Hawazi Daipi
Singapore
“Madam, between 2001 and 2014, of the international students at secondary and junior college levels who were granted permanent residence (PR) on their own merit, around one-quarter were on scholarships, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) scholarship, for their studies.”
“Madam, we are aware that these are secondary and pre-university students who are not likely to start working immediately after they have completed their "A" levels. So, we do not require them to work in Singapore. It is separate from the university-level scholarships. Page: 34”
“Madam, as I have said in my reply, we leave it to the schools to decide on whether a student or a staff member is fit or good enough for certain types of overseas trips. Some overseas trips can be very physically challenging, but some may not be.”
“Madam, the Member may be aware that MOE has worked with the Temasek Cares for a programme to assist families to manage the cost of treatment after the insurance coverage cap has been reached.”
“I think, generally, yes, Madam. The travel insurance coverage includes accidents and treatment of injuries as a result of accidents, as well as repatriation.”
“At the ground-breaking event, a number of non-Muslim grassroots leaders asked me how they can also support the construction of this community institution in Woodlands. I am heartened by such a supportive spirit and inter-racial and inter-religious cooperation.”
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“First, MOM and the WSH Council will ramp up efforts to strengthen the capabilities of WSH professionals and approved training providers, both in terms of quantity and quality. This is important as WSH professionals are our key enablers on the ground. We will broaden the ambit of the WSH profession by developing programmes and competency roadmaps for WSH professionals in a variety of fields, from occupational hygienists to workplace health professionals. This will help build up a pool of competent WSH professionals Page: 102 who can assist employers to identify, anticipate and manage not just workplace safety risks but also health risks. Second, we will enhance the current risk management framework, which is the cornerstone of our WSH framework. The enhanced Risk Management Framework, or RM 2.0 in short, will include considerations of personal risk factors and not just workplace safety measures. In terms of on-site implementation checks, it will focus on practices rather than the documentation of the system and processes. RM 2.0 will also place greater emphasis on upstream risk control measures instead of downstream risk mitigation controls. Several companies, in construction, for example, have already been doing this through the Design for Safety process. One such company is City Developments Limited, which works closely with its designers, builders and other stakeholders to reduce risks at source through design. For its Tree House residential development, the project team, including the landscape consultants, achieved the signature design of a 24-storey vertical green wall, while at the same time mitigating work-at-height risks. It did this by designing in access platforms and making careful plant choices for safe and sustainable maintenance.”
“On the one hand, we have seen an increase in the number of fatalities and accidents, but on the other hand, in particular, for "Work at Height", we have seen improvements over the years. The number of "Work at Height" fatalities has fallen by more than 35% from 27 fatalities in 2009 to 17 in 2013. We will press on with efforts of the National Work-At-Height taskforce. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked if MOM would put in place a stronger enforcement framework for recalcitrant employers. My Ministry plans to step up our enforcement actions against recalcitrant employers and individuals. We will press for stronger penalties, with higher fines and custodial sentences, for serious breaches of the law. We will tighten enforcement tools, such as the Stop Work Order and Business under Surveillance (BUS) programme. For example, companies will have to resolve safety lapses and conduct compulsory refresher training in the key problem areas before the Stop Work Order imposed on them can be lifted. Regulation and enforcement are, however, only one side of the equation to bring about a safer workplace at construction sites. Ensuring that our workforce, both local and foreign, keep up with the changes in technology and equipment needed to increase productivity – through up-skilling and re-training – is equally important. Employers have to ensure that all their workers, including their foreign workers, are adequately trained. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang also asked about MOM's plans to influence a breakthrough in workplace safety and health outcomes. We have taken stock of our WSH2018 Roadmap. In the remaining five years of the blueprint, we will intensify our efforts in four areas.”
“I must also emphasise that the Government has not shifted from its fundamental position that raising incomes has to be based, first and foremost, on productivity improvements, to be sustainable in the long run. A complement to our efforts to support workers is to encourage good employment practices. Good employment conditions are essential elements of a good job and can help encourage regular work. We have continued to raise standards through the Employment Act. We have also increased the penalties under the CPF Act against employers who do not make CPF contributions for their employees. In 2012, we introduced the WorkRight initiative to step up compliance with the CPF Act and the Employment Act and increase awareness amongst low-wage workers of their basic statutory employment benefits. Since WorkRight inspections started in November 2012, about 30,000 Singaporeans have benefited. More than half of these were low-wage workers. One example is Mr Lim Kim Siong, who was a lorry driver employed by a construction company. He was owed salary for working overtime and on public holidays, and for unutilised annual leave. Through "WorkRight", Mr Lim was able to recover his outstanding salary, amounting to $4,000, within a month of coming forward to MOM for help. Madam, let me now turn to another important area in our push towards better workplaces, that is, safety and health. The Acting Minister spoke about Page: 101 the number of workplace fatalities in 2013 and the state of safety in the construction sector. The top cause of construction site accidents, including the recent ones, continues to be "Falls from Height". We have been making concerted efforts in the last two years and we have seen notable progress and improvement since then.”
“Like the cleaning and security sectors, we will set up a Tripartite Cluster for the Landscape Industry to study the need for mandating a Progressive Wage Model for the sector. MOM and NParks will work with the tripartite cluster to assess whether and how best to do so. In total, we expect the third tier of targeted interventions in wages in the three sectors – cleaning, security and landscape – to impact more than 80,000 local low-wage workers. Ms Mary Liew asked about extending the Progressive Wage Model concept to PME jobs. NTUC has been working with employers to develop progressive Page: 100 wage structures and career progression pathways in sectors, such as the hospitality and consumer business cluster. This covers not just rank-and-file workers but PMEs in these sectors as well. Mr Patrick Tay spoke about this during the Budget Debate. This is a good initiative to improve the skills and productivity of workers, thereby enabling them to command higher wages over time. It should continue to be done through negotiations between employers and unions. But I would like to stress here that beyond cleaning, security and landscaping, there is no plan to legislate the PWM in other sectors. As I have mentioned, mandating the PWM through Government regulations is a very targeted intervention to support rank-and-file workers in sectors which suffer from cheap-sourcing. It is not appropriate for the Government to do this for all sectors and for all occupations. For most occupations, we should allow the market to determine the sustainable trajectory for wages, taking into account productivity changes over time.”
