Indranee Rajah
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, I would like to make a clarification in relation to two written answers on childcare leave issued by the Prime Minister's Office on 25 September 2025 and 3 February 2026 in response to Parliamentary Questions filed by Members of Parliament Ms Cassandra Lee and Ms Valerie Lee respectively.”
“Based on Year of Assessment (YA) 2025 data, about 9,500 working mothers claimed a lower amount of Working Mother's Child Relief (WCMR) under the fixed-dollar basis than they would have under the previous percentage-based basis, for children born or adopted on or after 1 January 2024.”
“We regularly receive feedback on enhancing child-related leave provisions, including the Member's suggestion. In recent years, parental leave provisions have been significantly enhanced, such that parents now have 30 weeks of paid leave, including 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave.”
“The Government does not have data on the number of transactions involving multiple units on a single residential title that have not been subdivided. Such properties are treated as a single property for Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) purposes when it is bought, so no ABSD is foregone.”
“The Government publishes data on personal income tax, which is publicly available on www.data.gov.sg. This includes data on the number of course fees relief claimants and the amount of the relief granted. The Member may refer to the website to access the data for the first three questions.”
“In considering the duration of leave, we will look at the need. In this case, as I have explained, there is a difference between those who give birth physically to a child and those who adopt.”
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“I will have to have this checked specifically. However, the general principle of the contact address is that if you have done a BizFile search or a company search, you will know that when they show, let us say, director's particulars, there will always be an address. That is for general purposes. There will be, sometimes, when you have specific documents where you need a specific mode of delivery, for example, Court documents; or if we send reminders to pay money, we will normally do registered post. So, the Act sometimes prescribes situations where a specific mode has to be followed. But when you file general particulars, there is a general address. Clause 16, if I am not mistaken and that was the one that was being referred to— no, clause 19, that talks about the alternate address being replaced with contact address. An alternate address is one of those generic addresses. So, when you print out the search in an ACRA search, you will see director's name. Then, there may be residential address. Then, there may be alternate address. This is the generic one and this is the one for alternate addresses which will be replaced by the contact address regime. Clearly, in the Act, it contemplates different underlying functions, and you have different addresses or different things for that. So, one refers to the address, the other refers to the mode of delivery of the document. 4.31 pm”
“Can I just check the other clauses? Clause 26, I got. Which were the other clauses that were being referred to? Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Yes, they were clauses 19, 34, 45 and 65. And there, it just states that a contact address, but it does not require, specifically, the language of ordinary or prepaid registered post is not included, unlike clause 26A.”
“It is just that they will not be made public, but ACRA can share the residential address and other data or information with other Government agencies if needed. With that, Sir, in conclusion, the amendments in this Bill will strengthen data protection, facilitate digital communications between the Government and businesses and streamline our corporate regulatory framework. It strikes a fine balance between corporate transparency and personal data protection as we advance the digitalisation of our corporate regulatory services. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.”
“You would never, in any circumstances, use registered post as a means for personal service, nor would it be a prerequisite. You would send by way of registered post if you want to be doubly sure that it reaches a certain address. But registered post does not ensure it reaches an individual because you can have registered post delivered to a certain address. The domestic helper may be at home, another family member may be at home, not the addressee. So long as they receive it and sign for it, it is registered, but that is not personal service. Then, substituted service comes when you are not able to actually deliver to the person face-to-face. Usually, for Court documents, the Court is satisfied that you could not meet that person face-to-face, so you have a substituted service, leaving it at the doorstep, in some cases, if the Court allows, sending it digitally. So, I just wanted to lay that framework so that everybody understands all three are very separate things for separate purposes. However, in terms of what the regime provides, first, documents for Court proceedings will continue to be served in hard copy, including whichever means they are required to be served. Second, under existing legislation, ACRA sends certain documents only digitally, as there is no requirement for these documents to be sent in hard copy or by registered post. For documents required by ACRA-administered legislation to be sent in hard copy, clause 28A will allow the documents to be sent digitally. There was one more question, which was whether the contact address would inhibit Police or enforcement action. The answer is no, because the residential addresses still need to be filed with ACRA.”
“For example, financial institutions highlighted the need to have access to residential addresses of individuals associated with businesses for compliance with anti-money laundering statutory obligations. As I have mentioned in my earlier speech, we accepted this feedback and provided for this under the disclosure framework. We also regularly review our policies and legislation to maintain a pro-business environment while ensuring a robust regulatory regime. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim had a couple of questions. Let me just address that. He had mentioned, in relation to foreign companies, the suggestion was that clause 48 would make it easier for foreign investors to register the subsidiaries of their businesses. I just want to clarify that the purpose of clause 48 is not to make it easier for foreign investors to register their companies, but as I mentioned in my speech earlier, it relates to the streamlining of financial reporting requirements by foreign companies. In other words, if they have already prepared financial statements which substantially meet our requirements, then they can use that and it is easier for them. There was another point which Assoc Prof Jamus Lim raised. He mentioned that it is odd that there was no requirement that registered posts be used to ensure receipt, it being a common practice for, at least, initial attempts at personal service prior to any application for substituted service thereafter. Actually, they are all three different concepts. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim may be confused between the three. Registered post is not the same as personal service and personal service is not the same as substituted service. When there is personal service, you have to actually hand it to the person directly, in person.”
