Heng Chee How
Singapore
“And in the case of overseas training, then there will be specific link-ups into the systems of our overseas partners, for example, if there is a need to further send the injured NSman to the local hospitals for more specialised treatment, that, too, was all planned in as well in terms of the protocols.”
“In addition to conducting regular exchanges with their professional counterparts, SAF personnel in our overseas training detachments participate actively in local community life and contribute back to the local communities, thus contributing to the strengthening of bilateral ties.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Giam for his question. The NS allowance, the nature of it, it is in a form of honorarium and for that, CPF is not payable. However, I just wanted to emphasise two points. One, within the NS journey, they are actually eligible for NS HOME Awards, which are paid out in the course of the NSmen's journey.”
“Mr Chairman, as we look forward, MINDEF/SAF’s commitment to NS and to our NSmen remains steadfast. We will continue to enhance the NS experience, maximise the contributions of our NSmen, and strengthen recognition for their service.”
“Mr Speaker, we have shown care for our older workers as a Government, as tripartite partners, not only in words but in deeds. As a result, we have made very substantial progress for our older workers, often bucking global trends. The environment we must deal with will be increasingly challenging.”
“Ultimately, fighting age discrimination is not only a legal matter nor is it just a moral imperative. It is also an economic necessity that will help sustain long-term prosperity for all.”
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“It carries immense significance for the family and we in MINDEF and the SAF certainly honour our fallen men and women. Ms Hazel Poa spoke of dedicating a day to do so. We already have that day. It is called the SAF Day and we have a parade every year in the presence of our President or our Prime Minister. In the course of that parade, we remember specifically men and women of the SAF who have fallen in the course of duty. Individual units and formations also hold remembrance events to honour their men and women who have fallen. 1.00 pm Next, supporting our NSFs. Our servicemen serve a critical operational need and we greatly value their contributions. Yet, we recognise that beyond serving the nation, our servicemen are also critical contributors to their families, some of whom face economic dislocation, for example, last year, due to the disruption brought on by COVID-19. Mr Don Wee asked about this. To enable our NSFs to focus on their NS obligations, MINDEF/SAF maintains a variety of financial assistance schemes, including ones designed to support immediate, acute needs, such as a sudden retrenchment in the family. Commanders have been paying special attention to signs of financial distress among NSFs during the pandemic, and where necessary and appropriate, have helped with the application for such financial assistance. The assistance schemes have, therefore, been deployed in tandem with the evolving economic situation. The application process has been simplified and shortened, and we also allow for more extensions. Mr Don Wee also asked about the support available to NSFs anxious about entering a difficult job market after full-time NS.”
“Our compensation framework takes reference from but goes beyond what is provided for by the Work Injury Compensation Act, or WICA. Any compensation amounts are generally in the area of between two and four times of that provided under the WICA. MINDEF will also pay for all necessary medical expenses of injured servicemen at Government restructured hospitals, clinics and community hospitals for as long as it is required. This includes the cost of medical supplies, counselling and specialist care. Should these servicemen experience a loss of earnings after their release from service as a result of medical or hospitalisation leave, MINDEF will also compensate them for up to two years from the day after their service ends. Again, this exceeds WICA's provisions, where the compensation for loss of earnings is up to a year from the date of the accident. Over and above all these, MINDEF provides servicemen with life and personal accident insurance during their term of service. Beyond compensation, injured servicemen may also receive financial assistance under MINDEF's welfare schemes, which can assist with immediate needs, depending on family circumstances. This may include mid-to-long term financial assistance. Other forms of support are also provided based on the serviceman's and his family's specific needs, including medical arrangements and counselling support. These avenues of support extend also to the families of our deceased servicemen. That said, no amount of compensation or assistance can replace a loved one. We know that. We agree. And that is why we take the trust that Singaporeans and Singaporean families have in MINDEF and the SAF absolutely seriously. We will do everything we can to look after our servicemen. Every death in service is painful.”
“Nevertheless, given the constant turnover of servicemen, it is crucial that the SAF sustains these efforts, keeping our soldiers updated on the latest safety incidents and lessons learnt to avoid making mistakes or repeating mistakes and doing all we can to prevent accidents. Ultimately, the SAF is committed to the vision of zero accidents. We must continue to uphold our duty of care to every serviceman entrusted to us – as highlighted by the Minister for Defence. Our attention to safety extends beyond training safety systems to ensuring our medical systems are progressively improved – which Miss Rachel Ong asked about. After all, our servicemen's health is paramount to their safety and their well-being. In collaboration with the DSTA and industry partners, we have developed a portable electronic medical records system – or what we call PACES Mobile. This enables our medical officers to access our servicemen's medical information remotely on their laptops. By providing our medical officers with the full medical history of our servicemen, including while they are on overseas exercises and deployments, PACES Mobile has improved medical safety and the quality of patient care. Since its launch in October 2019, it was used and has supported 23 overseas exercises and over 2,000 patient encounters. MINDEF and the SAF will spare no effort to protect our servicemen. Yet, the reality is that every military force around the world will have to deal with the prospect of injury and death amongst its soldiers. Mr Gerald Giam asked about our care for soldiers who suffer service injuries and Ms Hazel Poa, the recognition for servicemen who die in service and the support given to their families.”
“The Panel also offered useful suggestions based on the industry's best practices such as benchmarking the safety training of our commanders, trainers and safety officers to those of the industry standards. The SAF will follow up on these recommendations. Given the Panel's valuable contributions, MINDEF has accordingly commissioned the third ERPSS for another three-year tenure, beginning this year. Apart from the ERPSS, the SAF conducts internal audits to ensure there are robust safety management systems and a healthy safety culture in our units. The SAF Inspector-General's Office, or IGO, was formed in 2019 and it has just completed its full first two-year audit cycle of all SAF formations. Mr Alex Yam requested an update. Overall, the IGO observed notable progress in strengthening the SAF's safety culture. There has been a sustained uptrend in open reporting received in the past two years, where servicemen, regardless of rank, reported near-misses and safety hazards. Our units have also made significant adjustments to their training schedule to permit time for safety, including conducting daily safety briefs and catering dedicated training time to obtain feedback from soldiers on safety. To overcome the rank gradient, our units have appointed rank and file soldiers as safety advocates to communicate and facilitate communication with their unit's commanding officers on safety matters. The IGO's audits also found that soldiers have responded positively to the safety measures implemented in this past two years – building on past efforts but within the two years since the IGO's formation – with our commanders leading enhancements in unit safety processes and influencing their soldiers' safety mindsets.”
“Even as we seek to maximise our servicemen's contributions to mission success, let me at the same time emphasise that safety will always be a central priority for us as well. It is always mission success and safety always. Following the training accidents from 2017 to 2019, the SAF has invested even more significant efforts to enhance safety management in our units, to train our commanders better in safety leadership and to establish an even stronger safety culture among our soldiers. In enhancing these areas, we have continued to tap on external safety experts. This started in 2013, when MINDEF established the first External Review Panel on SAF Safety, or ERPSS, to have safety experts from academia and the industry provide an independent assessment of the SAF's safety systems and processes. The second ERPSS completed their 3.5-year tenure in December 2020. They have been extremely helpful to MINDEF and the SAF in assessing the progress of the SAF's safety journey as well as in highlighting opportunities for improvement. We also appreciate all the Panel members' participation in the MINDEF's Committee of Inquiry (COI) for training accidents and the Panel's independent review of all COI findings on training safety. Mr Alex Yam asked about the second ERPSS' findings. The second ERPSS acknowledged the efforts and progress the SAF has made to strengthen safety and observed its strong command emphasis on building a positive safety culture. These efforts include internalising the importance of safety in SAF units' everyday activities and leveraging digital means to enhance safety management.”