“Cleaning companies have up to Page: 99 September this year to ensure that for all new cleaning contracts, they pay their resident cleaners basic wages in line with the progressive wage levels recommended by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners, or risk incurring penalties, including having their licences revoked. By September 2015, the PWM requirement will apply to all existing contracts as well. We will work closely with our tripartite partners to provide greater clarity to the industry on how to ensure compliance with the PWM. Last year, we announced the formation of a Security Tripartite Cluster (STC) to develop a PWM for the security sector. The STC is currently negotiating the terms of the PWM and, when ready, the Government will apply the PWM requirement to the licensing regime that is in place for the security sector. One of the key issues the STC is deliberating on is how to also address the issue of the industry's reliance on very long overtime hours, in order to improve the working conditions of security officers. This is an important aspect of the tripartite discussions because wages alone will not ensure that employers will be able to better attract and retain manpower to address manpower shortages in the sector. 3.30 pm Beyond the cleaning and security sectors, the landscape sector is the third sector where cheap-sourcing is prevalent. Basic wages for resident workers are not as low as they are in the cleaning and security sectors but they have stagnated at around $1,000 for several years. Concurrently, we have seen little improvement in the number of local workers in the sector even though the number of jobs available has been on the rise. We will take steps to improve the wages and employment conditions of landscape workers.”
“I am happy to hear that proactive learning and career advancement do not stop with age, and strongly urge more workers and employers to tap on WTS. As Senior Minister of State Amy Khor has mentioned, we are also in the midst of a major review of our CET Masterplan to make our CET system more relevant to our workers and businesses, and to strengthen the link between training and skills utilisation at the workplace. At the enterprise level, we must ensure businesses are well-positioned to leverage on their workers' training to achieve productivity gains. Mr de Souza mentioned the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) which supports companies' productivity improvement projects. Under the IGP, the resulting gains from increased productivity are shared with workers through wage increases. About 34,000 local workers have benefited from IGP projects to date. For more than half of these workers, wages have gone up by at least 10% as a result of productivity improvements. Such broad-based interventions at the second tier help lift the prospects for low-skilled workers who are struggling to compete in a globalised world. However, we also recognise that there are specific sectors that may need more help because they suffer from particular market failures, for example, where there is a high prevalence of cheap-sourcing. Therefore, our third-tier help consists of targeted interventions to support wages at the very low end through regulatory enforcement of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) concept developed by NTUC. We have started to do this in the cleaning sector. Parliament has just passed a Bill by MEWR to introduce a new licensing regime for cleaning companies under the Environment and Public Health Act.”
“Because in a globalised world, the income gap widens as the talented with knowledge and skills are much sought after; and the lower-skilled workers find themselves competing with the millions of lower-educated workers in other developing economies. So, we need a second tier of broad-based interventions targeted at our workers to supplement their income, encourage regular work and invest in their training so that they remain employable and productive. Workfare is key to this. We developed the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme to incentivise work by boosting the income and retirement savings of low-wage workers who are making an effort to support themselves and their families. Last year, we enhanced the WIS quantum and expanded the coverage of the scheme. We expect over 400,000 Singaporeans to benefit from WIS for work done in 2013 and they will receive over $600 million in WIS payouts. The Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme, which we enhanced last year, provides Page: 98 generous subsidies for workers to up-skill. To date, WTS has raised the incidence of training by more than a third. Let me cite an example. Sixty-four-year-old Mr Abdul Latiff Bin Abdul Wahab's experience shows how training can benefit the workers. There you have on the screen Mr Abdul Latiff looking younger than his 64 years old. Previously equipped with a Signalman certification and working as a stevedore, Mr Abdul Latiff tapped on WTS' enhanced funding and training allowance for self-sponsored trainees to attend a Riggers course at WDA's Career Centre via Central Singapore CDC. With a Rigger certificate, Mr Abdul Latiff was then able to undertake a Rigger's job, earning an average monthly salary of $2,000, about a third more than his previous salary.”
“Mdm Chair, I would, first, like to thank Members for their suggestions and comments. Making our workplaces better is an important part of MOM's goal of better jobs for Singaporeans. What is a good workplace? Members covered many of the key aspects of the concept of a good workplace in their speeches. At the basic level, it is one where workers are treated fairly, accorded their due protection under the law, and is safe. But a good workplace goes beyond that. I will speak on measures that MOM is undertaking to assure Singaporeans of better, more progressive workplaces. Before that, though, allow me to speak a little more on MOM's targeted initiatives to help the more vulnerable segments of our workforce. Dr Amy Khor spoke on older workers. I will now touch on measures we are undertaking to help low-income Singaporeans benefit from economic growth. Mr Christopher de Souza highlighted the concerns of our low-wage workers. As Acting Minister for Manpower mentioned, supporting our low-wage workers continues to be a priority for MOM. We take a three-tiered approach. The first tier is about creating good jobs and growing the economic pie. The best way to help low-wage workers is to keep the labour market tight and unemployment down. Low-wage workers tend to be more severely affected when the economy takes a turn for the worse. Hence, maintaining a competitive and vibrant economy is in every Singaporean's interest, especially our low-wage workers. Having wage interventions, including a minimum wage, in the face of high unemployment is hollow. But creating good jobs and having a vibrant economy are not enough.”
“Mdm Chair, may I have your permission to Page: 97 display some slides on the screen during my speech?”
“I thank the Member for the questions. The principle of honouring one's commitment applies to both school transfers as well as CCA transfers. What we want to do is to have students commit themselves to the school that they have applied for under DSA. Where students have lost interest, the schools will counsel them. But, essentially, schools will take it case by case. As I have said earlier, 95% of the students remain in the CCA and in the school, undertaking CCAs for which they had been admitted to the schools, after two years. This means the system works. We want the students to honour their commitment to the school, having been admitted based on the specific DSA talent.”