“Mr Don Wee asked about the Registrar's powers in relation to the registers of directors and how the Registrar will determine and reflect the disqualification status of disqualified directors on ACRA registers. The Bill will empower the Registrar to amend the register based on specific provisions in the Companies Act which set out the circumstances an individual is disqualified from acting as a director. This status will be publicly accessible, ensuring transparency on the eligibility of individuals to be appointed as directors. Once the disqualification period ends, the status will be removed. Mr Don Wee also asked about the changes to the financial reporting requirements for foreign companies registered under the Companies Act. The amendments aim to reduce the administrative burden on foreign companies by allowing them to file the applicable financial statements that they have already prepared as long as the requirements under the Companies Act are met. For example, if a foreign company is listed in Singapore overseas, it can lodge with ACRA the financial statements prepared in compliance with the applicable rules of the exchange on which it is listed. In relation to the questions raised by Members on the Bill process, let me assure the House that careful study has been done in the formulation of this Bill. We looked at the best practices of leading jurisdictions and adopted them for our local context. For example, our approach to not disclose residential addresses of individuals associated with businesses is similar to the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. In the public consultations held in 2020, 2022 and 2024, the feedback received was broadly in support of the proposals and we incorporated the relevant feedback received into this Bill.”
“The scope of the Bill does not presently cover this. However, the Member has raised a good suggestion. To provide for this, we will consider amending the disclosure framework relating to the use of personal information in the Sixth Schedule to the Bill, which can be amended as subsidiary legislation to permit disclosure of residential addresses to lawyers for the purposes of service of process. Mr Louis Ng, Mr Don Wee and Mr Yip Hon Weng asked about the safeguards in place when sharing information with authorised information service providers and other specified persons. ACRA is committed to data protection. ACRA will implement the necessary safeguards, which include requiring these third parties to sign undertakings or agree to terms and conditions governing data use to prevent the disclosure of data to unauthorised persons or for unauthorised purposes. Breaches may result in severe consequences, including the termination of service contracts or debarment from Government procurement. Mr Don Wee asked which Government agencies would provide information to ACRA and the accuracy of such information. The Government agencies that would provide information to ACRA will be published in the Government Gazette. For instance, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, or ICA, will provide realtime data updates of NRIC holders' personal information to ACRA registers. If any data discrepancies come to ACRA's attention, ACRA will conduct verification with the relevant agencies. This ensures accuracy of ACRA's registers and provides greater convenience to individuals and businesses who do not then need to update multiple agencies. Fourth, let me address questions related to the refinements to our corporate regulatory regime.”
“To ensure that the individual can still be reached, ACRA may then disclose the individual's residential address for corporate transparency and to allow effective service of documents because, presumably, the individual will have to go home at some point in time. Mr Louis Ng also asked about the rationale for imposing a three-year restriction on updating contact addresses after the residential address is disclosed by the Registrar. The three-year period is to deter individuals from providing fake or unreliable contact addresses. We do not want individuals to intentionally file inaccurate contact addresses in order to avoid being reached, which would undermine the contact address regime. Hence, if individuals are uncontactable at the contact addresses they provided, it suggests these addresses are ineffective as a way to reach these individuals. In this situation, ACRA has the power to publicly disclose their residential addresses for corporate transparency purposes. Once this happens, then, as a form of deterrence, these individuals will not be allowed to put up new contact addresses for a period of three years, even if they wish to do so for privacy reasons. They will have to accept their residential address functioning as the contact address for three years. However, if an individual genuinely needs the three-year restriction to be reviewed, they can make an application to the Registrar, who will consider the facts and circumstances of each case before deciding whether to allow the individual to provide another contact address. Let me move on to questions relating to data protection and information sharing. Mr Louis Ng asked whether lawyers will be able to obtain residential addresses of individuals registered with ACRA for the purpose of service of Court processes.”
“To Mr Don Wee's query on security, the BizFile system is a secure environment and any information or document uploaded to the digital mailbox can only be accessed by individuals and businesses when they log in with their Singpass and/or CorpPass. Mr Louis Ng asked whether there are any plans to allow Court documents to be served digitally. While the Bill does not cover that, ACRA will consider Mr Louis Ng's suggestion in future reviews but that will also depend on the rules of Court and what they permit. Mr Don Wee and Mr Yip Hon Weng also asked about the impact of the transition to digital communications on individuals and businesses, particularly SMEs. Given that digital filing has been in place since 2003, most individuals and businesses that transact with ACRA would be familiar with the BizFile portal. So, we expect the transition to digital communications to be manageable. That said, we recognise that some individuals and businesses may need more time to adjust to digital communications. Hence, we will provide a one-year transition period. During this time, ACRA will send both hard copy documents and digital copies with reminders about the full transition to digital communications. Next, I will address questions relating to the contact address regime. Mr Louis Ng asked how the disclosure of residential addresses when the contact address is found to be not effective will help to bring documents to the individual's notice. As mentioned in my opening speech, the contact and residential addresses are key in reaching individuals associated with the company. If the individual cannot be reached at the contact address provided, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the contact address is either inaccurate or outdated.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Members of Parliament Mr Louis Ng, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, Mr Don Wee and Mr Yip Hon Weng for their comments and support of the Bill. They have raised questions around four main themes, which can be summarised as follows: one, relating to the transition to digital communications; two, the introduction of the new contact address regime; three, data protection and information sharing; and four, the proposed enhancements to the corporate regulatory regime. I will address them in turn. Let me start by addressing questions relating to ACRA's transition to digital communications. Mr Louis Ng asked how documents sent digitally would be deemed to have been received by the recipient. Mr Don Wee asked about the security of ACRA's digital mailbox system and how the Registrar can ensure that the email addresses provided are accurate. Clause 28A provides that the document sent by ACRA is considered effective when it is uploaded to the recipient's digital mailbox and an email notification is sent to the recipient. As the email notification serves to alert individuals and businesses to access the information or documents addressed to them or their associated business entities, it is in the recipient's interests and their responsibility to provide an accurate email address to ACRA. If, for example, they do not fulfil their obligations under the Companies Act because they had provided an inaccurate or outdated email address and did not receive the alerts on ACRA's reminders and notices, they can still be held responsible.”