“Under the WSD, servicemen will undergo training to obtain a MINDEF-sponsored ITE diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering or Electrical Engineering. Spending three or four years in total with the SAF, these servicemen will be given a contract that will entitle them to the pay and benefits of an SAF Regular after they have completed a stipulated period as NSFs. The first batch of 37 servicemen will commence this programme this April. These WSDs are MINDEF and the SAF's latest addition to "work-learn" schemes for our full-time national servicemen. We also introduced the Cyber NSF Scheme in 2018. These schemes support our servicemen's professional development while allowing them to put their learning into practice and contribute to MINDEF and the SAF in the defence of Singapore. We will continue to explore more of such "work-learn" schemes in the future. Beyond NSFs, we see a valuable opportunity to harness the useful knowledge and skills that our NSmen have attained through their studies and civilian work. In 2019, we announced that NSmen with specialised civilian expertise can be deployed earlier in their Operationally Ready NS cycle earlier to areas requiring such expertise, such as in law and psychology, under the Expertise Conversion Scheme. The scheme has served us well against a growing spectrum of non-conventional threats, including in domains such as infocommunications and maritime. Moving forward, we will systematically expand opportunities to deploy NSmen with relevant civilian expertise and we will increase the areas they can be deployed to and establish a dedicated deployment centre to oversee this expansion. Next, enhancing safety.”
“We are redesigning our medical classification system and the Physical Employment Standard or PES System, to shift away from the binary classification of a serviceman either as combat-fit or not combat-fit for purposes of deployment. That system has been with us for a long time. Medical exclusions that used to limit deployments may no longer be so relevant in today's operational context, especially with the latest technology. The key idea is to deploy every soldier in a meaningful operational role without compromising safety and while maintaining and ensuring operational effectiveness. We are therefore reviewing the use of functional assessments to determine our servicemen's deployability in specific vocations. For example, the SAF has introduced functional assessments to guide our selection of transport operators – just as a practical example. What that assessment does is that it replicates the physical demands required for daily operations, enabling us to better match our servicemen's functional abilities to the role's actual demands. If successful, we will then extend this trial to other vocations such as tank operators. In other words, we look at the vocations – the jobs – and the requirements of those jobs as opposed to whether you are rated combat-fit or not combat-fit and then try to fit our servicemen into those two categories. Third, helping our servicemen acquire new skills to better perform their roles. Miss Rachel Ong asked about the Work-Study Diploma, or WSD, which we launched last September with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). As a start, this is open to NSFs serving as Air Force and Army technicians.”
“Mr Chairman, Defence Minister Dr Ng has emphasised the need for a forward-looking SAF to confront increasingly complex challenges. As the SAF adapts to face these challenges, National Service or NS must be a crucial part of this transformation. NS continues to be the backbone of our defence and we must strengthen NS for our Next-Gen SAF and a new generation of National Servicemen. 12.45 pm We established the NS Review Committee, or NSRC, last year precisely with this in mind. Let me share the committee's enhancements, focusing on three areas: first, maximising our servicemen's contributions; second, improving their health and fitness; and third, enhancing their service experience. Let me begin by speaking on maximising our servicemen's contributions. As the Minister for Defence has described just now, with differing medical fitness levels, education backgrounds and skillsets, our servicemen can contribute to our defence effectively but differently. We seek to unlock their potential in several ways. Optimising deployment. First, establishing new vocations and redesigning existing ones for our full-time national servicemen, or NSFs. In recent years, new vocations have been established in the SAF in response to the changing threat environment, such as the vocation of cyber specialists who protect our networks and systems. For more established roles, the Minister for Defence has highlighted our redesign of jobs through technology, such as the development of unmanned watchtowers and unmanned surface vessels to augment our security troopers and base defence operators. Second, better matching of servicemen to roles where they can be operationally effective, regardless of medical fitness. This again, the Minister for Defence has mentioned earlier.”
“We must also ensure that the right HR practices are in place to tap the potential of senior workers and to recognise their contribution because every worker matters, our older workers matter. This is what emerging stronger together really means for senior workers. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Budget. [Applause.]”
“All these remain valid. At the same time, COVID-19 has taught us something else, that we cannot say that we are not vulnerable to infectious diseases. And depending on what we are talking about, these diseases can indeed pose a severe threat to individuals, corporates and even to our whole economy and society. Where such infectious diseases can be prevented or be better managed with vaccination, it must be to the advantage of workers, firms and the state to assess which are the most cost-effective, science-based ones, to vaccinate against. MOH established what is called the National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS) in November 2017 – that was pre-COVID-19 – in order to provide guidance on vaccinations that persons aged 18 years or older should adopt to protect themselves against vaccine-preventable diseases. In the light of the COVID-19 experience, I think the usefulness of this schedule has become much more salient. I urge Government and the tripartite partners to work together to see how best to leverage science-based cost-effective vaccination to enhance business resilience and senior worker health. This will also help forestall potential discrimination against senior workers’ employment or employability on account of real or perceived higher risks of infection and the impact that might have on company operations. Mr Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that the perceived barriers to employing older workers can be overcome and that older workers have once again proven their value and adaptability. The Labour Movement will continue to do our utmost to work with tripartite partners and senior workers to enhance their employment and employability.”
“Otherwise, with these fast-changing business models and technology, we can only expect even more and faster displacement of our senior workers and that would lead to all those negative scenarios we really dread and want to avoid – chief among which would be retirement inadequacy. To do so effectively, there must be specific mechanisms within industries and workplaces to operationalise the intent. Here, what do I mean? It means that it is not only about policy. Policies are important. It is not only about funding. But funding is important. It is about who is supposed to get together with whom in the company to discuss what is needed, who is supposed to be sent for what and then, to execute that. Only that action will give us the results that we need. I therefore urge further integration between the jobs-skills ladders of the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) and the work of Company Training Committees (CTCs), including the sectoral versions. The CTCs are equipped to help companies undertake Operations-Technology-Skills road-mapping. I think we should do more in order to resource them so that they can propagate even faster. They can then be our machinery to ensure that purposeful skills building takes place in the economy, and that workers of all ages – and here, I have a particular emphasis on senior workers, for reasons that are quite obvious to us all, that they are vulnerable to be left out and therefore, we must not let that happen. CTCs will be the machinery where we can better ensure that they are not forgotten but that they are included and they are part of this progress. Five, strengthen health of senior workers. For many years now, workplace health has focused on wellness and chronic disease management – diabetes, high blood pressure and the like.”
“We must build on this insight and make gains, and not just lapse back into the status quo and go back into the same-old, same-old of must be here at the workplace and must be full-time. I therefore urge Government to strongly support the more pervasive adoption of Flexible Work Arrangements. This can significantly improve employment outcomes for senior workers, for the middle-aged older workers who might otherwise have to leave work in order to look after older family members and then, cannot come back. Four, strengthen skills building for senior workers. When COVID-19 struck, businesses started to pivot more to technology and individuals also had to quickly pick up new skills in order to be able to cope well within that new situation. Nowadays, using our smart phones, laptops and tablets to order food, scan QR codes for services, to conduct meetings online and leverage e-commerce platforms have now become very normal, second nature to businesses and many individuals. Senior workers had to adapt and many did. What has that taught both employers and our senior workers? That lifelong learning for lifelong employability is completely achievable, can be done, has been done. COVID-19 forced us; a lot more amongst us have done so. Therefore, once again, just like my call on that flexible work arrangement insight not to go to waste, we must also not let the progress achieved through this painful adaptation during the pandemic with regard picking up new skills, using of new technology, we must not let that be wasted and must not allow old mindsets and prejudices and old practices to return that would only stymy us.”