“Thank you. I think this is a good question. We recognise that a large number of workers in the construction industry, in particular, are foreigners. Indeed, the employers normally engage workers from the same country, who speak the same language as the supervisors, and when they conduct toolbox meeting before the workers start working, it is always conducted in the languages of the workers. I think we will encourage workers to blow the whistle. In fact, the workers have the right to not work if they find that the environment they work in is not safe. They can report it to the management and they can actively work with management to ensure that the unsafe environment is removed before they start work. Page: 26”
“But, certainly, as in my reply to Ms Foo earlier, contractors know that both safety performance and safety record are taken into consideration when they bid for Government-linked projects. And I think they know the cost of not maintaining a good safety environment for their workers.”
“Madam, if we take a look at the safety records in the last seven or eight years, I think we can establish that we have done quite well. Since we revamped our regulations and the law, as well as the approach towards improving safety at workplaces, we have made much improvement. We had seen a plateau in safety performance and we are addressing it. We saw a huge increase in the number of fatalities in the construction industry in the second half of last year, and we are now addressing it. I think the approach, in general, in getting the industry involved through the WSH Council and for industry Page: 25 associations to take a lead role in reaching out to their fellow members as well as the regulations are working. But what we need to do is to ensure that the errant ones, the repeated violaters, will understand that they cannot get away with it, and that will send a very strong signal to the others to ensure that the workers will continue to work in a safe environment. As to whether we can improve further the approach in deepening the culture of safety, the answer is yes. I have mentioned earlier in my reply that we have a programme called CultureSAFE. This will require a lot of learning and a lot of teaching of the workers. It has to start right from the top to bottom and it has also to be initiated bottom up. It is not easy but we recognise that if it can work elsewhere, it can work here as, indeed, it has shown some improvement in all the industries in Singapore. We have seen some decline in performance, and I think we can work with the industry to address it. Whether companies will take WSH record as a key productivity driver, I think it will take some time for this to sink in.”
“Madam, the short answer to both questions is yes. I think many companies are involved in the health programmes initiated by MOH and HPB, and MOM and HPB are working very closely on this matter. I would take it that most companies would not allow their workers to work if they are not fit, because they can be a danger to themselves and to other fellow workers. On whether the Government is using WSH record, yes, all Government agencies take the safety records of all contractors bidding for Government projects into consideration and they all know this. Assoc Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): Mdm Speaker, I have two supplementary questions for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. The first question is whether the current approach of promoting WSH is working. It would seem as though when it comes to the crunch of tight deadlines and a tight labour market, the current methods do not seem to work as well. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary has gone through what I call the "bold strokes" – enhanced penalties, stop work orders and all – but how do you encourage all the stakeholders to go on the "long march" of imbibing the norm of safety at the workplace? I think that is important. My second question is how do you get the stakeholders to recognise that safety is actually a key productivity driver.”
“One such initiative is Design for Safety, which involves the developers, designers and other project stakeholders working together from the start of the project to ensure that construction, maintenance and even demolition safety have been taken into consideration at the design stage, before construction even starts. The Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL) has also implemented a SCAL Safety Site Visits programme where the more established contractors help educate the less established ones on how to manage safety at the worksites. This is done through briefings and site visits hosted by the more established contractors' worksites. Such an initiative bodes well for the industry and I encourage more contractors to participate in this programme. Indeed, the involvement of the Developer is key to good WSH performance in a construction project. A good example can be seen in the construction projects for the London 2012 Olympics. From the onset of the projects, the developer, Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) set a goal of achieving "Zero Harm" and put in place several initiatives to align all project stakeholders towards the goal. As a result of the strong WSH commitment by ODA and collaborations with other stakeholders, the project achieved zero workplace fatality. This was the first Olympic construction programme to have achieved this and was not easy considering that an estimated 75,000 companies were involved in this mega project. Madam, allow me to conclude by reiterating that Workplace Safety and Health is everyone's responsibility. MOM will continue to work closely with the Page: 24 industry to raise WSH standards but we will take stern action against errant stakeholders.”
“Fourth, we will review and strengthen the Demerit Points System. The Demerit Points System was first introduced in Year 2000 to identify contractors with poor work practices and restrict their access to foreign manpower if there is no improvement in their safety records. Demerit points are issued to contractors or sub-contractors for breaches under the WSH Act and relevant subsidiary legislation. Information on the changes will be released after the review is completed by the middle of this year. Page: 23 As we step up our enforcement actions, we will continue to extend support to smaller construction worksites through assistance programmes such as the Safety Compliance Assistance Visits (SCAV). The SCAV involves appointed WSH professionals visiting and providing onsite practical guidance at worksites. Last year, 800 SCAV visits were conducted and the industry has requested for more, and we are happy to work with them. My Ministry recognises the value and need for these services and will be doubling the number to 1,600 SCAV visits this year. Mdm Speaker, these measures, while necessary, will not be effective without the involvement of all stakeholders in the construction value chain taking proactive ownership for workplace safety. These include the developers, designers, professional engineers, contractors, sub-contractors, project managers, supervisors as well as workers. The WSH Council, through its Construction and Landscape Committee, is proactively engaging all these stakeholders through various programmes to address this challenge together.”
“To ensure that companies do not undertake work at the expense of the safety of their workers, my Ministry will adopt a multi-prong strategy on both the enforcement and regulatory fronts. First, to provide adequate deterrence, my Ministry will continue to apply for stronger penalties for cases where there are serious breaches of the law. We have in severe cases obtained fines of up to $200,000 against employers who have failed in their duties. We will also ask for custodial sentences on individuals who have blatantly disregarded the law and press for maximum sentencing as allowed under the WSH Act for egregious cases. Second, MOM will tighten the conditions for lifting of a Stop Work Order (SWO). This is to ensure that companies resolve specific as well as systemic lapses through the effective implementation of their WSH management system. New conditions for lifting the SWO may include the conduct of refresher training on any areas of weaknesses as well as re-audit of the WSH management system. Third, we will expand the scope of the Business Under Surveillance (BUS) Programme to more companies that require assistance to address serious systemic weaknesses in their WSH Management Systems. The BUS Programme is a strategic enforcement programme that targets poor performing companies for close monitoring and supervision. Companies in the programme will be required to thoroughly review their WSH system and processes, with their WSH performance closely monitored by my Ministry. Companies can exit from BUS only upon fulfilment of the action plan and demonstrate improvements in its WSH performance and management. To help these companies sustain their WSH improvements, MOM will start them on a WSH culture building journey, leveraging on the WSH Council's CultureSAFE programme.”