“Mr Speaker, before I move to adjourn Parliament, I just wanted to note for the record that this Sitting will be Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's last Sitting as Prime Minister. The People's Action Party lady MPs, to mark the occasion, have pooled together to get a cake for him. We would like to invite all Members to come and participate, and have the cake, I note Members have not had their tea yet. So, we will see everyone in the Members' Room. Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament do stand adjourned to a date to be fixed".”
“As for the suggestion the Government was somehow conducting these briefings under the radar, FT did not report what we told its reporter: that almost all the briefings her article mentioned had already been publicised by the ministers on their own social media accounts. Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean also posted photographs of his engagement sessions. It is significant that no reputable media outlet, international or domestic, chose to follow up on FT's story. Several asked us follow-up questions, but decided there was no story once we explained our position. Regarding the Government's plans to tighten our anti-money laundering regime, the Inter-Ministerial Committee intends to provide an update on our findings in the coming months.”
“Mr Chua is likely to be referring to a Financial Times (FT) article that appeared on 20 April 2024. It claimed that the Singapore Government had given international banks an "unusual series of top-level briefings on geopolitics", allegedly to reassure them of Singapore's stability and neutrality amidst rising tensions between China and the West. It is surprising that such a poorly sourced story, vainly searching for a point, could appear in a major paper like FT, especially after we had repeatedly clarified matters with the reporter, including telling her the briefings were not unusual. Ministers and officials have been conducting such briefings for decades. We engage not only financial institutions but also numerous other groups, including businesses, professional bodies, voluntary and non-governmental organisations, community and cultural groups, unionists and students. Even among financial institutions, we engaged not only international banks based here but also Singapore banks. In brief, we engage as widely as possible. It should not be surprising that these engagements address current issues. Besides geopolitical issues and international developments, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, they also covered a whole range of domestic matters, from the cost of living to the Budget, from education to housing policies and also the ongoing money laundering cases. Our aim is to explain the Government's positions, hear from various stakeholders about their concerns and challenges and gather feedback.”
“In line with international recommendations, we base our population estimates on the "de jure" population concept, or place of "usual residence". Our methodology for reporting Singapore Citizen (SC) and Permanent Resident (PR) data therefore excludes those who have only a registered foreign address, or SCs and PRs who have been overseas continuously for 12 months or more. This is explained in the Population in Brief publication. This group of SCs and PRs includes overseas students, professionals working abroad and those who are residing overseas for family reasons. Over the past decade, these SCs and PRs have made up between 2%-3% and 8%-9% of the overall SC and PR populations, respectively. This is with the exception of the COVID-19 period, when travel restrictions resulted in more SCs and PRs staying abroad for 12 months or more. The National Population and Talent Division will continue to regularly review the annual Population in Brief publication, taking into account international best practices.”
“The answer, Mr Speaker, is that we always take Mr Ng's recommendations seriously. The reason why we would consider this after the Code review is because much depends on what the Code proposes or recommends and what the Code mandates. Because if it mandates more, then employers and building owners may need more assistance. So, we have to size the Accessibility Fund depending on what we require them to do. But we note Mr Ng's concerns about the urgency and the need to assist them. We will look into that. But in the meantime, as I said, lactation pods are a good way to provide facilities in the interim and the Accessibility Fund is available for that.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers at Workplaces”
“The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) has completed its investigations into Seatrium Limited (formerly, Sembcorp Marine Limited) (the Company) and individuals from the Company. In the Joint Press Release by CPIB and the Attorney-General’s Chambers dated 28 March 2024, it was announced that: (a) two individuals have been charged with corruption offences involving the payment of bribes for the benefit of persons in Brazil; and one of those individuals has also been charged with obstruction of justice. Details of the individuals and the charges can be found in the Joint Press Release; and (b) the Public Prosecutor is in discussions with the Company on a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in respect of the alleged corruption offences that occurred in Brazil. Under the proposed DPA, the Company will be required to pay a financial penalty of US$110 million. Of this amount, up to US$53 million may be used to offset the settlement payment totalling R$670,699,731.73 under the in-principle settlement agreements that the Company has reached with the Brazilian authorities. Any concluded DPA will be subject to the approval of the General Division of the High Court. The Member may wish to refer to the Joint Press Release for other relevant information.”