“I am therefore calling for the planned raising of the Statutory Retirement and Re-employment Ages in July 2022, as well as with the agreed deferred improvements to the CPF contributions now due in January 2022, to be proceeded with, without further delay. At the same time, I also urge the Government to help employers defray the cost of their enhanced CPF contributions through the CPF Transition Offset, which was also within the plan prior to the deferment. Three, strengthen adoption of Flexible Work Arrangements. In Budget 2019, I pointed out that if we can implement flexible work arrangements more systematically and pervasively, we will be able to retain significantly more local workers, and allow more middle-aged workers to undertake care-giving without having to quit work, and to return to work post-care-giving. I was very pleased that Mr Melvin Yong has made specific arrangements within his Radin Mas constituency in order to bring this forward. And it is important that we do so, because it would be a pity if our workers have to choose between work and family, just because companies do not offer enough flexible work options. Here, COVID-19 has done something good. It has forced the employers to re-assess how work can be conducted in non-traditional ways. In other words, not necessarily at the workplace, not necessarily full-time. Certain roles can be done from home, at least a good part of the time or part-time work might be actually doable in combination, or to implement, for example, staggered starting times. So, the way in which you can maximise the use of your manpower and tap manpower sources can be a lot more flexible. COVID-19 has opened the eyes of both employers as well as workers too to that possibility. And both have learnt and adapted.”
“And it covers companies across different sectors – we have companies who are in the attractions area, the hotels, food manufacturing, childcare and there are many other sectors. So, it is fairly broad-based. To help workers enhance their retirement adequacy, we also called for sustainable increases in CPF contributions for older workers over the years. Unfortunately, COVID-19 disrupted our whole economy, forcing the planned CPF enhancements to be deferred by a year, to 1 January 2022. The Labour Movement deliberated hard but we supported that deferment because we understood that in the depth of that pandemic, in the depth of that disruption, the most important thing is employment. We do not want our older workers to be put at unnecessary, greater risk of losing their jobs. Yet, Mr Deputy Speaker, while we do that, I want to remind this House and everyone out there, that we must be careful to keep pace with our original intent and purpose of helping older workers enhance their retirement adequacy, given our longer lifespans, on average. This was the purpose for that workgroup, for my calling for it in 2018, for the consensus that was developed for that agreement. It was not done haphazardly. It was for a strategic purpose – in order to secure our national objectives and to make that as many of our older workers would have better retirement adequacy, which is a point that is shared by both sides of the House. Therefore, we must be careful not to kick the can down the road further because if we negatively impact on retirement adequacy, that will come back to bite us earlier and harder.”
“The Government responded positively to our call and set up the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers, which then reached consensus to raise the Statutory Retirement Age from 62 to 65, and the re-employment age ceiling from 67 to 70 progressively over the coming decade, starting with a new retirement age of 63 and a new re-employment age ceiling of 68 from July 2022. This schedule was first put in place by the tripartite partners to enhance the retirement and re-employment framework, strengthen older workers’ retirement adequacy, and to further promote progressive workplaces that value older workers. Many companies and organisations have proven that this can be done. NTUC, for example, we walked the talk. As an employer ourselves, we have taken the lead. We have raised the organisational retirement age and re-employment age ceiling by one year from 1 January 2021. This was earlier announced. Our social enterprises will do so from 1 July this year, also as earlier announced and this is a year ahead of the national timeline. The public sector has done likewise. The Civil Service announced in 2019 that it will raise the retirement and re-employment ages of its officers by one year to 63 and 68 respectively in July this year – again, a year ahead of the national schedule. Outside NTUC, outside the public sector, when we look within the unionised sector at the private sector employers, we have been encouraged. We have seen more than 100 employers in the unionised sector who have voluntarily either upped the retirement age within the company or increased the re-employment age within the company, or both. This number, compared to the number that we saw in 2019, it basically doubled.”
“They have given much breathing room to firms in 2020 and have helped thousands of workers keep jobs. This has enabled the overall employment rate for our senior workers to remain stable last year. In fact, for the age band 65 and above, the employment rate last year went up by 0.9-percentage points, compared to 2019. I therefore fully support the fine-tuned extension of these schemes in this year's Budget to continue to save jobs and lighten the load on firms. At the same time, Mr Deputy Speaker, I must also point out that for the distressed sectors such as aerospace, aviation and retail, senior workers have experienced significant impact through non-offers or non-renewals of re-employment contracts as the firms downsized. It would not be easy for such displaced senior workers to find new work. I therefore urge more Government support in order to step up specific, industry-focused efforts to help senior workers in these distressed sectors to keep their jobs, or if not, then to proactively be retrained and placed into jobs in other sectors and industries. Two, press on with agreed timetable to raise statutory retirement and re-employment ages and CPF contributions. The tripartite partners have taken to legislation to ensure older workers have the opportunity to work longer by raising the retirement and re-employment ages. After all, being employed is the best safety net and companies need workers. The Labour Movement called for tripartite discussions on this subject in 2018.”
“Otherwise, Singapore will be hard pressed to find or to create the resources that we need for that national journey ahead. That is why we must emerge stronger. Why must we emerge together? As we seek ways to emerge stronger, we must also ensure that we do so together. And I can think of two reasons, at least. First, we must plan on not leaving any group behind as we emerge stronger. When we say in the Labour Movement "Every worker matters", that is Labour Movement. For Singapore, every Singaporean matters. This is key to our national, social cohesion and stability. Second, we must enlist the contribution from every group, every segment and every individual toward emerging stronger and staying resilient and self-reliant. The more we can do so, the more we will strengthen national resource creation and moderate the rise in Government welfare expenditure or the need to bring forth more taxation. How to emerge stronger together in the context of the senior worker – that will be the focus of my speech today, Mr Deputy Speaker. With regard to senior workforce, I would like to propose five measures in order for us to emerge stronger together. First, continue to save jobs and create jobs. Sir, I thank the Government very much for the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI), the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, the enhanced Wage Credit Scheme and the Senior Employment Credit Scheme. I name all these because sometimes they get lost as we look at the overall Budget. But I just want everybody to remember that all these schemes were rolled out purposefully in order to make a difference to the employment and employability of all our workers, senior workers included.”
“In what way, in what form, what triggers it, we do not know, but come they will, one day. Therefore, we have to find sustainable ways to replenish our national kitty. Our reserves are like the airbag in our car. If we used it, we have to refill it. Otherwise, the next accident, we may not survive so well. Second, the global low interest rate environment is likely to persist for some time. Major economies will use fiscal and monetary policies to keep their economies going to avoid the recession, amid a tepid inflationary environment. Now, what this means is that the returns we can expect from investments are likely to stay low. As we all know, we already used a good proportion of our NIRC to fund Government expenditure. And if the outlook is so, then we cannot just plan on the basis that what we do not want to spend out of our reserves, should the need be that we will naturally get it from increased investment income. We cannot plan on that basis. Third, whereas on the revenue and the money side, we have to more careful, but the need for the Government to spend more in upgrading our infrastructure, as so many Members have explained, in the different sectors is clear. And so is the crucial need to continue investing in our people and taking better care especially of our ageing local population and our workforce in an increasingly volatile environment. That need will only go up. It is a reality that we cannot escape, be it structural. To do that spending, we have to find the money somehow. These reasons and factors converge to make it imperative that we go back into maintaining a laser-sharp focus on transforming our economy and to get growth going again.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join this debate. The impact of COVID-19 on the world and on Singapore has been tremendous. While we in Singapore have kept fatalities to a minimum, the devastating effect of the pandemic on the economy and on our livelihoods is obvious. In order to buffer the impact, the Government rolled out five Budgets last year and spent close to $100 billion to help businesses cut costs and to help workers save jobs. If not for that decisive and massive action, the GDP drop last year would not be the minus 5.4%; it would be something more like minus 12.4%. And it is not just the percentage points; that will convert into jobs loss, families impacted. So, I think it is important for us to recognise what that massive action has helped stave off, in terms of suffering, for fellow Singaporeans. For 2021, whilst we must continue to look after our jobs and businesses, and contain the negative impact of the pandemic, we cannot just do that. We must, at the same time, look at how to get back on track for the future. And this is the theme of this year's Budget, "Emerging Stronger Together". "Emerging Stronger Together" is not a slogan. It is not a nice-to-have, it is crucial. Why? Let me break it down into why it is important to emerge stronger and why it is important to emerge together. First, why is it necessary to emerge stronger. The $100 billion from our reserves, once it is spent, it is spent. We all know that we cannot count on an endless $100 billion. Never mind what size of our reserves but we would not have an endless $100 billion to keep on spending time after time to block pain. We must also assume that there will be future downturns that will come our way.”