“Many of these accidents are preventable if rules and safety procedures provided in the law are followed. For example, legal obligations are imposed on contractors to engage Professional Engineers (PEs) to design and supervise the erection of formwork systems for concrete structures with higher risk. This includes concrete structures that are more than 300 mm thick or more than 9 metres high. The risk of formwork collapses can be avoided if PEs design the formwork adequately, ensures that the formwork structures built are inspected and certify that they are safe for use before any concreting commences. I note that Ms Mary Liew had asked a related question for written answer* for which I would like to address here because it is related to the two Parliamentary Questions (PQs) asked by our two Members. [(proc text) *Question subsequently withdrawn – Ms Mary Liew: to ask the Acting Minister for Manpower in view of the recent spate of construction site accidents, whether the Ministry will (i) review the role and obligations of professional engineers in the design and construction processes; and (ii) implement measures for accountability if professional engineers are culpable for negligence resulting in construction site accidents." for sitting on or after 20 February 2014. (proc text)] In response to the series of formwork related accidents in January this year, my Ministry had issued an advisory to PEs to remind them of their obligations. My Ministry takes a firm stance to any contraventions by PEs, and will not hesitate to take them to task if they are found to have violated their duties under the WSH Act. We will also refer them to the PE Board for any possible Page: 22 contravention under the Professional Engineers Act.”
“Thank you. My Ministry shares the concern of the House over the recent spate of accidents in construction sites. Let me first briefly give an update on the state of safety in the construction industry. We have made steady improvements since we overhauled the national Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) framework in 2005. Injury rates in the construction industry fell from over 1,200 per 100,000 workers in 2005 to around 480 per 100,000 employees in 2012. Similarly, the fatality rates dropped from 11.9 per 100,000 employees in 2005 to 5.9 per 100,000 employees in 2012. However, starting from around the second half of 2013, we began to see a decline in WSH performance. In those six months, there were 22 construction workplace fatalities. This was twice as many fatalities compared to the first half of the year, and five more compared to the same period in 2012. This worrying Page: 21 trend continued into 2014, with eight out of the nine workplace fatalities in January coming from the construction industry alone. MOM stepped up its inspections over the last two weeks of January and uncovered 114 contraventions of the WSH Act at 89 construction worksites. A total of seven Stop Work Orders, 45 Composition Fines and 69 Notices of Non-Compliance were issued. Feedback from industry indicates that the recent spate in construction accidents could be due to two contributing factors. First, companies are rushing to complete construction projects on time, as the demand for construction activities continue to rise. Second, a tighter labour market could have contributed to companies overstretching their workers. However, regardless of the constraints faced by the industry, there should not be any compromises where safety and lives are concerned.”
“Madam, the fact that many officers have been appointed as principals and vice-principals indicates that they have the capability and the potential. How they perform in the job is another matter. So, again depending on the assessment of their potential and performance, they Page: 20 may get promoted early or not that early, as assessed by their superiors. So, what we want to do is actually pay our officers accordingly based on their capabilities and the job grade that they are on and try to retain our good officers for as long as possible in service because, certainly, as a whole, our teaching force has contributed enormously to the education of our children and we want to make sure that this continues.”
“Madam, we appoint officers who have performed well and who have the potential to hold higher grade jobs, and we give them the opportunity to exercise leadership and demonstrate their capabilities. So, depending again on their potential and performance, they will be promoted as necessary and be remunerated based on the worth of the job.”
“Madam, we do not think it is useful to give the figures but I have outlined the principles and policies with regard to remuneration and appointment of key officers in service. By extension, the majority of our Principals and Vice Principals retired at substantive grade of their appointment or above their appointment.”
“Madam, I would appreciate if the Member is specific about what he wants MOE to follow up with.”
“Madam, I believe in the next few weeks, the school and the college will engage students. School has just reopened and I am sure they will engage students.”
“Madam, there is no change in the system. The school was reminded of the general policy and the need to ensure that there continues to be a standard form of assessment and grading and to ensure that there is no grade inflation. So, in general, well, they adhere to the general policy of the college and university. It is a reminder to the school of the importance of general adherence to the University policy while at the same time, allowing them to customise or to grade based on the characteristics of the students of the course of ADM.”
“We have got Health Promotion Board (HPB) to conduct a student health survey. In 2006, for example, we found certain incidents of bullying as indicated by students; whether they have seen bullying incidents in the last few months before the survey. We do not conduct surveys regularly but, periodically, working with other agencies, like HPB, we do collate information Page: 16 on incidents or perceptions towards bullying.”
“Madam, I appreciate the concern of the Member on the importance of managing bullying in schools. I would like to assure the Member that schools and the Ministry are working very closely to help our students to manage bullying through reporting bullying cases, through helping those who have been bullied, and schools also help those who bully others. As I said earlier, MOE and schools' approach are multi-pronged. We try to prevent bullying; we intervene in cases of bullying; we infuse bullying awareness though our curriculum; we support schools by providing them with resources, and we conduct courses and seminars for teachers in collaboration with other agencies. I think what we have been doing has been helpful.”