“Singapore's low fertility reflects a global phenomenon where individual priorities and societal norms have shifted. We will continue to work with stakeholders to build a conducive environment where Singaporeans feel supported along their marriage and parenthood journey. The Member may refer to my speech at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Committee of Supply Debate on 28 February 2024, where our strategies have been outlined. [Please refer to "Committee of Supply – Head U (Prime Minister's Office)", Official Report, 28 February 2024, Vol 95, Issue 126, Budget section.]”
“The additional two weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave currently provided on a voluntary basis came into effect on 1 January 2024. Fathers have up to one year after their child's birth to use the leave and employers have three months after that to submit their claims. As such, the data requested is currently unavailable. We are monitoring the utilisation of the voluntary leave provision and will collate the data when available.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." Building a Culture of Gender Equality”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I think the first thing to bear in mind is that the $7,000 cap is actually a measure to help those who are less able to afford. That is the first point, because if we did not have that cap or if we increased that cap, you would have more people coming in, and that would drive the rents up. So, the first point to bear in mind is the $7,000 is a way of helping the lower-income group. I think the main point he was asking was whether there would be greater assistance for those less able to afford it. At the moment, there are no plans to increase the voucher amount, but do not forget that we do have plans to double or to increase the number of PPHS flats. So, there is a range of measures. There would be those who would be able to afford, to rent on the open market, whether private or HDB. Then, remember, in 2021, when we first introduced the PPHS, we started at about 800 PPHS units; which, in 2022, we then said we would be increasing to 840. And then by 2023, we actually more than doubled it to about 2,000. And now, we will be doubling it to 4,000. So, by increasing the number of PPHS flats and putting that into the mix, the lower-income can access that, even if they are not using the PPHS voucher. I think what I would like to say is that we will keep an eye on this. We will bear in mind those who are not able to afford, to have such easy access. But for now, there are no plans to increase the amount. And also, for the PPHS voucher, we only just announced it in Budget this year. We have to give it some time to run.”
“The PPHS Voucher parameters have been carefully calibrated to provide some relief for eligible families, while mitigating the potential inflationary impact on the rental market. The $7,000 income ceiling targets our support at families with less income at their disposal to rent on the open market. Given the voucher quantum of $300 per month, eligible families will receive up to $3,600 if they qualify for the full year of support. Families will have the flexibility to select a rental option – whether a whole flat or an HDB bedroom – that suits their budget and needs. There are currently no plans to raise the income ceiling of $7,000 for the PPHS Voucher, or to offer a higher voucher quantum. Households with incomes above $7,000 but have additional expenses due to exceptional circumstances, such as high medical expenses, may approach HDB for help. HDB will consider their applications on a case-by-case basis. Families will also continue to have the option to apply for a PPHS flat offered by HDB. Married couples with children will continue to be given priority for PPHS flats. In recent exercises, all married applicants with children, including those expecting children, had a chance to select a PPHS flat.”
“Open market rents had stayed broadly stable prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but have increased in the past three years due to unprecedented supply-side constraints and increased rental demand arising from COVID-19. In 2021, the average year-on-year increase in open market rents for Housing and Development (HDB) 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats was 5%. This increased to 35% in 2022, amid the easing of border restrictions and recovery of non-resident rental demand. We have since implemented a suite of measures to support households who need to rent accommodations. These include increasing both private and public housing supply, temporarily relaxing the occupancy cap for larger HDB flats and private residential properties, as well as ramping up our supply of rental flats under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, or PPHS. Public and private housing rents have shown signs of stabilising. The average year-on-year increase in open market rents for HDB 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats was 10% in 2023. The PPHS provides a temporary housing option for families with less income at their disposal to rent a flat while waiting for their HDB flats to be completed. HDB is working to double the supply of PPHS flats from about 2,000 units currently to about 4,000 units by 2025. Meanwhile, we will introduce the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher Scheme as a temporary measure to support eligible families who rent HDB flats or bedrooms in the open market. The scheme will run for a one-year period from July 2024 and eligible families will receive $300 per month. Families must be eligible for PPHS and have a rental tenancy registered with HDB.”
“Mr Speaker, the moment that Members have been waiting eagerly for. [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 4.45 pm.”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that pursuant to Standing Order 10(2), the introduction of the Law Enforcement and Other Matters Bill be taken now. As Mr Speaker and Members may be aware, an issue arose earlier when the Law Enforcement and Other Matters Bill was not laid on the table. While I had earlier obtained Speaker's consent to dispense with the need to lay the Bill on the table at that time, I am moving this Motion now to allow the First Reading of the Bill to take place in accordance with the provisions of the Standing Orders, including the requirement for the Bill to be laid on the table. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, (proc text)] [(proc text) That pursuant to Standing Order 10(2), the introduction of the Law Enforcement and Other Matters Bill be taken now. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I understand that Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam is doing the response to the speeches. As such, Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on item No 5 in the Order Paper for today be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(3) so far as it is necessary to enable Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam to speak more than once?”