“Older Singaporeans will also face higher medical expenses compared to younger citizens, on average. In this regard, I would also hope that MOH would please consider whether there could be higher thresholds or caps on CPF-Medisave for older Singaporeans, or greater flexibility on a case-by-case basis to help with coping with cash expenses without sacrificing or delaying medical treatment. Just last night, at my Meet-the-People Session, I had such a case where the bill was $800 and because of the cap, $300 was allowed to be deducted from MediSave and the resident had to come out with $500. He said that it was really very, very difficult to do so. It would be better if they could be allowed to withdraw more, maybe on a temporary basis during this crisis period. I think we should consider that but in terms of the cash impact, to families who may not have the financial resources. Finally, Mr Speaker, Sir, T. H-E-A-R-T. "T" for Tough it Out Together. Beyond the specific help measures, it is the collective will of the people to stand as one, to not let adversity cow us, split us or break us that sets the tone of our society and decide our fate as a nation. This is a time like no other. So, let us gather our strengths and our wits, and tough it out to emerge stronger together. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion. [Applause.] 6.38 pm”
“I urge MSF to consider a second tranche of the COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG) and the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) to provide more relief to workers who may be displaced in the months ahead. I also seek MSF’s support to empower the Social Service Offices or SSOs with greater flexibility to help displaced workers promptly to cope with family expenses arising out of COVID-19 through ComCare and other schemes – give them more leeway to exercise. As the slowdown wears on, calls by individuals to tap into their CPF savings to tide over this difficult period will grow. While I hope that MOM and the CPF Board, when they receive such requests, that they will look at each case sympathetically and be flexibe as much as possible, I am also very mindful that early drawdowns will inevitably translate into weaker eventual retirement adequacy for those workers who have to resort to such early withdrawals, if approved. I therefore still hope that the CPF savings of our older workers can be safeguarded for as long as possible, as much as possible. To help provide greater support to our older workers who face financial hardship, especially those of lower wages, I hope that MOM could consider reviewing and expanding qualifying criteria and parameters for schemes such as the Silver Support Scheme and the Workfare Income Supplement or WIS. These are already schemes that are already there to help seniors, the lower wage workers. There is already within the WIS, also a certain extra consideration for older workers and I thank MOM for that. But in this situation, can we look at reviewing it to help them in a more timely and effective way, and a more meaningful way, because more would need this, and we do not want the build-up.”
“We do that in order to reflect the fine balancing of interests between companies and older workers. In a recession, saving jobs is paramount. Flexibilities between the parties can be discussed, will have to be discussed because we are in a serious situation. So, let us not pretend. We have to discuss. But whatever we do, the spirit of how we do it and do it together, and hold together not only now but for the long term, that is important. Those principles are important and we must adhere to that spirit as we discuss. Where it is really unfair and in egregious cases, then we all know, TAFEP also works with MOM to add bite to its advice and recommendations for improvement. To have teeth in something like that is key if you are to be taken seriously. And TAFEP borrows the teeth from MOM. What I want to say is, in the situation we are facing today, it is of a scale and depth that is quite unlike things that we had done before, that we had faced down before. We also have to continue to look at this situation. I know Minister Teo had elaborated just now painful curtailing work pass privileges can be, and it is indeed so. And so, we will monitor and we will see what other regulatory teeth might be needed as the situation goes. But I would much rather that companies treat every worker, including your older workers fairly. Then, we all work this out together and we emerge together. So, H-E-A. Now R. "R" for Relief. For mature workers who are displaced or who face severe wage cuts, the journey ahead will be tough as they seek to provide for themselves and meet family commitments. I support MSF’s stance to “leave no one behind”.”
“Aside from public and private sector vacancies in existing and growth areas such as health, long-term care, biomedical and logistical fulfilment for online sales, there are also many other initiatives. I recall Minister of State Gan Siow Huang elaborating on all the different initiatives under the SGUnited banner. I have a whole list here, but I will not belabour the point – anything from jobs to traineeships, support for training, satellite centres. I do urge our National Jobs Council to closely monitor the job matching, switching and retraining efforts and outcomes for older workers, which is my subject matter today, and to make the necessary adjustments, enhancements and interventions in the weeks and months ahead, in order to prevent the build-up of a sticky or permanent precariat of older involuntarily displaced workers. So, H-E. Now, A. "A" for Act Fairly. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices or TAFEP works closely with MOM to promote and police fairness at work. In the area related to age, it has actively and steadfastly upheld the principles laid down in relevant tripartite guidelines such as those on fair employment practices, re-employment of older employees and non-discriminatory job advertisements when dealing with complaints. The NTUC has over the years also pushed for protections for older workers and these have been variously incorporated into laws such as when we amended the Industrial Relations Act and the Retirement and when we created the Retirement and Re-employment Act as well as introduced various tripartite advisories, guidelines and standards. We will continue to pay attention to this and to do what is right by our older workers.”
“That is why we have from the Government side, indeed, industry and tripartite efforts and we came up with the Industry Transformation Maps or ITMs. I recall Deputy Prime Minister Heng also in his speech talked about 2.0. So, in other words, we knew that it is not invent for one time and then just use until it falls apart. This is not the truth of our economy. Our economy is one that is constantly changing. In fact, the very name "Industry Transformation Maps" tells all of us that we know we have to transform. In fact, it is not fast enough and that is our worry; not that we are so fixated with this sophistication of our model that we say we do not need to change. We say we need to change, we have to transform, how to transform. So, in that sense, we are not the Titanic. For the Jobs Security Council, what does it do? One of the things that it does is instead of doing job matching, jobseeker by jobseeker, it goes in and works with industry partners, participating companies, by industry, to say, "What are your needs? Who is having vacancies, even in today's situation? Who is having impending excess manpower? Let us know and then you say how do you match ahead, retrain and go." So, this is exactly what Mr Leon Perera was talking about just now. "What is sunset? What is sunrise? Find out early, make the arrangements, help the workers go." So, on this we are agreed that it is important and we are doing it. The NTUC Jobs Security Council, for example – it was reported in the papers recently – has matched 20,000 jobseekers to new job openings. We will press on to continue to help more. One critical success factor in job-matching is indeed the availability of jobs.”