“Can MUIS, for example, use the wakaf fund that belongs to the community in Singapore to work with regional companies to set up a livestock company, where the animals can be supplied to Singapore, not just for the purposes of Kurban, but also to supply meat to Singapore in general? Page: 181 7.15 pm Suara Musyawarah – National Conservation”
“[Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister about the second phase of the Mosque Upgrading Programme in Singapore which began in 2012 and has been accelerated. Can the Minister provide the latest update on the plan and how the plan can fulfil the needs of residents in the area where the mosques are being upgraded or rebuilt? Can I also get an update from the Minister on the new mosques being built in Punggol, Jurong West and Woodlands? This is the third time I have spoken about the development of a new mosque in Woodlands, and I hope the Minister could provide the information on the specific location where the mosque is being built, while the An-Nur Mosque, currently undergoing restoration, will be ready soon. Haj (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The second point I would like to raise is on Haj. Last year, the Saudi government gave a much lower number of visas based on the official quota for Singapore. Singapore was given 680 visas, far lower than the number required or desired by the local Muslim community. How is MUIS planning to fulfil the desire of the Muslim community to perform the Haj? Is MUIS going to review or re-evaluate how it will carry out the registration of Malay-Muslims who plan to perform the Haj? Kurban (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The third point is on the Kurban. Based on the problems faced by the Muslim community in the past year relating to the provision of livestock to be used in the Kurban; MUIS, MCYS and the Singapore Mosques Kurban Committee, together with AVA, have carried out studies on the provision of livestock for Kurban in Singapore. What is the result of the joint assessment by these bodies?”
“Thank you, Sir. The STC, which is co-chaired by NTUC and SNEF, comprises NTUC, MOM, MHA, WDA, employers' association as well Page: 168 as service buyers. I understand they will meet for the first time later this month or in April. Their focus will be to develop the Progressive Wage Model for the security sector as well as a roadmap towards it and, at the same time, find ways to reduce overtime among the security officers.”
“I would like to address the question by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang. It would always be a combination of both enforcement as well as building capacity in the industry. Our approach has always been consultative, Page: 167 building the capability of industry and making sure that companies, as well as workers, take ownership of their own safety and health at workplaces. We will continue to do this. However, where we see persistent and stubborn problems, like falls from heights, which form 30% of fatalities last year, we will have to take further and stronger action.”
“To better ensure that WIC proceedings remain expeditious, MOM introduced guidelines for party-to-party costs from 1 March this year. We also regularly educate claimants on the process to reduce the reliance on lawyers. Page: 139 MOM will impose costs on parties that unnecessarily delay the WIC proceedings. Mr Seng Han Thong also asked how MOM will ensure that businesses are not overwhelmed by too many safety regulations. Legislation is required in high-risk work processes to ensure safety standards and to shape behaviour. Nevertheless, MOM regularly reviews our regulations to ensure that requirements we place on industry are meaningful. This is especially when we see that the risk in the work process is low. One example is our Factories (Persons-in-Charge) and Factories (Certificate of Competency-Examinations) Regulations. Technological advancements have made Internal Combustion Engines and Steam Boilers much safer than they were when the licensing requirement was first introduced in 1960. Even without the licensing requirement, factories are still required under the WSH Act to ensure that operators of the machines are adequately trained. Given that machines are now much safer, we do not need to continue to impose additional costs on business through licensing. MOM will discontinue the requirement for persons that operate Internal Combustion Engines and Steam Boilers to be licensed and repeal both regulations with effect from 18 March this year. Madam, uplifting our low-wage workers and fostering safe and healthy workplaces are a crucial part of MOM's work. MOM will continue to work with our stakeholders and partners to make work dignified and safe for the vulnerable segments of our workforce. Claims for Non-payment of Salary”
“At the same time, I would like to emphasise that the Workers' Fund does not remove the liability of employers to compensate workers for asbestos-related diseases. Madam, Mr Zainal Sapari has expressed two concerns regarding work injury compensation (WIC) claims. The scenario painted by Mr Zainal Sapari on the upkeep and maintenance of foreign workers during the claim process is unacceptable and MOM will take action against such cases. Employers have a responsibility to provide acceptable accommodation under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations. Those who fail to do so face a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or jail term of up to 12 months. Workers who face issues with their accommodation should approach MOM for assistance. Mr Zainal Sapari is also concerned that the presence of lawyers may result in delays to the WIC claim process. The claims process under WICA is generally simple and cases usually do not require a lawyer. Records show that about three in four cases did not involve lawyers. Nonetheless, we understand that there may be reasons why claimants choose to seek legal advice, for example, when the dispute involves points of law, such as whether the accident arose "out of and in the course of work". This is different from the claim process under the Employment Act where the dispute is largely one of facts. However, additional parties, such as lawyers, might also delay the claims process. This, ultimately, delays workers' compensation. We leave it to workers to decide whether they want to engage a lawyer or not, but the fact remains that the process can be done very expeditiously and they essentially do not need a lawyer to file their claims.”
“According to World Health Organization estimates, about 100,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases worldwide. In Singapore, a total of 61 cases of work-related mesothelioma were confirmed from 1981 to 2012, a period of 30 to 31 years. These diseases can be prevented by limiting the exposure of workers to asbestos, which can occur when asbestos-containing materials are not identified and safely removed during renovation or demolition works. Last year, MOM inspected 36 buildings undergoing renovation and demolition. We found that about 30% of these buildings had asbestos-containing materials and inadequate measures were taken to prevent asbestos exposure. Therefore, this is an area we need to address. MOM will enhance the existing regulations on work involving asbestos-containing materials. They will require, where it is reasonably practicable to do so, that all asbestos be removed from the building before demolition or renovation is carried out. In addition, a licensing regime will be implemented Page: 138 for contractors carrying out asbestos removal works. We are currently consulting the industry on the regulations. We target to enact the regulations in the second half of this year. MOM will also step up our asbestos programme over the next two years to educate contractors and workers and strengthen capabilities within the industry to better manage work involving asbestos. More help will also be extended to workers who contract asbestos-related diseases. We will amend the Workers' Fund to help these workers with their out-of-pocket medical expenses. More help will also be provided to the families of workers who are in financial need. As the Workers' Fund has limited funds, we are exploring avenues to sustain it.”