“As the threat of climate change looms ever larger for the world and for Singapore, we have taken concrete steps towards achieving our ambitious climate target of net-zero emissions by 2050, including setting up the Future Energy Fund this year with an initial injection of $5 billion to help decarbonise our energy system and enhance our security in clean energy. Inclusivity is the glue on which unity is built. By building on the previous Budgets and having something for everyone, Budget 2024 ensures that no one is left behind. At the same time, by creating opportunities and providing catalytic assistance to encourage and amplify individual effort, we are fostering a resilient and united Singapore. Mr Speaker, we were able to cover all this and more in a relatively short period of time due in no small part to your able Chairmanship. I thank you for your patience, professionalism and fairness, and also commend you on your ability to remain in the Chair for extended periods without a break! On behalf of the House, I would also like to convey our appreciation to the Clerk of Parliament, Deputy Clerk and the other Assistant Clerks, as well as the Parliament Secretariat and staff, interpreters and translators, whose dedicated efforts and support behind the scenes over the past two weeks ensured that the proceedings went smoothly. Unlike Members of Parliament (MPs) who are seen and heard on camera, their work is unseen and often unsung. But it is only because of what they do that we as MPs can do what we need to do. We are grateful for their hard work. [Applause.] Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and congratulations on your successful maiden Budget and Committee of Supply. [Applause.] 2.17 pm”
“We also strengthened access to justice, especially for the most vulnerable, through the civil and criminal law systems. Families are the bedrock of our society and we have committed to supporting them through every stage of life – from providing strong foundations for the young, to enhancing the golden years of the elderly. In this Budget, we have increased support for parents. We are improving preschool affordability by reducing monthly childcare fee caps in Government-supported preschools and enhancing preschool subsidies for lower-income families. The pilot to provide affordable and reliable childminding services will give parents another caregiving option and hopefully pave the way for such services to be delivered at greater scale. To support married couples and young families, we have ramped up the Build-To-Oder supply, given them greater priority, increased the number of Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) flats and will provide the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher. For our seniors, we have made adjustments to the Central Provident Fund system and strengthened the Silver Support Scheme to support their retirement needs. Young seniors will get an additional boost for their retirement through the Majulah Package. We also set aside funds for Age Well SG, a new national programme to support seniors to age actively, stay socially connected and be cared for in their own communities. These initiatives position us well to holistically take care of the needs of our ageing society.”
“With the SkillsFuture measures in Budget 2024, we have expressed our belief and confidence in our workers, as well as our confidence in their ability not only to upskill but to chart new directions even at a later age. The new SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme – which includes the top-up in SkillsFuture Credits for Singaporeans aged 40 and above to pursue selected training programmes, the new SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance and the opportunity to pursue another full-time diploma – are all intended to empower Singaporeans throughout their journey of lifelong learning so that they can continue to access opportunities at every stage of life, for every stage of life. Many of these moves were informed by ground-up feedback from citizens through the Forward Singapore exercise. These measures give effect to Singaporeans' wishes to upgrade their skills and seize new opportunities and help them embrace a culture of lifelong learning. Likewise, the new Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Progression Award is an expression of our commitment to social mobility as well as our confidence and belief in our ITE graduates. We have continued to uplift our lower-wage workers and improve wages across different professions, through the enhancements to the Workfare Income Supplement scheme and the Progressive Wage Credit scheme. By respecting and rewarding every job, we hope that these initiatives will enhance opportunities across diverse pathways and enable all Singaporeans to progress throughout their careers. We further strengthened our social compact by providing more support to those who need it the most. The ComLink+ Progress Packages will uphold social mobility and ensure that families from all backgrounds will have access to full and fair opportunities.”
“The enhanced Assurance Package – which includes additional Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers for all Singaporean households, a Cost-of-Living Special Payment in cash for eligible adult Singaporeans and additional U-Save and service and conservancy charges (S&CC) rebates for eligible HDB households – provides assurance to Singaporeans for cost-of-living concerns. We also took decisive measures to ensure a strong, innovative and vibrant economy. To maintain our competitive edge and ride the winds of change, we amped up support for our National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy 2.0. In this connection, I should mention that Dr Tan Wu Meng's speech on this topic, which took us on a masterful tour of the rapid AI advancements and how we prepare our citizens for this change, has attracted global attention. The clip of his post has garnered several million views across various platforms. This is a good example showing how, although we are a small Parliament, what we say and do in this House can be noticed far beyond our shores. So, I encourage Members to keep up the quality of our debates and thereby the credibility of this House. [Applause.] Beyond this, we have strengthened support for our companies with the $1.3 billion Enterprise Support Package, which includes a generous Corporate Income Tax Rebate, as well as enhanced schemes that support collaborations and partnerships between local and multinational enterprises, scaling up of our firms and sustainability. We introduced the Refundable Investment Credit to enhance our investment promotion toolkit, as global competition for investments intensifies with BEPS 2.0.”
“This is fortuitous since Budget 2024 is a Budget with something for everyone – so, everyone got a birthday present under Budget 2024! More importantly, Budget 2024 gives life and breath to the plans in the Forward Singapore report that we, as Singaporeans, collectively developed to build our shared future together. Budgets 2020-2023 helped us to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. Those Budgets, including five Budgets in 2020 alone, helped save lives, save jobs and enabled us to emerge stronger. But the post-pandemic world into which we emerged is very different from the one from which we entered. The world in which Budget 2024 takes place is messier, more dangerous and more unpredictable. Conflicts are raging around the world. In Gaza and Ukraine, there has been the tragic loss of life. Even though these are far away, in an interconnected world, we are not unaffected. As a small nation-state, we have to navigate an increasingly fragmented world order fraught with geopolitical contestation. Climate change poses an existential threat for us given our small size, low-lying land and energy constraints. At a more personal and individual level, Singaporeans remain concerned with costs of living and inflationary pressures and other immediate concerns. Against this backdrop, Budget 2024 provides a clear action plan to take Singapore forward into the future with optimism and hope, these challenges notwithstanding. Budget 2024 also sets aside resources for policies that will allow us to turn challenges into opportunities, reinvigorate our workforce by helping workers find new paths and second careers and build a Singapore that is vibrant and inclusive, fair and thriving, resilient and united. So, let me recap what we have set in motion by approving this Budget. First, assurance.”