“At the same time, schemes such as e2i’s Lift and Place programme which keeps workers on payroll while they are on temporarily seconded to other jobs in another industry should be tapped wherever possible to minimise and delay retrenchments. On the part of older workers, I also want to continue to stress the importance of looking after our health the best we can while at the same time demonstrating a positive work attitude and willingness to adapt and be flexible. This makes it easier for employers to adjust their operations. Such an older worker would also more attractive to an employer compared to another who is not like that. Next, "E" for Employment Assistance. Despite best efforts by all, some workers will be displaced. When this happens, the most important task is to help the person get back into work as quickly as possible. Prolonged unemployment erodes hiring prospects, especially for older workers. In this context, the work of the National Jobs Council under Senior Minister Tharman and the NTUC’s Jobs Security Council led by NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, which leverages the Labour Movement network, and now acts in concert and in support of the National Jobs Council – these are important arrangements. Within the NTUC it is not only the Jobs Security Council but there is also another network which is the Company Training Committees or CTCs. I just wanted to make reference to this because the hon Member Mr Leon Perera talked about the Titanic. The Titanic once it is made and it sets sail until it comes back into port, that is what you live with. He warned against a Singapore economy that it is like that. Fortunately, Singapore economy is not like that.”
“I am saying this in order to help forestall a resort to a quick fix by stereotyping older workers as a category and then making hiring decisions unfairly on that kind of a basis and denying them a fair go. That is the one that I am warning against and let us pay attention to it. The risk of this happening goes up in a recession and we hear on the ground anecdotes of such thinking and such behaviour. We must therefore warn against and stand up to it. Sir, how do we stand up to it? I propose a five-pronged approach, which I will use the acronym "Heart". H-E-A-R-T. "H" is for Holding On to Jobs. Of course, this is the most preferred of options. The Government on its part has set aside much funding to help improve the cost effectiveness of employing older workers. In the 2020 Budget, there was indeed a Senior Worker Support package comprising the Senior Employment Credit, the Senior Worker Early Adopter Grant and the Part-time Re-employment Grant. The extension of the Jobs Support Scheme will also help to defray payroll cost of older workers, as it do other workers. In the most recent announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Heng allocated an additional $1 billion in the Jobs Growth Incentive aimed at spurring the hiring of workers aged 40 and above. Why am I rattling off all this? This is to remind employers of all these special fundings for the hiring of older workers and giving a fair chance to older workers, so that they will not neglect these facts when making decisions concerning their older workers to continue their employment and hiring.”
“Sir, if ageism rears its head and age discrimination results in age-based retrenchment, and becomes the easy way for employers and HR practitioners within companies to cut jobs to save costs and then to systematically deny rehiring opportunity, then much of what we have all laboured for so many years to build, including our hard-won increases in employment rates amongst older cohorts of workers and the raising of the statutory retirement and re-employment ages, all these accomplishments can very easily be eroded away. Therefore, i just want to call attention to this – do not take this lightly. I know the situation is difficult, I know everybody says that they are the most important, "Look after me" but do not take this as the easy way out. These two deserve due consideration and serious consideration too. On this I want to thank Second Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng yesterday for speaking out also for fairness for older workers and also Minister Josephine Teo earlier. Furthermore, older displaced workers will have a harder time finding new work even in a buoyant economy and often face a significant drop in wages when they do find new jobs. If a displaced older worker remains unemployed for a longer period, then that unemployment may turn sticky or become structural. There will then be a knock-on effect on retirement adequacy and that will in turn impose a heavier call on community, family and state financial resources, not to imagine what it does to the morale of the people. I say all these not to pretend that all older workers are somehow better at work than younger ones. I am not saying that.”
“In the months ahead, we will see more companies shedding workers through downsizing or even closure because demand and revenue conditions will not return to normal for many industries, while cost and cash pressures will continue to bear down on businesses. Given this, the most critical outcome for Singaporeans is indeed jobs, jobs, jobs. The question is: whose jobs will go, and who will get the chance to be hired for the new jobs? Many in this House have spoken already of the need and the means to protect and safeguard the Singapore Core. I support these efforts to secure our Singapore Core. I also strongly believe that we must clearly signal that job displacement and job hiring must not become areas for discriminating against older workers as a category. Senior Minister Tharman, in an interview dated 17 June this year, said and I quote, "This is, and must be, a national effort. And it needs new thinking among employers, to give middle-aged and mature Singaporean workers a fair chance to prove themselves." He said, "Employers need to reorient their management philosophies and their human resources and talent management practices." "No Singaporean who is willing to learn should be 'too old' to hire. And no one who is willing to adapt should be viewed as 'overqualified'", he said.”
“There is also a rising number of countries facing new resurgence of COVID-19 infection, forcing them to re-tighten on the painful restrictions. So, when everybody freezes up, that has an impact on a trading nation, on a logistics and air hub. It means that our economy will continue to be squeezed which then means that jobs will be lost and the labour market will see jobseekers chase after vacancies, instead of the one that we are a lot more familiar with for years which was jobs chasing after workers. In this scenario, which may persist for quite some time, I want today to speak up for a segment of the workforce who will then face an increased risk of job loss. Sir, amidst all these wrenching changes, one might think that there are no constants anymore – everything is flux. But there are, and one of them is ageing. It happens – that is, ageing happens – regardless of whether there are geopolitical or trade tensions. It even goes undeterred by COVID-19. Sir, I have spoken in this House many times before on the need for our country to prepare well and in advance of the needs of an aging population and ageing workers. Previously, overall conditions were more benign. The economy was growing and there was a chronic shortage of workers in most sectors. Coupled with low population fertility, both the need and the benefit of enabling older workers to continue contributing is obvious – obvious to the older workers themselves, obvious to their companies and to the country. Also, with the economy continuing to grow, companies and workers had the time to adjust. Sir, I am afraid that this time the situation is different.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join the debate. Before I begin, on behalf of the NTUC, I want to thank Minister Josephine Teo for her acknowledgement of our partnership and of our symbiotic relationship. We will never shy away from stepping up at a time of need to look after workers, to look after everybody who have to earn a living, to work with the Government, to work with our symbiotic partner, to do the right thing. We believe in action, we believe in learning. We will do our best and we will do better. And it is always hard when you are doing things, something that was not pre-existing; and you would learn. But we are committed to that and our actions and our results speak for themselves in that they have touched lives. And in that, we take comfort. [Applause.] Sir, as the President has highlighted, jobs will continue to be the top priority for the next few years. Singapore depends greatly on trade and global demand for manufacturing, logistics and financial services. A big chunk of employment is also dependent on tourism and air travel, as these directly and indirectly create jobs for the air hub and related services, tourism services, local transportation, hotels, retail, F&B and so on. The economic and social disruptions brought about by COVID-19 and by geopolitical and trade tensions have upended lives and livelihoods throughout the world. The unprecedented four Government Budgets in the first half of this year, totalling close to $100 billion, helped blunt the worst effects. They helped to save jobs and reduce retrenchments even when most companies and industries have little or, in some cases, no revenue. The world today continues to be shrouded in COVID-19 infections.”
“An employer who views his older workers as assets and another employer who views them as liabilities will both be right, because they will each act in a self-fulfilling manner. The enlightened employer will continue investing in sharpening the skills of his older workers just as he does his younger ones. The ageist employer will deny his older workers the opportunities to keep current and they will rust away, just as he predicted. I therefore call on employers to adopt a progressive mindset. I thank every progressive employer who are already doing so, and I say it needs a proper and equally progressive response from olders workers. Therefore, likewise, I urge my fellow older workers to be enthusiastic about learning new skills to stay employable. This is the best favour we can do for ourselves in this environment. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, disease and geo-politics have put Singapore in particularly daunting circumstances. But we shall not be daunted. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, speaking at the 1966 National Day Rally, said "Never be depressed, never be deflated by setbacks. We face facts. This is one of the greatest strengths about Singapore: its willingness to face reality… not because we wished it to be but because it was. This capacity to face up to situations, however intractable, however unpleasant, is one of the great qualities for survival. A people able to look facts squarely in the face, able to calculate the odds, to weigh the chances and then to decide to go for it, are a people not likely to go under." Mr Deputy Speaker, we are that people. We can and we will overcome. I support the Budget.”
