that making their CPF nominations before their passing will benefit and bring much convenience to their loved ones. If a person does not nominate a CPF beneficiary before their own demise, the CPF Board will instead take up to three weeks upon the member's passing to transfer the monies to the Public Trustee Office (PTO) after accounting for transactions such as MediSave deductions for hospital bills. The PTO will then begin searching for eligible beneficiaries under the law after that. Furthermore, I understand that the PTO will then typically disburse the un-nominated CPF monies within four weeks after the eligible beneficiaries submit the required documents and pay an administrative fee. I am therefore glad to learn that one of the amendments brought about from this amendment Bill aims to achieve more expeditious payouts by allowing the PTO to disburse un-nominated CPF monies to a beneficiary representative. In this regard, can the Ministry share how the amendment will assist in shortening the timeframe for issuing the un-nominated CPF monies to the eligible beneficiaries?”
“I understand from the Minister's response earlier that about 57% of the job vacancies have continued to be left unfilled after six months. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Manpower", Official Report, 5 October 2021, Vol 95, Issue No 40, Clarification section.] In this regard, I wish to find out whether options, such as the Career Trials or Place-and-Train programmes, had ever been explored by the employers with these job vacancies. If yes, whether there have been any findings on why such initiatives were unsuccessful in filling these job vacancies. If the answer is no, do we actually know the reasons behind why there is a reluctance from these companies in considering the adoptions of such job placement programmes?”
“Firstly, how we can make the law easier to understand for a layperson; secondly, how we can simplify the Court process to avoid unnecessary wastage of time and resources; and finally, how to achieve cost efficiency by acting on the first two points. But the last point is, more often than not, the primary concern, because affordability of the costs to be incurred is often the paramount consideration for litigants when contemplating whether or not to pursue a matter further in the interest of justice. I am hopeful that the implementations to be rolled out subsequent to the passing of this Courts Reform Bill aims to address these points. I stand in support of Bill.”
“However, these schemes have so far focused mainly on helping law firms to obtain, what I would call, the “software”, such as online data management, databases and establishing online presence through marketing portals. In this context, would the Ministry be looking into more ways to help these smaller law firms gain access to the equipment or “hardware” with the aid of these same schemes, so that they can fully transition into the digital era without transferring the cost of such implementation on their clients? In Mandarin please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] To many, litigation is a costly and time-consuming process. I support the recommendations made in this reform Bill, such as simplifying Court terminology across our statute books, to ensure that our laws are accessible to the public and easy to understand; as well as leveraging on technology for Court process with a view to reducing the costs of litigation. Parties that can benefit from the reform include those SMEs whose financial situation is affected by the pandemic; they can leverage on digital platforms to save time and money to resolve disputes. Apart from that, I hope the Ministry can further consider reviewing and reducing the Court filing and hearing fees. These improvements will be very helpful for those litigants who have financial difficulties, and victims who are wrongly accused. (In English): Mr Speaker, it is my opinion that in order to enhance access to justice, the relevant stakeholders will have to look into and work on the three "hows".”
“This would return some measure of communication between lawyers whereby counsel can take the opportunity while waiting, to explore settlement terms. Although most hearings are now online affairs that require the relevant parties to attend in separate locations, many clients still prefer to do so at their lawyers’ office premises. This is common, particularly for the mediation sessions conducted by the Family Justice Courts, where the client still prefers the physical presence and in-person support from their lawyers to ease their anxieties. This arrangement is typically not a problem for medium or large-sized firms, as they have multiple meeting rooms with adequate space at their office to accommodate the lawyer and their client. For smaller law firms, however, the realities of limited work spaces and meeting rooms represent a significant challenge in addressing similar needs for their clients. In light of the disadvantages faced by lawyers practising in sole proprietorships or small partnerships, I would like to ask if the Ministry can look into offering some assistance schemes that enable the affected law firms to purchase the necessary equipment to attend such virtual hearings and whether the Courts can provide more spaces that will allow small law firm practitioners to communicate with their clients in person whilst adhering to safe distancing measures. Over the years, I understand that the Government, along with the Law Society of Singapore, has come up with several initiatives, such as the "Tech-celerate for Law", being subsidy assistance schemes that aim to help defray costs for law practices, particularly smaller firms, and enable them to remain competitive.”
“The currently used video-link platform tends to begin its sessions without prior warning and regard for the attendee’s presence, which means that lawyers, aside from signing in for their session, do not have knowledge of the current status of the Courts, unless otherwise informed by the Court on when their hearing is likely to begin. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Worse still, in the event of delays – which may sometimes last for longer than 30 minutes at a time – the litigant-in-person or lawyer is forced to sit and wait in front of their computer at all times, unable to visit the restroom or make proper use of the downtime for other obligations. To address these issues, I understand from Minister’s earlier speech that features on the existing E-Litigation system will be further improvised. In this regard, I would like to propose whether the Ministry can facilitate, after taking into account the feedback of users from the Courts as well as members of the Bar, to tap on the expertise of GovtTech in improving the features of the E-Litigation system or creating a new virtual Court platform that is equipped with an integrated chat function and a dynamic queue system. With these features, one would be able to know when their case is slated to be heard upon logging in. With an SMS alert system for the queue, users can manage their waiting time more effectively and efficiently. A private message function will enable users to communicate with the Court’s admin clerk on the possibility of jumping the queue due to the need to be present for another Court matter soon. The chat function would also allow the ability to see other counsel who may be online at the same time and to chat or start a video call with them.”
“One of my fellow members of the Bar shared with me that she had initially thought of giving up breastfeeding her baby after returning to work from maternity leave, but she has since been able to continue doing so due to the work-from-home arrangement. Another of my peers also remarked that remote working has provided him with more opportunities to spend more quality time and attend to the needs of his aged parents. This reform Bill reaffirms remote working as part of the new norm. But whilst the adoption of newer technology to conduct legal matters is the way forward, it is prudent to take heed of the downsides that come along with it as well, such as the loss of in-person communication. Before the start of the pandemic, it was not uncommon for lawyers to bump into our peers in places such as the Court’s Bar Room or the waiting area outside the Courts’ Pre-Trial Conference chambers. For years, these ad hoc meetings have helped to foster the productive discussions concerning the day’s pressing agendas, or aid in the gathering of fresh perspectives on a particular subject. It has also served as an informal way of maintaining connections amongst those in the legal industry. In contrast, most correspondence these days occurs online via video-link meetings and emails, and even the actual Court hearings are isolated virtual spaces where lawyers are each segregated into their own waiting areas, unable to see or hear those who may be waiting for their own hearings to proceed. Aside from the lack of social interaction brought about by this new norm, the rigidness of the virtual hearings has their shortcomings.”