“My apologies to Minister of State Alvin Tan. He looked so keen to move the Second Reading of his Bill. I wish to let him know it might be some time before he gets that pleasure. Mr Speaker, as is customary, the end of the annual Budget process is marked by the delivery of a speech by the Leader in acknowledgement to the Chair of the House. This is not the first time you have presided over the Budget process, having done so in previous years as a Deputy Speaker. But this is the first time that you have done so as Speaker of the House. You ran a tight ship, keeping close control over the process, yet allowing flexibility when needed. Under your efficient management, we covered much ground in nine days – close to 70 hours of debate. Sixty-one Members spoke for two and a half days in the debate on the Budget Statement and we covered 598 cuts over seven days of Committee of Supply. Every year, one Ministry will emerge as the "favourite" with the most number of cuts, even though this is one prize Ministries prefer not to win as it means even more work for the relevant Ministers and their team. But anyway, for the record, this year, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) was "the 1" to win the prize and as we know "All Too Well" now, they rose to the occasion with "Style". Members may not quite get the references I just made, but it is alright, if you ask your children or Ms Usha, they will know. Budget 2023 was delivered on 14 February and is remembered as a Valentine's Day Budget, especially with its family-oriented measures. This year's Budget was delivered on 16 February, which coincidentally fell on the seventh day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar, also known as “Ren Ri” or Everyman's Birthday.”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The purpose of this Bill is to make additional provision in accordance with Articles 148(2) of the Constitution for expenditure in excess of the sums authorised by the Supply Act 2023. The additional sums have been approved by the House in the Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, as contained in Paper Cmd No 28 of 2024. Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions." [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolutions accordingly agreed to. (proc text)]”
“Ministries may brief a GPC for the Ministry's purposes, if the Ministry wishes to seek feedback or to find out about something which the Ministry is doing. But if there is anything which is political, that is really not for the civil servants. That is really for the Minister and the GPCs, because the GPCs come from the same party as the Minister.”
“I know that others also give feedback and we take feedback from everyone, but essentially, the GPC framework is the party's way of organising their MPs to give feedback to the Minister. I think just this year, for example, members of the GPC for Communications and Information tabled a Motion on building an inclusive and safe digital society, and members for the GPC for Health filed a Motion on improving mental health and well-being. So, the role of the GPCs is really for MPs from the governing party to help the Government to do better.”
“I thank the Member for this clarification too. I am afraid the Member may have it back to front. GPCs are a party construct. They are called "Parliamentary Committees", but they are not a "Parliament Committee". They are PAP Committees, but they are called "Government Parliamentary Committees" because they come from the party forming the Government. They were formed, for those who are familiar with its history, back in 1987. When they were formed, then-Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong took pains to explain that they were different from Select Committees, which include representation from all parties. GPCs do not. The purpose of the GPCs was to allow the ruling party, which was the dominant party, to enable or to help the Government's MPs to perform their duties better, by playing a more effective role in the policy-making process, to tap on their expertise and to allow them to give political feedback. In other words, the role of the GPCs within the party construct is to give feedback to the Ministers and to the Ministries, to enable the Government to do better policy-making. It is not the reverse, where the Ministries brief the GPCs or report to the GPCs. Ministries can brief GPCs where there is a matter that they need to seek the GPCs' input or views on, but the inputs are given through the Minister, because the GPCs essentially are a party construct. Essentially, the GPCs' role is to scrutinise legislation, to make suggestions to the Minister, and to help the Ministries to do better. For example, the Pioneer Generation Package is not means-tested. This was something that the GPC for Finance Chair Mr Liang Eng Hwa strongly advocated for and it was something that was fed back to us. We took that into account.”
“I thank the Member for his clarification. No, I am not saying that at all. What I was responding to is the underlying assumption that always goes with the proposal to have Select Committees. I assume that the reason why the Member suggests having Select Committees is: he feels it would make for better governance and that it would make for better accountability. I am addressing that point. I am saying that having Select Committees does not necessarily guarantee nor give you better governance or better accountability. I am saying that the processes that we have give a lot of room for the Government and Ministers to be held to account. And I am saying that the system that we have already allows for very good governance. I do not think that having Select Committees essentially overseeing Ministries or having Ministries reporting to them will improve things. My reference to other countries was then to say that, when you look at those other countries, they do have Select Committees or their equivalents, but are their outcomes better than ours? It does not appear to be so. That was the point I was making.”
“What it takes is for good people, decent people, to stand up and to say, "We do not approve of this". When something is well done, to say that it is well done; to give encouragement and support where a person, a team, a group or the Government has done something well; to let them know that, "You have done the right thing and you have our support", because that is actually the biggest and the strongest antidote to sniping and harsh comments. That is what makes it worthwhile at the end of the day, to know that you have actually made a difference to people's lives and to communities, and made Singapore a better place. So, I thank Mr Thomas for his remarks. 1.45 pm In conclusion, Mr Chairman, I would say that our Parliament has served us well. It remains an effective platform for rigorous debates on important issues and it will continue to evolve in tandem with our changing needs, and this speaks to the resilience of our democratic institution. Together, we can maintain a Parliament that engages in robust but respectful debates, and at the same time, deliver effective outcomes in and out of the Chamber. [Applause.]”