“Next, with many SMEs struggling badly and yet in total employing some two-thirds of our workforce, and within that two-thirds, many are older workers as well, how we help SMEs redesign processes, jobs, their entire operations for this new enviornment and transform, if we can do that, that will really move the needle as well. Is it easy? It is not easy; it has been tried before; it is so dispersed – very hard to do. But if that ground does not move or does not move quick or well enough, then actually it is very difficult to move the overall; it is just simply because the number of businesses that are SMEs. Again, tapping into the moment that we are in now, where everybody knows that we have to change, not because you like it but because that is the reality, then let us do it with a concerted tripartite effort, at least minimally, let us target the more promising SMEs, and through them to show to the rest, let them lead the pack in this transformation. Next, training and re-training. This topic has been covered in depth earlier by the Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, so I will not belabour the points on training except to make one, which is once again call on employers to remember and to please invest in the training and re-training of your older workers. Do not leave them out, do not just do it for your younger workers. Give these older workers, your older workers, a fair go at training, especially training that makes them digitally employable. When the dust settles, countries that best invest in their workforce and infrastructure to be fighting fit in a very digital future are likely to out-compete the rest.”
“While I call for the preservation of jobs for older workers, this does not mean that the way in which these jobs are to be carried out should remain the same. Far from it. Unless companies and workers transform job designs and work processes, and increase their use of technology and spur innovation, they will not escape the worst that this storm will bring. This COVID-19 storm is so furious that there simply would not be enough resources to prop up zombie companies and jobs. This means that we must spur companies to press on with job redesign. I call for practical support for companies, again, in both monetary and non-monetary, such as expertise terms, to help them quickly redesign jobs and processes that incorporate the following key dimensions. First, how to re-engineer processes and use technology to render more jobs Easier, Safer and Smarter, or what we call ESS. ESS jobs, the concept is not new at all. The hon Mr Lim Swee Say, when he was Secretary-General NTUC as well as Manpower Minister, tried very hard to promote the adoption and innovation in this area. What is different though is that current times provide the opportunity to take this up, because companies now can see for themselves the obvious need, advantage and imperative of doing so; it increases competitiveness, enhances resilience, attractiveness, increase your flexibility. And here, the WorkPro Job Redesign Grant of up to $300,000 per company can be reviewed and re-energised to spur action in this harsh but opportune moment.”
“In this regard, the hiring incentive that was introduced as part of the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package (SMCSP) in February's Unity Budget will come in very handy. This Incentive targets employers who hire local workers aged 40 and above through eligible re-skilling programmes, and it was meant to last six months. I call for the duration of this hiring incentive to be extended from six months to 12 months, in order to make the incentive more attractive to employers to offer job contracts of at least a year to such mature, mid-career job seekers. I also ask Government to consider help – both monetary and non-monetary – to enable organisations, workplaces, to be reshaped to be COVID-safe for workers of all ages, to be age barrier free, with respect to COVID-19. This should become part and parcel of the basic Workplace Safety and Health, or WSH, specifications, so that Singapore will have a sustainable operating model in this new normal, and we will not just work on the notion or the assumption that COVID-19 is a one-off event and somehow it will go away and neither it nor anything similar will hit us in future. We have to now be ready for all time. As part of the reopening of the economy after the circuit breaker ends, workers will progressively return to work in some way. For occupations that employ a large number of older workers at the frontline, I urge the Government to prioritise testing for these workers. This will give both they, their employers and their customers greater peace of mind. It would also enable those infected to be identified as early as possible and given treatment, and thus limiting transmission, both in the community and at the workplace. Next, recreating jobs.”
“I recall that when we battled SARS back in 2003, there were a number of big projects that created many thousands of new jobs. That helped absorbed displaced workers. This time round, the Government has also announced moves to create public and private sector jobs and traineeships. MTI has also just very recently announced a very good investment pipeline coming into Singapore that will create thousands of jobs as well. Aside from opportunities in areas such as healthcare and e-logistics, we should also consider how areas that might be linked to our longer term security, such as urban farming, renewable energy, such areas as well; whether jobs could also be created are this be given due attention and development. Next, advocating fairness and opportunity at workplaces. Over the years, through wage reform, many jobs have wages that have become much more performance-based rather than seniority-based. I urge employers, therefore, in considering how to manage their excess manpower to be fair. Please do not target older workers as a category. The Labour Movement and tripartite partners will be on the look-out for age-specific and other unfair practices. COVID-19 has also revealed the sudden disruption to manning when segments of workers are stuck elsewhere even when the company is allowed to operate. There is therefore scope for localisation to help companies be more resilient against such sudden supply disruptions. There will be roles that can be done by willing and properly trained and re-trained local workers, including older workers. The Labour Movement will be keen to work with companies on such initiatives through the Company Training Committees (CTCs) and the NTUC Jobs Security Council (JSC), which will now also function in support of our National Jobs Council.”
“I hope that Government can apply this incentive to a slightly younger age group from age 55 and above, those who would be employed on that basis for the next one year, because this one year is a critical period. I make this call not only to lower the cost of such workers to their employers who respond positively to suchrequest, but also in view of the fact that COVID-19 is especially harsh toward older persons and employers are therefore also worried about how to deploy such workers and manage their safe return to work; they have concerns. We must therefore find ways to incentivise employers to keep such workers hired, whether full-time or part-time, back to work at the workplace or telecommute, rather than to have the employers decide that they will do without them. Next, matching jobs. No matter how hard we try, I think it is inevitable that some older workers will be displaced as companies take measures to cope and to transform. It is imperative that we find ways to help as many older workers earn income as possible. If not, they will become structurally unemployed prematurely, and will then have to depend more on their children, who themselves are under pressure, or on general taxes for support. In this regard, I urge our National Jobs Council to pay due attention to job preservation and job creation for older workers as well. The Circuit-Breaker period has illustrated cross-industry job possibilities. Whether it is Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) for older PMEs or full-time/part-time/gig jobs in retail, logistics, healthcare, transport, the public sector and others, let us give older workers a fair go at these opportunities as well.”
“We know from experience and studies that older workers are at greater risk of being retrenched than younger workers. We also know that when an older worker loses his job, he will take longer than a younger worker of an otherwise similar profile to find new work, and even then, would in all likelihood take a substantial pay cut. Therefore, the most merciful thing to do for older workers is to minimise the risk of retrenchment. The tripartite agreement to delay the CPF contribution rate changes from January 2020 to January 2022, the original proposed increases, that agreement to delay is a step in this direction, a step taken in order not to inadvertently raise the risk of retrenchment for older workers aged 55 and above. In delaying the change of the increase, Government also decided to remove the corresponding wage offset which was meant to help employers shoulder half the cost of that CPF increase. I hope that Government can consider re-channelling the $80 million originally earmarked for that transitional offset into strengthening the Senior Employment Credit for the next one year. This Senior Employment Credit, which was announced in the Unity Budget, incentivises companies to hire older workers aged 55 and above. So, it is paying for an outcome and every percentage help to companies is helpful towards inventivising employment and employability of workers. I believe that if Government is prepared to do so, it will send a strong and visible signal to both employers and older workers that it is resolute in wanting to save jobs for older workers in this difficult time. In the Unity Budget 2020, Government also announced a new Part-time Re-employment Grant, or PTRG, for employers who offer it to re-employed workers aged 62 and above, who request for it.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join this debate. I stand in support of the Budget. In late July 2019, MOM estimated that there were 60,000 vacancies in our economy waiting to be filled. Now, less than a year later, we are staring at an annual GDP shrinkage of between -4% and -7%. Before the year 2020 began, the global economy was already feeling the effects of the US-China trade war. And then COVID-19 struck. The world became a totally different place for everyone. If the projected shrinkage of the national pie materialises, it would be the worst since Singapore’s Independence. It reflects the serious anxiety we see on the ground – businesses worrying about survival, workers worrying about their jobs. This is why the Government has had to roll out four Budgets totalling $93 billion in as many months, and which entails drawing $52 billion from our national reserves – all unprecedented moves. Even so, we cannot realistically expect the cushioning to completely counter what COVID-19 has done or will do – hitting both supply and demand at the same time. Not all businesses will survive this. Neither can all jobs be saved from this tsunami. When push comes to shove, and beyond what the very important Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) can do for businesses and to save the jobs for all local workers, what specificaly will happen to the older segment of our workforce? Over the past weeks, I have had discussions with union leaders and also with employers' representatives over the subject of older workers, in the context of COVID-19 and our economy. They shared their views candidly with me and I have put them together and will share some of their views here, and to make some recommendations. First, on saving jobs.”