“The improvement is, in part, a result of the strong commitment by the industry, led by the WSH Council and the Work at Heights Taskforce. Unfortunately, while safety standards have improved, falls still contribute more than 30% of total workplace fatalities in 2012. So, this is still an area of Page: 137 major concern for us in MOM. Therefore, more needs to be done to raise standards. Last year, I shared that MOM was considering the introduction of a dedicated set of regulations to better regulate Work at Heights activities. We have consulted the industry extensively over the past year, incorporated key suggestions, and will enact the regulations in April this year. The regulations will consolidate the Work at Heights requirements that are currently stipulated in different legislation. The new Fall Prevention Plan and "Permit to Work" system for work above three metres will come into force in 2014. This gives the industry more time to comply with them. MOM and the WSH Council will also facilitate companies' implementation of these requirements. I will now address Mr Yeo Guat Kwang's question on MOM's efforts in workplace health. Our national strategy for WSH, also known as WSH 2018, provides a roadmap to improve both the management of Workplace Safety and Workplace Health in Singapore. In 2010, we introduced various strategies to improve Workplace Health. Since then, targeted intervention programmes have been introduced to address established Workplace Health risks, such as work involving excessive noise, confined spaces and hazardous substances and chemicals. One such area that MOM will focus on this year is work involving materials containing asbestos. Asbestos causes fatal diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.”
“Last year, Singapore had 56 workplace fatalities, down from 61 in the preceding year. Our workplace fatality rate is at a new low of 2.1 fatalities per 100,000 workers. Nonetheless, there is a lot more to be done. One life lost is one too many. Some unfortunate incidents in the past year have served as a good reminder to all of us. Some of these accidents could have resulted in a higher number of fatalities and injuries. They are a huge blow to the livelihoods of our workers and their families. Therefore, we must not be complacent. The Ministry of Manpower and the WSH Council will work with the industry to further improve WSH in Singapore. Let me elaborate. I agree with Mr Yeo Guat Kwang that all companies should implement risk management as it is the cornerstone of safe and healthy workplaces. The WSH Council introduced a Risk Management Code of Practice last year. It builds upon existing guidelines and is designed to help companies implement risk management effectively. I urge all companies to adopt this code and tap on assistance schemes, such as the WSH Assist programme, if they have not already done so. The WSH Council will continue to build up companies' capabilities in risk management through the bizSAFE programme. I am glad to share that the take-up is strong and more than 14,000 companies have benefited from the programme thus far. And I encourage more companies to do so. Mr Seng Han Thong asked for an update on the Work at Heights regulations. Work at Heights has consistently been a top contributor to workplace fatalities and injuries. We have made modest gains in this area. Fatalities resulting from falls at work fell by more than 30% from 26 cases in 2011 to 17 cases in 2012.”
“Once the HR Quality Mark is ready, the Government will also procure only from security agencies that attain the Mark. MOM will also tighten the conditions that security agencies have to meet when they apply for approval to be exempted from overtime limits. Security agencies from time to time request for exemption from overtime limits for their workers. MOM will require that security agencies pay their security guards a certain basic wage before exemption is granted. To provide the industry with sufficient time to adjust, the STC will work out a roadmap to raise basic wages and reduce overtime hours permitted in the industry. More details will be announced by STC when ready. 5.15 pm These measures are an important step in improving standards in the security sector. Security officers will benefit. It is another example of how we tailor measures to uplift workers in selected sectors, to suit their unique circumstances, where special attention is necessary. With around 50,000 resident cleaners and around 20,000 resident security officers, we expect these sectoral measures to also have an impact not just at the sectoral level, but also on the employment terms of low-wage workers more broadly. We urge employers across all industries to take the cue from the good Page: 136 practices being put in place for cleaning and security, and upgrade their own practices where warranted. Madam, let me turn to another area of MOM's work, that is, Workplace Safety and Health. While we work together to create opportunities for our workforce to upgrade and benefit from inclusive growth, we must not forget the importance of fostering safe and healthy workplaces. We have made some progress in Workplace Safety and Health (WSH).”
“Unlike the accreditation scheme, which was voluntary, the licensing regime is mandatory. Through this measure, we can be assured that all resident cleaners who are employed by cleaning service providers will benefit from progressive wages within the next few years. I think this will address some of the issues that Mr Png raised earlier. Let me turn to the security sector, which has another group of lower wage workers that requires our attention. Similar to the cleaning sector, there is cheap sourcing and limited scope for collective bargaining. Yet, from the national security standpoint, it is imperative that the industry, including its security Page: 135 personnel, upgrade and become more professional. MOM and NTUC have been working hard with key stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, security agencies and buyers, on strategies to raise the basic wages of our security officers and reduce the reliance on overtime. Specifically, similar to the approach we have taken for the cleaning sector, a Security Tripartite Cluster (STC) will be formed. It will be a tripartite body, tasked to develop progressive wage models for the security industry, as well as a plan to raise basic wages and reduce overtime hours over the next few years. The Government will incorporate the Progressive Wage Model for the security industry into its regulatory frameworks. Its adoption will be an important requirement in the upgrading exercise for security agencies. In addition, to recognise positive employment practices, security agencies that perform well in this area will be awarded a HR Quality Mark. The Government has already committed to buying from well-graded security agencies from 1 April this year.”
“She can also continue to benefit from other components of WTS, such as the Training Commitment Award which can amount to as much as $400 a year. Madam, the Government is committed to make growth inclusive for individuals like Ms Viki Wong by helping her grow her income. In all, the Government will set aside a budget of $200 million over three years for the revised WTS scheme. Mdm Chair, both Mr Zainal Sapari and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang have called for the strengthening of the Progressive Wage Model. Please let me address this. At last year's COS, I spoke about the problem of cheap sourcing in the cleaning sector, where service buyers award contracts mainly on the basis of price. As a result, improvements in productivity and standards do not translate well into improved wages for our cleaners. I laid out how the Government would target this problem. Since then, the Government has strengthened the employment-related criteria for the Clean Mark accreditation scheme, requiring that resident cleaners employed in accredited companies receive progressive wages that reflect the higher training, standards, as well as productivity, required of accredited companies. As the Minister of State for Finance Mrs Josephine Teo mentioned last Monday, the Government is also buying only from accredited cleaning companies from 1 April 2013 onwards. Building on this, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources announced on Tuesday that there will be a new licensing regime for all cleaning companies in 2014. The licensing requirements will include mandatory training courses. Cleaning companies will also need to provide their cleaners with written employment contracts that incorporate progressive wages recommended by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners.”