“But at the end of the day, politicians are human as well. It is very important that our MPs must have high standards of integrity. This applies on both sides of the House. Occasionally, some mistakes will be made and those would have to be dealt with, but where we have to draw a bright white line is where integrity and honesty are concerned, because the people and our citizens must be able to trust us. Every political party must also have its own code of conduct. The People's Action Party (PAP) has its rules of prudence and its own way of conducting itself and it will be for the opposition parties to look and see how their members conduct themselves as well. On the second point, I echo Mr Thomas' call for us to treat all our MPs with dignity and respect. I think increasingly, what is happening, not just in Singapore but across the world, is that politicians do become targets. When they become targets, it makes it very difficult for them to carry out their duties. It takes a toll on them. But it also takes a toll on society, because when it becomes too difficult to do the job as an MP or politician, good people will hesitate to step up. When good people hesitate to step up, some who are not as good may do so. Then, the system and the society will suffer as a whole. So, it is fine if we want Singapore to be a place where we have robust conversations, robust discourse. But we should try to avoid what we do see sometimes and in other countries – a certain level of nastiness, a certain level of direct personal attacks and more importantly, in some cases, attempting to drag family members in, which really should not be the case, as Mr Thomas touched on. What does it take to not become a society like that?”
“So, you can imagine having many more standing Select Committees, each one to inspect one Ministry that oversees many policy issues would be very costly in terms of opportunity cost as well as the time taken up for the civil servants, the Ministers and the Ministries to do this. Since most of our policy issues are cross-cutting, the value of setting up Ministry-specific committees is also questionable. What we have is a system that works. When the Ministries have a policy, it is brought to Parliament, either through a Motion or during the Budget debate, which has a broader overview, or when a specific Act is being passed. We must remember, a Select Committee is really a mini version of Parliament as a whole. But here you have everybody that is able to ask questions and participate in debate. So, the public does not lose out by this. In terms of being accessible to the public, that does not actually have much to do with Parliamentary procedure. That has to do with how MPs conduct themselves in their everyday duties, where they see and speak to their residents, interact with their residents and then bring the issues that are of concern to their residents to this Chamber. We are well-versed with all the concerns of the residents of Clementi. [Laughter.] This is how you bring residents' issues to the Chamber and how you make Parliament accessible. That is the work that has to be done on the ground. I will move on to address some of the matters which may have been raised by Mr Raj Joshua Thomas. I would like to thank Mr Raj Joshua Thomas for his speech on attracting talent. I will just make two points. First, I agree with Mr Thomas that politicians obviously cannot be infallible. New candidates, for example, or first-time MPs, will occasionally need some latitude.”
“Having more Standing Committees or more Select Committees would not be very productive. For example, it would be unproductive for every Ministry to have to answer to a standing Select Committee. Setting up a Committee for each Ministry requires significant time. Ministries would also have to expend scarce resources reporting to and preparing answers for their respective Committees. These are resources which could be spent on important policy work. Members will also be keenly aware that our Parliamentary Sittings have grown longer, busier and more frequent. Ministries are spending more time than ever preparing for Parliamentary Sittings. There is a cost to this as it eats into the time that the Ministries have for their policy and other work. For these reasons, creating standing Select Committees for every Ministry would do little to enhance accountability or increase productivity or efficiency. Instead, we convene ad hoc Select Committees where appropriate, for smaller groups of MPs to study and report to Parliament on specific topics, and sometimes, novel issues of national interest. One example is the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, which Ms He also mentioned, that was appointed in 2018 to study what was then, and still is, a new and complex societal problem. To examine this one policy issue – just this one, not even the work of the entire Ministry – the Committee held 16 meetings over eight months, conducted public consultations with many stakeholders, and received written representations and oral evidence from individuals and organisations alike, before reporting its findings to Parliament.”
“I think the key point that Ms He was making was that Parliament should be accountable, accessible and people must be able to trust our Parliamentarians. On that point, I agree, which is why it is extremely important that when MPs say something, they should not do so without basis. Importantly, MPs should not lie to Parliament, nor to Select Committees of Parliament. At the same time, it is also important that MPs do not, then, after something has transpired in Parliament, go outside of Parliament and misrepresent what has occurred in Parliament. Those things are very important too, for accountability of the MPs and for transparency, and also to maintain trust in MPs. I move on now to the second point about Parliamentary Committees or Select Committees, which Ms He alluded to, and I think that was essentially the main point of what Mr Gerald Giam raised. He is essentially saying that in addition to the standing Select Committees that we have, we should create more Select Committees to oversee various Ministries, if that is how I understood him correctly, and that has been done in other countries. I think the question that we have to ask ourselves is, in the other countries where they have these multitudes of Select Committees, are they necessarily better governed? Do they necessarily have better outcomes? Are their Parliaments more efficient? Is their government more trusted? I would venture to say no, not necessarily, to all of those questions. In fact, on many international rankings by any measure, you will find that Singapore fares well in governance, transparency, in lack of corruption, or in low corruption. Where it is discovered, it is dealt with promptly, quickly and decisively.”