“Under the "We Support NS" campaign, over 540 merchants, businesses and hawkers last year offered a wide selection of discounts to past and present national servicemen. Amongst them is Mr Anthony Low, hawker-owner and Chairman of Boon Lay Hawker’s Association. So, what Mr Low did was he rallied more than 60 hawker stalls within his Association's membership to provide privileges to national servicemen, after seeing how his son had toughened up through NS. In so many different ways and individual ways, we can make a difference. So, every effort and every gesture counts and it is appreciated. To thank the businesses for their support, we held the inaugural "We Support NS" Appreciation Function last year and we thanked more than 200 merchants who came to meet us. We hope that the momentum can be kept up. Likewise, ACCORD has engaged the communities – different communities – in multiple ways to continue fostering wide and deep support for NS. So, this journey never ends, and in the context of what was discussed, the need for Total Defence in all its dimensions is something that we have to keep doing and press on. Mr Chairman, through continued whole-of-society commitment to our defence, we will demonstrate our will and resolve to protect Singapore's freedom and sovereignty, come what may.”
“Pre-enlistees will also be able to monitor the progress of their applications online. As for the new NS Hub to be completed in 2023, which Mr Arasu asked about, that will integrate smart technologies, such as biometric identification and other initiatives on trial at CMPB today. These, we expect, will cut waiting time by about a third. Another initiative is "Virtual Care". Under Virtual Care, medical officers in the SAF use technologies such as digital stethoscopes and video conferencing tools to diagnose effectively and prescribe medicine for common ailments remotely. Last year, this service was piloted at two SAF medical centres. It has proven to be convenient, it actually also allows the diagnosis to be done faster because you do not have to wait for the doctor and the patient to physically meet as applied to common ailments. So, this has made medical services more accessible, more convenient and has reduced wait times. I have just spoken about MINDEF and the SAF's efforts to provide the best possible experience for every national serviceman. As Mr Ang Hin Kee highlighted, our families, businesses, schools and community groups are also key pillars of support. Through ACCORD, we will continue to appreciate and rally strong societal support for NS. My deepest appreciation to ACCORD members especially, for contributing their ideas and for so proactively putting their initiatives into action within their respective communities. The business community, for example, has stepped up to show appreciation for our soldiers. Earlier, Mr Douglas Foo has also elaborated on what the SMF as a business federation has done.”
“In order to recognise the contributions of our NS personnel, we have also increased the monthly NS allowance quantums from their current levels, which varies according to your rank, vocation, deployment. They will go up by between an additional $70 to an additional $120. So, depending on what is your current rank, level, vocation and your deployment; it will go up by between $70 and $120. This will be applicable to NSFs and NSmen in both the SAF and the Home Team, covering all ranks and vocations from 1 March 2020. Mr Douglas Foo brought this up, I thank him for that. As we continue to place our national servicemen at the heart of what we do, we also constantly ask ourselves – how can we serve ever more efficiently and effectively? This is why we are applying digital technologies to various facets of NS, from administration and training to healthcare. Ms Joan Pereira asked about this, so allow me to share some information. For our servicemen, their NS journey begins at the Central Manpower Base, or CMPB. Over the years, we have enhanced the experience at CMPB for pre-enlistees. Infrared scanners were introduced in 2015 to measure body dimensions quickly and accurately. A real-time queue management system and facial recognition technology are also on trial for a more seamless experience. Come June this year, we will complement these on-site enhancements with improved e-services to provide our pre-enlistees an even more hassle-free experience of completing most transactions online. For instance, pre-enlistees will be able to complete their bond and exit permit application in one single online application and transaction instead of the separate applications and transactions that they currently have to do.”
“We are encouraged to see that more than 60% indicate interest in demanding vocations such as in Infantry, Guards, Armour and strong interest by our NSFs to also become commanders. To help our NSFs acquire new skills as they transit to studies or work after their Operationally Ready Date (ORD), MINDEF introduced the "SkillsFuture@NS" initiative last year where NSFs can use their E-PREP credits, which is $350 worth of E-PREP credits, and they may access training and choose from a pool of about 3,000 courses. These courses range from SkillsFuture Series courses, to those offered by Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) that will aid the NSFs in their admission or to gain them credit exemptions. Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked for an update on this. So, for this year, we will be introducing further enhancements. First, NSFs can look forward to full subsidy of the E-PREP courses as opposed to currently allowing the E-PREP credits to fund up to 90%. You can fund it all. Second, we will raise the number of E-PREP courses that are available, expand the pool of E-PREP courses. I am excited to share that two new institutions are coming on-board to offer E-PREP courses, namely, NUS and ITE, bringing the number of E-PREP partners to nine. For our existing E-PREP partners, we have also worked closely with them to expand their course offerings. With these additions, NSFs across the SAF and the Home Team will be able to enjoy a pool of some 4,000 courses, up 1,000 from last year, from 1 April this year. Out of these, close to 100 will be credit-bearing as they undertake further studies. This compares with 26, the year before.”
“We are also facilitating mutual learning and exchange among NS coordinators. In one such exchange, which was hosted by United World College (South East Asia) last year; I was there and the discussions were very enriching, frank and open. Everybody found it very useful. There will be another round upcoming and I look forward to attending it as well. We are also aware that many pre-enlistees want to be more physically prepared before they enter NS. Hence, MINDEF is collaborating with SAFRA to make gym facilities more accessible through the Pre-Enlistees Exercise Programme for National Service, or PREP4NS. Under PREP4NS, pre-enlistees can sign up for a one-year complimentary membership to six SAFRA gyms conveniently located in different parts of Singapore. This trial is on-going, we have so far about 6,000 pre-enlistees signed up for the membership since its launch last November. We are also looking at increasing more venues and for this, we are now working with SportSG in order to see how best to give membership access its 24 gyms. More details on this will be provided later when we are clearer. Let me move on now to our full-time National Servicemen, or NSFs. NSFs devote two full years to serving the nation. It is therefore incumbent upon us as stewards of their time and talents to make sure that we support their aspirations. 2.45 pm So, take, for instance, the Vocational Interest initiative. This was started in 2016 and under this initiative, NSFs may indicate their interest in 33 NS vocations. What MINDEF, SAF does is, we do our best to match them as far as possible to the vocation of their choice, subject to, obviously, our operational requirements. This has been well-received amongst the NSFs.”