“Newly included are courses, such as Foundation Certificate in Financial Management, Construction Trade Foremen Certificate, and Fundamentals Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Development. Finally, there are some low-wage workers who need greater assistance as they lack fundamental skills. This hinders them when they want to go for further vocational skills training to earn better wages. Under the Workfare Skill-Up programme, such workers are currently able to take up basic workplace literacy courses. To make the programme even more comprehensive, we will now include numeracy training courses as an option in the programme. Taking into account these changes, we expect WTS to benefit about 60,000 older low-wage Singaporeans every year, an increase of about 10%, including someone like Ms Viki Wong. I am happy to cite her as an example because she has really made progress in her career, earning more and has become even more effective as a worker. In 2010, determined to train and upgrade to better provide for her family, Ms Wong attained the Advanced Certificate in Retail Supervision, receiving 95% course fee subsidy under WTS. With the skills that she picked up, Ms Wong managed, in three years, to rise from a retail assistant to the position of manager, with an increase in her wages from $1,500 to $1,800 a month. She has indicated a strong interest to go further and take up the WSQ Diploma in Retail Management. With her wage increase, she was initially Page: 134 concerned that she would no longer qualify for lower course fees under the WTS. With the increase of the income cap to $1,900, the scheme will continue to benefit Ms Wong. Her course fees will only be $350, instead of $2,070 without WTS.”
“In addition, low-wage workers aged 35 and above benefited more from WSQ training. In a nutshell, workers gain more through taking part in training opportunities given to them. Given its success, we will continue with WTS, and enhance it to support the training needs of older Singaporean workers. Let me highlight five key changes. First, in line with the changes for the WIS scheme, the income cap for the WTS will be raised from $1,700 to $1,900 to benefit more Singaporean workers. Second, the funding structure will be simplified. At present, two tiers of funding at 90% or 95% are given, depending on the income level of the trainee. Page: 133 In response to feedback from employers that the two-tier funding is confusing and administratively cumbersome, a single funding rate of 95% will apply. This will apply to both course fees and absentee payroll received by employers. Third, we recognise that there are low-income Singaporeans who wish to undergo training but do not receive support from their employers. This group can already enjoy course fee subsidies under WTS. But we can do more to support them, and we will now provide them with training allowances (TAs) since they have to forgo earning an income while they train. Fourth, change. Let me move on to the coverage of courses under WTS. The Ministry has received suggestions from both employers and employees to include good courses outside the WSQ framework under WTS to cover some skills categories for which WSQ courses are not available. We have, therefore, extended WTS funding to cover more than 2,000 new Certifiable Skills Training courses, bringing the total WTS-eligible courses to over 8,000.”
“The Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) is being Page: 132 significantly enhanced, with the maximum payout now at $3,500, and income cap extended to $1,900 to benefit about 30% of our citizen workforce. The increase in CPF contribution rates for low-wage workers will also help them save more for retirement, healthcare and housing. Earlier, Acting Minister Tan also announced that, in the computation of foreign worker quota, local workers earning below $1,000, up from $850 currently, will be deemed as part-time workers. Two such part-time workers are counted as one full-time worker for purposes of applying the foreign worker dependency ratio ceiling. This will have a positive effect on raising wages at the low end. In addition, the new Wage Credit Scheme, which covers seven in 10 Singaporean workers, will benefit low-wage workers as it supports the efforts of employers to restructure and share productivity gains through wage increases. In the Budget Speech, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had also announced that the Government will enhance the Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme. Please let me elaborate on this. The WTS scheme was introduced in July 2010 as a three-year scheme with generous incentives to encourage older workers to train, improve their skills and earn more. Since its inception, more than 96,000 workers have benefited from the scheme. WTS funding has been effective in encouraging workers to upskill. When we studied the level of training participation, we found that workers who received WTS funding trained more than those who did not, by about 36%. As Minister of State Dr Amy Khor mentioned earlier, a study by WDA found that workers who attended WSQ training are more likely to have higher wages than workers who did not.”
“Mdm Chair, Acting Minister Mr Tan Chuan-Jin spoke about the need to restructure the economy to create quality growth that is inclusive. This involves sustained efforts to upskill our workforce to create more opportunities for Singaporeans, which the Minister of State Dr Amy Khor touched on. During this national journey of economic restructuring, particular attention should be paid to the more vulnerable segments of our society. Madam, uplifting lower income Singaporeans is an important reason why we need to restructure in the first place. At the Budget Debate, Mr Lim Biow Chuan had shared his concerns regarding the living standards of low-income workers. Just now, Mr Png Eng Huattalked about enhancing our support for the low-wage group of Singaporeans. The Government shares their concerns. As the Deputy Prime Minister Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam emphasised in the Budget Speech, the Government is working even harder, through various means, to ensure a fair and inclusive society for all Singaporeans. Members have heard over the last few days how the Government will do more for the low-income in areas, such as housing, healthcare and education. I will now elaborate on how MOM, too, will do more to help uplift our low-wage workers. Our strategy is to raise wages at the lower end; and it focuses on productivity as the primary lever to sustainably raise wages over the long term. Where productivity improvements do not translate well into wage increases, such as in the cleaning sector, due to cheap sourcing, we take sector-specific measures to target these market failures. The Government will continue to enhance this strategy to give low-income Singaporeans a further leg up.”
“I think this is a very good programme because it will be enhancing our children's understanding about Malay culture and manners as well as their culture.”