“The way our system is structured is that the Government carries out the business of the Executive; and the Legislature or Parliament carries out the business of law-making, of scrutinising Bills, of holding the Ministries and the Ministers to account through Parliamentary Questions, Motions and various other procedural devices. All of this is available and have been actively deployed, not just by Government MPs, but also MPs from the opposition. I think one other point that Ms He raised was that policy-launching must flow through Parliament first and foremost. I think there may be a misunderstanding here about the role of the Government or the Executive, and the role of the Legislature. It is the role and the duty of the Government to develop policies, to implement them, to operationalise them, to carry it out. When it comes to making laws, the Government has to bring it before Parliament. Parliament must agree. Parliament can ask questions and hold the Ministers to account. But Parliament is not the Government. There is a distinction between the two roles and one should be careful not to conflate the two. Our system of having the Executive separate from the Legislature is a well-known, well-tried and tested one. On the question of why certain issues were taken by way of Ministerial Statement, those were taken by way of Ministerial Statement because that is the normal way in which information is presented to Parliament, and Members had the opportunity to ask questions, which they did. We did not do it by way of a Motion, simply because it did not present itself as a matter for resolution, but this does not preclude anybody else from raising a Motion if they wish to.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the Members for their cuts. Indeed, it is important to have a strong Parliamentary system and a strong Parliament. Ms He Ting Ru ran through a number of points. I would just say broadly, insofar as the Office of the Speaker is concerned, that is provided for in the Constitution and our legislation. The Speakers in this House have endeavoured to uphold those principles. Where there has been any deviation, that certainly has been addressed. So, the principle of the Speaker's impartiality is not in dispute and certainly, the principle of why the Speaker does not participate in a debate is very similar in many jurisdictions. The system that we have and the way that we organise our Parliamentary business, is actually not very different from many other places. Each country has its own variations and every country has to adapt for its particular circumstances. But if we were to ask our people and if we were to ask around Singapore, is there a high level of trust in our Parliament? I think the answer is yes. How does Singapore fare compared to Parliaments in other countries? I think you would find Singapore does well. That is testimony and credit to the many Speakers who have sat in this House and upheld their duties with dedication and a lot of hard work. I think the other point that Ms He Ting Ru raised was that one must have the ability to properly represent and operate in Parliament. I think there is no dispute about that either.”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That, notwithstanding Standing Order 20(3), the three questions for Oral Answer and three questions for Written Answer, which Non-Constituency Member of Parliament, Ms Hazel Poa, had filed for Sittings in February and March 2024, but which were inadvertently omitted from being listed in any Order Paper, be set down in the Order Paper for the next available Sitting, on or after 13 March 2024, over and above her usual quota under the Standing Orders for that Sitting day." The reasons I am moving this Motion were explained to Members earlier. For avoidance of doubt, I should clarify that after the omitted PQs are listed on the Order Paper for the next available Sitting, on or after 13 March 2024, the usual limit of five questions on the Order Paper will apply as per Standing Order 20(3) for any subsequent Sittings. Ms Poa should take this into account, should she wish to postpone any of her questions on the Order Paper for the next available Sitting to a later Sitting date. I understand that the Parliament Secretariat has taken steps to tighten the IT system and strengthen the processes for the receipt of questions. [(proc text) With the consent of Mr Speaker and the general assent of Members present, question put and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That, notwithstanding Standing Order 20(3), the three questions for Oral Answer and three questions for Written Answer, which Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Ms Hazel Poa had filed for Sittings in February and March 2024, but which were inadvertently omitted from being listed in any Order Paper, be set down in the Order Paper for the next available Sitting on or after 13 March 2024, over and above her usual quota under the Standing Orders for that Sitting day.”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move a Motion to allow certain Parliamentary Questions (PQs), that were filed by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament, Ms Hazel Poa, in February 2024, but which were inadvertently omitted from the Order Papers for the February and March 2024 Sittings, to be listed on the Order Paper for the next available Sitting, on or after 13 March 2024, over and above her usual quota of five PQs for that Sitting? Ms Poa had filed three PQs for Oral Answer and three PQs for Written Answer in February 2024. Ordinarily, notice of these PQs would have been given to Members and they would have been listed on the Order Papers for the relevant Sittings during the Committee of Supply period. However, due to an IT system issue that was not picked up, the six PQs were inadvertently omitted from such notice and listing. The Parliament Secretariat has since issued notices for the omitted PQs on 1 and 5 March, respectively. However, under Standing Order 20(3), each Member has a quota of five PQs, of which up to three, may be for oral answer, for each Sitting day. The omitted PQs, therefore, cannot be listed on the Order Paper for the next available Sitting, unless Standing Order 20(3) is suspended to allow such listing. The next available Sitting will be on or after 13 March 2024, taking into account the requisite notice period for the PQs. You have invited me to move a Motion to suspend Standing Order 20(3) to allow the omitted PQs to be listed for the next available Sitting. I am in agreement to do so, to ensure that Ms Poa's allocation of PQs is not affected. I am therefore seeking your consent and the general assent of Members to so move.”
“Mr Speaker, may I just check whether the Minister of State has the presentation copy available? If he does not, then may I seek Mr Speaker's dispensation to have the presentation copy put shortly after? The presentation copy will be put on the table. It is just that it may be a few minutes later.”