“All SAF Medical Centres have a Pandemic Readiness Response Plan and we hold sufficient supplies of Personal Protective Equipment and we also have medical personnel ready to manage suspected cases in line with MOH's requirements. With the change to DORSCON Orange, the SAF has also stepped up preventive measures within camps, requiring our personnel to take their temperature twice daily, conducting more frequent disinfection of workplaces as well as staggering meal times. We will continue to do our utmost to protect our servicemen. Let me now talk about enhancing the NS experience. While our robust training and safety measures and medical support give our soldiers the confidence to train well and to train hard, the enduring strength of the SAF ultimately rests on the commitment on the part of our soldiers. This is why we constantly look for ways to improve the NS experience for every serviceman, at every stage of his NS journey. This point was raised by Mr Chong Kee Hiong. For pre-enlistees, we are preparing them better for NS, both physically and mentally. As Mr Chong Kee Hiong pointed out, our pre-enlistees come from diverse backgrounds. For the vast majority, obviously are still citizens born and bred in Singapore and who, as Members have pointed out, most likely have family members who had undergone NS. Yet there are also new citizens and PRs who may not have family or friends who have undergone NS before. In other words, they may know less compared to Singaporeans who were born and bred here. To better equip this group, we partnered ACCORD to appoint dedicated NS Coordinators in Foreign System Schools and Privately Funded Institutions in order to assist with their questions and clarifications about NS.”
“To enhance their competencies, the SAF has partnered the SCDF, under an initiative known as Project Serve, to create a six-month attachment within the SCDF's national emergency ambulances. In other words, the SAF medics go with the SCDF paramedics in the ambulances attending to real cases. By doing so, they put their knowledge into practice under real-life, time-pressured situations. Recently, we also piloted the attachment of our medics to the NUH Emergency Medicine Department. Such hands-on trainings are extremely valuable to our medics – they have emerged from such trainings, more confident and competent in casualty management. Discussions are currently underway with both the SCDF and the other hospitals to extend and expand such programmes. Through these various initiatives, we will build a capable fighting force that will always train effectively and safely. Moving from safety to health, Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the precautionary measures that the SAF has put in place to protect our servicemen in light of the COVID-19 threat. MINDEF and SAF take reference from the Government's advisories, guidelines and requirements. We gave pre-enlistees who have travelled to China and are due for enlistment a mandatory Leave of Absence (LOA) and deferred In-Camp Training for NSmen who have travelled to China. Last week, we extended these measures to pre-enlistees and NSmen who have travelled to Daegu City or to Cheongdo County in South Korea, in line with MOH's revised advisory. In other words, we keep a very very close eye on the situation and we adjust accordingly.”
“For instance, the newly commissioned Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle comes with emergency stop features, as well as audio and visual alerts to prompt the crew about surrounding hazards. As Mr Arasu Duraisamy pointed out, we want every soldier to consciously keep safe while they train. It is not a compromise, it is both at the same time. To achieve this, unit commanders conduct before- and after-action reviews and risk assessments with the units as part of their daily work. The 6th Army Maintenance Base is an example. During morning roll calls, their commanders and soldiers discuss openly about possible lapses or near-misses; for example, if you use the wrong tools or soldiers not wearing their helmets and so on. Using a simple Think-Check-Do approach, the soldiers systematically plan their steps, check their equipment and pre-empt risks before each maintenance task. Over time, every soldier will internalise these safety practices. We are also harnessing technology. Last year, I spoke about SafeGuardian, which is a one-stop mobile app for on-the-go access to safety checklists, instant sharing of hazards among servicemen and notification amongst them of danger zones. By placing safety information within the easy and instant reach of our servicemen, we foster a culture of safety – "By All, For All". The app was trialed in our Naval Bases and feedback has been positive. We will be progressively rolling this out throughout the SAF. I have spoken so far about preventive measures to keep our soldiers safe as they train. Mr Charles Chong asked how the SAF is improving its response to medical emergencies when accidents happen. SAF Medics undergo an 11-week training on life-saving skills.”
“Mr Chairman, Minister for Defence just spoke about how our geopolitical environment is becoming increasingly complex. The SAF must evolve with these challenges in order to be able to mount a strong national defence. Our greatest asset remains our people, with National Service or NS, as the cornerstone of our defence. MINDEF and the SAF must therefore continue to invest in capable national servicemen, enrich their NS experience and strengthen Singaporean's support for NS. The SAF is are committed to training our national servicemen effectively and safely. Families entrust their sons to us. We must and we will uphold the trust in us. Mr Charles Chong asked about improvements to training safety. Last February, the SAF Inspector-General's Office, or IGO, was formed to scrutinise and enforce the safety measures in SAF units. IGO inspectors go to each unit to assess the robustness of their safety systems as well as their practices. They interview servicemen at every level – from commanders, to safety appointment holders, to soldiers – in order to understand how safety measures are practised on the ground and whether the soldiers themselves feel confident and comfortable to provide feedback on safety. The IGO has already audited 70% of all formations and their sub-units across the SAF and they will complete this first round of audits by September this year. Safety audits aside, there must also be concrete, consistent action at all levels and at all times. The Army has introduced 100% inspections of all high-risk activities and field training. Existing equipment are regularly reviewed, while new equipment are designed with inbuilt safety features.”
“Because Every Worker Matters, now and always. Sir, I support this Unity Budget.”
“In this area of boosting job search and placement, the Government will find an enthusiastic innovator in the Labour Movement. As Minister in the Prime Minister's office and Secretary-General of NTUC, brother Ng Chee Meng had said earlier that NTUC will be spearheading the JSC in partnership with industry to go beyond what, for example, NTUC's e2i has traditionally done for individual jobseekers and individual hiring companies. Through proactive information sharing and planning, JSCs and CTCs can work together to efficiently facilitate training, retraining and placements between manpower-flushed areas and manpower-starved areas. Such system-level efficiency in manpower redeployment will further sharpen Singapore's overall competitiveness that is good for business and it would certainly help shorten periods of unemployment for workers who are seeking new jobs. Sir, as the saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". We have to face down both the immediate COVID-19 threat as well as shape up for the big challenges and opportunities that the future economy will bring. I heard our Deputy Prime Minister over the radio as he was discussing aspects of the Budget and exhorting everybody to keep our spirits up and together do our best, and he quoted the name of a Hokkien song title. He said, “要 拼 才 会 赢”, which means in English, success comes through effort and striving. He is absolutely right. Success will not come from just taking painkillers or hunkering down. It will come from taking action – concrete, purposeful, effective action. The Labour Movement stands ready to work with the Government and employers to tackle this tough patch and to simultaneously build that better future of better wages, welfare and work prospects for all workers.”
“Provisions of this year's Budget can certainly give a boost to the CTCs' efforts, and I urge our tripartite partners to make full use of these resources to press ahead with investing in our workers' training across all ages. For displaced workers, finding a new job quickly is important. This is especially so for older workers as experience tells us that they will find it more difficult to find a new job and to maintain the previous pay. And this affects not only what we might traditionally call rank-and-file workers, but actually, it is so for all levels and all ages of workers, affecting also middle-age PMEs. In this Budget, through the SkillsFuture Mid-career Support Package, the Government is going to double the job placement of professionals via the PCPs. Such professionals will be able to find new career runways through the PCPs' skill-up-and-switch roadmaps. I fully support this, and I have one call on the Government to consider, which is to broaden the age criterion – currently set between 40 and 60 – to include those up to the current re-employment age ceiling of 67. And the reason is because all the factors that we have argued about, the 40- to 60-year-olds having the vulnerability, they would certainly also apply from 60 to 67. Indeed, if anything, if that group should lose their jobs, the challenges will not be less than those aged 40 to 60. At the same time, the scheme itself has certain safeguards in terms of useful courses. So, it is good and proper that we broaden the criteria to include workers up to the re-employment age ceiling of 67 and to continue in this way to show the Government's commitment towards their employment, employability and welfare.”