“Madam, there were two questions raised by Dr Intan. On the Student Care Centres (SCCs), these are run by operators engaged by the schools. When the students are there to take part in their activities, the responsibility rests with the SCC. What we have done is to improve the coordination between schools and the SCCs in two aspects. One is the programme, so that there is a greater coordination between programmes run by schools and programmes run by the SCCs. Secondly, the pastoral side. Where students need greater supervision, greater attention beyond the academics, there is a greater handshake between the school coordinator in-charge of working with the SCC co-ordinator as well as the SCC management. On the part of the Malay mannerism camp that I spoke about, let me just respond in Malay. Page: 167 (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In general, the camps have not been implemented yet at the Ministry. It has been tested, piloted by the Singapore Malay Language Council more than a year ago and we have found the programme suitable for implementation in schools so that it can be enjoyed by students. In general, the activities are not just in the form of listening or watching lessons taught by the teachers, but the students will also be directly involved in learning Malay manners and courtesy. This can be conducted in schools. The teaching staff or mentors can either be teachers or local Malay language and cultural personalities. We will be briefing schools to explain about this programme. We also hope that Malay language and cultural bodies can be involved by organising these activities outside of schools so that parents and their children can also take part.”
“These efforts will also internalise Malay values and culture, within the context of a multilingual and multicultural Singapore, into the soul of our younger generation.”
“Since 2009, over 200 beginning Malay Language teachers have benefited from the courses offered by the Malay Language Centre of Singapore (MLCS), which is a unit in MOE, shortly after they were deployed to schools. I am also pleased to announce that the MLCS building is going to be ready soon and it will have good facilities to give more resources to more teachers to attend courses that can improve their ability to teach the Malay Language. Of course, parents still play a key role in creating a conducive environment at home for their children to learn the Malay Language. Early exposure to spoken Malay and its use at home will surely provide children with a stronger foundation for them to learn the language formally in school. I hope that parents can leverage on the various programmes that have been organised by the Malay Language and Learning Promotion Committee (MLLPC) in collaboration with community organisations, Institutes of Higher Learning and schools. Over the past six years, MLLPC has provided funding support for over 200 activities that have benefited students, teachers and their parents. Such activities help our Malay students deepen their appreciation of Malay language and culture. MLLPC is also collaborating with NIE and schools as well as language and Page: 150 cultural organisations, including the Malay Language Council, to organise workshops and camps to promote Malay values to our students. Specifically, MLLPC will encourage those organisations to organise a Malay Etiquette Camp to provide more opportunities for our students to learn and appreciate Malay manners and culture. We are certain that all these combined efforts will help to better support the learning of the Malay Language among our students.”
“MOE is currently refining these Guides for distribution by the end of the year. We will then provide training for teachers to use these resources in their daily classroom teaching. Page: 149 These efforts by MOE will be further complemented with the teaching and learning resources developed by the community and funded by the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism. We hope to nurture a love for learning of two languages in our children from young − in our preschool centres, at home and in the community. I would like to assure Mr Zainudin that we will also continue to support the professional development and upgrading of our Malay Language teachers. Our teachers can tap into our in-service professional development opportunities – for instance, courses on content knowledge, pedagogy, and assessment based on Malay language, literature and culture, and also ICT courses. They can also participate in the Malay Language seminar organised annually for sharing of best practices about the teaching of Malay Language among teachers, and also attend the Arif Budiman Lecture Series that enable our teachers to follow and understand the latest developments in the Malay Language from international experts. We also provide awards and scholarships in the Mother Tongue Languages to support teachers' upgrading. Non-graduate teachers can enrol in the part-time Bachelor of Arts programmes in Malay Language and Literature at UniSIM or full-time at the National Institute of Education (NIE). Graduate Malay Language teachers can continue their studies by pursuing a Masters of Education at the NIE.”
“In the process, they tap on the collective wisdom of all parents in the audience. Madam, we truly hope that our schools will continue to grow and leverage on these helpful, harmonious partnerships with parents and other stakeholders. It is clear that partnerships which draw on the combined efforts of schools, the home and the community will help us to better develop all Singaporeans to their fullest potential. It will also draw us closer together as a community – as Singaporeans. 5.45 pm Now, Madam, for the last part of my response, allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Chairperson, I would like to thank Dr Intan and Mr Zainudin Nordin for their suggestions to formulate a framework for Malay Language curriculum at the preschool level, and also on the training for Malay teachers. MOE is in the process of developing a Teaching and Learning Framework for the Mother Tongue Languages, which will be distributed to preschools by the middle of this year. The Framework will provide a common understanding about the teaching and learning of Mother Tongue Languages across the preschool sector. I strongly agree with Dr Intan that we can impart values through the Malay culture and language. I would like to add that we cannot separate the learning of language from values and culture. Within the teaching and learning resources currently being developed by MOE for the preschool sector, there are already plans to include folk tales and children's songs in the Malay Language. Furthermore, since 2005, MOE has also distributed preschool Teaching Guides for Chinese, Malay and Tamil to all preschool centres. These guides emphasise the need for children to know their culture and heritage through their respective Mother Tongue Languages.”
“Thirdly, we have also provided schools with a Partnership Resource Pack, including a copy of "Building on Trust, Partnering as One", which aims to strengthen further partnership among the various stakeholders and parents. This pack contains practical tips and examples of good initiatives on parent engagement. These resources will help school leaders to reach out to, and garner the support of parents and the community. Other than schools, MOE will also greatly enhance our outreach to parents. MOE launched the new Parents in Education (PiE) website last year. We hope it will eventually become the go-to website for parents looking for educational news, learning resources and parenting tips. Parents have provided positive feedback on this website. We have launched a Mobile App of the website for use on smartphones to link parents quickly to the resources and updates. There will also be a series of upcoming parent engagement seminars and parenting talks held by MOE in every zone across Singapore. Madam, as the Chairperson of COMPASS or COMmunity and PArents in Support of Schools, which comprises representatives from schools, the business community and self help groups, I am pleased to announce that COMPASS is launching the COMPASS Speakers' Series. Talks, seminars and sharing sessions by parenting experts will be organised. Parents will also be Page: 148 interested to know that we are launching forum theatre, a drama-based interactive experience where various parent-child scenarios are played out. Forum theatre is a public forum where parents in the audience can either offer suggestions to the problems presented, or take over the enactment of solutions from the actors. Participants can actively explore complex parent-child scenarios to co-create new ways of resolving them.”